SECOND INSTALLMENT RE ZAIDY'S AGE

 

Dear Family,

 

I hope that you have read the first installment.

 

I have taken the Liberty to scan and send the following documents:

 

The first page (labeled page 2) is a list of the Bochurim in the Lubavitcher Yeshiva in Vilna on the 25th of Sivan 5696- 1936. It says there that Zaidy was 13 years old, which was the average age of his class, the second class. If so, then Zaidy would have been born in 1923. In the second attached page it quotes Zaidy, saying that shortly after his Bar Mitzvah he went to Vilna, after Pesach. This would seem to indicate that they did not make a mistake by a year, since his Bar Mitzvah was in 1936-5696. Unless we will say that Zaidy remembered that he went to Vilna shortly after his Bar Mitzvah, and he did not remember which year it was (as is probable). It was the interviewer that inserted 5696, since we have a document saying that he was in Yeshiva during that year. Possibly, he was born 1922, Bar mitzvah 1935-5695 and entered the Vilna Yeshiva in 5695 shortly after his Bar Mitzvah in the first class, and the document that we have is of his second year there.

 

The next two documents state that Zaidy was learning in Vilna after the war had begun. They had left Otwock before Rosh Hashana to Warsaw, and had managed to escape from the Germans (see Tanta Fruma's letter). There is a lot to talk about in the details of their escape. We will have to leave that for another time. Actually these documents do not add much to this discussion of Zaidy's age. I included them by mistake, and did not want to omit them, in case anybody was interested.

 

The fifth document gives an overview of Zaidy's history, as well as some of his family. It mentions that Uncle Chaim was born in 1915 and learned in Vilna 1929-1931.f so, he entered Yeshiva when he was 14 years old. So too with Shmuel Avrohom (incidentally, he was called just Shmuel in one of the documents). He was born 1917 and entered the Vilna Yeshiva in 1931 when he was 14 years old. Though Zaidy went to Yeshiva when he was 13 years old.

 

In the 5th document it says that Zaidy learned in Glubocke during the years of 1935-6 until Pesach. Zaidy told us many times about the simple Bar Mitzvah that he had while learning by his Melamed in Dukshitz. It seems that the family's house was quarenteened at that time because of (the typhus?) disease that was spreading. Though a Yeshiva did start in Glubocke during those years, and Zaidy's Father Reb Ben Zion was very much involved with this amazing undertaking, it would seem that Zaidy did not attend. possibly because the Yeshiva was not well organized or at an appropriate standard.

 

In the 6th document, it says that Zaidy was learning in Otvock during the winter of 5698, and was 17 years old. It is possible that this was before or after his Birthday on Chanukah. Yet, if Zaidy was born in 1922, the years would not fit?? Unless we say that they made a mistake? Incidentally, it says that Zaidy had just arrived in Otvock that winter. Apparently he was in Vilna for the 3rd class too.

 

I also reviewed a 100 year calendar. Though Chanukah can never fall on October, it is possible that it should really have said December 20th. They mistook a 10 for a 12.

So 12/20/ 19 falls on the 28th of Kislev, Zaidy's birth day is on the 3rd Lichtele of Chanukah, or the 27th of Kislev. In 1920 it fell on the 9th of Teves. In 1921 the 19th of Kislev. In 1922the first of Teves, or the 6th Lichtele of Chanukah during that year.In 1923 it fell on the 12th of Teves.  

 

Please review this and share your comments with us. I am inclined to settle on the 1922 date. What do yoy think?

 

All the best

 

Have a wonderful Shabbos, especially as today is The Alter Rebbe's Yahrzeit.

 

Ben Zion

 

 

 

Dear Family,

 

Please pass this on to whomever you think would be interested in this info.

 

Many of us have wondered about Zaidy's real age.

 

In most of the legal documents, it says that Zaidy was born on Oct. 20th, 1919.

 

I have taken the liberty to enclose a copy of Zaidy's passport, a letter from Tanta Fruma, and a letter from The Freerdiker Rebbe.

They all say that Zaidy was born in 1919.

 

Now the letter from Tanta Fruma was written from Vilna to relatives in America, begging for help in order to emigrate.

The letter is interesting on its own. I rewrote it in Yiddish. Though my handwriting is much worse than hers, the lettering is somewhat closer to today's writing.

I hope you can decipher it. There is one word at the end which I was not able to decipher. I therefore could not understand whether she was blaming herself or others for not emigrating to America earlier.

 

I also enclosed a letter from The Freerdiker Rebbe saying that he knew Zaidy personally.

 

Yet, there is one exception, Zaidy's marriage certificate, which states that he was born Oct. 20, 1922.

 

So, which year is correct?

 

(one possibility is that Zaidy wanted to minimize his age, somewhat. Though, I would have a hard time accepting this, unless there was a discrepancy with his age.)

 

Now, Zaidy often said that his brother Sholom Ber was older than him. I imagine that Sholom Ber was named after The Rebbe Rashab who passed away the 2nd of Nissan 1920. If so, than Sholom Ber had to be born after t Nissan 1920. So that Zaidy could not have been born before 1922. 

 

Unless we say that Zaidy may have gotten confused with the dates during the war as many others have, who did not either remember their dates of birth. It would seem most logical that Tanta Fruma should not make a mistake in his year of birth. Especially when we take into account the birth of the other children. I believe that Meir was born on 1911, Tanta Fruma in 1913, Chaim in 1915, Shmuel Avrohom in 1917, Sholom Ber after 1920, Afterwards Asneh Merah, then Uncle Yisroel in 1925. It would make most sense if Zaidy was born 1919, Sholom Ber in 1921, and Asneh Merah in 1923.

 

Incidentally Sholom Ber does not appear in the picture of Tanta and Uncle Rodshtein in Glubock, while Zaidy does appear there. Is this a proof that Sholom Ber was younger and therefore couldn't be in the picture as he needed to be watched? I do not think so, as Asneh Merah who was even younger was there, sitting on Bubba Reicha's lap. Probably the reason was because he was suffering from health issues.

 

Maybe to clarify things, I would like to introduce a copy of the roster of Yeshiva Bochurim in Vilna (under Rabbi Ushpol) written on the 25th day of Sivan 5696-1936, it says that Zaidy was learning in the middle class (2nd year of Mesivta?) and was 13 years old! This would mean that Zaidy as born in 1923!

 

I do plan to scan and send this and a few other documents too, but because I am technologically challenged, I have to wait for Simcha to return and help me.

 

Now, I would find it very hard to believe that a 17 year old boy (if he was born in 1919) was confused for a 13 year old boy??? When did he start putting on Teffillin?All of the other boys in his class were 12, 13 and 14. So how could he been confused, especially since the Yeshiva was quiet organized and recorded each Bocher's age and place of birth. To me this seems to be the overwhelming proof that Zaidy was younger. Possibly the legal documents included a ficticous date, as many did during those days.

 

I would like to hear your opinions on this.

 

Though I do plan to add another installment, this would include some discrepencies in his age as they are recorded in the Yeshiva documents. During this process we will try to clarify when he went to each Yeshiva. Also, I would like to explore the date Oct. 20. Chanukah never falls during October1

 

All the best, I hope you gained from this so far.

 

ben-zion