Leimersheim
General information: First Jewish presence: 1722; peak Jewish population: 118 in 1880; Jewish population in 1933: 26
Summary: In 1847, the Jews of Leimersheim replaced an older
synagogue, which had been in use since 1750, with a
new synagogue on Neugasse; the new building not only
housed a gallery and living quarters for the caretaker, but
also accommodated a classroom. Burials were conducted in
nearby Ruelzheim.
Although only 26 Jews lived in Leimersheim in 1933,
the community still employed a chazzan. One child received
religious instruction that year.
In October 1938, members of the German military
partly destroyed the interior of the Leimersheim synagogue.
One month later, on Pogrom Night, axe-wielding SS men
damaged the door, smashed windows and destroyed seats,
ritual objects and Torah scrolls; anything made of wood was
thrown onto the street and carried home by local residents for
firewood. Local police, however, fearing for the safety of the
neighboring homes, forbade the rioters from burning down
the synagogue. The village’s Jewish men were sent to Dachau.
In 1942, Leimersheim’s five remaining Jews were deported
to the concentration camp in Gurs, France. At least 18 local
Jews perished in the Shoah.
The former synagogue—it had been sold, for a very low
price, to the municipality in 1940—was returned to the
Jewish community of Rheinland-Pfalz in 1950. In 1970,
however, the dilapidated building was demolished, after
which, in the early 1970s, a memorial was unveiled at
Synagogenplatz (“synagogue square”).
Author / Sources: Heidemarie Wawrzyn
Sources: EJL, FJW, SG RPS, SMZG, YV
www.rollintl.com/roll/leimersheim.htm
www.ruelzheim.de
Sources: EJL, FJW, SG RPS, SMZG, YV
www.rollintl.com/roll/leimersheim.htm
www.ruelzheim.de
Located in: rhineland-palatinate