gained in translation: jews, germany, california circa 1849 exhibition panels (2011)

8/7/2019 Gained in Translation: Jews, Germany, California circa 1849 Exhibition Panels (2011)

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Gained in TranslaTionJews, Germany, California circa 1849

With the establishment of The Magnes Collection of Jewish Art and Life

at UC Berkeley in July 2010, unique materials documenting the Jewish

experience in Northern California were gifted to The Bancroft Library by

the former Judah L. Magnes Museum.

The Magnes archives of Western Jewish Americana have served as an

important source for several foundational studies of Jewish history in

California. Researchers often relied on the combination of Magnes and

Bancroft collections in their work. Now, the physically integrated collections

of both institutions bring unparalleled resources under one roof, making them

even more accessible for teaching and research.

This inaugural exhibition draws on art, artifacts, books, and archival materialsfrom The Magnes Collection of Jewish Art and Life, The Bancroft Library,

and the Levi Strauss & Co. Archives. The resulting synergy stretches the

boundaries of California history, connecting German Jewish history before

1849 to the establishment of the Jewish community in the San Francisco

Bay Area.

AllA EfimovA, Jacques and Esther Reutlinger Director

frAncEsco spAgnolo, Curator of Collections

Juy 24, 1848Gold is found by James W. Marshall at Sutter’s Mill, Coloma, California,

a town in the Sierra Foothills.

Fbuy, 21, 1848Karl Marx publishes the Manifesto of the Communist Party in London.

Fbuy 24, 1848The monarchy of King Louis-Philippe is overthrown in France,

resulting in the proclamation of the Second Republic.

Fbuy 27, 1848The revolution reaches Germany, where an assembly in Mannheim

adopts a resolution demanding a bill of rights. Demands for

constitutional and civil reforms and the unification of Germany are

made throughout the German-speaking lands.

sptmb 26, 1849The first celebration of Rosh Hashanah (the Jewish New Year) in

San Francisco is held in a wood-framed tent. Today, this early Jewish

presence in California is acknowledged by a bronze plaque on the

700 block of Montgomery Street in San Francisco.



The Magnes Collection is a source of primary evidence about

Jewish life in the global Diaspora. It documents personal and family rituals,

synagogue and communal life, and the social interactions among Jewish

and host communities.

The lamps on view highlight aspects of religious observance and domestic

life in Germany in the 17th–19th centuries. Their presence in The Magnes

Collection is also a direct testimony of the immigration history of the

German Jewish community to California.

Hanging lamps, lit in the Jewish homes on the Eve of the Sabbath and

Festivals, were also used before the advent of electric light to

illuminate synagogue interiors.

Special lamps for Hanukkah (“dedication”), which include

eight receptacles for oil and wickers, or candles, and one

or two elevated “servitor” (Hebrew: shamash) lights, are

kindled during the eight days of the Winter Festival of

Lights. German Hanukkah lamps often include engraved

Hebrew texts relating to the festival, as well as the

depiction of crowns and lionsreferences to the Hebrew

Bible and to the Jewish people, and symbols of self-

empowerment.

Synagogue interiors,Reckendorf, Germany, ca 1911



In 1856, Moritz Daniel Oppenheim,

an artist later labeled as the first modern

Jewish painter, portrayed an imagined

meeting among scholars Moses Mendelsohn(1729–1786), Gotthold Ephraim Lessing (1729–

1781) and theologian Johann Kaspar Lavater

(1741–1801) in Mendelssohn’s Berlin home.

The scene refers to two foundational moments in the history of

German Jewish cultural interactions. The actual meetings between

Mendelssohn and Lavater, which took place in

1763–64, were followed by the failed attempt

on the part of the theologian to convince

Mendelssohn to embrace Christianity. The much-

celebrated friendship between Mendelssohn and

Lessing, one of the high points of the haskalah,

or Jewish Enlightment, came to be considered

a paradigm of the possibility of a harmonious

cohabitation between Germans and Jews.

By the mid-19th century, the philosophical debates of the haskalah

spread throughout Europe, and were translated into the political and

social realms by the Emancipation movement. Jewish contribution to

society at large became the norm but did not go unchallenged.

The decade in which the painting appeared was pivotal for German

Jews: their hopes for emancipation were shattered by the failed

revolutions of 1848–49. The revolutions also spurred emigration to

the United States, including to San Francisco, where the Gold Rush

opened unprecedented opportunities for social success and civicengagement.

Frm Mnsshn n, th ntgrtn f Jws nt th Grmn pubc sphr

hs bn csy ssct wth Grmn-Jwsh Bb trnstn, n Grmn-

Jwsh ntgrtn cn n turn b r s kn f trnstn prjct. Trnstn

frm Hbrw cu sgn Jwsh frgnss […], but t s h rng f thr

sgnfctns fr trnstrs n thr uncs. Trnstn s thus bth ns

fr nyzng th chrctr f Grmn-Jwsh ntty n prg m f

ts xprssn.

NaoMi SeidMaN, Krt Prfssr f Jwsh Cutur, Grut Thgc Unn

as t gruy bcm pssb urng th tr ghtnth cntury fr Jws n

Wstrn eurp t th w-ff f f th ghtt n ntr nt mrn

eurpn scty, sm Jwsh ntctus, ssct wth th mrchnt n

mngr csss, pt Hbrw s th mns f crtng nw kn f Jwsh

cutur tht mght tk ts pc wth th cuturs f thr pps n prgrss

ntrntn scty f nghtn mn.

RoBeRT alTeR, Css f 1937 Prfssr f Hbrw n Cmprt ltrtur, UC Brky

Th haskalah, r Jwsh enghtnmnt, whch bgn n Brn n th 1740s, s n f

th mst mprtnt pmnts n th ntr hstry f eurpn Jwry. Thrugh

th prmtn f scur uctn t cmpmnt th trtn Jwsh currcuum,

th haskalah sught t rfrm Jws n Jusm by hrmnzng rgus n sc

f wth th s f eurpn burgs cutur. [...] Th haskalah ws th frst f

mny tr scur gs n nw frms f rgus xprssn tht cpturth hrts n mns f mrn Jws.

JoHN eFRoN, Krt Prfssr f Jwsh Hstry, UC Brky

Mrtz oppnhm (1800–1882)

t hs s, c. 1850.



The history of individuals and families from

their roots in Southern Germany to their settlement

in California is broadly documented in the Magnes

archives and museum holdings. The materials

related to the Haas and Lilienthal families of San

Francisco provide a particularly insightful illustration of the span

of this immigration story, including family portraits, ritual objects,

personal and professional papers, photographs, and business records.

The Lilienthal family emigrated from Munich to the United States in

the 1840’s. The California branch of the family descended from Rabbi

Max and Dr. Samuel Lilienthal, who are depicted as young children

in Germany in a family portrait. Max (Menachem) Lilienthal (1814–

1882), an educator and Rabbi active in Eastern Europe, became an

American journalist and scholar, and a promoter of the Jewish Reform

Movement in the American West. Samuel Lilienthal (1815–1891), a

physician and a pioneer of homeopathy in America, joined his familyin San Francisco in the late 1880’s.

[…] rprssn n much f cntr eurp ncu ncrsngy

rstrct ws tht m t ffcut fr Jw t cqur rsncy

prmt t wn busnss, mrry, n stbsh fmy. […] a Jwsh

mrrg ws prmtt ny ftr n Jwsh nhbtnt h

n thus m rm fr nthr n th prscrb twn st f Jwsh

fms. Nt surprsngy, mny yung mn n wmn wr gr

t sk thr spuss s w s thr frtuns n th Unt Stts. inth 1840s, nry s mny Jwsh wmn s Jwsh mn ft Br’s

twns fr amrc, wth mst wmn trng t Cfrn wth thr

husbns, brthrs, frns, r thr fmy mmbrs.

ava KaHN, c-tr f California Jews

Sus n es Chn, nts

f Grmny, bur n Cm,

Cfrn



The families who immigrated from Germany

to the Bay Area following the Gold Rush

maintained close ties to each other. Many

came from Bavaria, particularly from Reckendorf, a village north of

Bamberg. In San Francisco, they forged business partnerships and

formed extended families, whose influence still impacts the texture

of the city.

The Haas family established itself as one of the leading Jewish families

of the Pacific Coast. Koppel and Fanny Haas had seven children in

Reckendorf. William Haas arrived in San Francisco in 1868 and joined

the wholesale grocery firm of Loupe & Haas. In Los Angeles, Abraham

Haas worked for Hellman, Haas & Company.

In the early decades of the 20th century, these California familieswere involved in an early form of Jewish heritage travel, and visited

their ancestral homes in Bavaria, documenting their trips with detailed

photographic mementos.

Thr wr thr rg Jwsh cns n Rcknrf, n iss n Hrmn [Hmn]

py wth bys frm ths fms, frmng rtnshps tht wu sur

mmgrtn n stnc. on f ths cns ws th Hs fmy, wh n

crm-cr, w-sung hus just fw stps frm th synggu. Th fmy

t n cttn n txts.

FRaNCeS diNKelSPiel, uthr f Towers of Gold: How One Jewish Immigrant Named Isaias

Hellman Created California



Torah binders are ceremonial textiles used

to keep a Hebrew Bible scroll tightly closed

when it is not being used for public reading in the synagogue.

In some Jewish European communities, especially in Germany, Torah

binders were made from the linen or cotton cloths used to cover

newborn boys during ritual circumcision, decorated with celebratorytexts and images with amuletic significance, and presented to the

congregation when a child turned one.

This kind of Torah binder, also known as wimpel , would be used to

bind a Torah scroll once the child became bar mitzvah, and later again

on the occasion of his wedding. The Hebrew texts and the images

embroidered or painted with varying styles and materials on the

binder typically include the boy’s full Hebrew name and date of birth,

blessings and good wishes related to the life cycle, and references

to astrology.



The history of commerce in California

is extensively documented at The Bancroft

Library. The papers of individuals and families

from The Magnes Collection add to this wealth

of research material on the pioneer businesses

of the West Coast.

By 1880 Sn Frncsc h bcm th nnth-rnkng cty n th cuntry n th

Pcfc Rm’s uncntst mtrptn hub. Wth 233,000 rsnts, th grt

mjrty f thm frgn brn r f frgn-ngug prntg, th cty ccunt

fr w r qurtr f th stt’s pputn, wth 16,000 Jws, wh wr

xc n numbr ny by th Jwsh nhbtnts f Nw Yrk Cty.

MoSeS RiSCHiN, Prfssr emrtus f Hstry, Sn Frncsc Stt Unrsty

But th stry f th Jws f Cfrn s ffrnt. Mny f thm f th

scrmntn f th hmns n Grmny, Frnc, n Pn, n h n

th 1850s t Cfrn n ts prms f g. Wh fw bcm mnrs, mst

bcm mrchnts wh ctr t th mnrs’ ns. an frm th strt, ths

Jws wr ccpt n ntgrt nt scty. Thy wr ct t pubc ffc,

but thr hms ngs thr Chrstn nghbrs, n bcm th stbsh

mrcnt t. in bth Sn Frncsc n ls angs, Jws wr cmmunty

rs. it ws nt unt th 1890s tht ntrnsgnt nt-Smtsm grpp Cfrn.

an wh brrrs wr rct ftr thn, th Jws h ry nby shp

th stt.

FRaNCeS diNKelSPiel, uthr f Towers of Gold: How One Jewish Immigrant Named Isaias

Hellman Created California

Prhps th mst fmus Jwsh

mmgrnt f ths pr ws l

Struss, wr-rnwn fr hs

stury wrkpnts m ut f hy

denim ( Frnch mtr fr tnts),

rnfrc wth rts, wu bcm

n ntrntn cn, n hs cmpny

th wr’s rgst mkr f pprncung jns. othr mn s sw

grt pprtunty n put wn

rts n G Rush ys, r sn

thrftr n ry Sn Frncsc.

Pnr fms ncu Bssngr,

Brnnstn, dnksp, Fshhckr,

Grst, Grnbum, Hs, Hbng,

Hmn, Kh, Kshn, lsn,

ly, lbs, lnth, Mgnn, Myr,

Schwbchr, Sgmn, Sss, Strn,Sutr, W, n Zrbch.

STePHeN MaRK doBBS, cntrbutr, Encyclopedia of San Francisco

lws Grst, lus Sss, n Gust Nbum n th

Sn Frncsc ffcs f th ask Cmmrc Cmpny,

t 19th cntury



In San Francisco, German Jewish

immigrants laid the foundation for Jewish

community life in the city, creating benevolent

societies, synagogues, and schools. At the

same time they influenced the making of the new

metropolitan area, supporting education, the arts, and social causes,

thus translating German Jewish ideals shaped by the haskalah to the

realm of civic engagement in the new world.

The holdings of the Western Jewish Americana archives in The Magnes

Collection enrich the history of the San Francisco Bay Area cultural

and philanthropic institutions preserved at The Bancroft Library.

Wht, thn, hs bn th ssnc f Jwsh cmmunty tht s mr unrsst

thn prtcurst, rtstcy crt n cnmcy pwrfu, phnthrpc n

cc-mn, brrwng fry frm thr trtns n ntrctng fuy wth nn-

Jws? […] c Jws ft thmss th pruct f n g- hstry n t t

ft f thr pp thrughut th gb. But thy fcus n mr n thr

tmng prt cty, n nstnt mtrps, whch brught th wr t thm.

FRed RoSeNBaUM, uthr f Cosmopolitans. A Social and Cultural History of the Jews of the

San Francisco Bay Area

as Sn Frncscn, i k t s Sutr [...] n trms f th eurpn-Jwshcztn h bsrb n cqur s yung mn n brught t hs pt

cty. aph Sutr n th thr Jwsh funrs f Sn Frncsc knw wht cty

ws but: knw wht cty ws n trms f cutur n cutur nsttutns, but

s knw wht cty ws but n trms f rspnsbty t th cmmunty.

KeviN STaRR, Unrsty Prfssr n Prfssr f Hstry, Unrsty f Suthrn Cfrn

or th yrs, th fmy hs gn t Jwsh cuss. But, th cmmtmnt t

gng gs byn rgus trtn. it’s cr tht th Jwsh trtn hs strng mnt f gng bck. i thnk tht my h bn rng frc fr ur

rr gnrtns, but t’s mr hw w’r rs. it s nt Jwsh . it s

cc rspnsbty.

BeTSY HaaS eiSeNHaRdT, br mmbr f Wtr n es Hs Fun n eyn n

Wtr Hs Jr. Fun

Crtny, th fcus n phnthrpy cm frm my grnfthr. But t gs bck

f gnrtns. l Struss g t c Prtstnt rphng. H nwschrshps t UC Brky, mny f thm h by wmn. Rs Myr Strn s ur

grt-grnmthr.

RoBeRT d. HaaS, frmr chrmn f l Struss & C.



The Magnes Collection of Jewish Art and Life

is supported by Koret Foundation, Taube Foundation,

Hellman Family Foundation, Magnes Museum Foundation,

Jewish Community Federation of San Francisco, the Peninsula,

Marin and Sonoma Counties, Jim Joseph Foundation,

Lisa and Douglas Goldman Fund, Richard and Rhoda Goldman Fund,

Walter and Elise Haas Fund, and Lumina Foundation.

This exhibition is made possible, in part, by the generous support

of the founding Friends of the Magnes:

Barry and Debbie Cohn, Frances Dinkelspiel, Rosalie Eisen,Robert D. Haas, Adele Hayutin, Dana Shapiro, Janet Traub,

Marjorie and Barry Traub, and Chen C. Wang.

www.magnes.org

gained in translation: jews, germany, california circa 1849 exhibition panels (2011)

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