Isolation Genealogy

        While in the midst of this pandemic I am relieved to say that I only know of one relative who has tested positive for the Corona virus and she has recovered and is doing well. I am sure that people researching their family histories have found that they had ancestors who have succumbed to previous maladies and plagues that have afflicted the world population, maybe even as far back as the Bubonic Plague in the 14th century. I don’t go back that far but I did check the family tree to see if there were any deaths due to the Spanish Flu outbreak of 1918. I only had two confirmed deaths in my family tree during that time. One was my fraternal great grandfather, Moishie Kaganovich who died in Europe in 1918 and the other was my mother’s brother, Harry who died as an infant in 1919. I don’t have documentation of the cause of death but it isn’t unlikely that the flu could have been the cause. Moishe was only 57 years old at the time of his death and Harry was most likely less than a year old. Here is a picture of Moishie’s grave with his wife and two of his children at the gravesite.




         It is ironic that Passover occurred in the midst of the Covid-19 scare. We read about how the ten plagues caused Pharoah to soften his heart to free the Hebrews but we had to do it separated from our family and friends due to social distancing, self isolation, and quarantine. I don’t believe I have ever been without at least two family members or friends for the festive meal in my life. In years past the Seder was the one event for family get togethers. We usually had 12 to 14 at our house but once we had close to 25. It was not unusual for the tables to be set up in living rooms because the dining rooms were just not big enough to accommodate the crowds. This picture of the Boxinbaum family in Milwaukee in 1927 is typical of how Jewish families celebrated. The man in the middle with the beard is my great great Uncle Max Boxinbaum. He is also the great grandfather of my cousin Dan who sent me this picture.


       My wife has vivid memories of her family seders. Many of them were at her grandparents house but this picture was taken in her childhood home. It includes her parents, her sister, her aunt and uncle, and her cousin and his wife.

        This year’s seder was more of a technological phenomenon than a culinary masterpiece. Eighteen people from ten locations stretching from Chicago to Florida. Philadelphia, New Jersey, and Baltimore to as far away as Denver. We fulfilled all of the traditional requirements of the service including all four cups of wine and even a 20 questions search for the Afikomen. The only things lacking were the real hugs that would have warmed our hearts and souls. The emptiness of our table in the Zoom Seder picture typifies the scene in most Jewish families homes this year.

       This plague will soon pass and we will get about to our normal lives soon. Some of us will go back to work. Some of us will continue our education. We will return to social integration. We will go to plays and museums. We will enjoy concerts and play tennis or golf or shoot hoops with the guys at the playground. I will continue to delve into our ancestor’s lives and bring their stories to all of you. We will push the spring of 2020 into the recesses of our brains but I don’t think that we will ever take our health or the health of our friends and families for granted any more. Next year at Bubbie and Zayde’s house.