Nathan Barnert’s Will Has Many Bequests for Jewish and Non-jewish Charities

(Jewish Daily Bolletin)

Nathan Barnert, former mayor of this city, has left one of the most interesting wills in New Jersey.

Under the provisions of this will, the estate, reported to amount to $700,000 will be shared by relatives and religious and charitable institutions. The public bequests are as follows: Barnert Hebrew Free School, $52,000 with the understanding that an additional $40,000 is to go to the school at the discretion of the executors ;$10,000 to Barnert Memorial Hospital, and $25,000 more five years hence; $2,000 to St. Joseph’s Hospital; $1,500 to Paterson General Hospital; $10,000 to the Barnert Memorial Temple; $1,000 to Paterson Orphan Asylum, $1,000 to Paterson Orange lodge, F. and A.M., and $1,000 to Cataract City lodge, Royal Arch Masons.

In addition several trust funds are created: one of $20,000, the interest of which is to be distributed on the day before Thanksgiving each year to the needy and worthy Gentle families of Paterson; the same amount for worthy Jewish families to be distributed the day before Passover each year. The interest from $10.000 is to be distributed before New Year’s to Gentile families and the same amount to Jewish families before Rosh Hashanah. Two funds of $500 each to be used for the purchase of refreshments for the Nurse’s home established by him and the Hebrew Free School, also his gift. The remainder of the estate is left to relatives and friends.