Haim Sidor - SIDOR FAMILY update 5776

Shalom,

IF you have received this and you have no idea who I am (or you don’t want to know who I am) or you are a business or institution I apologize and please ignore this letter or better yet contact me and let me know! As you probably have all experienced a glich, virus, Trojan horse, hacker etc. I do not know what it was but my address list disappeared a while ago and I have never been able to find it (out in cyber land). Since I do want to keep in touch I sent this letter to all possible e-mails in my possession whom I thought I knew! Also please forgive multiple copies because I took from several lists I had. I do hope to re-establish contact with those of you who do know me – the rest please forgive me for bothering you and DELETE.

IF you do want to receive my updates please confirm so with an e-mail address as well as what has been happening with you and yours.

We hope all is well with you and yours. It has been more than a year since last I sent out an update on what’s happening to “our gang”. So here goes…

Nechama has been unemployed for awhile but has finally found a job. She is now busy with getting the new apartment in order, we just moved a few weeks ago. We moved close (about a mile) to where Tzippora and Frimed have just moved so we get to see the grandchildren much more.

Me, I still run around (actually limp, but I’m still at it) the country with Tourists. This last year has been pretty bad but we pray for good seasons ahead. My doctors had been on my case regarding diet. Sugar, salt, fats (among other things) had to go! And I have been coming down in weight (about 10 pounds in the last year). In May I had a minor stroke (TIA) – really strange sensation! Suddenly I couldn’t talk and I lost control of my left side and then within 10 minutes everything was back to normal! I decided not to run to the hospital (thereafter every doctor I talked to lectured me about how “dumb” I was and that IF anything happens like that one should go straight to the emergency room!). I had been scheduled for knee operations (yes 2, both knees have no cartilage - I walk bone on bone) but the cardiologist refused to give permission for surgery until he thoroughly checked me out!. I must have gone through over 30 different tests – in the end (Thank G-d) everything looks fine and he just gave approval for the knee operations (hopefully by the end of October! – I have an appointment with my Orthopedist next week, then we’ll see!). It will be a nice feeling to walk without massive pain!

As I mentioned we moved! (our last landlord sold the apartment – and Nechama was not happy there anyway). Nechama found her “dream apartment”! We moved to the Kiryat Moshe neighborhood (at the entrance to the city (close to the Central Bus Station and the “String” Bridge). A lovely, light, breezy and convenient location. You are all invited to stop by if and when you get to Jerusalem (#31 Eliezar HaLevi St. The bus #6, 65, and 74 stop on the block and the light rail Kiryat Moshe station is also nearby. Please call first 02 571 4681 or e-mail! We also have Skype and would love to talk to you some time.

The rest of the ‘gang’ is not at home, at least not on a daily basis but they do manage to make their presence felt, especially on Shabbos when they decide Mom’s cooking is the best! So someone is almost always here every Shabbos. So we get to see the Grandchildren on a regular basis. Plus since we are now minutes away by bus or train we even get to see them sometimes during the week!.

Menachem is still at his routine of mostly real estate work (does anyone want to invest in an apartment in Jerusalem??). He has recently been quite successful and takes vacation trips almost every six months. He presently is wandering around India! He also quite enjoys visiting with his nieces and nephews! and takes them all around Jerusalem and sometimes even further afield. He takes loads of picture so you can watch them all growing up on his Face book pages! I am remiss at sending and posting pictures – I simply am too amazed all the time at the “miracle” of childhood and watching the grandchildren growing up and absorbing the fact that they’re “mine”! Before he left Menachem invited the whole family out for a Friday night dinner at a nearby hotel. It was the first time in a long time we were all together. Quite a lovely evening.

Tzippora (and her husband Shimon Avraham Rosen) are making us “grandparents” again with a fifth child on the way any day now.. They recently moved to Kirat Yuval (a little way from where we now live). Their youngest, Yehuda (because he is their 4th child) is growing by leaps and bounds. He’s up and walking and talking! Shimon continues his rabbinical studies and has found work as a teacher of young boys. He loves his work! Their eldest child Yitzhak Elchanon speaks English fluently and has quite a lot to say! He began school (“hader”) in earnest. He has become quite helpful! Even takes Yehuda and feeds him for “mommy”! Now that he is really learning he has calmed down and has become a little gentleman and has become a voracious reader David is still a “handful” but is also calming down with age and has become “educated”. He loves when Elchanon reads to him! I never imagined Tzippora with 4 little “boyz”(sic) – they really keep her very busy and on her toes but she still loves it. They live on a lower floor! Which makes life much easier for Tzippora. Shmuel (Schmoo-moo as he calls himself) When he sees his two older brothers helping “mommy” he too immediately runs to join in! Lastly there is little Yehuda, finally a quieter (not quiet but quieter) boy. Tzippora has decided to go back to school to become a speech therapist! And has been accepted in a program! But stay tuned…

Shabsi is still in the Israeli army and is now a lieutenant and expecting a promotion in the near future (a first for any of the immediate family). His lovely wife, Faigie, has “followed her dream” to become a nurse and is now almost finished Nursing School. She is juggling home, work and school plus the day to day struggle to get by. Many times Shabsi takes care of the children so that she can pursue her studies! They (sadly) moved to Bnai Brak (near Tel Aviv) to be closer to her school and Shabsi’s work but far away from us. Now that he is “getting up” in the world he does get a car periodically so we do get to see them sometimes. We very much miss their close proximity. Their daughter, Hannah Hadas (named for my mother of blessed memory) was growing up right before our eyes. She is walking and talking in (more or less) understandable language – but Hebrew! She has become a “real” little lady. She loves dresses and nice shoes! AND she is quite good at getting her way. Her brother Itamar is built like a football front line (all four of them!!! – not fat but BIG!) though he is under two I can barely lift him (my orthopedist highly recommended I do NOT but, I know I’ll pay for it, but who can resist.) He has an easy going personality like his father and usually prefers to look around and do his own thing. He also has Shabtai’s old habit of “appearing in your lap” suddenly but once he is there you know it!

Frimed and her husband Shaul Greenberg are also now living in Kiryat Yuval, in southwest Jerusalem. She too has a boy, Baruch Yosef, also a future football player! She found work as a medical secretary and he is continuing his Rabbinical Studies and teaching (at the same school as Shimon). He has also begun an “official teaching degree” and Frimed will be learning to be a Therapist.. Their daughter Hadas is now walking and babbling (now most of the time coherently!) and like the rest of her cousins loves exploring around our house, “reading” the books in the library, getting into closets and cabinets and any other open corner. Since Tzippora and Frimed live close to each other their children often play together (which really gives me nachas that the cousin all seem to get along!)

Pesha Baila is still at a hostel in Beit Shemesh. She has finally found “real” work! Hopefully she is starting to “find herself”. She is thinking seriously about finding a serious relationship and the possibility of settling down. In the next year it is planned that she will move to assisted independent living so we have high hopes.

All in all we're all busy with the day to day and of course with the winter coming things are even more frenetic!

Politically the situation drags on and goes from crisis to crisis. So what else is new?? Life becomes fantasy like, what with the threat of “war” and the hope of peace, and the ever present threat of an attack but nothing seems to really change and daily life here goes on. Things are now quiet (Thank G-d) even with the whole rest of the area in turmoil - It is surprising what people “get used to”! Interestingly despite all that is happening the general economy is said to be flourishing and it is said that things are looking up (though it seems to me that the only thing going up are the prices!).

I have been “slowing down” a bit more and trying to get back into regular learning again and also trying to do the “projects” I have wanted to complete (or at least work at them – like the Safed project and the Family tree). It is very sobering to think that I have lived almost 6 years longer than my father (of blessed memory) who never really got to see his grandchildren (he only saw our first son, Menachem David). So I thank G-d for giving me the time and ability to continue growing in and learning his ways and to see the children and grandchildren (and should I get greedy and say great grand children?). AND I wish all of you the same.

I am still busy with personal genealogical projects (especially on the PERNICK and SIDOR families but also consisting of AINBINDER, LICHTENSTEIN, MENACHES, LUTNICK branches). I entered much of the FAMILY TREE on GENi (without most of the personal details) and invited many people to join (the tree has more than 3300 entries) and add onto the tree. IF I haven’t sent you an invitation to join PLEASE let me know and I will correct the inadvertent oversight. I am also planning to post basic information on My Heritage web site so you might also get an invite from their site as well. I have written several “family history” Sagas – PERNICK, SIDOR, AINBINDER and BERGSON/MENACHES if you haven’t seen them let me know and I’ll send you a copy by e-mail or a link. I have posted on-line the partial Sidor Saga and Ainbinder Saga (Family Histories) and hope to get around to the others soon. I have been in contact with several “other” PERNICK” and “AINBINDER” groups and we are trying to clarify the connections! PLEASE contact me with updates on your families too!!! I recently participated in the “world” DNA project and am looking forward to receiving the results in the coming weeks!

I am also continuing with my research work on Safed (I have a database of over 15,000 individuals who lived in Safed from 1868 to 1948 and I’m working on adding many more). The Safed Foundation ran out of funding and has closed down their web site so I moved my data to the IGA (Israel Genealogical Association) as host for the database. I am also in the middle of the Cemetery Project (registering, mapping and photographing all the graves in the Safed Cemetery). I wrote some of the stories about Safed on-line. See “The Bubba Maiser Book” on line at the HUB or Google my name Haim Sidor and look for the listing. I also still translate Yizkor Books and post them on Jewishgen.com

We look forward to hearing from you. Please send updates on YOUR families!

Happy New Year 5776
The Sidor Family