Frankfurt Jews, Past and Present: The First Online Travel Guide to Jewish Sites in Frankfurt am Main

Jews have lived in Frankfurt continuously for nearly 900 years and turned the community into a center of Jewish learning, with rabbis respected far beyond the confines of the town. Jews played an important role in the economic development of the city and were prominently engaged in cultural and social spheres, some families well known as philanthropists for many causes.

After the holocaust, the Jewish community was reestablished in 1949 and represents today one of the four largest Jewish communities in Germany. Half of its members come from the former Soviet Union. Its many institutions include kindergartens, a primary and high school, two Senior Citizens’ Homes, as well as a number of services and programs for young adults and seniors. The community offers regular Liberal as well as Orthodox services.

The virtual city map “Jewish locations in Frankfurt am Main” encourages the visit of the sites of Jewish life in today’s Frankfurt and at the same time tries to connect present institutions with the rich Jewish history of the past.

The presentation will show how the past can be experienced by Jews and non-Jews alike through modern tools of communication and explore the ways this can serve to connect modern Jews to their cultural and religious heritage.