Karbach

Summary: Forty-two Jews lived in Karbach in 1699, one of whom was a rabbi. The community peaked at more than 100 members during the first half of the 19th century, after which the village’s Jewish population began to dwindle. The community established a cemetery in 1819 and conducted services in a prayer hall until 1844, when a synagogue was built at 181 Marktplatz (later 1 Marktplatz). The synagogue building contained a classroom and, after 1826, a mikveh. Karbach Jews employed a teacher who also performed the duties of chazzan and shochet. In 1933, the Loeb and Schifa Adler Foundation for Brides (established in 1890) was active in Karbach. One day before Pogrom Night, Jewish men were deported to Dachau, after which SS members from Marktheidenfeld and the surrounding area destroyed the synagogue’s interior. Assisted by boys from the Hitler Youth, SA men pillaged Jewish homes. During the Nazi period, five Karbach Jews emigrated and six relocated within Germany. The remaining 27 Jews were deported to Izbica (via Wuerzburg) in April 1942. At least 47 local Jews perished in the Shoah. The synagogue was later converted into a town hall; a commemorative plaque was unveiled there in 2002. Since 2006 the preserved mikveh has been used for educational purposes. The Jewish cemetery houses a memorial.

Author / Sources: Esther Sarah Evans
Sources: AJ, EJL, PK BAV