Testimony about the Jewish Rabbinical Seminary 
 
 Testimony of Mrs. E. Elbogen, widow of Prof. Ismar Elbogen of the Hochschule fuer die Wissenschaft des Judentums, Berlin – the Jewish Rabbinical Seminary 
 
 Source: Yad Vashem Archive 0.1/140 
 
 …The year 1933 brought about a great change for the seminary. The students were no longer permitted to study at the Berlin University. A substitute had to be found. My husband took over this important task, and managed to find the necessary means. Thus, in spite of the terrible circumstances, intellectual life in the seminary underwent a period of real renaissance. The joint effect of Jewish work and general scientific studies bore unique fruits. Yes, the seminary in those years became a vivid oasis of spiritual life – until the pogrom of 1938… 
 In a certain sense a decline among the students was felt as early as 1935. At that time, five students transferred to the Hebrew Union College in Cincinnati, USA, and others moved to Palestine. Students also began to consider emigration. But mostly they wished to complete their studies before emigrating, and immersed themselves in learning. There were some jobs to be had abroad, but how and where could one study there? This seemed doubtful. However, there were not only practical considerations, but also ideological ones. The students wanted to leave as JEWS, deeply rooted in Jewish heritage. There were lively debates during the years 1937 and 1938: did one want to become a rabbi or a scientist? Choosing the second option meant immigration to the United Kingdom or the US. Small groups of students wanted to emigrate together, and they managed to do so. This influenced other groups outside the school. Thus, in 1938 fifty youngsters of the “Ring” – a youth association – emigrated as a group to Argentina, after taking intensive courses on Judaism, organised by students of our school… 
 The school was the only Jewish scientific institution permitted to exist after 1938. However in 1941, the school also had to close. 
 The library, directed by Miss Jenny Wilde, was active until the very end.