Hello Landzmen!

Hi, I've just joined the list. My name is Ellen Greenspan and I'm a psychologist on Long Island, working with developmentally disabled preschoolers. I received my Ph.D. from the City University of New York in 1981. I am married and have two grown childrn, one of whom is starting Cornell in a few days. All my life, I was told that my grandmother (born Nellie Schiffman) came from Vienna, and that her aunt owned a big department store there, I think it was called Schiffman's. At any rate, there was a large photo in Life magazine showing it being confiscated by the Nazis. Recently, a friend told me about the Ellis Island site and I became interested in tracing my relatives. When I finally found my grandmother and her siblings, it was clear that they were from Czernowitz, not Vienna. My great-grandparents were Chaim Leib Schiffmann and his wife born Elizabeth Usher. They were supposed to be middlemen in the dairy business. They had 6 children: Israel, Nellie, Anna, Janetta, Augus
ta, and Benno. After the death of the mother, the father left the country in order to avoid debtor's prison. I have found the passenger records for 5 of the 6 children and am currently trying to find the records for the oldest son and the father. It is possible they came through Boston, as they were supposed to have some relatives there. I am also interested in learning about the mother's side of the family, so if anyone knows anything about Ushers or Schiffmanns, please let me know. I look forward to hearing from other members but I'll be away for a few days so I may not respond right away. Regards, Ellen
Received on 2003-08-21 08:56:15