The Slotfina Grossvatter – איצק נחמן קויפמאנן הי"ד

Yitzchok Nachman Kaufman
Ma's father's father

Yenta Charna Kaufman nee Brandstein
Ma's father's mother

"The Yidden in the Carpathian Mountains, were אמת'ע בַּחֵנְ'טֶע יידען, with a wonderful Yidishe צוּרָה, they were striking with their full beards and שיינע peyes. Many of them were תלמידי חכמים who had learned in famous Yeshivos. There were Vizhnitzer, Sigheter, Satmarer, Nadverner, Spinka, and Munkatcher Chasidim.

The women had such a Yidishe חֵן, they were proud of their Yidishkeit.  They had no interest in modern dress, large houses, or fancy furnishings.  That which a girl saw in her mother’s house she instituted in her own."

(Loosely translated from, Zichron Kdoshim by Shlomo Rozman) 

One look at the pictures of Ma’s grandparents, R’ Yitzchok Nachman Kaufman and his wife Yente Charna and we can see that they were that type of Yidden.

Yitzchok Nachman was born about 1856 in Slotfina (today Solotvyno, Ukraine), a Carpathian town right across the river from Sighet.  His wife Yenta Charna Brandstein was from a Chashuva family in Bishtina. They settled in Anka Slatfina where they had a large family.

R’ Yitzchok Nachman was a Spinka chosid.  It is said that in the winter he would chop the ice on the Tisa River in order to go to the Mikvah before davening.  Ma would fondly recall her visits to her grandparents, the fruit trees behind the house with the river flowing beyond them.  R’ Yitzchok Nachman had a room full with Seforim and was a תלמיד חכם.

Like most Yidden in that area, he supported himself by the toil of his hands. יגיע כפיך כי תאכל אשריך וטוב לך.  As many Yidden in the Carphatin he was a lumber merchant and would cut trees, and the logs were floated down the Tisa River to be used for construction in the towns, cities and villages.

His son אליעזר, Ma’s father (Opi), inscribed a few lines in one of his seforim , for the memory of his father who was killed ר"ח סיון תש"ד in Auschwitz together with the entire ghetto of Slatfina  הי"ד.

חק לישראל Inscription in the front of Opi's 
על אלה אני בוכיה על פטירת
אבי הקדוש ר' יצחק נחמן בן יהודא שנהרג על קדושת שמו יתברך
בידי הנאציס הטמאים ימ"ש ביום ר"ח סיון שנת תש"ד
יזכר אלוקינו לטובה עם שאר קדושינו וינקום דם אחינו השפוך ת.נ.צ.ב.ה.
בנו אליעזר קויפמאנן

For the children of R' Yitzchok Nachman and Yenta Charna Kaufmann see here.

Berthold Stroh: דוב or יששכר בער?

Sketch of Berthold Stroh הי"ד
Dally's father

Dally's father Berthold, was born in Eisenstatd (one of the famed שבעה קהילות in the Burgenland area), on י"ז אייר 1877, to David Stroh and his wife Chana nee Spitzer. About 1905, he married Sabine Breuer of Sopron. They settled in Vienna where they had four children; David - Edwin (Dally), Shlomo - Alex, Shimon Yehuda - Ernst, and Gitel - Elli (Braun).

As was the custom among German and Austrian יידען at that time, he was known by his secular name, Berthold. A person’s שם קודש was used only for עליות in שול or on similar occasions.

Berthold, signed a letter appointing
Harav Shlomo Baumgarten as a דיין of the Schiffschul
He signed his name as  דוב שטראה 

In 1934, as the Gabbai of the renowned Vienna Schiffschul, Berthold Stroh together with the remaining 18 Vorstande (board) members, signed a letter appointing Harav Shlomo Baumgarten as a דיין for the קהלה. As we can see he signs his name דוב שטראה. 

A סליחות used by Berthold

He signs his name as דוב שטראה

In a סליחות and other ספרים that had belonged to him he also inscribes his name as דוב שטראה. Harav Yosef Baumgarten, who was the מוהל of Berthold's children, also records them as being the sons of דוב שטראה. On Ma and Dallly's כתובה Dally's father's name is given as דוב. To the best of our knowledge, all the grandchildren named for him are also called דוב.

Among those from Vienna who had ordered
a pre-publication copy of the ספר יהודה יעלה
is the name of יששכר דוב שטראה

In 1931, Rabbi Yehuda Asad's Sefer, יהודה יעלה, was printed. Among those from Vienna who had ordered a pre-publication copy, is the name יששכר דוב שטראה. This got us wondering if perhaps Dally's father's name was actually יששכר דוב.

The metrical in Eisensadt where
the Rov noted Berthold's שם קודש as יששכר

When we took a closer look at the birth record of Dally's father from Eisenstatd, we realized that the Rav of Eisenstatd at the time, had written the child's שם קודש, as יששכר into the metrical (record book).

Berthold's Mohel inscribes in his מוהל בוך.
ונקרא שמו בישראל יששכר המכונה בירל

Recently, we found a copy of a page from a Mohel Book from Eisenstadt with the following entry: בע"ה יום ב' כ"ד אייר תרל"ז לפ"ק מלתי את בנו של ר' דוד שטראה ונקרא שמו בישראל יששכר המכונה בירל נ"י ה' זכנו לגדלו לתורה ולחופה אמן, 7.5.1877


In conclusion, it seems that at birth Berthold was named יששכר who would be called בירל in other words Berthold. At some later point he adopted the לשון קודש name for בער which is דוב, and the name יששכר fell into disuse.

Stroh - Breuer - Rechnitz - Gestetner

Shvartzel - Sabine Stroh הי"ד
Dally's mother
Shvartzel was the daughter of Zalmen and Matel Breuer

Matel - Mathilde Breuer
Dally's grandmother
[Dovid ben Shvartzel bas Matel]
Matel was the daughter of Shimon Yehuda and Raizel Rechnitz

Reizel Rechnitz
Dally's great-grandmother
[Dovid ben Shvartzel bas Matel bas Reizel]
Reizel's father, Elazar Elya and her mother's father Shlomo,
were brothers, the sons of Leib Gestetner of Csorna

Reizel Rechnitz nee Gestetner [Dally's mother's mother's mother] (1842-1909) was born in Szilsarkany, Hungary.  In 1861 she married R' Shimon Yehuda Rechnitz (1841-1893) of Fraunkirchen (one of the famed שבעה קהילות in the Burgenland area). They settled in Pressburg and are buried there.

Both of Reizel's parents were born Gestetners.  Her father R' Elazar Elya married his neice Mirel, who was the daughter of R' Shlomo Gestetner.

R' Shlomo and R' Elazar Elya were the sons -through two different wives- of R' Leib Gestetner the progenitor of all Gestetners.

Our family's יחוס to R' Meir Eisenstadt the פנים מאירות is through the Gestetner family.

אי"ה in the future posts we will detail the exact lineage, and give a brief biographical sketch of the פנים מאירות and other members of his family.

Ma's description on the reverse of the photo of Matilda Breuer:
Matilda Breuer maiden name Rechnitz
Mother from Sabine Breuer
Mother from Edwin David Stroh, Alex, Ernst, Elly

Ma's description on the reverse of the photo of Reizel Rechnitz:
Resl Rechnitz ne Gestetner
Daughter from Mirl Gestetner
Resl Rechnitz daughter Matilda Breuer
Resl Rechnitz daughter Sabine Stroh

Postcards from Csorna circa 1930

Postcard sent by Dally from the town of Csorna, Hunagry to Ma in Wein
on the occasion of a gathering of the Breuer Family
Many family members signed their regards to Ma

We can see the signatures of 
Stroh Edwin, B. Stroh, Sabina Stroh, Malvine Breuer,
Breuer Lipot, Gestetner Bella, David Breuer,
Wosner nee, Rela Fleischman, Risse? Fleischman

Another postcard sent by Dally
from the town of Csorna, Hunagry to Ma in Wein
on the occasion of the engagement of one of his Breuer uncles

We can see the signatures of Stroh Edwin, Sabina Stroh,
Malvine Breuer, Breuer Lipot, Nina Breuer, David Breuer,
Gestetner Bella, Albert Gestetner, Malvine Wossner, Wosner nee,
Rela Fleischman, Risse? Fleischman
B. Stroh signed on the front

These two postcards were sent in the early 1930s by Dally to his Kallah, Ma from Csorna, Hungary.  One of them is from the engagement of one of Dally's Breuer uncles.  Dally writes, "Die herzlichsten gruse von der vorlobong meines onkels. Sendet, Stroh Edwin" [Heartiest regards from the engagement of my uncle. Sent by Edwin Stroh].

The postcards were then signed by Dally's parents Berthold (Dov) and Sabine (Shvartzel). Many aunts, uncles and relatives signed these cards as well. We have tried to decipher as many of the signatures as possible. Hopefully we will eventually be able to identify all of them and point out their relationships. If anyone can help us we would really appreciate it.

Dally's mother Sabine, was a Breuer, and her grandmother Malvine, was a Gestetner. Members of the Gestetner and Breuer families married each other often. Most likely, this engagement was between a Breuer uncle, Dally's mother's brother, and a Gestetner living in Csorna.

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Welcome

Ma (Cilla) Stroh - Matriarch of the Family
Summer 1975

Hi everyone,

We are working on putting together a family blog that would publish photos, documents, stories and interesting anecdotes about the Stroh Family. 

We hope, as the family b"h is growing and spreading around the globe, this will help keep us closer together.  It will also give us a richer understanding and appreciation of our history and ancestry.

If you have anything interesting to contribute or any comment please do so. Everyone’s participation will greatly enhance the significance of this project.

Your suggestions and comment are greatly appreciated.  If you would like to post something please email the moderator at strohblog@gmail.com.