Previous Chanukah Posts

א פרייליכן חנוכה 

Chanukah 1939 

דאס שפיעלן איסט וויעדער אסור כמקדם

Bundestag der Agudas Jisroel Chanukah 1927

Bundestag Der Agudas Jisroel
Jugendorganisation Frankfurt a M
חנוכה תרפ"ח
24 -26. 12. 1927

An (to)
Cilly Kaufman
Wien II Bz.
Gr. Schiffgasse 18
Die bestern Grusse V.
(Best regards from)

Chanukah 1927 the Agudas Yisroel Jugendorganisation convened a conference for Jewish youth in Frankfurt am Main. Young men and women from many countries attended; one of Ma's friends or relatives who attended the conference sent her a postcard commemorating the event. 

If anyone can identify the name of Ma's friend or relative it would be appreciated.

"The Frankfurt artist Fritz Schammes produced a commemorative card
for the Bundastag with the motto
Torah - Avodah - Gemilas Chasodim
It was printed in black and white by Hermon Publishing"Der Isrealit December 22, 1927

Uncle David's Zichronos (Part I)

Uncle David Breuer
Dally's uncle
(1903 - c. 1970)

Uncle David (pronounced דאַוִיד) Breuer, Dally’s uncle, recorded his memories shortly before his passing. The recordings in an Oberlander Yiddish may be somewhat difficult to understand.

We are posting a small clip where Uncle David talks about, his father, Zalmon Breuer's passing and Dally’s Pidyon Haben, which took place during these days of כסליו over one hundred years ago.

The Breuer's house
Sopron

The Breuer's were originally from Mattersdorf, Zalmon, Dally's grandfather, and his brothers moved to the nearby city of Sopron. 

The Matzeiva of Zalmon Breuer
Dally's grandfather
Mattersdorf

 Zalmon passed away in 1907 in Vienna after an unsuccessful surgery, and was brought to Mattersdorf for burial near his parents.

We have tried to transcribe and translate as accurately as possible, however we added some details to the English translation to make it more comprehensible.
 
(We would suggest reading the English translation, and perhaps the Yiddish transcription too, before listening; it should make it easier to follow the recording.)

We were six brothers and three sisters, Sabina Stroh (Dally's mother) was the oldest and I was the youngest.

When I was born (February 1903) my brother Lajos (אלעזר צבי), who was learning by R’ Yosef Tzvi Dushinsky in the Galanta Yeshiva, telegrammed my father requesting permission to attend my bris; the response was no. The reason for his response was not due to the expense of transit, which was in any case minimal; my father was concerned about the Bitul Torah the trip would cause.

Ha'Rav Yosef Tzvi Dushinsky
Rav of Galanta and Chust
Later he was the Rav of Yerusholayim
Dally's Uncle אלעזר צבי ברייער
bought Rabbi Dushinsky his first Shtreimel

Lajos (אלעזר צבי) was the gabai in the Galanta Yeshiva, and he was the one to buy the first shtreimel for the Rebbe (R’ Dushinsky), it was given as a Purim gift.

"I have no recollection of my sister Sabine Stroh's wedding"
Dally's parents
Berthold and Sabine Stroh

I have no recollection of my sister Sabina Stroh’s wedding, but I do remember my nephew Edwin Stroh’s (Dally) birth.

I can only remember two episodes concerning my father  ז"ל (Zalmon Breuer, Dally's grandfather) . I remember him holding me on his lap. I also recall awakening from his bed on מוצאי שבת, getting dressed and leaving from Sopron (where the Breuer's lived) to Vienna for an operation. The Professor Gershuni demanded two thousand Kronen in advance.

My father Zalmon Breuer passed away [in Vienna on Wednesday], and the burial took place Friday in Mattersdorf. The Pidyon Haben of Edwin Stroh (Dally) was on Friday. From the Pidyon Haben we got up and went to the לויה.

The Mattersdorf Rav
R' Simchah Bunim Ehrenfeld זצ"ל
He had unfortunately suffered from a stroke

Rav Menachem Sofer
Son-in-law of
The Mattersdorfer Rav
He was Maspid Dally's grandfather
Zalmon Breuer

The Mattersdofer Rav R’ Simchah Bunim Ehrenfeld had unfortunately suffered from a stroke, therefore his son-in-law the Maras-Vaserhely Rav, R’ Menachem Sofer delivered the hesped. This was in the year 1907. Understandably there were hespedim after the shiva and the shloshim.

A number of years ago I heard that at the time of the tielung (division) between the Orthodox and the Neolog (Hungarian Reform) Movement (which took place in 1869), our father, as a young bochur, helped further the Orthodox cause.

On the first day of Yom Tov my father would not smoke, only on the second day.

The Shul in Sopron
As it appears today
The Shul was founded
by the Breuer Brothers

If on occasion he went to Shul for Mincha and he happened not to have his hat, he would daven in his kappel, but he would not go to his permanent seat instead he would daven all the way in the back.

Uncle Avrohom Schicsha
A brother in law of Zalmon Breuer

 The … of the לויה I do not recall. Nini, the mother of Avrohom Muller of Genf, Switzerland, stayed at the house of her father Uncle Avrohom Schischa  (Avrohom Schischa's wife was a sister of Zalmon Breuer she was sitting shiva, and her daughter must of come to their home in Sopron to help care for the family.); I recall the davening during the Shiva. My father’s yahrzeit is ז' כסליו.

Uncle David Breuer

   

Following is the Yiddish Transcription

מיר ווארען זעקס ברידער און דריי שוועסטער, דער עלטסטער וואר סאבינא שטראה, איך וואר דער יונגסטע.

ווען איך בין געבוירען האט מיין ברודער לויאש אין גאלאנטע ביי הרב דושינסקי געלערנט, און טעלעגראפירטע אויב ער אויף ברית קומען קאן, דער צוריק ענטוואר וואר ניין, עס האנדעלט זיך נישט וועגען דעם מינימילע רייזעשפעזען, זאנדערן וועגען ביטול תורה.

ער וואר אין דער ישיבה גבאי, און קויפט ער אים אויף פורים דעם ערשטע שטריימל דעם רבי.

אויף דער חתונה פון מיין שוועסטער שטראה קאן איך נישט מיך ערינערין. אויף די געבורטס פון עדווין יא.

אויף מיין פאטער ז"ל, קען איך מיך אויף צוויי עפיזוידען ערינען, ווי ער מיך אין זיינע שויס געהאלטען האבט, און ווי ער מוצאי שבת פון בעט אויפגעשטאנען איז, און זיך אנגעגליידערט, און נאך וויען צו אפעראציאן געפארען איז, דער פרופעסער גרשוני האט צוויי טויזענט קרוינען אין ? פארלאנגט,

??? ער איז ? געשטארבען, ערב שבת צו קבורה אין מאטערסדארף געקומען. דער פדיון פון עדווין עבענוואר וואר ערב שבת געוועזען, פון פדיון איז זי אויפגעשטאנען און צו לויה געפארען.

דער מאטערסדארפער רב, רב שמחה בונם וואר שוין דעמאלטס ליידער, זיין שוויגער זוהן דער מארעש-וואשארהעלי רב סופר האט איין הספד געהאלטען, אין יאהרע ניינצען הונרעט זיבען. און פארשיינליך נאך דער שבעה און נאך דער שלושים.יעמען זאגט פאר אייניגע יארן ווען אונזער פאטער אלץ יונגער בחור ביי די טיילונג פון אורטאדאקסען און ניאולוגין האט צוגעהאלפן האבט.

אם ערשטען טאג יו"ט האט ער ני גערויכט נאר אם צווייטען טאג.

ווען ער צו מנחה אין שול געגאנגען איז, און זיין הוט צופעליג ניט פארהאנדען וואר, איז ער מיט דער קאפעל געגאנגען, אבער ער איז נישט אויף זיין פלאץ געגאנגען פון זיין שטאט, נאר שטייט גאנץ ריקוועק און דארט געדאווענט.

דער עמפארט פון דער לוי' קען איך ניט ערינען. ניני ? דער מוטער פון אברהם מיללער אין גענף? דער וואינונג פון אנקעל שישא געפירט האבען אויף דער שבעה און דאווענען ערינער איך נאך. דער יאהרצייט איז ז' כסליו. 

The accuracy of Dally’s Pidyon being on Friday ט' כסליו is questionable since he was born ז' חשון his Pidyon should have been Thursday ח' כסליו.

ת"ח לש"ב הר' פייוויש ברייער בעד התמונות משאפראן. התמונה של ר' אברהם שישא ז"ל הוא מתוך קונטרס שי"ל לרגל היארצייט של נכדו ר' אברהם שישא מלונדון ז"ל

Flight from Vienna 1938

An airmail letter from Dally to Ma From Königsberg
written ערב שבת שובה 1938
Dally was planning to flee to America alone
through Riga, Latvia

We are posting an airmail letter from Dally to Ma, written Friday September 30th 1938. From the address on the envelope it is apparent that Ma was staying with her parents. It is very difficult for us to imagine the situation in Vienna at that time. We are not sure if this was before or after Dally's arrest by the Gestapo ימ"ש.

The letter was written from Königsberg, Prussia to Vienna. The content of the letter is not entirely clear. We would greatly appreciate if anyone can help us translate the letter or shed some light on the circumstances regarding Dally's trip to Riga, Latvia at that time. Following are some facts that we have put together based on the letter and other documentation.

In March of 1938 Hitler ימ"ש and his Nazi henchmen took over the Austrian government. The situation of Austrian Jews, the majority of which lived in Vienna, became extremely grave. However, no one dreamed of the enormity of the catastrophe which awaited them. The consensus was that it was dangerous for young able bodied men to stay in Vienna as many of them were being arrested daily. It is against this background that the letter was written.

From Dally's German passport, stamped with the red J for "Jude-Jew" that was issued by the Nazis September 19th 1938, it is apparent that he applied for a visa to travel to Latvia. Towards the end of September 1938 (ימים נוראים תרצ"ט) he received a visa which was valid from September 28th (צום גדליה) thru October 4th (ערב יום כיפור תרצ"ט). He traveled through Berlin and Koenigsberg on the way to Riga. It is not clear to us if he actually arrived in Riga. It seems, his plan was to flee to America, alone without his family, through Riga, a port city. After having arranged the particulars of his escape he was returning to Vienna to say good bye.

Telegram sent by Dally requesting one hundred Mark
and notifying Ma that he would arrive in Vienna on Tuesday (ערב יום כיפור)

Dally begins the letter, mentioning the telegram he sent requesting additional finances. He then discusses the difficulties in catching his train, apparently from Berlin to Latvia. 

Dally got stuck in Königsberg (on his way back from Riga?) over שבת and was not able to make it to Berlin where it seems he had originally planned to spend שבת. 

Receipt for the 100 Mark
Ma wired to Dally in Königsberg

In the letter Dally mentions that he heard the news of the "4 Machte Konferenz" - The Conference of the Four Powers, that morning. That conference was part of the appeasement plan where the governments of Italy, France and England agreed to the transfer of Sudetenland, Czechoslovakia to Germany. Upon his return to Britain, Chamberlain, Britain's Prime Minister, delivered his famous "Peace for our time" speech to delighted crowds in London.

If we understand the letter correctly, Dally writes that after looking at a photograph of Ma he decided that it would not be embarrassing at all if Ma were to accompany him  to America with the children. At that time there was no plan for the entire family to emigrate because it was extremely difficult to flee with small children and they just did not realize the danger to women and children (Kristallnacht was still some six weeks away).

Ma used to relate how Dally fled Vienna alone; he  couldn't live with that decision and decided to return home to Vienna.

Page 1 of the Letter
Dearest Cilla עמ"ש,
You surely received my telegram and post card ...

Konigsberg Pr. 30. IX.1938

Liebste Cilla עמ"ש!

Meine Karte und Telegramm wirst Du ja bekommen haben. Also wie Du weisst sind wir in Berlin mit einer halbstündigen Verspätung angekommen statt um 7: 50 h. um 8:25 h. Um 9 h. ging da zug von hinein anderen Bahnhof (Schlesischen) weiter wir hatten ihn bequem erreicht doch durch ein Missverstandnis fahren wir zum Stettiner Bahnhof von dort gehts auch nach Riga ubers Meer das war aber falsch, es war 8:45 Koffer waren von Taxi schon unten noch ein mal hinauf frisches Taxi zum Bahnhof Friedrich Strasse (Modling) 8:53 zug war weg wieter zum Schlesischen wir kommen hin und der zug rolld aus der Halle. Wir haben uns sehr geärgert ich habe schon geglaubt es wird sehr spat sein. Dann haben wir von der 4 machte konferenz gehort. Um ½ 1 hr. nachts fahren wir weiter ich schon mit dem gedanken wenns in ordnung geht fahrst du zruck wir kamen um ½ 8 h. früh an die zeitungen brachten schon alles. Ich habe dein gesicht (Fotagrafie) angeschaut und habe gesehen dass es dich nicht genieren wird wenn wir zusammen mit unsren lieben kindern nach Amerika aus Wien fahren werden. Da es leider unmöglich war heute vor שבת nach Berlin zukommen, bin ich gezwungen hier in Konigsberg über שבת zu bleiben und komme ב"ה am Montag oder Dienstag nach house, hoffentlich werde ich das geld zur zeit bekommen. Sollest du mir schreiben wollen so eventnel zu Max Adler Berlin NW 87 File Wardenberg st 6. hier nichts … Es grusst und kusst dich dein Edwin

Hoffentlich habt ihr beim telegram Koengsberg PR (Preussen) gescriben. Was macht Fritz & Erno? Das hab ich alles der l. Schwiegermutter zu verdanken. Weil bevor ich nach Amerika fahre ich direkt von konigsberg nach Wien 1524 km fahre um mich von der l. Schwiegermutter עמו"ש zu verabschieden

Page 2
... then heard about the 4 Machte Conference ...
... I saw your face (in a photograph) and I realized 
it would not be embarrassing if we traveled together 
to America with our dear children ...

Page 3
Monday or Tuesday I should arrive in Vienna...
Your Edwin
How are Erno and Fritz?...

Page 4
I will be traveling directly from Konigsberg 
1524 Kilometers, just to say good bye 
to my mother-in-law before I leave to America

כתיבה וחתימה טובה תרצ"א

שנה טובה card
Send by Dally to Opi Kaufman his future father-in-law
ערב ראש השנה תרצ"א
Edwin Stroh
Representitive of the firm of M. Sternfeld
Wishes a כתיבה וחתימה טובה

Postmark: Wien IX.22.30
Family Lazar Kaufmann
Wien
II. Gr. Schiffgasse 18

Buying Seats for Yomim Noraim

The Schiffschul in Vienna
קהל עדת ישראל
The Strohs sat near the מזרח וואנט

 in the second row from the front

on the right hand side of the Shul

In many communities it is customary to "buy" seats in the men and women's sections of the Shul for the Yomim Noraim. 

The Strohs in Vienna were mispalelim in the famous עדת ישראל Schiffschull. Dally's father Dov (Berthold) was one of the Gaboim there. 

Copy of the Schifschull תקנות (printed in 1908)
Rules pertaining to the leasing of seats

The תקנות of the Schifschull were printed in a small pamphlet, in 1908, which we found very interesting. We are translating the תקנות pertaining to the leasing of the seats.

Leasing of Seats

41) The leasing of the Seats in the Schul is under the auspices of the acting Gaboim, as long as they do not contradict the תקנות. 

42) The possessor of the seat has the right to request the שמש to free up his seat if it is occupied by someone else.

43) The first three rows in the middle section and the corresponding four rows on the side sections are reserved, at an agreed upon higher price, for worthy בעלי בתים of the community. In case of necessity, the chairman has the right to sell the seats at a reduced rate. The גבאים in consultation with the chairman will decide regarding seats that have not been sold. 

Dally's Schul Eintrittskarte (Entrance Card)
For ימים נוראים of the year 5699 (1938-9)
The Schifschul was destroyed on Kristallnacht by the Nazi's ימ"ש
ט"ז מרחשון תרצ"ט (Nov. 10, !938)
 Dally & Ma fled Vienna in December 1938

Reverse of the Schul Eintrittskarte
With excerpts of the Schul Takanos
translated below

Translation:

(front of card)

This card must be shown upon demand each time one uses the Schul, particularly on ראש השנה and יום כיפור. Only the leaser whose name appears on this card may make use of this seat.

It is prohibited to sell or lease this seat further. If one sells the seat he losses his rights in the future.

The rights for this seat are valid for this year only, and there may be no legal claims for the future.  

(reverse of cards) 

Excerpts from the Schul Takanos

Each visitor of the Schul is required, in the general interest, to fulfill all the Schul Takanos meticulously.

It is officially forbidden to linger in the aisles. The שמשים will be present to strictly enforce these rules.  

It is not permissible to place articles of clothing on the benches; there is a cloakroom available for the use of seat holders.

It is strictly forbidden to enter the Schul on יום כיפור or תשעה באב with leather shoes.

The provisions regarding the use of the seats are posted by the officers on the bulletin board.

Comments or complaints may be brought to the Schul officers whose names are posted at the entrance of the Schul. 

Omi's (Ma's mother's) Eintrittskarte (Entrance Card)
For ימים נוראים of the year 5698 (1937-8)
  Opi & Omi fled Vienna in 1939

Reverse of the Schul Eintrittskarte
With excerpts of the Schul Takanos
translated above

How do you spell Silka?

"This set belongs to the first baby
that is named after me.
With love,
Ma"

בלי עין הרע, there are already a number of Ma’s descendant’s named after her.  Her children, grandchildren, great grandchildren and great great grandchildren called her Ma. Relatives and friends called her Tante Cilla, Aunty Cilla, or just Cilla. We don’t know of any one who called her by her proper Yiddish name Silka.

After Ma passed away there was much discussion as to the proper spelling of the name Silka. The name Silka is actually Yiddish, not לשון הקודש. (It may be a variant of Shulamis). 

On Ma's grandmother's מצבה
the name is spelled סולקה

Ma was named after her maternal grandmother Silka Deutsch nee Schick. Silka Deutsch passed away in 1903 and is buried in Vienna. If we take a look at Ma's grandmother's מצבה we will notice that Silka is spelled סולקה, with a סמ"ך and a ווא"ו at the beginning and a ה"א at the end.

Ma at the קברים of her parents
Notice שם אמה צילקא
Written on the bottom of Ma's mother's מצבה

Now, if we look at Ma’s mother’s מצבה in the Vienner section of the בית החיים in Woodbridge N.J., we will notice that her grandmother’s name is spelled צילקא, with a צדי"ק and a יו"ד at the beginning and an אל"ף at the end.

The בית שמואל in Shulchan Aruch Even HaEzer when discussing the name Silka writes that the proper spelling is, סילקא או סולקא או זולקא. The name should definitely end with an אל"ף. He then adds that the various spellings are depended on the different pronunciations of the name. Based on this it seems that the spelling on the מצבות mentioned above are incorrect.

On Ma's מצבה
her name is spelled סילקא

On Ma’s מצבה her name is spelled סילקא, with a סמ"ך and a יו"ד at the beginning and an אל"ף at the end. The assumption was that since her name was pronounced Silka and not Sulka, therefore according to the בית שמואל mentioned above, it should be spelled סילקא.

On Ma's כתובה
her name is spelled סולקא

When we later found Ma’s כתובה, which was probably prepared by הר' ישעי' פירשט זצ"ל the Rav of the Schiffschull in Vienna, we found that her name was spelled סולקא, with a סמ"ך and a ווא"ו at the beginning and an אל"ף at the end.

Ma's signature סולקא

The reason for this may be that in Vienna the name was pronounced with a slightly different accent, Rabbi Furst may also have been aware that the name was actually סולקא with a ווא"ו. 

Ma’s grandfather after whose wife Ma was named was also at the חתונה, he may have notified Rabbi Furst that the name was סולקה, which is how he had it inscribed on his wife’s מצבה. (Although the ה"א at the end is definitely incorrect.)

Regards from Slotfina 1941

Ma's grandfather Yitzchok Nachman Kaufman
Grete Bauer nee Kaufman (Ma's sister)
Hersh Kaufman (Ma's uncle)
Slotfina 1926

Ma’s parents Opi (Lazar Kaufmann) and Omi (Malvine מלכה), arrived in the United States in 1940. Their daughters, Cilla (Ma) and Ditha (Aunty) and their families, had arrived some time earlier. The youngest daughter Grete, her husband Erno Bauer and family remained in Europe. 

In September 1941 Grete who was living in Szombathely, Hungary traveled with her daughter Matika to visit her grandfather (Opi's father) Yitzchok Nachman Kaufman in Slotfina (today Solotvyno, Ukraine).

Grete sent a letter from Slotfina to her parents Opi and Omi in America. The Slotfiner grossvater, Yitzchok Nachman added a few lines in Yiddish at the end of the letter. He also sends regards to his children and their families who had settled in the United States many years earlier.

Letter sent by Yitzchok Nachman from Slotfina
to his son Lazar (Ma's father, Opi)
אלול תש"א

טייער קינדער לייזער עט ליבע מאלוויען

איער קאנט אייך דענקען וואס אָפרייט די טייערע גרעטע האט אנש פערשאפין, אויך מיט איערע  [זיסע?] טאכטער מאטיליע, אם בעראפין איז זי זיס. [זיי] זענען ב"ה גיזונד. דאס זעלבע זאלין מיר פון אייך [נאר?] הערען. מיר גריסען אייך צי פיעל מאל. וואס מאכען אייערע זיסיע קינדער? וויא געט ... פיר דער ליבא צילשיא, דיטויא מיט איערין ליבען קינד?

איך גריסיע אויך מיינע ליבע קינדער:
ליבע חוה עט פאמליע

ליבער אברהם יהודא עט פאמיליע

ליבע משה ליב עט פאמליע

פון אייער פאטיר איציק נחמן קויפמאן

איציק נחמן קויפמאן

English translation:

Precious Children Lazer and Dear Malvine,

You can imagine how much we enjoyed dear Grete. We also enjoyed her sweet daughter Matile, she is umberufen sweet. They are ב"ה well. May we hear the same from you. We are sending you many regards. How are your sweet children? How are things with Dear Cilla, Dita and her child [Eva Bauer- Stief]? 

I am sending regards to my dear children:
dear Chava and family,
dear Avrahom Yehuda and family,
dear Moshe Leib and family.

From your father Itzik Nachman Kaufman

This visit is also mentioned in a letter that Grete sent to Opi and Omi on her return from Slotfina see here. It was probably the last time that Grete saw her Grandfather.

Less than three years later, Yitzchok Nachman, his dear granddaughter Grete and her children, Matika and Eva shared the same tragic fate as millions of Europe's Jews הי"ד.

יאהרצייט ר"ח סיון

Yitzchok Nachman Kaufmann הי"ד
Ma's father's father
The Slotfiner Grossvater
יאהרצייט ר"ח סיון

Yitzchok Nachman's Yahrzeit is ר"ח סיון. He is among the many קדושי אונגארן who were murdered by the Nazis ימח שמם in the spring of 1944.

Following is a description of the deportation of the Jews of Yitzchok Nachman's shtetl, Slotfina (today Solotvyno, Ukraine). It is loosely translated from ספר הזכרון לקהלת מארמאראש.

The Slotfina Ghetto was liquidated, and its inhabitants were deported to Auschwitz in two transports. The first transport left on Shabbos the 27^th of Iyar 1944. The second transport left the following Tuesday ר"ח סיון. 

Before the deportation the Jews were forced into the local school and searched for anything of value. They underwent degrading and cruel treatment by the hands of the Nazis ימ"ש. Others were brought to the local airport from where they were deported. They were forced to run to the train station some two kilometers from town dragging their children and packages.

The railway wagons were overloaded with some 75-85 persons per wagon. As they were forced into the wagons members of families were separated and it was a heart wrenching scene. The heartless Hungarian Gendarmes were not moved in the slightest ימח שמם.

Many קדושים died in the wagons on the way to Auschwitz. 


The Rav הרה"צ ר' חיים יצחק אייזק האלבערשטאם הי"ד spoke דברי תורה in his wagon and talked much about the concept of קידוש השם.

In one wagon the Vizhnitzer Chosid R’ Bendit Cahana הי"ד danced a חסידישע ריקוד, and in the crowded wagon people made place for him, he breathed inspiration into their souls.

Our Great Grandfather, Ma’s father Yitzchok Nachman Kaufman, and many members of his family were among the קדושים of Slotfina who were murdered by the Nazi’s ימח שמם.

May Hashem avenge his blood and may he be a מליץ יושר for all his many descendants.

Weinkellerei David Stroh & Sohn - The Stroh Winery

The young man sitting at the desk is
Dally's Uncle Emil (מנחם) Stroh (1880-1958?).

Since U. Emil was born in 1880 is it possible that the older man standing
is his father David Stroh (1834-1905),
and the picture was taken before 1905.
The young fellow standing in the back left may be
Dally's father Berthold Stroh.
The S on the barrels probably stands for Stroh
Photo courtesy of Mr. Stern of Monsey, NY (Uncle Emil's nephew)
If any one has any further info. please let us know.

David Stroh, Dally's grandfather was a wine merchant. When Ma was asked if the Strohs' wine was kosher, she would say, no, it was nesech (יין נסך).

Many תשובות have been written on the subject of Jews dealing with non-kosher wine. Wine production was a very common means of income for Ashkenazi Jews as early as the times of the Rishonim.

Many families in Eisenstadt were vintners of fine wine. Among them was the well known Wolf Family, cousins of the Strohs, who had a world famous winery located in the Jewish quarter of Eisenstadt. 

Oesterreichische Weinkellerei
Himberg
an der Staatsbahn
David Stroh's Sohne
Wien, II, Haidgasse 10
Weinhandlung und Weingutsbesitzer
Gegrundet 1820
K.K. Oster. Postspark Cto. No. 828779
Kgl. Ung. Postsparc Conto No. 1212
Telegramme: David Stroh Wien II/1

Austrian wine cellars
Himberg at the State Railway
David Stroh's Sons
Vienna Second District
10 Haidgasse
Wine dealers and winery owners
Established 1820
Austrian Kaiser Post Park Account no. 828779
Hungarian Royal Post Park Account no. 1212
Telegrams: David Stroh Vienna II/1

A label from a bottle of Stroh's wine

Not much is known about the Stroh winery. On a copy of a bottle label and on a company letterhead that Ma had, it states that the winery was founded in 1820. It is not clear if the Strohs were the original founders.

Entries in the catalog of the Austrian-Hungarian Merchants 1890

In an 1890 catalog of Austrian-Hungarian merchants, mention is made of the Stroh winery in Kismarton (Hungarian name for Eisenstadt). At that time the winery was run by David Stroh. He was also selling 8 year old slivovitz. Later the winery was called David Stroh & Sons, and eventually David Stroh's sons.

Another photo of The Stroh Winery
The man in the center on the left is Dally's Uncle Willy Stroh.
Notice the sign on the upper right
you can see the last few letter of Kellerei and the hn of Sohn.
Apparently this photo was taken years after the previous photo.
The W.S. on the barrels is for William Stroh
who was running the winery at the time.
Photo courtesy of Tommy Lamm of Efrat, Eretz Yisroel (a Figdor descendant)

We know that David Stroh's son-in-law, Uncle Sigmund Figdor also worked for the winery at one time. Uncles Willy and Emil Stroh were also in the business, we don't know if Dally's father Berthold was also involved in wine making. Until when the winery was active has not yet been ascertained.

The winery was located in Himberg, a town just south of Vienna. From the letterhead and from David Stroh's death record it is apparent that in the first decade of the twentieth century there business office at 10 Haidgasse in the second District of Vienna. That house was inhabited by Dally's parents until they fled Vienna in 1939.

Dally saying L'chaim at a Stroh simchah
1976

It is interesting to note that when Dally arrived in the United States one of his first business ventures was the sale of wine. Dally was a good salesman. He would travel by subway with Ma and they would sell kosher wine to Dally's many acquaintances. As Ma would say, Dally knew just so many people.