Jewish Mainz Tour – Explore the Legacy of One of Ashkenazi Oldest Communities

Join our Jewish Mainz tour to go on a captivating journey through Jewish Mainz, one of Germany’s oldest and most historically significant cities for Jewish life.

The word “shum” means garlic in Hebrew. ShUM in modern day Rhineland is an acronym for Speyer, Worms, and Mainz—three medieval cities along the Rhine that became the cradle of Ashkenazi Judaism. Their teaching houses spread the fame of the ShUM communities in the Jewish world and attracted students from faraway places. To this day, the spiritual heritage of the Jewish communities of Speyer, Mainz and Worms are essential element of Jewish tradition.

Medieval Jewish Community

During this private tour, we’ll visit the Old Jewish Cemetery of Mainz. Known as “Auf dem Judensand’, it’s part of the UNESCO World Heritage-listed ShUM sites. As we walk through the Old Town, we’ll share the moving and tragic story of Mainz’s first medieval Jewish community, whose members became martyrs, remembered by generations of Jewish settlers.

Second Jewish Community

Who re-established the community in the early modern period? We’ll visit the former Jewish quarter, where daily life once thrived anew.

As Mainz grew in the 19th century, so did its Jewish community. Industrialists, department store owners, doctors, lawyers, and other professionals shaped a vibrant modern Jewish life. The community built the new Liberal Synagogue, which became the center of Jewish culture and worship.

Pre-War Community

But everything changed in the 1930s. With the Nazi rise to power, Jewish life in Mainz was shattered. Many fled. Synagogues were destroyed during Kristallnacht. Nazis deported and murdered the remaining Mainz Jews in concentration camps.

Still, the story does not end there.

After WW2

Jewish life returned to Mainz after the war. Who were the Jews who came back to rebuild? What is the symbolism behind the striking New Synagogue of Mainz? We’ll visit a medieval church. Reconstructed after the war, it’s the only church in Germany with stained glass windows made by Marc Chagall. Why did the head of its parish invite the famous artists to create its stunning windows?

Join our private Jewish Mainz Tour to discover the resilience, tragedy, and renewal of one of the most important Jewish communities in Europe.