The Australian Fargotstein Relatives

Below is a letter from Jacob Diner, handwritten by him on June 16^th, 2001. Jacob Diner was the son of Granny’s brother Moshe Diner. Granny was his aunt, Aunt Sally (Sally (Granny) Diner Fargotstein, wife of Sam Fargotstein, mother of Max Fargotstein, grandmother to Shep Fargotstein. Laurie Fargotstein Riskind sent him an invitation to Ariel’s Bat Mitzvah, which was in June 2001, and must have enclosed a note telling things about the Fargotsteins and asking him about the Diners and anything about Sally/Granny. Mom (Esta Fargotstein) had given Laurie his address as they had been in touch a little. Jacob’s son (Adi Diner’s father) I believe is our (Max’s children) 2^nd cousin. Daddy (Max Fargotstein) and Jacob were first cousins. I think. That would make Adi Diner, who Rachel Theran is friendly with already, and who lives in Australia, the third cousin of all of Esta and Max’s 10 grandchildren.

June 16, 2001

Dear Laura, John, Zachary and Ariel,

I was very pleased receiving your letter. I remember when I was in Memphis in 1973, I met (or was it earlier) Max, I believe the youngest boy in the family and one of the girls.

I met also Becky there – once only. Otherwise I know Becky from a photo hanging in our home in Warsaw. The boys of Sally and Shepsle as we used to call him, and the only daughter – Becky. I remember when I was there, Becky’s partner drove me to the cemetery where Sally and Shepsle were lying. Yes, it was important to me.

They came to Warsaw several times. Shepsle’s father was also living in Warsaw though I never met him. I’ve never met Mark, I have never even heard that he had a sister. Yes, that is when families are far away from each other.

Yes, I probably know something about Sally and Sam, who we used to call Shepsle.

It is really an interesting story, but a long one. I might have to write here just a bit and continue in further letters. Sally’s brother Moshe, was my father, he died in Melbourne (?) in 1963./born 1885), they were born in a small shtel called Zavikhost on the river Vistula, in East Poland. At the time, at the beginning of the 20 century, the Haskala in He Cren reached the broad circles of Jewish communities in Poland, Russia and other states. Sally and Moshe moved at an early age to Warsaw, to find work and be with broad social movements that began at the end of the 19^th century.

My father finished yeshiva in Sandomer, the region’s main city to which Zavikhost belonged. He was ordinated as a Rabbi. And soon as they came to Warsaw they joined the Jewish Bund Party. Bund still exists now in the USA and other part of the world.

Then came 1905 and the Russian Revolution. The Russian Bolsheviks were joined in the revolution by many socialist parties, like the Bund, the Polish Socialist Party and others.

How it was with Sally and Moshe - I really know little. What I do know is that all three of them, i.e., Sally Fargotstein, Moshe Diner and Shepsle had to flee to London as political migrants. I do not know much details of that period. What I know is that Sally and Shepard went from London to the U.S.A. My father returned to Warsaw. He did not have a family, but I believe he must already have met my mother Michafine (?) and returned to her.

From that point on, I know very little. I’ve never met my grandparents. I only remember when I came one day from school, still a child, I saw father with wet eyes. He was just told about his and Sally’s father’s death.

Of Sally’s further political interests I do know very little but from letters and certain remarks, while in Warsaw, I understood that she was sympathetic to the Soviet Union.

My father joined the Warsaw the Bund and became active in the Jewish Union movement. 1921 of Parliamentary election he was the second candidate (?) the (?) of the Bund. The first was, you might have heard him and his death in the Soviet Union – Henryk Ehrlikh.

All 100 candidates from the Bund were arrested and released from jail after the election. Not unexpectedly, none of the candidates were elected.

I think I’ll finish here. If you are still interested about other family member’s political activities, I will gladly continue the “big story”. In meantime, I wish your daughter Ariel and the whole family a happy Bat Mitzvah and all the best in the future! I will be glad if you will keep in touch. It is really the first time that anybody of the family has asked these types of questions.

I’m 87 and not that strong at all, to be able to travel to Ariel’s Bat Mitzvah. I wish her and the family – the very best!

Please keep in touch.

Jacob Diner

My family here sends regards.

Laura’s notes to herself:

The shetl town is spelled Zawichost and still exists in southeastern Poland. It is in Sandomierz County.

The Haskala movement was an intellectual movement that started in Germany with Moses Mendellssohn as a Jewish parallel to the European Enlightenment and which then swept to Eastern Europe. Jacob Diner’s grandparents, (whom I’m speculating were born around the 1860’s), whom he never met (I guess because he lived in Australia) were our great grandparents. I’m guessing they died by Hitler.