General Rabbinical Conference of Germany (ARK)

Allgemeine Rabbinerkonferenz (ARK), was established in 2005. It is a body of the Central Council of Jews in Germany (Zentralrat der Juden in Deutschland). The members of the ARK are rabbis who serve in Jewish unified communities or those liberal Jewish communities that are not under the umbrella of the unified communities in Germany. The ARK doesn’t represent a specific liberal denomination but instead welcomes members of the different movements in Judaism. The rulings
of the Bet Din (rabbinical court) of the ARK are recognized by the Central Council of Jews in Germany, all liberal Jewish communities worldwide and the State of Israel with regard to immigration.
The Bet Din enables conversions to Judaism and clarifies the status of those with Jewish heritage. Upon request it also decides on Gittin (Jewish divorce papers) and with any conflict with or within a Jewish community in Germany.
A further service of the ARK is the „SchazMaz“ program. “SchazMaz” is an acronym for “shaliach tzibur” (cantor) and “more tzedek” (religious teacher). The program offers communities without a rabbi the service of rabbinical visits.

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