JACOB JR, MY JEWISH WORLD. ROTHENBURG OB DER TAUBER/GERMANY

Thursday, Adar 28, 5778. March 15, 2018.

Shalom! World.

Welcome on Rothenburg ob der Tauber! Where fairy tales come true! 

Massive stone town walls studded with 42 towers; half-timbered houses with red-tiled roofs; cobblestones streets and flower-filled window boxes: That is Rothenburg ob der Tauber, the "Red Fort on the River Tauber." One of Europe's most beautiful medieval towns looks like a movie set - but it is all real! Over the past, 1000 years, the narrow lanes have welcomed kings and emperors, pilgrims and, now, international visitors. All have been - and still are - bewitched by this town, where past and present live side by side. And it is near three big cities: Munchen, Frankfurt and Nürenberg. 

Picturesque by day, the town is mysterious at night, when the night watchman's tour leads visitors through picturesque lanes. Dressed in a black cape and a broad-brimmed hat, he carries a lantern. He speaks in English as well as German and his tales bring the past to life, from the Thirty Years War and the Plague to white gold (salt) and the Herrngasse, Rothenburg's main shopping street. 

Say Franconia and everyone in Germany immediately thinks of good food, great wine and genuine hospitality. In fact, wine growing is a Tauber Valley tradition stretching back 900 years! Surrounding Rothenburg od der Tauber are rolling hills and charming valleys, all dotted with vineyards and pretty villages - perfect to exploring by bicycle or on foot. At the crossroads of both the Romantic Road (Romantische Strasse) and the Castle Road (Burgenstrasse), Rothenburg also makes a fine base for exploring nearby cities, such as Nuremberg, Würzburg, Dinkelsbühl and Nördlingen. With lovely old country inns, taverns and restaurants, hospitality is a way of life. Stop by any of the traditional, family-run bakeries for Bauernbrot (farmer's bread), spicy Hutzelbrot, Walnusskuchen (walnut cake) and Rohrenburg's specialty: Schneebälle. These snowball-shaped treats are a bit like shortbread. Some are covered with sugar or cinnamon, others with chocolate, coconut or almonds. All are irresistible!

Rothenburg offers much more than pretty houses and medieval walls. An array of museums provides a time machine that takes the visitors back through the ages. In what used to be a convent is the Imperial City Museum (Reichsstadt Museum) with a grand collection of paintings and sculptures, furniture and ceramics, guns and drums, covering nine centuries. The 13th century kitchen is the oldest convent kitchen in Germany.

The section with Jewish items. A lot of tombstones from the 13th - 15th century were indicators of a vivid former Jewish life during the Middle Ages. However the holocaust mmemorial stone in the right hand niche reminds you of the cruel destruction of the whole Jewish community in Rothenburg in 1298 and the constant persecution of the Jews in Central Europe. The central showcase is dedicated to Rabbi Meir ben Baruch from Rothenburg (1293), one of the most popular scholars of the Talmud in Germany.

Shalom! Aleichem.

Cultural Support:  Jacob Jr B.A.C.E., avec L'Integration d'Association avec Israel et dans le Monde/Cz.