Rosenstrasse Protest Memorial/The Old Synagogue

Today was another great day!   I was especially moved by the Rosenstrasse Protest Memorial.  It remembers the women's uprising against the Nazi's when their Jewish husband's were taken away just because they were Jewish.  Women stayed in the park for 8 days, and finally the Nazi's sent a special transport to bring their Jewish husband's back to Berlin.  (The women were not Jewish).  Although the men were eventually arrested and taken away again, they were not sent to death camps and all did survive. This protest is representative of the small number of German's who stood up to the the Nazi's, and when they did, the Nazi's finally gave in because thewy did not want public protests against their plans to get rid of the Jews.  It is unfortunate that there was not more public protest against the Nazi's -- who knows what would have  happened?

In this same park is the location of the very first synagogue in Berlin, the Old Synagogue.  There is nothing left now except for a small sign and part of the foundation that can be seen.  In my last blog post I spoke about the New (Neu) Synagogue.  It is called this because when it was built it replaced the Old Synagogue.  The Old Synagogue was not destroyed on Kristallnacht because it blended in so well with the other buildings in the neighborhood.  It was destroyed by allied bombing of Berlin towards the end of World War II.

Tomorrow is Shabbat, and I am looking forward to attending liberal services at the Rykestrasse Synagogue!