Momberg

Summary: The Jewish community of Momberg belonged to that of Neustadt, where Momberg Jews attended synagogue services until the mid-1850s. Inaugurated on April 19, 1858, Momberg’s synagogue was located at 58 Haus, the site of a former barn. Records from 1825 tell us that the community’s mikveh was then located in the home of one Michael Spier. Notable Jewish-owned businesses included a kosher noodle factory, a matzo factory and a kosher slaughterhouse. Five Momberg Jews died fighting for Germany in World War I. As a result of the Nazis’ anti-Jewish boycott and other repressive measures, 13 local Jews immigrated to the United States during the 1930s; one Jewish family immigrated to South Africa. Rioters destroyed the synagogue’s interior and ritual objects on Pogrom Night (November 1938), after which the damaged building was sold to farmer who converted it into a barn. Most Jews left the town after the pogrom; in 1941/42, the remaining 11 Jews were deported. According to Yad Vashem, 22 Momberg Jews were killed in the Shoah. Memorial stones were later unveiled at the Jewish cemetery in Neustadt and at Momberg’s city cemetery.

Author / Sources: Benjamin Rosendahl
Sources: AJ, SIA, YV