History
Warffum is an agricultural oriented village in the north of the Province of Groningen. At the end of the 18th century the first Jewish family settled in the village. As for the families that would settle later in the village, trade of cattle and meat were the main resources of livelihood.
During the 19th century the number of Jewish people would only increase in dribs and drabs. From 8 people in 1813 to 47 at its peak in 1899. Here as well the changing social and economical circumstances at the end of the 19th and the beginning of the 20th century would result in a decrease of the number of Jewish people. In 1814 the village only counted but 16 Jewish people.
With the foundation of the Israelitic Communion in the Kingdom of The Netherlands the Jewish Congregation Appingedam had jurisdiction over the Jewish people of the village at first. With a new subdivision in 1816 the Warffumer Jews were part of the Circle synagogue Winsum. Because of the relatively large distance, for those days, between both towns the Warffumer Jews were not happy with this new subdivision.
Attending the synagogue took them too much time. They attempted repeatedly to achieve the foundation of an independent Jewish Congregation. When mid 19th century their number had increased such that they were able to form a minjan, they held their sermons in a rented space in the town of Warffum. Later they even founded a cemetery.
They called upon the religious teacher of Uithuizen for religious education of their children. The Jewish people from nearby Usquert, officially part of the Jewish Congregation Uithuizen, attended the synagogue in Warffum as well.
Eventually in the fall of 1942 all Jewish inhabitants of Warffum have been deported, and perished in the extortion camps.
In memory of the deported Jewish people of the village in May 1948 a monument has been unveiled on the General Cemetery with the names of the 22 perished Jewish people. Additionally, a monument has been placed at the Benjamin Heiman Broekemastraat, a Jewish writer from Warffum.
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