The Jewish Academy, a new educational institution run by the Central Council of Jews in Germany, opened on Monday in an architectural complex near the Frankfurt Messe, combining a new building with an older villa. At the opening ceremony, German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier described it as a sign of Jewish self-confidence and a milestone.
Frankfurt already offers many opportunities to encounter Jewish life and culture. The city’s Jewish community has nearly 7,000 members and regularly opens its venues to non-Jewish visitors. Its Westend Synagogue, community hall and cultural events sit alongside the Jewish Museum, which hosts exhibitions, talks, readings and discussions.
The academy’s arrival also reflects Frankfurt’s longstanding ties to Jewish history. The city’s university was founded with support from Jewish benefactors, and Jewish figures including Franz Rosenzweig, Theodor Adorno and Max Horkheimer worked there. Local and state politicians had advocated for the academy to be based in Frankfurt.
At the opening, Central Council President Josef Schuster said the academy would respond to antisemitism through education. The institution begins its work amid renewed visibility of antisemitism following the October 7 attacks and the Gaza war, with the article noting that prejudice is present beyond the political fringes and in the center of society.
Sources: FAZ.