Weimar Jewish Religious Association

The statutes of the Jewish Religious Association state that the aim of the association is the preparation of the High Holidays and the implementation of religious education for children. The first chairman was the merchant Rudolf Sachs, from 1911 he was followed by the merchant Salomon (Sally) Kauffmann, after his death by the merchant Israel Berlowitz. The association was a member of the German-Israelite Community Federation. In 1925 every fourth of the 105 inhabitants belonged to it. Proposals to build a synagogue were put aside before 1914. The association met on the High Holidays in various hotels in the city, most recently über many years in the Hotel Chemnitius on Karlsplatz (today Goetheplatz). The religious paraphernalia was also kept there. From 1909 to 1913 there was a religious school with ten children, later only four children were taught in the rooms of the 2nd Bürgerschule. The teachers were: Benno Wahrenberg, Alexander Heilbrunn and Rabbi Dr. Josef Wiesen. Members of the association belonged to the Centralverein Deutscher Staatsbürger jüdischen Glaubens (Central Association of German Citizens of the Jewish Faith) and actively participated in the defense against anti-Semitism. There were close ties to the Erfurt synagogue community. Deceased Weimar Jews were also buried in the Jüdische Friedhof Erfurt. The cash book of the association ends in 1935; with the emigration of Israel Berlowitz, the association ceased its activities at the turn of the year 1938/39.