#Har Nebo Cemetery

[mtcarmelstories]

Rabbi Saydman’s story was featured in Philly.com last week and he was kind enough to share some of the story with us for the Museum’s collecting project. Read more here: http://www.philly.com/philly/news/Rabbi-has-26-relatives-in-vandalized-Jewish-cemetery.html

From Rabbi Saydman:

My Werner / Satinsky family served as pillars of the immigrant Jewish community in Philadelphia and I have lovingly collected a great deal of data about them. Additional photographs and data may be found on the Mount Carmel page of my website: http://tolfoundation.weebly.com/help-mt-carmel.html 

Hatzlakha with your project. I look forward to contributing.  

Rabbi Ben-Zion Saydman

Obituary of Philip Werner (Rabbi Saydman’s  Great Great Grandfather, Shraga Feivel “Philip” Werner)   JEWISH EXPONENT, August 3, 1906

Philip Werner, a prominent member of the down-town community, died suddenly in Reading [Pennsylvania], July 23 [1906]. He was born fifty-nine years ago in Wilna, Russia, where he received a thorough education in Hebrew and in Talmud. He married at an early age and moved to Bialystock where he resided until sixteen years ago, when he came to Philadelphia, engaging in the manufacture of soda water apparatus. He was for many years president of congregation Kesher Israel; for the last ten years president of the Hebrew Free School; founder of the Linath Hazedek (Helping Lion Society); a director of the Home for Hebrew Orphans; one of the organizers of the Kosher Union, and its president and an honorary member of the Hebrew Culture Association....

In all these institutions Mr. Werner had been an active worker and a liberal contributor to their support. He was particularly active in the work of the Hebrew Free School Society, which institution he visited almost daily, in spite of his failing health, until a few days before his death. The funeral was attended by thousands of persons of all ages and classes who had known and loved him. An impressive feature of the funeral was the great grief of the few hundred pupils of the Hebrew Free School in whom he had taken such a fatherly interest. The funeral services were held at Kesher Israel, Rev. Abraham H. Erschler officiating.

In his death the down-town orthodox Jews lost a leading and important figure. While uncompromisingly orthodox in his views and practices, his sympathetic nature and his education made it easy for him to meet and mingle freely with the liberal element, and for this reason he enjoyed the esteem and confidence of the older men and the respect of the younger people.

In spite of his business and of his communal work, he studied the Talmud until almost the last days of his life.  

He is survived by his wife Sonia Werner, and his children, Dr. Julius L. Werner, Alexander Werner, Samuel Werner and Minnie Sopinsky [Satinsky?].

Interment was made at the Har Nebo Cemetery. Interment was made at the Mt. Carmel Cemetery.

[thespinesmoustache]

officially found my most obscure claim to fame: my second great grandmother (mary) is buried in the same jewish cemetery as eddie gottlieb, famous basketball man