The Early Jewish People of Oregon

The very first Jews to arrive in the Oregon Territory, Jacob Goldsmith and Lewis May, arrived in 1849, 10 years before Oregon became a state. Both men were German born Ashkenazic Jews who being merchants opened a general Store in the city of Portland. The timing of these men was perfect, as over the next few years many mining camps developed along Jackson's Creek, as miners made their way from San Francisco in search of the gold which had been discovered.

While the gold first brought miners to Oregon, they were quickly followed by Jewish merchants who established stores supplying mining equipment, food and all dry goods to the people. These merchants were able to take advantage of family connections and brought all types of materials into their stores. They also expanded their base of influence and sent other members of the community into other cities of Oregon. Places such as Albany, Eugene and The Dalles soon had Jewish communities established by these new merchants.
These first German born Jews were quickly followed by Jews from Russia, Turkey and the Isle of Rhodes. However, the greater amount of new immigrants came from the Russian empire in the 1890's. They made their homes in Portland, where the community already was established with the things they needed such as synagogues and Kosher food. The Sephardic Jews established their own synagogue in Portland in 1910 and it still exists today. The last big wave of immigrants into Oregon did not happen until the fall of the Soviet Union in the 1980's. Today, the Jewish community is established statewide with congregations in well over 30 different cities. The Jewish Population of Oregon is today somewhere over 40,000 people.
Recently, FamilySearch has added a new database which could help people search for their ancestors who were in Oregon. The collection, Oregon Deaths, 1877-1952 includes over 114,000 images containing the vital records of much of the early Jewish community. As I usually do, I performed a basic search using the surname Cohen. The results that came back showed 227 entries contained in the records. Below, is the death certificate I found by doing a search for Ruben Cohen who I knew died in 1942. It is a very standard certificate and I was also able to find the name of his father (Dave) and spouse (Sophia).

While the death certificate is exactly what we would expect to find, the collection also has a few surprises. In the search of the surname Cohen, the record of Fred Cohen was included, however not with a death date, only a birth date. That would not be the way one would usually find someone on a death index. Following the link to his name, I found that the record for him was not a death certificate, but was a Registration of Birth for him. The record (shown below) is dated 23 Jul 1946 and appears to be the record of Fred Cohen having his birth recorded almost 55 years after his birth.

The beautiful thing about this record for a genealogist is how he has documented the important information about his parents. We now know his father was George Cohen, born in Posen on 18 Feb 1840, and his mother was Mary Lewis, who was born in Abursuitz, Germany on 17 May 1854. This is wonderful information and just reinforces that no matter how much the index provides it is always a great idea to look at the original record.

Germany, Brandenburg, Bernau bei Berlin, Jewish Records, 1688-1872

 

Another great database for Jewish researchers has been added to the Historical Collection at www.familysearch.org. The collection is the Germany, Brandenburg, Bernau bei Berlin, Jewish Records, 1688-1872. A new database, this collection is not yet name search able but the first 2000 images have now been added.

This collection is records from the Brandenburg Main State Archive, and includes all types of records. The official description of the collection is shown below.

 

The database can be found at the following link.

Brandenburg Jewish Records

 

Germany, Mecklenburg- Schwerin Census Records at FamilySearch

As the number of collection available at the Historical Records Collections of www.familysearch.org continues to grow, it's easy to overlook some of the smaller databases. Some of these are very important for those looking for their Jewish ancestors.
One such collection are the census records for Germany, Mecklenburg - Schwerin. Familysearch now has availble parts of three censuses, 1867, 1890 and 1900. 1890 and 1900 are searchable by name at this point, however 1867 is not.

The 1900 census has over 760,000 images as of this time. The collection comes with a description of the record (shown below) that helps explain the record set.

In this case I did a search for Salomon Berg, who I knew should be included. Indeed he was, and the image below shows the summary of his entry.

Included with the record above is the original image the information was taken from. By clicking on the view image tab at the left of the image, the original record becomes available. The original census form for Salomon Berg is shown below.

The collections are constantly being updated and it is very worthwhile to continue checking back for new available records.

Oppenheimer family of Germany

One of the great joys of working in Family History is reading  the incredible histories behind some of the families. The histories of our ancestors can be great learning tools, a wonderful way to  help current generations remember those who have gone before. In the last few days I have been made aware of one of those amazing families, the Oppenheimer family.

The family story begins with Max Oscar Oppenheimer, who was born on the 19th of April 1915, in Schrobenhausen, Bayern, Germany. Max was the oldest of two sons born to David and Maria Kraus Oppenheimer. Max, is on the left in the picture here,

next to his brother Ernst. We know from the family records that from May to October of 1940, Max was forced to work in the Ziegelei (brick factory) at Hochfeld, Augsburg. It was while working there that an accident cost him his right index finger.
Fortunately, he was able to get out of Germany, and on the 23rd of Mar 1940, he set sail out of Genoa, Italy on the SS George Washington, headed for a new home. On 1 Apr 1940, with $9 in his money, he arrived in New York City.

At about the same time, on 16 Nov 1923, in Bad Wildungen, Hessen, Germany, a daughter was born to Isidor and Lina Lilenstein Mannheimer (pictured at right), named Erika. Her life was much different than of Max Oppenheimer. In November of 1941, she moved to Kassel, where her parents were already living, and less than three weeks later she was rounded up and deported to the Riga Ghetto, she being prisoner number 62042. Over the next four years she was deported from one Concentration Camp to another, including Matau, Kasierwald, Stutthof, and finally Thorn-Korben. Finally, on the 27th of January 1945, Erika was liberated from a camp in Bromberg. Her mother also was liberated but her father was murdered in 1942 in Riga. Erika made her way to Bremen, where on the 22 of August 1946 she sailed for America. She arrived on 31 August on board the SS Marine Perch.
The evil that Erica and the millions of others faced daily can never possibly be put into words. Hopefully, families will continue to share the stories of those who didn't return, we must never let them be forgotten.

Even though they came to America and different times, under different conditions, their paths would cross. On the 14th day of June in 1947, Erica and Max were married in New York City. The engagement card (pictured at left) even identifies the hometown of each of the bride and groom. From 1947 till 1959 the couple lived in Brooklyn, until moving to Flushing, Queens, New York.
The story of Erica and Max, and their families has been beautifully compiled by a child Richard Oppenheimer. His work on this family has yielded a database that now holds almost 3,000 people, and hundreds of photos and stories. In addition to the Oppenheimer and Mannheimer families, other families include the Lilenstein, Nussbaum, Metzger, Kraus and Luchs families, covering over 300 years in Germany. A special thanks to Richard Oppenheimer for the sharing of the history of this family. His database is now being added to the Knowles Collection- Jews of Europe database and will be available shortly.

The Mosenthal Family of South Africa, London and Kassel, Germany

Recently I was able to attend the annual meeting of the Jewish Genealogical Society of Great Britain. While there I took the time to again visit one of my favorite places, Willesden Cemetery. Walking the grounds of this beautiful place, always causes me to ponder not only my own ancestors but it also helps me remember all of the Jewish people and the legacies they left behind.

This blog has in the past touched ever so slightly on the history of the Jews of South Africa, however that visit to Willesden Cemetery in London has led me to spend more time studying the area and its great people. As I was walking the grounds, I came across a headstone that I don't recall seeing on my earlier visits. That headstone (shown below) is of Otto Mosenthal, son of Adolph and Henrietta Mosenthal who was born in London on 13 December 1857 and died in Kimberley, South Africa on 17 November 1881.

In the area surrounding resting place of Otto, were the graves of his parents. The headstone of Adolph, not only provides us with his dates of birth, 12 Apr 1812, and death, 21 Jul 1882, but also adds his place of birth, Kassel, Germany. All of the information obtained from these stones intrigued me. I wanted to know what caused a man born in Germany to marry, move to South Africa, where a child was born and then return to London, where he died.

In an earlier post I talked about the earliest Jews in South Africa, people such as Benjamin Norden, in whose house was held the first service in Cape Town. In studying the early history of South Africa, you quickly find that the first Jews, such as Norden, began arriving in the early 1830's. Many of these first Jews were the merchants who built the foundation of many future commercial enterprises. One such group, were the Mosenthal brothers, Adolph, Julius and James. James, was the first to arrive in Cape Town, where he went to work for a relative, Mr. Kilian, as a clerk, but within a few years, after the death of a wife, he returned to Kassel. Then in 1841, he returned to South Africa with his brothers. By 1842 the brothers had set up their first business, Mosenthal and Brothers, in Port Elizabeth.

Trading in many cities in the interior of the country, the brothers became traders in wool,hides and ostrich feathers. In the mid 1850's the brothers travelled to Asia, where upon their return they introduced the first 30 Angora goats to South African. This became another very successful buisness for them.

Over time the Mosenthal's business grew and expanded throughout South Africa. They became a major influence in many cities. They were very loyal to their friends and family, often bringing them in from Kassel to work for them. It has been estimated that almost half of all the Jews who arrived in South Africa between the forming of their business and the early 1870's came for one reason, to work for the Mosenthal's, many of these from Kassel.

The impact left behind by the Mosenthal is incredible. In addition to their business, various members of the family served in politics and civil service. They were instramental in establishing many public services, such as libraries. Later in life, Adolph and his wife returned to London, where they also had families. Many members of the family became quite wealthy, son Henry (Harry) died on 12 January 1915 in London. His will probated on 13 March 1915 at the Principal Probate Registry left an estate valued at over 500,000 pounds.

The records of the Mosenthal family are being added to the Knowles Collection and will be available soon, some in the Jews of Great Britain database, and some in the Jews of Africa and the Orient database.

The Guggenheimer Family, from Bavaria to Virgina

The latest addition to the Knowles Collection is a family history of the Guggenheimer family. Abraham Guggenheimer (1779-1864) was born in Bavaria where he married Dolze Bacharach (1785-1855). Abraham and Dolze became the parents of 11 children, born in Hurben, Bavaria. It was many of these children who became the first of the Guggenheimer's to migrate to the United States, most settling in Virginia.
Like many early American Jewish families, the early Guggenheimer's have left an incredible legacy for their descendants. Some, like Nathaniel Guggenheimer, have distinguished themselves in service to their new country. On the 15th of September of 1863, the Governor of Virginia, John Letcher, signed a commission making Nathaniel Guggenheimer a Captain in the First Regiment of Cavalry of the 12th Brigade and the first Division of the Virginia Military. Others, such as Joseph N. Ulman, married into the family, he married Ella, daughter of Isaac, he being the grandson of Abraham and Dolze. Joseph N. Ulman, served his country as a judge on the Supreme Court of Baltimore.
The Guggenheimer's were in America in the early 1840's, and were established in Virginia cities such as Richmond, Lynchburg and Warm Springs. This did not stop the family from extending their influence to others areas as well. Clara, a granddaughter of Isaac and Clara Guggenheimer married into the Binswanger family of Philadelphia, themselves an early respected Jewish family.
The Guggenheimer are another example of an early Jewish family that quickly identified themselves with their new home and became very influential in those communities. The records of the Guggenheimer family have now been added to the Knowles Collection- Jews of North America database and will be available after the next update.

Naumburg Family

Within the papers of the Malcolm Stern Collection are include some documents pertaining to the Naumburg Family (FHL film #1013431). In these papers are some of the historical information for the family as far back as 1612. The family has a rich tradition of supplying Cantors to congregations throughout the world.

Beginning with Abraham Naumburg who served as Chasan in Prag in 1612, many generations of the family have served as Cantors, passing it from father to son. A few generations after Abraham we have Baruch, who was the father of;

a. Wolf, who was a cantor in Grosslogou, Germany in the late 1600's. He was the father of;

b. Elkan, who was a cantor at Fuerth in the early 1700's. He had sons;

1. Samuel, who was a cantor in Kassel, Germany where he died in 1754.

2. Baruch, who was a cantor in Witteldhofen, Germany. He had 2 sons;

a. Jacob, who was a teacher in the Isaac Speier School in Offenbach in the late 1780's. He died there in 1811.

b. Elkana, born in 1746, he was the cantor in Treutchlingen, Bavaria and also served as a Mohel in the neighboring communities. Elkana's son Baruch then had a son named Samuel, who became the chief cantor of the Temple Consistorial Israelite in Paris, France. Wolf, the younger son of Elkana, followed his father as cantor in Treutchlingen.

It was the family of Wolf who immigrated to America where they continued their tradition of service to their community. His oldest son, Louis was born on 11 November 1813 in Treuchtlingen. He died on March 4, 1902 in New York. From 1850-1860 he was Chasan at Congregation Keneseth Israel in Philadelphia, and from 1865 to 1870 he was reader and teacher for Congregation Rodeph Shalom in Pittsburg.

Another son, Elkan, was born in Treuchtlingen on 1 Jan 1835 and died in New York on 31 July 1924. Although a well known banker and philanthropist, he is probably best known for his love of music. He was the donor of the band shell located in Central Park in New York City. Because of this donation thousands of people have been able to enjoy wonderful music in a beautiful setting.

The records of this family have now been added to the Knowles Collection - Jews of Europe and Jews of Americas databases.

The Behr-Behrend Family of Germany and the United States

The records of Malcolm Stern have been discussed in this blog on different occasions. It is a wonderful archive of family records. One of the benefits of searching the collection is finding original family trees that were submitted by families looking for his help.

One of these incredible trees belongs to the Behr-Behrend family originally from Germany. In the tree below (FHL film #1013431 item #3) we find that between the fourth and fifth generations the family changed their surname from Behr to Behrend.

In the fifth generation, the oldest child of Itzig Behr (b. 1773) and his wife Rivka is their son Bernhard (Bough "A" on bottom left part of tree). Further in the family papers is listed the family of Bernhard. That tree (shown below) identifies the 14 children of Bernhard and his wife Eliza Heine.

Of the children shown for Bernhard and his wife Eliza in a search of the 1880 United States census shows their son Adajah and his wife Matilda with their 3 children and her mother all living in Washington D.C. In that census (FHL film #1254123, shown below) we also note that Adajah is a physician by occupation.

From the records above one would easily draw the conclusion that this man had a successful life, with few cares or worries. However, while his life may very well have been that way, at one time there were other concerns about him. At one point in his life, before marriage and family he joined the Union Army in the United States Civil War. As an immigrant to America, this could not have been easy but showed a desire to serve his new country.

When he enlisted he was not yet of the majority age, so his father was required to give his permission, which he did. However he still had concerns for his son, mostly that his service in the military would not interfere with his ability to worship in the Jewish faith. To share his concerns, he contacted the one person who he thought could help, President Abraham Lincoln. Parts of that letter are below, it reads;

To His Excellency Abraham Lincoln, the President of the United States.
. . . I gave my consent to my son, who was yet a minor, that he should enlist in the United States army; I thought it was his duty, and I gave him my advice to fulfill his duty as a good citizen, and he has done so. At the same time I taught him also to observe the Sabbath on Saturday, when it would not hinder him from fulfilling his duty in the army. Now I do not want that he shall be dragged either to the stake or the church to observe the Sunday as a Sabbath. Your Excellency will observe in this my writing that I am not very well versed in the English language, and if there should be found a word which is not right, pardon it, and never such a word shall be construed so as if I would offend your Excellency or the people; for I love my country, the Constitution, and the Union, and I try to be always a loyal citizen.
I remain, respectfully, your most obedient servant and fellow citizen,

B. BEHREND
Narrowsburg, Sullivan Co. N.Y. Dec. 4, 1862
From Jewish-American History Foundation online site:
http://www.jewish-history.com/civilwar/shabbat.htm

We do not know if a reply was returned, but we do know of a man's love for his son, a family's love for their new country and their devotion to their faith. All of these are the hallmarks America was built upon and a great reminder of the examples our forebears left for us.

The records of this family are in the Knowles Collection - Jews of the Americas database.

Prague Cemetery, Stuttgart, Germany

In the middle of Stuttgart, Germany lies the Prague Cemetery. While the gates are locked and the grounds are not accessible, it is still possible to see the headstones of some of our ancestors. Thanks to the work of those who have passed this spot, some of the information is now available. From these pictures, the records of some of the residents of Stuttgart will continue to be preserved. Hopefully all the records will one day be preserved.

The records from this cemetery can be found in the Jews of Europe database.