Bs"d,
Dear R' Haim Katz - Hachoen Wartski, R' Netanel Isaiah Frisch, Mrs. Hagar Ofri Or, Mr. Kevin Lawrence Hanit, R' Private User, and the asteemed R' Marcel Jacques Apsel:
Shavua Tov !!!
1stly, allow me to give you all a blessing of Shana Tova full of all the happiness in the world with a long life of wealth, health, and all that your heart’s desire, foremost making a kiddush Hashem in joy always together with your communities and families. May your prayers be answered le’tovah u’libracha.
My apologies as since my mother's passing to the next world by natural causes 2 years ago, I have taken a break from genealogy and trying to continue concentrating on my life down here going forward. Humbly, I am trying to co-author a few books again, multiple times finished and restarted Sha"s again, hold rabbinical degrees and multiple degrees in computer science and other disciplines, so forgive me for not responding earlier. I also volunteer nowadays more for a few organizations to assist families in need like Yaakov Shweki's Special Children Center, an old friend of mine, and emergency response when necessary.
I was born in Israel, just like most of my family, B"H. Yes, I have traveled the world to many cemeteries (mostly, in Europe and Israel) much before there was Geni, MyHeritage and got official records of all the ancestors Hashem merited me to find and pay for from both sides of my family, as my father's family did not want to speak about what happened in Poland during the WWII. I also inherited my grandparent’s Ketubah from Yemen as I am half and half.
I am a Pnei Yehushua ben achar ben 11 generations from my father’s father side. Also, Rabbi Jacob Joshua Falk ben Tzvi Hirsh- The Pnei Yehoshua is my 7th great grandfather from my father’s mother’s side. Please keep in mind in your research that he had 3 wives [Leah Falk (born Landau-Segal), Taube Falk (born Baer) and Gittel Falk (born Eiger)] and his mother was from לעלוב. I am fortunate to be quite close to many Laluvers and the Admo”r of Laluver-America is a Rebbe who I am fortunate to be quite close to over many years.
The correct lineage path ben achar ben:
Gal Levinshein
your father → Moshe Levinshtein
his father → Jacob Natan Levinshtein
his father → Hersz Lewinsztajn
his father → Berek Lewinsztejn
his father → Natan Neta (Nusyn) Lewinsztein
his father → R' Abram Abuś Lewinszteyn
his father → R' Natan Lewinstein, A.B.D. Lubartow
his father → Rabbi Issachar Berish Berenstein, A.B.D. Hanover
his father → Aryeh Leib Lev Falk
his father → Rabbi Jacob Joshua Falk - The Pnei Yehoshua
The correct lineage (Shortest blood relationship):
You
your father → Moshe Levinshtein
his father → Henia Levinshtein
his mother → Icek Majer Lewensztejn
her father → Fiszel Lewinsztejn
his father → R' Abram Abuś Lewinszteyn
his father → R' Natan Lewinstein, A.B.D. Lubartow
his father → Rabbi Issachar Berish Berenstein, A.B.D. Hanover
his father → Aryeh Leib Lev Falk
his father → Rabbi Jacob Joshua Falk - The Pnei Yehoshua
Moses the Law Giver is my 18th great uncle's second cousin 44 times removed's wife's husband's great uncle's wife's husband's half-brother and I have the full path. Maimonides "Rambam" is my third cousin's husband's 25th great grandfather. Rabbeinu Asher ben Yechiel, רא''ש is my 18th great uncle's second great grandfather. I am also related through my mother zt"l to the mekubal, Rabbi Mordechai Shaarabi Zt"vkl. Chacham ben Elyahu Hayyim Zt"vkl, HaBen Ish Chai of Baghdad is my second cousin once removed's wife's great uncle's wife's uncle's wife's first cousin, thru my father zt"l by marriage. Hacham Mordechai Eliyahu ztvk”l, Harishon LeZion is my third cousin once removed's husband's aunt's husband's nephew's wife's grandfather by marriage. Chacham Moshe Galante II, the 1st Rishon Le’Tzion is my first cousin five times removed's husband's great niece's husband's grandmother's husband's third great grandfather. Chacham Nissim Yehuda Danon Harishon LeZion is my second cousin once removed's wife's first cousin once removed's husband's father. Rabbi Nosson Tzvi Finkel (The Alter/Saba of Slabodka) is my third great aunt's sister's husband's third great niece's husband's grandfather. Rabbi Chaim "Brisker" Soloveitchik is my 8th cousin thrice removed. Rabbi Reb Yisrael Salanter Zt"vkl is my third cousin's wife's sister's husband's fourth great grandfather thru my father zt"l. Menachem Mendel Schneerson Zt"vkl, The Lubavitcher Rebbe is my 12th cousin twice removed. Rabbi Moshe Feinstein Zt"vkl is my third cousin once removed's husband's brother. Rabbi Yosef Shalom Elyashiv Zt"vkl, Rosh Beit Din in Jerusalem is my third cousin's wife's brother's wife's second great aunt's 1st husband. Rabbi Chaim Kanievsky Zt"vkl is my 9th cousin twice removed. Rabbi Chaim Pinchas Scheinberg Zt"vkl is my third cousin once removed's wife's sister's husband's aunt's husband. Rav Chaim Yisroel Belsky zt”l is my fourth cousin's wife's sister's husband's uncle. Grand Rabbi Shimon Nathan Nata Biderman zt"l, Admur Lelov-Karlin-Bnei Brak was my 9th cousin. Rav Nosson Tzvi Finkel zt"l of Mir Yeshivah is my third great aunt's sister's husband's fourth great nephew. Rabbi Aharon Kotler zt"l, Rosh Yeshivas Kletzk & Lakewood is my 12th cousin. Rabbi Israel Meir Lau is my 8th cousin once removed. Rabbi Aryeh Malkiel Kotler, Rosh Yeshiva Beis Medrash Govoha is my 7th great grandmother's husband's third cousin twice removed. Rabbi Yechezkel Halevi Landau, haNoda bYehuda is my second cousin 8 times removed. Rav Yitzchok Hutner is my 9th cousin twice removed and also second cousin once removed's wife's third cousin's wife's father by in-law relationship. Rabbi Yeshaya Muszkat of Praga, Warsaw is my fourth great aunt's niece's husband's sister's husband's uncle. Rabbi Yisrael Meir HaKohen (Chofetz Chaim) is my fourth great aunt's father's wife's ex-husband's second cousin's 1st husband. Chief Rabbi Jonathan Sacks zt"l is my 12th cousin once removed. Grand Rabbi Meshilem Feish Lowy ztvk"l, Admor M'Tosh is my 9th cousin. Rav Chaim of Volozhin is my fourth cousin 7 times removed. Eliyahu, "Gaon of Vilna" is my 6th cousin 6 times removed. Rabbi Yerachmiel Gershon Edelstein (ראש ישיבת פוניבז') is my third cousin's husband's uncle.
Not only was I fortunate to learn from these great masters of our Torah who still enjoy, I also merited to meet and speak to some of them in my lifetime – Those who lived in the past few decades.
With that being said my father taught me: “It is not the yichus only that counts, but what one makes out of himself.” Yichus is that intangible which many people value for no other reason than image, often used to evaluate the merit of a potential matrimonial candidate. Yet, on a serious note, yichus also demonstrates “good blood,” cherished genes. But what exactly is this yichus thing. On one hand, the Torah values yichus. At the same time, the controversy remains how much significance should yichus bear when we live in a world where some of the most unrefined people have great yichus and some the most refined people may not have the greatest yichus. After all, even Abraham was not blessed with great yichus. I heard from my father that yichus is like a bunch of zeroes. If they follow a number, then each 0 multiplies the number by ten. If no number precedes them, a bunch of 0’s adds up to one big zero. In other words, yichus does not compensate for one’s deficiencies. Great yichus without one’s own virtues and efforts can be quite empty.
True, that good lineage can often “carry” or “redeem” a person in difficult situations – hence the concept of “zechut avot,” the merit of our ancestors, which is never eradicated – yet, that merit is a blessing from above. We on our part cannot simply depend on yichus; we must do our part in living up to our lineage.
I have been asked by email from reputable wealthy individuals to “donate” some my holy blood for Y-DNA testing yet am quite against DNA testing nor can I afford such expensive tests that are not %100 true predictions. I guarantee you that your blood and my blood is the same color and just as holy and we are all related.
May I suggest relearning Masechet Kiddushin on Yichus, the last chapter with ALL the commentaries and to try to do some research online which is not marketing based, but truly scientific. The Y chromosome can be used to discover deep paternal lineage, because it is not recombined every generation. The lack of recombination and relatively slow mutation rates mean that Y-STR results can help identify a family of interest, but in many cases will not identify which specific member of a family is your ancestor. Y-DNA tests like Short Tandem Repeat (STR,) Single Nucleotide Polymorphisms (SNPs) are a great way to make money, yet any genetic testing has always been somewhat controversial, raising privacy concerns as well as potentially damaging psychological and legal effects. That's one of the reasons it is illegal in Israel and so too should be for the sake of this discussion. Of course, there is the https://avotaynuonline.com/category/collaboration/dna/ one can learn a lot from.
Allow me to point you to an article in Calcalist by Dov Greenbaum JD-PhD, the director of the Zvi Meitar Institute for Legal Implications of Emerging Technologies at the Radzyner Law School, at the Interdisciplinary Center in Herzliya. https://www.calcalistech.com/ctech/articles/0,7340,L-3777436,00.html If interested in more academic research and sources, please see Genetic citizenship: DNA testing and the Israeli Law of Return (Journal of Law and the Biosciences, Volume 2, Issue 2, July 2015, Pages 469–478) available online at Oxford Academic - https://academic.oup.com/jlb/article/2/2/469/826237
My cousin from the Peretz family, Mr. Stephen T Falk ESQ (not a descendant from פני יהושע) from Point Roberts, WA, USA has been in correspondence with Avotaynu Foundation as to whether there is a DNA testing group related to the Pnei Yehoshua. He was told that there is not. We have been corresponding for over 6 years.
A note to all - As I am sure you know; modern day genealogists have found many mistakes on Geni as some of the users mistype or miscalculate basic information many times over and over again whereby the algorithm constantly needs to refine graphs on distributed computer systems which causes more error prone mistakes. There are many inconsistencies, duplicate profiles with incorrect data, merge requests, tree conflicts and data conflicts because of these human and compute errors which we all make and see.
As mentioned, we are all related. Here you go with the direct paths according to current Geni if you are interested as it’s a great honor to correspond with you all – I do suspect that we could be related through other graph trees and you may very well be related to the Pnei Yehushua thru other graphs:
1. The Kohen 1st - R' Haim Katz - Hachoen Wartski you are my 7th great grandfather's wife's 6th great nephew. Haim we are 9th cousin. We are related thru the פני יהושע yet I suspect that Geni's shortest path algorithm needs further research, as it reports it from my grandmother on my father's side and you mentioned your path is thru his brother, Rabbi Avrohom Falk, ABD Dobromil is who is my 8th great uncle from my grandmother’s side and third cousin once removed wife's 8th great grandfather from my grandfather’s side by marriage. It’s interesting to me that your linage is that of Kohanim, as we are Leviim. מעוד מעניין ואנא בא נהיה בקשר בפרטי
Bli neder, will check MyHeritage and other sources, Bz"H, being in touch with Noam Yaakov Finger, a Doctoral candidate at Yale Law School. I suggest reaching out to him for questions as he is quite knowledgeable and spends lots of his time fixing mistakes (We are related and 4th cousins.) It's quite possible that our parents zt"l, R' Israel Ha'Kohen and R' Moshe Ha’Levi knew each other personally, as my father was born in Lublin and mother was born in Rishon Le'tzion, becoming the humble, honorable serviceman of our great country, as I have myself. Israel was a once small country, and everyone knew one another. I also know a R' Gelfman (possibly related to you) that moved to Florida from Israel a few years ago getting remarried and had the cutest baby. R' Gelfman is stage 4 and we are all praying. I hope you are enjoying Tel Aviv, Haim, and hope to meet you one day.
You
→ Moshe Levinshtein
your father → Henia Levinshtein
his mother → Icek Majer Lewensztejn
her father → Fiszel Lewinsztejn
his father → R' Abram Abuś Lewinszteyn
his father → Golda Rywka Lewenstein
his mother → R' Israel Isser ., ABD Ryczywol
her father → R' Ozer
his father → Rabbi Abraham Abusch of Lissa, ABD Frankfurt-on-Main
his father → Rebbetzin Deborah wife, Abraham Abusch of Lissa
his wife → Wife of R' David of Lask (daughter of Rabbi Nachum, of Lask)
her sister → Hagaon Rabbi Isaac Zajdel, Zt"l(of lask&Ropczyce)
her son → Hagaon Hazadik Rabbe Jozef Zajdel, Zt"l(Rabbi yosef hazadik),A.B.D.blaszki
his son → The Rebbetzin Sura Dwojra Halter
his daughter → Rebbetzin Malka Rywka Wartski/Mayrantz
her daughter → Rabbi Chaim Lajser Wartski HaCohen, zt"l,hy"d
her son → Israel "Izo" Wartski, HaCohen,Z"l
his son → Haim Katz - Hachoen Wartski
his son
2. Netanel Isaiah Frisch you are my 6th great aunt's 7th great nephew. You are also my 8th cousin twice removed. (My son's 1st name is Netanel <?> Levinshtein.) Your great great mother, Rela Hodiah Scharf (Hochmann) z"l is buried next to my uncle and aunt zt"l from my mother's side, who was an amazing Rabbi. Your father Amos Azriel Frisch is my 9th cousin once removed - related to me thru my grandmother Henia z"l.
You
→ Moshe Levinshtein
your father → Henia Levinshtein
his mother → Icek Majer Lewensztejn
her father → Fiszel Lewinsztejn
his father → R' Abram Abuś Lewinszteyn
his father → R' Natan Lewinstein, A.B.D. Lubartow
his father → Gittel bat Rabbi Yitzchak Itsikl Berenstein
his mother → R' Eleazar Isaac Horowitz, A.B.D. Zalozhtsy
her brother → Róza Horowitz
his wife → Wife of R' Jacob
her sister → R' Aryey Leibish
her son → Wife of R' Israel Jacob Heilprin
his daughter → Leah Roth
her foster daughter → Hinda Scharf
her daughter → Mózes József Scharf
her son → Samuel Scharf
his son → <private> Frisch (Scharf)
his daughter → Netanel Isaiah Frisch
her son
3. Hagar Ofri Or – You are my 8th cousin. You are also my third cousin once removed's wife's fourth cousin.
There is another Hagar Baratz Ofri who works for NICE Actimize Fraud Prevention software which has a lot of bugs as I used it at Goldman Sachs a few years ago to stop the financing of terrorist states working together with DOJ FinCen Network. Mr. Stephen Falk is also related to you possibly as he is also related to Ukrainians Jewish decent. Bli neder, will try to add him to this discussion.
You
→ Moshe Levinshtein
your father → Henia Levinshtein
his mother → Icek Majer Lewensztejn
her father → Fiszel Lewinsztejn
his father → R' Abram Abuś Lewinszteyn
his father → R' Natan Lewinstein, A.B.D. Lubartow
his father → Rabbi Issachar Berish Berenstein, A.B.D. Hanover
his father → Aryeh Leib Lev Falk
his father → Rabbi Issachar Dov Falk
his brother → Wife of Chaim Weiser
his daughter → Yisacher Ber Weiser
her son → Elazar Luzer Weiser
his son → Shija Yehoshua Weiser
his son → Mechel Mihály Yechiel Aharon Weiser
his son → Eliezer Lázár Weiser
his son → Pnina Perl Piroska Ofri
his daughter → Hagar Ofri Or
her daughter
4. Kevin Lawrence Hanit – You are my second great uncle's sister's husband's daughter's husband's aunt's husband's sister's husband's fourth great nephew. No blood relationship was found. Your work on “Geni Curator Connections-Combined - World-wide Geni Curators: Who has met, and how they relate” is amazing. https://graphcommons.com/nodes/ae9a8849-f199-4dd0-85eb-1ebe34e6a37f
You
→ Moshe Levinshtein
your father → Henia Levinshtein
his mother → Malka Lewensztejn
her mother → Szajndla Baumzecer
her sister → Simcha Binem Baumzecer
her husband → Chana Fiszman
his sister → Chaim Chil Fiszman
her husband → Cywija Pancer
his daughter → Zelik Pancer
her husband → Hawa Pancer
his mother → Monya Marya Rotsztejn
her sister → Matus/Matys Rotsztejn
her husband → Necha Luba Szpigiel
his sister → Szlama Szpigiel
her husband → Moshe Spiegel
his brother → Yacov Spiegel
his son → Annie Rotfogel (Spiegel)
his daughter → Lillian Gord
her daughter → Geraldine Theresa Hanit
her daughter → Kevin Lawrence Hanit
her son
5. Private User - You are my 11th cousin twice removed. You’re also my third cousin once removed's wife's first cousin once removed. As a genealogy enthusiast, amateur researcher, your volunteering as a curator is well noted, and allow me to suggest to learn also from the elders, not assuming anything without proper paper proof.
I wonder, you are a Kohen ?
You
→ Moshe Levinshtein
your father → Henia Levinshtein
his mother → Icek Majer Lewensztejn
her father → Fiszel Lewinsztejn
his father → R' Abram Abuś Lewinszteyn
his father → R' Natan Lewinstein, A.B.D. Lubartow
his father → Rabbi Issachar Berish Berenstein, A.B.D. Hanover
his father → Rachel Levi Falk
his mother → R' Tuvia Jehiel Michel Halpern of Brzezany
her father → Rabbi Yisrael Heilpern, ABD Svirzh, L'viv
his father → wife, Avraham Heilpern
his mother → Mother-of-Yechiel-Michel M'Nemirov Katz Hacohen
her sister → Rabbi Yechiel-Michel Katz of Nemirov 'The Martyr of Nemirov'
her son → Mrs. Katz, [Lasker], of Nemirov
his daughter → Rabbi Avraham Aballe Catz HaCohen
her son → Binyomin Zeev Wolf Hakohen Katz of Lask
his son → Lea Traube
his daughter → Unknown Traube
her child → Unknown Festenberg
his/her child → Abram Oved Festenberg
his/her son → Esther Rojza Raisel Sarna
his daughter → Jacob Judah Sarna
her son → Ruth Royde
his daughter → <private> Royde
her son → Private User
his son
6. Dear Marcel Jacques Apsel, my third cousin once removed's wife's first cousin's husband's third cousin once removed. No blood relationship was found, yet many years ago you were an incredible inspiration to me, and we all must thank you, and learn from you. I just love this most extraordinary person who can’t wait to meet.
I still have a copy dear to me with the ad you posted in Toldos – The Journal of Jewish Genealogy: “82-1 Marcel J. APSEL, c/o Renee APSEL, 250 E. 39 St., New York, NY 10016 or Marcel J. APSEL, Helenalei 18, Bus 11, 2000 Antwerp, Belgium --- Looking for descendants of the PNE YEHOSHUA (Rabbi Jacob YEHOSHUA BEN ZEVI HIRSCH FALK, 1680- 1756), and of Rav Israel ABERBACH of Lemberg (2 1830-1850), and all descendants of ABERBACH (Lemberg, Rohatyn and surroundings) and APSEL (Dolinany, Rohatyn, Chodorow and surroundings).” - My sincerest apologies for doubting your assumptions early on and thank you more than meets the eye. May Hashem give you long life and I certainly hope to meet you one day as it will be my great honor.
https://www.avotaynuonline.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/04/Toledot-v...
One request, Marcel, kindly remove my personal email from this thread as get enough spam as it is and thank you in advance.
You
→ Moshe Levinshtein
your father → Henia Levinshtein
his mother → Icek Majer Lewensztejn
her father → Fiszel Lewinsztejn
his father → Rajzla Goldring pv Himmelfarb
his sister → Rachel Lea Folman
her daughter → Miriam Weisbrot (Folman)
her daughter → Israel Weisbrot
her son → Braha Weisbrot
his wife → Sara Dvora Pshetizki
her mother → Sinai Syna Friedlander
her brother → <private> Timor (Friedlander)
his daughter → <private> Timor
her husband → Tova Timor
his mother → Uri Sterzer
her father → Sheindl Sterzer
his mother → Avraham Apsel
her father → Shlomo Apsel
his brother → Marcus ( Mordechai Motje ) Apsel
his son → Mozes Pinkas ( Moshe Pinchas Maurice ) Apsel
his son → Marcel Jacques Apsel
his son
My dearest Mother, the Rebz zt"l funeral and burial expenses were quite challenging to afford, and I am thankful to have had the merit to service her as I have, as well as my father zt"l. I would not be here if not for them and Hashem, the Omnipotent answering you all. I have also been in touch with a few truly scientific experts on matters of medical issues since the world has been consumed by the epidemic which sadly, allowed me to participate in many levayot and pay 7 calls.
Fortunately, lately been attending many simchas, like marriages, bar mitzvahs and brit milas. I wish you do the same always dancing and enjoying every second of your lives with a smile. Again, Shana Tova full of all the happiness in the world with a long life of wealth, health, and all that your heart’s desire, foremost making a kiddush Hashem in joy always together with your communities and families. May your prayers be answered le’tovah u’libracha always loving every Jew.
Gmar Chatima Tovah to you all and a most successful year ahead באהבה רבה to all your loved ones!
Respectfully and humbly yours,
Ha’Rav Gal Levinshtein
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