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RABBI E. L. GASTWIRTH, B.A.,M.LITT.
MANCHESTER, ENGLAND
NOV. 11 '98
PAUL GASTWIRTH
LAS VEGAS
DEAR PAUL,
I WAS VERY HAPPY TO RECEIVE YOUR LETTER OF NOV 1ST AND ALL THE ENCLOSED INFORMATION.
I MUST SAY THAT IT WAS QUITE EXCITING TO HEAR OF SO MANY PROUD GASTWIRTHS IN SEARCH OF A COMMON ANCESTOR. TO THE BEST OF MY KNOWLEDGE, WE ARE THE ONLY GASTWIRTHS IN THE U.K. JONATHAN GASTWIRTH, MENTIONED IN YOUR P.S. IS MY SON AND I HAVE ANOTHER SON, YEHUDA, WHO LIVES AT 27 CRAIGWELL RD, PRESWICK, MANCHESTER. I HAVE TWIN DAUGHTERS RUTH LAST WHO LIVES IN ISRAEL AND RACHEL CLIFTON WHO LIVES IN MANCHESTER.
OUR OWN FAMILY HAS GROWN WITH 14 GRANDCHILDREN AND 5 GREAT-GRANDCHILDREN.
MY BROTHER IN ISRAEL IS GILBOA (NOT BILBOA) * HE LIVES IN MASSUOT YITZCHAK, SDE GAT 79858. THE OFFICE OF THE MESHEK (VILLAGE) CERTAINLY HAVE A COMPUTER WHICH HE COULD USE.
RE MY OWN BACKGROUND. WE ARE LEVIIM (LEVITES) SO THAT ANY GASTWIRTHS WHO ARE LEVIIM ARE PROBABLY RELATED - IF NOT - NOT.
MY GRANDFATHER ISRAEL (YISROEL) CAME FROM DJIKOV (IN 1906) A SMALL TOWN IN S. POL.AND NEAR AUSTRIA WHERE HE LIVED FOR A WHILE. I WAS TOLD THAT HE HAD SEVERAL BROTHERS WHO WENT TO THE USA. IN FACT, MY MOTHER WAS IN TOUCH WITH A FAMILY GASTWIRTH IN NY WHO WERE (I THINK) CHILDREN'S WEAR MANUFACTURERS AND THEY WERE CERTAINLY RELATED. MY FATHER ALSO CAME FROM DJIKOV TO LONDON IN 1914(?) WITH HIS SISTER, GOLDA.
THE NAME GASTWIRTH IS AUSTRIAN AND MEANS INNKEEPER (FROM THE GERMAN NAME KRETZME). IN FACT, AN INN IN AUSTRIA IS STILL CALLED GASWIRTHAUS!
STRANGELY, NEITHER MY FATHER OR GRANDFATHER SPOKE ABOUT THEIR LIFE BEFORE ARRIVING HERE.
YOU MAY USE ANY OF THE ABOVE ON YOUR WEBSITE - BUT I THINK THAT THE "LEVI" CLUE MAY PRODUCE SOME RESPONSE.
MY FATHER'S BROTHER LIVES IN LONDON - HIS NAME IS HOLLANDER (MENDEL) FOR REASONS UNKNOWN. HE IS NOW VERY ELDERLY & LIVES IN A NURSING HOME SO I AM NOT SURE HOW MUCH USEFUL INFORMATION I CAN GET FROM HIM. HE HAS 2 SONS LIVING IN LONDON AND A DAUGHTER IN ISRAEL - ALL WITH FAMILIES.
I HOPE TO BE ABLE TO SEND YOU AN INTERNET ADDRESS OF MY DAUGHTER SOON
WITH WARMEST GOOD WISHES,
EPHRAIM
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RABBI E. L. GASTWIRTH, B.A.,M.LITT.
MANCHESTER, ENGLAND
NOV. 17/18 '98
PAUL GASTWIRTH
LAS VEGAS
BY FAX 702 363 5567
DEAR PAUL
THANK YOU FOR THE NEW BATCH OF FAMILY TREES YOU SENT DATED NOV 12TH.
I AM SENDING YOU A REVISED BRANCH UK LIST - THE ORIGINAL HAS SEVERAL ERRORS. BOTH MY FATHER NAFTOLI CHAIM & HIS FATHER YISROEL WERE BORN IN DJIKOV-TARNOBJEC-GALICIA & CAME TO ENGLAND IN 1906 & 1914. MY GRANDFATHER'S FATHER'S NAME WAS KALMAN WHICH CORRESPONDS TO YOUR BRANCH 2 WHERE KALMAN IS SHOWN AS THE SON OF YITZCHOK GASTWIRTH AND BROTHER OF USHER.
IT IS TRUE THAT KALMAN IS NOT SHOWN AS HAVING A SON CALLED YISROEL - BUT SINCE YISROEL (MY GRANDFATHER) WAS THE ONLY ONE OF THE CHILDREN TO COME TO ENGLAND, HE MAY HAVE WELL BEEN OVERLOOKED! ALL OF KALMAN'S CHILDREN ARE SHOWN AS HAVING IN THE USA AT ABOUT THE SAME TIME AS YISROEL ARRIVED IN ENGLAND. ALSO, MY GRANDFATHER (B 1870 - D 1956) IS ABOUT A SIMILAR AGE TO THE CHILDREN OF KALMAN.
NOW, FIND OUT IF THE OTHER CHILDREN ARE LEVIIM AND WHERE THEY WERE BORN. I KNOW THAT MY GRANDFATHER HAD A BROTHER WHOSE HEBREW NAME WAS YEHUDA ARYEN (AFTER WHOM MY SON WAS NAMED). WAS THIS THE "HARRY" ?
I MUCH ADMIRE THE ZEAL & ENERGY YOU HAVE SHOWN IN OBTAINING SO MUCH INFORMATION IN SO LITTLE TIME.YOU SEEM TO HAVE GENERATED A GOOD DEAL OF EXCITEMENT IN THE PROCESS, AND APPEAR TO BE HAVING SOME FUN TOO (?). GOOD LUCK IN YOUR FUTURE ENDEAVOURS. FOR MY PART, I AM GIVING SOME THOUGHT AS TO HOW WE MIGHT BEST USE AND DEVELOP ALL THESE NEW RELATIONSHIPS.
PERHAPS WE SHOULD TRY TO FOLLOW THE GREAT LOYALTY TO JUDAISM THEY SHOWED IN THE HARSHEST OF CIRCUMSTANCES. THAT WOULD INDEED BE A FAMILY TREE WORTH CLINGING TO IN THESE STORMY TIMES. A TREE WITH ITS ROOTS FIRMLY PLANTED IN ISRAEL'S SOIL WHICH NO WIND COULD OVERTURN, AND WITH ITS BRANCHES STRETCHING OUT TO TOUCH AND OVERLAP, CLASPING HANDS IN FRIENDSHIP.
WITH WARMEST PERSONAL REGARDS,
EPHRAIM
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