British family bring Jewish services back to German city for first time since Kristallnacht
Jack and Ida Levy – third generation members of the Ark Synagogue in Northwood celebrate their bnei mitzvah in Wittlich, whose original shul was destroyed in 1938
The first synagogue service since Kristallnacht in the German city of Wittlich has taken place with a bnei mitzvah celebration.
Jack and Ida Levy – third generation members of Northwood and Pinner Liberal (Ark) synagogue, celebrated their barmitzvah and batmitzvah in the restored Wittlich synagogue in a moving service led by The Ark’s Rabbi Aaron Goldstein, The Movement for Progressive Judaism’s community youth and education lead Emma Rich and Rabbi Alexander Grodensky, of the Liberal Jewish Community of Luxembourg.
The original synagogue was active from 1910 to 1938, before it was destroyed. Many of its community were murdered by the Nazis, with the survivors never returning.
Since 1979, the building has been used as a cultural and conference centre with a small museum inside – run by the city council and Emil-Frank-Institut.
The Levy family live near Trier, about an hour from Wittlich, and are weekly participants in The Ark’s hybrid services, as well as its online learning, social and cultural activities. Dad Ben is English and Jewish, and mum Ines is German and Catholic. They are bringing their children up as Jewish, with their older son previously having his barmitzvah at The Ark.
With only a small Orthodox synagogue in Trier and Jack and Ida wanting a Progressive celebration – including Ida reading from the Torah – Ines and Ben set about securing the Wittlich Synagogue for the event.
Ines said: “For Jack and Ida it was important to have their bnei mitzvah in a synagogue and with Rabbi Aaron. The challenge was where. We believed it should be near where we live now. When we found the former synagogue in Wittlich, we were taken by it. The size and beauty of the building was impressive and the exhibition in the attached museum was very moving.
“We are so happy we could return Jewish life to this building. It would be great if there would be more Jewish ceremonies there in the future.”
Ben added: “It was so special and significant to see the synagogue being used for its original purpose, and that we had our friends and family with us to celebrate.”
The service incorporated the history of the moment, with René Richtscheid of the Emil-Frank-Institut explaining the origins and history of the former Wittlich Jewish community and Rabbi Aaron invoking their memory throughout. Readings were added from well-known German/Austrian Jewish Holocaust survivors Ruth Klüger, Gerty Spies, Mascha Kaléko and Rabbi Dr Leo Baeck.
Rabbi Aaron Goldstein said: “The joy for this family celebration was palpable and all the guests, whether Jewish or not, expressed the immense sense of history.
“There was the sadness that there was no local community to celebrate with and the knowledge of their fate. But to witness a congregation in prayer and song and to experience two young people reading from the Torah, with this building’s walls once more reverberating with Judaism, was powerful.”
Speaking about the challenges of making the synagogue a working one again, he added: “While there is no longer an Aron HaKodesh (Ark) or Ner Tamid (Eternal Light) in the sanctuary, everyone present, Jew and non-Jew, felt a lamp ignited in the cabinets of their soul.”
Around 120 people attended the service including friends and family from England, Luxembourg and Germany.
Jack and Ida said: “It was very special for us to be the first bar and batmitzvah here in almost 90 years.”
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