The Jews of Stühlingen

9-3

Ralph

December 25, 2016

¶ 1 Leave a comment on paragraph 1 0 A Stühlingen mikvah is described as situated in the moat on the western side of the town12 where the tanners had their pits, since flowing water is a prerequisite for both. We have no indication of when this mikvah was actually established. But in 1723 well-to-do Marumb ben Sandel Weil (S1.2.1) bought the former inn “Krone” as a residence [R3055] and in 1726 expanded its wash house to incorporate a private mikvah [R808]. His son Salomon Weil (S1.2.1.1) eventually had to sell the property [R1222] after the expulsion and their move to Gailingen.

¶ 2 Leave a comment on paragraph 2 0 A synagogue (Schul)13 is first mentioned in 1628 [R1604]. Apparently builder Veltin Kayser claimed 27 fl. from the treasurer of the Jewish community for work he had performed on the synagogue. Two members of the community, Jecoff (G1) and Jäggle (C2), refused to pay their share, claiming that they had not been consulted. They demanded that whoever had ordered the work in the first place should pay. But by an ironic triumph of justice, Hanns Hofacker the younger in 1635 claimed 7 fl. from two trustees, namely Jecoff (Jacoff) and Jäggle (Jeggle), for supplies he had delivered to the synagogue [R3115].

¶ 3 Leave a comment on paragraph 3 0 The original synagogue was probably situated just outside of but adjacent to the southwest corner of the town wall.14 It also incorporated living quarters for a rabbi.15 As the community grew, a new synagogue had to be built adjacent to and east of its predecessor16 and was later converted to a barn (Judenscheuer).17 Because of its location in the town, both the old and new synagogue were automatically oriented towards Jerusalem. It is possible that the original old prayer room became the women’s annex. The synagogue seat affair of 1730 mentions both an “upper” and a “lower” man’s seat [R2253], and suggests a somewhat unusual seating arrangement. Seats were usually situated all at one level below that of both the ark and the Torah reading platform (bimah).18 However, men’s seats can be found on several levels in the Portuguese Synagogue in Amsterdam, which was built around the same time.19

12Häusler, “Stühlingen: Vergangenheit und Gegenwart.” 157.

13Elbogen, “Der jüdische Gottesdienst.” 477–82.

14See Fig. 2, chap. 1, page 8.

15Häusler, “Stühlingen: Vergangenheit und Gegenwart.”, 157.

16Ibid., 158.

17Rosenthal, “Heimatgeschichte der badischen Juden,” 176–7.

17Rosenthal, “Heimatgeschichte der badischen Juden,” 176–7.

18Frauberger, “Ueber Bau,”; Grotte, “Deutsche, böhmische und polnische Synagogentypen”; Kashtan, “Synagogue.”

19Witte, “Interior of the Portuguese Synagogue in Amsterdam.”