Trapido/Cantor Family

Chana Cantor, born in Uzpaliai in 1835, married Moishe Kasriel Trapido, born in Kupiskis in 1837, sometime prior to 1857.  Their eight children were born in Kupiskis, as were many of their grandchildren.  Some of their children and many of their grandchildren left Kupiskis, some going to the US, some to Montreal, Canada, and some to South Africa.  Most who remained in Kupiskis were slaughtered in 1941.

Moishe Kasriel Trapido

Chana Cantor and Moishe Kasriel Trapido

Hannah Trapido, the oldest daughter of Chana Cantor and Moishe Kasriel Trapido, married Samuel Lipschitz, son of Abram Zelig Lipschitz. Sam was born in Pasvalys in 1851 while Hannah was born in Kupiskis in 1857.  They were married in Kupiskis on August 19, 1874.  The first four of their children were born in Kupiskis and the remaining six were born in New York.  The children are Nathan (1876-1943); Abraham (1882-1947); Etta (1884-1935); Lena (1887 - ?); Sara (1889-1938); Bertha (1896-1980); Benjamin (1898-1978); Alexander (1900-1976); Jane (1902-1987); and Alice (1902-1902).  (The members of the Lipschitz family all spelled their name differently.)

 




 

 Esther Mateson Lifschitz and Nathan Lifschitz
Abraham Lipschutz and Jenny Cohen Lipschutz, c. 1910

Both Abe and Jenny were born in Kupiskis although they married in New York City.




 

Zalman Trapido, the oldest son of Hannah and Moishe Kasriel, born in Kupiskis about 1864, was married to Raisel Woloz, born in Dvinsk in 1861.  They had nine children, most of whom emigrated to Canada.  Of the three who stayed behind, Hershel and his family were killed in the Holocaust, and Ella and Israel and their families survived.
 

 


 

 Raisel Woloz, born in Dvinsk in 1861, killed in Kupiskis in 1941 and Zalman Trapido, born in Kupiskis in 1864, died in Kupiskis 1930
 

Front l to r:  Polla Trapido, Anne Sterlin, Martin Sterlin, Mitchell Sterlin, Leon Sterlin

Back l to r:  Benjamin Trapido, Sarah Trapido, Helen Trapido Sterlin

Polla, Benjamin, Sarah and Helen, the children of Zalman and Raisel, all emigrated to Montreal, Canada.  Based on the age of the children this photo was taken about 1926. 

Mitchell Sterlin died in Italy in 1943 while serving in the Canadian Army. (Click here to learn more about Mitchell and his service) 

(Photo courtesy of Zelda Korenstein Rich, daughter of Polla Trapido Korenstein)





 



 

Leon Sterlin, 1886-1961, born in Ukraine, and Helen Trapido Sterlin, 1890-1976, born in Kupiskis.  Helen was the daughter of Raisel and Zalman Trapido.

 

Israel Trapido, son of Raisel and Zalman, born in Kupiskis in 1891, died in St. Petersburg, Russia in 1976



 





 

Polla Trapido Korenstein, daughter of Raisel and Zalman, born in Kupiskis in 1897, died in Montreal in 1976 
Mendel Trapido, son of Raisel and Zalman, born in Kupiskis in 1905, died in Montreal in 1973.

 

 

 

 

(Photo courtesy of Zelda Korenstein Rich, daughter of Polla Trapido Korenstein)




 



 


Ella Trapido Gorfunkel, daughter of Raisel and Zalman, born in Kupiskis in 1900, died in Israel in 1990.  Ella and her husband, Abo-Veniamin, and sons Michael and Lev, survived the Holocaust by fleeing east to Siberia.

 

 

(Photo courtesy of Michael Gorfunkel, son of Ella and Abo-Veniamin)

 

Zlata Trapido was born in Kupiskis about 1865 and was killed there in 1941.  She was married to Velvel Gershuny, born in Kupiskis about 1860 and killed there in 1941.  Their children were all born in Kupiskis and several died there as well.  We don't know very much about those that remained behind.  We do know that two sons, David and Benjamin, came to New York.




 

 Sophie and Bernard Gershuni, son of Sarah and David Gershuny, and grandson of Zlata Trapido and Velvel Gershuny.  Bernard was born in Simferopol, Crimea in 1913 and died in New York in 1979. (We don't know why Sarah and David left Kupiskis and travelled to the Crimea before the start of World War I.)

Necha Trapido was born in Kupiskis in 1869 and died there in 1922.  She was married to Micha Kats and they had six children, but only two survived to adulthood.  These two daughters, Miriam and Jean, both emigrated to the United States.
Jean Kats Kotzen and Harry Kotzen

Jean was born in Kupiskis in 1908 and died in New York in 1993.  She was the person who knew all the branches of the extended Trapido family and was able to clarify all the relationships for your webmaster, her cousin. 




 

 


 
Mendel Trapido, the youngest child of Chana and Moishe Kasriel, lived in Kupiskis from 1878 to 1938.  He was married to Leah Gafanovich (1886-1941, Kupiskis) and had five children.  Two were killed in Kupiskis in the Holocaust - Ethel and Baila.  And two sons left for South Africa - Morris, 1907-2001 and Simon, 1918-1990.  Daughter Chava Trapedo Leitman (1913-1995) left, first for Israel and then eventually South Africa. 

L to R: Simon Trapido, Mendel Trapido, Leah Gafaovich, Baila Trapido, Hesse (Gesel) Gafanovich, Ethel Trapido, Chava Trapido - Kupiskis c. 1930

(photo courtesy of Chaya Trapedo, Morris' great granddaughter)


 



Morris Trapedo (name misspelled upon arrival in South Africa and never changed) meeting with Rabbi Menachem Mendel Schneerson, the head of the Lubavitcher movement, while on a visit to New York City.

 

 

 

 

 

(photo courtesy of Chaya Trapedo, Morris' great granddaughter)
 

These photos were contributed by Linda Cantor, your webmaster.  Chana Cantor Trapido is her great, great aunt, sister of her great grandfather Abba Isaac Cantor.  In addition, several members of the Cantor/Trapido family were also related to her through marriage.  Abraham Lipschutz, son of Hannah and Sam Lipschitz, married Jenny Cohen, sister of Linda's paternal grandmother Ida, making him Linda's great uncle.  Likewise, Abe's sister Etta Lipschitz married David Cantor, brother of Linda's paternal grandfather Sam, making her Linda's great aunt.  (Dave and Etta were first cousins once removed.)

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