The Shpoler Zeida Newsletter (Issue 1)

I am posting the Preface from our forthcoming book: "The Shpoler Zeida -- The Life Legends and Descendants of the Grandfather of Shpola." We invite all interested readers, especially descendants of the Shpoler Zeida, to contact us with any questions that you might have about the Shpoler Zeida's family tree, or about the book itself.

In this issue of The Shpoler Zeida Newsletter, we provide several chapter previews from our forthcoming book: "The Shpoler Zeida -- The Life, Legends, and Descendants of the Grandfather of Shpola." This issue includes a preview of our chapter entitled: "Mysteries of the Shpoler Zeida's Family," and explains how we researched the genealogical puzzle of how fourteen "mystery" families descend from the Shpoler Zeida. It also includes previews of our chapters: "Faces of the Shpoler Zeida's Descendants," "The Shpoler Zeida's Y-DNA Genetic Signature," and "The Shpoler Zeida's Family Tree."

In this second issue of The Shpoler Zeida Newsletter, we share an in-depth look at how we broke through genealogical brick walls to rediscover the proud Jewish heritage of twelve mystery families.

The following article is an excerpt from a chapter of our forthcoming book: "The Shpoler Zeida – The Life, Legends, and Descendants of the Grandfather of Shpola." The chapter is entitled: "Mysteries of the Shpoler Zeida Family." Our decade-long genealogical research has been a dedicated pursuit to construct a family tree for a figure of profound importance in Chassidic history. This individual, born three centuries ago, is Yehuda Leib of Shpola (c. 1725–1811), a revered tzaddik known as the Saba Kadisha (Hebrew for “Holy Grandfather”) or the Shpoler Zeida (Yiddish for “Grandfather of Shpola”). His influence and teachings have left an indelible mark on Chassidic history, making our research all the more significant. Through our research, we have identified over 5,500 descendants of the Shpoler Zeida. However, our journey was not without its share of enigmas and complexities. The intricate web of family connections, the gaps in historical records, and the challenge of verifying oral histories have all contributed to the depth and complexity of our research. A particularly intriguing challenge was the discovery of fifteen families who claimed descent from the Shpoler Zeida, yet the specifics of their lineage remained unknown. This lack of documentation has veiled their proud heritage in a cloak of uncertainty, shrouding their connection to the Shpoler Zeida in mystery. As their lines of descent from the Shpoler Zeida were unknown, we have come to refer to them as the “Mystery Families.” This article delves into the intriguing mystery of the Etya Zeida family (including the Achtman, Alswang, Barnett, Brodsky, Burch, Daley, Dettelbach, Dubin, Dukhovny, Elifort, Feinberg, Fenster, Fertel, Freundlich, Gale, Ganopolsky, Gefter, Gewitz, Golovanevsky, Graham, Gray, Hanfling, Isison, Israel, Kirshbaum, Klebanov, Kolkunov, Korsunsky, Kowitz, Kozhukh, Kutner, Kuvykin, Lang, Lehr, Leone, Levine, Levy, Lindy, Lipovetsky, Lipson, Luchan, Luchansky, Mansfield, Marcus, Moore, Murphy, Neralich, Neumann, Oks, Ostrow, Raman, Ratmanski, Rose, Rosenbloom, Ross, Sachs, Safarov, Sarnat, Schliffer, Schulman, Seider, Selearis, Shaland, Shenberg, Silverman, Silvestrov, Slater, Slobodkin, Slutsky, Sokolovsky, Strauss, Sundstrom, Uskov, Vader, Wagner, Walker, Weiss, Wolin, Zadeh, Zayde, Zeide, and Zinder branches), who claim descent from the Shpoler Zeida. The mystery involves how their earliest known Zeida ancestor, Shmuel Zeida (c. 1778–1851) and his wife, Etya Zeida (c. 1781–bef. 1834), are connected to the Shpoler Zeida. In this comprehensive research study on the Etya Zeida family's descent from the Shpoler Zeida, we painstakingly traced family records, cross-referencing them with historical documents and oral histories. We also conducted Y-DNA testing to confirm biological relationships. This multi-faceted approach ensured the validity and reliability of our findings. The available historical and genealogical evidence is sufficient to prove the Etya Zeida family’s line of descent from the Shpoler Zeida through Etya Zeida, one of the Shpoler Zeida’s previously unknown daughters, and her husband, Rabbi Shmuel Zeida.

The following article is an excerpt from a chapter of our forthcoming book: "The Shpoler Zeida – The Life, Legends, and Descendants of the Grandfather of Shpola." The chapter is entitled: "Mysteries of the Shpoler Zeida Family." Our decade-long genealogical research has been a dedicated pursuit to construct a family tree for a figure of profound importance in Chassidic history. This individual, born three centuries ago, is Yehuda Leib of Shpola (c. 1725–1811), a revered tzaddik known as the Saba Kadisha (Hebrew for “Holy Grandfather”) or the Shpoler Zeida (Yiddish for “Grandfather of Shpola”). His influence and teachings have left an indelible mark on Chassidic history, making our research all the more significant. Our research has led us to identify over 5,500 descendants of the Shpoler Zeida. However, our journey was not without its share of enigmas and complexities. The intricate web of family connections, the gaps in historical records, and the challenge of verifying oral histories have all contributed to the depth and complexity of our research. A particularly intriguing challenge was the discovery of fifteen families who claimed descent from the Shpoler Zeida, yet the specifics of their lineage remained unknown. This lack of documentation has veiled their proud heritage in a cloak of uncertainty, shrouding their connection to the Shpoler Zeida in mystery. As their lines of descent from the Shpoler Zeida were unknown, we have come to refer to them as the “Mystery Families.” This article delves into the intriguing mystery of the Ruchlya Zeida branch of the much larger Zeida family (including the Babich, Feldman, Gross, Guinzburg, Seidel, Shulman, and Stolisky branches) claims descent from the Shpoler Zeida. The mystery involves how their earliest known Zeida ancestors, Fayvil Zeida (c. 1788–1828) and his wife, Ruchlya (born bet. 1788–1789), are connected to the Shpoler Zeida. In this comprehensive research study on the Ruchlya Zeida family's descent from the Shpoler Zeida, we painstakingly traced family records, cross-referencing them with historical documents and oral histories. We also conducted Y-DNA testing to confirm biological relationships. This multi-faceted approach ensured the validity and reliability of our findings. We believe that the available historical and genealogical evidence is sufficient to support the Ruchlya Zeida branch's plausible line of descent from the Shpoler Zeida through his granddaughter, Ruchlya, and to connect them to the Shpoler Zeida family tree.

The following article is an excerpt from a chapter of our forthcoming book: "The Shpoler Zeida – The Life, Legends, and Descendants of the Grandfather of Shpola." The chapter is entitled: "Mysteries of the Shpoler Zeida Family." Our decade-long genealogical research has been a dedicated pursuit to construct a family tree for a figure of profound importance in Chassidic history. This individual, born three centuries ago, is Yehuda Leib of Shpola (c. 1725–1811), a revered tzaddik known as the Saba Kadisha (Hebrew for “Holy Grandfather”) or the Shpoler Zeida (Yiddish for “Grandfather of Shpola”). His influence and teachings have left an indelible mark on Chassidic history, making our research all the more significant. Our research has led us to identify over 5,500 descendants of the Shpoler Zeida. However, our journey was not without its share of enigmas and complexities. The intricate web of family connections, the gaps in historical records, and the challenge of verifying oral histories have all contributed to the depth and complexity of our research. A particularly intriguing challenge was the discovery of fifteen families who claimed descent from the Shpoler Zeida, yet the specifics of their lineage remained unknown. This lack of documentation has veiled their proud heritage in a cloak of uncertainty, shrouding their connection to the Shpoler Zeida in mystery. As their lines of descent from the Shpoler Zeida were unknown, we have come to refer to them as the “Mystery Families.” This article delves into the intriguing mystery of the Greenberg family, who claims descent from the Shpoler Zeida. The mystery involves how their earliest known Greenberg ancestor, Rabbi Dov Ber Greenberg (born bet. 1814–1818; d. 1874), and his wife, Nechama (born bet. 1816–1819), are connected to the Shpoler Zeida. In this comprehensive research study on the Greenberg family's descent from the Shpoler Zeida, we painstakingly traced family records, cross-referencing them with historical documents and oral histories. We believe that the available historical and genealogical evidence supports the Greenberg family’s plausible line of descent from the Shpoler Zeida through his great-granddaughter, who married Rabbi Dov Ber Greenberg.

The following article is an excerpt from a chapter of our forthcoming book: "The Shpoler Zeida – The Life, Legends, and Descendants of the Grandfather of Shpola." The chapter is entitled: "Mysteries of the Shpoler Zeida Family." Our decade-long genealogical research has been a dedicated pursuit to construct a family tree for a figure of profound importance in Chassidic history. This individual, born three centuries ago, is Yehuda Leib of Shpola (c. 1725–1811), a revered tzaddik known as the Saba Kadisha (Hebrew for “Holy Grandfather”) or the Shpoler Zeida (Yiddish for “Grandfather of Shpola”). His influence and teachings have left an indelible mark on Chassidic history, making our research all the more significant. Through our research, we have identified over 5,500 descendants of the Shpoler Zeida. However, our journey was not without its share of enigmas and complexities. The intricate web of family connections, the gaps in historical records, and the challenge of verifying oral histories have all contributed to the depth and complexity of our research. A particularly intriguing challenge was the discovery of fifteen families who claimed descent from the Shpoler Zeida, yet the specifics of their lineage remained unknown. This lack of documentation has veiled their proud heritage in a cloak of uncertainty, shrouding their connection to the Shpoler Zeida in mystery. As their lines of descent from the Shpoler Zeida were unknown, we have come to refer to them as the “Mystery Families.” This article delves into the intriguing mystery of the Polonsky family (including the Abrams, Adler, Ballon, Berman, Biggin, Blumenreich, Bridges, Carevic, Carter, Chaber, Cohen, Erskine, Frank, Hastings, Heimowitz, Hoop, Irwin, Kennedy, Kraus, Lawrence, Levine, Malone, Mann, Paulen, Paull, Polan, Press, Reed, Robbins, Santorelli, Saraven, Steinmetz, and Whaley branches), who claim descent from the Shpoler Zeida. The mystery involves how their earliest known Zeida ancestor, Pesya Branya Zeida (b. 1840), is connected to the Shpoler Zeida. In this comprehensive research study on the Polonsky family's descent from the Shpoler Zeida, we painstakingly traced family records, cross-referencing them with historical documents and oral histories. We also conducted Y-DNA testing to confirm biological relationships. This multi-faceted approach ensured the validity and reliability of our findings. The available historical and genealogical evidence is sufficient to prove the Polonsky family’s line of descent from the Shpoler Zeida through one of the Shpoler Zeida’s great-granddaughters, Pesya Branya Zeida, and her husband, Aharon David Polonsky.

The following article is an excerpt from a chapter of our forthcoming book: "The Shpoler Zeida – The Life, Legends, and Descendants of the Grandfather of Shpola." The chapter is entitled: "Mysteries of the Shpoler Zeida Family." Our decade-long genealogical research has been a dedicated pursuit to construct a family tree for a figure of profound importance in Chassidic history. This individual, born three centuries ago, is Yehuda Leib of Shpola (c. 1725–1811), a revered tzaddik known as the Saba Kadisha (Hebrew for “Holy Grandfather”) or the Shpoler Zeida (Yiddish for “Grandfather of Shpola”). His influence and teachings have left an indelible mark on Chassidic history, making our research all the more significant. Our research has led us to identify over 5,500 descendants of the Shpoler Zeida. However, our journey was not without its share of enigmas and complexities. The intricate web of family connections, the gaps in historical records, and the challenge of verifying oral histories have all contributed to the depth and complexity of our research. A particularly intriguing challenge was the discovery of fifteen families who claimed descent from the Shpoler Zeida, yet the specifics of their lineage remained unknown. This lack of documentation has veiled their proud heritage in a cloak of uncertainty, shrouding their connection to the Shpoler Zeida in mystery. As their lines of descent from the Shpoler Zeida were unknown, we have come to refer to them as the “Mystery Families.” This article focuses on the Finkelstein family, who claims descent from the Shpoler Zeida. The mystery involves how their earliest known Finkelstein ancestor, Moshko Finkelshtein (born c. 1824), and his wife, Ruchlya (born c. 1827), are connected to the Shpoler Zeida. In this comprehensive research study on the Finkelstein family's descent from the Shpoler Zeida, we painstakingly traced family records, cross-referencing them with historical documents and oral histories. We believe that the available historical and genealogical evidence supports the Finkelstein family’s plausible line of descent from the Shpoler Zeida through his great-granddaughter, Ruchlya.

The following article is an excerpt from a chapter of our forthcoming book: "The Shpoler Zeida – The Life, Legends, and Descendants of the Grandfather of Shpola." The chapter is entitled: "Mysteries of the Shpoler Zeida Family." Our decade-long genealogical research has been a dedicated pursuit to construct a family tree for a figure of profound importance in Chassidic history. This individual, born three centuries ago, is Yehuda Leib of Shpola (c. 1725–1811), a revered tzaddik known as the Saba Kadisha (Hebrew for “Holy Grandfather”) or the Shpoler Zeida (Yiddish for “Grandfather of Shpola”). His influence and teachings have left an indelible mark on Chassidic history, making our research all the more significant. Our research has led us to identify over 5,500 descendants of the Shpoler Zeida. However, our journey was not without its share of enigmas and complexities. The intricate web of family connections, the gaps in historical records, and the challenge of verifying oral histories have all contributed to the depth and complexity of our research. A particularly intriguing challenge was the discovery of fifteen families who claimed descent from the Shpoler Zeida, yet the specifics of their lineage remained unknown. This lack of documentation has veiled their proud heritage in a cloak of uncertainty, shrouding their connection to the Shpoler Zeida in mystery. As their lines of descent from the Shpoler Zeida were unknown, we have come to refer to them as the “Mystery Families.” This article delves into the intriguing mystery of the Uritzky family, for which we identified a possible connection to the Zeida family from a Shpola census. The mystery involves whether their earliest known Uritzky ancestor, Shlomo Uritzky (c. 1832–1875), married a Zeida descendant and, if so, how she was connected to the Shpoler Zeida. In this comprehensive research study on the Uritzky family's descent from the Shpoler Zeida, we painstakingly traced family records, cross-referencing them with historical documents and oral histories. We believe that the available historical and genealogical evidence is sufficient to support the Uritzky family’s plausible line of descent from the Shpoler Zeida through the marriage of his great-granddaughter, Pesya Chaya Zeida, to Shlomo Uritzky, and to connect them to the Shpoler Zeida family tree.

The following article is an excerpt from a chapter of our forthcoming book: "The Shpoler Zeida – The Life, Legends, and Descendants of the Grandfather of Shpola." The chapter is entitled: "Mysteries of the Shpoler Zeida Family." Our decade-long genealogical research has been a dedicated pursuit to construct a family tree for a figure of profound importance in Chassidic history. This individual, born three centuries ago, is Yehuda Leib of Shpola (c. 1725–1811), a revered tzaddik known as the Saba Kadisha (Hebrew for “Holy Grandfather”) or the Shpoler Zeida (Yiddish for “Grandfather of Shpola”). His influence and teachings have left an indelible mark on Chassidic history, making our research all the more significant. Our research has led us to identify over 5,500 descendants of the Shpoler Zeida. However, our journey was not without its share of enigmas and complexities. The intricate web of family connections, the gaps in historical records, and the challenge of verifying oral histories have all contributed to the depth and complexity of our research. A particularly intriguing challenge was the discovery of fifteen families who claimed descent from the Shpoler Zeida, yet the specifics of their lineage remained unknown. This lack of documentation has veiled their proud heritage in a cloak of uncertainty, shrouding their connection to the Shpoler Zeida in mystery. As their lines of descent from the Shpoler Zeida were unknown, we have come to refer to them as the “Mystery Families.” This article delves into the intriguing mystery of the Tuchin family (including the Sukonnik branch), which claims descent from the Shpoler Zeida. The mystery involves how their earliest known ancestors, Mordechai Tuchin (born c. 1852 in Shpola) and his wife, Sheyndel (born c. 1855), were connected to the Shpoler Zeida. There is sufficient historical information to support the Tuchin family’s claim of descent from the Shpoler Zeida; however, there are major data gaps and uncertainties in their line of descent, with several unknown ancestors or missing generations in the early part of their lineage. Hence, the Tuchin family’s line of descent from the Shpoler Zeida will remain uncertain until additional evidence from historical/genealogical documents can be found that elucidates their line of descent. We present what is known about the Tuchin family’s lineage and reconstruct their line of descent to the best of our ability. We aim to make this information more widely available in the hope that it will lead to the discovery of a crucial piece of evidence that confirms their line of descent from the Shpoler Zeida.