English translation of german Encyclopedia article on Somon Blumenfeld

Simon Blumenfeld

Unknown German Encyclopedia Article translated into English by Sonia Nayle

Blumenfeldt, Simon, called Simon Sofer, born in Mitau 1760 and died there 1826, was a man of Talmudic scholarship, and for his time had a remarkable education and possessed an especially fluent command of many languages. What he became especially famous for in his day was his amazing talent for calligraphy that nearly bordered on the fantastic. For example, he once wrote nine verses of "Our Father" in Latin on a sheet of paper the size of one inch square. But one would find unbelievable that Blumenfeld wrote legible words on an edge of thin sheet of Vellum which was not broader than a thick hair, legible of course by means of a magnifying glass, had it not been indisputably witnessed. As a draftsman Blumenfeld also produced small works of art. Professional artists did not advertise in newspaper, but he dared to spread word of himself by embarking on an artist tour through nearly all of Europe and it was possible for him not only to draw the attention of crowned heads of state, but also that of Pope Pius VII. Kaiser Alexander of Russia purchased several works for a considerable sum. For the Pope, he wrote a complete Torah roll that was neither bigger nor thicker than a middle finger and that could be put through a ring. A many sided person, as already mentioned, this cultured man also had literary inclinations and a not insignificant literary talent, but didn't receive any recognition because he was contented to store his work in a desk and bequeath them in manuscript form to his children. In the desk were a commentary on the Bible written in Hebrew, which, in the opinion of knowledgeable experts, contained many valuable interpretations, and a diary written in German about his experiences and observations during his travels through Europe. Only a short humorous Hebrew work of Blumenfeld appeared in print that gave witness to his elegance of expression, and that certainly may be found in quite a few Jewish libraries.

(Wiener Morgenzeitung [Vienna Morning Newspaper] v. 12./X. 1922)

* The original German Encyclopedia Article was saved by Martin Blumenfeld when he emigrated to Australia and sent to me by his son Walter. The name and date of the encyclopedia is not known.