Author Topic: Help Me Track Down an Old Siddurs Owner's Descendants.  (Read 9599 times)

Offline Luvisrael

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Help Me Track Down an Old Siddurs Owner's Descendants.
« on: February 28, 2021, 01:05:14 PM »
I got a hold of an old Siddur originally from Germany. There’s a lot of descriptions and names in chronological order with Names. Hopefully I can find the grandkids or other family members to return to them.

The last inscription is by Hilde Meyer. She writes “my dear husband Dr. Nathan Meyer passed away on May 27,1977.

There’s also a stamp with the name Gustav Kaufmann - Langen Schwalbach

Any help appreciated.
« Last Edit: February 28, 2021, 01:23:19 PM by Luvisrael »

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Re: Help Me Track Down an Old Siddurs Owner's Descendants.
« Reply #1 on: February 28, 2021, 01:06:42 PM »
Paging @biobook


Offline biobook

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Re: Help Me Track Down an Old Siddurs Owner's Descendants.
« Reply #2 on: February 28, 2021, 01:14:44 PM »
Wow!  I love doing this!  Gimme a few minutes.

Offline biobook

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Re: Help Me Track Down an Old Siddurs Owner's Descendants.
« Reply #3 on: February 28, 2021, 01:25:43 PM »
I found both of their obits, neither of which mention children, making me suspect that there weren't any living descendants.  But I'll keep looking. 

NYTimes, May 30, 1977

MEYER—Dr. Nathan. The American Committee of Sharre Zedek Hospital In Jerusalem Is saddened by the passing of Dr. Nathan Meyer, a life‐long dedicated worker and warm supporter of our hospital. Dr. Meyer has served on our Board of Directors and National Advisory Board with distinction. He became a Founder of our new medical center. Warm sympathy goes to the bereaved family.

NYTimes, May 10, 2005

MEYER--Hilde. The worldwide family of Shaare Zedek Medical Center in Jerusalem extends its heartfelt condolences to Mrs. Irma Haas on the loss of her beloved sister. A softspoken and gentle person her smile radiated kindness, warmth, inner beauty and peace of mind. She lived her life fulfilling countless acts of tzedekah and chesed which touched the lives of thousands, thus following the dictum of the Ethics of the Fathers to "say little but do much". From the ashes of the Shoah she came to this country where she rebuilt her life together with her late husband, Dr. Nathan Meyer. The people of Jerusalem were blessed to have Mrs. Meyer as a cherished and deeply caring friend. As a Diamond Founder of the Medical Center together with Mrs. Haas, the two worked together side by side generously supporting every event of the American Committee and every facet of the Hospital's work -from the expansion of our synagogue to equipping the Jesselson Heart Center and supporting our Well Baby Nursery and Maternity Department. We will always remember with deep respect and affection this remarkable and special woman. May her memory remain a blessing. Erica Jesselson, Chair Menno Ratzker, President Dr. Jonathan Halevy, Director General Sidney Adler, Treasurer Lee Weinbach, President, Nat'l Women's Division Michael S. Strauss, Chair, New York Board American Committee for Shaare Zedek Medical Center in Jerusalem

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Re: Help Me Track Down an Old Siddurs Owner's Descendants.
« Reply #4 on: February 28, 2021, 01:28:40 PM »
I got a hold of an old Siddur originally from Germany. There’s a lot of descriptions and names in chronological order with Names. Hopefully I can find the grandkids or other family members to return to them.

The last inscription is by Hilde Meyer. She writes “my dear husband Dr. Nathan Meyer passed away on May 27,1977.

There’s also a stamp with the name Gustav Kaufmann - Langen Schwalbach

Any help appreciated.
Check in Englewood, NJ




Offline Luvisrael

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Re: Help Me Track Down an Old Siddurs Owner's Descendants.
« Reply #5 on: February 28, 2021, 01:32:15 PM »
I found both of their obits, neither of which mention children, making me suspect that there weren't any living descendants.  But I'll keep looking. 

NYTimes, May 30, 1977

MEYER—Dr. Nathan. The American Committee of Sharre Zedek Hospital In Jerusalem Is saddened by the passing of Dr. Nathan Meyer, a life‐long dedicated worker and warm supporter of our hospital. Dr. Meyer has served on our Board of Directors and National Advisory Board with distinction. He became a Founder of our new medical center. Warm sympathy goes to the bereaved family.

NYTimes, May 10, 2005

MEYER--Hilde. The worldwide family of Shaare Zedek Medical Center in Jerusalem extends its heartfelt condolences to Mrs. Irma Haas on the loss of her beloved sister. A softspoken and gentle person her smile radiated kindness, warmth, inner beauty and peace of mind. She lived her life fulfilling countless acts of tzedekah and chesed which touched the lives of thousands, thus following the dictum of the Ethics of the Fathers to "say little but do much". From the ashes of the Shoah she came to this country where she rebuilt her life together with her late husband, Dr. Nathan Meyer. The people of Jerusalem were blessed to have Mrs. Meyer as a cherished and deeply caring friend. As a Diamond Founder of the Medical Center together with Mrs. Haas, the two worked together side by side generously supporting every event of the American Committee and every facet of the Hospital's work -from the expansion of our synagogue to equipping the Jesselson Heart Center and supporting our Well Baby Nursery and Maternity Department. We will always remember with deep respect and affection this remarkable and special woman. May her memory remain a blessing. Erica Jesselson, Chair Menno Ratzker, President Dr. Jonathan Halevy, Director General Sidney Adler, Treasurer Lee Weinbach, President, Nat'l Women's Division Michael S. Strauss, Chair, New York Board American Committee for Shaare Zedek Medical Center in Jerusalem
I forgot to mention I got it in Jerusalem. Seems they were sisters https://jr.co.il/aliyah/why31.txt

Offline biobook

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Re: Help Me Track Down an Old Siddurs Owner's Descendants.
« Reply #6 on: February 28, 2021, 01:36:04 PM »
Hilde Meyer and her sister Irma Haas, both widowed, went on aliya in their 90s.  They lived (and died) at a senior citizen home there, so that might be a nice place to donate the siddur.  They also had a cousin in America, but I would assume that person has other memorabilia.

Fascinating story!  from Haaretz, Dec 30 2004

Two Sisters Arrive in Israel Years After Fleeing Holocaust

Two German-born sisters in their nineties began the first full day of the rest of their lives Thursday, settling into an Israeli senior citizens home after negotiating a tortuous path that brought them from Holland, the Bergen-Belsen Nazi concentration camp and suburban New York City.

Irma Haas, 97, and Hilde Meyer, 94, arrived at Ben Gurion Airport near Tel Aviv Wednesday after spending 58 years in the United States, all in metropolitan New York.

They traveled to Israel together with about 200 other new American immigrants, on a special flight organized by Nefesh B'Nefesh, a partnership between donors and the quasi-governmental Jewish Agency that helps U.S. Jews relocate.

On Thursday they appeared bright and smiling in their new home in Jerusalem, their barely lined faces reflecting implacable optimism.

"I feel very good to be in Israel," said Haas, whose piecing eyes and sprightly manner belie her age. "I already feel at home."

A cousin, Judy Marcus, related the sisters' improbable life stories, filling in the blanks when excitement temporarily overcame their normally reliable memories.

Marcus said the pair left their homes in Hesse state in western Germany in 1938 and went to Holland shortly after Kristallnacht - the "night of broken glass" - when Nazi gangs attacked Jewish homes and property and destroyed synagogues throughout the country.

Marcus said the sisters were deported from Amsterdam to the Bergen-Belsen camp after the Nazi conquest of Holland, and they were on a train bound for the Auschwitz death camp in 1945 when Russian forces liberated them.

Marcus said the sisters' strong religious faith - they were brought up in a strictly observant Jewish household - was the key to surviving their ordeal.

"It took two strong women to get through Bergen-Belsen," she said. "The depth of their religious commitment gave them everything they needed to persevere."

Marcus said the sisters arrived to New York City in 1946 and found work there, Haas as a kindergarten teacher and Meyer as a secretary. She said they moved into the same Englewood, New Jersey home in 1978, shortly after the deaths of their German-Jewish husbands.

"The two of them stayed there together all those years," Marcus said. "But in 2003, when Hilde was hospitalized for a fall, they realized they needed assisted living because they were no longer capable of taking care of themselves."

Marcus said the sisters' decision to come to Israel had been a natural one.

"They were familiar with a senior citizens home in Jerusalem," she said. "It caters to religiously observant people, and has many other German-Jewish refugees. So the choice was an easy one."

On Thursday, Haas and Meyer were quickly adjusting to their new surroundings, relaxing after lunch in the home's communal dining room.

Haas said she was already looking forward to learning Hebrew, a new language to add to her existing German, Dutch and English.

"It may not be easy, particularly at my advanced age," she said. "But I will do the best I can."

Offline biobook

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Re: Help Me Track Down an Old Siddurs Owner's Descendants.
« Reply #7 on: February 28, 2021, 01:37:33 PM »
Oh, okay.  So you have all that info already...  Neither one had children.

Offline biobook

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Re: Help Me Track Down an Old Siddurs Owner's Descendants.
« Reply #8 on: February 28, 2021, 01:44:33 PM »
Bad Schwalbach (called Langenschwalbach until 1927) is the district seat of Rheingau-Taunus-Kreis, in Hesse, Germany.

They came from Hesse, so this stamp might be from the bookseller where they bought it.

Online AsherO

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Re: Help Me Track Down an Old Siddurs Owner's Descendants.
« Reply #9 on: February 28, 2021, 02:03:10 PM »
Amazing story (and backstory). @Luvisrael How old is the Siddur?
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Offline biobook

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Re: Help Me Track Down an Old Siddurs Owner's Descendants.
« Reply #10 on: February 28, 2021, 02:03:58 PM »
Can you tell whether the other names are from Hilde or Nathan's side?  Does it give the names of their parents?

Offline Luvisrael

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Re: Help Me Track Down an Old Siddurs Owner's Descendants.
« Reply #11 on: February 28, 2021, 02:04:36 PM »
Amazing story (and backstory). @Luvisrael How old is the Siddur?
it was printed in 1880

Offline Luvisrael

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Re: Help Me Track Down an Old Siddurs Owner's Descendants.
« Reply #12 on: February 28, 2021, 02:11:52 PM »
Can you tell whether the other names are from Hilde or Nathan's side?  Does it give the names of their parents?
some of it is hard to read. German script handwriting . I can post pictures?

Online AsherO

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Re: Help Me Track Down an Old Siddurs Owner's Descendants.
« Reply #13 on: February 28, 2021, 02:25:44 PM »
it was printed in 1880

Then it doesn’t go back that many generations considering they left Germany some 58 years after it was printed.
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Offline biobook

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Re: Help Me Track Down an Old Siddurs Owner's Descendants.
« Reply #14 on: February 28, 2021, 02:44:28 PM »
Hilde's parents were Isaak (Yitzchak) Simon and Johanna (Joseph) Simon. 

Nathan's parents were Harav Yissochor Seligmann Meyer (the 1st) and Mathilde Meyer.

Do you see names that look like either of these?

All the above is "allegedly".  Someone put together a family tree on Geni.  Sometimes this is done by someone who actually knows the family history, and sometimes it's by someone who finds names that sound likely, and they assume they're relatives.  But if you open an account on Geni, you can contact the person who posted this.  There are photos there of both of them, too.
https://www.geni.com/family-tree/index/6000000003229530589

Offline Luvisrael

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Re: Help Me Track Down an Old Siddurs Owner's Descendants.
« Reply #15 on: February 28, 2021, 02:56:56 PM »
Hilde's parents were Isaak (Yitzchak) Simon and Johanna (Joseph) Simon. 

Nathan's parents were Harav Yissochor Seligmann Meyer (the 1st) and Mathilde Meyer.

Do you see names that look like either of these?

All the above is "allegedly".  Someone put together a family tree on Geni.  Sometimes this is done by someone who actually knows the family history, and sometimes it's by someone who finds names that sound likely, and they assume they're relatives.  But if you open an account on Geni, you can contact the person who posted this.  There are photos there of both of them, too.
https://www.geni.com/family-tree/index/6000000003229530589
Yup says that name
« Last Edit: February 28, 2021, 03:05:41 PM by Luvisrael »

Offline biobook

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Re: Help Me Track Down an Old Siddurs Owner's Descendants.
« Reply #16 on: February 28, 2021, 03:07:44 PM »
Wait! Edit my previous comments!  Found another obit for Dr. Nathan, that does mention offspring.

MEYER—Dr. Nathan, Englewood, formerly Regensburg, Hamburg. Beloved husband of Hilde (nee Simon), Devoted father, grandfather, brother‐in‐law, and uncle. On May 27, suddenly. Services were held at Hirsch and Sons, on May 28. Shivah is observed et the home of the deceased at 392 Gloucester St., Englewood, N.J.

But that article implied Hilde had no children, so this might be from his first wife? 

Offline biobook

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Re: Help Me Track Down an Old Siddurs Owner's Descendants.
« Reply #17 on: February 28, 2021, 03:09:00 PM »
Yup says that name
Says WHICH name?  His side or her side?  Or both?

Offline Luvisrael

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Re: Help Me Track Down an Old Siddurs Owner's Descendants.
« Reply #18 on: February 28, 2021, 03:14:31 PM »


« Last Edit: February 28, 2021, 03:18:10 PM by Luvisrael »

Offline biobook

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Re: Help Me Track Down an Old Siddurs Owner's Descendants.
« Reply #19 on: February 28, 2021, 03:34:47 PM »
So it looks like it's from the Meyer side of the family.  The first page (Meyer Meyer) looks like it was written when bought, in the 1880s or 1890s, and then Nathan filled out the rest of the family more recently.

He mentions "Rudolf Seligmann mein Sohn" who is easy to find, although he died a few years ago, at which time he had descendants in Lakewood NJ and in Chashmonaim in Israel.  Where are you?

https://www.geni.com/people/Yissochor-Rudy-Meyer/6000000002172183717

https://www.ijn.com/rudolf-meyer/

So Tillie must have been the first wife.  I wonder if they had divorced, because Nathan seems to have married Hilde in 1949, while Tillie was still alive.