Reflections on David Blumenfeld
Each of David’s descendents brings their own perspective, and the essays and commentary that accompany the diary provide a unique sort of frame, a context for David’s story itself.
His great-grandson Sean, the discoverer of the books, and his sister Julian, have experienced a voyage of personal insight, in coming to know their Jewish relatives and his mother’s past.
For Fred, David’s writings unveil a shadow doctrine of financial success that goes to the heart of my family’s history. To my sister Deborah, hearing these stories offers the discovery of a new colleague, a fellow historian of sorts, whose inspiration had lay hidden for so many decades.
Each of our narratives offers a path leading towards a fuller understanding of David Blumenfeld and what he had to say to each of us. And each of these narratives helps to frame a story that only David could tell, of his arrival and eventual success in this “Continent of Glory."
