Synagogen-Gemeinde Köln

What Synagogen-Gemeinde Köln does

Synagogen-Gemeinde Köln Körperschaft des öffentlichen Rechts (SGK) is a Jewish religious community and public-law corporation headquartered at Ottostraße 85 in Cologne, Germany. It claims the documented history of Jewish presence in Cologne dating to 321 AD and is currently structured around a synagogue on Roonstraße, a welfare center on Ottostraße, two neighborhood meeting centers (Begegnungszentren) in Porz and Chorweiler, and a Jewish cemetery in Bocklemünd. The current congregation was re-established after World War II, with the Roonstraße synagogue re-dedicated in 1959 following its destruction during Kristallnacht in 1938.

The organization delivers a comprehensive portfolio of religious, social, educational, cultural, and welfare services. Core religious offerings include Shabbat services, holiday celebrations, life-cycle events, and a Mikwe (ritual bath). Welfare and care services are provided through the Sozialabteilung (counseling and integration), the Vertrauenstelefon (trust hotline, established 2001), the Elternheim residential senior facility, and the ESRA Pflegedienst ambulatory nursing service established in February 2022. Educational institutions comprise two kindergartens (Die Roonis, Franz-Herschtritt Kindertagesstätte) and the Lauder-Morijah Grundschule (elementary school), supplemented by the Jugendzentrum Jachad and the Isaak-Olschanski-Bibliothek (~16,000 titles). Cultural assets include the Puppentheater Rimon, the kosher Restaurant Mazal Tov, and the monthly Gemeindeblatt newsletter. There are no proprietary technology products; digital presence is limited to a multilingual website, Instagram, and WhatsApp Business via Superchat.

Revenue is generated through five streams: membership fees (Kultusgeld), donations, government funding (Jobcenter, BAFzA, ZWST for integration and welfare programs), event and program fees (e.g., Seder dinners, youth camps, Antwerp shopping trips), and care services revenue from Elternheim and ESRA Pflegedienst. Customers are members of the Jewish community in Cologne and surrounding areas, segmented into community members, new immigrants and refugees, elderly members (including Holocaust survivors served via Café Mifgash), and children/youth. The organization is governed by an elected Vorstand and Gemeindevertretung, with current board members Abraham Lehrer (also Vice President of the Zentralrat der Juden in Deutschland), Bettina Levy, Dr. Felix Schotland, and Robert Katona (joined June 2026, succeeding Dr. Michael Rado).

Name

Synagogen-Gemeinde Köln

Legal name

Synagogen-Gemeinde Köln Körperschaft des Öffentlichen Rechts

Website

https://sgk.de

Company type

Private

Founded year

1959

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Synagogen-Gemeinde Köln is a German public-law Jewish religious corporation (KdöR) serving the Cologne Jewish community through synagogues, welfare, education, elderly care, and cultural programs, funded by membership fees, donations, and government grants.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Religious Community Services

NAICS

Religious Organizations (8131), Services for the Elderly and Persons with Disabilities (62412), Social Assistance (624)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300), Services-Nursing & Personal Care Facilities (8050)

akta.pro primary industry

Local Congregations & Worship Communities (Churches, Mosques, Temples, Synagogues) (BPAGAJAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Faith-Based Social Services & Community Outreach (Food Pantries, Shelters, Counseling) (BPAGAJAG), Faith-Based Healthcare Ministries (Hospitals, Clinics, Medical Missions) (BPAGAJAH)

Keywords

• Religious community services
• Jewish social welfare
• Community education programs
• Elderly care services
• Cultural integration programs

Headquarters

HQ city

Köln

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices5 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Others

Revenue model

1. Membership Fees (Kultusgeld): Annual membership fees paid by community members for participation in religious services and community services
2. Donations (Spenden): Voluntary donations from community members and supporters, including dedicated donation accounts for various programs
3. Government Funding: Funding from government agencies including Jobcenter, BAFzA (Bundesamt für Familie und zivilgesellschaftliche Aufgaben), and ZWST (Zentralwohlfahrtsstelle der Juden in Deutschland) for social welfare and integration programs
4. Event and Program Fees: Fees charged for community events, cultural programs, educational activities, and holiday celebrations such as Seder dinners
5. Care Services Revenue: Revenue from elderly care services through Elternheim and ESRA Pflegedienst including nursing care and social services covered by insurance

Pricing tiers

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Synagogen-Gemeinde Köln is a public-law Jewish religious community corporation that delivers religious services (Shabbat and holiday prayers, life-cycle events), social welfare and immigrant integration support, early-childhood and primary education, youth and cultural programming, and elderly care (senior home and ambulatory nursing), supported by a community library, kosher restaurant, cemetery services, and a confidential trust hotline.

Product overview

Synagogen-Gemeinde Köln is a Jewish religious community organization structured as a public law corporation. It offers a comprehensive portfolio of community services organized around religious practice, social welfare, education, youth and senior care, and cultural programming. The core offering consists of religious services at the Roonstraße Synagogue, supplemented by the Wohlfahrtszentrum (welfare center) providing social counseling, integration support, and the ESRA nursing service. Educational offerings include two kindergartens ('Die Roonis' and 'Franz-Herschtritt') and the Lauder-Morijah elementary school. Cultural and youth services are provided through the Jachad youth center with its KuKu cultural project. The community maintains meeting centers in Porz and Chorweiler (BGZ), a kosher restaurant (Mazal Tov), the Isaak-Olschanski library, the Elternheim senior facility, cemetery services, a confidential hotline, and community newsletter. These services collectively serve the spiritual, social, educational, and cultural needs of the Jewish community in Cologne.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Wohlfahrtszentrum: Welfare and social services center at Ottostraße offering social counseling, integration services, and support for community members
• ESRA Pflegedienst
• Jugendzentrum Jachad
• KuKu LeKulam
• Puppentheater Rimon

Products and services

• Religious Services and Synagogue Prayers
• Wohlfahrtszentrum Social Welfare Center
• Elternheim Senior Care Facility
• ESRA Pflegedienst Ambulatory Nursing Service
• Kindertagesstätte Roonies
• Franz-Herschtritt Kindertagesstätte
• Lauder-Morijah Grundschule
• Jugendzentrum Jachad Youth Center
• Isaak-Olschanski-Bibliothek Community Library
• Restaurant Mazal Tov Kosher Restaurant
• Jüdischer Friedhof Köln-Bocklemünd Cemetery Services
• Begegnungszentren (Community Meeting Centers)
• Vertrauenstelefon Confidential Hotline
• Gemeindeblatt Community Newsletter
• Guided Tours of Synagogue and Cemetery

Quantifiable outcome

• Nearly 16,000 library titles available for community members
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

14 partnerships are on record, tiered core, important and secondary.

• Zentralrat der Juden in DeutschlandcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNational umbrella organization of Jewish communities in Germany; SGK is affiliated and Vorstand member Abraham Lehrer serves as Vice President; provides national coordination on religious, social, and political matters
• ZWST (Zentralwohlfahrtsstelle der Juden in Deutschland)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCentral welfare office for Jewish communities in Germany; partners with SGK on social welfare programs and integration services
• Jobcenter KölncoreOthersLocal employment agency; cooperates with SGK Sozialabteilung on employment programs for immigrants and job seekers
• BAFzA (Bundesamt für Familie und zivilgesellschaftliche Aufgaben)coreOthersFederal agency providing funding and support for social welfare programs; partners with SGK on integration and social projects
• NS-Dokumentationszentrum KölnimportantStrategic or Co-development PartnerNS Documentation Center Cologne; regular joint events including panel discussions, readings, lectures on historical and contemporary topics; joint Holocaust remembrance activities
• Deutsch-Israelische Gesellschaft (DIG) AG KölnimportantGTM or Marketing PartnerGerman-Israeli Society local chapter; works for solidarity with Israel, understanding between nations, and combats antisemitism through cultural and political education events
• Kölnische Gesellschaft für christlich-jüdische ZusammenarbeitimportantStrategic or Co-development PartnerCologne Society for Christian-Jewish Cooperation; joint commemorative events including annual November pogrom remembrance; interfaith dialogue
• City of Hope Cologne e.V.secondaryGTM or Marketing PartnerRefugee aid initiative that began at Cologne/Bonn airport during Summer of Welcome 2015; focuses on integration of refugee families in Cologne
• Klare Kante Köln e.V.secondaryGTM or Marketing PartnerAssociation promoting international understanding and tolerance; educational work against racism; supports victims of racist violence
• Solidaritätspartnerschaft Bergisch Gladbach – Nir Oz e. V.secondaryGTM or Marketing PartnerSolidarity partnership with Kibbutz Nir Oz in Israel; founded after October 7, 2023 attacks; supports reconstruction and affected residents
• CDU Jüdisches ForumsecondaryGTM or Marketing PartnerInternal platform of CDU party for Jewish interests; promotes exchange on Jewish life and combating antisemitism
• WIZO (Wirtschaftsverband Israeli Frauenorganisation)importantStrategic or Co-development PartnerWomen's organization supporting children and women; WIZO Aviv/Köln group active in community with WIZO AVIV Köln e.V.
• Makkabi Köln e.V.importantStrategic or Co-development PartnerJewish sports club; promotes athletic activities and Jewish identity through sports
• Integrationsagenturen NRWsecondaryStrategic or Co-development PartnerIntegration agencies in North Rhine-Westphalia; cooperates with SGK on integration programs

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Others

• Zentralrat der Juden in Deutschland: National umbrella organization for KdöR Jewish communities in Germany. SGK's board member Abraham Lehrer sits on its presidium, making it both a coordination body and a strategic partner rather than a direct competitor.
• Caritasverband für die Stadt Köln e.V. Cologne-based welfare association operating social services, refugee integration, and elderly care. Comparable in operational scope of the welfare and integration work that SGK's Sozialabteilung performs.
• ZWST (Zentralwohlfahrtsstelle der Juden in Deutschland): Central welfare office of Jewish communities in Germany — a funder and strategic partner for SGK's social welfare and integration programs. Comparable in mission (Jewish social welfare) though operating at national rather than municipal level.

Direct peers

• Jüdische Gemeinde zu Berlin: Major KdöR Jewish community serving the largest Jewish population in Germany. Operates a comparable mix of synagogues, schools, kindergartens, welfare center, senior care, and cultural programs under one organizational umbrella.
• Jüdische Gemeinde Hamburg: Northern German KdöR Jewish community with similar full-stack services: synagogue, schools, welfare department, and elderly programs. Comparable in scale and institutional setup.
• Jüdische Gemeinde Düsseldorf: NRW-based KdöR Jewish community in a neighboring metropolitan area. Directly comparable in regional context, KdöR status, and welfare-oriented service portfolio including community center programming.
• Israelitische Kultusgemeinde München und Oberbayern: Bavarian KdöR Jewish community with parallel offerings — religious services, schools, social welfare, senior programs, and integration support — making it a structurally and operationally comparable peer.
• Jüdische Gemeinde Frankfurt am Main: Largest KdöR Jewish community in Hessen with a similarly comprehensive portfolio of religious, welfare, educational, and elderly-care services. Closely comparable in legal form (KdöR), service breadth, and integration-program orientation.

Broad incumbents

• Erzbistum Köln: Catholic archdiocese serving Cologne as a public-law corporation (KdöR). Operates a comparable cradle-to-grave ecosystem (schools, kindergartens, hospitals, social services) at much larger scale, useful for benchmarking operating models and KdöR governance.
• Evangelische Kirche im Rheinland: Regional Protestant church body with KdöR status covering the Cologne/Rhineland area. Runs parallel community, education, welfare, and elderly-care infrastructure and is a structural analog for SGK's service breadth.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/synagogen-gemeinde-k%C3%B6ln

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 records

Subsidiaries14 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Synagogen-Gemeinde Köln