Brakel
General information: First Jewish presence: 1560; peak Jewish population: 174 in 1843; Jewish population in 1933: 99
Summary:
In 1691, the growing Jewish community of Brakel received
permission to open a prayer room. Later, at some point in
the early 1800s, a synagogue and mikveh were established
in the town. By 1836, however, the synagogue structure
had deteriorated, necessitating the construction of a new
house of worship. Inaugurated on October 10, 1844 (the
groundbreaking ceremony took place on August 2), the
new synagogue included an interesting feature: the Torah
Ark was located on the western, rather than the customary
eastern, wall.
On Pogrom Night, Nazis smashed the synagogue’s
windows and destroyed the interior; the neighboring
cemetery was also destroyed.
In 1939, only 36 Jews still lived in Brakel, all of whom
were eventually deported. The synagogue’s organ, which
survived the pogrom, was eventually sold to the local church.
As of this writing, no memorial has been erected in Brakel.
Author / Sources: Moshe Finkel
Sources: EJL, SG-NRW, SIA
Sources: EJL, SG-NRW, SIA
Located in: north-rhine-westphalia