In the historical Tyrol/Vorarlberg region, there were only ordaining rabbis in Hohenems for a long period of time. They lived next to the synagogue built in 1772 in their own rabbinate house, which was built at the same time. A rabbi worked in Hohenems for over 140 years until the last rabbi, Dr Josef Link, finally moved to Innsbruck in 1914.

Numerous prayer leaders were already active in Merano decades before the formal establishment of the religious community in 1921, but there were only 17 years of community rabbi's until the last one had to leave the country in 1938.

In Innsbruck too - before the establishment of the Jewish community in 1914 - various teachers and prayer leaders were responsible for the religious life of the growing community, but could not formally act as rabbis in Tyrol. The best known of these was probably Dr Josef Sagher, who came to Innsbruck with his family in 1906 and made a name for himself as a field rabbi in the Imperial Army, a pioneer of Zionism and a fighter against the Anderl cult. In 1914 the rabbi moved to Dr Josef Link from Hohenems to Innsbruck and was thus the first rabbi of the newly founded religious community. After his death in 1931 Elimelech Rimalt He took up this position in 1932, which he had to give up in 1938 due to the Anschluss. The history of the rabbinate in Innsbruck thus lasted only 24 years.

Since the (re-)foundation of the IKG for Tyrol and Vorarlberg in 1955, the position of community rabbi has been vacant. Since then, rabbis from the IKG Vienna have been in charge of religious duties and halachic issues relating to community life. Chief Rabbi Jaron Engelmayer is currently officially responsible for rabbinical care. His numerous commitments in the IKG Vienna naturally limit his opportunities for the IKG for Tyrol and Vorarlberg, but he also promotes and enriches religious life in western Austria with numerous impulses.

Contact:
IKG Vienna, +43 1 531 04 111 or rabbinat@ikg-wien.at
or via the IKG Tirol and Vorarlberg, Secretariat

From November 2025, we will receive support in all religious, administrative and cultural matters from the rabbinical candidate Schlomo Rottman, initially for one year. He comes from Israel, is about to complete his rabbinical studies in Berlin and has already led several services here as a prayer leader and Baal Kore. He will help us with the diverse tasks of our small Jewish community and provide new impetus.

Contact:
mobile: +43 660 6789863, or s.rottman@ikg-innsbruck.at
or via the IKG for Tyrol and Vorarlberg, Secretariat