Jewish Organizations in Nuremberg Before 1945

Gerhard Jochem, October 1999. The author wants to thank Mr. Herbert Kolb and Mrs. Rebecca Segal for revising the text. All photographs taken from the stocks of Nuremberg City Archives.

Compared to her membership which scarcely ever exceeded 10,000 persons, the variety of organizations and clubs created by the Jewish Community in Nuremberg before 1945 is astonishing. Shortly after the establishment of the Jewish congregation in 1859, a wave of foundations started with the Israelite Charitable Organization (in existence 1860 - 1938). Right from the beginning, the Jewish citizens of Nuremberg showed their commitment to the common interest by both furnishing foundations in favor of the general public and developing a very differentiated infrastructure of clubs and organizations for all areas of life.

The essential motivations for the foundation of Jewish organizations were the religion (e.g. Orthodox Adas Israel Congregation) or her worldly pendant, the consciousness of the Jewish identity and the also religiously motivated care for the members of the community.

The Nuremberg "Chewra Kaddischa" (Sacred Brotherhood) was established in 1867 and devoted herself to the burial of the dead, the comfort of the surviving relatives and prayer.

Announcement of the Orthodox women's association "Esras Noschim", 1923.

The religious background was also very important for the associations of East European Jews who had immigrated to Germany since the turn of the century. Besides founding a local chapter (LC) of the General Committee of East European Jews in order to represent their common interests, these people organized themselves to conduct the service the way they were used to in their own prayer halls, for example the congregation "Achi-Eser" (since 1917) and "Auhave Scholaum." Charitable purposes were also important to East European Jews in Nuremberg: They founded their own "Jahrzeit- und Krankenhilfsverein" (Yarzeit and nursing organization) and a women's group in support of the sick and women during child birth.

The preservation of the civic rights of the German Jews was the priority of the "Centralverein" (General Association of German Citizens of Jewish Faith, LC founded in 1918). During the Weimar Republic the "Centralverein" just like the "Reichsbund juedischer Frontsoldaten" (Federation of Jewish Front Soldiers, LC founded in 1919) had to focus on the fight against the growing anti-Semitism. The same purpose was pursued by the "Verein zur Abwehr des Antisemitismus" (Association in Defense against anti-Semitism) in which Jews and Gentiles together tried to stop the hatred spread by the growing Nazi movement.

The two local mason lodges of Maimonides (founded 1903) and Jakob Herz (founded 1921), both associated with the international Independent Order Of Bnai Brith played an important role in the Jewish community. They maintained for example their own youth club at Obere Turnstrasse.

Bueg Castle, a Jewish youth recreation facility in Forth near Erlangen

The special attention of the different religious and political groups within the Jewish community was aimed towards the youth. The liberal Jewish youth organization Nuremberg-Fuerth, the Jewish Boy Scout Federation, the youth group "Chewrath Bachurim" of the orthodox association "Agudas Jsroel" (since 1899), the girl's group of the women's organization "Esras Noschim" (since 1915) as well as the Zionist Hiking Association "Blau-Weiss Nuremberg" and Jewish sports club "Bar Kochba" offered to Jewish children and adults various opportunities to spend their leisure time with education, trips and exercising.

From a WIZO brochure of the late 1930s: Housekeeping practice

List of Jewish associations and clubs up to 1945 in Nuremberg

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