Prof, David Merzbach M.Sc, Ph.D. and Bella Mcrzbach (nee Emanuel)
         Head of Department of Microbiology, Rambam Medical Center and
         Professor of Microbiology, Rappaport Faculty of Medicine, Technion, Haifa (Retired)

104 Rav Uziel, Jerusalem, 9643 1,

Tel.(972-2) 02-64478 13;

damerz@intermaiI.co.il

40 years since the reunion of Jerusalem with the liberation of the Western Wall

To all members of the Merzbach reunion in Pirn-Offenbach (June 2007)
and especially to the families David Lewin and Prof. Robert Jesselson.
Shalom and heartiest greetings!

Although we are not able to attend this reunion,, we do appreciate the
efforts of all our family members to organize this reunion and to attend
this meeting.  We are sure how important it is to recollect the genealogy
of all Merzbach descendants all over the world and how difficult it has been.
Hereby we send you our best wishes. We are sure that our close relatives
and friends from Jerusalem, Mr. Jacob (George) Merzbach with his son Nathan
will represent us in the most honorable way.

Both Bella and 1 were born in Ffm and as young children we were not
able to understand that serious events are going to develop in Germany
against the Jewish people. Recently we saw a public call published in
August 1914 calling all young Jews to draft voluntarily to the army of
OUR HOMELAND (Vaterland!). Our father and my uncle obeyed this
call and even received the distinguished medal called: Eisernes Kreuz.
But in 1938 this uncle was arrested with thousands of Jews and sent to the
concentration camps. My father. Dr. med Arnold (Aharon Haim) Merzbach,
a senior Doctor of Medicine in Ffm. was not allowed to continue his senior
academic pathway. At that time I, David, saw with my own eyes in November
1938 how Jews were attacked in the street, how Jewish houses and flats
were destroyed in these pogroms, how our large synagogue was burnt and
destroyed and how Jews with Polish nationality were evacuated to Poland
but were sent back to Ffm as refugees .Visiting Germany again in 2000 we

saw all the thousands stones on the wall of the old destroyed cemetery of

all those who were sent and killed in the Gas chambers. In this unforgettable

holocaust also many of our family members were killed.                                                                                

I was sent with my brother and two sisters by our parents to Holland
(Kinder-Transport) in January 1939. Thanks G’d, Baruch Hashem, our
parents could leave Germany at March 1939( without any belongings)
and so all our family could come and settle then in Israel.

We do know that these bad spirits are not dominant today in Germany
but for us these severe memories cause very mixed feelings.

We look with real respect on this generation of Merzbach’s before 175
years, and to their memory you came to this reunion. Also earlier
generations were all religious Shabbat keeping families. Especially we
think of Aharon Haim Merzbach (the father of Sigmund Esriel Merzbach)
who died in 1816. His father was Rabbi Jacob Merzbach (died in 1791),

a Dayan (a Jewish Judge), son in law of the author of an important Jewish

law book in Fuerth, (all these were real Zaddikim, keeping all Jewish
laws and tradition).

We think that very many families, who continue to keep the tradition of
these old generations, live in Israel but were not able to come to the
Merzbach Reunion hi Offenbach.

Therefore we suggest to organize another reunion here in Israel as early
as possible, where many members could attend. Surely all of you would
be welcomed wholeheartedly. Many of our families could help in
preparing necessary arrangements.

We end this letter with best wishes to everyone for a successful and
interesting meeting and reunion.

Lehitraot, Leshana Haba'ah BiJerushalayim

Yours Sincerely

David and Bella Merzbach