History
Grijpskerk is a rural village in the West of the Province of Groningen. In the old days the most important resource of income for the inhabitants was agriculture and cattle-breeding. As early as in the beginning of the 18th century a Jewish family settled here.
There would never live more than two, at the most three, families in the village during that age. The Jewish people predominantly subsisted on the trade of meat and cattle, but traded assorted goods and textiles once in a while as well.
In the 18th century they had to depend on the City of Groningen for their religious needs. Their deceased were buried in that city as well.
The Jewish population in Grijpskerk (as well as those in Niezijl, Ezinge, and Oldehove) belonged to the Jewish Congregation Leek, according to a new subdivision of the Israelitic Communion in the Kingdom of The Netherlands. By foot the distance to Leek was relatively long. We can assume that the Jewish population of Grijpskerk and surroundings did not utilize the facilities of Leek much.
Then in 1851 there is talk of the founders of the Israeltic Congregation Niezijl. They ask the Provincial Authority to allow them to raise funds to enable them to buy a synagogue. Although the desired results were not forthcoming, this does show proof of an organized Jewish Congregation in Grijpskerk and surroundings.
As of 1869 the Grijpskerk Jews try to achieve founding an independent congregation. In 1879 they eventually succeeded. The area of the Jewish Congregation Grijpskerk included the Jewish people from the towns Aduard, Ezinge, Oldehove and Zuidhorn.
The number of Jewish people in Grijpskerk was small: in 1809 they were only 16. Mainly as a result of increasing prosperity in the rural area this number grew to 87 Jewish people in 1849. Then here also the Jewish population decreased. In 1876 Grijpskerk and surroundings counted 69 Jewish people, in 1939 this was decreased to 24. Summer 1942 the Jewish people from Grijpskerk and surroundings were deported.
In their memory there is a tomb-stone with the names of those who perished.
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