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Religious life in the Jewish Community is remarkably diverse

Whether secular or orthodox, Jews of all kinds will find it easy to feel at home in the Frankfurt Community. With our own synagogues and prayer rooms, we cater to the various religious groups and offer an extensive general infrastructure.

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The Jewish Community has a comprehensive infrastructure, which is detailed below.

To help you lead a religious life, we provide a mikveh. Women wishing to use the mikveh should call 0151 / 511 665 92. Men can use the mikveh every day except Saturdays, from 7.00 to 10.00 a.m. To enter, please ring the bell at Freiherr-vom-Stein-Straße 30.

We also offer Bikur holim. If you would like a personal visit from the Rabbi, please contact the rabbinate. For kosher hospital meals, please contact our office.

If you are interested in synagogue music and songs, the Schlomo Reiss Synagogue Choir could be for you. The choir is looking for enthusiastic singers with a basic understanding of music who would be willing to sing at services in the Westend Synagogue – and who like the idea of performing with one of the world’s top cantors. Rehearsals are hold on Wednesdays from 8.00 to 8.45 p.m. in the youth centre in Savignystraße 66. If you are over 17 years of age and interested in joining, please contact Benjamin Brainman on 0178 / 178 335 2 or via email at benjaminbrainman@hotmail.com.

Aliyot, shiva, yahrzeit and kiddush/tikkun
The supervisor of the Westend Synagogue, Fiszel Ajnwojner is responsible for aliyot, shiva, yahrzeit and kiddush/tikkun. You can contact him on 069 / 554 777 or 0175 / 249 556 8.

Mezuzot, tefillin and tallit are available from the rabbinate.

Prayers led by guest cantor

On Shabbat and holidays, prayers in the Westend Synagogue are led by Chief Cantor Tsudik Greenwald.




SHIURIM

*Due to the Corona Pandemic there might be changes*

Talmud Torah keneged kulam
The study of the Torah is equal to all of the commandments (TB Shabbat 127A).

Shiurim on current topics for all community members
Rabbi Apel and Rabbi Soussan offer shiurim on current topics. If you are interested in taking part, please contact the rabbinate, see our noticeboard or join our email distribution list.

On Sunday afternoons, Rabbi Apel holds shiurim via ZOOM on the following topics: Understanding The Meaning of Prayers and Their Sources, The Faith and Understanding Of Being God’s People, and Halacha – Growing Your Knowledge. For details of exact times, please contact the rabbinate.

For children, Rabbi Apel offers Thorat Chaim every Sunday at 11.00 a.m. via ZOOM. Aimed at children between 10 and 13 years old, this shiur is designed to familiarise them with chumash, mishna and halacha. If you are interested, please send an email to the rabbinate.

Rabbi Apel runs Omek Ha‘Parashah – gaining a deeper understanding of the weekly Torah portion, or parashah. The shiur is held in Hebrew. Please contact the rabbinate for further information.
Rabbi Soussan offers shiurim via ZOOM. Please contact the rabbinate for further information.

Lev Isha for women
Sara Soussan invites all women in our community to join this monthly meeting. It starts at 7 p.m. via ZOOM. Upcoming dates: 14. June, 12. July, 13. September, 25. October 2021.

Parashah topics
Rabbi Apel and Rabbi Soussan offer shiurim on parashah topics every Shabbat after the communal kiddush and welcome anyone with an interest to join them in the Westend Synagogue.
Rabbi Shlomo Raskin offers shiurim every Shabbat after morning prayers, and mitpallelim with an interest are most welcome to join. If you would like to take part, come to the Atereth Zwi Synagogue in Bornheimer Landwehr 79b.
Rabbi Shlomo Raskin also offers shiurim on the topic of brachot every Monday at 11.00 a.m. in the Coffee House at the Centre for the Elderly in Bornheimer Landwehr 79b.

Seudah shlishit
Every Saturday afternoon, after minchah, the third meal is taken communally in the Shtibel. As well as liturgical and Drashot songs, the rabbis now also offer a regular shiur on Hilchot Shabbat.

A shiur for women
Every last Thursday of the month there is a shiur for women at 10:30 a.m. in the Coffee House of the Jewish Community’s Centre for the Elderly at Bornheimer Landwehr 79b.

A shiur in Russian
Galina Yermolynska offers a Russian-language shiur for women every Thursday from 7.00 to 10.00 p.m. If you are interested in taking part, please contact the rabbinate.

KIDS, TEENS AND YOUNG ADULTS

We offer a host of activities for young people

Kids, teens and young adults in our community get to enjoy a host of activities, shiurim and shabbatonim, where they can pray and eat Shabbat meals together, for instance. To find out more, contact the rabbinate or one of the following organisations that offer these activities in conjunction with the rabbinate of the Jewish Community in Frankfurt:

Jewish Experience Visit the website at www.j-exp.de or call Meir Lisserman on 0179 / 499 302 8.

BAR AND BAT MITZVAH CLUB

It's always good to prepare in time if you have something to celebrate

Bar Mitzvah Club
Rabbi Julian-Chaim Soussan and Cantor Yoni Rose run preparatory sessions and welcome all boys aged 11 and over. The aim of these meetings is to:
• Prepare and teach the boys all they need to know about Judaism and Halacha
• Strengthen their sense of belonging and identification with Judaism
Preparations cover all areas including reading Hebrew (where required), the Jewish calendar, feast and fasting days, customs and traditions, Jewish folklore and much more. In addition, the boys are provided with all they need to know for their Bar Mitzvah, such as how to attach tefillin or read the Torah and Haftarah.
The classes are taught alternately by Rabbi Soussan and Cantor Yoni Rose and take place every Wednesday afternoon via Zoom as long as the pandemic situation requires it.

Bat Mitzvah Club
These preparatory classes are designed for girls aged 11 and over. They are held by Bilha Apel in the Religious School. To register your daughter or find out more, please contact the secretarial office at the Religious School at 069 / 972 053 95, or ask at the rabbinate.

SIMCHA

Tips and advice on celebrating in the community

Smachot

Name-giving, b’rit milah, chuppah
After the birth of a daughter, her name is usually publicly announced at the synagogue at the next possible opportunity, which is normally the next Shabbat. With a boy, b’rit milah will take place after eight days. If you need information about a mohel, please contact us.

When two people fall in love, it’s time to think about planning the wedding.

For either of these celebrations, please contact us in good time so we can discuss the religious and organisational details.

For kosher celebrations to mark special events and simcha, Sohar’s Restaurant in the Jewish Community Centre will be happy to help. You can contact the team by phone, on 069 / 75 23 41, or by email, at catering@sohars-catering.com.
There are also several large and exclusive hotels and venues in Frankfurt, such as:
• Marriott Hotel (Telephone: 069 / 795 555 55)
• Hotel Intercontinental (Telephone: 069 / 260 525 15)
• Hotel Hilton (Telephone: 069 / 133 802 000); Catering: Sohar’s Restaurant
• Hotel Fleming’s (Telephone: 069 / 506 040 0)
• Frankfurter Hof (Telephone: 069 / 215 121); Catering: Sohar’s Restaurant
• Gesellschaftshaus Palmengarten (Telephone: 069 / 900 291 52)

Sohar’s Restaurant offers kosher food which can either be consumed directly on the premises or delivered to a nearby venue, along with all catering equipment needed. To organise a religious event and/or simcha in our community, please contact the rabbinate. If you are planning to use another location, please let us know in good time so we can make sure it meets requirements.

The phrase ‘under the supervision of the rabbinate’ is valid only when signed and dated by the community rabbi. If you are in any doubt, please ask to see a kashrut certificate.