Photo, 1929
The image, taken in 1929 during a Chanukah celebration at the Geestemünder Synagogue, shows many young people gathered around a festive table. The photo likely captures a visit from Herbert Kirchheimer, a Jew who emigrated to the USA in 1926, to his former home. Every evening during the Chanukah festival, family, community, and friends come together to celebrate – traditionally with foods fried in oil. At the right end of the table, one can see the typical Chanukkiah, a candelabrum with nine candles, where the eight branches symbolize the eight days of the oil miracle. The ninth candle is called the Shamasch, Hebrew for ‘servant’: only with this candle, after the proper blessings, may the other candles be lit. On the last day of the festival, all eight candles finally burn brightly. The photo, a snapshot, is a testament to Jewish life in Bremerhaven, ninety years after its capture, before the racist persecution by the National Socialists. Herbert Kirchheimer’s father also fled Bremerhaven for the safe USA after the National Socialists came to power – shortly before the outbreak of World War II, Herbert, together with his siblings, managed to persuade their 80-year-old father to escape. Despite their life in the USA, the Kirchheimer family remained closely connected to their old home in Bremerhaven throughout their lives.
