Besamim box; 9.7x4cm, silver-plated brass, donated by Mrs Schöneweiß, Vöhl-Obernburg
Spice egg for storing spices; donated by Mrs Anna Evers, Vöhl, 7x4.5cm, hardwood Fotos: Karl-Heinz Stadtler
The besamin box is intended for fragrant spices (Hebrew: besomin), over which a blessing is pronounced during the Sabbath departure ceremony. The worshipper inhales the fragrance of the spices as if to refresh and rejoice in their consecration before the Sabbath departs.
© Kurt-Willi Julius
The seven-armed candlestick. Made in 2004 by Heinrich Figge, Höringhausen after the design by Dr h.c. Thea Altaras.
The original chandelier was sold to Kassel in 1974.
© Kurt-Willi Julius
Design of the ‘Chandelier’ by Dr h.c. Thea Altaras (+ 28/09/2004)
Design of the ‘Chandelier’ by Dr h.c. Thea Altaras (+ 28/09/2004)
Foto: Berthold Herberz
Beech wood, iron wire, 40cm, around 1930
Clothes hangers from the Jewish shops of the Familie Katzenstein (Name „Heinemann Katzenstein“) in Frankenau, and the Stahl family (name „Siegmund Stahl“) in Korbach.
Foto: Berthold Herberz
Beech wood, iron wire, 40cm, around 1930
Cloth hanger of the merchant Max Mildenberg from Vöhl.
Foto: Kurt-Willi Julius
The original colour of the starry sky is dark blue and has not been restored.
Foto: Karl-Heinz Stadtler
Layers of colour and ornamental band in the adjoining room of the synagogue on the 1st floor.
Foto: Berthold Herberz
Balustrade of the gallery; the first version is dark grey.
Foto: Berthold Herberz
Lateral compartment frame on the gallery parapet.
Foto: Berthold Herberz
Beams of the gallery
The original dark grey colour scheme from 1829 was not restored. A lighter colour scheme was chosen.
Foto: Karl-Heinz Stadtler
Wood, paper, 37x7.5cm. Donated by Mrs Schöneweiß from Vöhl-Obernburg.
The biblical book of Esther as a scroll (Hebrew ‘megillah’), for use in religious services. The Esther scroll is read annually on Purim. It tells of the threat to the Jews in Babylonian exile by the enemy of the Jews, Haman, and their rescue by the courageous and clever Queen Esther. Purim is a joyous festival, similar to carnival.
Foto: Kurt-Willi Julius
A stone with the inscription: ‘To the honour of God and worthy remembrance’ in the base of the synagogue.
Probably placed at the time of construction in 1828/29. Here after restoration in 2002 with new colouring. Limestone, 37x37x30cm.
Siddur, prayer book with complete binding. Title page lost. Hebrew. 18x11x2cm. Owner's name on the front cover not legible. The back cover (see photo) probably bears names of close relatives to mention them in prayer.
Siddur, prayer book with front cover only. The owner was Sigmund Lazarus from Vöhl. Hebrew. 18x11x1,5cm. Published by Lehrberger, 1881, Rödelheim.
Siddur, prayer book without cover and flyleaf. 20x12x2cm. Hebrew - German.
Well-preserved siddurim, prayer books for Jewish festivals. Hebrew - German. 1892 and 1898, Lehrberger, Frankfurt. 20x13x2cm. The finds from the genizah originally looked like this. The leading publisher at this time was Lehrberger - Verlag und Druckerei in Rödelheim, Frankfurt am Main. After the publishing house Dr. Felix Kauffmann - Hebrew Publishing Co. in New York had initially taken over the programme, the successor of the Verlag Victor Goldschmidt in Basel, where the prayer books are printed today under the keyword "Rödelheimer Ausgabe". The five books are a gift from the Jüdischen Gemeinde Marburg.
Five books of Moses in Yiddish in Hebrew script. Binding and title page missing. 20x17x5cm. The book is illustrated with several woodcuts. As a result of the First World War, Jews were expelled from Poland and came to Germany. Most of these people spoke Yiddish.
Prayer book for Passover. Without cover and title page, Hebrew. 16x18x?cm.
‘Der Aharonsstab’ (The Rod of Aharon), sermon outlines for rabbis on the five books of Moses. Prague, 1861, German. Is the binding missing? Bound on the left. 23x15x?cm
Single page of a German textbook. The tasks for the pupils are in smaller font. 18x12cm
Five books of Moses in ‘paperback format’. Without cover and title page. Hebrew, 12x8x3cm. Donation from Korbach
Prayer book for the New Year, Rosh ha-Shanah, without cover and title page. Hebrew. 21x14x3cm. Donation from Korbach
Fotos: Berthold Herberz
A geniza, genizah (storehouse, depot, store) is used to store used Jewish liturgical writings. In the Vöhl synagogue, the attic was used for this purpose. Texts that were no longer used were locked away here. They must not simply be thrown away. In 1999, the genizah was found by Jürgen Evers.
Almost all of the texts are printed texts in Hebrew script - some supplemented by German translations. Three prayer books, an edition of the 5 books of Moses, a collection of sermons and a Passover book can still be recognised. One script, the 5 books of Moses, is in Yiddish - written in Hebrew letters. One page is in German: it was part of a school textbook.
In addition to the described books or book fragments, a large part of the Genisa consists of book pages that are only loosely connected or individual and can no longer be categorised.
A prayer book and a ‘pocket book’ of the 5 books of Moses were donated by S. Aramanovich from Korbach and are not part of the genizah.
All information has been compiled with the kind assistance of Mr Beni Pollak, teacher of the State Association of Jewish Communities in Hesse.
Gift from a visitor to the synagogue, brass, 22x18x4cm
Hanukkia from Schwalefeld, municipality of Willingen, brass, 23x22x12cm
Hanukkia as an oil lamp from a Frankenberg household, brass, 21x14x5cm
Hanukkia for travelling, sheet iron, brass-plated, 25x7.5x4.5cm. Donated by Mrs Schöneweiß, Vöhl-Obernburg
Fotos: Karl-Heinz Stadtler
Hanukkah (dedication) is the festival commemorating the repossession and consecration of the temple in Jerusalem in 165 BC, i.e. a festival of joy on a historical occasion. To commemorate a miracle of light in this context, it is customary to light one more light on each of the eight days of the festival until eight lights are burning on the last day. The ninth candlestick - often removable - is used as a ‘servant’ (shamash) to light the candles.
Foto: Noah Sach, Paraffin, six wicks, 28cm
A Havdallah candle is a special candle used in Judaism to mark the end of the Sabbath and to mark the transition from the holy time of the Sabbath into the new week. The candle usually has several wicks that are brought together to form one end. It is lit during a special ritual called ‘Havdallah’, which takes place on Saturday evening after dark.
Fotos: Karl-Heinz Stadtler
Two Hessian lions hold the plaque with the inscription ‘Ludwig’ in Hebrew script.
Ludwig I, Grand Duke of Hesse-Darmstadt, reigned when the synagogue was inaugurated. This mural was uncovered during the renovation.
Foto: Karl-Heinz Stadtler
Print, replica of the homage plaque in the prayer room, donated by Jürgen Evers, frame 60x50cm. In the original parchment with German and Hebrew script.
Photo Ernst Davidsohn (1921-95), donation from Carol Baird (USA), descendant of the Frankenthal family from Vöhl
Historical photograph from the property of the former Vöhler Frankenthal family
Transcript by Ernst Davidsohn (1921-95) Photo: Donation by Carol Baird (USA), descendant of the Familie Frankenthal from Vöhl
Homage plaque to Ludwig I, Grand Duke of Hesse-Darmstadt, (reign, 1806-30)
A parchment votive plaque in honour of Ludwig, the first Grand Duke of Hesse, which was completed in 1808, was placed in the synagogue. It was inscribed in Hebrew and German:
„In the year 5568 (= 1808)
1829
Victory gives kings dominion, the anointed. He who saved David his servant from the murderous sword. He who makes a way in the sea, a path in the strong waters, who blesses, protects, shields, supports, elevates, enlarges and brings forth our Lord Ludewig, Grand Duke of Hesse, and increases his glory. May the King of kings, with his all-mercifulness, preserve his life, protect him from every accident, from every sorrow and from every harm, and be his protection. Let foreign nations bow to him, let his enemies fall before him and let him be happy in all his endeavours. May the King of kings, through his all-mercifulness, incline his heart and the heart of all his counsellors to mild government, that he may rule us and all Israel with benevolence, that in his days and ours Judah may be saved and Israel dwell in peace. O that the Saviour may come to Zion, may the will of the Eternal be good, and let us say to him, Amen."
Incidentally, the Förderkreis had a pleasant surprise in connection with this plaque. Jürgen Evers had found this text among the notes of the Vöhl local historian Walter Kloppenburg, supplemented by a description of the plaque, from which it emerged that it also contained a Hebrew version. Evers now endeavoured to find a translator, and the matter dragged on for a long time without a Hebrew version being produced. Carol Baird, a descendant of the Frankenthal family from Vöhl who lives in California, then sent us not only a photo of the plaque but also a copy of a transcription that her father Ernst Davidsohn had made of the same plaque in the early 1930s. And so, quite unexpectedly, the Förderkreis came into possession of this text. Dr Thea Altaras then had the print made by an expert in Israel, which we can now display in our small museum.
Among the pictures from America was the only photograph of the interior of the synagogue from before 1938, which has already been mentioned several times and which - expertly edited - provides a good insight into the appearance of the sacred space. We can see (and find this confirmed by a letter from the district conservator from 1929) that this plaque hung on a tripod and stood next to the Torah shrine (facing the street). The conservator considered the artistic value of the plaque to be low, but said that it ‘blends in excellently with the uniform space’ and should therefore be mounted on canvas.
Foto: Berthold Herberz
After 1938, the synagogue was used as a building materials store. The text on a pillar for the gallery presumably reflects a customer's order: "3 sacks of lime 4 sacks of cement".
Foto: Berthold Herberz
Forged nail; probably for hanging goods during use as a building materials store.
Foto: Karl-Heinz Stadtler
Foto: Ulrich Müller zum Holocaustgedenktag 2021
Foto: Ulrich Müller zum Holocaustgedenktag 2021
Steel, pewter, 177x110x110cm. The artwork by Eva Reneé Nele has been loaned to the Förderverein by the artist.
People walk to their doom on a four-legged steel construction approx. 1.80 metres high. This happens upright, as the title of the artwork suggests.
The installation was set up in 2009 for the 10th anniversary of the Förderkreis on 8 November 2009.
The artwork is located on the first floor of the synagogue.
Foto: Karl-Heinz Stadtler
The yad is used as a pointing stick when reading the Torah. It usually has the shape of a small hand with an outstretched index finger. This yad has a different shape - a Moroccan yad - and can be categorised as a Torah pointer due to its inscription.
Silver-plated brass, 21x2cm, donated by Mrs Schöneweiß, Vöhl-Obernburg
Foto: Karl-Heinz Stadtler
Foto: Karl-Heinz Stadtler
Foto: Karl-Heinz Stadtler
Foto: Karl-Heinz Stadtler
Foto: Karl-Heinz Stadtler
Foto: Karl-Heinz Stadtler
The inscription is in Hebrew and is translated into German from top to bottom:
Detail of a photo of the gravestone of Bendix Külsheimer at the Jewish cemetery Vöhl. Photo: Kurt-Willi Julius, 2002.
Translation of the inscription:
Here lies buried Pinchas, the son of Samuel. He passed away on 7 Nissan 670. May his soul be bound up in the bundle of life.
The full date is 7 Nissan 5670, which is 16 April 1910.
The Jewish calendar is a mixture of the lunar and solar calendars. On average, a lunar month is added every three years to harmonise the two calendars.
Jewish and Christian festivals have parallels; in 2021, a series of events was organised with the
series of events was organised with the Protestant church. Some of these festivals are described in Sanja Mohnen's lecture on Jewish festivals.
Foto: Berthold Herberz
The Kiddush cup is required for the Kiddush (sanctification), which is the consecration of the Sabbath or festival day over a cup of wine at the family table. The Kiddush consists of a blessing over the wine and bread and a hymnal prayer for the day in question. From the domestic sphere, the Kiddush has also found its way into the synagogue liturgy. 11.8x6.5cm, silver-plated brass, donated by Mrs Schöneweiß, Vöhl-Obernburg
Foto: Karl-Heinz Stadtler
Donation from Mr Eckhard Willer, Bad Arolsen, ca 17cm
The kippah (cap) is used in traditional Judaism to cover the head when praying, studying the holy scriptures and performing any religious act. For the Sabbath and feast days, there are often particularly beautiful and elaborately crafted caps.
Foto: Karl-Heinz Stadtler
Circumcision nappy of Richard Steven Rau, born on 5 November 1953. Textile, 250x23cm (once cut into pieces)
The nappy on which a newborn boy lies during circumcision is then cut into four strips, which are sewn together to form a long ribbon. This is called ‘the pennant’ in its original general meaning. It is embroidered or painted with a text that is usually the same in its basic content: it first states the name of the child and its father, who is wished a long life with the abbreviation ‘SCHeLlTa’, then the day of the child's birth, followed by the wish that God may allow it to grow up to know and observe the law (the Torah), to marry (symbolised by the chuppah, the canopy used at the wedding ceremony) and to be charitable, which is finally concluded with ‘Amen. Sela.". On the child's first birthday, when it is ‘carried into the school (= synagogue)’, the pennant is presented there as an endowment and is then used to wrap the Torah scroll, thus protecting it. On the Sabbath after the boy's 13th birthday, when he is called to read for the first time in the synagogue as a bar mitzvah (‘son of the law’) of religious age, the corresponding Torah scroll is presented to him wrapped in his pennant. This custom, which was mainly practised among West German Jews, is intended to symbolise the individual's close connection to the Torah. The Torah pennant shown here is a donation from the synagogue congregation Congregation Beth Hillel & Beth Israel, Inc. in New York City. Walter Mildenberg and his sister Ursula Behrend presented it to the Förderkreis Synagoge in Vöhl e.V. in September 2000. It is the circumcision nappy of Richard Steven Rau, born on 5 November 1953.
Foto: Karl-Heinz Stadtler
Menorah from a Jewish household in Vöhl, brass, 38x33x18cm
Foto: Karl-Heinz Stadtler
Menorah in the prayer room, elm wood, 165x90x60cm, made by a local carpenter for the former synagogue.
Foto: Karl-Heinz Stadtler
Menorah in the prayer room, wrought iron, gift from the Protestant parish of Vöhl, 160x85x60cm, Until summer 2023 in the synagogue, now in the Protestant St Martin's Church Vöhl.
Foto: Karl-Heinz Stadtler
Menorah, Brass, 22x18.5x9.5cm, donated by Mrs Schöneweiß, Vöhl-Obernburg
Foto: Karl-Heinz Stadtler
Menorah, forged from iron, 80x45x35cm
Foto: Karl-Heinz Stadtler
Menorah, pewter, silver-plated, 18x14.5x9cm, donated by Mrs Schellberg
The menorah, also known as the seven-branched candelabrum, is one of the most important religious symbols of Judaism. According to the biblical account, Moses was given the task of erecting a portable sanctuary (Mishkan) on Mount Sinai. He was given a description of each ritual object and shown a celestial model. One of these objects was a candlestick.
Mezuzah with an inserted text scroll at the entrance to the prayer room, donated by a Jewish woman from Volkmarsen who lives in the USA. The mezuzah - attached to the doorpost - is intended to remind the inhabitants of a house of Jewish tradition and to protect the house and its inhabitants.
Fotos: Karl-Heinz Stadtler
This mezuzah contains a text scroll. Metal, glass ca 17cm, donated by Mrs Schöneweiß, Vöhl-Obernburg
Mezuzah means ‘doorpost’ and refers to a writing capsule used in Judaism. This goes back to several passages in the Torah: ‘You shall write (these words) on the doorposts of your house and on the gates of your city.’ - Deut. 6:9 and Deut. 11:20
According to this, the corresponding two passages from the Shema are written by a specially trained scribe (safer) with a non-metallic writing instrument (quill) on a parchment (klaf), with the word אֵל שַׁדַּי (Shaddaj) on the back, and rolled up and placed in a small container on the doorpost. The container can be made of metal, ceramic, wood, glass, stone or plastic. Many mesusot are inscribed with the Hebrew letter (Shin). This also stands for Shaddaj.
The mezuzah is placed within arm's reach in the upper third of the right-hand doorpost as seen from the outside, inclined so that the upper end faces the room. This arose from a discussion among Jewish scholars as to whether the mezuzah should be placed vertically or horizontally; as a compromise solution, the inclined position was agreed upon.
According to another explanation, the mezuzah hangs at an angle to express the fact that only God can make things completely right (straight), but not people, whose actions always remain incomplete (crooked). There is also the idea that the direction of the upper end of the mezuzah towards the room imitates the inclination of the upper body when entering the room.
Some devout Jews kiss the mezuzah when entering a room by bringing the fingertips of their right hand to the mezuzah and then to their mouth.
Secular traditions have also developed from the mitzvah of the mezuzah. For example, it is common for the installation of the mezuzot to be combined with a housewarming ceremony. Particularly beautifully designed mezuzot are also popular gifts.
The last Jewish residents, Hermann and Minna Mildenberg; spring 1936
Synagogue in the 60s
The only surviving picture of the interior of the synagogue; early 1930s
Photo: Ernst Davidsohn (1921-95) Donation from C. Baird (descendant of the Frankenthal family from Vöhl)
Detail from the photo: the Torah shrine; early 1930s
Photo: Ernst Davidson
Detail from the photo: roof of the Torah shrine; early 1930s
Photo: Ernst Davidson
Detail from the photo: left railing; early 1930s
Photo: Ernst Davidson
Detail from the photo: right railing; early 1930s
Photo: Ernst Davidsohn
Detail from the photo: Wall lamp; early 1930s
Photo: Ernst Davidsohn
Detail from the photo: one of the two small candlesticks; early 1930s
Photo: Ernst Davidsohn
Homage plaque to Ludwig I , Grand Duke of Hesse-Darmstadt, 1806-30.
Set up in the synagogue, parchment in German and Hebrew script.
Historical photograph from the property of the former Vöhler Frankenthal family, 1930s.
Photo: Ernst Davidsohn
Bombed out in Kassel and housed in the synagogue building in 1944/45.
Bombed out in Kassel and housed in the synagogue building in 1944/45.
1949 in the garden behind the synagogue
Foto: Sammlung Klaus Flämig
In April 1961 in the garden behind the synagogue
Foto: Sammlung Christel Schiller
In April 1961 in the garden behind the synagogue
Foto: Sammlung Christel Schille
