The Dan Hotels
are pleased to announce
the June 15th, 1996
opening of the
HOTEL
DAN PEARL
JERUSALEM
• BEAUTIFUL ROOMS
• FAMILY SUITES (4 BEDS AND A KfTCHENETTE)
• LUXURIOUS DELUXE & PRESIDENTIAL SUITES
• INDOOR SWIMMING POOL
• HEALTH CLUB WITH SAUNA & JACUZZI
• ELEGANT LOBBY - LOUNGE
• RESTAURANT & COFFEE SHOP
• MIKVA & SYNAGOGUE
Meeting Rooms for Conferences & Simchas
Accommodating up to 500 people
OUR INAUGURAL OFFER
1 NIGHT FREE
INCLUDING BREAKFAST FOR GUESTS
STAYING AT LEAST 5 CONSECUTIVE NIGHTS (4 + 1)
LIMHED PERIOD UNTIL JULY 25Th ONLY!
RESERVE NOW!
For information and reservations,
please call your travel agent or
Israel Hotel Representatives
(212) 752-6120 or outside New York
State Toll Free: 800-223-7773/4
or FAX: (212) 759-7495
INTERNET SITE: www.danhotels.co.il
E-MAIL: danhtls@danhotels.co.il
gian, .gratek, t9irae1
EL-AL
FLIES FROM
$
1 075
(roundtrip w/land booking)
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RUTH ROVNER
Ideally located in the center of Jerusalem
near Jaffa Gate and the old city.
Heike Liebsch at the monument marking Dresden's original synagogue.
In Eastern Germany,
Goodwill Abounds
RUTH ROVNER SPECIAL TO THE JEWISH NEWS
ir
he building in downtown
Dresden is cheerful and
pleasantly old-fashioned,
- with high ceilings, wood
floors, and modest decor.
Inside, it's the scene of an un-
usual endeavor.
This is where young German
schoolchildren often get their
first exposure to Jewish history.
Here, too, a library is filled with
books on Jewish themes; and
there's also a collection of audio
and videotapes.
Perhaps this wouldn't be sur-
prising in many cities in West-
ern Europe. But this is Dresden,
the capital of Saxony and the
heart of the former East Ger-
many, a city where Jewish res-
idents are a mere 100 in a
population of over 700,000.
So it's indeed a surprise to
find a Jewish culture center in
this unlikely setting.
Hatikva is a unique organi-
zation dedicated to Jewish his-
tory and culture. Its members
are bringing a new awareness
of Judaism to eastern Germany
and also providing Jewish-fo-
cused tours for visitors.
"We call it Hatikva and our
theme is hope -- hope for the fu-
ture," said Heike Liebsch, one of
the founders and an active mem-
ber of Hatikva.
Hatikva's official name is the
Centre for Jewish History and
Culture in Saxony, and its mem-
bers are dedicated to educating
others about the Jewish history
and culture of their region.
They've been doing this since
Hatikva was founded in 1990,
even though of the 40 members,
only five are Jewish.
Still, they've become highly
knowldgeable about Jewish
themes. And to share that in-
formation, they conduct out-
reach programs for students in
area schools. They also lead
tours for visitors, Jewish and
non -Jewish, Germans and those
from elsewhere in Europe and
abroad.
The tours cover Jewish sites
in Dresden and its environs. For
instance, during my visit to
Dresden, Ms. Liebsch first took
me to Dresden's domed syna-
gogue, the first to be built dur-
ing the era of the German
Democratic Republic. Besides
touring the sanctuary, we
stopped outside in the courtyard
to see the unusual memorial
dedicated to Jewish soldiers of
World War I.
It was just a short ride from
the synagogue to the memorial
plaque that commemorates the
city's original synagogue. In the
shape of a menorah, and placed
on a grassy slope, the plaque
honors the synagogue built by
architect Gottfried Semper who
also built Dresden's famous
opera house.
This was the only synagogue
designed by Mr. Semper, an em-
inent architect, and it become
one of the most well known in
Europe. But it was burned to a
shell on Kristallnacht, the night
of Nazi destruction in 1938.
Hatikva guides tell visitors all
about the synagogue and its his-
tory as they show them the
plaque, situated close to Dres-
den's beautiful Old Town.
Next we headed for another
site commemorating the past —
the Jewish cemetery — oldest
in Saxony — which is in down-
town Dresden right next to
Hatikva headquarters.
GERMANY page 80