| 2009 marks the 100th anniversary of Tel Aviv. Quite a few stories are being published on the net and in the Israeli press about the history of this city including articles about the founder of the Tel Aviv Zoo: Rav Dr. Mordechai "Max" Schornstein (1869-1949) 2009 is also the 60th year since his death 25 Tishrei 5710 (18 October 1949) What (most of) the media dosen't know is that he among many other things was one of our patriarchs being the father of Meta as in Meta & Marcus Melchior..... |
Here are 10 things you newer knew about you
great great ......Grandfather (and probably were afraid to ask):
1. He was born in Tachau, then Czechoslovakia today in the northern part of the Czech
Republic.
2. He served the Jewish Community in Copenhagen from 1906-1919. First as a Rabbi and
from 1910 as the Chief Rabbi. He had to leave Denmark after breaking the strict export
laws!
3. He was in January 1912 one of the founding fathers of B'nai Brit Copenhagen.
4. His wife Paula (nee Simon) died in October 1933 only 59 years old and is buried in
Teplitz, then Germany - now the Czech Republic.
5. After years of selling antiques in Dresden and Teplitz did he go on Aliyah in 1935.
Among other things he brought with him to Israel were two bird cages with exotic birds.
6. He started to buy animals at all occasions and went to Italy, Egypt and Syria and in
order to buy monkeys and other animals.
7. He lived with his animals at Shenkin Street in Tel Aviv and was helped by the
municipality to move to Yarkon Street after the neighbours complained about the noise
and smell.
8. In 1938 after the new neighbours complained (after all who wants to live next to bears,
lions, snakes etc.) the city gave which him a piece of land in the then outskirts which
became known as the Tel Aviv Zoo.
9. He was the Zoo's first director but after being wrongfully blamed for stealing money
from the Zoo's funds he moved in 1942 to Jerusalem where he opened a small Bird Park
in Bet Hakerem (Kikar Haft).
10. In 1946 the place was sold and he moved with his birds to live close to his son Leo (&
Else) in Natanya before ending his days living with daughter Grethe (& Lazar) in
Ramatayim (Hod Hasharon) where is also is buried.
great great ......Grandfather (and probably were afraid to ask):
1. He was born in Tachau, then Czechoslovakia today in the northern part of the Czech
Republic.
2. He served the Jewish Community in Copenhagen from 1906-1919. First as a Rabbi and
from 1910 as the Chief Rabbi. He had to leave Denmark after breaking the strict export
laws!
3. He was in January 1912 one of the founding fathers of B'nai Brit Copenhagen.
4. His wife Paula (nee Simon) died in October 1933 only 59 years old and is buried in
Teplitz, then Germany - now the Czech Republic.
5. After years of selling antiques in Dresden and Teplitz did he go on Aliyah in 1935.
Among other things he brought with him to Israel were two bird cages with exotic birds.
6. He started to buy animals at all occasions and went to Italy, Egypt and Syria and in
order to buy monkeys and other animals.
7. He lived with his animals at Shenkin Street in Tel Aviv and was helped by the
municipality to move to Yarkon Street after the neighbours complained about the noise
and smell.
8. In 1938 after the new neighbours complained (after all who wants to live next to bears,
lions, snakes etc.) the city gave which him a piece of land in the then outskirts which
became known as the Tel Aviv Zoo.
9. He was the Zoo's first director but after being wrongfully blamed for stealing money
from the Zoo's funds he moved in 1942 to Jerusalem where he opened a small Bird Park
in Bet Hakerem (Kikar Haft).
10. In 1946 the place was sold and he moved with his birds to live close to his son Leo (&
Else) in Natanya before ending his days living with daughter Grethe (& Lazar) in
Ramatayim (Hod Hasharon) where is also is buried.
From Chief Rabbi in Copenhagen to Dr. Doolittle in Tel Aviv
Paula's grave in Teplitz:
With incription in German from Mishlei:
"She bestows goodness upon him, never evil,
all the days of her life".
Max in the middle saying goodbye to friends in
Teplitz in 1935 before going on Aliyah.
With incription in German from Mishlei:
"She bestows goodness upon him, never evil,
all the days of her life".
Max in the middle saying goodbye to friends in
Teplitz in 1935 before going on Aliyah.
| From Meta & Marcus wedding in Dresden 23 August 1921. Max is sitting next to his daughter Meta and next to his mother in-law Helene Simon nee Pick. Its Paula to the far left next to Helene. |
3 of Paula & Max'es 4 children. From Left: Meta, Grethe & Leo
