Osann
General information: First Jewish presence: mid-16th century; peak Jewish population: 143 in 1843; Jewish population in 1933: 17
Summary: In 1899, when the community’s synagogue—it had been
inaugurated at some point during the first half of the 19th
century—was deemed unsafe, the Jews of Osann built a new
house of worship on Hauptstrasse (later called Bernkasteler
Strasse). The community, with which the Jews of Monzel
were affiliated, also maintained a mikveh, a cemetery and a
school for religious studies whose teacher served as shochet
and chazzan.
In 1933, 17 Jews lived in Osann and seven in Monzel.
Later, on Pogrom Night (November 1938), rioters damaged
the synagogue and vandalized Jewish homes.
Nine local Jews emigrated; the others relocated in
Germany. By May 1939, all Jews had left Osann. At least
16 Osann Jews perished in the Shoah.
The synagogue, which had been sold to a private buyer
after the pogrom, has since been used as a storage site.
Author / Sources: Heike Zaun Goshen
Sources: AJ, EJL, FGW
Sources: AJ, EJL, FGW
Located in: rhineland-palatinate