I love photographs.  Even blurry black and white snapshots can capture and reveal moments and feelings in ways that words never can.  Thanks to the efforts and care of Joe and Sadie’s grandchildren, I can now put faces to the cold hard data that I had found about their grandparents and their mothers.  I will also add some of these to the posts I’ve already written, but I thought I would also post them here so that they can be seen all in one place also.

The first one is a favorite of mine because for the first time I can see the faces of three of the Rosenzweig brothers, Abraham, Joseph and Jack (in that order from left to right).  It’s remarkable how strong the family resemblance is.  Gerry, Abraham’s grandson, said that this photo was taken at a Mason’s Lodge, date unknown.  I don’t know very much about the Masons, but it seems that all three Rosenzweig brothers were members as was Frank Elkins.  I guess I should learn more about this organization.

Abraham Joseph and John (Jack) Rosenzweig

The rest of the pictures I will try to place in chronological order.  First is a picture of Joe as a young man.

Joe Rosenzweig

He looks so handsome and so well-dressed.  I wonder what the occasion was for this photo.  Was it a wedding picture? Perhaps one of the grandchildren can tell us.

The next image is not actually a photograph, but a page from a Dallas, TX, telephone directory from 1934.  One of the grandchildren had mentioned to me that Joe and Sadie lived in Texas for a while during the Depression.  I had previously seen this directory come up on a search, but had no idea why Joe and Sadie from Brooklyn would be in Texas, so dismissed it as a different couple.  Obviously, this is the same Joe and Sadie Rosenzweig.  I would love to know what Russian-born Sadie and Brooklyn-born Joe thought of Dallas.  They must really have been fish out of water.

Dallas Phone Directory 1934

The next image is a photo, but from a page from the 1942 Tilden High School yearbook.  The photo is of Mildred Rosenzweig, Joe and Sadie’s younger daughter.  It’s a lovely photo, but what is really poignant here is the text beside her picture.  Mildred was active in many school organizations, including Arista, the NYC Honor Society.  She saw herself becoming a vocalist.  And the quote reads in part, “Some day we’ll say…’we knew her when.’” Knowing that Mildred died less than ten years later, leaving behind her young husband and toddler son, makes that comment particularly bittersweet.

Tilden High School 1942 Mildred Rosenzweig

Here is a photo from around the same era of Sadie with their older daughter, Irene.  Irene is dressed in her uniform.  She was a member of the United States Cadet Nurse Corps, as you can see from the card below.

Sadie and Irene Rosenzweig

Irene Rosenzweig Nursing Corps

In 1947, Mildred Rosenzweig married Seymour Sundick.  Here is their wedding picture as well as a picture of Joe taken at the wedding.  Obviously he had a very good time at the wedding!

Mildred Rosenzweig and Seymour Sundick 1947

Here’s is another picture of Mildred from around the same period, looking very happy.

Mildred

And finally here are a few pictures from some later years.  First, another picture of Sadie with her daughter Irene.  And then finally a picture of Joe and a picture of Sadie with Ron, their grandson, Mildred’s son.

Sadie and Irene

Joe Sadie and Ron

I never met any of these people (though I do hope to meet Ron someday soon), but looking at these pictures helps me to understand why Joe and Sadie were so well loved by their entire family.

Related articles

• The Rosenzweig Brothers: A Family Portrait