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Family Reunion in Kaunas – 1936

Peggy FreedmanLeave a comment on Family Reunion in Kaunas – 1936

Photo of family in Kaunas in 1936

In 1936, two sons of Jacob Leb Solski returned to Jonava, Lithuania to visit with their brothers.  Wolfe Sulski came from South Africa and Joe Saul came from the USA.  Zusel and Abbe were living in a complex at 16 Nemuno g-ve in Kaunas that included apartments for the extended family arranged around a large courtyard.

Seated at the bottom, from left to right: Marsha (daughter of Peretz & Dena), Leibel (son of Joe & Gitel), Rella (daughter of Chazkl), Rella Etta (daughter of Joe & Gitel), Rella (daughter of Zusel & Dena), Kira (son of Solomon & Manya)

Seated on chairs: Dena Solski (daughter of Mordechai, married her first cousin, Peritz), Wolfe (from South Africa), Joe Saul (from USA), Zusel, Abbe, Ruda Ehtel (Abbe’s second wife), Manya (Solomon’s wife)

Standing: Peretz, Chazkl, Chaya (Chazkl’s wife), Joe, Gitel (Joe’s wife), Dena, Zusel, Rifka (Abbe’s daughter), Alter Browde (Rifka’s husband)

Standing in the back: Mina (Peretz’ daughter), Charles, Leib, Braina, Mina, Solomon

What does our family name mean?

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The oldest records of our family name are in Hebrew and Russian.  Both languages use the same character for the “S” and “SH” sounds.  The name has been transliterated into Latin letters as Sholsky, Solsky, Solski, Sulsky and other similar variations.  In the USA, it was anglicized to Saul.

David Saul (Sholsky) death certificate
David Saul’s death certificate from 1911 uses the name SHOLSKY even though he had been using the surname SAUL for many years.

According to Alexander Beider in A Dictionary of Jewish Surnames from the Russian Empire, (Avotaynu, Teaneck, NJ), the surname Solsky meant from Soly (townlet in the Oshmyany district) or a similarly named estate in the Vilkomir district. If the name was Sholsky, then it means “from the village Sholna (Vilkomir d[istrict]). As many of Solomon’s children married families from the Vilkomir district, that seems the most likely.

 

Jacob Leb Solski (1834-1912)

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Jacob Leb SolskiIn Lithuanian records, Jacob Leb’s name is given as Iankel-Leiba and Iankel-Iudel. I suspect that he is named after his maternal grandfather, as Ryvka Gitel’s tombstone names her the daughter of Yehuda Leb.

In 1856 his occupation is listed as “seller of foodstuffs” but by 1863 he is listed as a “house-owner.”

Per conversation with Rella Sloman, Jacob Leb had several wives. Mindel died early.

In 1907 Jacob emigrated to Israel with his second wife.  She died in Israel.

 

 

 

The inscription on Jacob Leb's matzevah
The inscription on Jacob Leb’s matzevah
The view of Jerusalem from Jacob Leb's matzevah
The view of Jerusalem from Jacob Leb’s matzevah
The Hebrew inscription is "Sholsky"
The Hebrew inscription is “Sholsky”

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

He may have married a third time in Israel. He is however, listed in the 1908 Jonova Jewish community Family lists.
Jacob Leb and his wife, Bassa Leah, are buried on the Mount of Olives in Jerusalem.

His surname in Lithuanian records is Solski, but the Jerusalem Chevra Kadisha has him listed as Sholski. You can see the Hebrew spelling of the name on the side of the matzevah.