Each month in this space,
L'Chayim will look back into issues
of The Jewish News to see what
was happening in the local Jewish
community or in the Diaspora 10, 20
and 40 years ago.

40 YEARS AGO

After two years in captivity, the
last Israeli war prisoner in Syrian
hands was released. The first group
of Catholic pilgrims visited
Jerusalem in the Vatican-proclaimed
Holy Year.

The new Dexter-Davison branch
of The Jewish Community Center
was dedicated. The Detroit Jewish

community made plans to celebrate
its centennial.

20 YEARS AGO

directors, addressed the Israel Bond
Dinner.

10 YEARS AGO

Ruins of a building destroyed
by the Romans in 70 CE were
discovered in the Jewish Quarter of
Jerusalem's Old City. A bus carrying
American tourists was ambushed in
the Hebron area.

Prime Minister Menachem
Begin recieved a petition calling for
the annexation of the Golan
Heights. Rabbi Isaac Stollman,
national leader of the Orthodox
rabbinate, died in Jerusalem at age
86.

Thirty-five Detroiters travelled by
bus to New York for the
commemoration of the 19th yahrtzeit
of the late Lubavitcher Rebbe,
Rabbi Joseph Schneersohn. Hu
Klaus, one of Israel's leading stage

A book-casette program to
teach about the Holocaust was
created by a survivor living in Oak
Park. The new sanctuary of Young
Israel of Southfield received a
design award for its architects.

Belmont 'Raced To Marrano Origins

By BETTY PROVIZER STARKMAN

BELMONT/BELMONTE is an
old Jewish surname used by both
Ashkenazic and Sephardic families.
This name can be traced to
Portuguese/Dutch Marrano
ancestors whose origins were in the
city of Belmonte, Portugal. Cecil
Roth, in his 1957 book, The
Marranos discusses this family at
great length. They were a titled
group of poets and diplomats.
Diego Nunez Belmonte
(1570-1629) was born a Marrano,
changed his name to Jacob Israel
and became a founder of the
Jewish community of Amsterdam.
August Belmont (1816-1890),
born in Germany, became a noted
American banker, diplomat and
politician. He represented the
interests of his cousins, the
Rothschilds, in the United States,
Italy and with the Vatican. His wife
was the daughter of Commodore
Matthew Perry.

In 1917, R.J.H. Gottheil wrote
The Belmont/Belmonte Family. The
Jewish Encyclopedia has several
articles, a family tree and a coat of
arms.

Although seldom heard of, the
city of Belmonte is still of Jewish
historical interest. In 1917, a group
of Belmonte Marranos (secret Jews)
were found to be following old
Jewish traditions despite the
passage of 450 years since the
Inquisition. Since the founding of
the State of Israel, small groups of
Belmonte Marranos have moved
there and undergone Orthodox
conversions. Just recently The
Jerusalem Post carried an article
about the circumcisions of a group
of new arrivals from Belmonte.
Many years ago we viewed in the
small museum of Belmonte a

L-4

FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 2, 1990

preserved Hebrew Synagogue
inscription dated 1296.

We have had an inquiry from
Mrs. Elsie BUEHLER SIMKOVITZ,
of Southfield about the origins of
her names and her mother's
maiden name, WEINSCHENK. Mrs.
Simkovitz writes that she was born
in Nordlingen, Germany, near
Nurenberg and the original spelling
of her maiden name was BUHLER.
The name SIMKOVITZ was
adopted by a descendent of Simon
or Shimon and a Slavic/Polish
ending was added.
Schinkel or Shenkel means
"inn or tavern" in Yiddish/German.
Wein in the same languages was
often chosen by a wine merchant.
The surname Weinschenk is thus of
occupational origin and tells us that
one of your ancestors owned an inn
where they sold wine.
We knew that Buhler was of
German origin and probably
adopted from a geographic location.
None of the atlases or maps that
we searched, however, had a city
that corresponded to the surname
we were seeking. Finally in the very
rare, Black Book of Localities
Whose Jewish Population Was
Exterminated By The Nazis,
published by Yad Vashem in 1965,
we discovered the city of Buhl. The
1925 census indicated that 111 Jews
lived in Buhl in that year and that it
was located in the Baden
Wurttemberg district of Germany.
Buhler, as a family name, thus tells
you that your paternal ancestors
once resided in the town of Buhl
and adopted the name to indicate
place of origin, when they moved.
In researching the material
about Buhl, we found
several interesting facts.
NORDLINGEN, the place of birth of
Mrs. Simkovitz, was often chosen as

a Jewish surname. NURENBERG
was seldom chosen as a Jewish
name since the Jewish explusion of
1499.

BOLLAG is an Ashkenazic
family name of geographic origin
used by Swiss Jews to denote
Polish roots.

The family name
COLLIN/COLLINS is of geographic
origin and indicates that an ancestor
once lived in Kolin, Bohemia.
ESTERSON was adopted to
honor a female ancestor named
Esther. It is of matronymic root.
We invite your inquiries.

LICHTMANN is an example of
the Germanization of the Hebrew
name MEIR. "IR" in Hebrew means
"light."

Betty Provizer Starkman is the
past president and founder of the
genealogical branch of the Jewish
Historical Society of Michigan.

❑

Dips, Spreads Help
ce tict i " To Enliven Holidays

Do you have a favorite kosher
recipe? In this space, L'Chayim will
print kosher recipes that the whole
family can prepare together. To
contribute to the column, type your
recipe on an 81/2 by 11 sheet and
sent it to L'Chayim c/o The Jewish
News, 27676 Franklin Road,
Southfield, Michigan 48034.
A great way to celebrate Tu
Bishevat is by tasting fruits that
grow in Israel. A wonderful way to
taste the fruit is by dipping it in
chocolate fondue:

Chocolate Fondue
Ingredients:
12 oz. chocolate chips
1 c. light corn syrup
2 tsp. vanilla
dash of salt

Combine the ingredients in a
pot and set on a low flame. Stir
until smooth. Transfer to a chafing
dish and keep warm while dipping.
Another tasty way to enjoy the
holiday is with almond butter:

Almond Butter
Ingredients:
1 c. almonds
3 tbsp. vegetable oil
whole wheat bread
raisins
apple slices

Combine almonds and oil in
blender or food processor and
blend until crunchy or smooth, as
you like it. Spread on whole wheat
bread and top with raisins and
sliced apple.