This structure originally housed the B’nei B’rith Lodge of the Jewish Community. In 1933, the Jewish community’s reform congregations converted it into the Joseph Lehmann School. In 1939, Elementary School Number 8, of the Jewish community, also moved into the premises. The Nazis deported the last of the school’s in 1942. Today, the building houses the orthodox synagogue of the Jewish Community of Berlin – located in the lodge’s former ballroom. During the war, Nazi officials used the ballroom as a sports gymnasium.

Orthodox Rabbi David Weisz presided here from 1961 until his retirement in 1995. Rabbi Yitzhak Ehrenberg has headed the orthodox congregation since 1997. In addition to Shabbat and holiday services, the rabbi leads daily morning and evening prayer services. A mikveh (ritual bath) is located in the basement of the building. That natural well water used for the mikveh is pumped in from a depth of 40 metres. Before the reunification of Berlin and the melding of its two Jewish communities, all administrative offices and office of many Jewish organisations were located here, except for those of the community’s board members, which were located at the community centre on Fasanenstrasse. The “Jüdische Allgemeine Wochenzeitung” (forerunner of today’s “Jüdische Allgemeine Zeitung” – newspaper of the Central Council of Jews in Germany), had also once had its offices in the building. Today, the entire administration of the Jewish community and most of its organisations are located at the community’s Oranienburger Strasse premises. Today, the Joachimstaler Strasse building is home to the orthodox congregation, residential apartments and several Jewish youth organisations.

Source: "Jüdische Orte in Berlin", Andreas Nachama/Ulrich Eckhardt. Copyright by Nicolai Verlag

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Donations for Joachimstaler Straße synagogue can be transferred to:

Jüdische Gemeinde zu Berlin, Synagoge Joachimstaler Straße
Konto  6000033883
BLZ  100 500 00
Berliner Sparkasse

IBAN: DE87100500006000033883   
BIC: BELADEBE