University of Groningen De Emancipatie Van De Joden In
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University of Groningen De emancipatie van de Joden in Overijssel 1796-1940. De rol van de Overijsselse opperrabbijnen Hertzveld, Frankel en Hirsch Erdtsieck, Grietje IMPORTANT NOTE: You are advised to consult the publisher's version (publisher's PDF) if you wish to cite from it. Please check the document version below. Document Version Publisher's PDF, also known as Version of record Publication date: 1995 Link to publication in University of Groningen/UMCG research database Citation for published version (APA): Erdtsieck, G. (1995). De emancipatie van de Joden in Overijssel 1796-1940. De rol van de Overijsselse opperrabbijnen Hertzveld, Frankel en Hirsch. s.n. Copyright Other than for strictly personal use, it is not permitted to download or to forward/distribute the text or part of it without the consent of the author(s) and/or copyright holder(s), unless the work is under an open content license (like Creative Commons). Take-down policy If you believe that this document breaches copyright please contact us providing details, and we will remove access to the work immediately and investigate your claim. Downloaded from the University of Groningen/UMCG research database (Pure): http://www.rug.nl/research/portal. For technical reasons the number of authors shown on this cover page is limited to 10 maximum. Download date: 25-09-2021 Summary Jewssettled in Overijsselas long ago as the first half of the l4th century.In 1349, however, theseearly Jewish settlerswere persecuted,then banished,as they were thoughtresponsible for the Black Death,which then broke out. During the lTth centuryJews again settled in Overijssel,but their presencewas only toleratecl.on the understandingthat they would not proselytizethe Gentile population. During the lSth centuryJews fulfilled an importanteconomic role in the rural areas of Overijssel.Jewish peddlars travelled throughout the farming areasof the Province and,in doingso, established contact between the Jewish and non-Jewish population. Not only did theseJews have family ties in the Germaniclands, but they also had businesscontacts there. Before 179-5,the organizationstructure of Jews in the Republic ran along parallel lines to that of the non-Jewishpopulartion of the region.Central governnlentplayed no significantrole in local policy; the councilsof the major citiesplus the nobility decidedpolicy, and werepractically autonon)ous. Within theJewish congregations a similar situation prevailed.These congregations had always been governedby the leading figures in their midst. The Parnassim- adnrinistrators- had an extremely powerÍul position within the community becauseof the authority vestedin them by the oÍÍlce they held.Among otherthings, the Parnassimcontrolled the provisionof meat, servicesto the poor, and the use of the ritual bath. They were authorizedto imposefines, and evenexcommumicate members. This power was sanctionedby the 'Kehillah' civil authorities,who alsotried to settleconflicts within the or organized Jewishcommunity. The councilsof the major citiesplus the nobility decidedwhat rightsJews would be granted. ln 1796the Decreeof Emancipationgranted Jews equal civil rights. Debateson the equality clf Jews took place in the National Assembly.The representativesof Over- rjssel:J.A. Uytenhagede Mist, thetown clerkof Kampen;J. Kantelaar,a clergyman in Kampen;J.B. AuÍ'fmorth,burgornaster of Goor; J.H. Floh. a clergymanin Henge- lo; J.A. De Vos van Steenwijkfiom Vollenhoveand H.J. Colnschate from Almelo, all played a markedrole in thesedebates. EqLrality brought an end to the autonomy of the Kehillot, the Jewishcongregations. Among otherthings, this resultedin the Dutch governmenttaking responsibilityÍbr the appointmentof Chief Rabbis. 229 Rabbisand Chief Rabbishave been active in Overijsselsince the lSth century,and many of them originally came from Germany or Poland. The Chief Rabbis held office in Zwolle. After the Chief Consistoryhad beenestablished in I 808. the rabbi of Zwolle actedas Chief Rabbi of the area.Tlre local rabbiscontinued tlreir rvork in Overijssel,such as RabbiOppenheimer in Almelo,and RabbiKrukziener in Olden- zaal. In 11308,Hartog JoshuaHertzveld was appointedChief Rabbi of the main synagoguein Zwolle, which includedthe regionsof Overijssel,Drenthe and a part of Gelderland. Hertzveldsteadfastly upheld the emancipationpolicy of the Dutch government.By implernentingthe languagepolicy and rnaintainingdecorum in the synagoguethc governmenthoped to bring about the integrationof Jews in Dutch society. Hertz- veld's proposal to change the worship rnet with great opposition Íiorn orthodox Jews,with tlre Lehrenbrothers as the leadingopponents. and his proposalto in- troduce confbnnation ftll Jewish children was alsclntet with Ílerce resistance.He was accnsedof being indoctrinatedby the ideology of the Reform Movement in Germany.The orthodoxcommunity also torpedoedHertzveld's proposal to convene a rabbinicalconvention. When Hertzvelddied in 1846,the chief rabbinateof Overijsselremainc'd vacant till 'Lehren' the appointmentof JacobFránkel in 1852,which the group had tried to thwart by every ethical and unethicalmeans. Fránkel, as Hertzveldbefbre him, was suspectedof supportingreÍbrm ideology. The consternationsurrounding this ap- pointment was, in fact, a biittle being Ítrught in Overijsselbetween liberalism and orthodoxy;this battlewas won by the liberals.Fránkel's appointment led to a break- awayof conservativeÍactions within theJewish congregations, such as in Steenwijk. fbr instance.Chief Rabbi Fránkelcontinued to uphold the emancipationpolicy of his predecessorHertzveld, not only as far as the introductionof the choral singing was 7 concerned.but also by supervisingJewish communitiesregarding decorum in the synagogue.irnplementing the languagepolicy of the Dutch government,and abol- I ishingthe strictconventions surrouncling religious education. Altltough Frànkel was J;,J an advocateof the languagepolicy to ban Yiddish, he personallynever took the trouble to learn to speakor write Dutch. Fránkeldied in 1882. ln spiteof the decreepassed in 1196granting Jews equal civil rightswith the restof the population,it took anotherfifty yezrrsbefbre enrancipation filtered through into certainprotèssions. Many Jewscontinued to work at their old protèssionsin trade andindustry. The riseof industry.however, gave Jews the opportunityof improving 'rag I their proÍ'essionalstatus. Jews who wereoriginally in the trade',like the Span- jaard family in Borne,eventually became textile manuÍàcturers. Another fifty years passedbefbre Jews had any significant influence in urban go- vernment.Before 1850 only a smallnumber of Jewswere members of city councils, fr such as Salomonlsraël Themanswho, betweenl83l and 1842,was aldermanin 2 Oldenzaal.Afier the Íirst half of the l9th centurv.however. it was no lonser an I 230 I t Èxceptionfbr Jews to hold postson local councils.In Alnrelo, membersof the Salomonsonfanrily of manufacturerswere local councillorsfor seventysuccessive years,and in Borne, being a memberof the local council was almost a family affair' fbr the Spanjaards.The nrajorityof Jewishcouncillors and aldermencame Íiom liberal circles or representeda local political party. A tèw were membersof the S.D.A.P(Social Dernocratic Labour Party). ln the SecondWorld War the Germans dernandedthe resignationof ever-yJewish councillor and alderntan. The emancipationof Jew'sin Overijsseldid not leadto extensiveassimilation. Con- version to Christianity remainecla rare exception,as did expr'essionsof anti-Semi- tism. The civil governmentin Overijssel.the councilsof the major citiesplus the nobility. was not, as a rule, guilty of introducinganti-Semitic legislation. Jews in rural areasand smalltowns were usually allowed to conducttheir business in peace. The Jewsin Kampenand Zwolle had to obeythe ruleslaid down by the guilds.and Deventer did not adrnit Jews for economic reasons.After 1796. this situation rc- mained virtually unchanged.lt took decadesbefbre Jews held governn.rentposts as rnentionedearlier. Only in the secondhalf of the l9th centurydid socialemancipa- tion of Jewsoccur. and this was the trend acrossthe board,because, until then,Jews hadbeen a small,disadvantaged minority. The integrationof Jewsinto Dutch socie- ty was consideredby sorneas a threat to the nationalcharacter of the Netherlands and led to both oral and writtenanti-Semitic statements. A well-knownexample is Abraham Kuyper's brochureon Liberalistsand Jews. Only in one place, Oldenzaal.were Jews in the Netherlandsconfronted by blatant acts of anti-Semitism.Catholics from Oldenzaal,returning from a pilgrimage to 'pogroms' Kevelaer,assaulted Jews and smashedtheir windows.These occuÍTed between1892 and 1897.The immediatecause was the Buschofïaffairin Xantenin 1892.Finally the burgomasterthen in oÍfice,De Wael,took stepsto suppressthese riots, which occuned eachtinre pilgrims returnedfrom their annualpilgrirnage. The anti-Sernitismin Germanyclearly had ramificationsin Oldenzaal.The Freemasons of Deventerwere also afÍèctedby this Germananti-Semitism. SephardicJews, with their eruditeand aristocraticbackground, had beenadmitted to Freemasons'lodgesin Hollandas early as the 18thcentury, although at that time Jews were not admittedto other non-Jewishinstitutions such as learnedor literary societiesand clubs either in Holland or elsewherein the Netherlands.The three Iodgesin the Provinceof Overijssel.namely, Le Profond Silencein Kampen,Firles Mutua in Zwolle, and Le Préjugé Vaincu in Deventer, had no Jewish members duringthe l8th century.ln