Abraham and Jan

Challenge no. 22 is to research my Jewish heritage going back at least four generations. While I have technically met the challenge (outlined below), there are still more goodies to uncover. I've learned that I have ties to South Africa, which I would have never known before this challenge. I've also learned of distant living relatives scattered around the country. I haven't contacted them yet, but I'm pretty sure the conversation will go something like this:

ME:  Hi, my name is Noel and you are my distant cousin.
RELATIVE:  Cool!
ME:  Yeah.
RELATIVE:  You have great timing. I have all of these bags of money lying around and was just wondering what to do with them. Would you like to have some bags of money?
ME:  Yes.
RELATIVE:  Magnificent.

So, how this challenge has been met: On my father's maternal side, four generations takes me to the father of my great grandmother, Jan Schwartz. A handsome gentleman with good taste in hats:

This is written on the back of the photo:

I also know that my great-grandfather's father on this side was born in Russia around 1820. We have yet to figure out his name.

On my father's paternal side, four generations take me to a Mr. Abraham Dubinksy of Kiev, Russia. My great grandfather's father. That is pretty much all I know about him so far, but since he played a role in my existence, I will assume that he was a strikingly handsome gentleman with a love for pie.

Once again I must heartily thank Mr. Kyle Williams, invaluable ancestry researcher extraordinaire. I look forward to whatever else we shall discover before this year is done.

Climbing the Family Tree

I began to research my Jewish heritage almost immediately after the challenge was issued. I couldn't wait to find out a little more about where I come from and maybe even discover a long lost relative living near me. Or find out that I am actually a princess in some far-off land.

Through censuses, ship logs, the social security index and a few other easily accessible resources, I have uncovered some of the basics -- birth and death dates, addresses, marriages, occupations, etc.

My great grandfather (my father's mother's father, born 1868) was a photographer. He had an art studio in Pennsylvania (and later in England) beginning in 1894. The family traveled a lot between England, New York and South Africa. I knew that photography was in by blood somehow. My father still has his German lens made in 1880.
 
Below is a picture of my great grandmother (b. 1893 in Romania) -- her husband would be the above photographer -- and her father, my great great grandfather. His hat and beard are absolutely amazing.

Lots of gems like this to uncover over the course of the next year, but I could never have gotten this far in my genealogy challenge without the help of the magnificent Kyle Williams, a true ancestry artist.