The Conference of European Rabbis, which represents about 1,000 Orthodox European rabbis, will open a new Center for Jewish Life in the Bavarian capital of Munich. The German state will fund the new building, which will serve as the conference’s European headquarters.
The new center will better help the group train rabbis and their wives, and will be the venue for international conferences, said a release. The location of the new center reflects the conference’s view of Munich as a “new focal point for Jewish life in Europe.”
“Bavaria has become a beacon of hope for Jewish communities in Europe—a place where they can feel welcome, supported and valued,” stated Rabbi Pinchas Goldschmidt, president of the conference and former chief rabbi of Moscow.
“It makes me proud and happy to see that my home city of Munich has become one of the most important Jewish centers in Europe today,” added Charlotte Knobloch, president of Munich’s and Upper Bavaria’s Jewish community.
The conference also awarded its Lord Jakobovits Prize of European Jewry to Markus Söder, minister-president of Bavaria.
“His and the Bavarian State Government’s commitment to promoting Jewish life and culture is rooted in its deep respect for the Jewish people and their contribution to society,” said Goldschmidt.