Choritz Family
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The picture below is of the
Choritz family taken circa 1924 in Kupiskis. It includes the mother and
seven of her nine children. The father of the family, Zeev-Peretz Choritz,
had been killed in a robbery of his grocery store in November, 1914. Four
robbers, who were forestry workers or wood choppers and customers of the store,
committed the crime. What happened to these criminals is not known, as the
Lithuanian courts were disbanded shortly thereafter, with the approach of the
German Army.
The family subsequently was forced to leave Kupishok at the beginning of World
War I for Tambov. When they returned in 1921-22 or so, they began to plan
for the family to go to Bot River, South Africa, where Zeev Peretz Choritz's
brother Yehuda-Mordechai Choritz and his wife Chaia-Pese Bedil Choritz had
settled. The first son to leave was Samuel Choritz, who went to Tel Aviv,
Palestine, in 1924, and then onto South Africa in 1926. For that reason,
Samuel (1904-1974), is not in the photo. Also missing was Eliash-Pinchas
Choritz, born 1900, who died as a toddler.
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Front row, seated, left to right: Icik-Kadesh (Yitzhok) Choritz
(1892-1941), Chaia-Etla bat Abel-Iosef Blacher Choritz, (1877-1940),
Israel Choritz (1905-1975).
Back row, standing, left to right: Chatzkel (Charles) Choritz
(1909-1990), Annie Choritz Blieden (1906-1987), Celia Choritz Sibul
(1907-1998), Elias-Yechiel (Giel) Choritz (1915-1997), Isadore (Isser)
Choritz (1913-1997). |
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The photo depicts a Youth
Bund group possibly taken in Tambov, where the Choritz family fled to in
1915, during World War I. The girl seated second from left in the
front row is Annie Choritz and the boy seated third from left in the
middle row is Israel Choritz.
Most of the Jewish citizens of Kupiskis left either by walking, horse and
cart, or by train for the east. They went in single or multiple
family groups. Some went as deep into Russia as Siberia, some went
as close as Latvia. They were forced to remain until the War was
over and many took years to return, if they did at all. Life was
very hard during this time and some starved. During their time away
from Kupishok, the Jews of Kupishok had children (and those attended
school, joined youth groups), married, died and otherwise continued their
lives. They found what work they could to survive.
In the Choritz family, their father Peretz Choritz had already been killed
in 1914 before the War started, and they fled to Tambov with their
grandfather Dov Ber-Zalman Choritz, their mother Chaia-Etla and the six
children. During their time in Tambov, their grandfather died,
leaving them quite destitute. One of the children, Samuel Choritz,
managed to survive by selling soap. They returned to Kupishok in
1921 and strove to leave Lithuania for South Africa for better
opportunities.
All the children did leave with the exception of the eldest Icik-Kadesh
(Yitzchak) Choritz, who won several million Litas in the Lithuanian
lottery. He invested this in a street full of property in Kupiskis.
His good fortune and decision to stay in Lithuania was ultimately regrettable
as he and his family were killed in 1941.
(Photos were donated by Lazer Choritz in
memory of his father Israel Choritz and family.)
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