A House for everyone who wants to understand: The Jewish Academy is open

On 2 November 2026, the Central Council of Jews in Germany officially opened the Jewish Academy on Senckenberganlage. For us, this day is a special moment. We are very proud to have been able to plan and build this house. As the first supra-regional Jewish educational institution since the Shoah, the Academy continues the tradition of the Free Jewish Lehrhaus founded by Franz Rosenzweig.

Around 200 guests from politics, society and the churches attended the ceremony. Federal President Frank-Walter Steinmeier gave the keynote as guest of honour and called the Academy a “House of Dialogue”. Minister President Boris Rhein, Lord Mayor Mike Josef and former Federal Minister of the Interior Nancy Faeser were also present. Central Council President Josef Schuster called the house a “milestone” for Jewish life in Germany.

The new building of the academy connects through a glazed foyer to a villa built around 1910, whose facade has been carefully restored in line with heritage preservation. With the Academy Hall, the kosher café and the roof terrace with views of the Frankfurt skyline, a place has emerged where, as Steinmeier put it, people learn, debate, reflect and listen. Life in the house now begins, and we look forward to it.

More about the project Jüdische Akademie Frankfurt