00:00This magazine is usually non-political, however, there is an exceptional place to reflect in Aschaffenburg.
00:30We are here in the former school and rabbinate building, which once stood right next to the synagogue.
00:45Here in the model we can see the previous building and the original situation.
00:51In 1984, the city of Aschaffenburg established a Jewish documentation center in this building.
00:58It was one of the earliest institutions dedicated to researching a Jewish community and its history.
01:09That was really something special.
01:13The great synagogue no longer exists today.
01:17Like many other synagogues, it was set on fire and burned down during the pogrom night of November 9th to 10th, 1938.
01:24It was a very impressive building with Oriental and Moorish architectural elements.
01:37I always say that, if it was still standing today, it would be one of the highlights of our city, alongside Johannesburg Castle and the Pompejanum.
01:48Personal belongings and items such as this company sign from a local fashion house bridge the gap between history lessons and the events of almost 100 years ago, making them oppressively tangible.
02:03One very special item is Helen Feingold's escape rucksack, which she used to flee Germany in 1941 and emigrate to the USA.
02:22She was a young woman at the time, we can see her here in the photo, born in 1924, and she and her family were among the last residents of Aschaffenburg to manage to leave the city.
02:37She visited us in 2008 and gave us her rucksack.
02:41She died just last year, in 2024, at almost 100 years of age, and I am still very, very grateful to her for this extraordinary object.
02:51In 2009, we found Tora banners in boxes in the depot. It was a real discovery, a real little sensation. We are showing some of them here.
03:13What are Tora penance? When a Jewish boy is eight days old, he used to be circumcised, and still is today.
03:23And this cloth diaper, a rectangular piece of fabric, was cut in half and the four pieces were sewn together to form a long ribbon, about three to three and a half meters long, which was then inscribed, with the name of the child, the name of the father, the child's date of birth, and a blessing.
03:41These Tora diapers are embroidered and painted, and we have gained a completely different perspective on the Jewish community here in Aschaffenburg.
04:01Even though this chapter of German history is not easy to digest, a visit to these rooms is highly recommended.
04:11A visit to these rooms is highly recommended for all
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