The history of the Matesky, Lutsky, and Garbus families: Russian origins and settlement in the United States and Israel in the 19th and 20th centuries

2020·298.1 MB·English

by  Jewler, Leonard A.

The History of the Matesky,
Lutsky, and Garbus Families

Russian Origins and Settlement in
the United States and Israel
th th
in the 19 and 20 Centuries

Matesky, Lutsky, a nd Garbus Families

Prepared by Leonard Jewler
March 21, 2019

Leonard A. Jewler
The History of the Matesky, Lutsky, and Garbus Families
Third edition
Copyright © 2020 by Leonard A. Jewler
All rights reserved.
Photos on title page are of three generations of Matesky, Lutsky, and Garbus families:
Top row from left (first generation): Eliezer and Sarah Lea Matesky
Second row from left (second generation): Michel Lutsky & Chava Matesky, Mordechai Garbus & Frumah
Matesky, Eliyahu Matesky & Ita Shapiro
Third row from left (third generation): Nathan, Solomon, Hannah, Bernard, Meyer, Rivka, Jacob, & Judith Lutsky
Fourth row from left (third generation): Minnie, Chava, Golda, Nisson, Israel, Itzik, & Shmuel Garbus
Fifth row from left (third generation): Dov, Hayim, Israel, Freidel, Sara, & Judith Matesky
Published through Opus Self-Publishing Services
Located at:
Politics and Prose Bookstore
5015 Connecticut Ave. NW
Washington, DC 20008
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DEDICATION

In memory of those departed:

To Solomon who walked his path with dignity,
To Minnie who embraced her world with vitality,
To Muriel whose smile could conquer,
To Sam who labored steadfastly and generously.

And to one, Esther,
Whose love reaches out,
And whose spirit radiates
Through the years.

May their tale be told
Through the generations.

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EPIGRAPH

A life story told is a chapter in the epic of mankind. It
stands apart with its own challenges, victories, and
defeats; yet, at the same time, it is firmly woven into the
fabric of lives spanning the generations. It is a personal yet
universal saga.

Leonard Jewler

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Contents

DEDICATION ....................................................................................................................................... II
EPIGRAPH ............................................................................................................................................ IV
PREFACE .............................................................................................................................................. IX
INTRODUCTION ................................................................................................................................... 1
OVERVIEW ........................................................................................................................................................ 1
ORIGINS OF FAMILY NAMES ............................................................................................................................ 3
THE MATESKY FAMILY TREE ......................................................................................................................... 4
PROLOGUE ............................................................................................................................................ 8
PART I – THE FAMILY OF ELIEZER AND SARA LEA MATESKY ............................................. 12
THE FAMILY IN CZARIST RUSSIA .................................................................................................................. 13
The First Generations ..................................................................................................................................... 13
Jews in the Russian Empire ............................................................................................................................ 13
Minsk Gubernia and Belarus .......................................................................................................................... 14
Matesky Family Origins in Minsk Gubernia ................................................................................................... 18
Overview of the Shtetl .................................................................................................................................... 23
Identified Matesky Locations ........................................................................................................................... 25
Oppression of Jews under Russian Czars .......................................................................................................... 32
MATESKY FAMILY LINES ............................................................................................................................... 37
The Family of Michel Lutsky and Chava Matesky ........................................................................................... 38
Michel and Chava Lutsky’s Family ............................................................................................................................. 38
Lutsky Family in Czarist Russia ................................................................................................................................. 53
Lutsky Family in Palestine ......................................................................................................................................... 55
Lutsky’s Leave Palestine for the United States ......................................................................................................... 65
The Family of Mordechai Garbus and Frumah Matesky .................................................................................. 67
Mordechai and Frumah Garbus’s Family ................................................................................................................. 67
Garbus Family in Czarist Russia .............................................................................................................................. 85
The Family of Eliyahu Matesky and Ita Shapiro ............................................................................................. 90
MIGRATION FROM RUSSIA ............................................................................................................................. 95
Mass Migration ............................................................................................................................................. 95
The Journey .................................................................................................................................................... 97
Oral History on Escape from Czarist Russia ............................................................................................................ 97
On Board Ship ....................................................................................................................................................... 100
Oral History on the Journey ................................................................................................................................... 102
Arrival in the United States .......................................................................................................................... 103
Esther Jewler on Solomon Lutsky’s Journey to America ........................................................................................ 105
Minnie’s Early Years in New York ......................................................................................................................... 106
THE MATESKY FAMILY AND THE HOLOCAUST ......................................................................................... 110
History of the Holocaust in Western Ukraine ................................................................................................. 112
The Fate of the Family in the Holocaust ........................................................................................................ 120
Holocaust Group 1: Family members killed in Pinsk ............................................................................................. 121
Holocaust Group 2: Family member killed away from Pinsk ................................................................................. 128
Holocaust Group 3: Family members killed as soldiers .......................................................................................... 129
Holocaust Survivors ...................................................................................................................................... 131
Post War ...................................................................................................................................................... 134
Concluding Thoughts on the Family and the Holocaust .................................................................................. 140
LUTSKY FAMILY REUNION ........................................................................................................................... 141
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PART II – THE FAMILY OF SOLOMON AND MINNIE LUTSKY ............................................... 150
SOLOMON LUTSKY AND MINNIE GARBUS IN NEW YORK .......................................................................... 151
Early Family Life and Businesses .................................................................................................................. 151
The Depression ............................................................................................................................................. 154
Stories About Minnie .................................................................................................................................... 159
Esther at High School .................................................................................................................................... 161
ESTHER IN WASHINGTON ........................................................................................................................... 163
Esther’s Government Job ............................................................................................................................... 163
Esther and Sam Meet .................................................................................................................................... 164
Esther and Sam Marry ................................................................................................................................. 175
THE FAMILY IN WASHINGTON .................................................................................................................... 177
Esther and Sam’s Early Years ........................................................................................................................ 177
The Lutsky Family Moves to Washington ...................................................................................................... 181
The Berg Family Moves to St. Louis .............................................................................................................. 191
Sam and Jewler’s Champlain Market ............................................................................................................ 193
The House on Eighth Street ........................................................................................................................... 196
LATER YEARS OF SAM AND ESTHER’S FAMILY ........................................................................................... 209
Esther and Sam ............................................................................................................................................ 209
Leonard and Barbara/Sarah ......................................................................................................................... 221
Sam and Esther’s Final Years ........................................................................................................................ 232
FAMILY LOSSES AND THE NEXT GENERATION .......................................................................................... 242
Sarah Jewler and Jay Kennedy ....................................................................................................................... 242
Murray Berg and Steve Berg ......................................................................................................................... 252
The Next Generation .................................................................................................................................... 256
CONCLUSION .................................................................................................................................... 259
APPENDIX A – DESCENDANT CHARTS ...................................................................................... A-1
APPENDIX B - MORE REMINISCENCES OF ESTHER ............................................................... B-1
APPENDIX C - CHRONOLOGY OF SOLOMON AND MINNIE LUTSKY’S FAMILY ............. C-1
APPENDIX D - BIBLIOGRAPHY .................................................................................................... D-1

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Az men geyt glaykh, falt men nit.

He that walks straight will not stumble.

Yiddish Proverb

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PREFACE
The History of the Matesky, Lutsky, and Garbus Families presents the history of three families
over nearly two centuries, from the earliest known ancestors in mid-nineteenth century Czarist Russia
through descendants in the early twenty-first century. It includes those who lived in the ancestral
towns and those who traveled to the United States and Israel seeking new lives. A narrative thread
runs throughout the history that presents the voices of family members sharing their life experiences
both in the old country and in their new homes. Vintage photos are included from diverse branches of
the family that represent different points in time and locales. In addition, for each period, the
historical context is provided to establish a framework for understanding the narrative.
This is a maternal history and as such it traces the origins of the family of my mother, Esther
Lutsky Jewler. This second edition significantly updates the draft version which was published in 2000
in honor of Esther’s 80th birthday and a final version in December 2002 under the title The Story of
Esther Lutsky Jewler and her Family. Since that time, I have completed work on my paternal history,
The Zuler Chronicles, and I have incorporated some lessons learned from that book in this version.
Specifically, I have reorganized the book into two parts – one presenting the broad family origins and
the other chronicling my grandparents’ family; consolidated the family’s Holocaust experience in a
chapter; and added sections documenting the lives of close family members who have passed away. In
addition, I have increased the references to sources, included family tree analytics, and improved the
image quality. I have also revised the title to be more informative with regard to the content.
Importantly, this version has been organized in two parts. Part I covers the history of Eliezer
and Sara Lea Matesky and the first three generations from the mid 19th century through the mid 20th
century; Part II covers the history of Solomon and Minnie Lutsky, my maternal grandparents, and
their descendants from the early 20th century through the early 21st century. One new chapter on the
Holocaust presents the story of the family still living in Poland during World War II – those few who
survived and the many who did not. In addition, new material – photos, maps, and text - is included
throughout the book to provide richer content. New vintage photos have been included and photos of
poor quality have been edited and improved. Finally, the size of the document, due to the increased
content, is now larger than the first version.
Where possible, family and historical photos are provided along with maps relevant to the
topic. Photo albums of Solomon and Minnie Lutsky (Esther’s parents) and of Esther were obtained.
Many of the earlier photos were sent by relatives in Palestine and Eastern Europe and had inscriptions
on their reverse sides that were written in Hebrew or Yiddish. Assistance in translating these
inscriptions was obtained from two sources. One was Esther’s first cousin, Michael Netser, who is
fluent in Hebrew, Yiddish, and English. Michael Netser lives in Holon, Israel. I scanned the front and
back of historical family photos and sent them to Michael electronically. Michael then translated the
inscriptions and returned them to me. In several instances, Michael received historical photos of his
family that he had never seen. The other translator was Esther’s grandson’s piano teacher, Liova
Kaplan, who was fluent in Hebrew, Yiddish, Russian, and English.
This history is based on research and interviews with family members. I conducted a primary
interview with my mother on July 31, 1993 at her home in Leisure World, which was located in Silver
Spring, Maryland. The interview was videotaped, and I subsequently transcribed it in August 2000.
The transcribed interview was then partitioned into sections and organized sequentially. This
organized and sequenced interview became the narrative basis for the book.
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