It has now been established beyond all doubt that Rabbi Dr. Jacob Horovitz [Horowitz] from Frankfurt am Main, one of the most valued and respected German rabbis due to his scholarly and rabbinical work and his humane readiness to help the widest sections of German and foreign Jewry, has died as a result of recent events. A short while ago he was arrested by the Gestapo after being falsely accused, and was released 14 days later when the falsehood of the denunciation became apparent. He suffered a nervous breakdown through the agitation of the custody and as a result was admitted to the Jewish Hospital in Frankfurt am Main. On the day of the pogrom he was made to leave the hospital and was forced to watch the burning of the synagogue in which both he and his father, Rabbi Dr. Marcus Horovitz [Horowitz] had taught for decades. He flew into a terrible fit of rage at this horrific sight which, together with his state of health, which had already been weakened by his arrest, led to his immediate death.
The youth rabbi, Dr Lemle [Lemmle] of Frankfurt am Main, who was taken away by car, managed to escape from the car after petrol was poured over it and it was set alight whilst he was still inside. To date his fate is unknown.
It is certain that Herford will be added to the list of synagogues that have already been reported as destroyed by fire. All the male members of the community were also arrested.
In Dortmund credible eyewitnesses report that several Jews were stabbed to death, among them Frank, the lawyer.
In Düsseldorf men and women from the Jewish Gemeinde were dragged out of bed and led away wearing only pyjamas and nightdresses. They were forced to walk barefoot through all the broken glass.
Alfred Blank, a businessman from Dortmund, died in the concentration camp in Oranienburg [Sachsenhausen] “of a heart attack”, according to a reliable report.
A Christian eyewitness reported from Herford that when he went past the ruins of the synagogue on Thursday afternoon, children were out on the streets ripping up Thorarollen and altar cloths whilst shouting and cheering.
One of the largest office buildings in Herford was completely destroyed.
Gütersloh: during the night crowds forced their way into three Jewish houses in the town looking for weapons, smashed everything to pieces and set fire to the houses which burned down to the ground. The occupants had to get dressed in what they could find and go out barefoot onto the streets in the night, and were then taken in by Christians.
Bielefeld: most of the Jewish men were arrested and sent on transports away from the area.
Hans Goslar, Ministerialdirektor