Thursday, December 13, 2018

Re: Klein family history

1. It's a good question, I don't remember my source. But I just look it up and found that that's what it says in a sefer about the family put out by Rav Aharon Shapiro, the Rav of Pardes Katz (near Bnei Brak). His email address is: pardes-katz <pardes-katz@neto.bezeqint.net> he's a big Talmid Chacham (and speaks English). He actually made a gathering last year on the Shenos Chaim's yahrzheit for female descendants of the Shenos Chaim. See Attached.
2. Remember, last names are newer invention. People did not have consistent last names that had to match their parents'. Leitzas is a last name derived from the name of a woman Leitza.
3. Who said the yichus to the Rema is from the Rav Yaakov HaLevi side of the Shenos Chaim's family? I don't think we can assume any of that.

Kol Tuv,

Reuven Chaim Klein

Beitar Illit, Israel

Author of: God versus Gods: Judaism in the Age of Idolatry (NEW!) & Lashon HaKodesh: History, Holiness, & Hebrew

ORCiD LinkedIN | Google Scholar | Amazon



On Wed, Dec 12, 2018 at 11:37 PM A Davis <ahuva.klein@gmail.com> wrote:
Thank you very much, it was really helpful. My husband found a copy of the Shnos Chaim on Hebrewbooks.org so I was slowly making my way through it. 

I have three more quick questions. 
1) How do you know that Rav Yaakov Halevi was the father in law of Binyamin Eliezer Unger-Aurbach and not his maternal grandfather? 

2) I am a bit unclear, The Taz's last name was Segal and you said Rav Tzvi Hirsh was ben acher ben (so paternal grandson) of The Taz. Would that make Rav Tzvi Hirsh's (and then his son's) last name Segal? Which would make sense given they are Leviim. What is לייצא''ס?

3) I know it is unclear how the Shnos Chaim was a descendent of the Rema, but can we assume Rav Yaakov Halevi was a descendent of the Rema from his mother's side? Meaning Rav Tzvi Hirsch Halevi's wife was a descendent? 



On Tue, Dec 11, 2018 at 9:24 PM RC Klein <yeshivish@gmail.com> wrote:
Looking at my records, I found that I had corresponded with two Greenbergers related to the Shenos Chaim's wife: Chaim at chaimgreenberger@yahoo.com and Velvi at MarkWG@att.net
Those email addresses are from a long time ago, so I don't know if they still work, but you can try to contact them.
By the way, I once made this recording of myself reading and explaining the introduction to the 1985 edition of Shenos Chaim, you might find it helpful: https://drive.google.com/file/d/18VraMDiWceOcPSEGU5AVwSNFLW_12vQJ/view?usp=sharing

Kol Tuv,

Reuven Chaim Klein

Beitar Illit, Israel

Author of: God versus Gods: Judaism in the Age of Idolatry (NEW!) & Lashon HaKodesh: History, Holiness, & Hebrew

ORCiD LinkedIN | Google Scholar | Amazon



On Tue, Dec 11, 2018 at 10:21 AM A Davis <ahuva.klein@gmail.com> wrote:
Thank you so much.

After I sent my initial email to you my cousin, Ushie Klein's daughter, told me that her father has spoken to you before. 
Would happen to know any more information about the greenberger chain in the family? I've looked on geni and tried many different searches but have come up with very little. I know Tzvi Dov Greenberger had a son Moishe. Do you know of any other Greenbergers? Or do you have contact information for any others? 

On Mon, Dec 10, 2018 at 9:28 PM RC Klein <yeshivish@gmail.com> wrote:
I've corresponded with many people from your family before. Somebody named Eliezer Klein, I think from Lakewood. Usher Klein from LA. Tanya Klein from somewhere. All those records are on my webpage, so you can search there. See for example: https://kleinfamilygenealogy.blogspot.com/search?q="moshe+ezriel" I would also suggest getting on www.Geni.com and making an account there. You g-grandfather's profile is: https://www.geni.com/people/Moshe-Ezriel-Klein/6000000009308695906
To answer your questions:
Yes the Snina Rav died in the war without any children.
Yes the Shenos Chaim himself adopted the last name KLEIN for the childless family that hosted him. Rav Kunstilichter <3446@okmail.co.ilwho wrote the introduction to the 1985 edition of Shenos Chaim writes that the original name ws UNGAR-AUERBACH and he told me that all his information was from Mrs. Beinhorn a"h (who died last year).
I never heard of anything about the Shenos Chaim descending from the Noam Elimelech, and if there was such a rumor, I would have heard about it. I have a tradition from my father's cousin Max Steg that a different branch of my family is reputed to descendants of the Noam Elimelech, but not the Shenos Chaim branch.
Yes those two pictures are the before and after pictures of the Shenos Chaim's matzeivah (in Vienna).
How are we related? It goes like this, your great-great-grandfather, Rav Tzvi Dov Klein and my great-great-grandfather Binyamin Eliezer Klein were brothers. So we share a ggg-grandfather, so basically that means we are fourth-cousins.
I am attaching to this email a megillas yuchasin I wrote for the family, it's a big complicated to read, but once you get the hang of it, it's pretty cool stuff.
If you have any more questions, please don't hesitate to ask.

Kol Tuv,

Reuven Chaim Klein

Beitar Illit, Israel

Author of: God versus Gods: Judaism in the Age of Idolatry (NEW!) & Lashon HaKodesh: History, Holiness, & Hebrew

ORCiD LinkedIN | Google Scholar | Amazon



On Sun, Dec 9, 2018 at 11:09 PM A Davis <ahuva.klein@gmail.com> wrote:
Thank you for responding! 

I know my great grandfathers brother was Reuven Chaim Klein (The Snina Rav), married to the daughter of Rav Shaya of Kestirer. As far as I know he was killed during the war. Is this correct? 

From what I know, his grandfather was Reuven Chaim Klein, the author of the Shnos Chaim and his last name was in fact Ungar-Aurbach but he changed it as a sign of hakaras hatov for the childless couple that hosted him in Pressburg. 

Do you have any history of the family before the Shnos Chaim? I have heard some rumors around my family about being descendant from the Noam Elimelech.  Unfortunately I was too young to ask my grandfather these questions before he passed away and my father and his siblings do not know much. 

I have attached two pictures I have found online, I am assuming they are the original and then the replaced matzevah of Rav Reuven Chaim, the Shnos Chaim? 

Just out of curiosity, how would we be related? 

On Sun, Dec 9, 2018 at 10:55 PM RC Klein <yeshivish@gmail.com> wrote:
Sure. What do you need?

Kol Tuv,

Reuven Chaim Klein

Beitar Illit, Israel

Author of: God versus Gods: Judaism in the Age of Idolatry (NEW!) & Lashon HaKodesh: History, Holiness, & Hebrew

ORCiD LinkedIN | Google Scholar | Amazon



On Sun, Dec 9, 2018 at 10:54 PM A Davis <ahuva.klein@gmail.com> wrote:
Hi,

My name is Ahuva (Klein) Davis. My great-grandfather was Moshe Ezriel Klein, a brother of Rav Reuven Chaim Klein (The Snina Rov) and a son of Tzvi Dov and Chaya Sara Klein. My grandfather was Schaja Klein. 
I am working on a family history book for my cousins and I came across a blog you were active on for some time. I was hoping you would be able to help me with some more information. 

I currently live in Ramat Beit Shemesh but email is the best way for me to communicate. 

Thank you,
Ahuva Davis


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