Hassfurt

General information: First Jewish presence: 13th century; peak Jewish population: 125 in 1910; Jewish population in 1933: 91
Summary: Jews were persecuted in Hassfurt during the Rindfleisch massacres of 1298 and the Black Death pogroms of 1348/49. A permanent Jewish presence was established in the town in the 19th century. In 1888, the community built a synagogue on Schlesinger Strasse; the building also housed a school and mikveh. Jewish burials took place in Kleinsteinbach, and we also know that beginning in the mid-19th century, the community employed a teacher of religion who performed the duties of chazzan and shochet. In 1933, a chevra kadisha and a women’s association were active in Hassfurt. Nine schoolchildren studied religion there. On Pogrom Night, the synagogue’s interior was destroyed; Torah scrolls and other ritual items were burned. Jewish homes and stores were vandalized, the school’s furniture and the mikveh were wrecked, and all Jewish men were arrested. During the Nazi period, 34 Hassfurt Jews emigrated and 34 relocated within Germany. In January 1940, however, two Jewish children were still attending lessons in religion. Later, in April 1942, 16 Hassfurt Jews were deported to Izbica (via Wuerzburg); and in September 1942, the last two were deported to Theresienstadt (also via Wuerzburg). At least 34 Hassfurt Jews perished in the Shoah. A memorial plaque was later unveiled at the former synagogue site.
Author / Sources: Esther Sarah Evans
Sources: AJ, EJL, JM, PK-BAV
Located in: bavaria