By early September, 2005, history will have been made: Naomi Berenberg Leavitt (my Mom) and her little sister Miriam ("Mim") Berenberg Null will be living near each other in Southbury, Connecticut. The recent photo (above) was taken by and emailed to me by Mim.
As I understand it, the sisters were separated first when my mother went off to college at NJC (New Jersey College for Women). After Mom lived in Brooklyn, then Albuquerque with my dad and me, and later my sister Nancy, they were reunited briefly in Brooklyn in the late 1940's when we all lived briefly with David and Rose Berenberg. No long afterwards, Mom moved to Philipsburg, NJ with Dad and the two kids, and Mim married Mike and ended up in Long Island.
Mom moved to Southbury from Bethlehem, PA after Dad died, and Nancy and Bernie moved to nearby Torrington. Now, at the end of August, Mim will be moving to Southbury too.
And just where is Southbury, you might well ask? For you satellite photo buffs out there, here's the answer. That long island in the photo south of Connecticut is, well, Long Island.—JDL
Happy Mother's Day
Posted: 6 May 2005 5:29 PM
This photo was taken in July, 1949 during a vacation at the farmhouse near Warrensburg, New York belonging to David & Rose Berenberg. There are three mothers and three fathers in the photo. The mothers are (clockwise from the left) Naomi Berenberg Leavitt, Anna Mutterperl Leavitt, and Nancy Leavitt Matus. The fathers are Herbert M. Leavitt, Max A. Leavitt, and Jonathan D. Leavitt. Only three of the six people are still living.
Even back in the 1940's it was clear who in the family were the Sad Sacks and who were the Good-Time Charlies.—JDL
Billroth meets Berenberg, 1923-1925
Posted: 27 Mar 2005 12:13 AM
From an encyclopedia website in Colombia, South America:
During a web search using Teoma, believed by some to be the "smart" Google, I ran across this interesting item in the Colombian encyclopedia concerning Abraham Flexner , American medical educator and founder of the Princeton Institute of Advanced Study.
Theodor Billroth (1829-1894) publicó en 1876 la obra clásica Lehren und Lehren... (Enseñando y Aprendiendo... o como lo traducía Flexner, Enseñanza y Estudio...), un erudito tratado de 508 páginas, pleno de tablas y gráficos, dividido en cinco capítulos sobre la educación médica en Alemania y Austria y, en el Apéndice, sobre las facultades de medicina del mundo. Esta gran obra fue traducida al inglés bajo los auspicios de Flexner, en 1923-1925, para lo cual tras muchas vicisitudes se contrató a David P. Berenberg, profesor de alemán en la Franklin School de la ciudad de Nueva York. Se decidió eliminar algunas notas en letra pequeña y también algunas tablas y gráficos, y Flexner personalmente encargó a William H. Welch, de Jonhs Hopkins, de escribir la introducción. Absolon transcribe la correspondencia entre Flexner y Welch, el primero urgiendo el cumplimiento del encargo, por cuanto en junio de 1924 el libro estaba listo para impresión por la editorial The Macmillan Company de Nueva York, auspiciado por el General Education Board. Welch incumplía los plazos que él mismo había propuesto, pero finalmente, fue la Introducción enviada a Flexner y el libro entró en impresión, con el título The Medical Sciences in the German Universities. A Study in the History of Civilization. Flexner quedó muy satisfecho con el trabajo de Welch.
Translation of the second sentence, referring to a classic text by Theodor Billroth, Austrian surgeon who pioneered modern abdominal surgery:
"This great work was translated into English under the auspices of Flexner, in 1923-1925, for which, after many vicissitudes, he contracted with David P. Berenberg, German teacher at New York City's Franklin School."—JDL
Lake Hopatcong
Posted: 19 Mar 2005 5:05 PM
My grandfather's sister, Elsa Berenberg Meyerson, lived in South Orange, NJ, and summered at a cottage on Lake Hopatcong. As a kid, the lake and cottage was one of my favorite destinations for family weekends. One reason: Aunt Elsa's husband, Sam Meyerson had (hold your breath, guys—a speedboat). Such a conveyance was unusual in my 8, 9, or 10-year old life.
But there were other reasons for enjoying the family visit, not the least of which was visiting my cute red-haired cousin Steffi Fantl and her brothers Peter, Ted, and Gene. Years later Steffi attended Swarthmore College when I was a senior there, where she met her husband-to-be John Troyer. That year I didn't hang out with Steffi very much, which I now regret, because Steffi became eligible for the legacy page of the berenblog long before her 60th birthday, having perished prematurely from a terminal illness. Steffi, I miss you. I also miss the surviving members of the Meyerson-Fantl-Troyer branch of the Berenberg clan, who are far away from California: email me, guys!—JDL
From Naomi Leavitt's Memoirs: Senay (Part I)
Posted: 24 Feb 2005 2:12 PM
My mother Naomi Berenberg Leavitt sent me a story about a visitor from Ethiopia, whom I remember well. This visit would have taken place some time between 1959 and 1963 when I was in college.—JDL
My son Jon planned to visit us that weekend. He was away at Swarthmore College and as Erev Rosh Hashona fell on that Friday night he thought it would be nice to come home. He had friends at Lafayette college and wanted to see a few of them. So he invited Senay Likkey, a fellow from Ethiopia, to stay over at our house that night . I was tickled. For I had never met anyone from Ethiopia, and thought it would be fun.
Just as I was getting ready to serve dinner Senay excused himself. He said he wanted to change his clothes before he sat down to eat! He did, and came down the stairs clothed in a white gabilla."Please excuse my dress this evening" he said,"but it is a special holiday for me tonight" We always wear a white gown like this to celebrate. Yes, it was a special holiday for us too. It was the night before the Jewish New Year,. How come it was such a special holiday for him? He was a Christian. I was confused about the development of Christianity in Ethiopia.
Ethiopia was a much larger country in biblical times and served as an important trading link between Palestine and Africa . After all the Queen of Sheba made that long trek to Jerusalem to visit King Solomon. Was it to cement trade relations? It was said that she stayed long enough to have had a son by him.With such an ancient connection it would not be surprising that Christianity also had an early blossoming there. And in the beginning I'm sure many Jewish customs and holidays were included in the new religion's ritual.
Being curious, I asked Senay if he ate any shell fish which of course would have been forbidden by the kosher laws. Senay did me one better. He said "his mother told him he was never to eat any fish at all. "There's always plenty of lamb," she said, "eat it". I noticed that he didn't mentioned that he could also eat pork. Arabs don't. Maybe it was proscribed in Ethiopia as well.
There were many jews in Ethiopia. They were called Falasha, which meant alien. They had been there for centuries. Many now, perhaps most of them, migrated to Israel during the late twentieth century. The remaining ones are trying desperately to get there.
Ethiopia also boasts of having the Arc of the Covenant. It was said to have been taken there when Herod's Temple was destroyed by the Romans. Is there really such a relic? Do they actually have it? If so where are they hiding it? No westerner has ever seen it to compare it to the description of it in the Bible. Well you can imagine that I wished I could have questioned Senay all night.
To be continued—JDL
New Year Letter from Bernie (Part 2)
Posted: 22 Feb 2005 12:25 PM
It may be almost two months from New Year's Day, but it's not too late to post the second and final segment of Bernie Matus' New Year letter, for those of you who have not already seen it.
When we interrupted Part 1, Bernie was saying:
Bernie had a one-man photography/digital image show at the Institute for American Indian Studies in Washington, CT, along with a showing of our Edward Curtis collection. He plans to do another show next summer there again.
The best news of all is… (to be continued—JDL).
Here now is Part 2:
…the engagement of David to Deirdre Killebrew who will be finishing her PhD this spring at the University of Hawaii in viral studies. Dave continues with his research in evolutionary and developmental biology and hopes to be finished sometime next year or thereabouts. They have planned a September wedding in St. Louis.
Lisa and Josh have moved from Washington, DC back to the NYC area. Josh is teaching physics at Adelphi University and setting up a research lab at the school. Lisa is the Program Development Coordinator for CUNY School of Professional Studies. They are living in Forest Hills, Queens, and learning the joys of co-op ownership.
Nancy is enjoying the change in pace from her practice, but with all the time involved in packing and moving, has yet to get to the leisure activities she has coveted. She is taking a correspondence course in writing children's literature, and hoping to spend more time painting and making jewelry.
We are looking forward to the New Year with all the exciting changes ahead.
Wishing you and your families a Happy and Healthy Holiday Season and New Year
Three Berenberg Sisters
Posted: 3 Feb 2005 3:03 PM
My mother, Naomi Berenberg Leavitt, mailed me a copy of this poem written by her cousin Carla*, and a photo of the three sisters, my great-aunts, all of whom were born with the name Berenberg.—JDL
LENA IS
STILL
DANCING
That three sisters
indestructible
would look good together,
their memories loosed
by Aunt Gretchen's false teeth.
(plates clacking together)
by chopped liver
and Manischevitz.
was as unexpected
as the rush of love
we felt
in the recognition
of their frailty and strength.
Three octogenarians!
that in itself
made us want
to acknowledge them
as their competitive
memories
rattled the ghost of their mother.
''She was difficult,"
said difficult Aunt Clara,
"She was arrogant,"
said Gretchen, the proud.
"She could never admit
being wrong," said Elschen
my infallible mother.
My daughters and I
exchanged a forgiving
smile and said hello
to that woman, Lena Theodore
Still dancing in our blood.
[*Carla Theodore is the daughter of Elsa Berenberg Meyerson and granddaughter of Lena Theodore Berenberg]
The Legacy and the Next Generation
Posted: 23 Jan 2005 8:40 PM
As the berenblog reaches out to the extended family, I have made several changes. First, as you may have noticed, I have been more explicit as to who is related to whom (for example, Naomi Berenberg Leavitt is my mother, and Miriam Berenberg Null is my aunt.)
As of today, I have changed two of the topic links. "The Legacy" refers to all Berenberg kin and their ilk who have passed their sixtieth birthday, and those who are no longer with us.
"The Next Generation" refers to the under-sixty Berenberg kin and their ilk who will be carrying forward the great tradition of Berenbergism. We look forward to great things from them.—JDL
Miriam's Annual Report, Part 2
Posted: 20 Jan 2005 8:30 PM
On December 12, Miriam Berenberg Null, my Aunt Mim, sent this report to her email list. To read, or re-read Part 1, click here.
TRAVELS: Elderhostel in July in Quebec, a repeat visit to a music festival in Joliette, a town about 30 miles north of Montreal. There I met a woman from Oregon, with whom I became very friendly. Celeste is a gem and I am very lucky to have found someone so very compatible we think alike in politics, choice of reading matter, theatre, music--. We expect to go to the Santa Fe Opera Elderhostel this coming summer.
Three visits with Caroline and her family--twice in California, once in CT during the summer, at the home of my niece Nancy Matus. Ruby is just delicious she sings on key and in proper time and now reads fluently. When she comes upon an unfamiliar word she will try to sound it out, then ask for its meaning. They must now move, an unfortunate prospect, given the price of housing in San Francisco. This is complicated by the need to find a public school kindergarten for Ruby for next year, a special California -kind of problem.
HIGHLIGHTS: Two engagements my niece, Elizabeth Marlin, of Fizzy Lizzy fame, to a lovely man; my great-nephew, Dave Matus, to another doctoral student. The weddings will take place respectively in July and September. Makes me feel very ancient!
The 55th anniversary of my graduation from law school: wow! Celebration was a great dinner and a lot of fun with my famous classmates.
May you enjoy all the rewards you deserve in 2005. We must endure another four years of a Bush presidency and wonder what the country will look like in 2008.
LOVE, Miriam
1922—The Promise of Tennis Courts
Posted: 18 Jan 2005 5:10 PM
Naomi Berenberg Leavitt, who recently moved from Pennsylvania to Connecticut, wrote about another move in her memoirs, started in the 1990's, and still ongoing:
"We moved into 1745 E. 7th Street when I was 6 (1922) It had a coal furnace, gas fueled lighting, and the promise of tennis courts for the whole row of houses. They never materialized. My folks paid $6000 for the house, and it sold in the '50's for double.
[Photo] "Mim [Miriam Berenberg Null] at about 18 Months. The 11 year old could be me or my friend Helen Barry."
New Year Letter from Bernie
Posted: 5 Jan 2005 7:14 PM
Bernie Matus emailed this family update at the end of 2004.—Jonathan
HOLIDAY GREETINGS 2004
This year brings many changes to the Matus household. Nancy retired from medical practice as of January 1. We spent the greater part of this year closing out her practice, transferring her medical records to a colleague, and emptying the office which is presently for sale.
We enjoyed several short trips, including a week in Fort Meyers Beach, a trip to Washington, DC for a dermatology meeting and museum fest, and a short trip to Dallas to hear David's jazz band from the University of Hawaii play at a festival. In May we went with Crow Canyon Archeological Center to Hopi for a cultural trip studying the origins of the kachina culture, and then spent a week on our own at Grand Canyon and in Arizona to see some of the other parks.
We have enjoyed spending time at our home in CT and will have moved by the time this note arrives, selling our PA home. Nancy's mother, Naomi, has moved also to Southbury, CT so that we can remain close to each other.
Bernie had a one-man photography/digital image show at the Institute for American Indian Studies in Washington, CT, along with a showing of our Edward Curtis collection. He plans to do another show next summer there again.
The best news of all is… (to be continued—JDL).
Naomi in Her New Apartment
Posted: 30 Dec 2004 1:33 PM
Having resettled from Bethlehem, PA to Connecticut, my Mom Naomi Leavitt seems to be adjusting to her new, more compact apartment. She tells me by phone that the people there (mostly elderly ladies) are more New Yorkish than the Bethlehem crowd, and she seems happy with the move. (Thanks to my brother-in-law Bernie Matus for the photo) —JDL
Miriam's Annual Report, Part 1
Posted: 13 Dec 2004 12:30 PM
Aunt Mim sent her "annual report", the first half of which is posted today. Many thinks, Mim.—JDL
MIRIAM'S ANNUAL REPORT 2004
Wherefore is this year different from those that came before? Not much. Of course the Presidential election took precedence, and I was a determined member of the Anyone but Bush camp. The election absorbed a lot of energy and I am extremely glad it is now behind us, despite the depressing result. MARKERS: Piano and voice lessons continue. Work at my co-op proceeds. Completed overseeing the revision of our basic documents; those now extant are more than 50 years old and very obsolete. We hope to be able to implement their adoption no later than the end of 2005; ? of the shareholders must approve their adoption. Losses: an old friend. Monroe Lerner died in October; I was a dental patient of his mother's when I was 6. When we met again in 1960, his family and mine became great friends. He was a very courageous man who undertook to contest prayer in schools, and he succeeded. Rare bravery against a religious icon in these days of faith based politics. -my long-time housekeeper, who retired due to an injury at home. Replacement was not a happy prospect; she had been with me for more than 17 years and knew all my idiosyncrasies. A relative of hers is now working for me and is working out well.
Nancy Reports: Naomi's Move
Posted: 3 Dec 2004 4:25 PM
Dear folks,
Today was Day 4 of the move. On Wednesday Nancy and Naomi supervised the lengthy loading up of the moving van, and then Bernie, Naomi, and I (Nancy) drove to CT. Yesterday the movers met us bright and early at East Hill Woods in Southbury, CT to unload. They were a great team, and the move was complete by about 3 pm. The new apartment was filled with boxes and furniture everywhere, but we managed to get enough room for Naomi to get to the essentials. On her first day she met many lovely people and already had a dinner engagement for Saturday. Today was a big push to unpack, with the help of a young woman provided by East Hill Woods. Bernie and I helped expedite, and maintenance got up the bookcases, etc. We are all very tired, but things are going well. We look forward (?) to a repeat performance next week as we relocate from Easton to CT over a three day period with the same movers. When we have a chance we will forward some digital pictures of the new place. Fondly, Nancy
More Squid
Posted: 3 Dec 2004 12:25 PM
I captured a detail from Mom's squid watercolor which with some luck will show on your monitor the colors, gradations, and paper textures. Naomi has really mastered the watercolor technique.—JDL
The Squid
Posted: 3 Dec 2004 12:24 PM
My Mom, Naomi Berenberg Leavitt, made this magnificent watercolor of a squid for me as she was preparing for her move to Connecticut. She knows that I am an inveterate teuthophile (squid buff), and she did a great job nailing down this guy's fierce oegopsid eye, tentacle club, and suckered arms.
Although Hanukkah is less than a week away, Eva Rose, Barbara, and I could not wait any longer to open our presents from Naomi.—JDL
From Nancy & Bernie
Posted: 30 Nov 2004 4:43 PM
Dear Leavitts,
Part I of Grandma's move is done, the packing. Tomorrow the movers will pick up her things and then we drive to CT. Thursday everything gets delivered and she moves in to East Hill Woods.
She won't be online for awhile until we get things unpacked and hooked up. She may be using a different email at the place in their computer center. We'll be in touch.
by the way, the Berenblog was cute. Hope you all had a nice Thanksgiving. Dave and Deirdre are airborne back to HI as I write. Love, Nancy and Bernie
A Greeting from Mim Null
Posted: 28 Nov 2004 3:46 PM
Congratulations to Miriam Null, who was the first contributor to the berenblog. She writes:
"We had a grand time at Nancy's. In addition to the Leavitt crew, Josh's parents were there: Bernie and Chris Grossman. We had met them last year at Lisa's--they are a lot of fun and as angry as the rest of us (JDL excepted) at the election results. We had a chance to get to know Deirdre better; she is a lovely young woman with a career firmly in mind.
I loved your list of Berenberg Weltanschauung--right on target. Now I should get to work on a Pincus Weltanschau--of course a heavy dose of guilt but major anger predominates. Yet another dysfunctional family to cope with.
Glad you had a good Thanksgiving. Now we must face the rest of the holiday season with all it entails--yet more guilt at what we cannot accomplish. Enjoy the season and keep up this great family blog--complete with pictures.
Love, Mim."
Thanksgiving 2004
Posted: 26 Nov 2004 6:04 PM
Yesterday was Thanksgiving. Barbara and I took a walk out to Tennessee Valley Cove, which has become a tradition with us the last few years. I wrote a haiku and combined it with a cellphone photo (see below).
The haiku, if you can't read it, is:
Close to the ocean gray clouds have yielded to sun: One more Thanksgiving.
On the way back I called Nancy & Bernie, who celebrated their last Thanksgiving dinner in their Forks Township condo. They will be moving permenently to Connecticut on December 9, a week after Mom (Naomi Leavitt) moves from Bethlehem. The only remaining Berenbergs in the Easton Area will be in the cemetery: David and Rose, my grandparents, and my father Herb.
Daria flew out from New York the night before the holiday to join Eva Rose, Nelva, and one of Nelva's sisters and her husband, visiting from Panama.—JDL
What is a Berenberg?
Posted: 26 Nov 2004 4:00 PM
What is a Berenberg? Strictly speaking, all the currently surnamed Berenbergs are dead and buried (at least the ones I knew personally.) But the Berenberg spirit lives on. Berenberg, in the 21st century is:
a way of life
a Weltanschauung
a deeply held tenacious belief in something ineffable but of overweening importance
Here, then, is the Berenberg Web Log. Contributions (text and images) are solicited. Please email them to berenberg@doublesquids.com. To be distinguished from common spam, Berenblog email messages should have the word "berenblog" somewhere in the subject line.
