Family Trees
Rabbi Geffen
1700's Lithuania
My 88 year old father has discovered a new hobby - growing the family trees. He is researching 4 trees - both his and my mother's maternal and paternal families. He spends hours on the computer, writes letters to offices and clerks, connects with distant relatives, writes down every piece of new data he discovers and spreads the information to other family members. It is truly remarkable how he has taken to this pursuit.
On my mother's maternal side - the Geffen family - there is an existing family tree online that covers 8 generations beginning in the 1700's in Lithuania. Included on the site are descriptions of little villages, photos, videos, memorials, updates. It is an outstanding piece of work and has won an award. It even links to Steven Spielberg's archive of films depicting Jewish life prior to and during World War II. I encouraged my father to send our small twig of the tree to the creator of the site as it stops with my maternal grandmother and neglects to mention my mother and father and their offspring including me! (Note: Google Ourfamilystory.net/GeffenFamilyTree and marvel at the wealth of information on the site- a true model family tree!).
On my father's maternal side - the Rice family - my father is caretaker of the famly bible which has a handwritten family tree on the inside cover that my father has extended to include his family - my sister, myself and my son. Following the branches of this tree has been a bit easier since my father has newspaper reports of marriages and deaths that his mother had collected. Interestingly, this family has some southern branches.
Turning to his father's paternal side - the Yalman family - has taken my father on a real detective hunt. Again, this branch started out in Lithuania - the same shetles mentioned in my maternal grandmother's family tree. My grandfather changed our name from Yalowitz to Yalman but he was the only one in his generation to make this change. My father actually tracked down a long lost relative in Indiana and was sent a very detailed family tree although it stopped in 1985. Again, my father needs to fill in the blanks. Who knew a branch ended up in South Africa??
My mother's paternal side - the Ostermans - has proved most futile. Nothing is on the web, nothing shows up, no documents, no letters. This branch spread out from Latvia and my grandfather's family arrived in America in the early 1900's but that is the start of the tree so far - no mention of the family back in the old country.
Anyway, all this research provides my father hours of pleasure. He has found a subject that is fascinating, full of surprises and needs his input. He feels that every family should cultivate their family tree...before it's too late.
Real Estate Hint - Please be sympathetic to a broker on vacation. Brokers need to get away just like other people! But, real estate goes on and on. Brokers usually get someone else in the office to cover for them while they are away. Please understand that this "temp" broker will show you properties, write offers, attend home inspections, but they may not be as diligent as your "real" broker. But, it's only for a week or two! Please don't buy a house with a competitor while your broker is on vacation! Brokers need to take a break now and then just like you do! But they don't want to lose a sale while sailing!
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