The chareidi kehilloh in Basel celebrated 75 years
since its founding and the construction of its beis
knesses, reports Die Judische Zeitung.
Kehiloh Kedoshoh Adas Yeshurun of Basel (also known as
Israelitische Religionsgesellschaft Basel -- IRG, the same
name as the community of HaRav Shamshon Rafael Hirsch in
Frankfurt), under the leadership of HaRav Bentzion Snyders,
marked its anniversary with a special tefilloh and a
festive dinner with prominent rabbonim from Switzerland and
other countries on hand.
The first Jewish community in Switzerland formed in Basel 800
years ago. The kehilloh disbanded and reformed because
of harsh persecution and expulsions in the 14th century. In
1397 the community was totally wiped out and for over 400
years no Jews lived in Switzerland.
In 1808 Basel had a total of 128 Jews from 22 different
families. The community suffered from harsh treatment by the
government and only in 1872 (5632) did the Jews receive
residential rights.
In its early years the kehilloh relied on the
rabbinate in nearby Haguenau, France and only in 1885 did
Basel appoint its first rov, HaRav Arthur Kahn, who worked
hard to preserve Judaism without compromise as the Reform and
Zionist movements spread throughout Europe. Toward this end
he founded a society of shomrei Torah and a beis
medrash. He became the first to propose the setup of an
international organization of mitzvah- and Torah-observant
Jews, an initiative that eventually led to the founding of
Agudas Yisroel in Kattowitz in 1912 (5672).
The kehilloh became chareidi through the work of S.
Guggenheim, who withdrew from the general Jewish community in
1923 and started a private minyon in his home. In 1924
Guggenheim bought a house and built a mikveh inside.
In 1927 the chareidi kehilloh decided to change its
name to Kehilas HaYehudim Hachareidim and in 1929 the
cornerstone was laid for the beis knesses, which
remains active to this day with 120 seats for men and 125
seats for women.
Nusach Ashekenaz was accepted along with the Jewish customs
of Southern Germany, in addition to a few customs from
Eastern Europe.
HaRav Dov Yehuda Schochet zt"l, a talmid of
Telz Yeshiva, was rov of the IRG community from 1932 until
1947. Then HaRav Yaakov Snyders, an alumnus of Yeshivas
Pressburg and a dayan in Budapest, was selected as rov
of the kehilloh. He ran the kehilloh devotedly
and HaRav Bentzion Snyders assumed his late father's post in
1985. Basel's chareidi kehilloh maintains a talmud
Torah and a Jewish day school, holds daily shiurim
and has even set up a kollel and chessed
organizations.
Basel also has a general Jewish community headed by HaRav
Aryeh Folger, who was educated in yeshivas in the US and
Israel.
