Berlin O philia

Germany’s largest synagogue (Jewish prayer house), Rykestrasse Synagogue, reopened last Friday in the Prenzlauer Berg district in Berlin. The synagogue underwent a few years of renovation, following decades of neglect.

The event was hailed as a symbol of the revitalization of Jewish life in Germany, and even referred to as “a miracle” by Rabbi Chaim Roswaski, a native of Belarus who came to Berlin in 2000 as part of an influx of Jews from the former Soviet Union, that has made Germany one of the fastest growing Jewish communities in the world (and were they smart…).
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This monster of a memorial, which was unveiled in May 2005, is located in a very central place, near the Reichstag and the Brandenburg Gate. It is based on a design by Peter Eisenman, an American architect. The “Field of Stelea” is made of 2,711 concrete blocks of different heights, structured in a grid pattern. It can be entered anywhere, and the blocks are supposed to form different wave-like patterns as you move through it. I didn’t really notice that. Click on the photo to enlarge.

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