First Connection of Minna’s Branch with Charles’, Abe’s & Sascha’s after 80 years
Middle Row: Hackey Edelstein; Winnie Levy (‘nee Edelstein); Irma Edelstein (‘nee Kowen); Fanny Edelstein (‘nee Sirkin); Frank Mendelsohn; Bennie Edelstein
Front Row: Paul Edelstein; Michael Edelstein; Yair Schkolne; Maya Schkolne; Stuart Edelstein
(Wulf Edelstein’s sister Lena married Edward Blumenau which became Bloom. They had three children: Herman, Max and Esther. Herman married Sonia Goldberg and one of their children was Elma who married Frank Mendelsohn).
Jillian Edelstein daughter of Noah (“Boetie”) and Isobel; granddaughter of Abraham (“Abe”) Edelstein researched and has more detail of the history related to the life journeys of Minna and her family.
Thank you to Tony Edelstein z”l whose Family Tree Scroll is a rich source of family members names, relevant dates and their place in the Family Tree
.Victor Kheyfets sadly passed away during April 2020
Number 88: In July 1993 Victor Kheyfets, Minna Reichman ‘nee Edelstein’s Grandson journeyed from Dnepropetrovsk Ukraine to visit his South African family. This photograph, perhaps innocuous at first glance, represents a deeply significant and momentous occasion for the Edelsteins.
On Shavuot 1915 (Aunty Ida said 2014!) all Sassmaken Jews were ordered to leave within twenty four hours. In 1918, the Edelsteins did not return to newly Independent Latvia, as some other families did. So much of their journey is a mystery. They were in Russia focused on escaping and reuniting with family members in South Africa. Unsuccessful, they would never see them again.
Wulf passed away in the Ukrainian City of Zaporochye in 1918. In 1921, with Civil War tearing Russia apart, severe cold, catastrophic drought and famine caused some 5 million deaths! The family suffered terribly during these years. In 1921 Tomer’s mother-in-law Tsipe, then Tomer succumbed to their privations and passed away within a week of each other in Minsk.
Minna (born 1878) eldest of Wulf and Tomer’s children, married Herman Reichman in 1908 and had three children Sofy (1909 – 1966), Irmgard (1913 – 1998) and Robert (1916 – 1959). One of Irmgard and George Kheyfets Germanova’s three children was Victor Kheyfets.
Minna astoundingly survived the Latvian expulsion, First World War, Russian Revolution and also Second World War! She passed away in 1957.
The South African Edelsteins had lost contact with their family left in Sassmaken from 1915 until, unbelievably!, well after Minna had passed away. Charles, Abe and Sascha did not know whether their sister was alive and if so where! Russia was isolated, the simple act of sending a letter to inform not technically possible. They only became aware that Minna, Herman and their offspring had survived and details of their life’s journeys, when Ukraine opened up and Irmgard and her son Victor made contact with the SA family in the early 1990s.
Wulf and Tomer’s children did not live to see that day. But at last, after close to 80 years of silent yearning and efforts to do so, their offspring “re” connected through Victor’s visit.