Metadata: Jewish community ‘Shomre Hadas’ of Antwerp
Collection
- Country:
- Belgium
- Holding institution:
- FelixArchief – City archives of Antwerp
- Holding institution (official language):
- FelixArchief - Stadsarchief Antwerpen
- Postal address:
- Oude Leeuwenrui 29, 2000 Antwerpen
- Phone number:
- +32 (0)3 338 94 11
- Reference number:
- FelixArCity-Antwerp-Israëlitische gemeente 'Shomre Hadas' van Antwerpen
- Title:
- Jewish community ‘Shomre Hadas’ of Antwerp
- Title (official language):
- Israëlitische gemeente 'Shomre Hadas' van Antwerpen
- Creator/accumulator:
- Israëlitische Gemeente van Antwerpen – Shomre Hadas
- Date(s):
- 1999/2009
- Extent:
- 8 files
- Scope and content:
- This small fonds exclusively consists of calendars and agendas of Shomre Hadas, for the years 1999-2009.
- Administrative/biographical history:
- The Orthodox Jewish community Shomre Hadas (‘guardians of the faith’) was created in 1920. Initially it was led by rabbi M.A. Amiel; after his nomination as Chief Rabbi of Tel Aviv (1936) he was succeeded by Samuel Brodt. In 1931 Shomre Hadas merged with the Israëlitische Gemeente van Antwerpen (also known as the ‘Dutch community’) which was already recognised in 1816. In practice (and to this day) the name Shomre Hadas is commonly used instead of the more general Israëlitische Gemeente van Antwerpen. Before the war, the community had around 3,170 members. Around the community a series of religious institutions and infrastructure developed, such as ritual baths, yeshivas, smaller places of worship affiliated with the community, etc. Today, Shomre Hadas has two synagogues; the ‘Dutch synagogue’ in the Bouwmeesterstraat (built in 1893) and the Romi-Goldmuntz synagogue on the corner of Van den Nestlei and Oostenstraat (constructed in 1928). The community was also the founder and driving force behind the Tachkemoni school (founded in 1920). By the end of the 1930s financial difficulties emerged. The need for resources increased as result of the solidarity with the Jewish refugees from Germany and Austria. The two main Orthodox communities Shomre Hadas and Machsike Hadass regularly clashed, i.a. regarding the supervision on shehitah. The rapprochement sought with Machsike Hadass from 1931 onwards did not lead to any result before the Second World War. After the war there was a certain merger between the two Orthodox communities (known as the Verenigde Israëlitische Gemeenten van Antwerpen), a fusion which lasted until 1958. Since then, Shomre Hadas has once again existed as a separate community. (E. Schmidt, Geschiedenis van de Joden in Antwerpen in woord en beeld, Antwerpen, De Vries-Brouwers, 1994; V. Vanden Daelen, Laten we hun lied verder zingen. De heropbouw van de joodse gemeenschap in Antwerpen na de Tweede Wereldoorlog (1944-1960), Amsterdam, Uitgeverij Aksant, 2008.)
- Access points: locations:
- Antwerp
- Subject terms:
- Jewish community
- Jewish community records
- Orthodox Judaism
- Finding aids:
- The fonds is described in the database of the Felixarchief.
- Links to finding aids:
- http://zoeken.felixarchief.be
- Yerusha Network member:
- State Archives of Belgium
