Less is known about the fate of Moishe's other children.

Moishe's son "Benne" in the Goldseker family tree is probably the man named Ben-Tzion Goldseker in the martyr list (Memorial Book, p.399, English volume). Ben-Tzion married Ester-Mania from the line of Pesach Feldman from Boremel. They perished with their children, Avraham and Rivkah. The son, Avraham, is remembered in the Memorial Book, p. 272 (English volume) as one of the leaders of young people who helped acquire two rifles and organize resistance towards the end. The martyr list indicates another son, Pesach, was killed in the Russian military.

Moishe's son Nahum Goldseker perished with his wife Henia Erlikhman (daughter of a man named Nahman from Dobryatyn). Information about the family comes from the Goldseker martyr list (p. 399 English volume) supplemented by Yad Vashem records filled out by Henia's brother, Abraham Erlikhman and sister, Sara Erlikhman. Nahum and Henia perished with their unmarried children, Nahman (1915–1942), Yaakov ("Yankele") (1920–1942), Avraham, Feiga, and Pinya (1922–1942). Their son Rafael (Ralph Golz) (1919–2011) survived. According to Ralph's obituary, at the age of 18, he was drafted into a Russian labor camp. He remained there through World War II working in a logging camp. After the war he returned home to find his town destroyed and his family killed by the Nazis. After spending a few years in a refugee camp he contacted a distant relative in Philadelphia who assisted him with his immigration to the United States.

Moishe's son Yeshea / Yehoshua ("Shika" Goldseker) perished with his wife Sima, and three children Avraham, Batya, and Yosef, according to the Goldseker section of the martyr list (p. 399 English volume). A man in the household named "Nahman from the Gelberg line" is also listed as perishing. A son of Yehoshua and Sima named Pincas is listed as alive in Russia when the Memorial volume was published (martyr list, English volume p. 399). See photos below. A Yad Vashem record submitted by Mlynov-born Moshe Isakovich, a friend of one of the sons, indicates Sima's birth surname was Gelberg and she was the daughter of the mill owner Yosel Gelberg and his wife Sara-Dvorah. The records indicate Yeshea/Yehoshua was born in 1898, his daughter, Batya, in 1930, and Avraham in 1926.

Moishe's daughter, Baila, married Gershon Gelberg, according to the list of Gelberg martyrs in the Memorial book, p. 400 (English volume). According to Boris Gelberg, a great-grandson of Yosel, Gershon was a son of Yosel Gelberg, the mill owner. Since Baila married Gershon and her brother (Yeshea/Yehoshua) married Gershon's sister Sima, it thus appears that two siblings married two siblings (i.e. a son and daughter of Moishe married a daughter and son of Yosel Gelberg!). Baila and Gershon perished with their children Yitzhak, Pinhas, Avraham and Ester. Baila sent photo postcards to her cousin "Zeen" (Sam) Goldseker in Baltimore (see below).

Moishe's daughter, Rivka (Holtzeker) perished with her husband Tzvi Fisher (1908–1942). A photo of them from the Mlynov book appears below. No children are listed.

Moishe's daughter, Golda (Holtzeker), married Mendel Shek (or Shak), and they perished with children: Avraham, Dvorah, Freidil, and Baila, according to the Mlynov martyr list (see p. 439 in Hebrew original, English volume is incorrect). The son Avraham Shek was briefly encountered by David Bernstein while in hiding with a Czech farmer as recounted in the Memorial Book (p. 286 English volume). Avraham was hiding there with others from Mlynov, including survivor Koppel Messinger, and two Hochberg sisters. Someone snitched on them and Avraham was killed by Banderite men shortly after David saw him . The others escaped.

Moishe's daugther Shisha ("Tchize") married David Fishman (a sibling of Moishe and Anna Fishman). According to oral traditions in the Baltimore line, Shisha's husband, David, died young, probably by 1899 when his brother Moshe Fishman named his eldest son David. The Baltimore version of the Goldseker tree indicates Shisha and David had four sons: Herschel, Moishe (Morris), Gershon, and Kalman.

Shisha and David's son, Moishe (Morris), migrated to the US. "Mojichs Fischman" traveled from Bremen to Pennsylvania on the SS Neckar arriving on Nov. 22, 1912. He was traveling with a friend, Mlynov-born Nathan Gruber, and headed to Baltimore to the home of his aunt, Sarah (Fishman) Schwartz and her husband Israel Schwartz. In the US, he married Hilda Alpert and they had one daughter Charlotte Fishman (1929–2010).

Shisha and David's son, Kalman, is probably the man named Kalman Fishman in the Mlynov martyr list. He perished with his wife, Chaya, and sons Pesach, David, Shimon, Asher and Yosel. According to Yad Vashem records submitted by survivor Yaakov Goldseker, Kalman's son David Fishman married a woman named Nuna Shkolnik (1912-1942), his father's second cousin. Nuna was the daughter of Yoel Holtzeker's daughter, Liba who married Chaim Shkolnick. Thus, Yoel Holtzeker's granddaughter Nuna married Moshe Holtzeker's great-grandson, David Fishman. [You can visualize the relationship this way: Yoel Holtzeker->his daughter Liba (Shkolnik)->her daughter Nuna (Shkolnik) married -> David Fishman, her husband-> his father Kalman Fishman->his mother, Shisha (Holtzeker)->her father Moishe Holtzeker.]

Rivka (daughter of Moishe Goldseker) and husband Tzvi-Fisher, Mlynov Memorial Book, English volume, p. 463.

Shika (Yehoshua) Goldseker, daughter Batia, son Pincas alive in Russia, Mlynov Memorial Book, English Volume, p. 465.

Morris Fishman, son of Moishe's daughter Shisha.

Hanoch Holtzeker, son of Hirsch's son, Yankel.

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Yankel Holtzeker

Yankel was the third of the five Holtzeker brothers to come to Mlynov. He married a woman named Rivkah and had two sons: Yehoshua (1878-1942) ("Yeshea" in the Baltimore Goldseker tree) and Moishe (1880-1942). Yankel had three grandchildren known to have survived. One of those grandchildren, Yankel (named for his grandfather) contributed an essay to the Mlynov Memorial book, pp 210-212 (English volume) and submitted Yad Vashem records.

Yehoshua (1878-1942) perished with his wife Tova from Berestchko, and their children:

*Avraham (1912-1942) a clerk and single,
*Rivkah (1910-1942) a seamtress and married and lived in Lvov,
*Beracha or Bejla (1903-1942) a seamstress who was living in Luck before the War.
A daughter Pesie was living in Israel in 1970 when the Memorial Book was published.

Moshe (1880-1942) perished with his wife Tova [Kaliner or Kline] (1890-1942) from the line of R. Reuven Ostriyever [=Ostrog] with their children:

*Yona Reuven (1907-1942) and his wife Roza,
*Chaya Baila (1905-1942) who was a seamstress and single,
*Rivkah (1912-1942) married Avraham Kolton,
*Genendel (or Genia) (1916-1942), and
* Pesia a seamstress and single (1918-1942).

Two of Moishe's sons survived. His son Avraham (1913–1998) make aliyah with the youth group, Beitar, in August 1939, just before the start of WWII. Avraham has two children Yeshea (1942–) and Moshe (1947–). Moishe's other son who survived was named Yankev (or Yaakov (1920–2006), after his grandfather who likely died before he was born. Yankev survived the Shoah in the Red Army and returned to Mlynov after the War to find it completely destroyed. He wrote about his memories and experience in the essay, "My Hometown Mlynov" in the Memorial Book, English volume, pp. 210-212 (English volume). Yaakov had a son, Moshe, in 1947 who was born in Italy and the family made aliyah that year. Moshe in turn had three children.

Yankel's son, Moishe Holtzeker. Courtesy of Moishe's grandson and his namesake, Moshe Golzeker.

Survivor Yankel (Yaakov) Golzeker in his Red Army uniform. Courtesy of his son, Moshe Golzeker.

Sisters of survivor Yankel Golzeker. Courtesy of his son, Moshe Golzeker.

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Shimon Holtzeker

Shimon was the second youngest of the Holtzeker brothers and he was the brother we know the most about. He born in 1867 and died in Mlynov in 1926 at the age of 59. He probably was a very young boy or baby when his family left Dubno for Slobada, where he probably grew up. He married Anna Fishman, the sister of Moishe Fishman. Anna was born in Mlynov in 1876 and died in 1914 at the age of 47. The marriage of Shimon and Anna, forever intertwined the Fishman and Goldseker families.

Anna (Fishman) and Shimon Goldseker were the parents of twelve children, eight of whom grew to adulthood. The eight children were: Chaiya (Ida) (Goldseker) Fishman Gresser , Peyrel also known as "Pearl" (Goldseker) Pressman, Eta (Goldseker) Fishman, Moishe (Morris) Goldseker, Baila (Goldseker) Collidge, Charna (Goldseker) Gruber, David (also known as "Sonny" or "Sam") Katz/Goldseker, and Chuna (Juan) Goldseker.

Shimon and Anna Fishman's children.
Photos courtesy of Audrey Goldseker Polt

Shimon and Anna (Fishman) Goldseker.
Photos courtesy of Audrey Goldseker Polt

Four of Shimon and Anna's children migrated to Baltimore. Ida Goldseker married her uncle Meyer Fishman by 1907 when their son Ben was born. Meyer left for Baltimore in 1909. In 1912, Ida (listed as "Chaje Fishman") and son Ben left Bremen and traveled to Philadelphia on the SS Brandenburg, arriving Jan. 27, 1912. She and Meyer divorced not long afterwards and she remarried Sam Gresser, who adopted her son Ben. They had two other children.

Next to arrive in the US was Ida's younger brother Moishe (Morris). "Mojochs Goldzheker" traveled from Bremen to Baltimore on the SS Rhein, arriving Aug. 28, 1913. Morris Goldseker was very successful in real estate in Baltimore starting in 1917 and upon his death established the Goldseker Foundation, the largest foundation in Maryland. The foundation has granted $118 million to more than 600 nonprofit organizations and projects in Baltimore.

David Goldseker (called Sam or Sonny) arrived in Baltimore in 1926 via a via a perilous journey and a several year stay in Beunos Aires. Several other Mlynov immigrants who couldn't get into the US during the mid 1920s due to quotas came via Buenos Aires. A photo of Sam and friends in Buenos Aires during this time includes several other Mlynov-born young men who have been identified. After Sam arrived in the US, he took the surname Katz.

Eta Goldseker immigrated to Palestine in 1926 to marry her first cousin, David "Dudek" Fishman (son of Moishe Fishman). Their first daughter, Selma, was born there in 1926. After a number of difficult years living with David's family on Moshav Balfouria, the family made the difficult decision to leave for Baltimore in 1929. They were among many immigrants leaving the difficult and dangerous life in Palestine at this time. Their daughter, Irene, was born in Baltimore in 1929. Eta and Sonny maintained their extremely close relationship throughout their lives until Eta's death in 1989, at the age of 92.

Chuna Goldseker, the youngest brother, followed his brother Sonny's path to Beunos Aires where Chuna married, settled and raised a family. Sadly, his daughter, Ana, died at the young age of sixteen. In 1965, Chuna's son, Simon along with his wife and one yearold baby, Ana, came to the US.

The other Goldseker siblings perished in the Shoah.

Perel Goldseker (1893–1942) married Meyer Ben Zion Pressman and moved to Trovits (today Torhovytsya, Ukraine). They and their son Hanoch perished. Their younger son Moishe managed to escape from the ghetto and survive for three years, in a story told by Reuven Raberman in the Trovits Memorial Book. With the Russian Liberation, Moishe joined the Red Army to take revenge. He was last seen at the battle of Koenigsberg.

Baila Goldseker (1897–1942) married Peisach Collidge (also Kulisz). They and their five children perished.

Charna Goldseker (1898–1942) married Shmuel Gruber. Shmuel was one of the ones who helped create the bunkers outside of Mlynov. He, his wife, Charna, and two children, were in the bunkers before they were discovered and killed, according to an account in the Memorial book, English volume, pp. 293-294, 298.

Anna Fishman and children.* Courtesy of Audrey Goldseker Polt

Chuna, Sonny, Eta and Charna 1920 (left to right). Courtesy of Audrey Goldseker Polt

Courtesy of Audrey Goldseker Polt

Charna with husband Shmuel Gruber. Courtesy of Audrey Goldseker Polt

*In the family photo above, back row (left to right): Eta, Ida, mother Anna (Fishman), cousin Gittel, Morris, Pearl. Front row (left to right):Baila, Charna, Sam (Sonny). Chuna was born later in 1909 and does not appear in this photo.

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Yoel Holtzeker

Yoel was the youngest of the Holtzeker brothers who came to Mlynov. Not as much information is recovered about his family. What is known of this family line comes from the list of martyrs in the Memorial Book some Yad Vashem records submitted by a a Mlynov neighbor Moshe Iskiewicz (Isakovich), a survivor listed as "Y. Goltzeker," who submitted Russian records, and a cousin Tania Feldman. It is unknown how Tania Feldman is related.

Yoel Holtzeker married a woman named Basa. The Baltimore family tree lists the names of 5 children: Liba, Rochelle ("Risl" in the list of martyrs and Yad Vashem records), Moishe, Chaiyz (called Chaika in Yad Vashem records and Chaya in the martyr list) and Baila.

Shmuel Mandelkern in his essay on "Self-Defense in Mlynov," page 112 [English volume] briefly mentions Yoel's house when he was describing where the defense brigades guarded. He writes, "We broke into 4 brigades. The role of one brigade was to guard Shkolna Road, which began at the corner of the house of Yoel Goldseker, and ended at the last house on the street, at the home of Yose Meir's (son). The role of the second unit was to guard the road that began from Yoel Goldseker to the Shulman house."

From Yad Vashem records submitted by Moshe Iskiewicz (Isakovich), a Mlynov neighbor and a contributor to the Mlynov Book, it appears that one grandson survived in Russia. His name was "Yoel," a namesake of his grandfather, and he was the son of Yoel's son, Moishe, a merchant, and his wife Liuba (née Valder) (1904–1942) who was from Dubno. Moishe and Liuba are listed as martyrs along with their daughter, Batya, age 10, and son Mordechai age 12. A sister, Chaya / Chaika (possibly Moishe's sister), is listed as having perished with his household as well. Records submitted in Russian to Yad Vashem by "Y. Goltzeker" appear to be from this surviving grandson, Yoel, though some of the names are Russian and don't match precisely the names in the list of martyrs. It is uncertain what became of this grandson Yoel.

What we know of Yoel's descendants from the martyr list and Yad Vashem records:

Yoel's daughter Liba is listed in the martyr list, as marrying Chaim Shkolnik. They perished with their children: Avraham, Chasia, Eliyahu, and Batya. In Yad Vashem records, a daughter named Nuna is identified as marrying a cousin David Fishman, who was the grandson of Moshe Nahmanis's daughter Shisha. [You can visualize the relationship this way: Yoel Holtzeker->his daughter Liba (Shkolnik)->her daughter Nuna (Shkolnik) married -> David Fishman, her husband-> his father Kalman Fishman->his mother, Shisha (Holtzeker)->her father Moishe Holtzeker.]

Risel is described as the daughter of R. Yoel and the widow of Pinhas Holtzeker. It seems probable based on this description that she married her first cousin, Pincas, son of Moishe Holtzeker. Risel perished with her married daughter Tovah (also called Tebel in the records), born in 1912, and her son Avraham, born in 1915 and single.

Unidentified cousin. From collection of Audrey Goldseker Polt.

Moishe, wife Liuba, surviving son Yoel. Memorial Book, p. 465.

Return to the beginning of the Goldseker / Holtzeker Story.

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Notes

[1] The name "Moishe Nahmanis" appears to be a possessive construction that in Yiddish means "Nachman's Moishe." Normally this construction in the Mlynov Memorial book is used to describe a child by his or her father's name, as in Henye Ahrelas, which means Henye daughter of Aharon. At times, it is also used to describe a person based on his mother's name (if his father has passed) as in "Moishe Toybes," meaning Moishe [Fishman] son of Toba. In this case, neither his father or mother are named Nahman and thus it is uncertain where the name originates. There is a grandson named Nachman (son of Yankel) which seems to confirm that the name Nahman was important in this family line. It is also interesting that a Nachman Gelberg is a father-in-law living in the household of Moishe's son, Yeshea/Yehoshua who married Sima Gelberg. While it remains unclear why he is called Moishe Nahmanis, it seems highly probable that this Moishe Holtzeker is the man with that nickname since the children called sons and daughters of Moishe Nahmanis in the Mlynov martyr list correspond to the names of children remembered for this Moshe Holtzeker. ↩

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Compiled by Howard I. Schwartz, PhD
Updated:October 2022
Copyright © 2019 Howard I. Schwartz

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