Adass Jisroel

The community includes, among other things, religion schools, ritual facilities, and community cemeteries, for example on Wittlicher Straße in the Weißensee area of Berlin. The heart of the congregation is the community hall at 40 Tucholskystraße in the Mitte district of Berlin, which also has a synagogue. The congregation also owns its own library, the kids’ club "Mo'adonit", and the kosher restaurant Beth Café, as well as the kosher food shop Kolbo on the nearby Auguststraße.

History of the congregation

The first serving rabbi of the Adass Jisroel congregation was Rabbi Esriel Hildesheimer, who initially taught in Eisenstadt and founded the Berlin Rabbinical Seminary in 1873. During the Second World War, the Adass Jisroel congregation also suffered under Nazi ideology. In 1939, the persecution and deprivation of rights of individual congregation members led to the congregation joining the Reich Association of Jews in Germany, and ultimately to its complete destruction. Individual members in divided Berlin began rebuilding the congregation in both parts of the city in 1985. In 1997 their previous legal status was finally restored to them by a court ruling. This makes Adass Jisroel the only Jewish religious congregation that still has its original legal title, and can demonstrate continuity between the current congregation and the one founded in 1869.

Adass Jisroel today

As part of their activities, the Jewish congregation organises not only regular religious services, but also Hebrew lessons, religious classes for children and adults, lectures, and readings, among other things. In addition, the congregation is also involved in integrating Jews from the former Soviet Union and provides assistance with everyday life, for example in dealing with the authorities or providing pastoral care of the sick.