Hueffenhardt

Summary: This Jewish community maintained a synagogue and school on Reisengasse, but the dates of construction are not known. The Jews of Hueffenhardt conducted burials in Waibstadt, Heinsheim and Bad Rappenau. In 1933, only two children studied religion under the guidance of a teacher from Neckarbischofsheim. The community was disbanded in July 1938. On the morning after Pogrom Night, an order was given to burn down the synagogue, but concern for the safety of the adjacent buildings convinced the authorities to destroy the building using different means. The upper floor was dismantled by dozens of locals, including children who were excused from school for the occasion; the ground floor, too, was wrecked. Furniture was hauled to the outskirts of town and burned, together with scrolls and other ritual objects, in a festive bonfire accompanied by an orchestra. The following day, Jewish-owned businesses were vandalized and local Jewish men were sent to Dachau. Fourteen Hueffenhardt Jews emigrated; one died in the town. Two Jews moved to Karlsruhe in the summer of 1939: they were deported to Gurs in October 1940, and from there to Auschwitz, where they died. At least 10 Hueffenhardt Jews perished in the Shoah. As of this writing, a memorial has never been erected in Hueffenhardt.

Author / Sources: Heike Zaun Goshen
Sources: AJ, EJL. PK-BW, SG-BW