After three intense and meaningful days touring as a group in Berlin, it was nice that this Shabbat we had a really relaxed day, filled with more light. I think we all needed it, especially after the heaviness of what we experienced yesterday. With our free time in Berlin, Leasa and I chose to go back to the Reichstag for a tour of the glass dome with many in our group, thanks to the work of Milt Zweig, who organized our visit.
I do not think I will ever get over being near this building that holds so much history.
It felt good to take this joyous selfie at the beginning of our self-guided audio tour of the glass dome.
Walking up those steps was really impactful.
The Reichstag suffered much damage during the Allied bombings of World War 2, and the solid dome that was destroyed was replaced by this beautiful glass dome, made to represent the transparency of the post nazi government.
As we ascended the ramp to the top of the dome we learned a lot about the local buildings in Berlin as well as the dome itself. The Reichstag took 10 years to build and was completed in 1894. Walking up the ramp gave us a wonderful view of the Plenary Chamber below, which is open to the dome, again to show transparency in government.
It is hard to see, but there are the blue chairs from the chamber through that glass at the bottom. We also got to see some other sites we have visited on the ground.
Here is the Brandenburg Gate.
And here is the dome from the New Synagogue where we celebrated Shabbat last night.
Following the glass dome tour at the Reichstag Leasa and I walked over to the Tiergarten, a beautiful park in Berlin. On the way we found ourselves standing on this street:
How amazing to see Yitzhak Rabin Strasse in Berlin!!!
The Tiergarten was beautiful and we were grateful to see the fall colors in Berlin even with the cold weather. We also found this monument to three great composers, Mozart, Beethoven and Haydn. I am standing between Mozart and Beethoven, although I hardly think I deserve that honor.
After yesterday and the power of being at Wannsee, I wanted to go back to the bunker where Hitler ended his life. For some reason, I felt the need to walk there and make sure my feet touched each part of that dirt lot. We noticed it was covered with trash and cigarette butts. I felt the need to take some photos there to prove that I was actually on this land and I am grateful that Leasa obliged. With each step I dug my feet into the hard dirt soil. Yesterday’s progression from the dehumanization of the Jews, the decision to eradicate European Jewry at the Wannsee Conference and the following through of the extermination at Gleis 17 did not feel complete without another visit to the place where Hitler realized he had lost. I am not proud of the fact that I enjoyed stomping on that land. It was just something I needed to do one more time before leaving Berlin tomorrow.
Leasa and I then took a leisurely stroll back towards our hotel. As we stopped for lunch at a nice Italian restaurant, we were glad that Harold and Marcia Gordon happened upon us and decided to join us for lunch.
I think the absolute best part of these trips is getting to spend some quality time with good friends in places we never thought we’d share quality time. This long lunch and walk with the Gordon’s is one we will cherish always, especially because we decided to find this chocolate store that was recommended for a hot chocolate following lunch. What an amazing store.
Leasa enjoyed her banana filled waffle and hot chocolate and we made our way to rest a bit before our evening program.
I was not sure what to expect this evening as we had our program with the Hebrew Choir of Berlin. I have been working with Yael Front, the choir’s musical director for some time on crafting an evening where our travelers would get to learn about this incredible group and hear some choral music. Yael and I worked out a schedule for the evening and I am so thrilled with the results.
The Hebrew Choir of Berlin is such a unique and wonderful group! This choir is comprised of Jewish and Christian singers who sing music with Hebrew texts in Berlin. The first part of the evening was me getting the chance to work with the choir and teach them one of my songs, Shalom Rav. I was so glad to have many members of our traveling group also step in and sing with the choir. While the Hebrew Choir of Berlin is not a religious choir, we talked about the idea of Shalom Rav yearning for peace for all peoples, something that transcends religion. I was so impressed how quickly they learned the piece and, after about 20 minutes of work they presented the piece to the rest of the group and it was beautiful! What an honor to hear my music sung in Berlin.
The next part of the evening was the members of the choir sharing about the history of the choir.
The Hebrew Choir of Berlin has been in existence since 2014 and has up to 30 singers who participate. They are a diverse group of people who sing a variety of pieces, both classical as well as contemporary, mostly secular in content. They are open to singers of all backgrounds, they are a progressive and modern choir that boasts a diverse membership, Jewish as well as non-Jewish, German as well as non-German. They shared that they have members from all over the world including the United States, Israel and beyond, all of whom now live in Berlin.
I think my favorite part of the evening was when we had a chance to ask them questions. We dove into some really deep topics surrounding antisemitism. And while I have discussed how Jewish friendly Berlin is, the truth is that many in the choir do not feel totally safe here. Since October 7 especially, they have had to increase their security exponentially and as an organization of people who all have full time day jobs outside of the choir, the financial strains on them are great. A few of the choir members shared that they were in Israel on October 7, and actually felt safer in Israel then than they do in Berlin. They do not share the location of their rehearsals publicly, and any new members are vetted before given any specific information about locations of rehearsals. While some shared that they wear their stars of David on the outside, many shared they do not feel safe doing so, and one woman even shared that she took down her mezuzah and placed it on the inside of her home. We also learned that many in the choir change their Hebrew sounding names when riding in taxis in the city because most of the drivers are Muslim, and while most Muslims are peaceful and friendly, they do not want to place themselves in an uncomfortable situation. These facts makes me so sad and reminds us all of the work we need to do, not just in the United States, but all over the world to eliminate antisemitism. For me, the fact that there are members of the choir who aren’t Jewish, but who feel compelled to sing music in Hebrew in Berlin is inspiring. I truly appreciate the open and honest dialogue about their feelings about antisemitism.
The choir then performed 4 songs for us, and Yael even taught us one song to sing with them as well. While they sang to us, Leasa got to hold 4 month old Sammy, the unofficial mascot of the Hebrew Choir of Berlin and the fur baby of one of the singers. Leasa was in heaven but it does make us miss Shira!
We loved their singing! After the performance, we gathered in a large circle as we prepared for Havdallah. First, Brian, Cary and I presented a klezmer tune which was a Ukrainian niggun and then we spoke about what Havdallah meant. While it is easy to focus on it through a Jewish lens, separating the holiness of Shabbat from the not-so-holy rest of the week, I chose to focus on other moments of Havdallah. First, I recalled how back in January 2024 our traveling family met at the home of Steven and Beverly Shapiro and we participated in the ritual of Havdallah. At that meeting I shared how in just a few months we will have our first Havdallah in Berlin. Recalling that really brought back those feelings of anticipation we had back then, as this trip seemed so far away. And here we are, sharing in our final evening in Berlin before heading to Prague. I also said that this trip is a huge Havdallah for each of us, for we can never be the same as we were before we experienced the meaning of Berlin. We are different after being in Wannsee and on Gleis 17. For our friends in the Hebrew Choir of Berlin, really for all of us, I hope there will one day be a Havdallah where we can say that there is no more antisemitism and each and every person can live their lives without fear of persecution. A world where we can all keep our mezuzot on the outside of our homes and proudly wear our necklaces without fear. What a goal to reach for.
We shared a delicious meal and I loved watching our traveling family connect with choir members. The connections were so strong that we had to ask people to leave the restaurant or else we would have been there all night talking! I do hope that we can keep this connection with the Hebrew Choir of Berlin and, somehow, find a way to collaborate in the future.
Berlin has been an incredible host for us, and while I am sad to leave I look forward to experiencing all Prague has to offer.
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