Bris for Jacob Saul Herz

Bris for Jacob Saul Herz (Yakov Shaul ben Issacar aha Cohen)
By Jeffrey Samuel Herz
June 18, 2001

Jacob, you are being named for two great men. One of which is your Opa’s father, Siegfried Herz, whose Hebrew name was Yakov ben Issacar. Unfortunately I have very few memories of him since he died prior to my 4th birthday in January 1973. This was paraphrased from a biography that my Oma Bella left after he passed away.

Fritz, as he was commonly known, “was born in Germany and came to the United States with his wife Bella,” whom your cousin Katy is named for, “in November 1937 to flee the Nazi’s, whose persecution of the Jewish people was just beginning.” They were lucky, but many of your relatives including Fritz’s parents were not so lucky. “America was just at the end of the great depression, and work was hard to come by, especially without knowledge of the language. Fritz worked at several jobs, and in his spare time learned the business of making leather gloves and went into manufacturing for himself. However, after the war the business slowly folded and he went into the garment industry until his retirement. Fritz enjoyed fishing and was an avid stamp collector.”

Jacob, What I can tell you about my Opa is what I have learned through life’s lessons from his son, my father and your Opa, James Stephen Herz.

Although my father and I might not have always seen eye to eye on all issues throughout my life, I know that my father has always put his family first. While sometimes difficult to see it, I learned how to love from my father. I learned the importance of Judaism, religion, faith and culture from my father. I learned to love the water and the great outdoors from my father. I learned how to put every once of energy into everything I do or else it is not worth doing from my father. I learned perseverance, strength, excellence, fortitude, respect, joy, and courage and believe it or not moderation from my father. I learned how to be more useful to those around me and therefore become more self-sufficient from my father. I learned how to overcome pain and/or difficult periods and come out ahead from my father. I learned the meaning of tzatakah, noblesse oblige, and the golden rule no dad, not the one that says’s he who has the gold makes the rules. Most important, I learned that not everything comes easily, some things might be very difficult, but what really matters is the journey not the destination.

Jacob, I can only work to be as good a father as I have had, since in my mind there is no better. You are special in so many ways that we don’t even know yet. You are continuing a legacy that goes on for generations before you. By taking the Hebrew name of your great grandfather Yakov, and the English initials of JSH, which you share with your Opa and myself, I hope and I pray that the paths of past continue to lead brightly into the future. We don’t know and probably cannot imagine the innovations that you will see in your lifetime, but please never forget the past from which you came.