LEARN MORE ABOUT

Here, among the trees, you will find a modest Jewish cemetery. It is a reminder of a small community. The first Jewish family to live in the Borger area was the family of Marcus Davids. He settled in nearby Buinen in 1791. In 1797, four Jewish families lived in the Borger kerspel, all from Germany and thus speaking Yiddish. Although the Jewish community remained small, a synagogue was founded in 1804 in the home of Joël Meijer in Drouwen, a few kilometres north of Borger. From 1864, meetings took place in an upstairs room of the house of the Boekbinder family in Borger. When the house went up in flames in a major village fire in 1885, it was decided to build a synagogue in the village. This was consecrated on 2 September 1887.

Exactly when the cemetery was founded is (still) unknown. The cemetery existed as early as 1807, so it may have been founded fairly soon after the synagogue was established. The plot was owned by the Boermarke in Borger at least until 1832 and was probably donated or sold to the Jewish community thereafter. The cemetery is surrounded by a rampart on which there was originally a beech hedge. This hedge has grown into a number of impressive beeches. The cemetery measures 470 m2 and has nine stelae.

The oldest tomb is for Mozes Boekbinder, born 20 December 1794 and died 25 May 1865. He was buried the next day. On the front of his tomb is a Hebrew text, which reads in translation: 'Here lies a perfect and upright man, namely Mr. Moses, son of Mr. Abraham. Died Thursday 29 Iyar and buried on Friday, the day before the Holy Shabbat, the first day of the month of Sivan 5625. TNTsBH '. Rebekah Frank, wife of Moses Boekbinder is buried next to him.