Jewish Cemetery in Frankfurt

My host, Rafi, volunteers for the Jewish Museum and is a tour guide to the old Jewish cemetery located on Rat-Beil-Strase. Rafi and Tamar treated me to an exclusive tour of the cemetery. This site was used from 1828 to 1928. It is a 74,000 m² site and contains approximately 30,000 graves. In the early section of the cemetery, the graves faced to the east, the deceased feet point east so that their journey towards Jerusalem can begin immediately after the resurrection. At that time, Jews believed in equality in death, and the gravestones are quite similar. No gravestone stands out because of the height, material or design.

There are many, very famous people buried in the cemetery. Probably the most famous are a number of Rothschilds. Gutle and Mayer Amshel Rothschild were the founding members of the dynasty. Mayer Amshel was a coin dealer who conducted business throughout Europe. He eventually found a number of banks throughout Europe, each managed by one of his sons. His will stipulated that all key positions would be filled by male members of the family. Interestingly, he died 37 years before his wife and is actually buried in a different Jewish cemetery whereas his wife and sons and grandchildren are buried in this cemetery. Gutle gave birth to 20 children, five girls and five boys survived. She was one of the most influential and richest women in the world. Her sons consulted her in their business affairs, and no major decisions such as weddings were made without her.

Gutle Rothschild grave site. The inscription on her graveside reads: Here lies, buried the beloved and courageous woman, the crown of her husband and the glory of her children, Mrs. Gutle, wife of the righteous and brave man, wildly known, Mr. Moses Meir, Rothchild, of blessed memory, who is God-fearing and wise, the housewife and mother of illustrious children, who never lost her purity. Make she remain in the protection of the most high

Some of the gravesites of her grandchildren.

The following pictures are of other famous gravesites.

Grace Aquilar, who died in 1847, is recognized as the first important writer in Great Britain with Jewish references in her writings. The butterfly at the top of the gravestone is a symbol of the psyche, which means soul and butterfly in Greek. This refers to the immortal soul and its various manifestations, which is separated from the body after death as a metamorphosis of a caterpillar into a butterfly. It is a symbol of both fleeting life and immortality.

Elian Juda Chan with his daughter Cornelia, who is the mother of Alice Frank, the mother of Anne Frank.

Moritz Daniel Oppenheim, who died in 1882, is celebrated as the first academically trained Jewish painter to achieve international renowned. He was the portraitist of the Rothschilds.

Bertha Pappenheim, who died in 1936, was one of the first patients of Sigmund Freud when he developed his theory of psychoanalysis. She was known as patient Anna O. Then later, she became an advocate for the women’s movement. She was dedicated to the issue of women trafficking and prostitution. She was a founder or initiator of many institutions, including kindergartens, community homes and educational institutions. She died one month after being summoned for questioning by the Gestapo.

Paul Ehrlich, who died in 1915, was awarded the Nobel prize in physiology in 1908 for his contributions to immunology developed in the field of serum research.

Samson Rafael Hirsch, who died in 1888, was the most important theorist of the new orthodoxy of the 19th century. He saw the Torah as a center of Jewish life and called for strict adherence to religious commandments. He famously said: “You can study physics or mathematics, and still live an Orthodox life“.

Rabbi Israel Perlow from Stolin, who died in 1921, was a well-known Hasidic rabbi and was considered a Tzaddik. Stolin was a miracle rabbi during his lifetime and was revered by his followers. Followers often leave small notes with request and wishes at his grave. A Tzaddik (the righteous) is considered a mediated between people and G-d with the belief that only 36 are on earth at any one time.

When a child dies, he is buried with a broken column on his gravestone to indicate an incomplete life.

This graveside is covered with a stone talit.

After visiting the cemetery, we went to eat at an excellent Persian restaurant. We shared an order of delicious appetizers. There were two different eggplant appetizers, which were incredible. My dinner was a lamb kebab that was wonderfully seasoned.