Sept 2007, Jewish Franconia
Today we are meeting with my colleague Michael and his driver Dieter for a day exploration. The driver by the way is also the guide and has the title "Dr". He is retired chemist and guiding is his second career.
We are working on a new itinerary for the jewish travelers. Instead of regular Jewish, war, holocaust sites in Munich and Nurnberg, this time we will be exploring Jewish Franconia.
Just like in Eastern Europe, during medieval times, the Jews in Germany were only allowed to live in certain areas. Beacuse of this, you will see a concentration of Jews in certain villages of Franconia.
First we went to Gosswenstein and saw the castle where the Jewish settelement was and how they lived. There were 15 small, houses within the castle. They all lived in the same area, and shared bread baking stove and mikweh. Jewish children however happily coexisted with gentiles. One man wrote in his stories how he was invited by the priest to ring the bell (since he was not alllowed to be an altar boy). Jews could not own land in 1600 and only can do trading.
After visting this this settlement, we went to a small town which was developed by Jewish industrialist and philantropist Ignatz Bing. He employed villagers and provided water and electricity in late 1800. It was a rarity at that time. In addition to his toy business (mechanical train toys), he also discovered a natural cave and developed it for tourism. He was one of the first tourism organizers in Germany. The cave is now a natural attraction and many people come to visit.
That part of Franconia along with nearby Bamberg and Wurtzburg is very beautiful. It is a great place to spend even a week there. We inspected a nice 4* hotels owned by the same man , and he assured us he will take care best care of our future clients. Besides hotels, the owner has a great restaurant at a hotel where local people come to eat. We had lunch there and it was very good.
Next stop was a small town of Buttenheim which is the birth place of Levy Strauss. He was born to a large family in poverty and the rest is history. Strauss lived in small house which is now a fascinating museum. The audio guide in English is included. The lady who worked there, was very enthusiastic especially when she found out we were from the USA. She said the museum was created on private donations. Interesting enough that Levy Strauss Corp did not participate in the creation of this museum. (It looks like the company is not interested in associating authentic american product like jeans with a Jew from Germany).
The lady in the museum showed us statistics of visitors and most visitors come from the US and China.
Next we went to a small town of Ermreuth where there is a newly restored synagogue. Their small Jewish community lived here in the 18th and 19th century. It was destroyed during the rystallnacht in 1938 and the Jews left. After the war, there was an effort to restore the synagogues and Jewish cemeteries. At the time of restoration in the 1990's, the 16th-19th century artifacts were discovered hidden in the attic. Now the museum is a part of the synagogue. The Jews do not live in Emreuth anymore, but the synagogue is used for music, religious and cultural events to promote peace and interfaith cooperation. The woman who takes taking care of the synagogue, Dr. Rajaa Nadelr, is a Christian from Syria. She is married to a German and lives nearby. Nadler is very well versed in the Judaism and the history of the synagogue. She said it is her project to bring peace between different faiths. She explained symbols of the restoration and architecture, based on Kabbala. Very interesting. Sometimes the schools bring students to study the war and holocaust at te museum. Jewish communities conduct events. There are also art exhibits, many of them by Jewish artists.
For more information, see http://www.neunkirchen-am-brand.de/index.php?page=906
Last year at this time, we visited Berlin. The city and it's people amazed us. This year, in a small village of Franconia, we see a synagogue meticulously restored by the German government and donations throughout the world, lovingly and enthusiastically maintained by a Syrian woman. It is just incredible.
Most travelers concentrate on the tragic past of German Jews and visit cemeteries and concentration camps. This is a must to do. However, sites like this which tell the story of Jewish communities who lived here for centuries before the holocaust are often missed. I beleive we must celebrate Jewish life in Germany. You see that nazis are gone (well almost) but Jewish life flourishes once again , monuments and synagogues are restored and vibrant Jewish communities with immigrants from the former Soviet Union and Israel are continue to practice theoir religion.
I've heard many Jews say they are not comfortable coming back but I strongly recommend that they come and see what real contemporary Germany is all about.
It was really an eye opening day for us and we are forever grateful to Michael for bringing us there.
He said it was encouraging to say a prayer in the synagogue to breath life into it since services are not often provided there. He thoughtfully brought a prayer book with him and beautifully sang 2 prayers. Here we are sitting in German synagogue listening to familiar prayer songs . We taped it on a video.
It was a great day for us. I am hoping to bring my clients who are looking for their German roots and hertiage. We were told they would be happy to open the synagogue for bar- and bat- mitzvahs, or weddings, or just for a service, and it is possible to find a rabbi to lead the service.
Michael and Dieter dropped us off at hotel. It was already late, so we had a light dinner again at the Yugoslav restaurant next to our hotel. We were once again the only Americans there and the Croatian owner this time met us like we were family. We still had some trouble communicating so other guests translated and it was a very satisfying day.
Tomorrow we are leaving Munich for Salzburg.
We are working on a new itinerary for the jewish travelers. Instead of regular Jewish, war, holocaust sites in Munich and Nurnberg, this time we will be exploring Jewish Franconia.
Just like in Eastern Europe, during medieval times, the Jews in Germany were only allowed to live in certain areas. Beacuse of this, you will see a concentration of Jews in certain villages of Franconia.
First we went to Gosswenstein and saw the castle where the Jewish settelement was and how they lived. There were 15 small, houses within the castle. They all lived in the same area, and shared bread baking stove and mikweh. Jewish children however happily coexisted with gentiles. One man wrote in his stories how he was invited by the priest to ring the bell (since he was not alllowed to be an altar boy). Jews could not own land in 1600 and only can do trading.
After visting this this settlement, we went to a small town which was developed by Jewish industrialist and philantropist Ignatz Bing. He employed villagers and provided water and electricity in late 1800. It was a rarity at that time. In addition to his toy business (mechanical train toys), he also discovered a natural cave and developed it for tourism. He was one of the first tourism organizers in Germany. The cave is now a natural attraction and many people come to visit.
That part of Franconia along with nearby Bamberg and Wurtzburg is very beautiful. It is a great place to spend even a week there. We inspected a nice 4* hotels owned by the same man , and he assured us he will take care best care of our future clients. Besides hotels, the owner has a great restaurant at a hotel where local people come to eat. We had lunch there and it was very good.
Next stop was a small town of Buttenheim which is the birth place of Levy Strauss. He was born to a large family in poverty and the rest is history. Strauss lived in small house which is now a fascinating museum. The audio guide in English is included. The lady who worked there, was very enthusiastic especially when she found out we were from the USA. She said the museum was created on private donations. Interesting enough that Levy Strauss Corp did not participate in the creation of this museum. (It looks like the company is not interested in associating authentic american product like jeans with a Jew from Germany).
The lady in the museum showed us statistics of visitors and most visitors come from the US and China.
Next we went to a small town of Ermreuth where there is a newly restored synagogue. Their small Jewish community lived here in the 18th and 19th century. It was destroyed during the rystallnacht in 1938 and the Jews left. After the war, there was an effort to restore the synagogues and Jewish cemeteries. At the time of restoration in the 1990's, the 16th-19th century artifacts were discovered hidden in the attic. Now the museum is a part of the synagogue. The Jews do not live in Emreuth anymore, but the synagogue is used for music, religious and cultural events to promote peace and interfaith cooperation. The woman who takes taking care of the synagogue, Dr. Rajaa Nadelr, is a Christian from Syria. She is married to a German and lives nearby. Nadler is very well versed in the Judaism and the history of the synagogue. She said it is her project to bring peace between different faiths. She explained symbols of the restoration and architecture, based on Kabbala. Very interesting. Sometimes the schools bring students to study the war and holocaust at te museum. Jewish communities conduct events. There are also art exhibits, many of them by Jewish artists.
For more information, see http://www.neunkirchen-am-brand.de/index.php?page=906
Last year at this time, we visited Berlin. The city and it's people amazed us. This year, in a small village of Franconia, we see a synagogue meticulously restored by the German government and donations throughout the world, lovingly and enthusiastically maintained by a Syrian woman. It is just incredible.
Most travelers concentrate on the tragic past of German Jews and visit cemeteries and concentration camps. This is a must to do. However, sites like this which tell the story of Jewish communities who lived here for centuries before the holocaust are often missed. I beleive we must celebrate Jewish life in Germany. You see that nazis are gone (well almost) but Jewish life flourishes once again , monuments and synagogues are restored and vibrant Jewish communities with immigrants from the former Soviet Union and Israel are continue to practice theoir religion.
I've heard many Jews say they are not comfortable coming back but I strongly recommend that they come and see what real contemporary Germany is all about.
It was really an eye opening day for us and we are forever grateful to Michael for bringing us there.
He said it was encouraging to say a prayer in the synagogue to breath life into it since services are not often provided there. He thoughtfully brought a prayer book with him and beautifully sang 2 prayers. Here we are sitting in German synagogue listening to familiar prayer songs . We taped it on a video.
It was a great day for us. I am hoping to bring my clients who are looking for their German roots and hertiage. We were told they would be happy to open the synagogue for bar- and bat- mitzvahs, or weddings, or just for a service, and it is possible to find a rabbi to lead the service.
Michael and Dieter dropped us off at hotel. It was already late, so we had a light dinner again at the Yugoslav restaurant next to our hotel. We were once again the only Americans there and the Croatian owner this time met us like we were family. We still had some trouble communicating so other guests translated and it was a very satisfying day.
Tomorrow we are leaving Munich for Salzburg.
posted by Sophia Kulich | 4:42 AM
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