Walter Homolka
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Walter Homolka (born 21 May 1964 in Landau an der Isar) is a German rabbi.
Homolka studied in Munich, London, Lampeter and Leipzig and has a PhD from King's College London. He is an adjunct full professor at the University of Potsdam and rector at its Abraham Geiger College, which was founded in 1999. On 14 September 2006, Homolka ordained the first three[citation needed] rabbis in Germany since the Holocaust at the New Synagogue of Dresden. Rabbi Homolka is chairman of the Leo Baeck Foundation and an executive board member of the World Union for Progressive Judaism.
In 2007, Homolka established the Jewish Institute of Cantorial Arts, of which he is the president. A member of the French Legion of Honour, he is widely published internationally and holds a variety of distinctions. The Hebrew Union College - Jewish Institute of Religion conferred upon him a "Doctor Humanarum Litterarum" honoris causa.
Homolka is active in Jewish-Christian dialogue as a guest at the Central Committee of German Catholics. In 2008, he condemned the new Good Friday Prayer instituted by Pope Benedict XVI.[1]
Sexual abuse scandal
In May 2022, several newspapers in Germany featured a series of in-depth reports on sexual misconduct by Homolka and his husband, including inappropriate behaviour that was targeted at students of the Abraham Geiger College he founded and where he served as rector. As a result, Homolka was forced to announce he was temporarily stepping down from all his roles. [2]
Honours and awards
- Grand Decoration of Honour in Silver for Services to the Republic of Austria (2006)[3]
- Muhammad-Nafi-Cheleby Award (2011)
- Knight of the Legion of Honour (France)
- Austrian Cross of Honour for Science and Art (2001)[4]
- Gold decoration of the Province of Salzburg
- Gold Decoration for Services to the Province of Lower Austria
- Silver Medal of the City of Vienna
- Knight of the Order of Merit of the Italian Republic
- International honorary citizen of New Orleans
- Bundeswehr Cross of Honour in Gold
- Officer of the German Federal Merit Order
- Order of Merit of Berlin
- Order of Merit of Brandenburg
References
- ^ "Leading German Rabbi Condemns Pope's Good Friday Prayer"
- ^ "Reform German rabbi steps down after being accused of sexual misconduct".
- ^ "Reply to a parliamentary question" (PDF) (in German). p. 1759. Retrieved 16 November 2012.
- ^ "Reply to a parliamentary question" (PDF) (in German). p. 1438. Retrieved 16 November 2012.
External links
- CS1 German-language sources (de)
- Articles with short description
- Short description with empty Wikidata description
- BLP articles lacking sources from February 2013
- All BLP articles lacking sources
- All articles with unsourced statements
- Articles with unsourced statements from June 2022
- AC with 0 elements
- 1964 births
- Converts to Reform Judaism
- Living people
- People from Dingolfing-Landau
- German Reform rabbis
- 20th-century British rabbis
- 21st-century British rabbis
- Alumni of King's College London
- LGBT Jews
- University of Potsdam faculty
- Recipients of the Austrian Cross of Honour for Science and Art
- Recipients of the Grand Decoration for Services to the Republic of Austria
- Chevaliers of the Légion d'honneur
- Knights of the Order of Merit of the Italian Republic
- Recipients of the Badge of Honour of the Bundeswehr
- Officers Crosses of the Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany
- Recipients of the Order of Merit of Berlin
- Members of the European Academy of Sciences and Arts