November 9, 2023

Buried Treasures

Morris “Mo” Bernstein

Hills of Eternity Mausoleum, Terrace of Hope, fan south, C-3

By Judi Leff

It is hard to condense an appropriate tribute to this man who had such an impact on the Jewish and civic communities for 40 years in San Francisco. Born in New York in 1905, he obtained a Rutgers University law degree but did not practice. A consummate salesman, he once stopped traffic in downtown SF with a truckload of rare nylon stockings he had delivered to the old Weinstein's department store during wartime. His October 13, 1991 obituary in the San Francisco Examiner gives him credit—along with Fairmont Hotel owner Ben Swig and clothing maven Adolph Schuman—for reshaping traditionally Republican San Francisco into "the liberal stronghold of today." READ MORE
October 3, 2023

Buried Treasures

Albert Bender & Anne Bremer

By Judi Leff

It's time for Sukkot, which makes me think of the word “bountiful”. Two of our buried treasures, inextricably linked, are Albert Bender and Anne Bremer. Their bountiful impact on San Francisco, particularly the art world, is not generally known. They lie together, in Home of Peace, related by family, by love, and their passion for art. READ MORE
August 30, 2023

Buried Treasures

Joel Noah

By Judi Leff

I am Judi Leff, the volunteer historian, and member of the Temple Emanu-El Cemetery Committee and the Joint Management Committee for the Jewish Cemeteries in Colma.  This will be the first of what I hope will be a regular feature on the website.

This summer, we had a wonderful day of tours for folks interested in getting to know more about our cemetery history, and what I call our Buried Treasures.  There are a trove of fabulous stories about folks in our cemeteries, both famous and barely known.  These are stories and people I have gotten to know through my interest in the history of Bay Area synagogues.  Their impact on both the Jewish and civic communities cannot be overstated.

 

I feel strongly that spending time getting to know the stories of our buried treasures provides so many opportunities to acknowledge the impact and feel gratitude to those who came before us.  READ MORE

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