History
Bourtange is a fortification village in the peatmoors of Eastern Groningen. The first Jewish people settled here around 1740. Their main source of income was cattle trade, meat sales and trade in assorted goods.
The number of Jewish people gradually increased in the second half of the 18th century. This was very much to the displeasure of some of the Christian inhabitants of the village.
In 1813 the village formed the Jewish Congregation Bourtange together with the towns Vlagtwedde, Sellingen, and Roswinkel. There were 40 Jewish people living in the three villages combined, 21 of them lived in Bourtange. As of the year 1821 Bourtange was part of the Jewish Congregation Pekela as a so-called Branch Church.
In 1877 Bourtange becomes an independent Jewish Congregation, existing of the villages Bourtange, Sellingen, Vlagtwedde, Wedde, and Vriescheloo. After a previous effort in 1866 Vlagtwedde secedes in 1895, and becomes an independent Jewish Congregation. Only seven Jewish families lived then in Bourtange.
The board of the congregation was mid 19th century characterized by an ongoing fight among the members. It was not until the appointment of Jacob Frank that some peace and quiet returned.
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