Photoessay #1935 - Mishkan Israel Cemetery

For my mother, my cousin, for me, Mishkan Israel Cemetery is center of the historical universe. And I never lived in New Haven. My mother would always want to go to the cemetery to visit her relatives from the old Bavarian Jewish families. My cousin and her husband do any special maintenance to make sure that the sites look nice.

I've always enjoyed learning about these families who came to New Haven in the 1840s and 1850s mostly from Bavaria and formed the core of the original Jewish community. The formed Temple Mishkan Israel and started the Horeb Lodge of the B'nai B'rith. Many became successful businessmen and factory owners and their families participated in a lively social scene.

I go and visit and take pictures; last time in November. I was a little distressed that day because I was looking for my parent's gravesites for the first time since their committal in July 2010. Heavy leaves covered the grass in the area we remembered. But at first we couldn't find it. Myself, my cousin Mary Ann and her husband searched the area, focused, kicking the leaves away, looking back at the large tree for perspective. Kicking kicking the leaves. We finally found it, whew.

We checked everybody out including my current focus, Maier Zunder and his family. Right in the center of other family members. With his two wives and some of his children. I had never noticed that 'Z' on the top. I don't know what the shape on the top means. The round thing with the drapery?

There's some connection for me there....