The LVR-Cultural Centre Village Synagogue Rödingen () is a former

Jewish Jews (, , ), or the Jewish people, are an ethnoreligious group and nation, originating from the Israelites of History of ancient Israel and Judah, ancient Israel and Judah. They also traditionally adhere to Judaism. Jewish ethnicity, rel ...

congregation and

synagogue A synagogue, also called a shul or a temple, is a place of worship for Jews and Samaritans. It is a place for prayer (the main sanctuary and sometimes smaller chapels) where Jews attend religious services or special ceremonies such as wed ...

, located in Rödingen, in the municipality of

Titz Titz is a municipality in the district of Düren in the state of North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. It is located approximately north-east of Jülich and south of Mönchengladbach. Since the local government reform of 1975, Titz Municipality co ...

, in the district of

Düren Düren (; Ripuarian language, Ripuarian: Düre) is a town in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany, between Aachen and Cologne, on the river Rur (river), Rur. History Roman era The area of Düren was part of Gallia Belgica, more specifically the ter ...

, in the state of

North Rhine-Westphalia North Rhine-Westphalia or North-Rhine/Westphalia, commonly shortened to NRW, is a States of Germany, state () in Old states of Germany, Western Germany. With more than 18 million inhabitants, it is the List of German states by population, most ...

, Germany. Built as a house in 1749, with a synagogue that was completed in 1841, the building has served as a

Jewish museum A Jewish museum is a museum which focuses upon Jews and may refer seek to explore and share the Jewish experience in a given area. Notable Jewish museums include: Albania * Solomon Museum, Berat Australia * Jewish Museum of Australia, Melbourn ...

and

cultural center A cultural center or cultural centre is an organization, building or complex that promotes culture and arts. Cultural centers can be neighborhood community arts organizations, private facilities, government-sponsored, or activist-run. Africa * ...

since 2009.

The former synagogue

In the synagogue is still the

Torah The Torah ( , "Instruction", "Teaching" or "Law") is the compilation of the first five books of the Hebrew Bible, namely the books of Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers and Deuteronomy. The Torah is also known as the Pentateuch () ...

niche, located on the eastern wall of the synagogue opposite the entrance. The original

Torah ark A Torah ark (also known as the ''hekhal'', , or ''aron qodesh'', ) is an ornamental chamber in the synagogue that houses the Torah scrolls. History The ark is also known as the ''ark of law'', or in Hebrew the ''Aron Kodesh'' () or ''aron ha-Kod ...

(Hebrew: Aron Kodesh) with the ornate curtain, the

parochet A ''parochet'' (; ), meaning "curtain" or "screen",Sonne Isaiah (1962) 'Synagogue' in The Interpreter's dictionary of the Bible vol 4, New York: Abingdon Press pp 476-491 is the curtain that covers the Torah ark (''Aron Kodesh'') containing the ...

can be seen in a photo. Over the niche is still a long iron nail for the hanging of the Ner Tamid. The women's gallery also exists. The gallery is fronted with plain wood panels and supported on two slender wooden

pillar A column or pillar in architecture and structural engineering is a structural element that transmits, through compression, the weight of the structure above to other structural elements below. In other words, a column is a compression member. ...

s. There are traces of the original decor.

Museum

The museum's permanent exhibition is contained within a former family house of the head (''Vorsteher'') of the local Jewish community. The museum is dedicated to past and present Jewish life in

rural In general, a rural area or a countryside is a geographic area that is located outside towns and cities. Typical rural areas have a low population density and small settlements. Agricultural areas and areas with forestry are typically desc ...

Rhineland The Rhineland ( ; ; ; ) is a loosely defined area of Western Germany along the Rhine, chiefly Middle Rhine, its middle section. It is the main industrial heartland of Germany because of its many factories, and it has historic ties to the Holy ...

. The former Rödingen synagogue is the only Jewish house of worship in the western Rhineland still largely in its original condition. In 1999 the ''Landschaftsverband Rheinland'' (LVR), a assembly of municipalities, bought the entire property with the intention of opening the buildings to the public. The cultural centre opened in September 2009, the European Day of Jewish Culture. The exhibition is situated in the nine rooms of the family house. On the ground floor is a Media Room with a small library, the Family Room presents the stories of five generations of the ''Ullmann'' Family, who lived in this house from 1789 till 1934. In the

Kosher (also or , ) is a set of dietary laws dealing with the foods that Jewish people are permitted to eat and how those foods must be prepared according to Jewish law. Food that may be consumed is deemed kosher ( in English, ), from the Ashke ...

kitchen are a number of exhibits. On the upper floor is the House and Synagogue History Room, the Village Sites Room with the theme

Jewish cemetery A Jewish cemetery ( ''beit almin'' or ''beit kvarot'') is a cemetery where Jews are buried in keeping with Halakha, Jewish tradition. Cemeteries are referred to in several different ways in Hebrew, including ''beit kevarot'' (house of s ...

, ''Judengasse'' (Jews'

Alley An alley or alleyway is a narrow lane, footpath, path, or passageway, often reserved for pedestrians, which usually runs between, behind, or within buildings in towns and cities. It is also a rear access or service road (back lane), or a path, w ...

) and jewish school. In The Rhineland Judaism Room is the Menorah from the former Synagogue in

Vettweiß Vettweiß (alternative spelling: ''Vettweiss'') is a municipality in the district of Düren in the state of North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. It is located approximately 10 km south-east of Düren. Division of the municipality Vettweiß con ...

. In The Religion Room is a Torah

Wimpel A wimpel (, from German language, German, "cloth," derived from Old German, ''bewimfen,'' meaning "to cover up" or "conceal") is a long, linen sash used as a binding for the Sefer Torah by Jews of Ashkenazi Jews, Germanic origin. It is made f ...

(Hebrew: mappah) from 1762 and a

Sefer Torah file:SeferTorah.jpg, A Sephardic Torah scroll rolled to the first paragraph of the Shema file:Köln-Tora-und-Innenansicht-Synagoge-Glockengasse-040.JPG, An Ashkenazi Torah scroll rolled to the Decalogue file:Keneseth Eliyahoo Synagogue, Inte ...

fragment with the pointer (Hebrew: Jad). The museum regularly hosts monthly lectures, workshops, seminars and concerts on Jewish religion and culture. It celebrates the yearly events

International Museum Day International Museum Day (IMD) is an international day held annually on or around 18 May, coordinated by the International Council of Museums (ICOM). The event highlights a specific theme which changes every year reflecting a relevant theme or ...

, European Day of Jewish Culture and ''

Tag des offenen Denkmals The Tag des offenen Denkmals (Day of Open Monuments) is an annual event all over Germany. The day of action has been coordinated by the Deutsche Stiftung Denkmalschutz since 1993. Historic monuments are open to the public free of charge. It takes ...

'' (

European Heritage Days European Heritage Days (EHD) is a joint action of the Council of Europe and the European Commission involving all 50 signatory states of the European Cultural Convention under the motto, ''Europe: a common heritage''. The annual programme offers ...

References

External links

* * {{Authority control 1789 establishments in the Holy Roman Empire 1841 establishments in the German Confederation 2009 establishments in Germany 19th-century synagogues in Germany Ashkenazi Jewish culture in Germany Ashkenazi synagogues Buildings and structures in Düren (district) Cultural centers Former synagogues in Germany Historic house museums in Germany Houses completed in 1789 Jewish German history Jewish museums in Germany Jewish organizations established in 1841 Museums established in 2009 Museums in North Rhine-Westphalia Synagogues completed in 1841 Synagogues in North Rhine-Westphalia Synagogues preserved as museums

The former synagogue

Museum

See also

References

Further reading

External links