Eliezer Rapoport.
This is the only photo I have of my grandfather.
It was kept by Gedalia Rapoport, his youngest son, who survived the holocaust.
1939
L to R
Gedalia, the youngest son
Pessach and his wife Sara.( The twin brother of Sara Rapoport )
Raisa( Rysha ) Rapoport ( nee Nachatovich ), the wife
Itzchak, the older son
1939
Itzchak, Pessach and Sara ( Pessach's wife ), Rysha
1939
In Israel,
Sara Fryher ( nee Rapoport ) , my mother
Topka Fryher, Sara's sister-in-law
Noach Fryher, Sara's husband
Rivka Fryher, Sara's mother-in-law
1939
Note the photograph on the table.
This is Itzchak and possibly his wife Hadasa.
This photo was kept by Gedalia.
There was never a mention of a wife in any of the correspondence from Itzchak.
The back.
Dated 28/1/1940
Translation:
(In Yiddish)
“One sweet and dear
brother…..Itzkhak”
(In Polish)
“To a nice and very
______ Gdali …..Hadasa”
This is the START OF MY RESEARCH.
The FACTS.
From Yad Vashem,
Notes:
1. The testimonies were submitted approximately 14 years after the holocaust, and 10 months after the Fryhers left for Australia, ( that is, Yosef's testimonies were completed on his own ).
2. The above were 2 of approximately 50 testimonies submitted by Yosef.
( Virtually his entire family were killed )
Because of the above:-
Were the names of Eliezer's parents guesses?
It was logical to name the grandchildren after deceased grandparents. Izaak could have been named after his grandfather. But what about Sara? My mother never mentioned how her name was derived.
Gedalia survived the war. A letter was received from him in 1945.
Wasn't Yosef informed of this? Or did he forget.
The ages mentioned were certainly guesses. Pessakh was Sara's twin brother who would have been 26 years old. Gedalia would have been about 24. Izaak was about 32.
Was Eliezer 60?
Sara kept this MACHZOR all the way from Warsaw.
On the left page is stamped:-
Lazer Rapoport
Warsaw
Mylna Street , no. 5 , apartment 22
On the right page is written:-
"Risha , daughter of Gedalia ( passed away ), wife of Eliezer Hakohen Rapoport"
Gedalia, then quite certainly was named after his deceased grandfather.
Note that in Rivka Fryher's Yad Vashem Testimonial she assumed Risha's father was called Pessakh.
A guess.
Regarding the Rapoport's Warsaw address. This is verified from my mother's address book.
At Mylna 1 lived the Fryhers. Sara's future husband Noach, his sister Toba, and parents Yosef and Rivka.
There was a small synagogue there ( info from the Warsaw Historical Institute ). Could this be the synagogue that Leizer patronised?
Regarding the name Pessakh.
He could have been named after his HYPOTHETICAL great-grandfather Pessakh Kadison. ( see later )
Or sometimes if a son is born on the festival of Pessakh he is given the name, Pessakh.
According to Sara's passport, Sara, and therefore her twin brother were born in October.
The Israel Passport for travel to Australia
On genealogyindexer.org,
In 1928, under Jewellery Products
and in 1930,
Warsaw Address Directory
Leizer was selling jewellery from home?
The tree so far,
According to Sara, the Rapoports came from Kovno, Lithuania.
I searched the jewishgen.org database.
KOVNO GUBERNIA BIRTHS
| Name | Father, Grandfather Mother, Grandfather Mother Maiden Surname | Date of Birth DD/MM/YY Hebrew Date | Town Ujezd Guberniya | Comments | Place Recorded Year Record # | Microfilm / Item Image Archive / Fond |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||||
| RAPEPORT, Samuil Markel | Ber, Solomon Rokhel, Peisakh Kadis | 8/9/1874 9 Tishri | Kaunas Kaunas Kaunas | Circumcision date 15-Sep-1874, circumcision did Meer GOLDSHTEIN, Josel VITKIN. Father was a freeman | Kaunas 1874 M 242 | 2205123 / 1 82 LVIA/1226/1/171 |
| ||||||
| RAPOPORT, Yakov Moshe | Ber, Zalman Rachel, Pesach KADISAN / KADYSON | 14/7/1882 10 Av | Kovno/ [Kaunas] Kaunas Kaunas | Father: Honorable citizen by birth. Brit on 17 Av by Yosef VITKIN. | Kaunas 1882 M199 | 2290297 / 8 894 LVIA/1226/1/1867 |
| ||||||
| RAPOPORT, Leyzer | Ber, Zalman Rachel, Pesach KADISAN | 3/1/1885 28 Tevet | Kovno/ [Kaunas] Kaunas Kaunas | Father: Honorable citizen by birth. Brit on 6 Shevat by Yosef VITKIN. In this record, the following corrections were made: The child's name Ber was changed to Leyzer and the father's name Eliezer was changed to Ber according to the memorandum of the | Kaunas 1885 M4 | 2290545 / 4 407 LVIA/1226/1/1872 |
| ||||||
| RAPOPORT, Naum David | Ber, Zelman Rokhel, Peisakh KADISON | 22/5/1876 11 Sivan | Kaunas Kaunas Kaunas | Rabbi Yosel VITKIN and Meer GOLDSHTEIN, father from Lepelsk | Kaunas 1876 M144 | 2205123 / ? 302 LVIA/1226/1/173 |
| RAPEPORT, Lazar | Isaak, Solomon Ginda, Peisakh KADISON | 27/6/1874 24 Tammuz | Kaunas Kaunas Kaunas | Circumcision date 4-Jul-1874, circumcision did Josel VITKIN, Meer GOLDSHTEIN.Father was freeman. Place of residence-unwritten | Kaunas 1874 M 182 | 2205123 / 1 60 LVIA/1226/1/171 |
| ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| RAPOPORT, Oskar / Osher | Isaak, Salomon Ginda, Peisakh KADIKON | 7/7/1865 30 Tammuz | Kaunas Kaunas Kaunas | Father is honorable citizen of Lepel uyezd, Vitebsk Guberniya. Added in 1880 | Kaunas 1865 M290 | 2205122 / ? 353 LVIA1226/1/163 |
| ||||||
| RAPOPORT, Khaim | Isaak, Shlomo Ginde, Peisakh | 8/7/1869 12 Av | Kaunas Kaunas Kaunas | Father is honorable citizen | Kaunas 1869 M173 | 2205122 / - 662 LVIA1226/1/167 |
| ||||||
| RAPOPORT ?, Nokhum David | Isaak, Zelman Ginda, Peisakh | 1/11/1872 12 Heshven | Kaunas Kaunas Kaunas | Circumcision date 8 -Nov -1872, a circumcision did Josel VITKIN, Meer GOLDSHTEIN, Eliash YASVONSKI.Place of residence - unwritten | Kaunas 1872 M 290 | 2205122 / ? 913 LVIA/1226/1/169 |
| ||||||
| RAPPAPORT, Itskhak / Girsh | Itska, - Ginda, Peisakh Kadish | 13/1/1867 19 Shevat? | Kaunas Kaunas Kaunas | Both first names are crossed. Father is an honorable man | Kaunas 1867 F14 | 2205122 / - 454 LVIA1226/1/165 |
| ||||||
| RAPPEPORT, Khana | Isaak, Zelman Ginda, Peisakh | 5/3/1871 24 Adar | Kaunas Kaunas Kaunas | Father was Kaunas resident, place of birth and residence - unwritten | Kaunas 1871 F 56 | 2205122 / ? 732 LVIA/1226/1/168 |
KOVNO DEATHS
| Name | Father Mother Spouse | Residence Comments | Date of Death DD/MM/YY Hebrew Date Age Cause of Death | Town Uyezd Guberniya | Place Recorded Year Record # | Microfilm Item Image Archive / Fond |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ||||||
| RAPOPORT, Ginde | Peisakh Isaak RAPOPORT | widow | 27/12/1903 21 Tevet 70 pneumonia | Kaunas Kaunas Kaunas | Kaunas 1903 F147 | 2292688 7 687 LVIA/1226/1/2007 |
Since Ginda was a widow, Izaak Rapoport must have died before 1903.
Izaak was alive in 1890
RPOPORT
|
Isaak
|
Solomon
|
Head of
Household
|
1890 |
242
68
|
Merchants
KRA/I-106/1/6098 |
"Our" Izaak, being born approximately 1906-1910, could then be named after his grandfather according to Jewish custom.
| RAPOPORT / BERG, Berko | Zalman 114 | descended citizen | 20/7/1898 Av 51 cancer | Vilijampole Kaunas Kaunas | Vilijampole 1898 M43 | 2291759 4 696 LVIA/1226/1/1977 |
KOVNO MARRIAGES
| Vilijampole Kaunas Kaunas 25/8/1875 6 Elul | RAPOPORT, Ber KADYSON, Rokhel | Zelman Lepel Peisakh Lipman Kaunas | 29 27 | BORKER GUTNER KHAZAN | Vilijampo 1875 Marria 37 | 2205121 / 4 LVIA/1226/1/136 |
Note: Marriage 1875, son Samuel born 1874. ( So much for some dates !!! )
NOTE:
Ber, Izaak, and Zalman Rapoport all came from the Lepel, Vitebsk region. ( Now in Belarus ).
Ber and ( assuming ) Izaak were married in Vilijampole ( formerly Slobodka, a suburb of Kovno ).
This is where the Kadisons lived. A common occurrence, where marriage and birth are in the wife's home town.
[ Lepel,
Vitebsk
Lepel (Belarusian: Ле́пель Lepiel; Polish:
Lepel; Russian:
Ле́пель, pronounced [ˈlʲepʲelʲ]) is a town located in the center
of the Lepiel
Raion (district) in the Vitebsk
Province of Belarus
near Lepiel Lake ]
ALL LITHUANIA REVISION LISTS
| Town Uyezd Gubernia | Surname | Given Name | Father | Relationship | Sex Age Last Revision Age This Revision | Year Left Reason | Comments | Day Month Year | Page Registration # Former Registration # | Publication Type Archive / Fond Microfilm |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kaunas Kaunas Kaunas | KADYSON | Pejsakh (Lipman)? | Markel | Head of Household | 56 | owns house; tradesman | 1874 | 313 4 | Family list KRA/I-61/2/5504, 5505, 5516 | |
| RAPOPORT | Ezriel Ber | Itsko | Grandchild | 15 | Pejsakh Kadyson's grandson | 1874 | 313 4 | Family list KRA/I-61/2/5504, 5505, 5516 | ||
| KADYSON | Khaya Vikhnya | Wife | 1874 | 313 4 | Family list KRA/I-61/2/5504, 5505, 5516 | |||||
| KADYSON | Sara | Pejsakh | Daughter | 18 | 1874 | 313 4 | Family list KRA/I-61/2/5504, 5505, 5516 |
Note: Pessakh Kadison would have been born in 1818, but on Hinda's death notice she was born in 1833. Was he 15y.o ?
TAX AND VOTERS LIST
| Name | Father Age | Comments Type of Record | Day Month Year | Town Uyezd Guberniya | Archive/Fond/Inventory/File Record # Page # |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| |||||
| RAPOPORT, Isaak | Solomon | witness, hereditary honorary Kaunas citizen Court Files on Inheritance | 1877 | Kaunas Kaunas Kaunas | KRA/I-78/1/4581 190 |
REVISION LISTS
| Town Uyezd Guberniya | Surname | Given Name | Father | Relationship | Age This Age Last | Reason Left Year | Comments | Date | Page Registration Former Registration | Publication Type Archive / Fond etc |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Kaunas Kaunas | RAPOPORT | Isaak | Solomon | Head of Household | 1890 | 68 | KRA/I-106/1/6098 |
Ber, Izaak and Solomon were Honourary Citizens.
( see Appendix )
The Kadisons in 1858
| Kaunas Kaunas Kaunas | KADYSON | Markel | Peysakh | Head Of Household | M 64 72 | 26 5 1858 | 221 4 7 | Kaunas Family List-1858-1897 KRA/I-61/1/1610 | ||
| KADYSON | Peysakh Lipman | Markel | Son | M 33 | 2-Sep-1888 Died | Buried in Kaunas | 26 5 1858 | 221 4 7 | Kaunas Family List-1858-1897 KRA/I-61/1/1610 | |
| KADYSON | Abel | Markel | Son | M 16 24 | 26 5 1858 | 221 4 7 | Kaunas Family List-1858-1897 KRA/I-61/1/1610 | |||
| KADYSON | Chaim | Markel | Son | M 15 | Crossed out as became Kaunas 2nd Guild Merchant 1888 | 26 5 1858 | 221 4 7 | Kaunas Family List-1858-1897 KRA/I-61/1/1610 | ||
| KADYSON | Leon | Peysakh Lipman | Grandson | M | Crossed out as moved with his family to Orel and was converted to Russian Orthodoxy | 26 5 1858 | 221 4 7 | Kaunas Family List-1858-1897 KRA/I-61/1/1610 | ||
| KADYSON | Chaya Vukhna | Daughter In Law | F 40 | 14-Feb-1891 Died | Peysach Lipman's wife | 26 5 1858 | 222 4 7 | Kaunas Family List-1858-1897 KRA/I-61/1/1610 | ||
| KADYSON | Ginda | Peysakh Lipman | Granddaughter | F 21 | 26 5 1858 | 222 4 7 | Kaunas Family List-1858-1897 KRA/I-61/1/1610 | |||
| KADYSON | Rocha | Peysakh Lipman | Granddaughter | F 11 | 26 5 1858 | 222 4 7 | Kaunas Family List-1858-1897 KRA/I-61/1/1610 | |||
| KADYSON | Sirka | Peysakh Lipman | Granddaughter | F 5 | 26 5 1858 | 222 4 7 | Kaunas Family List-1858-1897 KRA/I-61/1/1610 | |||
| Town Uyezd Gubernia | Surname | Given Name | Father | Relationship | Sex Age Last Revision Age This Revision | Year Left Reason | Comments | Day Month Year | Page Registration # Former Registration # | Publication Type Archive / Fond Microfilm |
|---|
The 1879 Draftee List
( See Appendix for explanation )
RAPOPORT
|
Itsko
|
Head of Household
|
M
41
|
Honoured
citizen of Kaunas. Reg. No. 3 in 1858.
|
1879
|
47
|
Kaunas 1879 draftee list
KRA/I/61/1/1434
|
||
RAPOPORT
|
Wife
|
F
41
|
Reg.
No. 3 in 1858.
|
1879
|
47
|
Kaunas 1879 draftee list
KRA/I/61/1/1434
|
|||
RAPOPORT
|
Izrael Ber
|
Itsko
|
Son
|
M
Born 8-Oct-1858
|
Student
of Riga Technological Institute, resides in [Kaunas], section No.1-1, house
of KADYSON, certificate Ni.612. Reg. No. 3 in 1858. Draftee Reg. No.1 / 284,
7th additional
|
1879
|
47
|
Kaunas 1879 draftee list
KRA/I/61/1/1434
|
|
RAPOPORT
|
Osher
|
Itsko
|
Son
|
M
14
|
Reg.
No. 3 in 1858.
|
1879
|
47
|
Kaunas 1879 draftee list
KRA/I/61/1/1434
|
|
RAPOPORT
|
Nokhum David
|
Itsko
|
Son
|
M
7
|
Reg.
No. 3 in 1858.
|
1879
|
47
|
Kaunas 1879 draftee list
KRA/I/61/1/1434
|
|
RAPOPORT
|
Leizer
|
Itsko
|
Son
|
M
5
|
Reg.
No. 3 in 1858.
|
1879
|
47
|
Kaunas 1879 draftee list
KRA/I/61/1/1434
|
The tree expanded
As can be seen there was a Leizer Rapoport born to both sisters.
Ber's Leizer would have been 54 in 1939.
Izaak's Leizer would have been 65 in 1939.
Assuming of-course the dates are correct.
Note that Ber's Leizer was in Lithuania in 1906.
I am assuming Izaak's Leizer was already in the Ukraine.
( more evidence that "our" Leizer was Izaak's son )
From the 1906 Draftee List:
RAPOPORT
|
Leyzer
|
Ber Leyzer
|
Head of Household
|
M
3-Jan-1885
|
Registered
in Vilijampole. Hereditary honorary citizen of Kaunas; resides in Kaunas,
Ekaterinoslavskaya str.. Draftee Reg. 18 additional 2/77
|
1906
|
24
272
|
Kaunas 1906 draftee list
KRA/I – 61/1/1470
|
Was Pessakh Rapoport named after Pessakh Kadison?
Was Sara named after Solomon Rapoport?
In the letters that Sara received from her family in Warsaw, there was no mention of any uncles and aunties.
Is one of the above "our" Eliezer?
The natural task is to find out the name of Eliezer's mother and father.
Continuing on genealogyindexer,
Was Jacob Rapoport, a jeweller from Graniczna 8, one of Ber's sons?
Note again, that Lazar Rapoport was trading/living at Mylna 5.
This is the known address of "our" Itzkhak!
A summary of my genealogyindexer Rapoport name findings.
WERE SOME OF THE FAMILY ALREADY IN WARSAW?
Note that the Kadisons did travel:
Abel ( later Albert ) Kadison was in Poland. He married in 1860
Lomza 1827-1886
| |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Surname | Given Name | Year | Type | Akta | Father | Husband | Town |
| KADYSZSOHN / WICHNOI | Abel | 1860 | M | 1 | Kowno | ||
| NOWINSKI / PERLA | Henia | 1860 | M | 1 | Kowno | ||
IS THAT ONE OF THE REASONS ELIEZER AND FAMILY IMMIGRATED TO WARSAW?
Could the following be my relations?
In the Yad Vashem database a Berek Rapoport placed a testimonial for his father Yaakov.
| Source: | Pages of Testimony |
| Last Name: | Rapoport |
| First Name: | Jacob |
| First Name: | Yaakov |
| Gender: | Male |
| Place of Birth: | Kowno,Kaunas,Lithuania
|
| Marital Status: | MARRIED |
| Spouse's First Name: | Sara |
| Spouse's First Name: | Lea |
| Permanent Place of Residence: | Poland |
| Place during the war: | Poland |
| Type of material: | Page of Testimony |
| Submitter's Last Name: | Rapoport |
| Submitter's First Name: | Berek |
| Relationship to victim: | SON |
| Item ID: | 2012144 |
In the Warsaw cemetery is buried an Azriel Ber Rapoport ( died 1920 ) son of Izaak.
| cemetery | Warszawa (Okopowa) |
| sector | 83 |
| row | 9 |
| number | 16 |
| sex | M |
| surname | Rapoport |
| first name | Azriel Beer |
| hebrew name | Azriel Dov Ber |
| fathers name | Yitzhak Hakohen |
| husbands name | |
| maiden name | |
| date of birth (m/d/y) (m/d/r) | |
| date of death (m/d/y) (m/d/r) | 9/6/1920 |
| additional info | żył lat 60 |
Izaak and Ginda Rapoport had a son called Ezriel Ber ( born 1859 )
From the Lithuania Revision List
RAPOPORT
|
Azriel
Ber
|
Itsko
|
Head of
Household
|
1890 |
245
95
|
Merchants
KRA/I-106/1/6098 |
That is , He was still in Lithuania in 1890.
In turn, Ezriel Ber had a son called Yaakov.
| Note |
Yakov, who might be Sara's 1st. cousin, was one of twins.
So was Sara!!!
| RAPOPORT, Khaim Peisakov | Azriel Ber, Isaak Grunya, Girsh LIFSHITS | 10/2/1891 14 Adar I | Kaunas Kaunas Kaunas | Twins, rabbi Yosel VITKIN and David VIGODSKIY, father from Kaunas | Kaunas 1891 M31 | 2290546 / 8 653 LVIA/1226/1/1296 |
| ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| RAPOPORT, Yakob Leyb | Azriel Ber, Isaak Grunya, Girsh LIFSHITS | 10/2/1891 14 Adar I | Kaunas Kaunas Kaunas | Twins, rabbi Yosel VITKIN and David VIGODSKIY, father from Kaunas | Kaunas 1891 M32 | 2290546 / 8 653 LVIA/1226/1/1296 |
A Berek Rapoport escaped the war and immigrated to the USA in 1951.
Could he have been named after Ezriel Ber?
I visited Berek Rapoport and his family in Los Angeles USA in February, 2012.
Berek remembered a Leizer Rapoport but was unclear whether it was his uncle or great-uncle.
If we are related we share the same great-grandparents.
*************************************************
Pessakh Kadison had a son called Abel, Ginda's brother.
Abel became Albert and immigrated to the US.
I met Susan Berkson his great-great-great-grand-daughter.
Pessakh is ( still maybe ) my great-great-grandfather.
I did an Autosomal DNA test with FamilyTree.com.
In November, 2013 I discovered Susan Berkson and I have a DNA match.
Is Susan my 3rd. cousin, once removed ?
Our common ancestor is Pessakh Kadison and wife. We share 0.391% of their DNA !!!!
***********************************************************
I found the following on ancestry.com
( I am presently searching that name )
Leizer's brother?
In the correspondence Sara received from her immediate family, left behind in Warsaw, there was never a clear reference to any other family member.
I am still trying to extricate some names that might help in my research.
for example. ( some extracts )
In April, 1939, Leizer Rapoport wrote to Sara and husband Noach. ( in Yiddish )
Was that Izaak and wife?
Who was grandma Lipka?
In March, 1940, Gedalia sent a letter to Sara and Noach. ( In Yiddish )
"..........all is well with MORDKHE......"
Who was that?
| To be continued |
