About Migwan
Migwan was founded in September of 2004 by a small number of individuals and young families of varied backgrounds.Their common purpose was to create a home for liberal Judaism in the Basel area. From the outset, many “expats” have participated in our congregation, and all our events and services are held in Hebrew, German and English. A number of our English-speaking members have become long-term residents of Basel or of other communities in the area. 2004 was formed as an association of young families and individuals with diverse backgrounds.
From the very beginning, the common goal was to build a liberal community life. Since the founding period, many "Expats" community life.
All community events and church services have always been organised in Hebrew, German and English held in Basel. A good proportion of members with an English-speaking background have also settled in Basel or Switzerland with long-term prospects.
Memorial Scroll Trust
Our congregation recieved two Torah scrolls from the Trust. We are very grateful for these loans.
Website: memorialscrollstrust.org/
Many Torah scrolls were destroyed during the Second World War, but a considerable number survived, albeit often damaged. The Memorial Scrolls Trust was founded in London with the aim of collecting surviving examples from the Czech Republic, repairing them and lending them to Jewish communities for a small fee. These Torah scrolls live on in numerous Jewish communities around the world, are used again and tell their story. The Trust owns around 1600 Torah scrolls, of which over a thousand have already been loaned out.
Torah scroll from Brno
On 27 August 2017, our scroll, originally from Brno (Brünn), was ceremoniously inaugurated. We are very pleased that we are able to use this Torah scroll in memory of a lost Jewish tradition, which is thus being revived.
The presence of Jews in Brno is documented for the first time in the mid-thirteenth century. From 1333, the community was autonomous with its own community institutions such as schools and synagogues, financed by a community tax.
During the Hussite Wars in the 15th century, the Jews were also increasingly persecuted and finally expelled from the city in 1454. Most of them then lived in the neighbouring villages. Although they were allowed to trade in the city, they were not allowed to live there or form their own communities.
It was not until the revolutionary year of 1848 that Jews were given equal rights, could live wherever they wanted and all professions were open to them. At the end of the 19th century there were 7,000 Jews living in Brno, by 1941 there were 11,000. The majority of the Jews were first deported to Terezin (Theresienstadt) and then to Auschwitz, where most of them were murdered. Only just under 700 Jews survived. Today there is a small Jewish community of 300 members in Brno, and one of the less damaged synagogues has been restored.