April 18, 2011
Please accept best wishes for a happy Passover Holiday from the Executive Committee of the Felshtin Society. Celebrating Passover this year will have a special meaning to me as we remember our trip to the Ukraine and Felshtin. In many ways, life has not been the same for me since I had the opportunity to visit there. Having seen it, I think I now better understand that the land and the people had a perpetual hold on the heart of my grandparents and others. It is a place of great natural beauty and peace that was home to them for centuries.
Of course, we can never forget why they left and what took place there in subsequent years but that was the end of the story in that place, not the whole story as I believe we discovered. Sid Shaievitz, Mel Werbach and I are committed, in our intrepid styles to move the Society along and what you have attached here is an effort to continue to try to make our shared history relevant and meaningful. This will be the first of what will become an ongoing newsletter discussing topics of interest for the members. We will do our best to continue this effort and hope that you will help if you are able.
There are many stories about Felshtin and its descendants that might make interesting reading. If you know of a story that you would like to share, please send it along and we will include it. We would also like to include the requests for genealogical information that we get from time to time. We are also trying to gather scholarly efforts that the students of our group may have made to capture stories from Felshtiners. If someone wrote something about Felshtin, please send it forward. We would like to add these to our archives, especially as the sources become more and more scarce. If you know of anyone who edits video, we could use a hand with our Felshtin tapes.
Last, but certainly not least, we need you dues for the year. Insurance needs to be paid for the cemetery, various fees must be paid and the cost of mailing to those without email needs to be covered. $50 per year is a fair price to continue to help us maintain the integrity of the cemetery and keep the Society alive for future generations. Please send your dues to Sid Shaievitz as soon as possible.
In friendship,
Alan Bernstein, President Phone: 718-237-5744