Bernard Bernhardt (ca.1850-1901)
Photo taken ca. 1880 in Gargzdai
Photograph provided courtesy of Carol Lieberman
Writing on Back of Photograph (in Russian alphabet):
TO FOTOGRAFICHESKVE
ATELVE
AAOLVFAVICH
DAKNEVINA
Gargzdai, Kovno, Lithuania
Carol Lieberman writes: "This is Bernard or Behr or Benis Bernhardt. He was German, probably emigrated to Gargzdai from Koenigsberg, Prussia. He was a rabbi, but not Orthodox. It is probable that he was related to Itzak Behr, the great Alsatian Rabbi, but I cannot prove that yet. He was born in 1850 or thereabouts - this photo was taken in Gargzdai in the early 1880s. He married three times - only the third wife outlived him. This picture was probably taken in 1880. I tried to find some historical document in the Gargzdai library re the photographer who took it. There are no records. There were many yeshivas in Memel and Gargzdai. I postulate that he taught in one of them. Bernard emigrated in 1890 with his two youngest daughters to Chicago. He worked there as a schocket. He died there in 1901."