Remembering the November pogrom: Commemoration in Emmendingen!

Remembering the November pogrom: Commemoration in Emmendingen!

On Monday, November 10, 2025, a memorial event will take place on Schlossplatz to commemorate the destruction of the synagogue and the persecution of the Jewish community. The occasion is more than just a date on the calendar - it offers an important opportunity to remember history and pay homage to the victims of the November pogrom of 1938. The celebrations start at 5 p.m. and are accompanied by various speakers. Among them are Mayor Stefan Schlatterer, Pastor Gero Albert from the Evangelical Church Community and Olga Maryanovska, the chairwoman of the Jewish community in Emmendingen.

A central element of the event will be the memorial prayer by Yaakov Yosef Yudkowsky, the community rabbi of the Emmendingen Jewish community. The event is musically supported by an ensemble led by culture prize winner Frank Goos, which gives the event a particularly worthy setting. The speeches will be followed by a wreath-laying ceremony to pay respect to the victims.

The role of the synagogue

But why is the synagogue so important for the Jewish community? It serves not only as a place of prayer, but also as a central gathering place where both religious ceremonies and celebrations such as weddings and bar/bat mitzvas take place. Synagogues are places of study, social interaction and cultural identity. They often consist of different rooms such as social halls and classrooms, which also offer space for community activities. This importance is particularly evident when one considers that the first synagogues were built during the Jewish diaspora after the Babylonian exile. Wikipedia highlights that the oldest evidence of synagogues dates back to the Hellenistic period.

The destruction of the Second Temple in 70 AD resulted in synagogues becoming central centers for Jewish prayer. Since then, various Jewish communities and leaders have continued to build new synagogues to maintain their religious practices and promote communal life. Whether aspray knessetor simply asshulknown, they fulfill a variety of functions that go beyond mere worship and are therefore of essential importance for Jewish life.

A look into the future

This memorial event in Emmendingen is not only a reflection on the injustice suffered, but also a sign of hope and cohesion. It symbolizes the community's willingness to engage with its history and learn from these experiences. At a time when tolerance and intercultural understanding are more in demand than ever, the event represents an important step towards keeping the heritage and culture of the Jewish community alive and promoting dialogue between cultures.

We invite everyone interested to take part in this important event and to take an active part in remembering the victims of the November pogrom. Let us work together to ensure that this memory is not forgotten. Further information can be found in this Press release.