The Philip Markowitz Annual Lecture in Judaism and Jewish Biblical Studies
Supported by the Jewish Federation and Foundation of Greater Toledo
TOPIC "Berlin’s 'New Synagogue': A Historical Appreciation, 1850-Present"
Speaker: Dr. Barry Jackisch, UToledo Associate Professor of History and the Philip Markowicz Endowed Professor in Judaism and Jewish Biblical Studies
Tuesday, April 22, 2025
7 p.m.
UToledo Center for Performing Arts, Recital Hall
ADMISSION - Free
PARKING - Free
(Area 12, across from the CPA - any spots except the metered and reserved spots)
Can't attend in person? Attend virtually!
In this talk, Dr. Barry Jackisch, UToledo associate professor of history and the Philip Markowicz Endowed Professor in Judaism and Jewish Biblical Studies, will focus on Berlin’s famous “New Synagogue” (German: Neue Synagoge) and its development in the broader context of the city’s rich Jewish history. Originally built in the mid-19th century as a prominent house of worship for the city’s growing Jewish community, the building witnessed many historical milestones. The synagogue survived Nazi attacks on Berlin’s Jews and their property during the Holocaust but was badly damaged by Allied bombing in WWII.
The New Synagogue ended up in Communist East Berlin from 1949-1989 and still survived with minimal renovation. Today it houses both a small-scale religious space and the well-known Centrum Judaicum, a museum and center open to the public which preserves Jewish memory and tradition in Berlin.