“What is a Man with no History?”
There is no Inspiration for me like my Family…
Where we come from.
Who our ancestors were.
What their names & personalities were.
What our parents taught us and what we choose to pass down (and what we choose not to).
What were their tragedies and how did they deal with them?
How did we end up here?
My family’s history and voyages are quite interesting. I am sure I have mentioned already how much I admire my family and its history. I keep saying I want to write a book about it. Not a book to make millions off of but to have it all documented. For the rest of my family that’s here and the future generations. There is so much to write about that describes our family tree, it’s time to start drafting this book. Perhaps writing here will help keep me motivated.
In this section, I would like to share different inspiring members of my family (both living and deceased). People who inspire me to continue on my path and stay true to myself. People that demonstrate Strength, Faith, Love, and Compassion. People you listen to. People worth talking about. People that are a part of me.
Mi Bobe y Mi Zeide
(My Grandmother and My Grandfather) were major players in my life growing up (and probably for most of the 12 cousins I grew up with as well). The pioneers that planted the seeds in Paterson, NJ for the North American branch of our tree. Mi Zeide came on his own while his wife and three children lived in Israel. He established himself first before bringing the rest of the family out. This, by the way, is after moving the family from Argentina to Israel. Quite a journey for me to be born in this country!
In their story there is Love. Love in their relationship with each other. La Bobe definitely has a lot of Marriage advice. She lived a life with Love in it, for sure. A wife who loves her husband while he is away, while they reunite, while he starts a business, while she raises children in a new country, while they learn a new language, AND while she makes some of the best cookies you’ve ever had. ¡Por favor, mas pletzales!
In their story there is also Strength. Strength in many aspects of their life but also in living life away from their loved ones. Some of us in this family have also chosen to make their families away from home (myself included) and we can all attest to how difficult it can be emotionally. I have days where I just can’t bear the thought that my children have no grandparents nearby. I always look for strength in the women of my ancestry, who also lived with similar feelings. Mothers who raised children without their own mother is a tired tale around here! It does not surprise me, though, that many of us have walked this path when our own grandparents started it! Even their grandparents did it!
My Zeide, of blessed memory, LOVED to talk and had no problem telling us stories about anything we wanted to know (or didn’t want to know!). I remember some, can’t remember a lot, but always imagine the hundreds of stories he could tell me now were he still here. We still have our beautiful Bobe with us who continues to humor my questions about her sisters, her parents, Zeide’s parents, the great grandparents and on and on. When did Bobe Ana leave Russia? When did we stop speaking Yiddish? Who escaped the Pogroms? Which ones were killed by Nazis? Was Tia Frida ever in love? Why did everyone love el Zeide Fabian?
She also continues to humor me with her joyous sense of humor! We are definitely a family that appreciates comedy and she is the biggest jokester of them all. We get such beautiful traits from our family!!
There is so much to tell on the subject, I will have to update on a regular basis. I will introduce you to Family that is my age and setting trends as well. I have a beautiful cousin in Jersualem who is incredibly inspiring, a Father who I still believe to be the greatest man in my life, and siblings that I can’t imaging life without.
I’ve started a collection of old photographs that I will slowly post as well. I get most of them from my father.
Here is one of my Bobe’s parents:
La Bobe Rosa y el Zeide Fabian
¡¡Los adoro aunque nunca los conocí!!
LA VIDA FRIDA 