Dear Bukoviners:
I am a new member of this group, and am hoping that some of the
information I have given below might be familiar to other members.
I am searching on behalf of a friend (aged 70+) who does not use a
computer. He has given me some background information on his father
and grandfather. It seems that the original family name was WEISBROD.
His father was naturalised in Australia in 1937 under the name of
Jacob BLANK. He gave his place of birth as Czernowitz, Bukowina,
Austria (which explains why he always claimed to be "Austrian").
Jacob gave his date of birth as 10 July 1903, although with his
family in Australia he celebrated his birthday on the second day of
Rosh Hashanah, i.e. September/October ... this is one mystery!
Jacob's father was David WEISBROD, born about 1866 in Lublin. He
married twice, had six children from the first wife (LEIBERMAN) and
two more from the second marriage (Rose). It is thought that David
perished during the second world war, but I have found someone with
almost matching name and age who died in Tel Aviv in 1930 ... another
mystery!
Apparently, Jacob had an older brother who came to Palestine and
became secretary of a kibbutz. His name might have been Henoch
WEISBROD, although he might have also changed it to LAVANI.
Unfortunately, I do not know where the kibbutz was! He was visited
there by an Australian relative some time between 1963 and 1967 ...
this is yet another mystery!
Jacob apparently left his birthplace and went to France where he
adopted the name BLANK. He then went to Palestine arriving some time
during the Second Aliyah, and took the name LAVANI.
In August 1926, Jacob BLANK (not LAVANI) married Mina/Mindel KATZ
(born May 1907 Lodz, Poland). She was a daughter of Pesha, and Shmuel
haKohen KATZ who was born about 1883, and was a restaurant owner in
Haifa at the time of the marriage. It is thought that he died in
Haifa after 1938.
In 1927 Jacob and Mina immigrated to Australia and reverted to the
BLANK surname.
I would be extremely grateful for any information, no matter how
seemingly insignificant, or for any advice as to how to continue with
these fascinating searches!
Beverley Davis
Melbourne, Australia
Received on 2004-11-29 08:23:35
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