Salt over left shoulder? Sure. We did that all the time.

And chewing a piece of cotton negated the feared effects of sewing clothes
while wearing them.

Another one was not whistling in the house (not that we whistled a lot but
we were warned against it altho' I'm not sure why)

About spitting over the left shoulder to avert ill-luck: my mother told me
that as a child in Leeds she went with her mother to see a Yiddish theatre
company perform Hamlet (in Yiddish of course). All went well until the graveyard
scene. The curtain rose, the audience saw a graveyard with tombstones - and
rose as one person, spitting three times in unison over their left shoulders.
My mother died last year aged 96 so this must have occurred over 80 years
ago.

All the best

Shirley Holton
London UK

I too was brought up not to put keys on the table by my mother &
grandmother. But I was told it was a matter of hygiene rather than anything
else. After all, who knew where your keys had been.

Richard Gilbert
Bushey Heath, Hertfordshire

I am trying to contact Philip Austin of London whose
name was sent to me by Mitch Leigh of Annaheim,
California. (The email address Mitch sent me is
obsolete.)

One of Philip Austin's ancestors had the surname
PACHTER and hailed >from Siemiatycze in Grodno
Gubernia, as did my great-grandfather.

If anyone knows Philip or if he sees this posting,
please contact me directly so I can email you my
family history and see if we are related. I know that
I have distant cousins living in England.

Thank you for all assistance.

Tina PACHTER Levine
NYC
TSL553@YAHOO.COM

Salt over left shoulder? Sure. We did that all the time.

And chewing a piece of cotton negated the feared effects of sewing clothes
while wearing them.

Another one was not whistling in the house (not that we whistled a lot but
we were warned against it altho' I'm not sure why)

About spitting over the left shoulder to avert ill-luck: my mother told me
that as a child in Leeds she went with her mother to see a Yiddish theatre
company perform Hamlet (in Yiddish of course). All went well until the graveyard
scene. The curtain rose, the audience saw a graveyard with tombstones - and
rose as one person, spitting three times in unison over their left shoulders.
My mother died last year aged 96 so this must have occurred over 80 years
ago.

All the best

Shirley Holton
London UK

I too was brought up not to put keys on the table by my mother &
grandmother. But I was told it was a matter of hygiene rather than anything
else. After all, who knew where your keys had been.

Richard Gilbert
Bushey Heath, Hertfordshire

I am trying to contact Philip Austin of London whose
name was sent to me by Mitch Leigh of Annaheim,
California. (The email address Mitch sent me is
obsolete.)

One of Philip Austin's ancestors had the surname
PACHTER and hailed >from Siemiatycze in Grodno
Gubernia, as did my great-grandfather.

If anyone knows Philip or if he sees this posting,
please contact me directly so I can email you my
family history and see if we are related. I know that
I have distant cousins living in England.

Thank you for all assistance.

Tina PACHTER Levine
NYC
TSL553@YAHOO.COM

We weren't a very superstitious lot and the only one I know >from our family
was the bed facing door one but I'm not entirely convinced this a
particularly Jewish custom; I rather thought it was a general custom so I
did a few quick online searches.

This wasn't on a British superstitions database but it did appear as
possible bad Feng Shui on one page and also in an 1886 source on old New
Orleans superstitions though specifically pointing at an external door to
the outside. Either way, that's a pretty wide spread for this fear and
clearly each custom needs to be researched quite carefully.

~ Peter Glass, London ~

=

At 12:53 01/08/06 +0300, Nachum wrote:
>
I'd like to comment on the facing the door. This is not merely a
superstition, rather it is based on a custom. When a person dies, he
is placed on the floor with his feet facing the door, until the body
is removed. Therefore, it is customary not to face the door, feet
first.

<end quote |

We weren't a very superstitious lot and the only one I know >from our family
was the bed facing door one but I'm not entirely convinced this a
particularly Jewish custom; I rather thought it was a general custom so I
did a few quick online searches.

This wasn't on a British superstitions database but it did appear as
possible bad Feng Shui on one page and also in an 1886 source on old New
Orleans superstitions though specifically pointing at an external door to
the outside. Either way, that's a pretty wide spread for this fear and
clearly each custom needs to be researched quite carefully.

~ Peter Glass, London ~

=

At 12:53 01/08/06 +0300, Nachum wrote:
>
I'd like to comment on the facing the door. This is not merely a
superstition, rather it is based on a custom. When a person dies, he
is placed on the floor with his feet facing the door, until the body
is removed. Therefore, it is customary not to face the door, feet
first.

<end quote |

For any researchers in the Balta area of Ukraine, a friend is searching
for the names LERMAN and LUTSKER >from 1880 to 1910 in
Chechelnik,possibly Odessa or Kamenets-Podolsk to where some members of
the family moved. Martin Horwitz

For any researchers in the Balta area of Ukraine, a friend is searching
for the names LERMAN and LUTSKER >from 1880 to 1910 in
Chechelnik,possibly Odessa or Kamenets-Podolsk to where some members of
the family moved. Martin Horwitz

More than a year ago, I had some research done by Petje Schroeder in Poland.
She found some records and e-mailed transcripts, but never sent me the
photocopies that were promised or results of further research that was to be
done. Now I cannot reach her by e-mail at all. Does anyone have a current
e-mail address for her, or know of her whereabouts?

Thanks for your help.

Sincerely,
Betsy Thal Gephart
bgephart@comcast.net

More than a year ago, I had some research done by Petje Schroeder in Poland.
She found some records and e-mailed transcripts, but never sent me the
photocopies that were promised or results of further research that was to be
done. Now I cannot reach her by e-mail at all. Does anyone have a current
e-mail address for her, or know of her whereabouts?

Thanks for your help.

Sincerely,
Betsy Thal Gephart
bgephart@comcast.net

I am researching the Winkler family and want to know if anyone knows the
ancestry of the actor Henry Winkler.
There was a Winkler family which was of rabbinic ancestry and my interest
stems >from my research for the genealogy advisory committee of Davidic
Dynasty.

Chaim Freedman
Petah Tikvah, Israel
chaimjan@zahav.net.il

MODERATOR NOTE: Please reply privately.

I am researching the Winkler family and want to know if anyone knows the
ancestry of the actor Henry Winkler.
There was a Winkler family which was of rabbinic ancestry and my interest
stems >from my research for the genealogy advisory committee of Davidic
Dynasty.

Chaim Freedman
Petah Tikvah, Israel
chaimjan@zahav.net.il

MODERATOR NOTE: Please reply privately.

Shalom,

I'm trying to help a relative finding the exact relation to his
ancestor Rabbi Simcha Bunim of Pshischa (1767-1827).

My relative is >from the ZUSSMAN family of Staszow (Poland) and knows
only up to his grandfather's generation.

Any information or sources about R' Simcha Bunim's descendants will
be most appreciated.

Thanks and best regards,
Tomer Brunner, Israel

p.s. Pshischa is Przysucha (Poland)

Shalom,

I'm trying to help a relative finding the exact relation to his
ancestor Rabbi Simcha Bunim of Pshischa (1767-1827).

My relative is >from the ZUSSMAN family of Staszow (Poland) and knows
only up to his grandfather's generation.

Any information or sources about R' Simcha Bunim's descendants will
be most appreciated.

Thanks and best regards,
Tomer Brunner, Israel

p.s. Pshischa is Przysucha (Poland)

On 7/28/06, MBernet@aol.com <MBernet@aol.com> wrote:

Rabbi Zvi BAMBERGER, great-grandson of the late Rabbi Isaac Seligman
Halevi BAMBERGER has just completed a second volume of studies,
commentaries and responsa by his ancestor, and by Rabbi Abraham BING,
his predecessor as Rabbi of Wurzburg and director of its Yeshiva.

It's my understanding that the book was published almost a year ago
(I purchased my copy here in Israel about 4 months ago at least).
There are 68 pages of letters in the back genners might find
helpful, as well as slight biographical/bibliographical material
before each section. 573 pages including the table of contents.

While it's on topic, the *first* volume has 78 pages of biographical
notes on the Rav, although I can't vouch for the availability of the
book. There was also an article in Sinai (vol. 84, pg. 61-71) by
Prof. Mordechai Eliav 'HaRav Yitzchak Dov HaLevi Bamberger - The
Man and His Era'. I suppose an article by N. Bar-Giora (Bamberger)
(Sinai, vol. 94) in regards to the prayer the Wurzburger Rav wrote
in response to the edict by the German govt. not allowing more than
one marriage per household would be of interest. It explains why
familes were broken by siblings being sent away to marry, or young
marriages ect. in order to avoid the edict.

I hope the next step is to reprint the Responsa of The Wurzburger
Rav (Yad HaLevi)

Best Wishes,
Rabbi Yosaif M. Dubovick
Betar Illit, Israel

On 7/28/06, MBernet@aol.com <MBernet@aol.com> wrote:

Rabbi Zvi BAMBERGER, great-grandson of the late Rabbi Isaac Seligman
Halevi BAMBERGER has just completed a second volume of studies,
commentaries and responsa by his ancestor, and by Rabbi Abraham BING,
his predecessor as Rabbi of Wurzburg and director of its Yeshiva.

It's my understanding that the book was published almost a year ago
(I purchased my copy here in Israel about 4 months ago at least).
There are 68 pages of letters in the back genners might find
helpful, as well as slight biographical/bibliographical material
before each section. 573 pages including the table of contents.

While it's on topic, the *first* volume has 78 pages of biographical
notes on the Rav, although I can't vouch for the availability of the
book. There was also an article in Sinai (vol. 84, pg. 61-71) by
Prof. Mordechai Eliav 'HaRav Yitzchak Dov HaLevi Bamberger - The
Man and His Era'. I suppose an article by N. Bar-Giora (Bamberger)
(Sinai, vol. 94) in regards to the prayer the Wurzburger Rav wrote
in response to the edict by the German govt. not allowing more than
one marriage per household would be of interest. It explains why
familes were broken by siblings being sent away to marry, or young
marriages ect. in order to avoid the edict.

I hope the next step is to reprint the Responsa of The Wurzburger
Rav (Yad HaLevi)

Best Wishes,
Rabbi Yosaif M. Dubovick
Betar Illit, Israel

I've just begun researching the SHAPIRO line of my tree, and believe
there are a number of rabbis, including Baruch SHAPIRO (b. 1830s),
Shiah Osieja SHAPIRO (b.early 1800s), and Yosele SHAPIRO (b. 1755).
I believe they are >from the Bialystock region, but also have some
information that indicates Yosele SHAPIRO was a prominent figure in
Augustow. Any help on where to turn for more research on Rabbi
SHAPIROs is appreciated.

Karen Block

I've just begun researching the SHAPIRO line of my tree, and believe
there are a number of rabbis, including Baruch SHAPIRO (b. 1830s),
Shiah Osieja SHAPIRO (b.early 1800s), and Yosele SHAPIRO (b. 1755).
I believe they are >from the Bialystock region, but also have some
information that indicates Yosele SHAPIRO was a prominent figure in
Augustow. Any help on where to turn for more research on Rabbi
SHAPIROs is appreciated.

Karen Block