Thanks to my cousin Steven Bloomfield, New York, I don’t have to be satisfied with just photographs of my ancestors’ gravestones. Steven has provided me with a photograph of our great-great-grandparents Isaak Blumenfeld and Biene, née Rothschild, from around 1885. The cattle dealer Isaak was the son of Jakob Blumenfeld and Frommet, née Isenberg. He was born on 15 May 1840 in Momberg, Hessen.[1] Isaak married Biene Rothschild, the daughter of Löb Rothschild and Suschen, née Brandes, in Momberg on November 8, 1870.[2]

According to the fire insurance registry beginning in 1874, Isaac and Bienchen owned house number 33 in 1875 and house number 46 in 1879.[3] The houses are identical! Alfred Schneider doesn’t mention in his book that the houses were given new numbers in 1875.[4] Isaac bought the house between 1871 and 1875. The house was razed in 1958 by the neighboring family Lotter, which built a stall on the property.[5]

Four of Isaac and Bienchen’s seven children emigrated to the United States: Levi in 1887 at age 15, Great-grandfather Jakob in 1888 at age 16, Joseph in 1893 and Salomon in 1895.[6] The children Abraham and Julius, who remained in Germany, became victims of the Nazis in different ways. Settchen and her family, as well as the children of her siblings, survived by fleeing, emigrating or by going into hiding.

The picture of the Blumenfeld family above was most likely taken in 1888 or 1889 after Levi and Jacob already emigrated to the United States. Standing behind their parents Isaac Blumenfeld and Bienchen, née Rothschild are from left to right Settchen (1876 – 1945), Joseph (1875 – 1953), Abraham (1874 – 1931) and Salomon (1879 – 1967). Julius (1885 – 1945) is pictured between his parents.

The merchant[7] Isaak Blumenfeld[8] and Biene, née Rothschild,[9] were the last of my direct (linear) ancestors to be buried on the European continent. Their graves, too, are in the Jewish cemetery in Neustadt, Hesse, Germany.

There is a mistake on Great-great-grandfather Isaac’s tombstone shown on the next page: According to the registry of births, he was born on May 15, 1840, and not on the 5^th of May.[10] The hands carved on the gravestone are raised in blessing and indicate his being a descendant of the Aaronic priests. They were responsible for making the sacrifices in the Temple and pronouncing the benediction over the People of Israel (Numbers 6:22-26). (Translations of Hebrew and German texts follow photos.)

Here lies (rests)
an honorable and sincere man,
who lived beyond reproach and did what was right.
He was pious his whole life;
and practiced righteousness through his faith.
This is Isaak, son of Jakob ha-Kohen.
On the 19^th of Tamus [5]688 (= July 7, 1928)
he died advanced in years.
May his soul be bundled into the bundle of life.

Here rests in peaceour dear father
and grandfather
Jsaac Blumenfeld
born May 5, 1840, died July 7, 1928[11]

Here lies (rests)
a respected and esteemed woman,
Mrs. Bina, daughter of
Jehuda. She died on the 26^th
of Tewet and was buried on the 28^th
of the same month [5]670.
May her soul stroll [the paths]
of the Garden of Eden.
Amen, Sela.[12]

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[1] Geburtsregister der Juden von Neustadt 1824-1884 (HHStAW Abt. 365 Nr. 628), Hessisches Hauptstaatsarchiv, Wiesbaden.

[2] Trauregister der Juden von Neustadt 1828–1874, in: HHStAW Abt. 365 Nr. 629.

[3] Alfred Schneider, Die jüdischen Familien im ehemaligen Kreise Kirchhain – Beiträge zur Geschichte und Genealogie der Jüdischen Familien im Ortsteil des heutigen Landkreises Marburg-Biedenkopf in Hessen, p. 309.

[4] Kunibert Schmitt, Momberg, to Richard J. Bloomfield (E-Mail), 28. August 2017.

[5] Ibid.

[6] Schneider, Die jüdischen Familien, p. 132.

[7] Schneider, Die jüdischen Familien, p. 132.

[8] Blumenfeld, Isaak (II) (1928) – Neustadt (bei Marburg), in: Jüdische Grabstätten, http://www.lagis-hessen.de/de/subjects/idrec/sn/juf/id/5426 [5.6.2012].

[9] Blumenfeld, Bienchen geborene Rothschild (1910) – Neustadt (bei Marburg), in: Jüdische Grabstätten, http://www.lagis-hessen.de/de/subjects/idrec/sn/juf/id/5374 [5.6.2012].

[10] Geburtsregister der Juden von Neustadt 1824–1884, in: HHStAW Abt. 365 Nr. 628.

[11] Blumenfeld, Isaak (II) (1928) – Neustadt (bei Marburg), in: Jüdische Grabstätten, http://www.lagis-hessen.de/de/subjects/idrec/sn/juf/id/5426 (Stand: 5.6.2012), Photo: Andreas Schmidt.

[12] Blumenfeld, Bienchen geborene Rothschild (1910) – Neustadt (bei Marburg), in: Jüdische Grabstätten, http://www.lagis-hessen.de/de/subjects/idrec/sn/juf/id/5374 (Stand: 5.6.2012), Photo: Andreas Schmidt.