New Outreach Centre Opened in Former East Berlin

Berlin - 17-Nov-08

WJC President Ronald Lauder, the Lauder Foundation's Dr George Ban and Rabbi Aba Dunner © David Rose

'The White House', a new outreach centre in the heart of the former East Berlin, was opened on Sunday, November 16 by the President of the World Jewish Congress, Ambassador Ronald Lauder.

The location is the new home of Am Echad, the outreach division of Lauder Yeshurun in Germany. Mr Lauder founded the Ronald S. Lauder Foundation over twenty years ago and has been a major figure behind the revival of Jewish life in Eastern Europe over that period.

The centre is a state of the art building located on fashionable Kastanienallee, one of the main thoroughfares of former East Berlin. The area witnessed decades of communist rule after the Second World War and has been completely redeveloped since the fall of the Berlin wall, the remnants of which still stand nearby.

The Jewish Community in Germany is officially the fastest-growing in the entire world, the vast majority of its 150,000 population arriving since the fall of the Iron Curtain.

Am Echad, the Outreach division of Lauder Yeshurun, brings scores of Jewish youth to Berlin from around Germany each week for a Shabbat experience. The centre houses full catering and programming facilities and the youngsters are provided with thought-provoking classes from experienced teachers that make up Kehillas Beis Zion.

In addition, Am Echad runs camps and seminars throughout the year in Germany, Switzerland, Austria and Italy.

For many of the participants, their first ever experience of Shabbat occurs directly in a place filled with such a painful history for our people. On the very site of such destruction, we are witnessing an incredible re-birth for these Jews, whose parents were denied any opportunity for Jewish education or observance while in the former Soviet Union.

The Shabbaton program also sends the participants to experience a taste of Yeshiva life. They visit Yeshivas Beis Zion, the flagship operation of Lauder Yeshurun, and the Lauder Midrasha, both located nearby.

Mr Lauder expressed his pride at the great strides that had been made in Germany in recent years, and thanked Mr Ariel Schiff, a local philanthropist, who supported the project, and Rabbi Josh Spinner, the founding Director of Lauder Yeshurun.

Guests came from across Europe, including Rabbi Aba Dunner, Executive Director of the Conference of European Rabbis, who assisted Mr Lauder in fixing the final mezuza. Others included leaders of the various projects of the Foundation from over ten European countries.