Religious Life

The Ernst Ludwig Ehrlich Studienwerk wants to enable its scholarship holders to decide in a reflective and knowledgeable way on how the religious dimension of Judaism is relevant to their everyday lives. In addition, ELES encourages the scholarship holders to implement what they have learned as part of the non-material support programme in scholarship initiatives, student organisations and, above all, in their respective communities.

The twice-yearly praxis seminars are at the heart of religious life at the Ernst Ludwig Ehrlich Studienwerk. They offer young Jews a space to build a personal yet community-oriented connection to their Jewish identity. Students who are already well versed in the subject gain new insights and expand their knowledge, thereby intensifying and nurturing existing connections. Different aspects of Jewish religious tradition will be addressed and experienced in practice. In addition, rabbinic representatives of different traditions are invited to present their respective traditions in professional debates. The ELES scholarship holders are thus introduced to the broad spectrum of religious traditions and practice by representatives of different Jewish denominations.

The foundation of the praxis seminars is always the joint Shabbat celebration with a corresponding introduction to the content. After all, Shabbat is a central and constitutive holiday for Judaism. Each seminar is supplemented by another important dimension of religious practice. All practices are celebrated in both orthodox and liberal ways.

The praxis colleges also provide insights into the local Jewish history of the respective meeting place and contribute to the revival of Jewish student life in remote regions and small communities. In areas where there are few religious offerings for young Jews, the scholarship holders organise activities in cooperation with the local communities. In this way, the praxis seminars help strengthen both the religious identity of the students and the Jewish communities in Germany.

With the Jewish Future Forum, the Ernst Ludwig Ehrlich Studienwerk invites future leaders of Jewish communities from all over the world to study in Germany.