Mandel

General information: First Jewish presence: unknown; peak Jewish pop.: 75 in latter half of the 19th century (12% of the total population); Jewish population in 1933: 23
Summary: We do not know when Jews first settled in Mandel, but records do tell us that 25 Jews lived there in 1808. In 1858, the Jewish population of Mandel and of the neighboring communities was 107. The community consecrated a cemetery in 1820, and we also know that a Jewish school was located on what used to be Rathausstrasse. Mandel’s tiny synagogue, located between two commercial buildings, is believed to have been founded in 1825. On Pogrom Night, rioters vandalized the synagogue and desecrated the cemetery; the synagogue building was later razed. Most Mandel Jews moved to other towns in Germany and perished in the Shoah. In all, 44 local Jews were deported.
Photo: The synagogue of Mandel shortly before it was demolished in 1960. Courtesy of: Unknown.
Author / Sources: Fred Gottlieb
Sources: EJL, LJG