Sarah Stern

" Die Inschriften des Alten Judenfriedhofes in Wien "

Band II-by Dr. Bernhard Wachstein- pg. 24,25

Note from Michael Moritz:

Duckesz writes that Sarche Wohl's father was Hirz Wohl, which Ettlinger in Ele Toldot writes the same. However, Duckesz writes that Sarche's mother was Golde, daughter of Elias Ballin of Altona. If we look at Ele Toldot, the issue comes to light. Ettlinger shows that Hirz Wohl was married twice, first to Hindel Zons in 1670, and second to Golde bat Elias Ballin in 1690. He writes that Sarche Wohl was married to Jacob Stern in 1699. If he knows that Sarche was married only 9 years after her father married Golde Ballin, it is impossible for Golde to be her mother, but rather she must be the daughter of Hirz's first wife Hindel.

The only qualms I have about this is that is that Duckesz writes Golde Ballin married Hirz Wohl in 1676. How possibly could that be the case when Ettlinger has written that Hirz Wohl was married first in 1670 to Hindel and second in 1690 to Golde? How can they differ by 14 years? My answer to this is that Duckesz had the wrong couple. Duckesz wrote the following: "a daughter Golde married Hertz Metz in 1676; they moved to Frankfurt, and he assumed the name Hirz Wohl there." Here's the problem with Duckesz' reasoning: Ettlinger provides multiple generations of Hirz Wohl's ancestors: 1) they all lived in Frankfurt; and 2) they all had the last name Wohl. What do I think Duckesz did? I think he saw a marriage record for a Golde bat Eliyahu who married a Hirsch and concluded (like many would with that information) that this in fact was Golde Ballin marrying Hirz Wohl. He, however, was mistaken, as he shows this Golde married a Hirz Metz, and we know that is not the same person as the Hirz Wohl of Frankfurt, and as Ettlinger proves, the dates of marriage don't fit.

And the clincher: if we are to believe that Sarche's mother was Hindel Zons and not Golde Ballin, we should look at Hindel's parents. Her parents' names were Jechiel Michel Zons and Rifke Wetzlar. Sarche named two of her children Michel and Rifka. This would fit perfectly, as those were her grandparents names.

The only downside in this is no longer being descended from Nathan Spanier, the man who was granted permission from the King of Denmark for Jews to live in Altona, but oh well! It also means that the first half of Chapter 4 in the Familiengeschichte der Jekew Cohn is completely incorrect...