Borghorst

General information: First Jewish presence: 1818; peak Jewish population: 194 in 1924; Jewish population in 1933: 100
Summary: Jews settled in Borghorst in 1818 and attended the synagogues of the neighboring Jewish communities until 1854, when the Jews of Borghorst decided to build their own synagogue. The Borghorst synagogue was inaugurated in 1867, after years of planning. Not much, however, is known about the community or its house of worship. The only reliable eyewitness to the unfolding of Pogrom Night in Borghorst was the local priest, who reported that on the night of November 9, 1938, SA and SS men stormed the synagogue and set it on fire. Everything went up in flames: Torah scrolls, books, furniture and pictures. The SA and SS also broke into Jewish homes and businesses, smashing everything in their path. Little, in fact, of Jewish Borghorst was left intact. The heavily damaged synagogue building was later torn down. An apartment building was built on the site, and we also know that in 1965, a memorial plaque was unveiled there.
Author / Sources: Moshe Finkel
Sources: LJG, SG-NRW, SIA