Jewish Museum in the Worms Rashi House

The Jewish Museum …

… in Worms—unique in Rhineland-Palatinate—is based in Rashi House in Hintere Judengasse 6. It has been opened in the basement and is run by the municipality. In the upper floors are based the municipal archives including the photo archive, an abundant resource also as for its material on Jewish history. The Rashi House was built on a place that may formerly have been the site of a school where the significant Jewish scholar Rashi once had been studying in the time around 1060. The museum’s basement vault and parts of the ground floor date back to the late Middle Ages, the rest of the house was built in 1982, modelled on the old building.

The Tour...

… of the museum starts in the ground-floor exhibition room to the left of the entrance. The room is dedicated to the history of the Jewish community of Worms from its beginnings more than a thousand years ago to the end of the Nazi era. The first evidence of the local Jewish community is a facsimile of the oldest parchment stored in the municipal archives. Issued by King Henry IV in the year 1074, it exempted the ‘Jews and all other citizens of Worms’ from paying taxes. Mediaeval manuscripts, maps and other documents give visitors an impression of life in the Jewish quarter, which has largely retained its architectural shape, and of the Jewish community’s rich and long history, deeply entangled in the history of the Free Imperial and bishop’s city.

A Heyday …

… of the liberal Jewish community was the 19th and the 20th centuries. Respected citizens, many of the community’s members were and leading figures in the city’s political, cultural and economic life. All the more horrible was the end of the community after Jews were deprived of their rights, persecuted and annihilated following a surge of anti-semitism and the Nazi tyranny from 1933. As in many other cities, the end in Worms came with the destruction of the venerable synagogue in 1938 and the deportation of the last Jewish fellow citizens in 1942. This process is illustrated in the museum presenting the biography of individuals, including personal belongings, written documents, and photographs. A model Seder celebration held in the family on the first night of Passover, reminding of the Israelite exodus from Egypt and the liberation by the Lord.

The Southern Basement Vault …

… shows the most important holidays of the Jewish calendar. But at the beginning is the menora, the seven-branched candelabrum, an important symbol of Judaism. The cycle of high holidays starts with Rosh Hashana (the Jewish New Year), celebrated in the autumn, followed by Yom Kippur (the Day of Atonement), and Sukkot (The Feast of Tabernacles), a kind of harvest festival. The model of the inhabited hut (the sukka), shows the events of the feast. Candelabra and the dreidel (or spinning top) symbolise Hanukkah (the Festival of Lights), which is celebrated in December. For Purim, which is related to the Book of Esther of the Old Testament, megillah scrolls as well as crockery and pastries for this joyful celebration are displayed. The Ten Commandments represent the holiday of Shavuot.

The Adjacent Northern Vault …

… gives an insight into religious customs that form part of a Jew’s life cycle. The wimpels or mappot shown here were pieces of cloth used to swaddle newborn boys after their circumcision, later presented to the community and used to bind Torah scrolls. A model shows a wedding ceremony (see picture). The tefillin, a pair of black leather boxes worn around the arm of the on the forehead, are used during a Jewish man’s obligatory morning prayer. Other exhibits are a prayer book (siddur), a prayer shawl (tallit) and a skullcap (kippah). A mezuzah, a piece of parchment with the Shema Israel prayer on it, placed in a case and fixed to the doorpost of a house or room, shows Jews’ commitment to their belief. The knowledge and study of religious scriptures are fundamental part and duty of a Jewish man’s life, not only a rabbi’s. A precious cup of the Worms Jewish burial society (chevra kaddisha) from 1609 represents the end of a Jewish life.

The Most Important Time of the Week …

… is the Shabbat, beginning on Fridays after sundown. The celebration of the Shabbat at home is of great importance for a Jewish family. Its beginning on Friday and its ending on Saturday after sundown are reflected by a couple of exhibits. Precious devices, many of them made of silver, give evidence of the importance of the holiday. The crowning moment of the Shabbat is a Saturday morning service with a Torah reading longer than Torah readings during the week. The major importance of the Torah and the proper use of it are explained in a separate vault room.

The Southern Vault …

… shows a model of the old Worms Synagogue as it looked around the year 1600, providing further information on the history of the building. The room also pays tribute to the most important student, who studied in the Jewish school around 1060, Rabbi Solomon ben Isaac from Troyes (France), called Rashi.

The lecture room on the ground floor gives visitors an impression of the Jewish cemeteries in Worms, which are both worth visiting. The Holy Sands in the southwest of the city, established as early as in the 11th century, is the oldest Jewish cemetery still preserved north of the Alps. It is the resting place of noted Jewish personalities such as Rabbi Meïr of Rothenburg (called Maharam), Elia Loanz (surnamed Ba’al Shem for his caballistic knowledge) or Rabbi Jacob ben Moses Mölln from Mainz (MaHaRil). The landmark of the new, 20th-century Jewish cemetery in the Worms suburb of Hochheim is the Mourning Hall, built in 1911 in the Darmstadt Jugendstil and restored by 2005. At times, Jewish books and interesting facsimiles or special exhibitions of the archives of the museum are presented in the lecture room, as well as lectures and similar events.

A Film Show …

… (DVD available in German and English) and a reading corner completes the exhibition. The staff of the municipal archives will provide interested visitors with further information for academic ends on weekdays. An appointment should be made beforehand.

Address / Contact

Jewish Museum in the Rashi House
Hintere Judengasse 6
67547 Worms
phone +49 6241 853-4701 and -4707
fax +49 6241 853-4710
e-mail stadtarchiv@worms.de

view city map (German only)

Opening Hours

… Apr—Oct: Tue—Sun 10am—12:30pm and 1:30—5pm

… Nov—Mar: Tue—Sun 10am—12:30pm and 1:30pm—4:30pm

Entrance Fees

individuals:         / groups from 10 persons:     
grown-ups      € 1.50 /   € 1.00
adolescents    € 0.80 /   € 0.50