The ancient, picturesque town of Emmendingen, “The Gate to the Black Forest” in southern Germany, once again has a Jewish community, a cause for celebration last week.
Jewish history in Emmendingen, near Freiburg, dates back to 1716. This small summer resort had a thriving Jewish community until the Third Reich came to power.
Two cemeteries and a mikvah are the silent testimonies to the past.
Now, a new community of Jews has been formed. After the influx of Jews from the former Soviet Union, the number of Jews living in the greater Freiburg area has tripled to 750, some 550 of whom are immigrants.
But because of heavy traffic problems, some members of the Freiburg community decided to rebuild the Jewish community of Emmendingen.
Some 85 Jews resided in Emmendingen before the recent influx.
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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.
