Fourth Abraham Geiger Kolleg ordination another triumph

The fourth ordination ceremony of the Abraham Geiger Kolleg took place in Bamberg, Bavaria, on 23rd November 2011. One of the five graduates, Dr Antje Yael Deusel, will serve as the rabbi to the Bamberg congregation and hence the location of the ceremony, which was shown live on Bavarian Television.

Rabbi Yuriy Kadnykov will serve in Moncheng-ladbach, Rabbi Jona Simon in Niedersachen, Rabbi Paul Strasko in Geneva and Rabbi Yann Boissiere at MJLF in Paris. The latter two appointments led Dr. Dieter Grauman, the newly appointed president of the Zentralrats der Juden in Deutschland to declare: "Now as well as cars, Germany is exporting rabbis!"

The granting of semicha was given by Rabbi Dr Walter Jacob, the President of the college, and the service was conducted by students from the Geiger cantorial programme. A fuller account of the ordination with photos will appear in the next newsletter.

Once again the founder of the Abraham Geiger Kolleg, Rabbi Dr Walter Homolka, is to be congratulated for yet another great achievement and the organization of yet another incredible event in the resurgence of Progressive Judaism in Germany and Europe.

Rabbi Dr Andrew Goldstein