Simon Gumbel, a native of Germany, was a merchant in Pointe Coupee Parish, La. After relocating to New Orleans in 1864, he began a wholesale notions business and established himself as a prominent member in the Jewish community and charitable organizations. He later formed the commission merchants firm of S. Gumbel and Co., Ltd., in 1873. He served as treasurer of the Association for the Relief of Jewish Widows and Orphans and contributed to the Jewish Orphans Home. He had eleven children with his wife, Sophie Lengsfield Gumbel, a native of France.
The Sophie L. Gumbel Home was founded in 1917 by the heirs of Sophie Lengsfield Gumbel. The City of New Orleans donated land from the Touro Shakespeare Almshouse for the building site and contributed funding for its operation. The Home provided education and job training for girls and young women with mental disabilities. In 1943, the city took over its operation and began its use for neglected and abandoned children. The Home closed in 1962 and reopened the next year as a care and training center for mentally disabled children.
From the description of Simon Gumbel and family papers, 1851-1949 (bulk 1922-1933). (Louisiana State University). WorldCat record id: 70831322
