More of “When Are They Anusim?”

 (Originally a Facebook comment. More detail here.)

If you suspect that something in your family indicates Crypto-Jewish heritage, it definitely could. My father’s family often did similarly when they became or had been Crypto Jews—if they, e.g., could avoid the predominant denomination (Russian Orthodox in Poland) and even put off any rites, they did. For example, one matriarch (“Katarzyna” Danilowicz Czerniecki) was not forcibly baptized until she was five, and one patriarch (Mihály Trudnyak né Nagy) in Hungary was “illegitmate” because his parents refused to marry in a Roman Catholic church—both of his siblings (Zsuzana and Mária) were “illegitimate” as well, and they lived in a different house when each sibling was born. They wanted to avoid an Austrohungarian inquisition.

 They also denomination switched like it didn’t matter to them when they did because it didn’t matter to them—one, as I recall, Morgiewicz or Margiewicz even became a Congregationalist! It held no religious significance for them (and if you think that I’m going to be able to link to every record at every moment, you’re—to put it politely—being meshugah on purpose. I have other things to do, including to manage my ADD and Generalized Anxiety Disorder, as well as to help fellow Jew avoid equivalents of inquisitions by other fellow Jews. Anyway, about the denomination switching…)

Even if it had a religious significance, the ethnic Jewishness was kept in the family—unless gentile cousins spoke about it when they weren’t supposed to do so (which two Shackel/Staskiel cousins of one of my Andrulewicz cousins did, and a note about him being a “JEW” was made in the payroll sections of his employment cards twice. One card reads “44-JEW” and “44-JEW-1”). 

It also came out in small hints left by family—e.g., to this day, I don’t think that many family members appreciate that my great-grandaunt Helen Rusnak Ropel left the wonderful gift of giving her father‘s Hebrew name when she died. As it clicked when I realized what she left for the burial records to hold, my paternal grandmother’s maternal grandfather used “Stef” or “Stephen” (or variants thereof) to calque for “Yosef”. I thought that there was a mistake at first. Then I realized how brave Great-Grandaunt Helen was. Even though she couldn’t give it in life, she was going to make sure that she could give her fathers name as ”Joseph Rusnak” before she left this life. 

(By the way, on the secular calendar, she died on my 18th birthday. I was able to confirm that I’m Jewish on another side in the July of that year.). 

Be prepared, by the way, to have family treat you horribly over finding out that you’re Jewish.  I actually, e.g., fell out with one maternal cousin because he or she was not happy that I found out that we are mixed-blooded Jews on one particular side (i.e., Lehr-Pundt, and I will give no more hints as to what cousin. I have multiple cousins on that side across generations, and I don’t want to dox anybody or give any other attention—whether positive or negative—to anyone whom hates me that much. If he or she happens to read this—and he or she knows who he or she is—he or she can deal with the fact that I was able to confirm with a Lehr cousin that we are Jewish. Of course, ironically, that cousin of mine fell out with me over political differences—and differences which are not good for the Jewish people as a whole, might I add).

Excerpt From My Upcoming Book: “Dafne Rochle”

 “I don’t care what name you use, and I don’t need an explanation about your other name. Just take a number, and have a seat.”

Having previously had a family tree made by an intimidator did not help, and having seen correspondence published by one archivist (and a possible relative at that) on Facebook also did not help. Getting to this archive, then, maybe also did not help. 

Damned if she did, and damned if she did not—not finding a way to this archive, then, also did not help. Over 15 overall-wasted years did not help, despite what information and help Dafna had finding it came about for her. She could not commit suicide, though, even notwithstanding that doing so would help her go to the Source of all information (Yehovah Himself). She also could not continue to live being in her way and apparently everyone else’s way, and she yet could not give Hamas a victory by committing suicide—even though she would be away from Hamas and everyone else whom hated her, and she would (if suicide did not send her permanently to Gehenna) be with Yehovah (and the indignity of being forever consigned to the same place as Antisemites would be too much to bear—especially because Antisemitism caused her suicidal ideation to flare up).

Damned if she did, and damned if she did not.

“*Loud chime.* C122007, sign in to the archives. C122007, sign in to the archives. “*Loud chime.* C122007, sign in to the archives. C122007, sign in to the archives.”

Damned if she did, and damned if she did not. Dafna signed in to the archives—and whether “C122007, sign in to the archives” was yet another sign of ultimate failure was up to Yehovah. 

“Name: Dafna Maratovah Zernetzky—alias ‘Dafne Rochle’. Number: C122007. ✔️I agree to the laws, rules, and regulations as pertain to this archival building and the archival information held therein (See ‘Laws, Rules, and Regulations Pertaining To This Archive’) on the next page.

“Signature in English and Hebrew or Yiddish (Print signature valid, although cursive preferred): Dafna Zernetzky; דפנה צרנצכי.  Date (English and Hebrew—do not use the Karaite date unless you have received an exemption from using the Hebrew date): 25 Tishri 5784.”

Dafna knew that the real Hebrew (“Karaite”) date was 24 Tishri 5783—and at this rate, days and dates did not make a difference to her except for the fact that Yehovah gave the mitzvah to begin the year in Aviv-Nisan. The day on which Yehovah would give her success without failure (that is, long-term success that would not ultimately turn into failure) would be the first day in a long time that made a difference to her.

A (Sort-Of-)Quick Update, Etc.

The TL:DW is in YouTube description.

 

 

Introduction To My Upcoming Book, “Trying To Recover” (Draft)

 I’ve entertained the idea that Rochla Andrelewitz may’ve indeed posed as her mother or her sister, with her mother (not “father”) or her grandfather (or perhaps her grandmother) being “Gitla”. My great-great-grandmother Katherine Gaydos née Ushinsky certainly posed as her mother “Maria Uscianski” (although she also had a sister named “Maria”), and she claimed that her uncle was her “brother”. Because of what she did, I was thrown off and to thinking that the Haslinskzys were maternal (“half”) siblings of hers. A Krempaszky cousin corrected me (and, from what I understand, I am related to her in more ways than one—as my father’s father was a Krempaszky, and one of his cousins married a Haslinskzy. Either way, we Crypto Jews from what is now Slovakia, Hungary, etc. stuck together as much as our ancestors in Spain, Portugal, etc. stuck together.).

In turn, I had the opportunity to correct her when she tried to say that my great-grandfather Michael Gaydos meant that we were Ruthenian. As I explained to her in a message in some form, Great-Gramddad Gaydos knew exactly what he was saying when he said, “We’re Russian!” 

Great-Granddad was formally uneducated (because he had to drop out of school after eighth grade), not unintelligent in any way. It therefore didn’t work when my dad dismissed him by saying that he said that only because he worked for the Russian Orthodox Church (It was a Slovakian Catholic one), and it didn’t work to deny that he knew the difference between “Russian“ and “Ruthenian”.  (My cousin seems to have taken the hint, given that she eventually made her family tree public again). 

I have written this elsewhere, and wish that I could simply copy and paste what I have already written. I type with one finger on each hand, anyway, and I try to make sure what I say is consistentregardless of whether I write (or type) it or speak it. This is because I am trying to recover an identity that almost went to the grave with past generations (My paternal grandmother is my last surviving grandparent, and my father is still not happy that I found out about our Jewishness). Had someone in the current generations neither knew nor cared to recover it, it would have more than likely been irrecoverable in future generations

As you may have guessed, the protagonist of “Trying to Recover” has autobiographical elements and other elements that are based on the fact that I’m still trying to recover what I began to recover in 2008 (I began doing genealogy research in the prior year, and I figured out that I’m Jewish just months before I was able to confirm it.). I might take at least another 15 years to fully recover it—and that includes that I’m still working to recover what past generations almost took to the grave about Rochla Andrelewitz. Unlike my Krempaszky cousin whom came forward about Great-Great-Grandma Gaydos (although I first reached out to her), anyone who knows what happened to Rochla or which Andrelewitz “Rochla” really was  has yet to come forward (and I do credit my Krempaszky cousin for replying when I reached out and conceding that Great-Granddad Gaydos identified with Jews in the Soviet Union, albe cryptically, for a reason).

 

נצחיה בת אביגדור הלוי צהרנצקי 

(Nicole Czarnecki)

PS Even though it is actually the eighth day of Sukkot on the Biblical calendar today, Hamas (ימ״ש) and their supporters (ימ״ש) still tried to take away the simchat Torah. Sabras and olim were thankfully able to fight back, although the pain that Hamas (ימ״ש) and their supporters (ימ״ש) caused will have ripple effects for at least a generation—even among Jews like me whom are not recognized as Jewish by fellow Jews.

PPS I prefer to render my surname as “צהרנצקי”, as it’s closer to the “Zernetzky”/“Chernetski”/“Czerniecki” that we were forced to take (and corrupted to “Czarniecki” and variants thereof to conceal our Jewish heritage).

Commentary: The 60-Year-Old Quinceañera (Originally Facebook Comments and Replies)

 A 60-year-old madre y abuela officially celebrated having come of age three quinces of milestones later—which her día de su quinceañera and the adult-quinceañera celebration being the bookends to the three quinces. Before anyone makes fun of her, I offer a little cultural context for people whom might not otherwise get it: a quinceañera celebration in traditional Hispanic culture is equivalent to a bar- or bat-mitzvah celebration in traditional Jewish culture. In Aztec culture, it did (and it marked when a girl was considered of marriageable age by the Aztecs). When the Spanish colonized Mexico, quinceañeras quickly blended into the Aztec-Catholic syncretism. Eventually, the celebration of quinceañeras (and quinceañeros) became a pan-Hispanic celebration. By the way, boys subsequently celebrated being quinceañeros in the same way that Judith Eisenstein (née Kaplan) celebrated the first known bat-mitzvah ceremony. (I was actually surprised to find out that celebrations of quinceañeros are actually as ancient of a tradition as celebrations of quinceañeras, as they are not emphasized enough in formal education or other sources re quinceañeras. One source actually talks about 15-year-old Aztec boys being considered quinceañeros and therefore old enough to fight for the Méxica people). 

To make fun of a woman for having an adult quinceañera celebration (or as Art Ocasio on Facebook put it, a “four times the fun” quinceañera celebration at 60) is culturally insensitive at best. Besides, in Jewish culture, there’s the equivalent 13 + 70 = 83 for second b’nai-mitzvah celebrations. It usually is done for Holocaust survivors (many of whom are still denied recognition, having been persecuted by the Soviet and Arabized governments instead of the Germans and their accomplices). 

Commentary: LGB+ People Aren’t the Modern-Day “Sodomites”. So, Who Are—And How Do We Respond Like (And Also Unlike) Lot?

 When I saw the following thread and the comments, who the modern-day Sodomites and Gommorahns are clicked. LGB+ people (except for LGB+ people who support transgenderism) don’t want to take over bathrooms and locker rooms, sports and entertainment, and other things that women had to fight to gain for women. Transgenderists want to take from women what women—including LBA+ women—had to fight to gain. Besides, many LGB+ people (despite the thorns in the flesh that are homosexuality and bisexuality) either remain celibate or enter “lavender marriages” for the sake of God; and most LGB+ people absolutely resent being lumped in with transgender-identifying people—especially as transgenderists prey on people with gender dysmorphia and other people whom could be deceived into believing that one can change one’s gender.

In short, as I responded to the following thread—the first part which is screenshot which my reply: 

“The misogynists are modern-day Sodomites & Gomorrahns, and worse. They want a completely-womanless society (as Lot’s daughters & wife were implied as the only women in Sodom), and they attack men whom defend women (Lot unfortunately was not willing to defend his daughters).”

 

Look at the relevant passage from Bereshit (Genesis, JPS 1917 translation):

“ But before they lay down, the men of the city, even the men of Sodom, compassed the house round, both young and old, all the people from every quarter. And they called unto Lot, and said unto him: 'Where are the men that came in to thee this night? bring them out unto us, that we may know them.' And Lot went out unto them to the door, and shut the door after him. And he said: 'I pray you, my brethren, do not so wickedly. Behold now, I have two daughters that have not known man; let me, I pray you, bring them out unto you, and do ye to them as is good in your eyes; only unto these men do nothing; forasmuch as they are come under the shadow of my roof.' And they said: 'Stand back.' And they said: 'This one fellow came in to sojourn, and he will needs play the judge; now will we deal worse with thee, than with them.' And they pressed sore upon the man, even Lot, and drew near to break the door. But the men put forth their hand, and brought Lot into the house to them, and the door they shut.”

Of course, we respond like Lot did by speaking out against sin and leaving God to bring about ultimate judgement. We respond unlike Lot did by not adding sin upon sin. By the way, notice that HaSefer Bereshit does not condone either what Lot did to his daughters or his daughters did to him (I also wonder if they heard of what their father considered and did what they did partly as revenge. That would make the prohibition on revenge more pertinent.).

In other words, we speak out against transgenderism and ultimately leave God to bring judgement upon transgenderists. We do not engage in “red-pill” (black-and-white pill) pushing, “Christian” nationalism, or other misogyny or other bigotry. Unlike Lot, we leave God to fight fire (e.g., licentiousness and misogyny—including transgenderism) with fire (Lot’s offering of his daughters to be raped was an attempt to fight destruction with destruction, and only God can fight fire with fire and destruction with destruction). 

Like Lot, we speak the truth as though it is water against fire (as—like the Sodomites and Gommorahns, and even worsely—transgenderists are intent on femicide, harm against LGB+ women and men, and harm against men whom stand up for women’s rights. 

(We also do not take revenge on misogynists of any kind—and misandry is a fire-against-fire kind of revenge that only ends up hurting all women as well as the non-misogynistic men).

A Comment(ary) That Became Too Long For Instagram: Los Idiomas de Mis Padres y Madres

 In reply to @vertigo5110: especially my Jewish family is the same way. The gentile languages that they spoke or speak include: 

1. English
2.  Irish (as the Farrells were conversos—and a certain cousin got mad when I found out!) 
3. German
4. Slovakian¹
5. Only the Magyar that everyone in the Hungarys (including what was then Upper Hungary) was forced to speak (and the ones who are in what was and is Hungary Proper speak)
6. Polish (with some going as far to pretend that they were Polish and Lithuanian Catholics)
7. Portuguese (João Enrique Ferin de Lisboa later took “John Henry McCoy” and, as a converso, had an ugly divorce from his tsores-in-di-tuches wife). 

The closet thing that João’s great-grandson (my grandfather) Francis X. Allen had to Ladino was Yiddish (which my mother has never learned or showed interest in learning). My father’s paternal grandparents, meanwhile, somehow communicated in mutually-unintelligible Polish and Slovakian (They either learned from each other or, more likely, spoke in Yiddish. Besides, two of my paternal grandfather‘s paternal uncles—Jankie and Susi—were lucky enough to have Yiddish names that they used openly as nicknames within the family.). On the flip side, the father of Dad’s paternal grandmother would have successfully hidden his Hebrew name if his daughter Helen Ropel didn’t give it away before she died ^הערה.

I myself: 

1. am working on learning and/or continuing to learn Hebrew, Yiddish, Esperanto, Polish, and Ukrainian (with the latter two for genealogical purposes), and yo todavía estudio el idioma de español. 
2. am also working on learning Portuguese (primarily for genealogy along with Polish and Ukranian).
3. was additionally learning Russian to speak with a friend whom grew up under Soviet oppression. I nonetheless stopped Duolingo lessons on Russian shortly after the Russian invasion into Ukraine, and I am learning Ukrainian in solidarity with Ukraine as well as acknowledgement of how both of my paternal grandfather’s parents had roots in Ukraine ². 

¹With Mihály Trudnyak né Nagy and Anna Munková going as far as to pretend that they were born in Poland and as Polish or Slovakian Catholics. Mihály was born as an “illegitimate” Nagy to parents in Budapest with no foot in Kacwin. As for Anna Munková, she was passed off as a forcibly-baptized sister in Levoča and not Łapsze Niżne.

^הערהI should’ve known that he used “Stephen” and “Stef” to calque for “Yosef” or—as she gave it—“Joseph”. The misspelling “Fosco”, as in “Joseph and Julia Fosco Rusnak”, may have been a mistake. “Joseph”, as I quickly figured out, was conversely not a mistake. As far as I know, Julia Rusnak née Foczko (Fosko) rarely or never used “Fosco” in her lifetime, although she did have relatives in Romania. By contrast, Joseph “Andrew Steven”/ “Andrew Stef” Rusnak even invented a brother named “Stephen” to cover up his Jewish origins—as he and all of his siblings were born to Crypto-Jewish parents and forcibly baptized. His paternal grandparents even had to go through a dispensation in order to get married, and his grandfather was living in Austrohungarian-occupied Chiuzbaia at the time.

²My grandfather’s father was born in Tsuman’ on the day of the Kyiv pogrom—October 23, 1904. His mother—whom was in route to visit, as I later learned, a recently-widowed cousin in Buzhanka—quickly had to turn back to Szumowo called “Shumeve”, and she had to register his birth and have him baptized there. She herself had become a Crypto Jew after the Farber-Kogan incident that occurred in Białystok only weeks before the Kyiv Pogrom, and she and Great-Granddad—as well as an unknown child—barely survived the Bialystok Pogrom and its fallout in Shumeve—and I don’t call her being raped and with a child whom noticeably goes in and out of the records as really having “survived”.

As for the paternal family of Pop-Pop’s maternal grandfather, they were Jews and Trudnyakovs from Odesa long before they ended up as “Trudynaks” in Kežmarok and Budapest.