Londorf

Summary: By 1838, most Londorf Jews were cattle dealers, butchers or peddlers. The community’s cemetery, located to the south of the town, was first mentioned in 1722 (enlarged in 1837). We do not know when the synagogue on Allendorfer Strasse was inaugurated, but records do tell us that the sanctuary, located on the top floor, accommodated between 80 and 100 seats. An apartment for the teacher—he also served as chazzan and shochet—and a mikveh were located on the building’s ground floor and in its courtyard, respectively. Londorf ’s synagogue was renovated before World War I. Jews were active in the town’s social life. In 1933, 40 Jews still lived in Londorf, many of whom left during the following years as a result of increasing oppression. On Pogrom Night, rioters destroyed the synagogue’s interior and set ritual objects on fire. Several months earlier, in the summer of 1938, two Torah scrolls were given to a family that eventually immigrated to England. We also know that the cemetery was desecrated in 1940, in 1947 and in 1965. In 1942, Londorf’s remaining 11 Jews were deported to concentration camps. At least 32 local Jews perished in the Shoah. The former synagogue building was pulled down after World War II. The site later accommodated a grocery store and, from the 1980s onwards, a residential building. As of this writing, a memorial has not been unveiled there.

Author / Sources: Heike Zaun Goshen
Sources: AH, AJ, EJL