Overview
- Brief Narrative
- Die Thora und die Sprache book, owned by Horst Abraham and carried from Germany to Ecuador in the late 1930s. Following Adolf Hitler’s appointment as Chancellor of Germany in January 1933, anti-Jewish decrees and persecution made life in Germany increasingly difficult. Horst Abraham immigrated to Ecuador from Leipzig, Germany, in 1937, after hearing a rumor that he might be arrested. Horst's parents, Nanette and David, and one of his two brothers, Kurt, joined him there later. In 1942, Horst met Ilse Brilling, who immigrated to Chambo, Ecuador in 1939 with her parents, Hedwig and Isidor, and older sister, Hilde. Ilse’s father died in 1939, and the family moved to Quito in 1942. Ilse married Horst on March 3, 1944, and they had their first child in 1946. Ilse, Horst, and their other family members living in Ecuador immigrated to the United States in the mid-to-late 1940s and settled in the New York City area. Horst changed his name to Harry, and got a job working in a meatpacking factory owned by his distant relatives. Many members of their extended families were not able to escape from Europe and died during the Holocaust.
- Title
- Die Thora und die Sprache
- Subtitle
- Das erste Buch Moses
The first book of Moses
Sefer Breishit
The Book of Genesis - Alternate Title
- ha-Torah v'ha-Lashon
The Torah and the Language - Series Title
- Chamisha Chumshei Torah
The Five Books of the Torah - Date
-
emigration:
1937
publication: 1930
- Geography
-
publication:
Vienna (Austria)
use: Leipzig (Germany)
en route: Ecuador.
- Credit Line
- United States Holocaust Memorial Museum Collection, Gift of Ruth Abraham
- Markings
- front cover and title page, printed, black ink : [Hebrew characters] / (Die Thora und die Sprache.) / Das erste Buch Moses.— [Hebrew characters] / Vollständiger Text mit deutscher Übersetzung nach Methode der / korrespondierenden Zeilen, einem sprachlehrlichen Anhange und mit / einer systematischen Leselehre der Raschi-Schrift. / Zum Schulgebrauche bearbeitet / von / Rudolf Fuchs. / Dreißigste Auflage. / Wien 1930. / Verlag von Moritz Perles / I, Seilergasse Nr. 4. / Früher im k. k. Schulbücher-Verlage. [(Chamisha Chumshei Torah / ha-Torah v'ha-Lashon / Das erste Buch Moses – Sefer Breishit) The Five Books of the Torah / The Torah and the Language / (The Torah and the Language) / The first book of Moses— The Book of Genesis / Complete text with German translation according to the method of the / corresponding lines, a linguistic appendices and / a systematic reading of the Raschi script. / Edited for school use / by / Rudolf Fuchs / Thirtieth Edition / Vienna 1930. Publisher of Moritz Perles / I, Seilergasse No. 4. / Formerly in the k.k. school books publishers]
back cover, top, printed, black ink : Von demselben Verfasser sind dim gleichen Verlage folgende / hebräische Lehrmittel erschienen und vom Verlag sowie durch alle Buchhandlungen zu beziehen: [The same author has published the following Hebrew teaching materials in the same publisher and can be obtained from the publisher and from all bookstores:]
back cover, bottom, printed, black ink : Brüder Hollinek, Wien, III Steingasse 25. [Brothers Hollinek, Vienna, III Steingasse 25.] - Contributor
-
Subject:
Horst Abraham
Editor: Rudolf Fuchs
Publisher: Moritz Perles
Publisher: Verlag Brüder Hollinek
- Biography
-
Horst Abraham (1917-2003) was born in Leipzig, Germany, to Nanette (nee, Neumeyer, 1881-1960) and David (1881-1958) Abraham. He had two brothers, Kurt (1910-2005) and Max (?-1998). Horst lived in Leipzig until he heard a rumor that he might be arrested, and immigrated to Ecuador in 1937. On September 1, 1939, Germany invaded Poland; two days later, Britain and France declared war on Germany, beginning World War II. Emigrating from Europe became increasingly difficult, as few nations were accepting Jewish refugees, and there was little opportunity to help those left behind. Horst’s parents were able to join him the following year, arriving in December 1940, via Japan and Panama. Kurt also followed them there, while Max immigrated to Johannesburg, South Africa, where he married.
In Ecuador’s capital, Quito, the immigrant community was very close-knit. They had a clubhouse called the Beneficiencia, which served as a major center of Jewish life, with a restaurant, card rooms, dances, and plays. The immigrants in Quito also had many businesses, movie theaters, a sports club, and a dance club. Horst worked for a time as a waiter at the ‘Beni’ before obtaining a job in a small German delicatessen, where he met Ilse Brilling (1927-2016). Ilse had immigrated to Chambo, Ecuador in 1939 with her parents, Hedwig (1891-1959) and Isidor (1895-1939), and sister, Hilde (1923-2010). Isidor died in December 1939, and the family moved twice before settling in Quito in 1942. Like other immigrant families, the Brillings shopped at the delicatessen regularly, and Horst eventually asked Ilse on a date. After a year of courtship, the couple got engaged. They married the following year on March 3, 1944. Ilse had worked as an apprentice in a beauty parlor and then began doing hair and manicures in private homes. Horst took over management of the delicatessen where he worked.
Germany surrendered to the Allied forces on May 7, 1945, ending the war in Europe. That September, Japan surrendered, ending the war in the Pacific. In May 1946, Host’s sister-in-law, Hilde, and her husband immigrated to the United States, settling in Brooklyn, New York. That same year, Horst’s brother, Kurt, and his family immigrated to the United States, and Ilse and Horst’s first child, Ruth, was born in Ecuador. That August, his mother-in-law’s sister and niece, Claire Brummer and Ingeborg Majewski, joined them in Quito, having survived the war in France. Horst’s parents, David and Nannette, immigrated to the United States in July 1947; Hedwig and Claire immigrated followed in November. Horst and Ilse sold their deli and followed in 1948. Horst changed his name to Harry, and they settled near their families in Brooklyn, New York. Ilse got a job as a manicurist, while Harry worked in a meatpacking factory owned by distant relatives. In 1951, they had a son, Stephen.
Physical Details
- Classification
-
Books and Published Materials
- Category
-
Books and pamphlets
- Object Type
-
Prayer books (lcsh)
- Genre/Form
- Books.
- Physical Description
- Book; 324 p; 20 cm.
German and Hebrew prayer book with a tan, cardboard cover and black, imitation leather spine. The title page is duplicated on the front cover, and the back cover features a list of other titles from the same editor and publisher. The spine is separating from the pages on the interior, and the covers and page edges are heavily stained and discolored. An inscription from the former owner is handwritten on the interior of the cover. - Dimensions
- overall: Height: 8.000 inches (20.32 cm) | Width: 5.500 inches (13.97 cm) | Depth: 0.750 inches (1.905 cm)
- Materials
- overall : cardboard, paper, ink, imitation leather
- Inscription
- inside front cover, handwritten, black ink : Horst Abraham
Rights & Restrictions
- Conditions on Access
- No restrictions on access
- Conditions on Use
- No restrictions on use
Keywords & Subjects
- Topical Term
- Antisemitism--Germany. Emigration and immigration--Ecuador. Emigration and immigration--Germany. Emigration and immigration--United States. Families. Judaism--Customs and practices. Judaism--Liturgical Objects. Refugee children.
- Geographic Name
- Leipzig, Germany. Quito (Ecuador) Rastenburg, Germany.
- Personal Name
- Fuchs, Rudolf, 1890-1942. Perles, Moritz, 1844-1917.
Administrative Notes
- Legal Status
- Permanent Collection
- Provenance
- The prayer book was donated to the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum in 2016 by Ruth Abraham, the daughter of Ilse and Horst Abraham.
- Record last modified:
- 2023-05-24 15:46:33
- This page:
- https://collections.ushmm.org/search/catalog/irn593642
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Also in Ilse and Horst (Harry) Abraham collection
The collection consists of documents, correspondence, photographs, a passport with case, books, an album, a set of tefillin, and tallit relating to the experiences of Ruth Abraham, her parents, Ilse and Horst Abraham, her grandparents, Hedwig and Isidor Brilling, and her aunt, Hildegard Brilling, in Germany and Ecuador before, during, and after the Holocaust.
Date: 1885-2011
Pair of tefillin and pouch owned by a German Jewish man
Object
A pair of tefillin and pouch owned by a male member of Ilse Brilling or Horst Abraham’s family, and carried from Germany to Ecuador in the late 1930s. Tefillin are small boxes containing prayers attached to leather straps and worn by Orthodox Jewish males during morning prayers. Following Adolf Hitler’s appointment as Chancellor of Germany in January 1933, anti-Jewish decrees and persecution made life in Germany increasingly difficult. Horst Abraham immigrated to Quito, Ecuador, from Leipzig, Germany, in 1937, after hearing a rumor that he might be arrested. His parents, Nanette and David, and one of his two brothers, Kurt, joined him there later. In 1939, Ilse Brilling left Rastenburg, Germany and immigrated to Chambo, Ecuador with her parents, Hedwig and Isidor, and older sister, Hilde. Ilse’s father died that same year, and the family moved twice before settling in Quito in 1942, where she met Horst. The couple married on March 3, 1944, and had their first child in 1946. Ilse, Horst, and their other family members living in Ecuador immigrated to the United States in the mid-to-late 1940s and settled in the New York City area. Horst changed his name to Harry, and got a job working in a meatpacking factory owned by his distant relatives. Many members of their extended families were not able to escape from Europe and died during the Holocaust.
Ilse and Horst Abraham papers
Document
The Ilse and Horst Abraham papers include biographical materials, correspondence, and photographs documenting Ilse Abraham from Rastenburg, Germany, Horst (Harry) Abraham from Leipzig, Germany, their families, their immigration to Ecuador in the late 1930s, their daughter, Ruth, and their immigration to the United States in 1948. Biographical materials include Ilse Abraham’s personal narrative about her years in Germany and South America and immigration to the United States in 1948, and a passport, birth certificate, family tree, and three mourning books documenting Ilse’s family in Germany. Correspondence includes a brief note from Ilse’s cousin Inge (“Puppi”) to her father, a 1943 letter from Ilse to Horst in Ambato, two postwar letters about the Jewish community in Rastenburg, Germany, and a 2009 letter from Inge to Ilse about family photographs. Photographs document Inge’s and Harry’s prewar lives in Germany and wartime lives in Ecuador.
Passport holder, carried to Ecuador by a German Jewish woman
Object
Passport case belonging to Hedwig Brilling and carried from Rastenburg, Germany to Ecuador in 1939. Following Adolf Hitler’s appointment as Chancellor of Germany in January 1933, anti-Jewish decrees and persecution made life in Germany increasingly difficult. Early in 1939, Isidor acquired visas for the family to immigrate to Uruguay. Shortly thereafter, their house, accounts, and assets were seized by the government, and they lost the crates of belongings they had shipped to South America. Shortly before leaving, however, they were notified that their visas were forgeries. After several weeks of visiting consulates, Isidor was able to obtain visas for Ecuador. They sailed from Hamburg, Germany, in May 1939, and were given second-class cabins, even though they had paid for first-class. They settled in a village called Chambo, and tried to make a living farming, but Isidor died in December of that year. Hedwig and her daughters moved multiple times before settling in Quito in 1942. While in Ecuador, both daughters married. In May 1946, Hilde and her husband immigrated to the United States, and in August, Hedwig’s sister and niece, Claire and Ingeborg, joined the family in Quito, having survived the war in France. Hedwig and Claire immigrated to the United States in November 1947, and Hedwig settled near Hilde’s family in Brooklyn, New York. Ilse and her family joined them in 1948; Ingeborg and her family also immigrated in 1951.
Tallit owned by a German Jewish man
Object
A tallit owned by a male member of Ilse Brilling or Horst Abraham’s family, and carried from Germany to Ecuador in the late 1930s. A tallit is a specialized shawl worn by Orthodox Jewish males during morning prayers. Following Adolf Hitler’s appointment as Chancellor of Germany in January 1933, anti-Jewish decrees and persecution made life in Germany increasingly difficult. Horst Abraham immigrated to Ecuador from Leipzig, Germany, in 1937, after hearing a rumor that he might be arrested. His parents, Nanette and David, and one of his two brothers, Kurt, joined him there later. In 1939, Ilse Brilling left Rastenburg, Germany and immigrated to Chambo, Ecuador with her parents, Hedwig and Isidor, and older sister, Hilde. Ilse’s father died that same year, and the family moved to Quito, where she met Horst. The couple married on March 3, 1944, and they had their first child in 1946. Ilse, Horst, and their other family members living in Ecuador immigrated to the United States in the mid-to-late 1940s and settled in the New York City area. Horst changed his name to Harry, and got a job working in a meatpacking factory owned by his distant relatives. Many members of their extended families were not able to escape from Europe and died during the Holocaust.
German prayer book, carried to Ecuador by a German Jewish refugee family
Object
Die Psalmen Davids book, owned by a member of Ilse Brilling or Horst Abraham’s family, and carried from Germany to Ecuador in the late 1930s. Following Adolf Hitler’s appointment as Chancellor of Germany in January 1933, anti-Jewish decrees and persecution made life in Germany increasingly difficult. Horst Abraham immigrated to Ecuador from Leipzig, Germany, in 1937, after hearing a rumor that he might be arrested. His parents, Nanette and David, and one of his two brothers, Kurt, joined him there later. In 1939, Ilse Brilling left Rastenburg, Germany and immigrated to Chambo, Ecuador with her parents, Hedwig and Isidor, and older sister, Hilde. Ilse’s father died that same year, and the family moved to Quito, where she met Horst. The couple married on March 3, 1944, and they had their first child in 1946. Ilse, Horst, and their other family members living in Ecuador immigrated to the United States in the mid-to-late 1940s and settled in the New York City area. Horst changed his name to Harry, and got a job working in a meatpacking factory owned by his distant relatives. Many members of their extended families were not able to escape from Europe and died during the Holocaust.
Hebrew prayer book, carried to Ecuador by a German Jewish refugee family
Object
Siddur S'fat Emet book, owned by a member of Ilse Brilling’s family, and carried from Germany to Ecuador in the late 1930s. Following Adolf Hitler’s appointment as Chancellor of Germany in January 1933, anti-Jewish decrees and persecution made life in Germany increasingly difficult. In 1939, Ilse Brilling left Rastenburg, Germany and immigrated to Chambo, Ecuador with her parents, Hedwig and Isidor, and older sister, Hilde. Ilse’s father died that same year, and the family moved to Quito, where she met Horst Abraham. Horst immigrated to Ecuador from Leipzig, Germany, in 1937, after hearing a rumor that he might be arrested. His parents, Nanette and David, and one of his two brothers, Kurt, joined him there later. The couple married on March 3, 1944, and they had their first child in 1946. Ilse, Horst, and their other family members living in Ecuador immigrated to the United States in the mid-to-late 1940s and settled in the New York City area. Horst changed his name to Harry, and got a job working in a meatpacking factory owned by his distant relatives. Many members of their extended families were not able to escape from Europe and died during the Holocaust.
Hebrew prayer book, carried to Ecuador by a German Jewish refugee family
Object
Machzor l'Yom Rishon v'Sheni shel Pesach im tirgum ashkenazi book, owned by a member of Ilse Brilling or Horst Abraham’s family, and carried from Germany to Ecuador in the late 1930s. Following Adolf Hitler’s appointment as Chancellor of Germany in January 1933, anti-Jewish decrees and persecution made life in Germany increasingly difficult. Horst Abraham immigrated to Ecuador from Leipzig, Germany, in 1937, after hearing a rumor that he might be arrested. His parents, Nanette and David, and one of his two brothers, Kurt, joined him there later. In 1939, Ilse Brilling left Rastenburg, Germany and immigrated to Chambo, Ecuador with her parents, Hedwig and Isidor, and older sister, Hilde. Ilse’s father died that same year, and the family moved to Quito, where she met Horst. The couple married on March 3, 1944, and they had their first child in 1946. Ilse, Horst, and their other family members living in Ecuador immigrated to the United States in the mid-to-late 1940s and settled in the New York City area. Horst changed his name to Harry, and got a job working in a meatpacking factory owned by his distant relatives. Many members of their extended families were not able to escape from Europe and died during the Holocaust.
Hebrew prayer book, carried to Ecuador by a German Jewish refugee
Object
Tefilot B'nei Yisrael book, owned by Horst Abraham and carried from Germany to Ecuador in the late 1930s. Following Adolf Hitler’s appointment as Chancellor of Germany in January 1933, anti-Jewish decrees and persecution made life in Germany increasingly difficult. Horst Abraham immigrated to Ecuador from Leipzig, Germany, in 1937, after hearing a rumor that he might be arrested. Horst's parents, Nanette and David, and one of his two brothers, Kurt, joined him there later. In 1942, Horst met Ilse Brilling, who immigrated to Chambo, Ecuador in 1939 with her parents, Hedwig and Isidor, and older sister, Hilde. Ilse’s father died in 1939, and the family moved to Quito in 1942. Ilse married Horst on March 3, 1944, and they had their first child in 1946. Ilse, Horst, and their other family members living in Ecuador immigrated to the United States in the mid-to-late 1940s and settled in the New York City area. Horst changed his name to Harry, and got a job working in a meatpacking factory owned by his distant relatives. Many members of their extended families were not able to escape from Europe and died during the Holocaust.
Hebrew prayer book, carried to Ecuador by a German Jewish refugee family
Object
Siddur Tefilot Kol ha-Shanah book, owned by a member of Ilse Brilling or Horst Abraham’s family, and carried from Germany to Ecuador in the late 1930s. Following Adolf Hitler’s appointment as Chancellor of Germany in January 1933, anti-Jewish decrees and persecution made life in Germany increasingly difficult. Horst Abraham immigrated to Ecuador from Leipzig, Germany, in 1937, after hearing a rumor that he might be arrested. Horst's parents, Nanette and David, and one of his two brothers, Kurt, joined him there later. In 1939, Ilse Brilling left Rastenburg, Germany and immigrated to Chambo, Ecuador with her parents, Hedwig and Isidor, and older sister, Hilde. Ilse’s father died that same year, and the family moved to Quito, where she met Horst. The couple married on March 3, 1944, and they had their first child in 1946. Ilse, Horst, and their other family members living in Ecuador immigrated to the United States in the mid-to-late 1940s and settled in the New York City area. Horst changed his name to Harry, and got a job working in a meatpacking factory owned by his distant relatives. Many members of their extended families were not able to escape from Europe and died during the Holocaust.
