Life_under_Siege_The_Jews_of_Magdeburg_under_Nazi_Rule.pdf

participated in and were thoroughly integrated into the social and cultural fabric of
the city. 72
As already mentioned, the community was divided into two religious-cultural
groups: one sought identification through its traditional German and Jewish roots,
in which Zionism did not feature; the other identified solely with one or more of
the Zionist philosophies. Not surprisingly, the vast majority of the congregants of
the Synagogen-Gemeinde subscribed to the former, whilst the majority of the
congregants of the Shtiblech subscribed to the latter. Within this division the
community provided a rich and varied social and cultural life for itself. All
avenues of interest, irrespective of age, gender or Zionist inclinations, were
catered for. In viewing the variety of Zionist organisations, it becomes apparent
that the full range of religious and political ideologies was also represented. Until
their dissolution these organisations provided much psychological and physical
sustenance to community members, and this influence continued even after their
complete dissolution, as they assisted community members to create their own
home-based structures in order to survive, as their ‘social death’ ensued at a rapid
pace. 73
According to Karliner, 74 the Jewish community of Magdeburg was financially
secure at the time of the Nazi accession to power. In addition to the seven pieces
of real estate previously mentioned, the community possessed liquid assets in the
72 Personal interview with George Mannings (recorded), Sydney, 17 August 1999.
73 This term, expressing the exclusion of Jews from all avenues of German society
and the subsequent ramifications of such exclusion, was introduced by Marion A.
Kaplan in the previously cited work by her.
74 Report to the Landesverband der jüdischen Gemeinden in der Russischen
Okkupationszone, Berlin from the president of the Synagogen-Gemeinde zu
Magdeburg, Otto (Ismar) Horst Karliner, 22 January 1947, Bestand 5B1, Signatur Nr.
65, CJA, op. cit., p. 241.
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