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The Frankfurt Purim |
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It began in 1614, when the Emperor Matthias
decided to hold his coronation in the city. Most townspeople were excited
by the news, but the head of the baker’s guild thought differently.
All he thought of was how to use the coronation to rid Frankfurt of
its Jews. “They must be expelled,” he told the city council, “or else
the bakers will not allow the coronation to proceed. Either Frankfurt
will have no Jews, or it will have no cake.” Most people were upset by his warning. The
Jews were good customers and honest shopkeepers. However, the townspeople
didn’t want to upset the baker, even though he had started organizing
a mob to attack the Jews. Finally, the council decided not to
expel the Jews but not to interfere with the baker’s friends either. The attack came on the very next day. Shops
were looted and people were beaten up in the street. The riots lasted
a long time, and many Jews decided to leave. In a few weeks, there were
hardly any Jews left in Frankfurt. Soon even Emperor Matthias knew what was
happening in Frankfurt. He expected most of the expenses for his coronation
to be paid for with a special tax on the Jewish community. Suddenly,
there were no Jews, so there was no money. Furious, he ordered the baker
to appear before him. “How dare you?” he shouted, “You think that you
were bothering the Jews but, in fact, you were taking money from me.”
Nothing the baker said could calm the emperor. “You have stolen from
me and you will be punished severely.” As the baker and his henchmen
were taken away, they heard the Emperor summon his clerks. “invite the
Jews to return to Frankfurt. They are honest citizens and they should
live there in peace.” The Emperor signed this proclamation on the twentieth day of the month of Adar, just six days after Purim. Every year since then, the Jews of Frankfurt celebrated that day as a second Purim, in honor of Emperor Matthias and how he saved them from the baker. |
In
many communities around the world, Jews were saved from persecution,
just as they were on Purim. On the anniversary of the day that they
were saved, they made a special holiday, called Purim Katan (Little
Purim). This is the story of one holiday, celebrated by the Jews of
Frankfurt.