Many Jewish families, especially those with religious roots, take pride in their "Yichus", or lineage, tracing their descent from prominent figures, particularly rabbinical scholars. However, my family had little interest in this tradition. This aspect of heritage was not emphasized in my upbringing, and it certainly wasn’t something I intended to explore when I began my genealogical research.
Life, however, has a way of surprising us. I want to share how I uncovered my connection to the esteemed Rabbi Meir Eisenstadt, known as "Panim Me'irot," and the exact path that links him to me. Though he is a notable figure in Jewish history, little was known about his daughter through whom my lineage flows. The journey was fraught with misinformation, but my research navigated me to the truth.
Initially, my focus was on my great-grandmother, Szejna Nechuma Halperin (née Mährenländer). I knew very little about her family history. Her husband, Boruch Leib Halperin, was a traveling merchant who found himself stranded in Russia after the revolution. Szejna raised their three children while renting rooms to make ends meet. Tragically, she passed away in Warsaw on June 25, 1926, at the young age of 49, leaving little to pass on about her life. My grandmother, who also died young, at 42, didn’t have the chance to share stories from her upbringing.
As I delved into genealogy, I learned two fascinating stories from my uncle and his cousin, which were recounted from my grandmother’s brother and sister. Szejna’s son revealed to his son that Szejna’s father had passed away before she was born, and a rabbi from his family supported the widow until she remarried. Szejna’s daughter hinted to my uncle and mother that a famous rabbi was somehow connected to their family. Intrigued, my uncle and his cousin attempted to trace the rabbi's lineage and discovered the book "Birkas Israel" by Rabbi Israel Baruch Mährenländer, published in Warsaw in 1881.
Equipped with these leads, I set out to explore the connections. The book's cover revealed Rabbi Israel Baruch’s Yichus: “From me, a humble servant crushed under the heels of Torah scholars and their students, and a servant to those who serve God, Chaim Baruch Yisrael, son of my revered father, the outstanding and renowned Rabbi, a merchant of honorable status, Rabbenu Nahum of blessed memory from Terespol, near Brisk in Lithuania; son of the great luminary of Israel, filled with books and wisdom, uprooter of mountains, the crown of the times, and wise leader, Rabbenu Yehuda of blessed memory from Terespol; son of the renowned scholar of his generation, Rabbi Baruch of blessed memory from Biala; son-in-law of the esteemed Rabbi, the author of "Panim Me'irot," of blessed memory; grandson of the daughter of the esteemed Rabbi Mahar"m Katz of blessed memory, a sister of the great Rabbi Shach of blessed memory”.
This peaked my curiousity and I set out to learn about Rabbi Meir Eisenstadt. In this process I uncovered his extensive contributions to Jewish legal studies and his illustrious positions throughout Europe. He served in Siedlce, Poland, then in Worms, Germany, and later in Prossnitz, Moravia (nowadays Prostějov, Czech Republic). He then returned to Siedlce, and was eventually called to serve in Eisenstadt, Austria where he served as the head of the yeshiva from 1717 until his death in 1744.
Despite the extensive genealogical legacy of Rabbi Eisenstadt (see Yechiel Goldhaber’s appendix to the 2012 edition of Eisenstadt’s book “Panim Meirot”), my branch of the family remained obscured. Orthodox Jewish texts often omit women's names, and thus, my lineage seemed detached and lost to history. However, I decided to search through vital records from Terespol, Poland, in hope to find information that might shed light on this family.
Initially, I found online information that did not cite clear sources - both on JewishGen's Rabbinical SIG and on the collaborative genealogical site GENI, which claimed that Baruch from Biala was married to a daughter rabbi Eisenstadt named Mariesha. Like many beginner genealogists, I initially fell into the trap of copying unverified information into my tree, but something nagged at me that I hadn’t seen any evidence, so I continued searching. Since no further information was found in rabbinical books, I tried my luck in the community books, where vital records like births, marriages, and deaths were documented. There, I eventually found records that connected the dots and uncovered important details about my ancestors, including our connection to the esteemed rabbi.
Eventually, Two death records emerged, revealing the exact connection between the rabbi from Warsaw and my lineage, and the connection between both and Meir Eisenstadt’s legacy.
On one hand, the documents revealed that Szejna Nechuma Mährenländer was born on 10 November 1876 in Terespol, to Reizel Morlender nee Veintraub and her husband Shiya, who indeed died 2 months before her birth. Shiya’s marriage record revealed that his parents were Baruch Merenlender (notice how many variation this name had) and Nisla. Baruch’s birth record from 1815, revealed that his parents were named Judko son of Boruch, 40, and his wife Hisza, age 36.
Here, with Yehuda son of Baruch, I found the connection to the rabbi Mährenländer’s Yichus, but I needed proof that Boruch and Nachum were brothers. After some more snooping, I found two death Records from 1831:
First: “On the 29th of April 1831 at 3:00 p.m. Nuchym Morenlender of Terespol died, merchant, age 43, son of Judko and Chisza, the spouses Morenlender of Terespol, leaving a widowed wife Pelte daughter of Izrael, sons Boruch, Ajzyk, User, and daugther Chana in Terespol”. One of the witnesses listed is Judko Morenlender, cleric, age 60, father of the deceased.
And then, two weeks later: “On the 13th of May 1831 at 5:00 a.m. Judko Morenlender died, age 60, cleric residing here in Terespol, son of Boruch and Ruchla, the spouses Morenlender, already deceased, leaving behind a widowed wife Chisza daughter of Moszko, sons Dawid, Aron, Boruch, and daughters Ruchla and Menucha.
Through detailed genealogical research, combining oral histories with archival documents, I ultimately discovered the name of Ruchla, a forgotten daughter of Rabbi Meir Eisenstadt, who stayed in Poland with her husband when her father moved to Eisenstadt, and was forgotten by the descendants of her siblings.
Rabbi Meir Eisenstadt, AKA Panim Meirot (1670-1744) remains an essential part of my family's story as my 8th generation ancestor.
This journey has not only deepened my understanding of my ancestry but has also reignited my passion for Jewish genealogy. I invite you to contact me to explore your roots and uncover the rich narratives within your own family history.