I am looking for present day descendants of the ROTSZYLD (Polish spelling of
Rothschild) family of Belchatow and Piotrkow (both in central Poland, near Lodz).
I have already looked at JRI-Poland (and ordered relevant documents that were
order-able) and put this name on JGFF.

However, I thought there might be some folks reading this who knew about this
family, or might know someone who is likely to have connections to this family.

I can trace this family to Fajwel ROTSZYLD of Belchatow, who may have had multiple
children, but the only one I know of is Szamaj ROTSZYLD (whose mother was Bluma of
Piotrkow). Fajwel lived >from about 1780 to the 1840's. Szamaj lived >from 1807 to
about 1880 and died in Lodz. Szamaj was the half-brother of Yankel BLUMENZON (1795-
1885), a rabbi of Widoma, Poland, and my 4th great grandfather. Szamaj had many
children. The only descendants I know of though seemed to have all been killed
during the Holocaust.

This family also had relatives in Zdunska Wola, Sieradz and Przedborz. Some other
related names are: GLOGOWSKI, HENDELES

Steve Bloom
Central Virginia

I am looking for present day descendants of the ROTSZYLD (Polish spelling of
Rothschild) family of Belchatow and Piotrkow (both in central Poland, near Lodz).
I have already looked at JRI-Poland (and ordered relevant documents that were
order-able) and put this name on JGFF.

However, I thought there might be some folks reading this who knew about this
family, or might know someone who is likely to have connections to this family.

I can trace this family to Fajwel ROTSZYLD of Belchatow, who may have had multiple
children, but the only one I know of is Szamaj ROTSZYLD (whose mother was Bluma of
Piotrkow). Fajwel lived >from about 1780 to the 1840's. Szamaj lived >from 1807 to
about 1880 and died in Lodz. Szamaj was the half-brother of Yankel BLUMENZON (1795-
1885), a rabbi of Widoma, Poland, and my 4th great grandfather. Szamaj had many
children. The only descendants I know of though seemed to have all been killed
during the Holocaust.

This family also had relatives in Zdunska Wola, Sieradz and Przedborz. Some other
related names are: GLOGOWSKI, HENDELES

Steve Bloom
Central Virginia

Dear fellow Litvaks:

The LitvakSIG Bylaws call for appointment of the Nominating Task Force
(new name for Nominating Committee) on or before April 1 of each year.

This year the Task Force will be chaired by Howard Margol, who is designated
as our immediate past president. As president I have appointed Judy Baston,
representing the Board of Directors, and Linda Cantor, representing our
Members. The Board has chosen Sally Mizroch >from the Board, and Sam Aaron

from the Membership to complete the five person group.

The Nominating Task Force will consider all interested Dues Paying Members
to fill the three positions which become open this year and were filled by
Howard Margol, Dorothy Leivers and Joel Ratner. Any of these people may
express their desire for a second term, and be considered by the Nominating
Task Force, along with others who apply.

The recommendation of the Nominating Task Force is final, but our Bylaws
provide that any qualified candidates who are not recommended, will be able
to nominate themselves, and have their biographical statements and summary
of what they can contribute to the Board, added to the web site and have
their names placed on the ballot.

The election will take place primarily by e-mail during the weeks before
the IAJGS Conference on Jewish Genealogy meeting in Philadelphia in August.
Dues-paying members who do not vote before the meeting, will have the
opportunity to vote in person at the Conference.

Howard Margol, as the Nominating Task Force chair, will post details
regarding the nominating process in the Digest and on our
www.litvaksig.org and www.litvaksig.com (Members Only) web sites.

David Hoffman
President
LitvakSIG

Dear fellow Litvaks:

The LitvakSIG Bylaws call for appointment of the Nominating Task Force
(new name for Nominating Committee) on or before April 1 of each year.

This year the Task Force will be chaired by Howard Margol, who is designated
as our immediate past president. As president I have appointed Judy Baston,
representing the Board of Directors, and Linda Cantor, representing our
Members. The Board has chosen Sally Mizroch >from the Board, and Sam Aaron

from the Membership to complete the five person group.

The Nominating Task Force will consider all interested Dues Paying Members
to fill the three positions which become open this year and were filled by
Howard Margol, Dorothy Leivers and Joel Ratner. Any of these people may
express their desire for a second term, and be considered by the Nominating
Task Force, along with others who apply.

The recommendation of the Nominating Task Force is final, but our Bylaws
provide that any qualified candidates who are not recommended, will be able
to nominate themselves, and have their biographical statements and summary
of what they can contribute to the Board, added to the web site and have
their names placed on the ballot.

The election will take place primarily by e-mail during the weeks before
the IAJGS Conference on Jewish Genealogy meeting in Philadelphia in August.
Dues-paying members who do not vote before the meeting, will have the
opportunity to vote in person at the Conference.

Howard Margol, as the Nominating Task Force chair, will post details
regarding the nominating process in the Digest and on our
www.litvaksig.org and www.litvaksig.com (Members Only) web sites.

David Hoffman
President
LitvakSIG

The history of the Jews of Aschaffenburg, Bavaria, and the surrounding towns which
were served by the rabbinate of Aschaffenburg, was written by Rabbi Salomon
Bamberger and published by Josef Singer, Strassburg in 1900. The title is:
"Historiche Berichteueber die Juden der Stadt und des ehemalige Fuerstentums
Aschaffenburg."

The book is written in German, Hebrew, and Judeo-German. An index to the names in
the book, which I don't think has been previously available, follows the original
text.

I have uploaded the book to the Internet, and you can find it here:
http://www.archive.org/details/HistorischeBerichteberDieJudenAschaffenburg

Werner HIRSCH
New Haven, CT
wernerh@snet.net

The history of the Jews of Aschaffenburg, Bavaria, and the surrounding towns which
were served by the rabbinate of Aschaffenburg, was written by Rabbi Salomon
Bamberger and published by Josef Singer, Strassburg in 1900. The title is:
"Historiche Berichteueber die Juden der Stadt und des ehemalige Fuerstentums
Aschaffenburg."

The book is written in German, Hebrew, and Judeo-German. An index to the names in
the book, which I don't think has been previously available, follows the original
text.

I have uploaded the book to the Internet, and you can find it here:
http://www.archive.org/details/HistorischeBerichteberDieJudenAschaffenburg

Werner HIRSCH
New Haven, CT
wernerh@snet.net

I am seeking information on Rabbi Arye Leib ben Rabbi Eliyohu ABRAMSKY (who
may have changed his name to ATLAS). By 5682, he had recently arrived in
the USA >from Bialystok and was a Rabbi and known "darshan" in the New York
area.

If anyone has information on him and/or his current descendants, please
write to me direct at alancomm@netmedia.net.il

Many thanks

Abraham Goldberg
Jerusalem

I am seeking information on Rabbi Arye Leib ben Rabbi Eliyohu ABRAMSKY (who
may have changed his name to ATLAS). By 5682, he had recently arrived in
the USA >from Bialystok and was a Rabbi and known "darshan" in the New York
area.

If anyone has information on him and/or his current descendants, please
write to me direct at alancomm@netmedia.net.il

Many thanks

Abraham Goldberg
Jerusalem

Dear All,

Judging >from some email messages I have recently received
it is time for the usual warning about unrequested approaches from
individuals who claim to be professional researchers in Romania, who see a
posting asking for information about a certain family, or town records, and
offer to help. The few legitimate professionals do *not* use this
approach.

Should you receive such a message volunteering services or information,
either >from an individual or an "organization", please contact the
Co-Coordinators of this SIG *before* replying to them in any way, for
more information.

It appears necessary to remind all that this is a ***private*** mailing
list. Only those subscribed to it are entitled to receive the messages
that their fellow subscribers post. To forward any message you read
here to someone not subscribed to the list is a violation of the privacy
of the subscriber, a violation of JewishGen rules and policy, and more
importantly a violation of the trust we place in each other by revealing
our interests and sometimes family "secrets".

We expect each and every one of you to honor the privacy and trust we
place in each other.

Private responses to requests on the List are permitted, but
even those should be checked first with the Coordinators!

Remember - Caveat Emptor!
Rosanne and Paula
Your Co-Coordinators

Dear All,

Judging >from some email messages I have recently received
it is time for the usual warning about unrequested approaches from
individuals who claim to be professional researchers in Romania, who see a
posting asking for information about a certain family, or town records, and
offer to help. The few legitimate professionals do *not* use this
approach.

Should you receive such a message volunteering services or information,
either >from an individual or an "organization", please contact the
Co-Coordinators of this SIG *before* replying to them in any way, for
more information.

It appears necessary to remind all that this is a ***private*** mailing
list. Only those subscribed to it are entitled to receive the messages
that their fellow subscribers post. To forward any message you read
here to someone not subscribed to the list is a violation of the privacy
of the subscriber, a violation of JewishGen rules and policy, and more
importantly a violation of the trust we place in each other by revealing
our interests and sometimes family "secrets".

We expect each and every one of you to honor the privacy and trust we
place in each other.

Private responses to requests on the List are permitted, but
even those should be checked first with the Coordinators!

Remember - Caveat Emptor!
Rosanne and Paula
Your Co-Coordinators

I brought this up a few weeks ago, but I don't recall seeing any
response until now. I am tentatively planning to go to the
conference. Even if we don't get something in the program, we can
arrange something ourselves. As for programs tailored for us, I don't
think there have ever been any. We're a tiny minority :-(

Rachel Unkefer Central Virginia, USA <rachelunkefer@pinehurst.net>

The minutes book, or pinkas, of the earliest Jewish congregation in
Vermont, is printed in its entirety (in German with English
translation) in the current issue of the American Jewish Archives
Journal (Vol. 60, 2008, Nos. 1 & 2). The minutes run >from 1867 to
1874. There are birth and death records running >from 1866 to 1891.
Among the surnames are THEISE, SALOMON, MINEBERG, LEVIS, GLUECK,
HESS, STERN, CANE, WERTHEIM, MANNES and SALMON. There are additional
names of those who attended High Holy Day services >from out of town.
Hope this is of help to someone!

Marion Hattenbach Bernstein San Antonio, TX

seeking information on Wolf KOHLHAGEN in Vermont pre Civil War -
reportedly he stayed with the MINEBERG family in Rutland.

I brought this up a few weeks ago, but I don't recall seeing any
response until now. I am tentatively planning to go to the
conference. Even if we don't get something in the program, we can
arrange something ourselves. As for programs tailored for us, I don't
think there have ever been any. We're a tiny minority :-(

Rachel Unkefer Central Virginia, USA <rachelunkefer@pinehurst.net>

The minutes book, or pinkas, of the earliest Jewish congregation in
Vermont, is printed in its entirety (in German with English
translation) in the current issue of the American Jewish Archives
Journal (Vol. 60, 2008, Nos. 1 & 2). The minutes run >from 1867 to
1874. There are birth and death records running >from 1866 to 1891.
Among the surnames are THEISE, SALOMON, MINEBERG, LEVIS, GLUECK,
HESS, STERN, CANE, WERTHEIM, MANNES and SALMON. There are additional
names of those who attended High Holy Day services >from out of town.
Hope this is of help to someone!

Marion Hattenbach Bernstein San Antonio, TX

seeking information on Wolf KOHLHAGEN in Vermont pre Civil War -
reportedly he stayed with the MINEBERG family in Rutland.

We are pleased to announce that author and family historian Lisa Thaler
will be contributing a series of articles to the JewishGen blog
(<www.JewishGen.blogspot.com>) entitled "Framing History: Sacha Kolin
in The Rose Art Museum's Permanent Collections."

Lisa spent ten years uncovering the life story and oeuvre of the Jewish
emigre artist Sacha Kolin (1911 Paris-1981 New York). Her groundbreaking
research methods are demonstrated in her biography Look Up: The Life and
Art of Sacha Kolin (New York: Midmarch Arts Press, 2008).

from the mid-1960s, campus museums acquired hundreds of Kolins,

including 32 artworks at Brandeis University's The Rose Art Museum. The
University's announcement on January 26, 2009, later modified, to
deaccession its art collection generated fervent commentary.

In this three-part series "Framing History," Lisa places the academic
museum in historical context, explaining the economic policies and
social factors that fueled the explosive growth of campus museums in
this era, and highlighting the archival records generated by the museum
community. Family historians may apply these strategies to any
occupation and to conduct cross-disciplinary studies.

The "framing history" articles will be posted on the JewishGen blog
(<www.JewishGen.blogspot.com>) beginning Friday, March 27th.

Enjoy!

Avraham Groll
Administrator of JewishGen
Project Manager of JewishGen Yizkor Books
Museum of Jewish Heritage - A Living Memorial to the Holocaust
36 Battery Place
New York, NY 10280
T 646.437.4326
F 646.437.4328
<agroll@mjhnyc.org>
<www.mjhnyc.org>

Read our blog: <www.JewishGen.blogspot.com>

MODERATOR NOTE: This discussion is now terminated in the Forum. Mr. Lichtenstein
and/or others may wish to create an "Info File" on the subject for JewishGen.

Further to Celia Male's posting:

1. She unknowingly pre-empted my follow-up to my initial posting which
was on German Jews in East Africa before the advent of Nazism. I was going
to follow this up with my own posting on German Jews in East Africa escaping
>from Nazism and therefore needed to first establish what was already there
by way of German Jewry.

2. Regrettably for Celia, I also have to contradict her statement
(which I will attempt to do below): "Any German and Austrian nationals
living in British colonies were sent to internment camps when hostilities
commenced so Dave's question re living with Jewish families is not really
relevant." [snip - off topic paragraph removed]

Firstly there were Jews in East Africa >from the earliest days of European
colonisation. And very early in the colonisation process the Uasin Gishu
Plateau of then Uganda Protectorate (but which later became part of British
East Africa when the boundary was changed >from west of Naivasha to the
present Kenya-Uganda border) was offered to Jews fleeing the Russian pogroms
as an ante-chamber to the Holy Land. This is well-documented historically
with numerous references available on this topic. The one which I will
quote for this posting is Rabbi Julius Carlebach's "The Jews of Nairobi 1903
-1962" published by the Nairobi Hebrew Congregation.

No doubt some of the early Jews arriving in East Africa may have done so on
account of these early developments. And in the excerpts >from the diary of
Commissioner N. Wilbusch, Engineer (who was part of the survey party of
three looking at the Uasin Gishu district as a potential settlement for the
Russian Jews escaping the pogroms), he quotes on page 79 of Carlebach's book
thus: "23 January 1905 Camp on the Rongai River (18 miles >from Nakuru).
Started on a comparatively good road to Eldama Ravine. Camp pitched near
the Jewish farmer, London. Called on the latter." Does any one have any
further information on LONDON?

And as stated in greater detail in my initial posting, the neighbouring
territory to the Uganda and British East Africa Protectorates, was German
East Africa. Following the defeat of Germany, after the first World War,
German East Africa became the British mandated League of Nations territory
of Tanganyika. However, German settlers continued to arrive in Tanganyika
after the first World War - many of them anti-Nazi. (I refer to "Old Africa"
Magazine Issue No.19 October/November 2008.) In this regard, Celia quite
rightly mentioned the most famous East African German, Colonel Paul von
Lettow-Vorbeck who lead the allied troops on a merry dance during WWI and was
never defeated, whereas I previously mentioned perhaps the most famous German
Jew (if one considers Silesia part of Germany) - Alfred Schnitzer (Emin Pasha).

Having thrown about a few brick bats, now for some bouquets. Celia
mentions the Gross-Breesen Jewish Farm School, Silesia for Prospective
Emigrants (Judische Auswandererlehrgut). Indeed my late father Heinz (or
Henry as he was known in Kenya and Australia) was a Gross-Breseener where he
was known by the nick name "Knirps". He was a contemporary (in more ways
than one) of Gross-Breseener Gerhard (Valentin) Braun where Gerhard was
known as "Moesch".

Names and Descriptions of German Passengers Departing Southampton on 13th
January 1939 bound for Mombasa on the German Africa Lines S.S. 'Watussi"
Voyage 69

Passenger - Age - Last Address in the United Kingdom Profession / Occupation
Gerhard Braun 19 Jews Temp. Shelter, 63 Mansell St, Aldgate E.London Agriculture
Joacheim Feingold 18 c/o Judenkersch, Avenue N.W.11, Farmer
Gerhard Fraenkel 19 65 Green craft Gardens, London, N.W.6, Farmer
Werner Fraenkel 22 Tyne Hotel, 41 Birkenhead St, W.C.1 Kings Cross, Farmer
Renate Fraenkel 19 " None
Wolf Friedman 19 Jews Temporary Shelter, 63 Mansell St, Aldgate, Farmer
Georg Heilmann 44 Tyne Hotel, 41 Birkenhead St, W.C.1 Kings, Cross,Farmer
Selma Heilmann 35 " " None
Harry Lesser 32 Tyne Hotel, 41 Birkenhead St, W.C.1 Kings Cross, Farmer
Rudi Lesser 29 " Farmer
Marianne Lesser 19 " Farmer
Heinz Lichtenstein 20 Jews Temporary Shelter, 63 Mansell St, Aldgate, Farmer
Leonhard Meyer 25 " " Aldgate, East London "
Max Meyer 32 " Farmer
Hans Schneideman 18 Jews Temporary Shelter, 63 Mansell " Gardener

Of these passengers: Gerhard "Moesch" (Valentin) Braun, Joacheim (Joe)
Feingold, Gerhard (Gerald) Fraenkel and Heinz "Knirps" (Henry) Lichtenstein
were Gross-Breeseners. G-B'ers Gerd Pfingst and Max "Edda" Neumann had
already arrived in Kenya in 1938. G-B'er Traut Fischer came out later
(after some time in the UK) and married Joe Feingold. I have a photograph
of all the Kenya G-B'ers taken at their wedding in Nakuru on 4 October 1946.

As you can see these passengers came out to Kenya before the commencement of
WWII. There were of course other boats with other German-Jewish refugee
passengers - probably the best known is Stephanie Zweig. Stephanie wrote
the biographical novel "No Where in Africa" which was made into a film.

My having been born and bred in East Africa and still maintaining a very
active interest in that part of the world (please Google my name with Kenya,
Uganda, East Africa for further verification) I am aware of some existing
Jewish families who hosted refugees.

Among them, I understand that there may have been a German-Jewish family
SCHWARZ (spelling?) who lived in the Arusha area of Tanganyika and moved to
the Ainabkoi area of Kenya (near where we finally settled). In addition to
farming in Ainabkoi, they operated a butchery in the major town of the Uasin
Gishu district, Eldoret - the Hygienic Butchery - of which they were the
original owners. When the German-Jewish KRAMER family came out to Kenya,
they worked for SCHWARZ on his farm. The KRAMERs eventually settled in
Nakuru and Gustav KRAMER later became mayor of Nakuru.

The remaining information is taken >from the Gross-Breseener briefs written
by its Kenya alumni. Firstly Max Neumann mentions working in Gilgil for a
Mr Minkel whom he identified as German who had been in Kenya for 5 years
prior to Max's arrival. He identified Mr MINKEL as German - whether he was
also Jewish I don't know. There is a possibility that Max may not have
distinguished between German and German-Jewish.

Gerhard Fraenkel talks about working on coffee farm in Kiambu shortly after
his arrival in Kenya. "In a nice Tyrol dialect I was welcomed by Mrs.
Watkins. Her husband, who apparently is a very influential government
official, is at present on safari (among other things, to find positions for
us). The people, who are extremely refined, have lived in Germany for a
fairly long time and therefore speak German very well."

Indeed according to Gerhard's writings he and my father both worked for Mrs
Watkins followed by working for Mrs Daisy Griffin (who was neither German
nor Jewish) before they went their separate ways. We then have Gerhard's
address as PO Box Kipkabus where he worked for a short while. Kipkabus is
not far >from Ainabkoi and while I am not sure I suspect that he may have
also worked for the same Schwarz family as had the Kramers.

Now as for internment at the start of the Second World War. This was not
unusual for Germans and German Jews, whether in the UK, Australia or even
Kenya but it was for a short period only for Jews. In this regard Gert
Fraenkel wrote: "Meanwhile in September we had all met again, Edda, Gert
Pfingst, Moesch and Jochen, for a short period while in the internment camp
in Nairobi." I have a letter in my possession written by my father on 30th
July 1953 to my mother (who was in Israel at the time) >from Sandy Bay Hotel,
Diani Beach owned by Germans (Vegesacks) in which he says: "There is a
woman here who comes >from the same part of Berlin as I. Her husband and I
first met in the Naivasha Prison at the outbreak of the War." "Nowhere in
Africa" details a similar short internment. All the Jews were soon
released and both Max Neumann and Gerhard Braun joined up to fight for the
British against the Nazis.

The upshot is that there were Germans (including German-Jews) plus other Jews
in East Africa. The internment at the start of the War was a mere aberration.

Now Celia touches on an extremely interesting topic - the Plough Settlement
Association. Regrettably she does not provide a Web link. I would like
to know more about this Association as I believe that both farms which my
father owned in Kenya where financed through the Plough Settlement Association.

Likewise Celia talks about the Evian Conference which I was not aware of.
I have often wondered how my father was selected for Kenya. Celia this
time does refer us to a Web site:
http://www.wsws.org/de/2003/jun2003/flc-j05_prn.html
However, it is all in German. Would anyone care to translate it for me
please. I would really appreciate it.

I trust that I have not been too harsh on Celia. She has indeed fulfilled
a useful role in getting my trusty "pen" out to "write' to all of you.

Dave Lichtenstein Sydney, Australia <lichtend@ozemail.com.au>

My GGM Feiga (nee FAJNBERG) LANDSMAN was born in 1856 in Gelvan (now Gelvonai) near
Vilna. Her father was Eliash ben Leyb. She emigrated to Boston in 1821 to live
with her children a few years after her husband Abram died.

Yad Vashem pages of testimony show a large FINBERG family >from Gelvan that is
undoubtedly related since the shtetl was quite small. Leib and Ester FINBERG had
many children in the 1880/90s including Chone (married Henia and died in Zosla
c.1941), Natan (married Rachel), Chaia (married Yaakov RESNIK and died c.1942 in
Lida), Tauba (married Mordechai KOT and died c.1942 in Zosla) and Pinchas (married
Hinda LEIN, died in Gelvan c.1941).

Pinchas and Hinda had a number of children c.1910-1920 in Gelvan including
Beila/Berta (married Peretz GOLOMB, died c1941 in Gelvan), Jakob (married Charna,
died c1942 Gelvan), Rivka (married Betzalel), Batia, Chanoch and Ahuva (married
GORNIK). Ahuva (nee GOLOMB) GORNIK submitted many of the pages of testimony in
1957 to Yad Vashem >from which the list above was compiled. I believe Ahuva was
living in Israel in 1957 (but my hebrew is inadequate to tell for sure).

It seems very likely that this FINBERG family is related to mine. If this sounds
familiar, please contact me privately at <MandJMeyers@gmail.com>

Marty Meyers
Montclair, NJ

We are pleased to announce that author and family historian Lisa Thaler
will be contributing a series of articles to the JewishGen blog
(<www.JewishGen.blogspot.com>) entitled "Framing History: Sacha Kolin
in The Rose Art Museum's Permanent Collections."

Lisa spent ten years uncovering the life story and oeuvre of the Jewish
emigre artist Sacha Kolin (1911 Paris-1981 New York). Her groundbreaking
research methods are demonstrated in her biography Look Up: The Life and
Art of Sacha Kolin (New York: Midmarch Arts Press, 2008).

from the mid-1960s, campus museums acquired hundreds of Kolins,

including 32 artworks at Brandeis University's The Rose Art Museum. The
University's announcement on January 26, 2009, later modified, to
deaccession its art collection generated fervent commentary.

In this three-part series "Framing History," Lisa places the academic
museum in historical context, explaining the economic policies and
social factors that fueled the explosive growth of campus museums in
this era, and highlighting the archival records generated by the museum
community. Family historians may apply these strategies to any
occupation and to conduct cross-disciplinary studies.

The "framing history" articles will be posted on the JewishGen blog
(<www.JewishGen.blogspot.com>) beginning Friday, March 27th.

Enjoy!

Avraham Groll
Administrator of JewishGen
Project Manager of JewishGen Yizkor Books
Museum of Jewish Heritage - A Living Memorial to the Holocaust
36 Battery Place
New York, NY 10280
T 646.437.4326
F 646.437.4328
<agroll@mjhnyc.org>
<www.mjhnyc.org>

Read our blog: <www.JewishGen.blogspot.com>

MODERATOR NOTE: This discussion is now terminated in the Forum. Mr. Lichtenstein
and/or others may wish to create an "Info File" on the subject for JewishGen.

Further to Celia Male's posting:

1. She unknowingly pre-empted my follow-up to my initial posting which
was on German Jews in East Africa before the advent of Nazism. I was going
to follow this up with my own posting on German Jews in East Africa escaping
>from Nazism and therefore needed to first establish what was already there
by way of German Jewry.

2. Regrettably for Celia, I also have to contradict her statement
(which I will attempt to do below): "Any German and Austrian nationals
living in British colonies were sent to internment camps when hostilities
commenced so Dave's question re living with Jewish families is not really
relevant." [snip - off topic paragraph removed]

Firstly there were Jews in East Africa >from the earliest days of European
colonisation. And very early in the colonisation process the Uasin Gishu
Plateau of then Uganda Protectorate (but which later became part of British
East Africa when the boundary was changed >from west of Naivasha to the
present Kenya-Uganda border) was offered to Jews fleeing the Russian pogroms
as an ante-chamber to the Holy Land. This is well-documented historically
with numerous references available on this topic. The one which I will
quote for this posting is Rabbi Julius Carlebach's "The Jews of Nairobi 1903
-1962" published by the Nairobi Hebrew Congregation.

No doubt some of the early Jews arriving in East Africa may have done so on
account of these early developments. And in the excerpts >from the diary of
Commissioner N. Wilbusch, Engineer (who was part of the survey party of
three looking at the Uasin Gishu district as a potential settlement for the
Russian Jews escaping the pogroms), he quotes on page 79 of Carlebach's book
thus: "23 January 1905 Camp on the Rongai River (18 miles >from Nakuru).
Started on a comparatively good road to Eldama Ravine. Camp pitched near
the Jewish farmer, London. Called on the latter." Does any one have any
further information on LONDON?

And as stated in greater detail in my initial posting, the neighbouring
territory to the Uganda and British East Africa Protectorates, was German
East Africa. Following the defeat of Germany, after the first World War,
German East Africa became the British mandated League of Nations territory
of Tanganyika. However, German settlers continued to arrive in Tanganyika
after the first World War - many of them anti-Nazi. (I refer to "Old Africa"
Magazine Issue No.19 October/November 2008.) In this regard, Celia quite
rightly mentioned the most famous East African German, Colonel Paul von
Lettow-Vorbeck who lead the allied troops on a merry dance during WWI and was
never defeated, whereas I previously mentioned perhaps the most famous German
Jew (if one considers Silesia part of Germany) - Alfred Schnitzer (Emin Pasha).

Having thrown about a few brick bats, now for some bouquets. Celia
mentions the Gross-Breesen Jewish Farm School, Silesia for Prospective
Emigrants (Judische Auswandererlehrgut). Indeed my late father Heinz (or
Henry as he was known in Kenya and Australia) was a Gross-Breseener where he
was known by the nick name "Knirps". He was a contemporary (in more ways
than one) of Gross-Breseener Gerhard (Valentin) Braun where Gerhard was
known as "Moesch".

Names and Descriptions of German Passengers Departing Southampton on 13th
January 1939 bound for Mombasa on the German Africa Lines S.S. 'Watussi"
Voyage 69

Passenger - Age - Last Address in the United Kingdom Profession / Occupation
Gerhard Braun 19 Jews Temp. Shelter, 63 Mansell St, Aldgate E.London Agriculture
Joacheim Feingold 18 c/o Judenkersch, Avenue N.W.11, Farmer
Gerhard Fraenkel 19 65 Green craft Gardens, London, N.W.6, Farmer
Werner Fraenkel 22 Tyne Hotel, 41 Birkenhead St, W.C.1 Kings Cross, Farmer
Renate Fraenkel 19 " None
Wolf Friedman 19 Jews Temporary Shelter, 63 Mansell St, Aldgate, Farmer
Georg Heilmann 44 Tyne Hotel, 41 Birkenhead St, W.C.1 Kings, Cross,Farmer
Selma Heilmann 35 " " None
Harry Lesser 32 Tyne Hotel, 41 Birkenhead St, W.C.1 Kings Cross, Farmer
Rudi Lesser 29 " Farmer
Marianne Lesser 19 " Farmer
Heinz Lichtenstein 20 Jews Temporary Shelter, 63 Mansell St, Aldgate, Farmer
Leonhard Meyer 25 " " Aldgate, East London "
Max Meyer 32 " Farmer
Hans Schneideman 18 Jews Temporary Shelter, 63 Mansell " Gardener

Of these passengers: Gerhard "Moesch" (Valentin) Braun, Joacheim (Joe)
Feingold, Gerhard (Gerald) Fraenkel and Heinz "Knirps" (Henry) Lichtenstein
were Gross-Breeseners. G-B'ers Gerd Pfingst and Max "Edda" Neumann had
already arrived in Kenya in 1938. G-B'er Traut Fischer came out later
(after some time in the UK) and married Joe Feingold. I have a photograph
of all the Kenya G-B'ers taken at their wedding in Nakuru on 4 October 1946.

As you can see these passengers came out to Kenya before the commencement of
WWII. There were of course other boats with other German-Jewish refugee
passengers - probably the best known is Stephanie Zweig. Stephanie wrote
the biographical novel "No Where in Africa" which was made into a film.

My having been born and bred in East Africa and still maintaining a very
active interest in that part of the world (please Google my name with Kenya,
Uganda, East Africa for further verification) I am aware of some existing
Jewish families who hosted refugees.

Among them, I understand that there may have been a German-Jewish family
SCHWARZ (spelling?) who lived in the Arusha area of Tanganyika and moved to
the Ainabkoi area of Kenya (near where we finally settled). In addition to
farming in Ainabkoi, they operated a butchery in the major town of the Uasin
Gishu district, Eldoret - the Hygienic Butchery - of which they were the
original owners. When the German-Jewish KRAMER family came out to Kenya,
they worked for SCHWARZ on his farm. The KRAMERs eventually settled in
Nakuru and Gustav KRAMER later became mayor of Nakuru.

The remaining information is taken >from the Gross-Breseener briefs written
by its Kenya alumni. Firstly Max Neumann mentions working in Gilgil for a
Mr Minkel whom he identified as German who had been in Kenya for 5 years
prior to Max's arrival. He identified Mr MINKEL as German - whether he was
also Jewish I don't know. There is a possibility that Max may not have
distinguished between German and German-Jewish.

Gerhard Fraenkel talks about working on coffee farm in Kiambu shortly after
his arrival in Kenya. "In a nice Tyrol dialect I was welcomed by Mrs.
Watkins. Her husband, who apparently is a very influential government
official, is at present on safari (among other things, to find positions for
us). The people, who are extremely refined, have lived in Germany for a
fairly long time and therefore speak German very well."

Indeed according to Gerhard's writings he and my father both worked for Mrs
Watkins followed by working for Mrs Daisy Griffin (who was neither German
nor Jewish) before they went their separate ways. We then have Gerhard's
address as PO Box Kipkabus where he worked for a short while. Kipkabus is
not far >from Ainabkoi and while I am not sure I suspect that he may have
also worked for the same Schwarz family as had the Kramers.

Now as for internment at the start of the Second World War. This was not
unusual for Germans and German Jews, whether in the UK, Australia or even
Kenya but it was for a short period only for Jews. In this regard Gert
Fraenkel wrote: "Meanwhile in September we had all met again, Edda, Gert
Pfingst, Moesch and Jochen, for a short period while in the internment camp
in Nairobi." I have a letter in my possession written by my father on 30th
July 1953 to my mother (who was in Israel at the time) >from Sandy Bay Hotel,
Diani Beach owned by Germans (Vegesacks) in which he says: "There is a
woman here who comes >from the same part of Berlin as I. Her husband and I
first met in the Naivasha Prison at the outbreak of the War." "Nowhere in
Africa" details a similar short internment. All the Jews were soon
released and both Max Neumann and Gerhard Braun joined up to fight for the
British against the Nazis.

The upshot is that there were Germans (including German-Jews) plus other Jews
in East Africa. The internment at the start of the War was a mere aberration.

Now Celia touches on an extremely interesting topic - the Plough Settlement
Association. Regrettably she does not provide a Web link. I would like
to know more about this Association as I believe that both farms which my
father owned in Kenya where financed through the Plough Settlement Association.

Likewise Celia talks about the Evian Conference which I was not aware of.
I have often wondered how my father was selected for Kenya. Celia this
time does refer us to a Web site:
http://www.wsws.org/de/2003/jun2003/flc-j05_prn.html
However, it is all in German. Would anyone care to translate it for me
please. I would really appreciate it.

I trust that I have not been too harsh on Celia. She has indeed fulfilled
a useful role in getting my trusty "pen" out to "write' to all of you.

Dave Lichtenstein Sydney, Australia <lichtend@ozemail.com.au>

My GGM Feiga (nee FAJNBERG) LANDSMAN was born in 1856 in Gelvan (now Gelvonai) near
Vilna. Her father was Eliash ben Leyb. She emigrated to Boston in 1821 to live
with her children a few years after her husband Abram died.

Yad Vashem pages of testimony show a large FINBERG family >from Gelvan that is
undoubtedly related since the shtetl was quite small. Leib and Ester FINBERG had
many children in the 1880/90s including Chone (married Henia and died in Zosla
c.1941), Natan (married Rachel), Chaia (married Yaakov RESNIK and died c.1942 in
Lida), Tauba (married Mordechai KOT and died c.1942 in Zosla) and Pinchas (married
Hinda LEIN, died in Gelvan c.1941).

Pinchas and Hinda had a number of children c.1910-1920 in Gelvan including
Beila/Berta (married Peretz GOLOMB, died c1941 in Gelvan), Jakob (married Charna,
died c1942 Gelvan), Rivka (married Betzalel), Batia, Chanoch and Ahuva (married
GORNIK). Ahuva (nee GOLOMB) GORNIK submitted many of the pages of testimony in
1957 to Yad Vashem >from which the list above was compiled. I believe Ahuva was
living in Israel in 1957 (but my hebrew is inadequate to tell for sure).

It seems very likely that this FINBERG family is related to mine. If this sounds
familiar, please contact me privately at <MandJMeyers@gmail.com>

Marty Meyers
Montclair, NJ