HISTORY UNFOLDING
At present, we can trace Freilichers back only to nineteenth-century Russia. We know, for instance, that Mordecai Freilicher, who probably lived near Minsk, had a large family, the male members of which emigrated to the United States in the early twentieth century, some themselves married and with children. We believe Mordecai’s sons were Gedaliah, Baruch, Ellis, Louis, and Jack; at any rate, these Freilicher men were close relatives if not brothers. Jack’s line apparently ended with one daughter; for the others, we have started branches on the family tree you will see on this site.
A TREE GROWS IN FREILICHER LAND
We expect the tree to grow more limbs and twigs; and we hope to correct information, clarify relationships, and find data on relevant dates, places, occupations and the like, which might enable us to construct biographical notes on these early Freilichers. Sources to explore would include the Ellis Island website, perhaps some U.S. genealogy collections and European documents, and the memorabilia and memories held by living descendants.
PLEASE POST YOUR AUTOBIOGRAPHY
We are starting, however, with autobiographies of contemporary Freilichers (not restricted to those using the name), which will appear on this site. In addition to establishing Freilicher "credentials," we are hoping that the autobiographies will reveal information on each writer’s location, personal life, career, interests, and family.
ROOTS OF THE FAMILY TREE AND WEBSITE
The Freilicher Family website is a very ambitious enterprise and clearly a work in progress. Its roots go back to May 25, 2001, when Lila Freilicher, youngest daughter of Hyman, in turn youngest son of Gedaliah, decided to see if she could find Freilichers in cyberspace. An immediate impetus was a Russian photograph of Freilichers, including her father, uncles, grandfather, and great grandfather (Mordecai), which her first cousin Sheldon Freilicher had acquired from Gertrude Freilicher (wife of Morris, in turn son of Ellis) and copied for her.
AN EXCITING SURPRISE
Figuring that the name "Freilicher," in this one spelling (others remain to be explored), was distinctive enough to yield only actual relatives, she was surprised to come up with about one thousand references to dozens of people, some known to her but most not. Lila was able to acquire some e-mail addresses through this process and shortly began correspondence with three cousins, Susan Freilicher, daughter of Julius, and Theresa Freilicher, daughter of George (both granddaughters of Baruch), and Judith Freilicher, daughter of Jacob/Jack and granddaughter of Louis. Lila’s sisters, Flora Freilicher Warstadt and Marilyn Freilicher Brownstein, soon got into the act, sharing rounds of fascinating e-mail letters. Analytically-minded Judy set about constructing the rudiments of a family tree and, on June 10, 2001, opened this website.
Please join us in our quest. We hope to meet one another in cyberspace and, perhaps, on terra firma. We will create history together.
~ Marilyn Freilicher Brownstein ~
Hi, Cousins!
Rebecca Pronsky (Lila Freilicher's daughter) appears in the video below, performing the song "Hard Times." If you would like to hear more samples of her music or buy her music, or find out more about Rebecca and her upcoming appearances, please visit rebeccapronsky.com.