Life_under_Siege_The_Jews_of_Magdeburg_under_Nazi_Rule.pdf

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Spier arrived in Magdeburg in the spring of 1939 and celebrated Passover with
the community. From that point up until his deportation in April 1942, he led the
religious services. As a religious leader he was regarded as inspirational:
He was a real professional. He was a first-class teacher, a first-class cantor and
a very good Ba’al Koreh [reader of the Torah]. He had such knowledge! He
was really an outstanding personality. He taught me Hebrew and Nusach [the
rite or custom of Jewish prayer]. He was just unbelieveable!
In these smaller congregations you have one man who can do everything. He
was one of those. He taught school, he led services and he also gave Hebrew
lessons to adults every Sunday morning – they were still preparing to go to
Palestine. And with children he was outstanding. If there was a need for
anything in the community, then he did it. He was a friend of everyone. He
was a unique personality! 52
Spier’s energy in his numerous roles and responsibilities continued throughout his
tenure.
Religious services were conducted in the Orthodox tradition. Morning and
evening services were held each day and all three Sabbath services were
conducted. Often after evening services on the Sabbath, an explanation and
discussion on the text from the Torah set for that week was offered. 53 During the
entire war period, interviewees did not recall the public celebration of anyone’s
Bar Mitzvah nor any circumcisions. 54 However, interviewees recalled the wedding
of Hermann Spier’s daughter, Ruth. Whilst a regular wedding ceremony took
place, there were no traditional festivities to celebrate the event. 55
Not considered useful to the war effort, Spier and his wife were included on
the first deportation from Magdeburg in April 1942. His departure deeply shocked
the community, as he had provided such moral resistance in addition to his
52 M. F., op. cit., 27 June 1999.
53 Bezirksstelle Sachsen-Thüringen der Reichsvereinigung der Juden in Deutschland
Verwaltungsstelle Magdeburg, 31. Oktober 1941, File AR 6559, LBIA NY, op. cit.,
unnumbered pages, two-page newsletter.
54 Name withheld, op. cit., 18 June 1999.
55 Ibid and M. F., op. cit., 27 June 1999.