Institut für Jüdische Theologie / School of Jewish Theology

The University of Potsdam does not count directly as a Jewish place even for the students at the "School of Jewish Theology," but the Jewish faith is integrated. The approach to this is, for example, the construction of a synagogue on campus and an internal service that students are allowed to lead and design themselves.

In research and teaching, Judaism is studied from different perspectives, such as the conservative and liberal movements. These two streams are represented by Abraham Geiger College (liberal) and Zacharias Frankel College (conservative). What is special about the "School of Jewish Theology" is that both currents cooperate and are connected.

One focus of study is the development of Judaism. For a long time, the Temple in Jerusalem was considered the center of Judaism. After the Holy Place was almost completely destroyed, Judaism had to reorganize and find a new center. Thus, today the Torah is referred to as the mobile center of Judaism. The Torah used to be (and to some extent still is) used by Jewish children as a textbook. In addition, it is seen as a kind of instruction how to speak to God and how to lead a good and determined life.