Consecration of the new synagogue

Participants from all over the world

Three years after construction work commenced, the New Dresden Synagogue was officially consecrated on Friday, 9th November 2001. A whole series of events accompanied the celebrations. The official ceremony was attended by Jewish former citizens of Dresden from Israel, the USA, Brazil and South Africa, who were visiting their native city at the invitation of the Mayor.

The ceremony

On the day of the consecration, the procession led by the chief rabbi carried the five 90-year-old Torah scrolls, the five Books of Moses, into the synagogue. They passed around the  seven times lectern (»Bima«).

To the accompaniment of the Shabbat melody »Sch´ma Jisrael«, the chairman of the Jewish community carefully placed the scrolls into the blue-covered Torah shrine (»Aron Hakodesch«) of the new synagogue.

The synagogue received its final consecration with the lighting of the eternal flame (»Ner Tamid«).

Exhibition in the City Hall

To mark the consecration, an exhibition entitled »Sources of Remembrance« was opened in the Dresden City Hall, focused on everyday Jewish life in Dresden before the persecution by the National Socialists. At the opening, a working group of the Society for Christian-Jewish Cooperation presented a »Book of Remembrance« to the Jewish community.

»Book of Remembrance«

Over a period of more than six years, the working group in co-operation with students from various faculties at the Dresden University of Technology had investigated the fates of Jewish citizens of Dresden who had flown the city, been deported or murdered. Based on this extensive research, the »Book of Remembrance« lists all the found names of Jewish residents of Dresden and the surrounding communities between 1933 and 1945. The book comprises twelve volumes and includes around 6,000 names.

Remembrance

On the afternoon of 9th November, Mayor Ingolf Roßberg called the citizens to remembrance of the 1938 night of pogroms.

The »Dresden Chain of Lights Alliance«, which brought together many Dresden initiatives and institutions, church congregations and all the factions represented on the City Council, organised an evening cultural programme on the Schlossplatz square. Starting from there, a »chain of lights« was formed over the Augustusbrücke bridge, along the Königsufer river banks, back across the Carolabrücke bridge and along the Brühl Terrace.

Open day

On Sunday, 11th November, the people of Dresden were given the opportunity to get to know the new synagogue during a first open day. Some 6,000 people took up this invitation.