THE JEWISH HIGH SCHOOL IN BERLIN: DENOMINATIONAL RELIGIOUS EDUCATION BETWEEN THE PUPILS’ NEEDS AND THE EXPECTATION OF A RELIGIOUS COMMUNITY

Abstract

Since the beginning of the early 1990s, Jewish life in Germany has begun to revitalise. Due to the immigration of Jews from the states of the former Soviet Union, the Jewish community in Germany has increased from 30,000 to 120,000 individuals and its age structure has become younger. Jewish communities are hoping for a religious revival among the recent generation of young Jews in Germany. This means that the Jewish schools – and especially religious education faces great challenges. The following article deals as a case study with the Jewish High School in Berlin (JOS). In view of the high expectations of the Jewish community, it appears necessary to gain an insight into the attitude of the pupils towards religion and their desires in religious education.