Kapelushnik Family Story
By: Chaim Lubimzev (Toronto, Canada)-2013
The roots of the Kapelushnik family go back to Yampol up to the mid 1960’s with the passing of Meir and Chaya Kapelushnik.
Some family sources say that the family roots go back to Lubavitch and some of the family members were Lubavitch Chassidim (for example Gittle who was Chaya’s relative). Meir’s father’s name was Aaron and Chaya’s father’s name was Gershon. Since Chaya and Meir were born in the 1800’s the date of birth of their parents is unknown, but it must be in the mid 1800s.
The name Kapelushnik might come from the word “Kapel” which means “hat” in Yiddish. There is a possibility that the original members of the Kapelushnik family were hat makers or “streimel” makers.
Over the years, many of the family members moved out of the small town due to army enrollment or in search of employment and education. Most of the family members lived on Octabriskaya St. where the following families also resided: Shmiddle, Kapelushnik, Raisman, Shwartz, Katz, Oiring, Nasikovsky (there were other families, but these are the ones some family members remember). Today this street has a bus station situated on it and almost no trace of any Jewish life.
Most of the Kapelushnik family descendents live in Israel today.
Pictures:
Center: Meir and Chaya Kapelushnik, Top Left to right: Chana (Anna), Hershel, Leah (Lusia), Shia
Middle: Grisha/Gershon, Meir & Chaya Kapelushnik, Rita on Meir’s knees, Gershon’s wife
Bottom: Simon (left), Misha (right; blurry)
Bottom right (starting from the left): Gittle- Chaya Kapelushnik’s relative (marked with an x); Also lived in Yampol. Mina- Today she lives in Israel.
A pair of Teffilin from Yampol that survived the war (courtesy of Shella Kapelushnik) and Chaya Kapelushnik’s grave in Yampol:
 
Chaya Kapelusnik’s grave and Meir and Shia Kapelushnik’s grave in Yampol:
 
Meir Aaronovich and Chaya Gershonovna Kapelushnik’s death certificates from the Government:
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