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52 Ancestors Week 6 – Favorite Name
Feb. 7th, 2018 01:49 pmThe prompt for Week 6 (February 5 – 11) is Favorite Name. An 1852 revision list (essentially a tax census) shows my great-great-great-grandfather, Izrael Itsko FAYNSTEIN, in Kedainiai in the household of his uncle, Leyb EDIDI. Izrael Itsko is identified as a tailor, who lived in Vilijampole, while Leyb was a tradesman who lived in Josvainiai. There are also three females living in the household. EDIDI is quite an unusual name, which is why it fascinates me. So what do I know about Leyb EDIDI and how he fits into my family tree?
First, one has to deal with alternate spellings. Fortunately, that isn’t so difficult, since one can search JewishGen phoetically. The most common spelling is actually YEDIDIE, though one also finds IODIDIO. Leyb (or Leib or Leiba) was the son of Movsha and was born in approximately 1826. He had a brother named Tobiash (or Tevel). The 1847 revision list clarifies who the females in the household were, since it includes his wife, Zisla, his daughter, Mina, and his sister, Rochel. Zisla might be the connection to the FAYNSTEIN family, possibly a sister of Izrael Itsko’s father, Girsh (which is really Hirsh, but the Russians use a G when transliterating names with an H, which doesn’t exist in Cyrillic). Alternatively, Izrael Itsko’s mother could have been a descendent of the YEDIDIE family, e.g. a sibling of Movsha. Unfortunately, there’s really no evidence to support any of this. Frankly, unless more Josvainiai records turn up, I don’t see any way to figure it out.
By the way, in 1873 (and in a certificate for a passport in 1868), Leyb’s wife is shown as Sora. I think that Zisla must have died before then, and there is further evidence because their son, Iosel (born about 1850) shows up in the 1874 revision list as having a 3-year -old daughter named Sheyne Zisle. Since Ashkenazi Jews don’t name children for living relatives, that would suggest Zisla had died. Sora must have died before 1883, because that’s when Leyb married Kheine Feiga ASPANGAN. (That marriage record shows them both as widowed.)
There’s some confusion over when Leyb died. There’s an 1893 family list which shows the family living in the house of DREYSHPUL and notes that Leyb had died (and has a widow named Sora Chiena living there, with her son, Iosel.) But that contradicts both the 1883 marriage record and a 1900 death record for Leyb.
I should also note that Leyb seems to have pursued a number of careers, including as an innkeeper and as a distiller. At one point, he wanted to be a farmer on state land. He was prosperous enough to donate to various causes.
In short, even an uncommon name like YEDIDIE can be hard to figure out much from. I always mentally link it to the prayer "Yedid Nefesh," which translates to "you who love my soul." I don’t know about his soul, but I do love Leyb EDIDI’s name.
First, one has to deal with alternate spellings. Fortunately, that isn’t so difficult, since one can search JewishGen phoetically. The most common spelling is actually YEDIDIE, though one also finds IODIDIO. Leyb (or Leib or Leiba) was the son of Movsha and was born in approximately 1826. He had a brother named Tobiash (or Tevel). The 1847 revision list clarifies who the females in the household were, since it includes his wife, Zisla, his daughter, Mina, and his sister, Rochel. Zisla might be the connection to the FAYNSTEIN family, possibly a sister of Izrael Itsko’s father, Girsh (which is really Hirsh, but the Russians use a G when transliterating names with an H, which doesn’t exist in Cyrillic). Alternatively, Izrael Itsko’s mother could have been a descendent of the YEDIDIE family, e.g. a sibling of Movsha. Unfortunately, there’s really no evidence to support any of this. Frankly, unless more Josvainiai records turn up, I don’t see any way to figure it out.
By the way, in 1873 (and in a certificate for a passport in 1868), Leyb’s wife is shown as Sora. I think that Zisla must have died before then, and there is further evidence because their son, Iosel (born about 1850) shows up in the 1874 revision list as having a 3-year -old daughter named Sheyne Zisle. Since Ashkenazi Jews don’t name children for living relatives, that would suggest Zisla had died. Sora must have died before 1883, because that’s when Leyb married Kheine Feiga ASPANGAN. (That marriage record shows them both as widowed.)
There’s some confusion over when Leyb died. There’s an 1893 family list which shows the family living in the house of DREYSHPUL and notes that Leyb had died (and has a widow named Sora Chiena living there, with her son, Iosel.) But that contradicts both the 1883 marriage record and a 1900 death record for Leyb.
I should also note that Leyb seems to have pursued a number of careers, including as an innkeeper and as a distiller. At one point, he wanted to be a farmer on state land. He was prosperous enough to donate to various causes.
In short, even an uncommon name like YEDIDIE can be hard to figure out much from. I always mentally link it to the prayer "Yedid Nefesh," which translates to "you who love my soul." I don’t know about his soul, but I do love Leyb EDIDI’s name.
