Luxembourg.
The history of Jews in the Duchy of Luxembourg is not a very long one. It is hardly one hundred years since the Jews first were permitted to follow their occupations freely and since the Jewish community was recognized by the State.
Before that date, Jewish families had settled in several parts of the Duchy but most of them were driven out of the country again, during persecutions, mainly economic in background. Most of the Luxembourg Jews originally hailed from the neighboring German Moselle or Saar district or from Lorraine. After the World War a strong immigration of East European Jews set in. These new arrivals work as merchants or traders, in some cases as artisans or laborers.
NEW INFLUX FROM REICH
A further increase in Jewish immigration was brought about by events in Germany. But, as settlement in Luxembourg is permitted only to those foreigners who can live upon their own means, this German immigration was kept within narrow limits.
A number of Jews received permission, however, to erect factories for products, previously not manufactured in Luxembourg, and a few German professionals, artists, writers and musicians, were permitted to make their homes here. The third immigration came at the beginning of this year, when fifty to sixty well-to-do families from the Saar settled here.
GOVERNED BY BOARD
Luxembourg Jewry is united into one community which is governed by an officially recognized board. The president of the community is Marcel Cahen, member of the Chamber of Luxembourg City Council. The synagogue of Luxembourg, a great building erected with the aid of State subsidies, has as its head Rabbi Dr. Robert Serebrenik, who ranks as a State official. There are several other smaller communities on Luxembourg territory such as: Esch-Ettelbrueck, Bad Mondorf, Remich. Gevenmacher, Differdingen, Medernach, Echtennach, etc. But, aside from Esch-Alzette and Elltelbrueck, which have their own religious officials and teachers, they are so small that they hold divine services only during the High festivals, and otherwise have few Jewish communal activities.
HEAR NOTED SPEAKERS
There are a number of associations which look after spiritual needs, such as the Société de Lecture. During the past year, among the speakers who lectured here, were:—Martin Buber, Emil Bernhard Cohen, Hans Goslar, Dr. Kastein, Rabbi Dr. Lazarus of Wiesbaden and Rabbi Altmann of Treves.
Charitable activities are united in the “Esra” which is headed by the oculist, Dr. Israel. This organization also takes care of the German refugees and cooperates with similar organizations in Paris and Amsterdam. There are also a Jewish Health Insurance Society, and a branch of the Alliance Israelite Universelle. The smaller centers also have their Jewish clubs. As the majority of the Luxembourg Jews is religiously liberal, the service in the Luxembourg synagogue is a moderate liberal one. Jews from Eastern Europe have formed their own synagogue, the Beth Am Ivri.
HAVE LITTLE INFLUENCE
The Jews hardly play an important role in the economic and public life of the country. The only exceptions are, perhaps, the community president, Mr. Cahen and the treasurer, E. Marx. There are three or four Jewish doctors and the same number of lawyers. Some influence is exercised by Jews upon the medium-sized industrial enterprises, but hardly any influence upon the banks and big industry. Jews, however, are the owners of the bigger stores in the capital and in other places. Jews also take a strong part in the cattle-dealing trade.
But aside from the business atmosphere, Jews have no dominant position anywhere. Largely as a result of this, the relations between Jews and non-Jews are calm and peaceful, although it must not be overlooked that the tides of immigration in recent years have created a Jewish problem, in that the general public watches the foreign Jews very carefully, particularly those who have come from Germany, to see that they do not infringe the employment regulations. For Luxembourg has its own unemployment problem and is anxious to see that its natives are cared for first. But the Jews themselves take pains to see that no infringements occur, and they also closely check the number of arrivals. In the interest of the nearby 3,000 Jews who live in the Duchy, a much greater number of immigrants cannot be absorbed into the economic life without seriously handicapping those who have already settled here.
The Archive of the Jewish Telegraphic Agency includes articles published from 1923 to 2008. Archive stories reflect the journalistic standards and practices of the time they were published.
