Number 38: Rare photograph reflecting four generations of Jewish matriarchs! While Jewish Lineage is traditionally through matrilineal descent, it is typically the women that change their surname making tracing their family more difficult. Six surnames over four generations: Olswanger; Schneider; Paradisgarten; Sirkin; Edelstein; Schkolne with multiples when including siblings and their offspring.

While familiar with Sheryl and Fanny we know much less about the lives and times of Ida (?) And of Faiga Basha (??)  

Insufficiently curious to ask during their lifetimes, we must now revert to Einstein’s assertion that imagination is more important than knowledge!

Imagine Riga, rich Jewish History since the 13^th century, in early 20^th Century: Thriving 20 000 strong Jewish community, sometimes severely persecuted (1905; 1917) sometimes flourishing,  rising to 44 000 by 1940, then the Shoah’s unspeakable devastation, tragically leaving only 150 Jewish souls by 1945.

Riga’s beautiful Peitav Shul, centre of Latvian Jewish Community today, completed 1905, sole survivor of Riga’s 14 pre – Holocaust synagogues!

Sheryl’s Great Grandmother, Faiga Basha Schneider ‘nee Olswanger, (various spellings!) born Riga, 1884. How many generations her family in that city? “Alschwangen” adopted probably from the Courland Latvian town (Alsunga today), when legally required to assume a surname, before fleeing during one of the multiple 18^th Century expulsions of Jews from Courland.

Feiga married Isaac Jacob Schneider, (born 1865), in Tukums, Courland,  63 kilometres from Riga.

Previously disallowing Jewish settlement, by end 19^th Century, Tukums thriving Jewish Community had 3 synagogues, Yiddish primary school, Jewish kindergarten, library, theatrical group, chorus, several charity organizations.

The Schneider’s lived some years in Tukums. This small shtetl, Jewish population of 5 500, almost 50% of the entire town in 1910, shrank to 597 by 1920. Imagine the trauma! Before and during the First World War most Courland Jews were expelled to Russia or fled.

Isaac, Feige and their family fled to Oudtshoorn South Africa, rebuilt their lives and passed away there z”l, on 22/02/1941 and 23/09/1962 respectively.

How different the journeys and life experiences in each generation. How different the times and challenges facing Feiga Basha relative to her daughter, granddaughter and great granddaughter!