Erfurt (dpa/th) - 70 years after its inauguration, the New Synagogue in Erfurt is, according to the Thuringia Jewish community, a second home. "Of course it would be nice if the synagogue were as well attended as it is today in the next 70 years," said state rabbi Alexander Nachama on Wednesday in an almost full service at the celebratory event in Erfurt. He continues to work for that. But it also needs the support of the community.
The simple new building in the state capital is the only newly built Jewish house of worship in the GDR. The synagogue was consecrated on August 31, 1952 on the spot where the magnificent Great Synagogue, which had been set on fire by the National Socialists, stood until the pogrom night. Today it forms the center of the nearly 700-strong Thuringian state community.
The development of Jewish life in Thuringia after the Holocaust was characterized by complicated first years with tragic sections, said the chairman of the state community, Reinhard Schramm. The New Synagogue is one of the successes that shaped the reconstruction of the community. That is why we proudly celebrate the 70th anniversary of its inauguration. It's important to remember that the Great Synagogue unfortunately didn't live to celebrate its 70th anniversary, Nachama said. "It's important not to forget that."
