Precious Treasures
The Cool Coin Collection
New Jersey U.S.A
Ethan S’s maternal great grandfather’s coin collection and stamp book are very sentimental to the Kotler family. They originally belonged to Ethan S’s great grandfather, Aaron Kotler. He collected the stamps and coins as a hobby. He got these coins and stamps a few at a time at coin dealers and at coin and stamp shows. Aaron Kotler was an organized and intelligent man which made him a good collector. Aaron Kotler was also a good business man. Aaron’s youngest son, Donald, currently has most of the stamps and coins. He gives the children in Ethan’s family some of the coins every year to keep passing them down. Ethan S brought in the coin collection to show what types of hobbies people had in the 1920’s-1950’s in America.
This collection is a special piece of heritage in Ethan S’s family.
The Golden Pocket Watch
Germany
This pocket-watch belonged to Alex S’s paternal grandfather, Max. After the holocaust ended, Max left Germany for the United States of America. He and his brother purchased a few gold pocket-watches so that when they reached the United States of America, they would be able to start a business. This is one of the only pocket-watches that Alex’s grandfather kept. The pocket-watch is made of gold. Before Alex’s grandfather died, he gave this pocket-watch to Alex’s father.
It is an item that is very dear to Alex’s family.
Hidden Coins
Ottoman Empire
David L’s maternal great-great grandmother, Vida Mitrani, was a very cautious person. She wore these coins in her hair so they appeared decorative. The coins were threaded on a string so they appeared as a hair decoration. She wasn’t allowed to carry around the coins during this time period, or they would be confiscated. These coins were to be used in the event of a pogrom. She would then be ready to escape and have money to bribe the border guards along the Bulgarian, Greece, and Turkish border. The coins were to only be used in the event of persecution and for no other reason at all.
David’s family keeps them in a silk bag in Gayle Lewis’ house in case they ever have to escape persecution.
The Cool Coin Collection
New Jersey, U.S.A
Ethan S’s maternal great grandfather’s coin collection and stamp book are very sentimental to the Kotler family. They originally belonged to Ethan S’s great grandfather, Aaron Kotler. He collected the stamps and coins as a hobby. He got these coins and stamps a few at a time at coin dealers and at coin and stamp shows. Aaron Kotler was an organized and intelligent man which made him a good collector. Aaron Kotler was also a good business man. Aaron’s youngest son, Donald, currently has most of the stamps and coins. He gives the children in Ethan’s family some of the coins every year to keep passing them down. Ethan Shafer brought in the coin collection to show what types of hobbies people had in the 1920’s-1950’s in America.
This collection is a special piece of heritage in Ethan S’s family.
The Working Scissors
Rochester New York
Yonatan S’s paternal great- great grandfather was a hard worker. Each day Albert Musk went to work, and he used these scissors at a clothing manufacturing plant that he was the manager of. This clothing manufacturing plant was called “Levy Brothers and Adler.” Yonatan S’s family is so proud that Grandpa Albert worked there cutting fabric to create clothing.
It is so amazing to see what he had to do with such huge scissors.
The Braille Worker
United States of America
Did you ever wonder who made the first Braille siddur and machzor? Did you ever wonder why they were made? Ezra F’s maternal great grandmother wrote both the first Braille siddur and the first Braille machzor. Ezra’s maternal great grandfather Rabbi Teddy Adams was the rabbi of a shul. Rabbi Teddy Adams’ wife Bernice Adams took a few years to make a wonderful Bar-Mitzvah present for a blind boy named Billy Gross. The present was the first ever made Braille siddur, and machzor. After Bernice Adams gave this present to Billy Gross, she kept on making more for those in need. Even though by the time Bernice Adams was up to her last few Braille sets they had come out with an electric Braille typewriter, Bernice decided that the presents would be more meaningful if she used the hand Braille writer. Although she could have become wealthy by selling her Braille works, she always gave them without a charge.
This Braille writer has been passed down from generation to generation through Ezra F’s family, and is very much loved.
A Picture to Remember
Lower East Side , NYC
Leah S’s paternal great grandfather, Michael Mundel, came to America with nothing in his pockets. He became a well-known copper artist mostly of Jewish themes to remind himself of his old life in Poland. Some of his pictures are of a rabbi praying at the Kotel, and of a rabbi studying Torah. Some of his pictures are still on display in synagogues all over the United States and Canada. Leah S and her family are grateful that they have a skilled artist as a part of their family.
Michael Mundel is an inspiration to Leah S.
A Game of a Mastermind
Austria
This chess set has been in the Z family since 1932. That is when Evan’s paternal great grandfather, Ben, received it. His chess teacher gratefully presented it to him in Austria when Ben was sixteen years old. His family heard rumors that the Nazis were coming, so they fled to London. Ben made sure to stay with the chess set which was one of his mementos from his old home in Austria. Shortly after, his first child (Evan Z’s grandfather) was born. They sailed to Canada and from there went to Brooklyn. Even’s great grandfather and great grandmother now live in Suffern, N.Y. This is the story Ben told Evan on his eleventh birthday. Knowing that Evan loves chess, Ben gave the chess set to him.
Evan keeps the chess set in his bedroom to remember his great grandfather’s escape from the Holocaust.
As Time Goes By
Queens, New York
Jake S’s paternal great grandfather was a special man. He bought a watch made out of gold and steel in Queens, New York. Jacques S. got the watch in circa 1950 and ever since he died, Jake S’s family has cherished it. This watch was passed down to Jake S’s grandfather, Robert, and then passed down to Jake S’s father, James. Jake S’s great grandfather wore it all the time, and as a result, his father feels the privilege to wear it sometimes. It is extremely valuable to Jake’s family and they keep it in a very safe place.
Jake’s family treasures this object because it reminds them of Jacques S.
The Traveling Lacquer Box
China
Sarah S K’s maternal great – great – great grandmother received a Chinese Lacquer Box from her husband whose name is Yohanan. Her husband was a merchant who brought it from China. In the box there is a hairbrush and many different compartments. Over the years she and her children put things in the box to pass down to their children. This box and it’s contents survived in Communist Russia when most of their wealth was taken away, during the 1900s. Then, when she passed it down to Sarah’s great- great grandmother, it was passed down to her great grandmother and eventually, her mom.
Now it is in Sarah’s house.
The Helpful Horse
Germany
Judah S’s maternal great grandfather had a horse named Hilda. These horseshoes belonged to Hilda and are originally from Germany. They are made of metal.Metal is very strong so were able to support the horse. They used the horse to bring animals to the slaughter house to be shechted. The horseshoes are a very important symbol to Judah’s grandfather. If they didn’t have a horse, they would have no means to get money and food. They would have starved because as Jews, people wouldn’t hire them.
Hilda played an important role in the survival of Judah S’s family and they keep the horseshoes as a way to remember her.
The Young Violinist
Boston, Massachusetts
Many people love music as did Zachary R’s maternal great grandmother Dora Kahn. She was always interested in music, and at age 10 her father gave her a violin. She excelled at playing and in just 6 years, at age 16, she became the First Violinist of the Boston Symphony Orchestra. She was the youngest First Violinist ever in the history of Boston Symphony Orchestra. After she was married, she had a son named Bennett, who is Zachary’s grandfather. Dora gave her violin to Bennett.
He has kept it and treasures it to this day because it reminds him of his mother’s childhood and like her, he enjoys classical music.
The Golden Horses
Belgium
In 1953 Racheli H’s maternal grandmother, Guita Bertram, who was from Poland, lived in Belgium. She was fascinated by the fact that Queen Elizabeth was Queen of an entire country at such a young age because she was the same age as herself. The next day she bought a replica of Queen Elizabeth’s Golden State Coronation Coach as a birthday present for herself. It was special to her because she felt like a queen every time she saw and held it. She cherished it and kept it in her china closet. Because it always fascinated Racheli’s mother Esther, Guita let her have it.
Now, whenever Racheli sees it she thinks about her grandmother and her family history
An Eye to the Past
Winooski, Vermont
Jaclyn W’s maternal great-great grandmother Laura Siegel was the first woman optometrist in the United States. She took lessons in her own home and traveled from Winooski, Vermont to Philadelphia to take her final exam. After waiting she finally got accepted to be an eye doctor. The U.S Government asked her if she could check the soldiers’ eyes as they crossed the Canadian border during World War I. After she was married, she worked in her husband’s store on 81 Main Street in New York selling glasses, and checking peoples’ eyes. While Sylvette, Alex and Laura’s beloved daughter was cleaning their house after her mother’s death, she found this pair of glasses.
The Messer’s, Sylvette’s son and daughter-in-law now keep this pair of glasses on display and hope to share this story with future generations.
The Healing Cups
Bronx, New York
Jacob L‘s maternal great-great grandmother, Sarah Lazarus owned these healing cups which were used for healing her family. She received them in the late 1800’s and they have been around for about 125 years. These cups which were also referred to as Bonkus in Yiddish are no longer used by Jacob’s family. However, there are many cultures today which practice this method of healing.
Even though there is no longer a usage for the cups, they are still on display in his grandparent’s living room in memory of their family.
A Pocket Full of Golden Time
Germany
Josh F’s maternal great grandfather Jacob (Jack) Sladowsky had an 18-karat golden pocket watch. The watch was from the early 1920’s. This watch is precious to Josh’s family because during the Holocaust, when Jack’s family was leaving Germany, they could only take a few items. The pocket watch has significant monetary and sentimental value, and he really wanted to take it with him. When they were leaving, the Nazis could have taken it away from him, but Jack hid it.
Another reason it is so valuable to Josh’s family is that it is one of the few things they have that belonged to Jack when he lived in Germany.
Matza Fun
New York
Arielle P’s maternal great- great -great grandmother Regina Margareten, established a grocery store in 1883 with her family in New York City. This grocery store became the Horowitz Margareten Company. Regina Margareten had an amazing work ethic and was a true ba’alat tzedakah. She was a one woman quality control department, and she was famous for tasting the morning batch of matzah each morning. This routine continued until two weeks prior to her death at the age of 96. The New York Times called her the “Matriarch of the Kosher Food Industry.”
This book documents her descendants and Arielle’s family history.
The Power of Type
New York
This unique typewriter was purchased by Mark M’s maternal great grandfather Morris Greenberger. Morris was the financial secretary for the Hungarian synagogue of Manhattan named CHEVRA BECHURIM BNEI MENASHE AHAVAS ACHIM. He used this typewriter to send the notices for meetings, budgets, parties, aliyahs, and pay notices. He originally bought the typewriter for his job as a Navy equipment tester. He would test 1 out of 10,000 gloves the Navy ordered to make sure it was authentic. The ink next to the typewriter was the ink the Navy ordered for their typewriters. All of the work he did is in his apartment on Grand Street in the Lower East Side.
The family will cherish this typewriter for countless years.