History
Leek is still a young town. It has been founded as settlement in 1592 in a peatmoor area south-west of the City of Groningen. The town was characterized by a continuous changing population of peatmoor laborers, merchants, boatmen, and artisans. Together with the town Nietap in the Province of Drenthe, they formed one inhabitation area.
The first Jewish people settled at the beginning of the 18th century in the town. In the second half of the 18th century the number of Jewish inhabitants of the twin towns Leek/Nietap increased steadily. The main sources of income were cattle and meat trade, and the trade of drapery. This would only change slightly in the 19th century. For their religious needs were Jewish people of both towns depending on the City of Groningen.
In 1805 for the first time there is talk of a Jewish Congregation Leek. But before there probably would have been some sort of organization. For in 1783 a cemetery was obtained.
The number of Jewish people increased steadily: in 1809 the Jewish Congregation counted 43 souls and in 1890, at its peak, 116. Afterwards this number decreased to 95 souls in 1939 due to social and economical circumstances.
Especially in the 19th century the Jewish Congregation Leek had many associations, focusing on both religious and societal subjects. A school was built at the Boveneinde for the benefit of religious education. It has served as such until the second World War.
The building was restored in 1995. A monument in memory of the Leekster Jews was unveiled in 1988 in front of the school building at De Dam.
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