Carol and I have just returned from a six-day visit to Berlin, a city heavy with memories and history. The highlight of our visit was attending Kabbalat Shabbat services at the New Synagogue, a survivor of WWII bombings. The chapel was full (about 100 people), including German Jewish students who were graduating from two Jewish seminaries in Germany. The rabbi was a German woman who had been a Lutheran pastor, but converted to Judaism and studied at JTS in New York City. At one point in the service, we recite the 92nd Psalm, which includes these lines: “Your enemies, Lord, Your enemies shall perish; all the wicked shall disintegrate…I have seen the downfall of my foes; I have heard the doom of my attackers…” It was emotionally overwhelming reading these words in the very heart of Berlin, with the cataclysmic history of Germany and the Jews permeating the air.

— Stephen Brumberg