The Denver Jewish news., 1922-09-20
Bret Harte's Jewish
Forebears
From "Glimpses Into American
Jewish History"
By RAY BRIL-

| Iatner OI bTeC I1uTtc. uTedm thut WAch
he departed for the brief span of year
and n day from the conventional life
of an honored and respected Jew,
member of an ultrn-orthotlox syna-
gogue, that be was taking time by the
forelock and weaving for himself a
crown OF Immortality. For, why should
all the years of good mans life count
for nought? And why should the one
strange year be the single link to chain
the Americans of today and the Amer
leans of tomorrow with the Jew of yes
terday? Unsolved yiddles!
Bernard Hart typified the best in
man as to character, mind, and per-
sonal charm. In his community he
was the personification, the very es-
sence of culture, convention and pro-
priety. Here was man, staid and
calm, given to calculation and delib-
Grafton.
In 1902. at the age of 2S, we find
him an influential member of the
Spanish and Portuguese Synagogue.
few years later, in 1907, we learn that
he and his brother, Jacob, were ap-
pointed by the board Of trustees of the
congregation to receive money for
building fund. Then, on July 9Th of
that same year Bernard Hart resigned
his position as treasurer and trustee of
the Spanish and Portuguese Synagogue.
Did the prosaic life Of a wealthy,
staid citizen begin to pail on him? Or.
did he merely feel that he wanted n
respite from the many claims upon his
time? Or did he come to the cOnclu-
sion that having reached the age of
thirty-five it was about time he should
SOW his wild oats?
Whatever the reason, in midsummer
we find him on an exploring expedition
in Canada. 1t seems as if the cold,
serene exterior Of the man concealed n
romantic and fervent streak. This
strain, repressed by the demands of
civilized New York society, finally was
permitted to assert itself in the wilds
Of Canada. The craving for the exotic
was at last to be gratifed. Beneath
cool. blue Canadian skies Bernard Hart
wOoed Catherine Brett, strange
woman" a Christian. And on foreign
soil he married.
\ No happy hereafter was to be theirs.
Soon they separated, he to return to
New York, she to go back to her
fathers house. Her father had threat
ened to disinherit her II she married
the Jew and he was about to carry the
threat into effect The only trace of
Henry
Bernard Hart was once more in New
York, and closed forever was the chap
ter with the fair Canadian maiden-no,
not forever. A hundred years later it
was to be resurrected in hues, distinct,
though veiled by shades of doubt.
Again Bernard Hart was pillar of
society. This incident will show how
highly he was regarded by the mem
bers of his own congregation. When
the congregation decided to elect from
among its trustees, six who were to be
empowered to take out charter of In
corporation. Bernard Hart was among
those chosen. Indeed his whole life was
wrapped up in the synagogue. In 1905,
towards fund established for the pur-
pose of erecting house of worship, he
donated five pounds out of total of 81
pounds.
Then in 1906 at the age of forty-two,
4 Bernard Hart went a-wooing for a
second time. This time he trod the
beaten path. His choice was true
daughter of Israel, Rebecca B. Seixas.
Her father was Benjamin Mendez
SeiXas and her uncle, Rev. Gershon
Mendez Seixas, the famous minister
of the Spanish and Portuguese Syna-
gogue. After a brief courtship they
were married. They were blessed with
eleven children, seven sons and four
daughters. And queer, as it may sound.
Bernard Hart gave to one of the SONS
the very name that he had given to the
child of his short-lived Canadian ro-
nance.
| The children of this marriage We're
the fullest sense of the term. His wife
and daughters were registered as
women of the congregation. In list
of names of that period of the women
of the Spanish and Portuguese Syna-
gogue we find the names of Mrs. Ber-
nard Hart, Abigail, Grace, Rosa and
Zipporah Hart.
Meanwhile little Henry, Bernard
Hart's son of the earlier marriage, was
being brought up in far away Canada
by his mother as member of the