Unfolding Communities

According to the city chronicles, the first Jewish school is founded in 1848. ( Benkert s.Lit.) From 1860 Isaac Vandewart acts as teacher.


Picture: Bad Neustadt. Ludwig Richter 1850

Local Jews purchase a building as the venue for a community center, school and prayer hall in Storchengasse 17.


Picture: Article from Allgemeine Zeitung of Judaism from September 25, 1860 Opening of trade school. Vandewart 1860.

Herman Dorfzaun is appointed as a religious teacher. He acts in this position for some years and dies in 1921 (Frankfurt)

A tender is published for the post of a Cantor and religion teacher. Gerson Bergthal applies for the job and gets it.
Gerson Bergthal teaches at school until 1904.
Note: Since 1897, Gerson Bergthal taught Jewish Religion in the Gymnasium of Muennerstadt


Picture: Announcement in the magazine "The Israelite" from July 2, 1879

Gerson Bergthal gets a special award for 25 years of teaching.


Picture: Article in Frankfurt Jewish Family Group Sheet from December 23, 1904 Bergenthal, 25 years teacher.

Born: Isaac Wahler, son to Israel and Bella Wahler.


Picture: Isaac Wahler as soldier in US Army. 1940s.

Israel Wahler (author of "School History records from 1913 to 1931") acts as a teacher in Hörstein, approximately 110 km from Bad Neustadt.


Picture: Hörstein Synagogue

Carl (Karlman) Wahler - son of Isaac Wahler, starts teaching at Bad Neustadt.


Picture: Notice in local newspaper:
The police will give a bonus for tips about the people who drew Nazi crosses on Jewish homes.

Carl Wahler is appointed to post of head teacher

Picture: Announcement in the Bavarian Jewish community newspaper from September 8, 1926. Karlmann Wahler appointed as head teacher.

Carl Wahler dies.

Picture: Article from "The Israelite" from April 10, 1931. Announcement of the Death of Karlmann Wahler (1931)

Israel Wahler (born 1875) moves to Bad Neustadt and takes his brother's post as teacher in the school.
His son, Isaac attends the high school which is today the Rhoen-Gymnasium.


Picture: Announcement in the Bavarian Jewish community newspaper of 15 April 1931.

934 Isaac Wahler is sent by his parents to the USA.


Picture: Isaac Wahler in the memorial House of the Wannsee Conference, 16.01.2008

Israel Wahler with school children, 1937-38.

For identification of the children click here.

Israel Wahler is deported together with his wife Bella in 1942 to Izbica, Poland where he perishes along with many of his pupils. The school closes along with the rest of the community


Picture: ID card. Israel Wahler.

Isaac Wahler returns to Germany as a US soldier and starts researching about his parents. He finds Gestapo acts dealing with the deportation of the Jews from Unterfranken (Lower Franconia), including the names of his parents.

Picture: Deportation list. Israel & Bella Wahler at bottom of page.