Gershon-Lehrer.be

Genealogy Services

Please contact me if you’re in the need of Genealogy related services (research, preparations, trips, etc).

You may contact me for any country
(such as Belgium, The Netherlands, Germany, Poland, Israel, etc).

Contact me and let’s discuss fees and further details about your request.

Tag: kalman

  • Cantor Kalman Kalich (17 December 1903 in Poland – 25 February 1982 in New York City, NY, USA)

    This post replaces an earlier article on Chazzen Kallich elsewere on this site (see: Kalman Kalich (17 December 1903 in Kalich, Poland – 25 February 1982 in New york City, NY, USA))

    Chazzan Kalman on the cover of ‘The art of Cantor Kalmen Kallich’ released  by The Greater Recording Company in 1976 (GRC298)

    According to the “Extract from the registry of engaged Jews 1885-1937” of Brzozów, Kalman (or Kelman) was born as the son of Mozes Yosef Kalech and Sara Stieber on 4 January 1903 in Brzozów (currently in Poland) as Kelman Stieber.

    The date of birth which is mentioned in this Brzozów document differs slightly with the dates which we find in the the United States Social Security Death Index. In that index 18 December 1902 is mentioned as Chazzan Kalich’s birthdate (which is 17 days earlier than what we know from archives in Poland) and February 1982 as the date he passed away.

    The book “First Hungarian Congregation Ohab Zedek” mentions 17 December 1903 as the date of birth for Kalman Kalich. According to the United States Census of 1910 and 1930 Kalman was born in about 1903-1904.

    This all means that the last sources differs about a year respectively 3 years with the two other versions found in the Polish and the USA archives. It is therefore that I am inclined to believe that Kalman was born in the winter of 1902-1903.

    Kalman Stieber in the “Extract from the registry of engaged Jews 1885-1937” of Brzozów

    Chazan Kalich officiated in a few places, one of these synagogues was the Congregation Ohab Zedek where he officiated for over 40 years. We read the following about (more…)

  • The “Organisation Todt” (OT)

    (The following text is based on an article which I wrote for off-line use)

    We can read in a file from the Directorate-General War Victims about my great-great-uncle Kalman Lehrer (sometimes also known as Kalman Kalech) during WWII. We read there that he was conscripted into labor service in the Julius Berger Company.

    I tried to figure out what the Julius Berger Company was (click here for my earlier post about this subject.

    What I initially did not read well and missed in the document is the abbreviation ‘OT’ which is written on one of the documents in that file:

    From Kalman Lehrer’s file at the Belgian Office of War Victims (file:DOS-DDO d210703)

    What we see is that Kalman Lehrer

    a été mis au travail force dans le Nord de La France (O.T.). Il figure sur les listes de salaires (établies par quinzaines) de la firme « Julius Berger » du 26.7.42 au 31.10.42″

    (translation: [Kalman Lehrer] was conscripted into labor service in Northern France (OT). He is listed in the wages lists (established by fortnights) of the firm “Julius Berger” from 26.7.42 to 31.10.42.)

    First I’ll try to explain more about the OT, which stood for Organisation Todt, and then I’ll continue about Kalman Lehrer during the war.

    The OT’s establishment:
    The “Organisation Todt” (OT) was established in May 1938, when Hitler instructed the Generalinspekteur für das Strassenwesen, Dr. Ing. Fritz Todt, who had proven himself with the autobahn construction, to continue the previously Wehrmacht led construction of the Westwall . Todt has developed the organization out of a combination of planning departments, private companies (the Julius Berger company was such a company) and until the war started in 1939, the Reichsarbeitsdienst . During the war the OT transformed into a military construction unit and its structure changed from year to year as it was adapted to the requirements of the respective orders.

    The OT fell from March 1940 under the responsibility of the Reichsminister für Bewaffnung und Munition (RMfBM)- Minister for Armament and Munitions.

    After the death of Fritz Todt in February 1942, the OT reorganized under Albert Speer (Mannheim, 19 march 1905 – London, 1 September 1981). From the beginning of 1941 it was headed by (more…)

  • Kalman Kalich (17 December 1903 in Kalich, Poland – 25 February 1982 in New york City, NY, USA)

    Please note that an updated text about Chazzan Kalman Kallich exist elsewhere on this website, this text is now outdated (see: Cantor Kalman Kalich (17 December 1903 in Poland – 25 February 1982 in New York City, NY, USA))

    Cantor Kalman Kalich served among others, as the cantor of the Ohab Zedek congregation in New York.

    From the website of Congregation Ohab Zedek (link):

    Congregation Ohab Zedek (formally known as the First Hungarian Congregation Ohab Zedek), or OZ, as it is fondly known, is more than just a synagogue. Under the leadership of Rabbi Allen Schwartz, the Shul is known for its open doors and big heart.
    […]
    OZ has a proud history. The Shul was founded in 1873 on Avenue B and Houston Street on the Lower East Side as the First Hungarian Congregation Ohab Zedek. After a sojourn on West 116th Street in Harlem, the Congregation moved to its present location at 118 West 95th Street in 1926. Today, as part of a revitalized Upper West Side that has drawn an ever-expanding population of families and young adults, OZ is a vibrant and dynamic Jewish center for prayer, learning and social activities.

    After contacting the congregation, I got the following e-mail on Mon, Aug 22, 2011 from Mr. Chaim Steinberger (ChaiStein-*at*-aol.com) who serves as the archivist of the synagogue:

    […]This is the information that I wrote in the book on the History of the shul (Ohab Zedek), and that’s all the information I have:

    “Cantor Kalich was born in Kalich, Poland on December 17, 1903. He previously served as Cantor of the Arena Synagogue, Budapest, Hungary, and sang in Yossele Rosenblatt’s choir in Pressburg, Hungary. He was honored for his many years of service at Ohab Zedek at a dinner held at the Hotel Olcott, New York City, given in his honor on Saturday evening, March 11, 1961, recognizing his 25 years of dedicated service to the congregation. He died in New York City on February 24, 1982.”

    By the way, he was chazan at Ohab Zedek from 1935 to 1981. I believe his wife’s name was Rose.[…]

    This is the book which (more…)

  • Labour in the Julius Berger company in North-France during WWII

    Click here to read a follow-up on this post

    © ARA – Brussels – please don't copy without permission

    I posted recently (10 February 2011) a question via soc.genealogy.jewish regarding a company where my great-grandfather’s (Gershon Lehrer) brother Kalman Lehrer worked during WWII. The company was called Julius Berger and was based in France.

    Kalman was born 20th June 1898 in Ustrzyki-Dolne. When the war started Kalman lived in Antwerp, Belgium on the Kroonstraat 205.

    From 26 July 1942 to 31 October 1942 he was forced to work for the “Julius Berger” company in North-France.

    He was deported via Malines/Mechelen in Belgium to Auschwitz on 31 October 1942 with transport 16 from which he did not return. The Belgian authorities confirmed (on 5 May 1955) their assumption that he passed away sometimes between 31 October 1942 and 1 June 1945.

    I am looking for more details regarding the company Julius Berger.

    [slider title=”Click here if you would like to read the message I did post to the newsgroup”]

    lehrer <gershon.lehrer@gmail.com>
    X-No-archive: yes
    Hi,
    I found in documents that my great-great uncle Kalman LEHRER had to work during the
    War in Norht-France in a company which was called Julius Berger. He worked there
    from 26 June 1942 to 31 October 1942.
    Does anyone know more about the company? Thanks a lot in advance for your help,
    Gershon Lehrer
    Antwerp, Belgium
    www.gershon-lehrer.be
    Searching: DORF, ETSIONI, FISZLOWICZ, GERSTNER, GOLDSTEEN, HART, KALLECH, LEHRER,
    PA(C)KTER, PAKTOR, S(Y)(I)LBERBERG, SAIL, SANDERS, SCENIZER, SCHEEN, SJENITZER,
    SCH (O)NITZER, STORK, TIMBERG, VAN STRATEN
    ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

    [/slider]

    I appreciate any ideas or tips, please comment on this post or send me an e-mail.

    Click here to read a follow-up on this post