Oirschot

A Jewish butcher settled in Oirschot during the middle of the eighteenth century. The number of Jews in Oirschot grew over the decades that followed and a Jewish community was formed. The Jews of Oirschot held religious services in a private home until 1842 when a synagogue was opened on the Rijkesluisstraat. A Jewish cemetery, located on De Kloosters was established early in the nineteenth century. The oldest remaining stone in the cemetery dates from 1845.

The Jewish population of Oirschot declined over the final decades of the nineteenth century. By 1913, the community consisted of only two families. At their request, the community was formally dissolved and merged into that of Eindhoven. The synagogue and its contents were then sold and the proceeds were used to establish a fund for the maintenance of the cemetery. At present, the cemetery is maintained by the local authorities.