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
Sources: LJG, SG-NRW, SIA
Located in: north-rhine-westphalia