Bonn's Ehrengarde meets the jewish community With kippa and jester's cap in the synagogue

Bonn · The Bonn Ehrengarde is the first carnival corps to visit the Bonn synagogue community. In Cologne, the Kippa Köpp keep the tradition of Jewish carnivalists and carnival Büttenredner (orators) alive.

The Bonn Carneval Ehrengarde (Guard of Honour) is a guest in the synagogue on Tempelstraße. A member of the Kölschen Kippa Köpp (Cologne Kippa heads) in blue and white films the unique performance.

The Bonn Carneval Ehrengarde (Guard of Honour) is a guest in the synagogue on Tempelstraße. A member of the Kölschen Kippa Köpp (Cologne Kippa heads) in blue and white films the unique performance.

Foto: Benjamin Westhoff

Sabres and wooden rifles had to stay on the bus. The security service of the Bonn synagogue had raised concerns about the dummy weapons in advance. But apart from that, the Bonn guard of honour brought everything that traditionally belongs to carnival to the cultural exchange with the synagogue community on Sunday: uniforms and flags, dances and music.

It was a premiere. Never before has a carnival corps been a guest in the synagogue. "Judaism and the Rhenish carnival are not that far apart," said deputy chairperson of the synagogue community, Ricky Kaminski, in her welcoming speech. It starts with the sweets: "We already eat doughnuts at Hanukkah." The same goes for the joyful festival of Purim, which commemorates the liberation of the Persian Jews.

The Kippa Köpp want to make it clear that Jewish Cologne residents have always been part of the diverse carnival life of the city. Jews and non-Jews are active together in the association.

On Sunday, 12 February, from 12 noon, the KKK will celebrate their own carnival event "Ov krüzz oder quer - Mer Jüdde fiere Fasteleer" (whether higgeldy or piggledy – we Jews do carnival) for the first time in the Stapelhaus, Frankenwerft 35, in Cologne's old town. Admission 27.50 euros, tickets by e-mail to info@kippakoepp.koeln.

"The visit is also an event of solidarity with the Bonn Jewish community and its members," said honorary guardsman Stefan Schevardo, who initiated the meeting. He would be pleased to see the start of a friendship and the establishment of the synagogue community in the Bonn Carnival.

A Jewish Cologne resident as Venetia

In Cologne, the Kölsche Kippa Köpp association is already taking care of things. Volker Scholz-Goldenberg from the board reported that the history of Jews in Carnival is as old as that of organised Carnival itself. "In 1823, the Princess Venetia was portrayed by a Jewish Cologne resident," he said. Jewish carnival orators and musicians also performed until 1933.

The Bonn synagogue, which opened in 1959, also has a connection to the Cologne Carnival. The father of architect Helmut Goldschmidt was Moritz Goldschmidt, a Cologne lawyer and member of the Rote Funken traditional carnival group. He had survived the Nazi regime by hiding in the Eifel and returned to Cologne as early as 1945. There he not only campaigned for the re-foundation of the synagogue community, but also hid the standards of the carnival societies in the Jewish Community Centre on Ottostraße from the British occupation troops until they were allowed to be used again. The Cologne carnivalist Max Salomon, who emigrated to Los Angeles, took the tradition with him and celebrated there with an Elferrat (carnival committee of 11) and carnival rhetoric.

Stories like these have kept the Kippa Köpp alive ever since Fest Committee President Christoph Kuckelkorn encouraged them to "add the Jewish mosaic stone back into Cologne Carnival". "The only thing that distinguishes us from other societies is that we see ourselves in the tradition of Jewish carnivalists, without all our members being Jewish," Scholz-Goldenberg reported.

Unfamiliar image and low-key Alaaf

Uniformed men in a synagogue: that was an unfamiliar image at the start, even if it didn't matter what head covering the men wore. The Alaaf was more sheepish than usual, the arm movements more cautious. According to Kaminski, there are community members who do not celebrate carnival. Others enjoyed exchanging ideas with the guests over the kosher buffet.

For the Ehrengarde, the excitement was greater than before other performances. "I was afraid of doing something wrong," said one infantryman. But the ice was broken at the latest during the dances in the event hall. Thomas Janicke, commander of the guard of honour, said, "Our message is to bring joy to the people." This message was well received. (Original text: Bettina Köhl / Translation: Jean Lennox)

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