Overview
- Description
- The collection documents the experiences of Rabbi Louis Isaac (previously Lajos Izsak) and his wife Margaret Isaac (previously Margit Kohn), who emigrated from Sátoraljaújhely, Hungary to the United States in 1938. The bulk of the collection consists of correspondence between Louis, Margaret, and relatives and friends in the United States and Europe. A significant portion of the correspondence relates to rescue efforts and financial assistance to those in Europe. Other material in the collection includes immigration papers related to Louis, Margaret, and their son Anton Izsak; financial records; family photographs; and writings of Louis.
Series 1. Biographical material included financial records from Hungary and the United States; immigration paperwork including Hungarian passports, affidavit statements, and naturalization certificates; family photographs with depictions from Hungary and the United States; records related to Louis’s personal library; letters of introduction for Louis for American rabbis; and marriage contracts, Ketubah, and wedding invitations.
Series 2. Correspondence primarily consists of letters exchanged between Louis, Margaret, and relatives and friends in the United States and Europe. A significant portion of the correspondence relates to rescue efforts and financial assistance to those in Europe, and there is extensive correspondence with Isaac’s brother Ignac Isaac, who was also a rabbi and immigrated to the United States prior to Louis.
Series 3. Writings consist of notebooks and loose manuscripts by Louis primarily on religious and legal topics.
Many of the documents have accompanying notes authored by the donor of the collection, Judith Isaac. They are arranged behind the documents the reference. - Date
-
inclusive:
circa 1900-1948
bulk: 1938-1945
- Credit Line
- United States Holocaust Memorial Museum collection, gift of Judith Isaac
- Collection Creator
- Louis Isaac
Margaret Isaac - Biography
-
Rabbi Louis Isaac (1895-1967) was born Lajos Iszak in 1895 in Satoraljaujhely, Hungary. He had 5 brothers: Joszef Izsak, Izidor Izsak, Sandor Izsak (later Alexander Izsak), Miksa Izsak (later Mayer Izsak), and Ignac Izsak (1906-1980, later Rabbi Ignac Isaac). His family owned and operated a bakery in Satoraljaujhely with seven shops in Hungary and Slovakia. Louis inherited the shop as the eldest son in the family, and was also an ordained rabbi. Before the war, his brother Miksa immigrated to Palestine in 1933, and Ignac immigrated to the United States in 1935.
Louis married Margit Kohn in 1926 and they had three children: Anton Iszak (1927-1939), Eugene Isaac (b. 1940), and Judith Isaac (b. 1941). With the help of Louis’s brother Ignac, a rabbi in Memphis, Tennessee, the family immigrated to the United States in 1938, and settled in New York. Their son Anton died unexpectedly on November 5, 1939. Louis taught at the Yeshiva and Mesivta Chaim Berlin in Brooklyn, and later worked as a rabbi. During the war, Louis traveled to various synagogues to raise funds for the rescue of Jews in Europe, and worked closely with his brother Ignac on these efforts.
Louis’s brothers Jozef and Sandor hid in Hungary during the war and both survived. His brother Izidor was likely murdered during the Holocaust.
Margaret Isaac (1900-1973, previously Margit Izsak) was born Margit Kohn in Nagyszolos, Hungary. She had seven siblings: Moshe Aryeh, Rabbi Zvi Hirsh Kohn, Yetta, Chana, Aaron Shalom, Chaim Shlomo, and Eliezer (later Rabbi Leopold Cohen). Margaret married Lajos Iszak (later Rabbi Louis Isaac) in 1926 and they had three children: Anton Iszak (1927-1939), Eugene Isaac (b. 1940), and Judith Isaac (b. 1941). With the help of Louis’s brother Ignac, a rabbi in Memphis, Tennessee, the family immigrated to the United States in 1938, and settled in New York. Their son Anton died unexpectedly on November 5, 1939.
Margaret’s siblings Zvi and Eliezer both survived the war. All her other siblings were murdered during the Holocaust.
Physical Details
- Genre/Form
- Correspondence. Photographs.
- Extent
-
2 boxes
1 oversize folder
- System of Arrangement
- The collection is arranged as three series.
Series 1. Biographical material, circa 1900-1948
Series 2. Correspondence, 1933-1941
Series 3. Writings, circa 1920-circa 1937
Rights & Restrictions
- Conditions on Access
- There are no known restrictions on access to this material.
- Conditions on Use
- The Museum has made reasonable efforts but is not able to determine the copyright status of some or all of the material(s) in this collection, or identify and/or locate the potential copyright owner(s). The Museum therefore places no restrictions on use of this material, but it cannot provide any information to the user about the status of the copyright(s). The user is solely responsible for making a determination as to if and how the material may be used.
Keywords & Subjects
- Topical Term
- Jews--Hungary--Sátoraljaújhely. Rabbis.
- Geographic Name
- United States--Emigration and immigration. Sátoraljaújhely (Hungary).
- Personal Name
- Neufeld, Bernat.
Administrative Notes
- Holder of Originals
-
United States Holocaust Memorial Museum
- Legal Status
- Permanent Collection
- Provenance
- Donated to the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum in 2020 by Judith Isaac, daughter of Louis and Margaret Isaac.
- Record last modified:
- 2024-01-30 08:44:56
- This page:
- https://collections.ushmm.org/search/catalog/irn734122
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- Terms of Use
- This record is not digitized and cannot be downloaded online.
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-
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Also in This Collection
Leather document holder
Object
Leather document holder belonging to Rabbi Lajos Izsak (later Louis Isaac), who emigrated from Sátoraljaújhely, Hungary to the US in 1938. Letters of reference were stored in the holder.
