Tombstone Tuesday: Samuel and Toby Rosenthal, Montefiore Cemetery, Queens, New York

All one has to do is spend a short time researching in genealogy and it becomes clear that there are many researchers who are generous with their skills. I have transcribed many Hebrew tombstones and, as a result, I am getting better and better. I can, in most cases, transcribe names and dates and short standard epitaphs. But, when relatives waxed poetic, I need help.[1]

For today's post, I sought out translators at Tracing the Tribe FaceBook page and, as usual, I was not disappointed. 

For Toba's gravestone, I was helped by: Lara Diamond, Israel Pickholtz, Esther Chanie Dushinsky. Thank you, all!

For Samuel's,  I am indebted to Osher Birzon and David Lachmi. Thank you!

And, as noted by commenter Naomi Maslin Godel, both of these stones reflect beautifully crafted sentiments.

Here lies 

A pity for those who are gone and no longer to be found [a]
The crown of our heads has fallen. 

There is no comfort for us on the death of our spouse and our dear and modest mother who feared heaven and feared sin. Who was filled with mitzvahs as a pomegranate.[b] Her house was open wide and poor people were part of the family[c]

 

Toba Mindel

daughter of Chaim Shmuel

Rosenthal

 

Died 20 Tishri 5700

[2 October 1939]

 

May her soul be bound in the bonds of the living  

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[a] quote from the Gemara, a rabbinical commentary on the Mishnah, forming the second part of the Talmud.
[b] there are 613 mitzvahs [commandments, good deeds] and many, many seeds in the pomegranate
[c] literally, "sons of the house"
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Taube (or Toba) Rosenthal was born in 1883 in Shepetovka, Russian Empire (today, in Ukraine) to Chaim and Chana Lieberman.[2] Shepetivka (the current name of the town in Ukraine) is about 28 kilometers NW of the community of Labun/Lubin.

On 16 June 1903, Taube married Yehoshua (aka Schia) Rosenthal, a Zaslav native born on 26 September 1882 to Michal Rosenthal and Rivka Seidman.[3]

Here lies

Our eyes will shed tears on the tragedy
Our dear father Mr. Yehoshua Zelig son of Yechiel Michel is gone
He lies buried in the grave
Woe to us, for the crown of our head has fallen
That's why our souls cry in secret
Because he was innocent and honest, he walked on straight paths
He studied Torah and mitzvot all the days
Acquired knowledge of Torah through learning[a], bought himself eternal life
May he rest in peace
Died on the 17th of Adar II 5708
 [March 28, 1948]
May his soul be bound in the bond of life
Rosenthal

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[a] literally, "bought himself Torah" 

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The couple had their first child, their daughter Udel (later called Anna), in Russia on 26 February 1906. 

Schie Rosenthal left Zaslav and on 11 May 1907, boarded the S.S. Astoria and sailed from Glasgow, Scotland to New York. He identified himself as a glazier by profession. He indicated he would be heading to his uncle S. Rosenthal at 110 Brighton Street, Boston, Massachusetts.[4]

Taube and Udel departed from Hamburg, Germany on the S.S. President Grant more than three years later. They landed in New York on 15 September 1910.[5]

Max Rosenthal was born 2 July 1912; Helen, 9 July 1915; and Harry, 10 August 1919.[6]

The family was enumerated in the 1915 New York State census at 112 Broome Street in Lower Manhattan. Sam (Schie's new first name) Rosenthal was a button hole maker.[7] Taube had adopted Tillie as her new American name.

By the time Sam registered for the World War I draft on 12 September 1918 and into the 1920s, the family lived in Brooklyn at 377 South 1st Street.[8]

In June 1925, the Rosenthals lived in Brooklyn at 876 Driggs Avenue. Sam, was still a button hole maker. Eldest daughter Anna was 19 and worked as a bookkeeper for a glass business.[9]  

The 1930 April enumeration found the family at the same apartment but, now, Sam had changed occupations and was working as a glazier.[10]

Son Max was not with the family on the 1940 census. I have not located a marriage record for him, but his tombstone in a cemetery in Florida, indicates he, at some point, married a woman named Lillian.[11]

The Rosenthal's, minus Max and mother Tillie, who had passed away in 1939, lived at 104 Division Avenue, Brooklyn. Sam had his own glass business and youngest son, Harry, worked with him.[12]

Samuel became a citizen on 10 July 1941. Two of his children acted as witnesses: Helen Levy and Max Rosenthal.[13]

Helen likely married Samson Levy in September 1940.[14] She died in April 1981.[15]

As far as can be determined, Anna did not marry. She died 13 July 1962 and is interred in the same plot as her parents Montefiore Cemetery.

The Rosenthals' graves are located within the First Lubiner Progressive Benevolent Association plot in Montefiore Cemetery at block 89, gate 156W, line 10L. Tillie is in grave 5 and Sam in grave 6.

Notes: 
1. I recommend three translation options for most Jewish genealogists: Tracing the Tribe FaceBook page, Genealogy Translations FaceBook page and JewishGen's ViewMate application.
2. Kings County, New York, death certificate no. 19761 (1939), Toby Rosenthal; Municipal Archives, New York City. 
3. Marriage date from Samuel Rosenthal, naturalization file no. 296993 (10 July 1941), U.S. District Court, Eastern District, Brooklyn, New York; NARA, NE Region, Record Group 21. Samuel's parents names as identified on his gravestone and his death certificate: New York County, New York, death certificate no. 7610 (1948), Samuel Rosenthal; Municipal Archives, New York City. Sam's birth date is documented in two records, his naturalization record (cited, above) and his World War I draft card: "United States, World War I Draft Registration Cards, 1917-1918," images, Ancestry (http://www.ancestry.com : accessed 22 November 2016), card for Sam Rosenthal, serial no. 61, Local Draft Board fro Division 53, Brooklyn, NY.
4. I have not yet located Sam in Massachusetts. Manifest, S.S. Astoria, 21 May 1907, stamped p. 15, line 30, Schie Rosenthal, age 26; images, "New York, Passenger Lists, 1820-1957," Ancestry (http://www.ancestry.com : accessed 7 December 2016).
5. Manifest, S.S. President Grant, 15 September 1910, p. 7, line 13-145, Taube Rosenthal, age 26, and Udel Rosenthal, age 4.
6. Samuel Rosenthal, naturalization file no. 296993.
7. 1915 New York State Census, New York County, New York, enumeration of inhabitants, Manhattan, assembly district 4, election district 11, p. 7, Same and Tillie Rosenthal family; images, Ancestry (http://www.ancestry.com : accessed 22 November 2016); citing New York State Archives, Albany.
8. "United States, World War I Draft Registration Cards, 1917-1918," images, Ancestry, card for Sam Rosenthal, serial no. 61, Local Draft Board fro Division 53, Brooklyn, NY.
1920 U.S. Census, Kings Co., NY, population schedule, Brooklyn, enumeration district 846, sheet 26A, dwelling 59, family 573, Samuel and Tillie Rosenthal family; images, Ancestry (http://www.ancestry.com : accessed 22 November 2016); citing NARA microfilm publication T625, roll 1166. 
9. 1925 New York State Census, Kings Co., NY, enumeration of inhabitants, Brooklyn, a.d. 4, e.d. 6, p. 5, Sam and Tillie Rosenthal family; images, Ancestry (http://www.ancestry.com : accessed 22 November 2016); citing New York State Archives, Albany.
10. 1930 U.S. Census, Kings Co., NY, population schedule, Brooklyn, enumeration district 24-46, sheet7 A, dwelling 32, family 140, Samuel and Tillie Rosenthal family; images, Ancestry (http://www.ancestry.com : accessed 5 January 2015); citing NARA microfilm publication T626, roll 1501. 
11. "Florida Death Index, 1877-1998," index, Ancestry (http://www.ancestry.com : accessed 1 October 2017), entry for Max N. Rosenthal, 27 September 1983, Broward County, FL; citing Florida Department of Health. For name of wife, see Max N. Rosenthal, grave, 1983, Star of David Memorial Gardens, North Lauderdale, Broward Co., FL; index and images, Find A Grave Memorial #43805899 (http://www.findagrave.com : accessed 1 October 2017).
12. 1940 U.S. Census, Kings Co., NY, pop. sched., e.d. 24-568, sheet 9A, household 207, Samuel Rosenthal family; images, Ancestry (http://www.ancestry.com : accessed 5 January 2015); citing NARA microfilm publication T627, roll 2561. 
13. Samuel Rosenthal, naturalization file no. 296993.
14. "New York City, Marriage License Indexes, 1907-1995," index, Ancestry (http://www.ancestry.com : accessed 1 October 2017), entry for Helen Rosenthal and Samson Levy, 6 September 1940, Brooklyn license no. 20522; citing New York City Clerk's Office.
15. "U.S., Social Security Death Index, 1935-2014," index, Ancestry (http://www.ancestry.com : accessed 7 December 2016), entry for Helen Levy, April 1981, Brooklyn, Kings Co., NY.

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