Chapter 4: Working Day
In this chapter “Working Day” of the virtual tour of the former Synagogue of Niederzissen, restrictions and bans for Jews in choosing their profession are explained, as well as the jobs that they can do. Since Jews are barred from entering crafts guilds and purchasing farmland since the middle ages, they become increasingly established as money lenders and traders. They also work as money lenders and especially cattle traders in the Brohl valley. It is only since the early 20thcentury that they can be found in other professions: as plumbers and house painters, fishmongers and carpenters, and women as, among other things, seamstresses and nurses. Others run a boarding house or own shops for shoes, chinaware, or household goods. Finally, and essential for Jewish community life, the congregation employed a teacher for religious education, as well as a shochet – a butcher for kosher meats.