“Holy Trash” and the Tears of the Deceased: The Emotional Role of Genizot for the Jewish Communities of Central Europe

Authors

Nathanael Riemer, Friedrich-Alexander University of Erlangen-NurembergFollow

Abstract

Since the 1980s, more than seventy genizot (Heb., repositories) have been rediscovered in former synagogues of Central Europe. A genizah is a room in or near a synagogue where damaged, discarded, or heretical texts and sacred relics are stored. This essay examines where, when, and why genizot developed in Central Europe. It also analyzes the emotional significance of the genizot for their respective communities. Historical and literary sources show that genizot were placed in the synagogue attics of Jewish metropolises from the seventeenth century at the latest and were usually not ritually buried. Smaller communities in rural regions adopted this custom with the construction of a representative synagogue and modified it. The emotional attachment of Jewish communities to their genizot is closely linked to the popularization of Kabbalah in the Early Modern period. Because they contain names of God, amulets, and other “holy” things, the genizot were understood as apotropaia. These spiritual-magical “treasure chambers” formed a “gateway” between the earthly community and the divine world, in which the deceased members played a mediating role.

Recommended Citation

Riemer, Nathanael (2025) "“Holy Trash” and the Tears of the Deceased: The Emotional Role of Genizot for the Jewish Communities of Central Europe," Jewish Folklore and Ethnology: Vol. 4: Iss. 1, Article 1.
Available at: https://digitalcommons.wayne.edu/jewishfolklore/vol4/iss1/1