Shalom Ann

How are you and your family? We are all fine.

You know already that my name is Yohanan. I was born in Israel in Tel-Aviv on the 28.9.1943 so I’m 56 years old. I got married on 1974 with Irit (Gofer – Graifman). We have 5 children. 3 boys and 2 girls. Gilad, Arbel, Yamit, Tavor and Kineret. I live in a village Karkur near a town called Hadera. It is in the middle between Tel-Aviv and Haifa. 3 of the oldest finished their service in the army and the other two are young 13 and 11. I just came back from a trip in the USA with Kinert for her “Bat-Mizva” trip. On our trip we entered Canada and spend 3 hours there to see the Niagara Falls. (for an Israeli it is something unique to see so much water just falling). I work in a computer company as a system administrator. My wife is a math teacher.

I had one brother Micha and have one sister Naomi. Micha was born on the 19.4.1938 and was the oldest. He died on 1991 from a hard attack. Naomi was born on the 19.8.1945.

Micha has 4 children – 2 boys and 2 girls – Udi, Erez, Liora and Shira. Naomi has 3 children 2 boys and one girl – Yariv, Yoave and Noa. Udi is the oldest between our children and he is married to a Belgium woman – Sarah. They have as much as I know the youngest Hauben because he is only 2 month old and his name is Ben.

Our Hauben family in Israel includes families of 3 cousins: my father Leo or Levi the son of Menash, Joshua, the son of Eliezer and Frida the daughter of Jacob. Menash Eliezer and Jacob were the sons of my grand grandfather that was called Joshua.

Jacob had 3 children: Moris, Frida and Louis. Moris lived in the USA and had 2 children: Francisca and a son I can’t remember his name. Moris visited in Israel and I met him when I was a child. Francisca married an Israeli from a village “Beit Zait” near Jerusalem. We lost our contact with her and I don’t know where she is now. His sister Frida died in the holocaust but one of her sons – Izik survived and cam to Israel with his wife Helena. He deid some 20 years ago from a hard attach. He was in aushvize and had a number on his left hand. He and Helena have 2 children the oldest Alexsander (Shurik) got killed in a car accident. His younger brother Michael is OK and have 3 children 2 boys and one girl.

The other cousin Joshua left Poland during WWII into Russia. The family was sent to Siberia and 3 children were born: 2 boys – Michael and Haim and one girl – Fela. Joshua died about 15 years ago and his wife too but the 3 children are with us hopefully for many years to come. Of course they have children too but I think that this letter is going to be to long if I’ll start to give in detail of each one of them.

Now to our relationship. I have a problem with two things. I understand that you had a grandfather by the name of Menashe and we had one. Our Menashe was the son of Joshua. Maybe Joshua had a brother that had a son by the name of Menashe too. That because we can’t recognize the name of the city Wielkie Oczy in Galizia you mentioned in your letter. We know a name that is something like Wostriza near Pshemeshel. I have to speak to Michael Hauben the son of Joshua (as mush as I know he have the best knowledge about our family) but I did not have enough time to do it. Second you wrote us about your aunt Gusti that was born in 1900. My father was born in 1907. It’s only 7 years between them. My father told us about 7 brothers he had, including brothers (and sisters) he had from another wife Menashe was married to before he married Dvora the mother of my father. Gusti is not one of the names he mentioned. The 7 names we know are: Bertha, Izik, Morris, Nathan, Joshua, Hela and he himself levi (or leo).

I understand that the Hauben family was a huge family. It’s sorrowful so few of us were left. I’m sure we are related some how but I don’t know exactly how. By the way: how does Mr. Jay Robert Hauben fits into the picture. I promise to sit and draw the family tree the way I know it and I’ll send it to you.

That’s all for now. I hope you stay well and I hope to hear from you soon.