My Summer Trip To Jew Alley

The picture at left shows my middle child and I standing at the entrance of Judengasse in Trier Germany this summer. Many of us know that Jews were sequestered into Ghettos throughout Europe but I found out what a difference there is between reading about ghettos and actually walking through one. The first thing that struck me was that in the middle of this picturesque town on the Mosel River was a walled confine with a very public sign proclaiming "Jew Alley". Perhaps it is because in America we try to be so much more subtle and discreet about our ghettoization of people.

Walking down the alley we noted quaint shops and cozy apartments leading out into the alley and kept wondering what it must have been like in 1349 when the entire Jewish population of the town was massacred.

After running through a rainstorm to get to the synagogue in Trier we were admitted to the basement where several men were getting ready for Shabbat. One fellow was kind enough to take some time to talk and I hope to reconnect with him on a return trip. He told of lots of interesting pieces anti semitism literally carved into the face of buildings like the blindfolded figure of Judaism cut into the facade of the Cathedral in Köln. Alas, we had already left Köln. I will have to see it on a return trip.

One of my goals after a few more visits will be to organize similar trips for those who want to follow the emperor Constantine's path through Europe as I did. While I wouldn't visit as many cities (11 in 14 days!) it will be the kind of trip that my companions will never forget.