The Jewish Museum of Westphalia offers a variety of topics and tours for elementary and secondary schools, universities and companies as well as for private persons and children’s birthdays. Guided tours can also be booked outside regular opening times. It is advisable to arrange a date with the museum as early as possible; groups must always register in advance.
Because of the limited space, there should not be more than 20 persons in a group. Larger groups have to be divided up. Tours and other teaching activities are also possible outside regular opening hours but must be arranged with the museum in advance.
Our museum guides offer tours of the museum in line with the with the interests and age groups of the visitors. Tours normally take 60 to 90 minutes depending on the size of the group and discussions during and after the tour.
At the moment tours focus on the following topics.
We are happy to organise tours that meets your wishes – just let us know.
General Tour
Between Torah and Books
A large number of exhibits demonstrate what Jewish religion and identity are:
Torah and Talmud – synagogue and community – holidays and family – Zionism – Nazi persecution and Jewish immigration.
Merchants, artists, footballers
The stories of 14 people illustrate Jewish life in Westphalia from the Middle Ages to the present day:
The banker Leo von Münster, the merchant Freuchen Gans, the artist Benno Elkan, the Rabbi Benno Jacob, the footballer Erich Gottschalk, the politician Jeannette Wolff and others.
Theme-focused visits
L’chaim! Mazel tov!
The Jewish toast, l’chaim, and the Jewish phrase Mazel tov (good luck) used to express congratulations for a happy and significant occasion or event, are always heard at home and the synagogue on the many Jewish holidays:
Birth and circumcision – bar mitzvah/bat mitzvah – weddings – funerals– Shabbat – Rosh Hashana and Yom Kippur – Passover – Chanukah
Integrated and excluded
This focuses on the varied history of the Jews in Westphalia, illustrated by the exhibits at the Museum.
Jewish settlement in Westphalia and the history – synagogues and cemeteries – anti-Semitism in the 19th century – Weimar period and National Socialism – Jewish life today.
In Praise of a Good Wife
Every Sabbath the head of the family praises and thanks his wife by reciting Proverbs 31; 10-31 and thus inspires everyone to think about the role of women in Judaism:
Traditional role at home and at the synagogue:
Torah and synagogue – Jewish women in business
Literature and politics:
The biographies of Freuchen Gans, Jenny Aloni and Jeanette Wolff – women rabbis in Germany.
Tour of the town “in Jewish footsteps”
On a walking tour of the centre of town we talk about Jewish life in Dorsten. What family histories from the 19th and 20th centuries are better known, what Jewish stores were important, who played an important role in the community? You will hear when the first Jews came to Dorsten and when the Jewish community started. We will visit the place where the synagogue once stood and places where stumbling stones have been placed in memory of Jews from Dorsten who were deported.