Finkelstein


Noach Moishe Finkelstein was Edith's great-grandfather. He had 5 or 6 brothers but lost touch with them when he moved to Odessa (now in Ukraine).

(1) Chaim Finkelstein was Edith's grandfather. Born ca. 1836 to 1841 in Constantinople. When he was a small child, he and his family moved to Odessa. When Chaim was about 18 years old he moved to Poland and established himself in Lodz as small merchant. Chaim Finkelstein married Yetta Sachs. born ca 1843 or 1844 in Poland, probably Lodz - or in Kempen or Kepno, a Polish shtetel near Kalisz. See the Sachs section below for more on Yetta's relatives. Chaim and Yetta and children moved to Odessa around 1881 (Wolf was around 9 years old) and then moved to Palestine in 1884. Chaim died in Jerusalem ca. 1886. Yetta died in Jerusalem ca. 1888. They had five children:


(2) Sarah Inda (aka Hinda) born 1866. Married Lazar Hecht, a tailor) before 1884; Hinda and Lazar returned to Lodz from Odessa when Hinda's parents moved to Palestine. They had 6 or 7 children:

(3) Jacob. Married daughter of Joseph Zuckerman, who was the son of Yetta Sachs's sister (unknown name) who died in childbirth; see below for Sachs family. Joseph Zuckerman was raised by Chaim Finkelstein. Jacob Finkelstein Hecht and his wife had 4 children : Regina, Louba, Leon and Idek.

(3) Maria - just married, had baby Karola.

(3) Tiobeha (sp?), b. 1911 = youngest daughter.

(2) Ella, born 1869. Married Israel Ellinger (or Hellinger), a weaver/tailor. Had 3 children: Herschel, Yetta and Chamel or Chumal (sp?).

(2) Wolf (Zeev) was Edith's father. Born 1872 in Kalisz (Russian Poland). Lived in Lodz until age 9, then moved to Odessa with family (there was a decree that alien Jews, like Wolf's father who was born in Turkey, had to leave Poland). When Wolf's parents and younger siblings moved to Palestine, Wolf got off the boat in Constantinople. Married Serafina Hirsch on June 9, 1901. See information below about the Hirsch family. Wolf and Serafina had 5 children, 4 of whom survived: Edith, Renee, Therese, and Marie.


(2) Paul (Pesser), born 1875 or 1876. Went with parents to Palestine. In 1888, after both parents had died in Jerusalem, Wolf sent for Paul and younger sister Rachel to come to Constantinople. Paul and Rachel stayed with Wolf in Constantinople for 9 months and then obtained passport of dead cousin named Finkelberg and was able to travel to Lodz to be raised by older sister Hinda. Paul was a textile manufacturer. He married Rosa Mondshein and had 4 children: Yetta, Chaim (Hermann), Isaac (Willy?) b. 1911, and Maria (b. 1916).

(2) Rachel, born 1878. Married Joseph Tempelhof. He fought in the Russo-Japanese War (1904-5), and died during World War I, about 36 years old. Rachel died the year before him. They had 2 children, who were raised by Rachel's sister Hinda: Yitta or Yetta (b. 1913) and Marie (b. 1915).



Sachs Family

(1) Wolf Sachs was the father of Yetta Sachs, father-in-law of Chaim Finkelstein, grandfather of Wolf Finkelstein, great-grandfather of Edith Finkelstein. Wolf Sachs married Mindel (aka Manya; last name unknown). Wolf Sachs was either a merchant or an optician. His father (name unknown) was a Kreisrabbiner (Grand Rabbi) for the town or shtetel of Kempen (aka Kepno) near Lodz, near Kalisz. Jews arrived in Kempen in 17th century and most left in the second half of the 19th century. Wolf Sachs lived for many years in Warsaw. Wolf Sachs had 5 children, including Yetta, the mother of Chaim Finkelstein. Much of the information on the children of Wolf Sachs comes from a sketch of a family tree drawn by Edith. However, there are parts of this family tree that are confusing, especially regarding the siblings of Yetta Sachs, Wolf Finkelstein's mother.

(2) Yetta Sachs, born in Poland (probably Lodz) in 1843 or 1844. Daughter of Wolf Sachs and Mindel (aka Manya) Sachs. Lived for many years in Warsaw. Married Chaim Finkelstein.

(3) Sarah Inda, b. 1866.

(3) Ella, b. 1869.

(3) Wolf, b. 1872 was Edith's father.

(3) Paul, b. 1875, later changed last name to Finkelberg

(3) Rachel, b. 1878.



(2) Schiffra (or Chiffra) Sachs. Married Lefkowitz (tailor). They had 3 children. Chiffra came to NY with her daughter Therese ca. 1920. Schiffra was a midwife. Died ca. 1930. Edith's writings list Schiffra as a sister of Yetta, but the family tree she drew shows Schiffra as the daughter of someone named Luba, along with two other girls Nacha and Rosa. Could Luba have been a half-sister to Yetta, and Schiffra thus Yetta's niece?

(3) Hyman - Married Esther Wachsman in Lodz. Then lived in Brooklyn and their children were: Abraham, b. in Lodz, Max, Mollie b. NYC and Lily.

(3) Therese - married Charles Topiol. Came to Brooklyn ca. 1920

(3) Abram Isaac - went missing during WWI, age 18.



(2) Nacha (sp?) -See notes on Schiffra above. According to the family tree that Edith tree, Nacha was definitely Schiffra's sister, but it is not clear whether they are actually siblings of Yetta Sachs (Wolf Finkelstein's mother). Whatever her relationship to Yetta Sachs, Nacha married Leibisch Mondschein and they had 9 children:

(3) Wolf

(3) Rose Mondschein - she married Paul Finkelberg, younger brother of Wolf Finkelstein.

(3) Theresa

(3) Isaac

(3) Tofila or Topcha (sp?)

(3) Gemma or Emma (sp?)

(3) Ella

(3) Maria

(3) Luba


(3) Rose - See notes on Schiffra above. According to the family tree that Edith tree, Rose was definitely Schiffra's sister, but it is not clear whether they are actually siblings of Yetta Sachs (Wolf Finkelstein's mother). Whatever her relationship to Yetta Sachs, Rose married Benjamin Jakobowitz (tailor). They had 5 children:

(4) Theresa

(4) Isaac (went to Paris before WWI)

(4) Hyman

(4) Fella (sp)

(4) Regina

(3) Hannah Sachs: Hannah was widowed one year after her wedding. Lived with family of Chaim Finkelstein and her sister Yetta. Died in Lodz after they left, probably 1881. No children.

(3) Daughter, name unknown, died in childbirth, but married to man named Zuckerman.

(4) Joseph Zuckerman, brought up by family of Chaim Finkelstein, and remained in Lodz. Joseph's daughter married Jacob Hecht, son of Sarah Hinda Finkelstein and her husband Lazar Hecht.



Hirsch Family



Raphael Hirsch with his second wife and children



(1) Raphael Hirsch was the father of Serafina, grandfather of Edith. He was born in Kolome, Galicia near Bukovina frontier. Born between 1820-1825. Died before 1905. He was about 74 when his youngest child Emil was born. He married twice - first to Serafina's mother, who died when Serafina was young and with whom he had 4 children. Then to second wife, with whom he had 5 children. According to Netty Blicksilber, one of Serafina's sisters may have married a man whose last name was Schuldiner, but we do not know which sister; they may have lived in New York City.

(2) Favisch or Feibisch, oldest brother of Serafina. Edith never mentioned him, but there is a photo of him and children, taken in Brussels, in the photo album, and he is mentioned in Netty Blicksilber's entry in the time capsule. Feibisch was born in Sniatyn, Ukraine. He was a tailor. He married Taube (last name unknown, possibly born in Russia).

(3) Sarah - married Helmann (first name unknown) in Brussels

(3) Frieda?

(3) Raphael - Antwerp

(3) Simon - USA

(3) Esther - Married Neid (first name unknown) - Lyon



(2) Augusta or "Gusta" - married Gedalya Madier, band leader. They moved to New York City.

(3) Netty - married Munk (first name unknown) - lived in New York City.

(3) Toni?

(3) Max - New York City



(2) Nathan - born May 18, 1873 in Sniatyn. Married Henriette Blum, born November 17, 1873 at Bischheim. Nathan was an electrician.

(3) Netty - b. August 2, 1904. Married Blicksilber (first name unknown). Lived in Strasbourg.

(3) Raphael - b. November 22, 1906. Lived in Strasbourg.

(4) Evelyne - lived in Paris, married Pierre Ghenassia.

(3) Maurice - died during the deportation (WWII).

(3) Rachel - b. December 18, 1909. Married Muller (first name unknown); lived in Strasbourg (France), Daniel Headrick (son of Edith) visited her twice.




From ellisisland.org, above right to left: Seraphine, "Ida" (Edith), Thérèse, "Rosalie" (Renée), and Marie arrived on the S.S."Rochambeau" on October 18, 1918.



(2) Serafina (1876-1948), married Wolf Finkelstein. Their children were:

(3) Edith (1902-1970) married Cecil Headrick (1904-1995). They had two children, William and Daniel.

(3) Renee (1905-1982) married Eugen Weisz (1886-1954).

(3) Therese (1908-1991) married Egon Steinberg Hill (-1993). They had two children, James and Virginia.

(3) Marie (1909-1989) married Fred Wandell (-1989).


(2) Frieda

(2) Regina

(3) Helena (photo in album).


(2) Giza (photo in album shows her engaged to Max Scharf in Sniatyn, Ukraine in 1904.

(2) Rosa

(2) Emil - according to info on back of photo, Emil's father Raphael was 74 years old when Emil was born, so he would have been born between 1894 and 1899.



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