Jewish Museum in the Rashi House, Worms

House of Rashi, the Jewish Scholar

The Rashi house stands on the place where it is assumed the teaching house once stood. It was in this teaching house that the eminent Jewish scholar Rashi studied around 1060. The basement and parts of the ground floor which house the museum date from the second half of the 14th century, the rest of the building was rebuilt in 1982 based on the earlier house.

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Tour of the Museum

The tour of the museum begins in the eastern exhibition rooms on the ground floor (left of the entrance). This room is dedicated to the history of the Jewish community in Worms from its beginnings over a thousand years ago, up until the end of the Third Reich. The tour through Jewish history begins with the facsimile of the oldest parchment deed in the municipal archive which states that “Jews and other inhabitants of Worms” were exempt from excise duties by order of King Henry IV in 1074. Medieval deeds, plans and other documents, including archaeological evidence, provide an insight into life on this Jewish street and into the rich and long history of the blossoming Worms community, as well as its narrow ties with the history of the Imperial diocese of Worms.

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Elevated Position of the Jewish Community

The liberally orientated community reached its peak in the 19th and early 20th century. Numerous members who were esteemed, patriotic citizens took on leading political, cultural and economic positions in the town. All the more worse was the destruction of the Jewish community through the deprivation of rights, persecution and extermination of its members which happened as a consequence of the national socialist tyranny from 1933 onwards. At the end came the destruction of the revered synagogue and the deportation of the last Jews from Worms.

Seder

The model of the family celebrating Seder, the evening before Passover, refers to the people of Israel leaving Egypt and their rescue by the Lord.

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Jewish Holidays

The tour continues down the stairs into the south cellars. Here you can see a presentation of the main holidays of the year. But first we see the seven-branched candlestick (menorah), an important symbol for Judaism. The holiday cycle begins with Jewish New Year (Rosh Hashanah), which is celebrated in autumn, followed by the Day of Atonement (Yom Kippur) and the Feast of the Tabernacles (Succoth), a harvest festival. The model of the hut (succah) where part of the Succoth is spent shows how the day is celebrated. For the Festival of Lights (Hanukkah) in December there are lights and dreidel. For Purim, which comes from the Old Testament book of Esther, the Esther scrolls are presented on parchment as well as the crockery and food for this celebration. The Ten Commandments represent the Shavuot.

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Religious Customs

In the northern vault, you are given an insight into the religious customs that accompany a person throughout their whole life. Circumcision of a new-born boy is represented by the circumcision cloth. There is also a detailed model of a wedding. The obligatory morning payer is represented with the phylactery (tefillin). The day is ordered by religious rules. There are prayer books together with a prayer shawl (tallith) and head covering (kippa), a washing set for the required washing of hands before eating and labelled plates for distinguishing between dishes, a necessity for kosher meals. A capsule (mezuzah) on the door post of the apartment shows the owner’s profession of the Jewish faith. The knowledge and studying of religious writings are fundamental duties and part of life for every Jewish man, not only for a Rabbi. Death is the final conclusion. Worthy of note is the splendid goblet of the Worms’ funeral brotherhood of 1609.

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The Highlight of the Week is the Sabbath

It begins on Friday after sunset. The Sabbath celebration at home is of great importance for the family. The exhibition shows how the beginning of the Sabbath on Friday and the end, after sunset on Saturday, are celebrated. The significance of a particular holiday is always highlighted by the use of special implements that are often made of silver. The main part of the Sabbath is the morning service in the synagogue with readings from the Torah. The significance of these writings is explained in a separate cellar room.

Worms Synagogue

Finally, there is a model of the old Worms synagogue as it would have looked ca. 1600, with further information about its history. There is also a tribute to the most important student of the Worms school. The later Rabbi Salomon ben Isaak of Troyes/France, known as Rashi, studied here around 1060.
On the ground floor in the lecture room, there are impressions of the two Jewish cemeteries in Worms, both of which are worth a separate visit. The “Holy Sands” to the south west of the town is the oldest Jewish cemetery north of the Alps. It was built in the 11th century. Here lie several important people including Rabbi Meir of Rothenburg (Maharan), Elia Loanz (the Baal-Schem of Worms) and Rabbi Jakob Moelln from Mainz (Maharil). The new Jewish cemetery in Worms-Hochheim, built at the beginning of the 20th century, has an outstanding mourning hall built in the Darmstadt Art Nouveau style.
Alternatively, there are also Jewish books and interesting facsimiles to see in the lecture room.

Information for research purposes

Further information for research purposes can be obtained from Mon-Fri from the employees of the municipal archive (we recommend booking in advance).

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