Juechen

Summary: The earliest available record of a Jewish presence in Juechen is dated 1679, when a local Jew received a letter of protection. Few Jews lived there in the 18th century—those who did were peddlers and brokers—and it was not until the 19th century, when economic conditions improved, that the community grew and Jews entered the livestock, grain and real estate trades. At the Jewish cemetery, the oldest gravestone is dated 1693. A small synagogue was inaugurated in 1764, and we also know that it was replaced by a new house of worship in 1835. Children studied religion in the synagogue, as the community was never able to establish a separate school building. On Pogrom Night, the interior of the synagogue was destroyed and set on fire; the blaze consumed all but the outer walls. Later, in December 1941, the remaining Jews were deported to the East. Eleven Jewish residents of Juechen perished in the Shoah. Several memorial plaques commemorate the persecution of the Jews during the Nazi period. At a small park, stones mark the location of the former synagogue; and at the Jewish cemetery, a commemorative plaque has been unveiled.

Author / Sources: Dorothea Shefer-Vanson
Sources: AH, EJL, SIA, YV