Obbach

Summary: This Jewish community established an elementary school in 1820; a community center—it housed a mikveh, a teacher’s apartment and a school—in 1836; a district rabbinate in 1839 (active until 1864); and, finally, a synagogue in 1840. After the elementary school closed down in 1929, local Jews employed a teacher of religion who also performed the duties of chazzan and shochet. The community buried its dead in Euerbach. Wolf Frankenburger (1827-1889), a leading figure in the Bavarian National Liberal Party and a member of the Bavarian regional parliament, was born in Obbach. On Pogrom Night, the synagogue’s interior was destroyed, after which the building was set on fire. Jews were detained at the mayor’s offices, where they were abused (some were sent to the prison in Schweinfurt), and Jewish homes and businesses were ransacked. Thirty-nine Obbach Jews emigrated (30 of them went to the United States) and two relocated within Germany. In June 1939, a Jewish woman with Polish citizenship was expelled to Poland. In April 1942, 30 Jews were deported, via Wuerzburg, to Izbica. Obbach’s last six Jews were sent to Schweinfurt in June 1942, and were deported from there to Theresienstadt (also via Wuerzburg) in September. At least 86 Obbach Jews perished in the Shoah. A memorial was later affixed to the remains of one of the former synagogue’s walls.

Author / Sources: Nurit Borut
Sources: AJ, EJL, PK BAV