The Frankfurt Judengasse

The Jews in the Judengasse governed themselves. There were synagogues, ritual baths and various institutions of religious life. The volunteer leaders of the Jewish community organized the coexistence of its members and collected taxes. Charitable societies supported the poor. The rabbis of Frankfurt were respected for their learning far beyond the city’s borders. The residents of the Judengasse spoke Yiddish. They followed Jewish tradition and the Jewish calendar.