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Finding Aid for the Cantor Leopold and Isabelle Szneer collection 2020.006.h.r
2020.006.h.r  
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Collection location Contact Chapman University::Sala and Aron Samueli Holocaust Memorial Library, Oskar Schindler Archive
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Books

Scope and Contents

The Book Series consists of Cantor Leopold Szneer's personal books dated between 1906 and 1950. It includes four prayer books and a bound paper by Otis Chandler presented at the Yad Vashem. The prayer books are written in German and Hebrew. Cantor Szneer might have used these prayer books during services at the Congregation Mogen David in Los Angeles, where he led services for twenty years. This series is arranged chronologically by the book.
box 1, item 1

Das Buch Esther 1906

box 1, item 2

Gedichte von Wolfgang von Goethe 1922

box 1, item 3

Omer-Buch 1925

box 1, item 4

The Jews in Nazi Germany 1950

box 1, item 5

Daily Prayers

 

Jewish Religious Objects

Scope and Contents

The Jewish Religious Objects series contain special objects referred to as ritual objects of Judaica. Many people like to use or collect unique crafted objects.
The Parochet is a draping for the Holy Ark, which contains the Torah scrolls, the first five books of the Hebrew scriptures. Created in Poland in the late 1880s, this Parochet draped the Holy Ark in Beth Hamedrah, the "Russian Synagogue," as it was known, in Munich, Germany. In 1936, under the pressure of growing Nazi anti-Semitism, the synagogue closed. The Parochet was brought to England and was later given to Cantor Szneer.
The Tallit prayer shawl belongs to Cantor Szneer's father, Moses Szneer. It was given to Moses by friends at his wedding on February 19, 1919. The Tallit was brought to England by Moses's daughter, Ester, in 1938, before Kristallnacht.
The Shabbat Apron, worn at Shabbat dinner, was hand-sewn in Poland and belonged to Hinda Hecht Lubinewski, mother of Isabelle Szneer. Hinda brought the apron with her when she immigrated to Belgium in 1921. In 1957, the apron was passed to her daughter Isabelle at her death.
Mortar and Pestle used nuts and spices, which belonged to Adele Hecht, the maternal grandmother of Isabell Szneer. Adele gave them to her daughter Hinda when she moved from Poland to Belgium in 1921. In 1957, the Mortar and Pestle passed to her daughter Isabelle at Hinda's death.
The first Havadallah plate was given to Cantor Szneer by the Krause family at his bar mitzvah in 1934. Wine is poured into the Havadallah plate to end Shabbat, the day of rest. The other plate is hand-painted, belonging to Hinda Hecht, the mother of Isabelle Szneer. Hinda brought the set with her when she moved from Poland to Belgium in 1921.
These items are on permanent exhibition in the Sala and Aron Samueli Holocaust Memorial Library.
Additionally, the series encompasses Leopold and Isabelle's marriage license. The marriage license is called a ketubah. In the Jewish tradition, the ketubah provides the groom's responsibilities to the bride. The text is primarily the same in all Jewish communities, but the ketubah's decoration can range in styles and shapes depending on the location and artistic traditions. Leopold and Isabella signed their ketubah before their wedding day. It is a large document with a light pink background boarded by large gold flowers. The center of the marriage contract is a passage written in Hebrew in black ink. At the bottom, there are two signatures with dates.
 

Parochet 1880-1900

 

Tallit 1919

 

Shabbat Apron 1921

 

Mortal and Pestle 1921

 

Havdallah Plate 1921

 

Plate 1934

drawer 5, drawer 5

Jewish Marriage License (Ketubah) for Isabelle and Leopold Szneer 1947

 

Photographs

Scope and Contents

Photos in this collection are of Cantor Leopold Szneer and Isabelle Szneer, as well as their family and friends. The photos are a combination of photos rehoused from a scrapbook kept by Isabelle Szneer and individual photographs. The photos are organized based on the individual and in chronological order.
The photographs primarily document Leopold and Isabelle's childhood and early adult life, in addition to pictures of family and friends. Most of the photographs were taken between 1945 to 1952 in Brussels, Belgium as the family collectively recovered from the war. The collection also includes childhood photos of Isabelle and Leopold Szneer as they grew up in Brussels and Munich. The series includes photos of Eta and Moses Szneer, Leopold's parents, who perished in Auschwitz in 1944. The series also consists of photos of Isabelle's sister Adele Lubenewski (Luben) and Leopold's sister Ester Szneer.
 

Cantor Leopold Szneer and Isabelle Szneer

Scope and Contents

This subseries of Leopold and Isabelle Szneer includes photos of each person's respective youth, their wedding, and photos they took as a couple. Group photos with other friends and family are organized into later subseries.
Leopold Szneer's folders contain photos that document Leopold Szneer's religious upbringing in Munich, Germany until he was arrested at the age of sixteen by the Nazis. Of particular note are photos taken of Leopold Szner's synagogue choir in Munich in 1933, the same year that Hitler took power in Germany. The collection does not include any photographs of Leopold Szneer's experiences at a concentration camp;however, it features a photograph processed on November 15, 1938, days after Kristallnacht. At this time, Cantor Szneer had already been arrested and taken to Dachau. The series continues after the war in Brussels, Belgium, where Cantor Szneer lived until 1952. The folders include photos of Cantor Szneer after moving to Hollywood, California, and later in his life.
The folders that contain photos of Isabelle (Lubenewski) Szneer individually are of her childhood and youth living in Brussels, Belgium. Her childhood and youth photos include professional portraits, photos of vacations and travel, and downtown Brussels.
Of particular interest are Leopold and Isabelle Szneer's wedding day photos taken on February 19, 1947. In addition, photographs of their various trips in Brussels and visits to the beach community of Blankenberge, Belgium.
document-box 2, folder 1

Leopold Szneer 1922-1938

document-box 2, folder 2

Leopold Szneer 1946-1960

document-box 2, folder 3

Isabelle Szneer 1924-1946

document-box 2, folder 4

Isabelle Szneer 1946-1960

document-box 2, folder 5

Isabelle and Leopold couple 1946-1949

document-box 2, folder 6

Wedding - Ceremony 1947

document-box 2, folder 7

Wedding - Dinner 1947

document-box 2, folder 8

Wedding - Dinner 1947

document-box 2, folder 9

Wedding - Portraits 1947

 

Leopold Szneer's family

Scope and Contents

This subseries includes photos of Leopold Szneer, his sisters Ester and Hanna, his parents Eta and Moses Szneer, and other family members. The first folder in this subseries includes portraits of the Szneer family together in pre-war Munich, Germany. The following folders highlight Leopold Szneer's parents, Eta and Moses Szneer. These are some of the oldest photographs in the collection, taken in the early 1900s. Moses and Eta Szneer were both murdered in Auschwitz in 1944.
This subseries also includes class photographs of Leopold Szneer and his siblings in Munich in the early 1930s. There is also a folder of photos of Ester Szneer, her husband Otto Fleischmann, and their son Robert, who lived in London, United Kingdom.
document-box 2, folder 10

Szneer family portraits 1922-1934

document-box 2, folder 11

Moses and Eta Szneer 1920-1930

document-box 2, folder 12

Moses and Eta Szneer 1930-1938

document-box 2, folder 13

Class Photos (Munich) 1930-1933

document-box 2, folder 14

Ester Szneer and Otto Fleischmann 1938-1950

 

Isabelle Szneer's family

Scope and Contents

This subseries encompasses photos of Isabelle Szneer's family. The first folder contains photos of the Lubenski family together, including Isabelle Szneer, Adele Lubenewski (Luben), Schia Lubenewski (Luben), and Hinda Lubenewski. These photos range from early in Isabelle's life until 1947 when she and Adele were both adults. The folder includes the family on vacation, in professional portraits, and Brussels, Belgium.
The following folder includes Isabelle Szneer's parents, Schia Lubenewski (Luben), and Hinda Lubenewski (Luben). The folder consists of photos of the two together and individually.
This subseries also includes a folder of photos of Isabelle's sister Adele Lubenewski (Luben) and a folder of Isabelle and Adele together. Adele is prominently featured in this collection, both in individual and group photographs. This subseries also includes a folder of Leopold Szneer with the Lubenewski family. Leopold Szneer joined the Lubenewskis on their trips and excursions, and appeared in group photographs with the family.
document-box 2, folder 15

Lubenewski (Luben) family 1930-1947

document-box 2, folder 16

Schia and Hinda Lubenewski 1937-1948

document-box 2, folder 17

Adele Lubenewski (Luben) 1930-1945

document-box 2, folder 18

Isabelle Szneer and Adele Lubenewski 1930-1945

document-box 2, folder 19

Leopold Szneer with the Lubenewski (Luben) family 1946-1952

 

Unidentified individuals

Scope and Contents

This subseries contains photographs of individuals close to the Szneers but were not identifiable. This subseries is organized into unidentified individuals and solo portraits of unknown individuals.
This subseries also contains a folder of photos of a specific unidentified woman featured prominently in the collection. This woman was frequently photographed with the Szneers but remains unknown.
document-box 2, folder 20

Unidentified group photos 1940-1950

document-box 2, folder 21

Unidentified relative 1940-1950

document-box 2, folder 22

Unidentified family 1950-1960

document-box 2, folder 23

Unidentified individuals 1950-1960

 

Documents

Scope and Contents

Documents in this collection include passports, business licenses, and naturalization documents. The documents belonged to Leopold Szneer, Isabelle Szneer, Schia Lubenewski (Luben), and Hinda Lubenewski (Luben).
This series includes an ID card for Schia Lubenewski (Luben), Isabelle Szneer's father, issued on November 23, 1951. The ID card indicates that Schia Lubenewski was an "Etranger," or stateless. The card allowed Schia Lubenewski (Luben) to live and work in Belgium.
This series includes a folder of Carte Professionelle pour Etranger établi en Belgique issued on October 1st, 1950, which were business cards that allowed Schia Lubenewski (Luben) and Leopold Szneer to conduct business in Belgium as foreigners. The business card belonging to Leopold Szneer allowed him to work as a "Marchand-tailleur", or tailor. The business card belonging to Schia Lubenewski permitted him to sell garments.
This series also includes three passports. Passports belonging to Hinda Lubenewski (Luben) and Leopold Szneer are "Titre de Voyage pour Etrangers,", which allowed them to navigate although they were not Belgian citizens. Leopold Szneer's passport was issued on April 26, 1951, and stamps range from 1951 to 1953. Hinda Lubenewski's passport was issued on November 23, 1951, and stamps range from 1951 to 1952 The passport belonging to Isabelle Szneer is Belgian; the passports contain stamps that primarily indicate travel to and from Belgium, the United Kingdom, and the United States, with dates ranging from 1951 to 1952.
This series contains the Naturalization Documents for Leopold and Isabelle Szneer, granted on September 25th, 1959, which allowed them to live in the United States legally.
document-box 2, folder 24

Identification Card - Schia Lubenewski (Luben) 1951

document-box 2, folder 25

Foreigner Business Card - Schia Lubenewski (Luben) and Leopold Szneer 1950

document-box 2, folder 26

Title of Trip - Leopold Szneer 1951

document-box 2, folder 27

Title of Trip - Hinda Lubenewski (Luben) 1951

document-box 2, folder 28

Belgian Passport - Isabelle Szneer 1951

document-box 2, folder 29

Certificate of Naturalization - Leopold and Isabelle Szneer 1959

 

Scrapbooks

Scope and Contents

This series contains a scrapbook and framed scrapbook page. To maintain the original order and the fragile state of the material, the Archivist did not rehouse the scrapbook or frame. The scrapbook mainly contains photos of the Lubenewski (Luben) family, including photos of Schia and Hinda Lubenewski when they were a young couple. The photos in this scrapbook depict vacations, trips to Blankenberge, Belgium, and walks around Brussels, Berlin. In addition, many of the photos were taken of the Szneers when they had moved to Los Angeles. The framed photo collage documents the Szneer and Lubenewski family, with a yellow star patch in the center. A notable part of this item is the yellow star patch, which Jewish people were forced to wear as an identifying mark. In addition, this collage features a photo (bottom left) of Leopold and his family that is the most recent photo of the family in the collection, and likely one of the last before they were separated.
custom-box 3, item 1

Isabelle Szneer's Scrapbook 1940-1960

custom-box 3, item 2

Framed Scrapbook Page 1938-1952

Collection Contents
Books
Jewish Religious Objects
Photographs
Cantor Leopold Szneer and Isabelle Szneer
Leopold Szneer's family
Isabelle Szneer's family
Unidentified individuals
Documents
Scrapbooks
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