Pušalotas, Lithuania

Pushelat – Families Remembered by Willie Mann

Yiddish Middle School-Panevezys 1928

Willie Mann is at the bottom, extreme right.

PUSALOTAS RESIDENTS

Willie Mann was born in Pushelat, Lithuania in 1913, grew up there, and went to South Africa in May, 1929. Today, Willie lives in Johannesburg. What follows is his recollection of the Jewish families he knew in Pushelat as related to Howard Margol. All of us, whose families originated in Pushelat, owe a debt of gratitude to Willie for his contributions of information pertaining to Pushelat, what life was like there, and the Jews who lived there.

BERMAN

Zelig Berman, from Ramygala, married Willie’s mother’s older sister Sore Ite Viten, who Willie remembers as always being bedridden. They lived next door to Willie but he never saw her in his house. They had five sons. Zalman married and lived in Kovno (Kaunas). Meilach married and lived in a shtetl far away. Reuben and Abke lived in Pushelat. Michel was 100% mad and a big problem. He died in Pushelat.

The Bermans had the only shop in Pushelat selling iron for use in making wheels and were very well off. They had no plans for emigrating. The entire family was murdered in 1941.

BILUN (Pronounced – Beeloon)

Shmuel the Tepper he was called, as he was a master pot maker. He and his wife Musle Lazarov, had a family of girls. The oldest daughter, Chaia, married a shoemaker and settled in Capetown. Chana immigrated to Palestine and settled in Even Yehuda. Seina Beila arrived in Capetown in 1939 as a tourist, was not able to return to Pushelat, and remained in Capetown. She married in Capetown and has a daughter living in Israel.

Two other daughters, Gitke and Leike remained in Pushelat. Gitke got married on 19 December 1939. Shmuel, Musle, Gitke, Leike, and Gitke’s husband were all killed in 1941.

DAVIDSON

A widow with four sons arrived in Pushelat during the 1920’s from Linkuva. Simke, Ruvke, Jossel and David. Jossel was the same age as Willie Mann and they immigrated to South Africa together in 1929 on the ship, “Garth Castle”. All four sons settled in Krugersdorp. Simke and Ruvke became butchers. Ruvke moved on to open a successful general store at a brickwork outside Krugersdorp, when he lost the sight of one eye. David remained a bachelor until his death. They have all passed away. They were related to the Nochum Ber Setzers. Hillary Mandelbaum, is the Daughter of Reuben (Ruvke) Davidson.

FRANK

Old man Leib Frank was a Gabai for many years and the Doyen of the Pushelater Balebatim. His son Isaac was the most prominent Balebos and Gabai in Shul. He had the only telephone among the Jews in Pushelat. Willie remembers using the telephone once or twice and was impressed with the delicate furniture in the Frank home. Isaac was thought to be the richest Jew in Pushelat. His wife, Tzipe, was a lady to her fingertips. Willie assumes that they both were killed in 1941.

On one of Howard Margol’s visits to Pushelat, an elderly villager told him that when the Jews were being murdered there in 1941 one of the Jewish men offered 50 gold coins if the lives of him and his family were spared. This very well could have been Isaac Frank as he was probably the only Jew there with that many gold coins. After producing the gold coins, he and his family were murdered anyway.

GILLELOWITZ

A large family of six daughters and several sons. They lived in the only two-story brick house and it also included a balcony. Willie and his friends often congregated there. I remember when one of the daughters, Dina, got married in 1922. Her brother, Chaim, was in the Lithuanian army and stationed in Panevezys. He brought the Lithuanian army band to Pushelat for Dina’s wedding. Later, Chaim emigrated to Johannesburg. Two sisters, Raske and Chaike emigrated to Palestine where they married and had families. Raske is a close friend of Isrolik Brog, the father of Ehud Barak. She died in the early part of 2001.

GREEN

Yossel Green had several daughters, Pessel, Ida, and Eileen. Pessel, the oldest, married a Mr. Jacobson who was not a Pushelater. They had three daughters and immigrated to South Africa. The eldest daughter, Zelda, became a doctor and immigrated to Palestine before World War II. She was married to an electrician by the name of Cramer and had a large practice in Savyon. Unfortunately, Zelda died from cancer while still young. Her son took a prominent part in the Israeli Air Force during the 1948 war of independence. Pessel lived in Durban until she was over 100 years old. On her 100th birthday, she received flowers from Her Majesty, Queen Elizabeth II.

The two other daughters, Ida and Eileen, were twins. Ida became a Senior Lecturer at WITS University. She is now a widow living in Bournemouth, England. Her son, Martin Tobias, graduated Medicine Cum Laude and is today, the Senior MD in charge of Aids-HIV in New Zealand. The other daughter, Eileen, was also highly educated. She lived in Durban, South Africa until she passed away several years ago.

Yossel and the rest of the family perished in Pushelat in 1941.

HELLER, (GELLER)

In Pushelat, the Geller family lived across the street from Willie’s family. Had one daughter and two sons. Ida married a Kloss and immigrated to South Africa. The oldest son, Getzke, also immigrated to South Africa. His son, Okkie Heller, was until recently, the Chazen (Cantor) at the Jacksonville Jewish Center in Jacksonville, Florida. The brother of Getzke, Gedaliah, was a cripple and was murdered in Pushelat.

KAWALSKY

There was a Kawalsky family but Willie says he cannot remember their names. Their children were friends of Willie’s younger brothers. They emigrated to Capetown.

KOTON

Beryl Koton was the only butcher in Pushelat. He was married to Chene-Ite Gilelovich and they had a large family. Morris married Itke Setzer, Yossel was married to Dobe Rigmont, Sam married Seina Salis, and the youngest – my life-long friend – Hilke (Phillip in S.A.). All four sons immigrated to South Africa together with a sister, Rivke. Rivke married in Johannesburg to a Mr. Shul. Their son, Bernard, is a leading lawyer and one time President of the Hebrew Order of David (H.O.D.) and a prominent community worker. Bernard’s son is a rabbi.

The eldest daughter of Beryl and Chene-Ite, Zlata, married a Pollak, Bzalel Demamed in Pushelat. Bzalel gave the Kotons lots of problems so he was left in Pushelat. He was the only Cohen in the shtetl and often held the shul for ransom. Zlata and Bzalel had a large family. Some of their sons joined the Red Army and survived. The rest of the family was murdered in 1941.

The members of the Koton family in South Africa are too numerous to list. David Koton is a specialist dentist in Johannesburg.

KULBER

Moise Kulber was a Shochet in Pushelat. During Willie’s time, there was no rabbi in Pushelat so Moise Kulber acted as a marriage officer. (Howard Margol note: After Rabbi Ruvin Brog was murdered in Pushelat in 1912, the shtetl was left without a rabbi. The next rabbi, Pagramanski, arrived in the early 1930’s).

LIGUM

The Ligum family lived right near the Shul where they had a big shop. Ruvin was a long time Gabai of the Shul and a prominent Balebos. They had several sons who operated the shop. None of them immigrated so they all perished in 1941.

MAN

Willlie’s mother, Michle, was a VITEN (Witten). She married Zalman MAN (Mann)from Posvohl (Pasvalys). Prior to getting married, Willie’s father went to South Africa after the Boer war. After making some money, he returned to Posvohl and married soon afterwards. After raising a family of seven boys and one girl, he went back to South Africa. In 1929, he brought Willie to South Africa, then Willie’s brother Sam, and finally his wife and the rest of the family, Max, Teddy, Morris, Harold and the one daughter, Ann. The other son, Zoruch, died in Ponevezys after a long illness.

Max and Teddy died tragically. Ann died some years ago. Her only son, Leonard Blumberg, is married and living in Coral Springs, Florida in the USA.

MARGOLIS

Elijahu Margolis was a very old man during the time that I knew him. He was one of the poorest in the shtetl and was the Shames in the Shul. His wife, Keile Yankelevich, was much, much younger than him and was his second wife. With her, he had three children – Berchik (Beryl), Israel, and Basheva. Beryl, the oldest, was living in Panevezys. When the Communists had a May Day demonstration, Beryl was given the job of carrying the Red flag. He was only about 15 or 16 years old at the time. He spent several years in the Red prison and we all felt sorry for him. When he was released he immigrated to South Africa and became a pioneer brick maker. He married in SA and had three children. Allan is a well-known lawyer and town developer. Carol is married to a Dr. Irwin Friedman.(Irwin's great grandfather Peretz, son of Wolf Cohen, was born in Pumpenai and grew up in Pushelat). Carol was Head Girl at King David High School in Johannesburg. They live in Natal.

The Margolis’s lived in Pushelat for many generations. Eliyahu died in 1933 but Keile, Israel, and Basheva perished in 1941.

SALIS

Fishel Salis lived across the road from Willlie’s family in Pushelat. Had four daughters. Chia, the eldest, immigrated to South Africa. Sheina married Sam Koton and died in Johannesburg. Marijasa married Reuben Setzer, the son of Zoose Setzer. They were both murdered in Pushelat together with their three children, two girls and one boy named after Zoose (Zaide). The youngest daughter, Freidke, married David Shapiro. Willie says he was madly in love with Freidke as a teenager. He used to spend all of his free time in the Salis shop across the street from his house. She was beautiful but had an extremely dark complexion, which would have caused a problem in South Africa.

SETZER

Nochum Ber Setzer had one son, Itzik, who emigrated to South Africa, and four daughters. Itke married Morris Koton, Baske married a Zail, Their son, Dr. Stanley Zail, was born in South Africa. He is a Pathologist and a founder partner in one of the largest Pathological firms in SA. They have another son who is a rabbi in Johannesburg. Also a daughter living in Israel who is a doctor. Judith emigrated to Palestine in 1929 and still lives there, and the youngest, Soske, married Willie’s cousin Velvel Viten (both, together with their child, were murdered in Pushelat in 1941).

Zoose Setzer had six sons and two daughters. Four of the sons, Mayer, Benny, Abe and Helman immigrated to Jacksonville, Florida. Benny started out as a peddler and became the owner of a large supermarket chain in Florida. Willie remembers when Helman left Pushelat in 1921. Helman’s daughter, Merle Hacker lives in Dallas, Texas. The two remaining sons married in Pushelat. Hirshe married Menucha and they left for SA with two daughters. The oldest daughter, Marcia, is a widow living in Johannesburg. At the urging of his brothers in Jacksonville, Hirshe emigrated to Jacksonville. He did not like his job there, went back to SA, and settled in Nigel. A son, Sidney, was born in Nigel. He is now a Professor of Dentistry at WITS Dental School. Sidney has three sons, all professionals. Michael, a medical doctor, runs the busy Norwood Clinic. Willie’s daughter works for him part-time.

The last son, Reuben (Ruvke), married in Pushelat to Marijasa Salis, daughter of Fishel Salis. They had two daughters and a son named after Zoose. They were murdered in Pushelat in 1941. The two daughters of Zoose Setzer were Raiske and Sarah. Raiske’s husband and children were also murdered in 1941. Zoose was killed by a horse.

SHAPIRO

David Shapiro, married to Friedke Salis, was the brother of Jankel Shapiro. Their sister, Menucha, married Leiba Stein. Jankel Shapiro and Leiba Stein opened a firm, “Shapiro and Stein” in Benoni, a suburb of Johannesburg. The company no longer exists although the building still stands with the name, “Shapiro and Stein” on the outside. Leiba Stein’s brother, Hessel Stein, had a bicycle shop next door to “Shapiro and Stein”.

VITEN’s (Witten)

Willie’s cousin Glike, a widow, had as far as Willie can remember two sons. David emigrated in 1928-1929 (?) to the USA. At one time, he owned a hotel in Miami, Florida. He lost two sons in combat in Europe during World War II. Both were Colonels, one in the US Army and one in the US Airforce. The other son, Velvel, was a poet of note and remained in Pushelat. He became the mayor of Pushelat during the short reign of the Soviets. He was married to Soske Setzer, the youngest daughter of Nochum Ber Setzer. Both Velvel, Soske, and their child were murdered by the Lithuanian Sauliste Volunteer Militia on July 2-3, 1941.

Glike also had three daughters, Zisle, Leah, and Taube. Zisle and Leah immigrated to the USA where Zisle married a congressman, Green. Taube immigrated to South Africa and married a Levitt. One son of Taube, Charles, is a leading lawyer in Capetown and his son Rael is a millionaire auctioneer in Capetown. The other son is the chess champion of SA and editor of the Chess magazine.

There was another Viten family in Pushelat who was the poorest of the poor. The father was a widower with one daughter, Rivke. Rivke spent most of her time in Willie’s house and basically, was raised by Willie’s mother, who was a Viten and a cousin. Rivke emigrated to Palestine, married a Frank, and lives in Tel Aviv with two of their sons. Another son is a leading professor of child psychology in New York. Their daughter is a Law Professor at Hong Kong University and is married to a Professor.

ZAK

In South Africa, the name became Sacks. Two brothers, both master tailors. Dovid Chaikel, the eldest’s son, Avro Michke in Pushelat, became in SA Abe Sacks. He was well learned scholar and Gabai for many years in Berea Shul. He presently lives in “Golden Acres” and gives “Sivrim” in shul every day.

The other brother, Daniel Moshe had two sons. Solly was Chairman of the SA Zionist Federation for many years. He immigrated to Israel where he is world president of Mizrachi and a prominent politician.

ZUK

Yankel and Alte were life-long friends of Willie’s parents both in Pushelat and in South Africa. They had two sons, David and Phillip. David, the oldest, died young. Phillip is a top construction engineer and built up a leading construction company in South Africa. He emigrated to Australia to live with his daughters.

They also had two daughters, Ida and Ann, both life-long friends of Willie and his wife. Both are married and still living in South Africa.