Frankfurter israelitisches Gemeindeblatt
(Trans. Frankfurt Israelite community newsletter)
1930
Frankfurt
From the Isser and Rae Price Library of Judaica

The “Frankfurt Israelite community newsletter” was published from 1929 to 1938 before it was closed down by the Nazis. This monthly journal was the official organ of the Frankfurt Jewish community, and it was set-up in response to the growing secularization of German Jewry and the decline in community memberships. The journal provided articles emphasizing the importance of Jewish traditions, details of Jewish holidays and reports on the activities of the various Jewish institutions, organizations and synagogues. In this issue from 1930, noted scholars and rabbis, such as Leo Baeck (1873-1956), pay tribute to the leader of Liberal Judaism in Germany, Caesar Seligman (1860-1950) in honor of his 70th birthday. Also of interest in this paper is the regular column dedicated to detailing community statistics which, when viewed across the issues, can be useful for analyzing the historical make-up of the Jewish community of Frankfurt before the Second World War. In addition, the commercial section of the journal shows the range of Jewish businesses in 1930’s Frankfurt, and the large ad placements reveal how well the community was thriving (not so when compared to the 1938 editions which display reduced advertising space and a massive increase in room rental advertisements).