Happy New Year 2020!

Happy New Year

Dear Friends & Family-

Wishing you and yours a year of prosperity, harmony, and contentment. I hope that moments of laughter and success outnumber all others in the year to come.

With love-

The Weils

The First Telefus!

A few months ago, JewishGen.org posted census records, or “Revision Lists” from the town of Khotin Ukraine (formerly Russia and Romania) from the years 1835, 1848, 1854, and 1859. These records have been transcribed, translated into English, and posted to be searched as part of their JewishGen Romania-Moldova Database. It includes *tons* of entries for the Telefus family. With this information, I was able to piece together what I believe to be the original Telefus family. 

The oldest direct Telefus ancestor I’ve been able to identify is named Leyba, who would have been born between 1725 and 1740! I’m reasonably confident that that the entire Telefus family is descended from him.

Here is some supporting information.

• Leyba’s son, Khaim Telefus, was born ~1752 and died in 1837. He was listed in the 1834 Revision record, described as “Belonged to Khotin Kahal. Pale face; Height 2 arshin, 3 vershka; grey hair; grey eyes; moderate nose.”
• I looked that up. He was about 5’ 1” (155cm) tall.
• Khaim had five sons: 
• Shemaria, Froim (Ephriam), Ios (Joseph/Yosef), and Genzel. They each had substantial families
• Froim was the only son listed in the 1834 records. He was described as having an “Oblong face; Height 2 arshin, 5 vershka; dark brown hair; grey eyes; crooked nose.”
• Jewish surnames were not mandated in this part of the Russian Empire before 1804. It is possible that Khaim ben Leyba was the first person to take the surname Telefus.
• There are no Telefus records in those revisions that don’t list Khaim as the father of the head of household. That is, there are records of the five brothers and no additional Telefus families.
• It is possible that there is another family in a nearby town where the records haven't been transcribed yet. I'll keep on checking. 
• I had previously identified two other Telefus families in the US/Israel, with Khotin roots, who were not part of the branch that I’m a part of. 
• I named them “Telefus Family 2” and “Telefus Family 3.” I haven’t been able to positively connect them to the attached tree, but I have suspicions about where they fit, based on the given names. Both of those families are included at the end of the attachment.
• There are other Telefus families in the US who are more recent immigrants from Russia, as well as a number of  Телефус names on Facebook.  I suspect that they are descended from branches of the same family.
• My branch of the family is descended from Khaim’s son Shemaria. That is based on the following information:
• My great-grandfather, Itzak Telefus (Isador Telles) listed his father as Chaim Hersh Telefus in documents. There is a record of a Chaim Hersh Telefus, the son of Aron, in a Duma voter list on JewishGen. The Revision List records include a Chaim Telefus, son of Aron. The dates and locations line up perfectly. Note that middle names weren’t used in the Revision Lists.
• Shemarya is my Hebrew name, in honor of my grandfather Sam (Shemarya) Telles. It is likely that he was named for his own great-uncle (Shemarya Telefus) who was named for *his* grandfather (Shemarya Telefus).
• My aunt, Phyllis Telles Badanes, has the Hebrew name “Feyga.” Her recollection was that she was named for a family member who had died young. There are two Feygas listed in this branch of the tree.

The records that would positively connect all of the families I've found would come from vital records dated between 1860 – 1890. I’m hopeful such records exist, and that they’ll be translated and posted eventually. Until then, there is still some guesswork to do. 

If you are reading this and have any ideas or missing pieces, please let me know.

Leyba Telefus, b. circa / /1729

+unknown spouse

└── Khayim Telefus, b. / /1752, d. / /1837

    +Pesya (--?--), b. circa / /1778

    ├── Shmaria Telefus, b. / /1789

    │   +Rukhlya (--?--), d. before / /1854

    │   ├── Aron Telefus, b. / /1817

    │   │   +Ester (--?--), b. / /1822

    │   │   ├── Feyga Telefus, b. between 1830 and 1850, d. before / /1854

    │   │   ├── Khana Telefus, b. / /1839

    │   │   ├── Sura Telefus, b. circa / /1843

    │   │   ├── Chiam Hirsh Telefus, b. / /1850 at Khotin, Bessarabia, d. after / /1909 at Khotin, Bessarabia

    │   │   │   +Mary Cohen, m. before / /1865

    │   │   │   ├── Rachel Telefus, b. circa / /1865

    │   │   │   │   +(--?--) Marcus

    │   │   │   │   └── Bluma Marcus, b. / /1897

    │   │   │   └── Sheava Telefus, b. between 1/ /1872 and 1/ /1873, d. 12/7/1955 at NY

    │   │   │       +Aron Fisherman, b. between 5/ /1869 and 5/ /1870 at Khotin, Bessarabia, m. / /1892

    │   │   │       ├── Louis Fisherman, b. 10/26/1894 at Khotin, Bessarabia

    │   │   │       │   +Sadie (--?--), b. 7/ /1901 at NY, m. 10/15/1918 at NY, d. 3/29/1929 at NY

    │   │   │       │   +Rose (--?--)

    │   │   │       ├── Minnie Fisherman, b. 2/15/1898 at Khotin, Bessarabia, d. 11/28/1987

    │   │   │       │   +Melvin Presser, b. 12/19/1903, m. / /1948, d. 3/4/1988 at FL

    │   │   │       ├── Anne Fisherman, b. between 1/ /1901 and 2/ /1901 at Khotin, Bessarabia, d. 4/12/1984

    │   │   │       └── Mickey Fisherman, b. between 1/ /1902 and 2/ /1902 at Khotin, Bessarabia

    │   │   │           +Roberta (--?--)

    │   │   │   +Leah Berenstein, m. circa / /1875

    │   │   │   ├── (--?--) Telles, b. at Khotin, Bessarabia, d. at Khotin, Bessarabia

    │   │   │   ├── Pesach Telefus, b. at Khotin, Bessarabia, d. / /1970 at Tirat-HaCarmel

    │   │   │   │   +Frida Appelboim, b. at Bessarabia, d. / /1935 at Bessarabia

    │   │   │   │   ├── Lea Telefus, b. / /1919 at Khotin, Bessarabia, d. / /2004 at Tirat-HaCarmel

    │   │   │   │   │   +Rafael Faige, b. / /1922, d. 5/4/2011

    │   │   │   │   └── Chana Telefus, b. / /1931 at Bessarabia

    │   │   │   │       +Efraim Sholimovich, b. / /1931 at Kostansa, d. / /2002 at Tirat-HaCarmel

    │   │   │   │   +Rivka Vrombrant, d. / /1967 at Tirat-HaCarmel

    │   │   │   ├── Anna Telefus, b. 5/20/1887 at Khotin, Bessarabia, d. 12/1/1968 at Riverdale, NY

    │   │   │   │   +Chaim Telefus, b. / /1887, m. 6/25/1910 at NY, d. 4/20/1922 at NY

    │   │   │   │   +Max Lichtenstein, b. 1/4/1877 at Odessa, m. 7/28/1931 at NY, d. 10/25/1961

    │   │   │   └── Isador Telles, b. 3/14/1891 at Khotin, Bessarabia, d. / /1951

    │   │   │       +Sarah Birnberg, b. 3/17/1893 \d. 4/ /1965

    │   │   │       ├── Meyer Jack Telles, b. 10/12/1913 at NY, d. 11/23/2003 at CA

    │   │   │       │   +Helan Konsky, b. 10/17/1915 at NY, m. 7/4/1936, d. 1/18/1994 at CA

    │   │   │       ├── Sam Telles, b. 7/25/1917 at NY, d. 12/12/1972 at Borough Park, NY

    │   │   │       │   +Rose Broitman, 

    │   │   │       └── Harris Telles, b. 10/18/1923 at NY, d. 11/12/2002 at TX

    │   │   │           +Miriam Nacht, b. 3/18/1924, m. 6/22/1946

    │   │   ├── Mortko Telefus, b. / /1852

    │   │   │   +Perla (--?--), b. / /1836

    │   │   ├── Shmerya Telefus, b. / /1855 at Khotin, Bessarabia

    │   │   └── Rakhel Telefus, b. circa / /1857

    │   ├── Rosya Telefus, b. / /1821

    │   ├── Feyga Telefus, b. / /1825

    │   └── Mendel Telefus, b. circa / /1833

    │       +Perlya (--?--), b. / /1836

    │       ├── Shmarya Telefus, b. / /1856

    │       └── Ios Telefus, b. / /1857
            ├── Froim Telefus, b. circa / /1795 (PossibleTelefus Family 3)

    │   +Reyzya (--?--), b. circa / /1795

    │   ├── Itsko Telefus, b. / /1831

    │   │   +Tsivya (--?--), b. / /1831

    │   │   ├── Khaya Telefus, b. / /1850

    │   │   ├── Mendel Telefus, b. / /1851

    │   │   ├── Frima Telefus, b. / /1854

    │   │   └── Marya Telefus, b. / /1857

    │   └── Nekhama Telefus, b. / /1834

    ├── Ios Telefus, b. circa / /1803

    │   +Wife 1 (--?--)

    │   └── Yankel Telefus, b. circa / /1826

    │       +Etya (--?--), b. circa / /1829

    │       ├── Khaim Telefus, b. circa / /1853 (Possible Telefus Family 2)

    │       ├── Khesel Telefus, b. / /1856

    │       └── Khaya Telefus, b. / /1857

    │   +Zlata (--?--), b. / /1815

    │   ├── Manuil Telefus, b. / /1834

    │   │   +Leya (--?--), b. circa / /1838

    │   │   ├── Zlata Telefus, b. circa / /1854

    │   │   └── Gensel Telefus, b. / /1858

    │   ├── Tsipa Telefus, b. 12/1/1839

    │   ├── Tsina Telefus, b. / /1842

    │   ├── Khaim Telefus, b. 9/8/1842

    │   ├── Shlioma Telefus, b. 9/1/1843, d. 1/21/1880

    │   ├── Ezra Telefus, b. 9/1/1843, d. 10/25/1902

    │   ├── Rukhlya Telefus, b. 9/1/1846

    │   └── Ester Telefus, b. / /1852

    │   +Etlya (--?--), b. circa / /1817

    │   ├── Ushir Anczel Telefus, b. 9/11/1855

    │   ├── Gensel Telefus, b. / /1858, d. 7/7/1908

    │   └── Sura Leya Telefus, b. / /1864

    │       +Sender Sklyarov, b. / /1859

    └── Genzel Telefus, b. circa / /1805, d. / /1848

        +Khantsya (--?--), b. / /1815

        ├── Leya Telefus, b. / /1838

        ├── Menya Telefus, b. / /1840

        ├── Khaim Telefus, b. / /1842

        ├── Sheyna Telefus, b. / /1844

        ├── Yankel Telefus, b. / /1845

        └── Reyzya Telefus, b. circa / /1848

Obituaries for Stephen Weil

Stephen Phillip Weil

Stephen Weil of Delray Beach, FL. passed away on March 5, 2019 from injuries sustained in a recent automobile accident. He was 76.

With his dear wife Shelly, Steve traveled the world from Europe and Israel to the great U.S. National Parks and Canadian Rockies. Closer to home, he was an avid skier, biker, and beach goer. He never missed a chance to debate politics, lose himself in a novel, or enjoy a good meal. Some of his happiest moments were spent camping, hiking, or rafting with his sons Eric and Shawn. And, as the president of the condo association, he was adept at addressing big problems and small. Steve was soft spoken, but loved the company of friends and family.

The son of the late Jack and Marian (Goldner) Weil, Steve was born in 1942 and raised in the Bensonhurst neighborhood of Brooklyn. He was a 1960 graduate of Lafayette High School and a 1964 graduate of the City College of New York (CCNY). It was during college that he met the love of his life, the former Rochelle “Shelly” Telles, also of Brooklyn. They were married in 1965.

After serving  in the Naval Air Reserves from 1964 – 1970, Steve and family moved to the White Meadow Lake community in Rockaway NJ. For many years Steve worked in the telecommunications industry, installing telephones in the skyscrapers of Manhattan’s financial district. Steve retired in 2000 and moved to Delray Beach in 2011 after a short time in Boston.

Steve is survived by his wife of 53 years, Rochelle (Telles) Weil; son Eric and daughter-in-law Andria (Cook) Weil of Jamaica Plain, MA; son Shawn and daughter-in-law Elana (Messer) Weil of Melrose, MA; sister Marcia (Weil) and brother-in-law Arnold Goldstein of Boynton Beach, FL; and grandchildren Jacob, Sophia, Asher, Paul, and Joss. He also leaves behind many beloved nieces, nephews, cousins, and dear friends.

The funeral will take place at the Goldman Funeral Chapel (174 Ferry St., Malden, MA) at 1PM on Friday March 8, with burial to follow at Temple Shalom of Medford Cemetery (Rte. 128 Yankee Division Highway, Peabody, MA).    

Shiva hours are scheduled at the homes of his sons. An additional gathering to remember Steve will take place at his home in Delray Beach at a later date.

In lieu of flowers, the family asks that you consider making a donation to InTandem (www.intandembike.org), the Democratic National Committee, or Hadassah Hospitals.

------------------------------------------------------------

An official obituary appeared in the Palm Beach Sun Sentinel.

Published in Sun-Sentinel on Mar. 7, 2019

--------------------------------------------------------

A short article about my father's accident also appeared in the Sun Sentinel.

Eulogy for Stephen Weil

My father, Stephen Weil, died tragically on 5 March 2019 from injuries sustained in a recent automobile accident. This is the eulogy I gave at his funeral at the Goldman Funeral Chapel in Malden, MA on Friday 8 March 2019.

A Toast From My Dad

Dear Family and Friends

Thank you all for joining us on such a somber occasion. Before I continue with my eulogy, I wanted to take the time to describe how thankful I am.

• Thankful for my mother Shelly who doesn’t realize the strength and resilience she has.
• Thankful for my wife Elana for being unfailingly supportive.
• Thankful for my brother Eric who successfully navigated the past few weeks as both pained son and competent healer.
• Thankful for my children who ground and amaze me with their perceptive comments.
• Thankful for my sister-in-law Andria for providing perspective with so much depth.
• Thankful to my Uncle Marty for his decisive nature and my Aunt Marcia for her constant support.
• Thankful to Rabbi Hamilton for somehow being in the right places at the right times to provide comfort.
• Thankful to all of the first responders and medical professionals who worked so hard to help my father heal and then provided comfort to him when it became clear that recovery wasn’t to be.
• Thankful to my children’s mother Beren for managing two family crises simultaneously – with sensitivity and love. For those who aren’t aware, her beloved grandmother Barbara Rosenblum passed away the same day as my father. She was very special to me and my grief is doubled.
• And – most of all – thankful to our communities for your overwhelming support. We are humbled and grateful for you all.

It wasn’t supposed to be like this. My father – fit and friendly and lively – should have had many more years to enjoy his retirement with my mother. But that simply wasn’t to be. So here we are, gathered to remember a man who really defied categorization.

What do I mean by that? Well…

• My father wouldn’t have considered himself to be an “intellectual,” but you’d rarely see him without a book in his hand and a Sudoku puzzle half completed in his bag.
• My father wouldn’t have considered an “athlete,” but he was always on his bicycle, in the pool, on the slopes, or in the gym.
• My father wouldn’t have considered himself particularly “ambitious,” but when need be, he always rose to the occasion. I know the residents of his condo are going to feel the absence of their capable president.

Steve Weil was a humble guy. He wasn’t one to boast or complain. He was one to offer a helping hand without being asked. He was one to tinker and fix (or, sometimes, break).

Born in the Bensonhurst neighborhood of Brooklyn, and carried his accent proudly wherever he went. And his accent rubbed off on those around him. I was a teenager before I realized that I wasn’t pronouncing “mirror,” “vanilla,” and “drawer” like my friends did!

Dad rarely talked about his time in the Naval Reserves. He was never active duty during Vietnam. Country and freedom were important to him, but he would never have overly emphasize his service when so many others had given so much. Still, he always had his dog tags near him. A reminder, maybe, of the friends of his youth.

My father was at Ground Zero on his way to work when the airplanes hit the towers on 9/11. He found shelter in the Chase Bank vault until the coast was clear and then walked miles to safety. But it wasn’t something he brought up very often. He didn’t want anyone’s pity or undue attention.

Some of my favorite moments were spent outdoors with my father and brother. Skiing as a child at Vernon Valley or Mt. Snow. Camping at Otter Lake. Hiking in the Adirondacks or the White Mountains. Rafting on the Delaware, Hudson, and even the Colorado. My father loved being outdoors in any weather, and I relished the time spent with him.  Except when he taught me how to ride a bicycle and left me to coast uncontrollably into the pond by Copeland Middle School in Rockaway.

He wasn’t overly emotional, but he had no trouble telling my mother, brother, and our children that he loved them. We seldom spoke on the phone, even though I speak to my mother often. But he wanted to know everything that was going on in our lives and would get daily reports from Mom.

The last time I saw my father was Thanksgiving, when he (1) tried out my nephew’s hoverboard and fell – into the arms of his granddaughter and (2) snuck out of the house, drove up to New Hampshire, and went skiing despite the significant protests of my mother. Did I mention that he pretended to be 80 years old to get a free lift ticket?

Dad lived without regrets. He didn’t hold grudges because he knew how to avoid or resolve conflict. And didn’t suffer from artifice, preferring to be true to himself regardless of the situation. That situation might have been on a nude beach with a joint in his hand. He encouraged me to embrace this philosophy. My father once told me that I should always be myself; that I shouldn’t change who I am in response to the group I’m with or the company I keep. I try to live up to this ideal.

But as central as this is to the way I try to live my life, it isn’t the aspect of his personality that I most aspire to live up to. No – that was his dedication to our family. My father sacrificed a lot to provide for my mother, brother, and me, commuting every day from suburban New Jersey to New York City; getting up early and spending hours in cars and trains. On weekends, rather than sleeping in, he would always find ways to spend time with us. To eat with us, throw a Frisbee, or go for a bike ride. Those are memories I’ll always cherish and behaviors I’ll always respect.

Musically, my father was among the most tone deaf people I’ve ever met. Literal tone deafness. Hearing him sing “Happy Birthday” or “You Are My Sunshine” made me cringe as a musician. But as his son? It was marvelous. It reflected a man who was rarely self-conscious; who was always true to himself. And I wish I could hear him sing those songs off key one more time.

I loves you, Dad.