Today’s
The World Around Us
will be presented
in Hebrew and German,
with subtitles in Arabic,
Aulacese (Vietnamese),
Chinese, English,
French, German,
Hebrew, Indonesian,
Japanese, Korean,
Malay, Persian,
Portuguese, Russian,
Spanish and Thai.
Welcome to today’s
The World Around Us.
In this episode,
we’ll visit
the Roonstrasse Synagogue
in Cologne, Germany.
Synagogues are the
focal point of Jewish life.
The building or place
of meeting can be used
for worship and
religious instruction.
Like a typical synagogue,
the Roonstrasse Synagogue
contains a Torah ark,
where the scrolls
of the Law are kept.
Burning before the ark
is the “eternal light,”
used as a reminder
of the western lamp
of the menorah
of the holy Temple
in Jerusalem.
Other elements include
two candelabra, pews,
and a bimah,
which is a large, raised,
reader’s platform
where the Torah scroll
is placed to be read.
The knowledgeable guide
explains how
the synagogue resembles
the Temple in Jerusalem.
The synagogue
in its structure
corresponds to
the ground plan,
symbolically
to the ground plan
of the Temple.
In the temple there was
the women’s courtyard.
It was behind
the men’s courtyard.
So the women’s courtyard
would be the gallery.
The men’s courtyard here
would be
the men’s synagogue.
The steps that lead up
to the reading desk;
there were 15 steps
in the temple according to
the 15 Pilgrimage Psalms,
from Psalm 120 to 134.
There were 15 steps that
lead to the sanctuary.
The sanctuary here
is symbolized through
both of the candelabra.
There were 10 of it
in the temple, 10
seven-armed candelabra.
The great reading desk
would be the sacrificial
altar, on which the fire
was not allowed to die.
The Holy of Holies
and sanctuary were
separated by a curtain.
And within
the Holy of Holies was
the Ark of the Covenant
with the Commandment
tablets. Yes.
The eternal light is there
to remind us that our service
is a sacrificial service.
The ark, reminiscent of
the Ark of the Covenant
containing the tablets of
the Ten Commandments,
is often positioned
to direct people to face
towards Jerusalem.
Often closed
with an ornate curtain,
it is the holiest spot
in a synagogue,
and equivalent
to the Holy of Holies,
the inner sanctuary of
the Temple in Jerusalem.
Today, this place is
where the synagogue
keeps the Torah scrolls.
We have 18 scrolls in it.
And in each scroll
there is the same text.
The number 18 in Hebrew
is written with letters,
because each letter
has a numerical value.
One has to add each
figure of the character to
obtain a certain number.
Yeah. Like this.
The number 18
is comprised of
the letter Chet,
that is the 8 letter
and the letter Yod,
that is the 10 letter,
and Chet Yod means
in Hebrew,
Chai, means Life.
So here you see pictures
of the Torah scrolls,
like they are standing
in the cabinet, yes.
For every Torah scroll
there is a wooden niche,
in order for it to stand firm
and to prevent it
from tipping over.
Like they are
on display here.
Up there they stand
in the Torah cabinet,
the Torah scrolls.
The Torah scroll here
is rolled out,
in order to be able to see
how the writing is
and that the people
get an impression of it.
Then here we have
the pointer (“hand”).
The hand is used
by the reader,
on the one hand for him
that he has not to
touch the Torah by hand
and on the other hand
he shows himself
word for word
where he is while reading,
for that he does not slip
between the lines,
or he should
as far as possible
read from the Torah
without making mistakes.
On Sabbath at the service,
the Torah scroll will be
taken out of the cabinet,
will be carried
around the room
in a procession and then
will be rolled out here
on the reading desk.
The reading of the Torah
is completed by a segment
from the Prophets
which refers to
the part of the Torah.
And if that is completed,
then the Torah scroll
will be rolled up again,
will be donned.
So the Torah cover,
everything
that belongs to it,
will be put back
to the Torah scroll.
Again, it will be carried
through the room
in the procession
and will be put back
to the cabinet.
We’ll continue our visit
to the Roonstrasse
synagogue
in Cologne, Germany,
when we return.
Please stay tuned
to Supreme Master
Television.
Welcome back to
The World Around Us
on Supreme Master
Television.
Let’s continue our visit
to the Roonstrasse
Synagogue
in Cologne, Germany.
The Roonstrasse Synagogue
was first built in 1899.
Its original appearance
can be seen
through post cards
such as these from the turn
of the 20th century.
The synagogue
had to be rebuilt
a few decades later.
In 1956,
it was decided that
the Roonstrasse Synagogue
would be reconstructed
with a community center.
In 1958, with support
from the chancellor
and former mayor
of Cologne, Germany,
Konrad Adenauer,
and financial aid
from the state,
the rebuilding
of the synagogue and its
associated cultural center
started.
The inauguration of the
newly rebuilt synagogue
took place
on September 20, 1959.
Many important
personalities of political,
religious, and cultural life
were invited to
the commemorative event.
The architect,
who carried out the
reconstruction in 1958
with the skeleton of the
still existing synagogue
was able to reconstruct
the front of the building
according to what
it looked like in 1899.
And you have seen
the result outside. Yes.
The room for the service,
which reaches
from the cloakroom
to the dome,
was then used differently.
They built in
an intermediate ceiling,
so that today
one has gained more space
for the community center,
for school classes,
for a kindergarten,
for mundane events,
which will be held
in the community hall.
One has gained this
through it.
Meanwhile, since 2004,
the Jewish community
in Cologne has opened
a community center,
a welfare center, in which
there is a kindergarten,
a primary school,
a home for senior citizens
and the administration.
So here this synagogue
in the Roonstrasse
practically is
only the spiritual center
where services
are being held,
where children also have
their religious education
and where associations
have their premises
within this building.
Currently,
Rabbi Yaron Engelmayer
is the leader
of this synagogue
and rabbi
of the Jewish community
of Cologne.
The synagogue consists
of a community center,
a small memorial room
on Cologne Jewry
where historical items
are displayed, and
a kosher restaurant.
Many visitors come here
to join the congregation
for service.
The service starts
at half past nine,
and around half past ten
or eleven the reading
of the Torah starts and
it takes about one hour.
The service is being held
in Hebrew language.
So the prayer texts,
they are 2,500 years old.
The one
who leads the prayers
is standing down there
at the reading desk
and reads the prayers
The synagogue here
is being led
in an orthodox way,
even if the members
of the community
or the participants
of the service
are not orthodox.
We also have
a liberal community.
That means,
there the service
is not completely held
in Hebrew,
but with translation,
there they also sing more.
So it is another way to
celebrate God’s service.
And the women,
they are actively involved
in the service.
The Roonstrasse Synagogue
is among the
most famous synagogues
around the world,
especially because
His Holiness
Pope Benedict XVI
visited here
on August 19, 2005.
It was the second ever visit
to any synagogue
by a head
of the Catholic Church.
Now shortly
to the visit of the Pope.
In 2005
the Pope was here during
the World Youth Day.
It took place then
in Cologne.
Actually, Pope John Paul II
was invited,
but he passed away
in spring 2005,
and his successor,
Benedict XVI had
accepted the invitation
and came to
visit the synagogue as pope.
And here,
there are some pictures
from that event.
On the day of
Pope Benedict XVI’s visit,
Rabbi Netanel Teitelbaum
and three Jewish
community leaders
welcomed their holy guest
with reverence.
On this landmark occasion,
His Holiness was praised
widely as a “Pontiff,”
meaning
“a builder of bridges”
towards Judaism,
and as a role model
for Christians.
The present for the host
that the pope
had brought with him
is this folio here.
It is the translation
of the Hebrew Bible
into Greek,
the Septuaginta,
that is the specific term.
And that is a codex
from the Vatican library,
and it would not stand here
if it would be the original.
And today it would be
801 years old, this book.
From that, it is actually
very, very precious,
what he has presented.
And for the community,
it was
a very, very solemn act.
There were
only invited guests.
This synagogue,
in this case, small,
not much sitting space.
There were
only invited guests
at the pope’s visit.
In this Jewish synagogue,
Pope Benedict XVI,
head of
the Catholic Church,
reaffirmed the shared roots
and rich spiritual heritage
that Jews
and Christians share.
His Holiness encouraged
that they seek dialogue
and solidarity.
In considering
the Jewish roots
of Christianity,
he stated that “whoever
meets Jesus Christ
meets Judaism.”
The pope also said,
“Together
we must remember God
and his wise plan
for the world
which he created.
As we read
in the Book of Wisdom,
He is the Lover of life.”
The pope then
concluded with
the words of Psalm 29,
which express
both a wish and a prayer:
“May the Lord
give strength to His people,
may He bless His people
with peace.”
The Roonstrasse Synangoue
will continue to shine
as a peaceful and
graceful place of worship
and community life,
reminding us of
the Divine spirit within all.
Thank you for
being with us on today’s
The World Around Us.
Please stay tuned
to Supreme Master
Television
for Words of Wisdom,
up next
after Noteworthy News.
May your life be blessed
with virtue and kindness.