What’s STILL Jewish About… The Titanic?

As we enter 2026, history has a way of inserting itself and deepening the stories we cling to and remember. One story published in the Atlanta Jewish Times in May 2022 continues to be one of the most widely read stories, entitled, “What’s Jewish About the Titanic?” Nearly 115 years later, the story continues to evolve and the legacy lives on.

Departing from Southampton, England, 2,208 people were aboard the Titanic for its maiden voyage. As this writer detailed in the Atlanta Jewish Times first article interviewing Paul Kurzman, the great-grandson of the Straus’s, the iconic owner of Macy’s, Isidor Straus, was offered a lifeboat seat along with his wife, Ida. Isador would not get in the lifeboat until every woman and child were safely in the lifeboats. His beloved wife climbed back on the ship to be with him and they perished at sea. There were 69 known Jewish passengers aboard the doomed ship, 39 of whom perished – including Isidor and Ida Straus.

Now, over a century later, the Straus’s personal artifacts related to the Titanic voyage appeared for auction last year and were sold in 2025, realizing record-breaking amounts. As we enter 2026, the Straus’s love story continues to be retold as their bond lives into perpetuity.

Paul Burns, curator at Titanic Museum Attraction, located in Pigeon Forge, Tenn., shared, “Isidor and Ida remain in the top 10 of most popular passengers from onboard, and the impact of their true love story is featured prominently within both our museums. This is due in no small part to their popularity among Titanic enthusiasts and our visitors alike.” He added, “We are profoundly moved to share personal items belonging to Isador and Ida Straus. To have exhibited (last year) the pocket watch Isador carried and the letter written by Ida on the Titanic offers an emotional and powerful link to their love story and the human cost of this tragedy.”

Burns added, “We continue to honor all Jewish passengers that traveled aboard within our Pigeon Forge museum on our ‘survivor wall’ and in our children’s gallery, a special wall specifically detailing Jewish survivors. At our Branson location, we feature Ida & Isidors’ story within our First Class Suite, including the long-standing display of Isidor’s wedding ring recovered from his body. We displayed in 2021-22 Paul Kurzman’s pocket watch fob/locket from Isidors’ body and to our knowledge the only time on public display during our Jewish Tribute (his son, David, hand-carried the fob to us) and many years prior to that Paul carried to a press event in Pigeon Forge.”

Burns sadly updated, “This past fall, the Straus community and Titanic world lost a great ambassador and extremely humble advocate in 2025. The Straus’s great-grandson, Paul Kurzman, passed away on Oct. 17, 2025.”

He added, “I personally would describe Paul as one of the humblest yet knowledgeable people I have ever met during my entire museum career, not only related to the Titanic story, but overall to be sure. He shared several stories of visits with his grandmother, Sara (Ida & Isidors’ oldest daughter). She would share with him her first-hand knowledge of her parents’ great love affair and their absolute commitment to each other. They even sent love letters to each other over the years.”

Now, 114 years later, the Titanic artifacts continue to make history at auction, and Isidor’s gold pocket watch sold for a record-breaking $2.32 million, which, according to auctioneers, was the highest price ever paid for Titanic memorabilia. The watch remained in the Straus family for more than a century before being sold at Henry Aldrige & Sons Auctioneers in the British town of Devizes. Other Titanic treasures auctioned off include a letter written by Ida Straus aboard the Titanic, a passenger list and a gold medal awarded to the RMS Carpathia’s crew by survivors, with the auction bringing in a total of $3.92 million.

The thank you letter that sold was handwritten by Ida who sent it to a friend following receiving a beautiful gift of flowers. Burns shared, “We were aware of the letter Ida had written onboard from a mention within a Titanic-related book about letters, but we never knew who among the family possessed either of these objects until very early this year. We continue a great relationship with the Straus Historical Society, but in the nearly 20-year relationship, these items were always and respectfully held in secret. To see the pocket watch Isador carried and the letter written by Ida on the Titanic offers an emotional and powerful link to their love story and the human cost of this tragedy.”

The pocket watch was a poignant reminder of time lost, and the letter from Ida, a glimpse into her final thoughts and feelings reminds us of the power of their story, gratitude, and words.

He concluded, “Both objects were sold to anonymous collectors, and we continue to be very fortunate. One of our current collectors purchased Ida’s letter and will allow us to display for the foreseeable future.”

While the Straus’s story continues, their devotion to each other along with the Titanic tragedy is preserved in time as a powerful legacy to the cherished lost and those saved. We send our heartfelt condolences to the Straus family and gratitude to all those dedicated to keeping their memories and others who vanished alive.

Regarding the latest artifacts displayed in the museum, Burns continued, “Our museum was extremely honored to display these two iconic artifacts in 2025 (actual display: June 2 to Dec. 2) from the most prominent and well-known Jewish family. Isidor and Ida are considered icons among the Jewish passengers onboard. Their untimely passing in this tragedy bonded by a lifetime of partnership and is among the most significant “love stories” related to the Titanic. These iconic items were sold on Nov. 22 by Andrew Aldridge, and he is responsible for offering these artifacts to me for display at our museum in Pigeon Forge.” Aldridge is the managing director of Henry Aldridge & Son Ltd, the world’s leading Titanic memorabilia auctioneers.

Aldridge said, “We are honored to be auctioning these unique items that bear testament to the unbreakable bond that Isador and Ida Straus shared on the Titanic until the very end and are delighted to partner with our colleagues at Titanic Museum Attractions to bring these unique items to exhibition and share the Straus’s incredible story.”

The Titanic Museum Attraction in Pigeon Forge is dedicated to preserving and sharing the individual stories of those aboard the RMS Titanic. This special exhibit honoring the Straus’s adds a deep personal layer to the historical event, allowing visitors to connect with their love story and the human impact of the disaster.

You can discover the legacy of the world’s most famous luxury liner at the Titanic Museum Attraction in Branson, Mo., and Pigeon Forge. This unique experience allows guests to walk through recreated areas of the ship, including the iconic grand staircase, on a self-guided tour and view hundreds of genuine artifacts from the Titanic and its passengers. The museum’s mission is to honor the memories of all those aboard the ship in April 1912, and that human focus is what makes this a world-class attraction. For more information, please visit www.titanicattraction.com.