MORDECAI GILBOA (GASTWIRTH)
MASSUOT YITZCHAK, ISRAEL

30 NOV, 1998

DEAR PAUL,

CHANA AND I ARE VERY APRECIATIVE OF THE WORK YOU ARE PUTTING INTO OUR FAMILY TREE. PERHAPS IT COULD NEVER HAVE BEEN DONE BY EARLIER GENERATIONS - BEFORE THE DISCOVERY OF MODERN METHODS OF COMMUNICATION.
A FEW WORDS ABOUT OUR LIFE-STYLE HERE. WE ARE A MODERN RELIGIOUS FARMING COMMUNITY, AND IN RECENT YEARS WE HAVE ALSO BRANCHED OUT INTO INDUSTRY.
WE HAVE TODAY A VERY FINE FACTORY FOR THE MANUFACTURE OF DISPOSABLE FACIAL AND BODY WIPES FOR BABIES, ADULTS, AND ALSO THE OLD AND AILING.
YOU WROTE THAT YOU HOPE VERY SOON TO VISIT ISRAEL, AND WE HOPE WE SHALL HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO SHOW YOU AROUND OUR FARM AND FACTORY.
OUR VILLAGE SETTLEMENT COVERS AN AREA OF 1500 ACRES, JUST NORTH OF THE CITY OF ASHKELON.
YOU KNOW OUR PHONE NUMBER SO WHEN YOU ARRIVE IN ISRAEL PLEASE CONTACT US AND WE SHALL ADVISE YOU HOW BEST TO GET HERE.
WE HOPE YOU ARE BOTH WELL, AND LOOK FORWARD TO HEARING FROM YOU, AND SEEING YOU SOON.
BY THE WAY, WE DO HAVE HERE IN OUR FARM-VILLAGE ALL THE MOST MODERN METHODS OF COMMUNICATION, BUT I AM STILL OLD-FASHIONED. PERHAPS FOR FUTURE CORRESPONDENCE I'LL GET ONE OF OUR YOUNG EXPERTS TO HELP ME.
PLEASE KEEP UP THE GOOD WORK, AND WE LOOK FORWARD TO MEETING YOU SOON (?)
SINCERELY YOURS,
MORDECAI GILBOA (GASTWIRTH)

ATTACHMENT: FAMILY TREE

PEGGY CARLAN (VIA GASTWIRTH LIST)
GLOUCESTER, MA
EMAIL: BOBORPEG@IX.NETCOM.COM

9 DEC 98

I'M SO HAPPY THAT PAUL FOUND ME AND TOLD ME ABOUT THE GASTWIRTH SITE.
MY MOTHER IS A GASWORTH....SHE IS ON THE LIST AS ADA BERNSTEIN. I HAVE A SISTER JUDY AND A BROTHER RICHY. WE'RE FROM NYC. MY HUSBAND AND I ARE NOW LIVING IN MASS AFTER 27 YEARS IN NORTHERN CALIF (AND WHAT AN ADJUSTMENT THAT IS!) IN 1984 I WAS IN POLAND AND DROVE TO KOLBASHOVA (PHONETIC SPELLING). BOTH MY MATERNAL GRANDPARENTS GREW UP THERE. PROBABLY MANY ON THIS LIST HAVE FAMILIES FROM THAT TOWN AS WELL. IT IS IN THE GALACIA REGION. IT WAS QUITE AN EXPERIENCE BEING THERE.
THERE WERE LARGE STONE MONUMENTS IN THE MAIN SQUARE AND ON THE ROAD IN & OUT OF THE TOWN THAT WERE UNFORGETTABLE. THEY SHOWED 2 HANDS CLASPED TOGETHER WITH A STAR OF DAVID ABOVE THEM AND A CROSS BELOW THEM. THE LARGE MONUMENT IN THE MAIN PLAZA WAS, OF COURSE, IN POLISH SO I COULD NOT UNDERSTAND IT....HOWEVER
IT WAS CLEAR THAT IT WAS A MONUMENT TO THE JEWS OF THE TOWN, AND PROBABLY ENTIRE REGION, KILLED DURING WW11. THERE AGAIN WERE MANY STARS OF DAVID. I SAW NOTHING LIKE THIS ANYWHERE ELSE IN MY TRAVELS THROUGH POLAND OR CZECHOSLAVAKIA. IT WAS EXTREMELY TOUCHING. UNFORTUNATELY, I COULDN'T FIND ANYONE IN THE TOWN WHO SPOKE ENGLISH SO I COULDN'T ASK ANY QUESTIONS....ABOUT
IT OR ANYTHING ELSE. THERE IS A CHURCH IN THE CENTER OF TOWN AND I THOUGHT THAT THE PRIEST WOULD BE THE PERSON WHO MAY KNOW SOME HISTORY AND HOPEFULLY A BIT OF ENGLISH....BUT HE WAS NOT TO BE FOUND. IT ACTUALLY WAS A VERY STRANGE
AND ALMOST BIZARRE DAY....IF ANYONE WANTS FURTHER DETAILS I'D BE HAPPY TO EXPLAIN. THE AREA IS STILL VERY PROVENCIAL AND MOSTLY FARMLAND. THE FARMERS CONTINUE TO USE OLD PLOWS, HORSES AND STILL BURN MANURE FOR FUEL. THE SKY WAS THICK AND MUSTY MOST OF THE TIME FROM THE SMOKE...I FELT AS IF I HAD GONE BACK IN TIME. BUT JUST KNOWING THAT I WAS WALKING DOWN STREETS THAT
MY ANCESTORS HAD WALKED AND LIVED THEIR LIVES WAS ONE OF THE MOST GROUNDING AND HUMBLING EXPERIENCES OF MY LIFE. I FELT A CONNECTION TO THE PAST AS I NEVER HAD BEFORE.
FINDING THIS LIST WITH ALL MY POSSIBLE COUSINS IS A SIMILAR EXPERIENCE....BUT WITHOUT THE SMELL OF BURNING MANURE!
I HOPE THAT THERE WILL BE SOME SORT OF A "REUNITING" IN 1999 OR 2000. I'VE TALKED TO PAUL ABOUT THIS AND HE WOULD LIKE TO SEE THIS HAPPEN TOO. IF ANYONE HAS ANY IDEAS ABOUT WHEN, HOW, WHERE...PLEASE EMAIL ME.

I'M VERY GLAD TO BE HERE.

PEGGY CARLAN

MINDY GASWIRTH OSWALT
LOS ANGELES
EMAIL: OSWALT@EARTHLINK.NET

9 DEC, 98 (2 LETTERS COMBINED)

HI GASTWIRTH FAMILY!!
WOW!1 I DIDN'T KNOW OUR FAMILY WAS SO BIG!! I AM SO GLAD I FOUND THIS WEBSITE! PLEASE KEEP ME ON YOUR LISTS SO I CAN CONTACT OTHER FAMILY MEMBERS. I AM RELATED TO MARC GASWIRTH IN NEW JERSEY, HE IS MY UNCLE. MY BROTHERS ALAN GASWIRTH AND MITCHELL M. GASWIRTH ARE ALREADY ON YOUR LIST.
I WOULD LOVE TO HEAR FROM OTHER FAMILY MEMBERS!!