Nov
1929
[Received],
from Dr. Grunwald, Rabbi in Vienna, and son-in-law of the late Dr. J.S. Bloch.
The latter was a great friend of my Uncle Oberrabbiner Wilhelm Reich ז"ל of Baden bei Wien, who died on 17th
of Tammuz 5689-1929. When my uncle visited me a few years ago, just after the
death of Dr. Bloch, he told me that B. was running about from library to
library with books under his arm working on his last two books, The story of
his life “My Reminiscences” and Israel u. die Volker (also translated “Israel
and the Nations”). “That,” he said, “probably killed him”. He (my uncle), being
then just over 70, said, that at that time in life things must be taken
leisurely. He would like to write more books, “but it’s no use killing
yourself”. Nevertheless he died “killing himself”. The heat last July in Vienna
was very terrible, and on the 16th of Tammuz he attended a funeral
where he delivered a “Hesped” (funeral oration). As he bent down afterwards to
throw the first earth upon the coffin, he collapsed either from a sun-stroke or
heart failure and never recovered consciousness. He died the same night at the
age of 76. – I can for myself, truly say: deeply mourned. זכר צדיק
לברכה
C.
D.
24/11/29
Dr.
Bloch was a great friend of mine. – He encouraged me when I was a very young
man, and printed articles & notes from me, while I was still at Pressburgh
in the Yeshivah, and I was a constant contributor to his “Oesterreichisthe
Wochenschrift” even while in London right till the outbreak of the war in 1914.
– A clever and learned man, very jovial and friendly. He was, at one time, a
great power in the Vienna Jewish community. As a journalist he was not liked by
everybody, but he had a great following. It was through his influence that his
son-in-law Dr. Grunwald was elected Rabbi in Vienna. There are a good many
bon-mots still in circulation from & about him.
C. D.
hat-tip: Yitzchak Stroh
Interesting. Thanks
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