The School of Jewish Theology represents a unique institution within German academia: for the first time ever Jewish theology has been established as a discipline at a German public university and thus recognized as academically equal to Christian theologies and the newly established Islam centres. When in November 2013 the School of Jewish Theology was officially inaugurated, the vision of Abraham Geiger became true.
The School of Jewish Theology covers eight professorships in core teaching areas such as history of Jewish religion and philosophy, Hebrew bible and Exegesis, rabbinic literature and Halacha, as well as liturgy. It is entitled to grant doctoral degrees and habilitation, the German degree qualifying for a full professorship.
The School is open to students independently from their religious affiliations. Currently there are about 40 students enrolled at the School – 1/3 being women – and coming from different countries, mainly from Germany, Israel, Hungary and the FSU. The teaching language is English, but foreign faculty should have a willingness to learn German as to participate in academic life. Jewish students have the opportunity to have further training as rabbis for liberal and conservative Jewry as well as cantors.
The School of Jewish Theology cooperates with the Institute for Jewish Studies at Potsdam University as well as with the Berlin based Center for Jewish Studies Berlin-Brandenburg, which interlinks Jewish Studies in the Berlin Brandenburg region.
