Thinking in the Salons of Berlin -Rahel Varnhagen Reading Circle
Thinking in the Salons of Berlin is a two-part public reading circle inspired by the work of Hannah Arendt and Rahel Varnhagen, marking the 50th anniversary of Arendt’s death. The series offers a space for close reading, critical discussion, and collective reflection, drawing on the tradition of the Berlin salons as sites of intellectual exchange.
The program unfolds across two encounters :
Sunday, February 15, 4:30 PM
Learning Activism from Hannah Arendt - Conversation with Prof. Natan Sznaider and guided discussion based on selected readings.
Sunday, April 26, 4:30 PM
Rahel Varnhagen as an Activist
Talk by Dr. Hannah Lotte Lund, followed by a guided walking tour with Dorothee Nolte, visiting relevant sites in Berlin. Participation is limited and prior online registration is required. Interested participants may attend one or both sessions.
Registration:
Organized by JASS – Jewish Activism Summer School (University of Potsdam), with the support of Paideia Mifgash, in cooperation with the Mendelssohn-Gesellschaft.
FSR ELECTION 2025 →
Election date 09.07.2025 | 9-16 o'clock | House 15
Hannah Arendt: Facing Tyranny-Screening and Conversation
Rahel Varnhagen Reading Circle – JASS | Jewish Activism Summer School
As part of the Rahel Varnhagen Reading Circle, JASS – Jewish Activism Summer School invites you to a special screening and conversation marking 50 years since the death of Hannah Arendt.
The event features the screening of Hannah Arendt: Facing Tyranny, a documentary released this year that explores Arendt’s life, work, and enduring relevance — from her escape from Nazi Germany to her reflections on totalitarianism, responsibility, and the human condition.
The screening will be followed by a conversation with Jeff Bieber, director of the film, offering insights into the creative process and the contemporary significance of Arendt’s thought.
January 13, 2026
Free tickets – prior registration required
The Rights of Rivers and the Rites of Trees- MA lecture Blokseminar, University of Potsdam. Group trip to Ecuador
MA lecture Blokseminar, University of Potsdam. with Prof. Dr. Jonathan Schorsch and Dr. Lisa Maria Madera
Meet 6 Thursdays, 90 min.
12:00 UTC-5 (- 19.00 CET)
Oct 23 2025 to Jan 15 2026
We live in a world of relations. In times of complex and radical change, how do we forge life-giving relationships to Nature and to the living world?
In this course, we will think through these questions by delving into the legal rights and ceremonial rites of rivers and trees and will include an exploration of how to work collectively to defend a river or bless a tree.
This course will meet online over the course of the winter semester and will culminate in a group trip to Ecuador 23 January - 4 February, 2026. Costs for travel to and within Ecuador must be paid by each participant.
For the syllabus see the following link . This course is open to the general public with registration as an auditor or visiting student open until 30 October.
For the full description of the excursion see Invitation to a Listening Tour of Ecuador
REGISTER HERE for the excursion.
Visit to the Staatsbibliothek (Stabi) Judaica Collection
Friday, 16.1.26, 13:00
We will be given an introduction to the Judaica collection of the Staatsbibliothek by Petra Figeac, the librarian who specializes in Jewish and Middle Eastern subjects. The collection includes numerous Hebrew, Yiddish, and other Jewish materials. We will get a general introduction to the library and the Oriental Reading Room, as well as have a chance to look at a halakhic manuscript and some other rare and interesting items.
Location: Potsdamer Str. 33, 10785 Berlin
For questions jschorsch@uni-potsdam.de
Film and Discussion: Synagogue of Ancestral Commitments (2025, 100 min, USA, Brazil, Portugal. Dir. Alex Minkin)
MON 16. JUNE, 18:00
is a poetic documentary about Brazilian Jews who explore their spiritualities through Afro-Brazilian ancestral rituals. Brazilian artist Andre Feitosa discovered that his family comes from the Indigenous, enslaved Africans and Jews, forcibly converted by the Inquisition. Some of his ancestors were tortured by their slave owners, yet others burned alive for their Jewish faith, others expelled from Europe, then wandered around Brazil, changing their names, and hiding their past. Andre creates a community called "Synagogue of ancestral commitments” as a form of sacred healing art that combines Judaism and Afro-Brazilian religions.
Please Join us on the 16th of June for a screening of the film and a discussion with the director, Alex Minkin, Dr. André Feitosa, and Professor Andrea Kogan, moderated by our own Professor Jonathan Schorsch.
Saravá Shalom | Trailer (youtube)
Statement Regarding Current Allegations of Sexual Harassment at the Abraham Geiger College
The School of Jewish Theology is appalled by the alleged sexual harassment at one of our partner institutions, the Abraham Geiger College, that has recently come to light. The Abraham Geiger College has found that an employee of theirs — who also taught as an adjunct in our study program — sexually harassed students on at least two occasions, leading to his termination. We are profoundly regretful for the harmful experiences to which these students have been subjected as well as for the insufficient protection they have received.
In 2020, the School of Jewish Theology instituted a new “Respectful Treatment and Protection from Discrimination” policy to promote a safe and equitable work and study environment. Needless to say, the cases that have come to light, as well as the published allegations of abuse of power, highlight the limitations of such institutional guidelines; we must all strive to realize their objectives even in the face of resistance. Harassment, violence, and discrimination in any form, as well as the abuse of power, have no place in the School of Jewish Theology and will not be tolerated.
Along with many others, we demand an independent, thorough and transparent investigation of all accusations and suspected cases of harassment and abuse of power at the Abraham Geiger College and the University of Potsdam, and we commit to actively support such a process. We also offer our full support to our students. If you have pertinent information to share, or if you would like to discuss the current allegations for any reason, please do not hesitate to contact the Student Council, trusted faculty members, or the Equal Opportunity Officer of the Faculty of Arts.
The members of the School of Jewish Theology