With a symbolic groundbreaking ceremony on Thursday, September 2, 2021, the Central Council of Jews in Germany heralded the construction start of the Jewish Academy. The ceremony on Senckenberganlage in Frankfurt am Main was attended by Hesse's Prime Minister Volker Bouffier, the State Secretary in the Federal Ministry of the Interior, Dr. Markus Kerber, the President of the Central Council of Jews in Germany, Dr. Josef Schuster, and other politicians. In addition, approximately 100 invited guests from politics, science and culture attended the ceremony.

"We want to hold religious and interreligious debates here. Talk about our political culture and about cultural politics. We want to enrich the view of the majority society with the Jewish perspective," said Central Council President Dr. Schuster, welcoming the attendees. This was followed by speeches by the politicians present and by Sabena Donath and Prof. Dr. Doron Kiesel, who will lead the Jewish Academy in the future. Prof. Zvonko Turkali spoke about the architecture of the building before the speakers gathered for a symbolic groundbreaking ceremony. The event was framed by musicians from the Frankfurt Opera and Museum Orchestra.

The Jewish Academy, which is being realized by Turkali Architekten at the southern tip of the newly planned culture campus in Frankfurt, is the first supra-regional Jewish institution of its kind to be built after the Shoah. The design is characterized by an ensemble of an old and a new building, which are connected by a glazed, single-story structure. Completion is scheduled for the end of 2023, the Jewish Academy is expected to begin operations in 2024.

Detailed information about the building is available here!

photo: baumann fotografie frankfurt a.m.