At the 26Thannual International Conference on Jewish Genealogy 2006

1

Presentation(Report) # 303

at the 26thAnnual International Conference on Jewish Genealogy – 2006

International Association of Jewish Genealogical Society (IAJGS) Conference at the Marriott Marquis Hotel in NYC, Aug 13-18, 2006.

Presentation (report) # 303. August 16, 2006, 8:00 – 9:15, Marriott Marquis Hotel 1535 Broadway (at 45 Str), 5th fl.

(Marked by yellow, dates and text in brackets after names, and so on are not for reading).

Sl = slide in Power Point. Bella was a real co-author.

A Search of Jewish Roots in the Communist Country

Leonid Leites

Sl-1. A Search of Jewish Roots in the Communist Country

Leonid Leites August 16, 2006, New York 26th Annual International Conference on Jewish Genealogy IAJGS

Good morning! Before I begin I would like to express my gratitude to all the people who helped me in my research. My special thank you goes to my cousin Victor Laties and, needless to say, to my family, especially my wonderful wife Bella. She is essentially a co-author of this work.

I started my research in genealogy about 40 years ago, when I lived in Moscow. This presentation is based on my research experience including research conducted in Soviet Union and later in the USA.

Sl-2. Highlights

1. Specifics of the genealogical research in the USSR and Russia
2. My research
3. Books
4. Lessons learned

I will tell you about Specifics of the genealogical research in the USSR and Russia, My genealogical search, Books I published and plan to publish, and lessons I havelearned while conducting my research.

((Section 1.1 and 1.2))

Sl-3. Specifics of the genealogical research in the USSR and Russia

1. Fear
2. Erasing of the past
3. Fabrication of documents
4. Behind ‘Iron Curtain’

In the former Soviet Union people were afraid to talk about their ancestors and relatives, destroyed family archives and photos. My parents saved photos of the relatives living in the USA, subjected to repression or those who served in imperial army, but did not make any inscriptionsso if asked they could say: "I do not know who it is". My parents and I wrote in questionnaires, that we do not have relatives abroad. Therefore till 1990 I had to hide the family tree from colleagues, especially the records about foreign relatives.

Many people in the USSR considered it necessary not only to avoid search of the roots, but also to forget that was known. Often fathers changed the name so that in passports of their children there will be no Jewish patronymics. So, my friends Isaak and Samuil and relative Isaak have changed their names to Alexander before their sons had to receive passports.

Sometimes employees of the state archives had to give the Jewish funds other names to save them from destruction.

((Section 1.3))

The Russian and Soviet state documents could contain a lie. For example, let me showyou two different Certificates on death of my uncle Joseph Plisetsky.

Sl-4. Death certificates of Joseph Plisetsky (copy of 2 documents in Russian)

Issued in 1957 Issued in 1990

Died Dec. 20, 1942 Died Dec. 20, 1937

age 39, diabetes age 34, execution

He was an engineer. He was arrested in September, 1937. In 1938 the relatives were told the verdict – "10 years without the right of correspondence". In 1957 his brother has received the document that Joseph is posthumously rehabilitated, and this first Certificate about Joseph's death from diabetes at the age of 39, and the place of death it indicated as “unknown”. In 1990 I received another Certificate that is shown here indicating that Joseph has been executed by firing squad inLeningrad on December20, 1937 at the age of 34. Let me remind you, that after execution the relatives were told the verdict – "10 years without the right of correspondence". I know a family which has received even 3 different Certificates ofdeath for one person.

Sl-5. Specifics of the genealogical research in the USSR and Russia. (continue) ….

1. Fabrication of documents
2. Behind ‘Iron Curtain’

Sometimes people distorted their data themselves.

For example, approximately in 1923 my distant relative participated in a Zionist study group in Moscow. After some members of this group were arrested, he ran away from Moscow and changed his name, birth date and birth place.

In 19thcentury in order to avoid army draft, sometimes peopleregistered theirnewborn sons in families of relative who did not have sons because if there was more then one boy in the family he for sure would be drafted into the army for 25 years. Sometimes in order to delay an enlistment, peopleunderstated age of the sons who were born after the previous census. Occasionally people would understate the age of girls as well for the sake of their future marriage.

These examples show that contrary to a popular belief, there is a great value in recording, preserving and analyzing memories and unofficial data that are passed from generation to generation. And in cases of discrepancies between official documents and such memories, sometimes memories are more accurate.

((Section 1.4))

Sl-6. Behind ‘Iron Curtain’

No contacts with a free world

–Endocrinologist Samuil Leites

–Russian Ballet stars – Asaf Messerer, Maya Plisetskaya, Sulamith Messerer

Escaping from Russia– path to the international recognition

–Economist Kussel Leites

–Psychoanalyst Natan Leites

–Sulamith Messerer

Censorship of literature and art

–Poet German Plisetsky

The specific of the USSR was the international isolation.

For decades we lived in the USSR which has been fenced off by "Iron Curtain" from the free world. It was practically impossible to have personal contacts and to receive personal information.

Many outstanding people remained unknown to the world.For example, many Leiteses have reached high position and achievementsin science, but they were unknown abroad. Endocrinologist Samuil M Leites (1899-1972, my second cousin) opened the phenomenon which was named after him “the rule of Leites", but he is disproportionately little known. On other hand economist Kussel (Konstantin) S Leites (1882-1955, my second cousin once removed up) is known in the world because he left Russia in 1912. His son, the political scientist and psychoanalyst Natan Leites (1911-87) is well known too.

Verses of talented poet German B Plisetsky (1931-92) were not published for a quarter of a century; he earned money by translation only.

Outstanding ballet dancer, teacher and methodologist Asaf Messerer (1903-92) was not well-known in the world.

Sl-7. Asaf Messerer ((2 photos: face; in dance)) with his sister Sulamith

Outstanding and unique ballet dancerMaya Plisetskaya (b.1925, my double second cousin) for many years could not participate in the foreign tours of the Bolshoi theatre. After the “Iron Curtain” was lifted she has received the highest awards of many countries.

Sl-8. Maya Plisetskaya ((1 photo: swan))

Sl-9. Maya Plisetskaya ((2 photos: long neck; cover of her book))

A remarkable ballet dancer and brilliant teacher Sulamif M Messerer (1908-2004, aunt of Maya) has obtained the real world recognition after 1979 when she has run away from the USSR at the age of 71. At the age of 92 she got the highest award of the British Empire. You see her with Prince Charleson a photo taken that day.

Sl-10. Sulamith Messerer ((2 photos: face; with Prince Charles - 2000))

Sl-11. Sulamith Messerer ((2 photos: in a jump; with Maya – 1939))

She was always very active and courageous. In terrible 1937 husband of her sister, Mickhail Plisetsky, the chief of Island Spitsbergen, was arrested as an “enemy of the state”. A little later his wife Rashel was arrested too. Sulamif took their daughter Maya to her home, although it was dangerous. So Sulamif has rescued Maya from orphanage andpossible namechange, saved her for ballet.

In 1939 Sulamif went to terrible camp of GULAG twice and has saved her sister Rashel Messerer-Plisetskaya (1902-93) with son Azary (b.1937, my double second cousin) who was 2 years old. They would have perished there. Later Azary Plisetsky became outstanding ballet dancer, master and teacher.

From the age of 19 to 23 for 4 years Sulamif was a swimmingchampion of the USSR. She swam till the end of her life. I want to mention as a side note that the future husband of her brother’s granddaughter, Peter Patrushev (Peter Peterson, b.1942), was the only person who managed to run away from the USSR to Turkey by swimming through the Black Sea (1962). The history of his runaway was included into espionage textbooksall over the world.

((Section 2.1))

Sl-12. My research

1. Beginning
2. My methods
3. Uncle’s Shmaya Leites family
4. Belarusian archive
5. Search in the USA
6. Unexpected discoveries

My interest in a family tree has begun with an accidental meeting. On April 22, 1968 I have got acquainted with Samuil Leites (1904-74) who knew names of 2 older siblings of my father as his relatives. Wishing to find out our relationship, he has mentioned, that his father has left him the chart of a family tree (only men). The chart was saved, although Samuil was arrested in 1944.

Sl-13.The first chart of the Leiteses family tree (1968) ((a copy of the chart in Russian and Yiddish))

He has shown me this chart and I have copied it by hand in Russian only. I could not make a photocopy; that would be hard to do, perhaps even dangerous.

From the conversations with Samuil and his son Joseph it became clear to me, that I must work on the chart of a family tree, otherwise the chart will be gone. After death of Samuil my fears have proved to be true, and only in 1998, already in America, Joseph has found it in his archive and now I can show it to you.

The chart contained names of 30 men in 8 generations of descendants of Monos Leites from Mstislavl. My great-grandfather Smugel has been written down as great-grandson of Monos. Bella (the older sister of my father) has confirmed, that name Monos is familiar to her as of the relative mentioned in the Jewish encyclopedia.

I have started to ask my father about the family, but he has suddenly died 3 weeks later. I have understood that the research cannot be postponed.

A quarter of a century later I have learned about a surprising coincidence – in the same 1968 Victor Leites (Laties, b.1926) in the USA and Grigory Leitis (b.1944) in Germany have independently started to collect data on the family and a family tree. I know only two more other Leiteses, actively studying family history – Jimmi Levine who started in 1996 and Jeffry Leites who started in approximately 1997 (both live in the USA).

((Section 2.2))

Sl-14.My methodology

•Interviews with relatives

•Networking

•Interviews with other Leiteses

•White Pages

•Library catalogues

•Visiting cemeteries – Mstislavl and Gomel

•Russian Post service and Police Registration offices

For more than 20 years since 1968 I assumed, that Leites is not a common surname and therefore all or the majority of its carriers are relatives.

I have started to collect any data I could come across on all Leiteses and Plisetskys in the USSR. I searched for them in telephone directories and catalogues of libraries, asked all friends to inform me on any Leiteses and Plisetskys theyknow, wrote to post service and police branches of towns where the Leiteses lived in the 19th century. My mother and I visited Mstislavl and Gomel, where my parents were born, but the only thing we were able to learn was that after the war Leiteses and Plisetskys do not live there anymore. After the war my mother’s older sister visited Gomel to see her mother’s grave, but she did not find anything.

I called people I was able to find and asked for a meeting. As a rule, interest to a family tree was absent, but many agreed to put me in touch with oldermembers oftheir family. Often they told me they are busy, sick and so on. Sometimes people would schedule a meeting, then try to postpone it and eventually completely refuse to meet. Perhaps, people were afraid that as a result of our meeting it will become known that they have relatives who were subjected to repression or living abroad. Some people were so frightened, that they asked not call them any more. But sometimes I eventually would get an interview.

Many could not understand why I was conducting this research, considered me a madman. Once, when I was interviewing an elderly woman, whose maiden name was Leites, her son-in-law – the colonel of militia –come home. He began to interrogate me, who I am, what is the purpose of my visit. Having studied my passport, he very seriously asked: "Who will you sell this information to?"

At the end of a meeting I usually managed to persuade the interviewee to call to his/her relatives and to introduce me to them by phone. I asked them to write down my phone number and address. One of these calls 20 years later has helped me find my American cousins.

I have collected the information about approximately 900 people from the several clans not connected with each other.

Many of the findings were accidental, but those who search will find.

This research has connected several relatives who were not known each other.

With some of the found relatives we became friends.

Two curious facts that I came across in my search: (1)Males – doctors of sciences (ScD – a degree, significantly higher than PhD)have shown heightened interest in a family tree. (2)Women which have become doctors of sciences, have not change their maiden name Leites even though all of them were married.

((Section 2.3))

Sl-15.My uncle’s Shmaya family

1922 – emigration to the USA, changing the name to Simon Laties

1937 – breaking-off family contacts

1968 – beginning of the family search

1990 – search from both sides and reunion of Russian and American relatives

For me a very impressive event was a reunion with the family of descendants of my uncle Shmaya Leites (1896-1971).

He has immigrated to the USA and took a name Simon Laties in 1922. In 1937 because of Stalin’s terror all contacts to him have been interrupted, I knew nothing about the name change. Sons of Simon became very successful in Science (3 of 4 sons became full professors, well-known experts).

One of them (my first cousin Victor, b.1926) in 1968 has written down on the tape recorder and later has transferred on a paper detailed (45 p.) memoirs of his father on his life and relatives.

In January, 1990 Victor and his brother Alan (b.1931) have decided that after the fall of the USSRthe presence of relatives in America is no longer dangerous for the Russian part of the family, which may need help.

Victor has made “a list of the holders of the names Leites and Malev, mostly from the pages of Science Citation Index and Social Science Citation Index” (Malev is a maiden surname of our grandmother). He has found there all brothers of his father, but could not find addresses of their families. They published nothing abroad, and in the USSR addresses of authors were not published. One of Leites on the list – a mathematician Dmitry (b.1951) – worked in Stockholm and his address has been specified. Alan has written to him. Dmitry has sent the letter to his father Alexander (1927-92) to Moscow.

Alexander has recollected, that 20 years prior to that, someone named Leonid collected data about the Leiteses and spoke with his cousin. Alexander has overcame a lot of difficulties and found me. It has happened at the end of April, 1990, exactly at the same time when my son Gregory (b.1959) has finished the four-monthly journey to the USA through Austria and Italy, as a refugee. Before his departure I had given him a copy of the family tree and asked to search for the American relatives. My reciprocal letter has reached Victor Gregory Laties on May 14, and he spoke with my son by phone.

Both of them have been named in honor of the same ancestor – my and Victor’s grandfather Gershen.

In order to verify the relation Victor has sent me 6 photos dated in1920th with words: "Nyoma is in at least one of these old photographs" (Nyoma is my father). Five of these photos were well-known for me. Who was in the 6th, Victor did not know too.

In June, 1990 almost all Simon’s descendants has gathered in New Haven and my son at once has gotten acquainted with the American part of the family.

In the same summer Victor and Alan with his daughter have visited Moscow to get acquainted with the Russian relatives.

After that till 1994 Victor annually came to us accompanied by his wife, brothers, or children and their spouses to acquaint them with Russian Leiteses and their friends. In 1992, the hard year for Russians, he has sent about 80 grocery parcels to relatives and friends in Russia. They helped emigrants. In 1994 they have invited me and my wife to visit them.

No one of brothers of Simon had a doctor degree, although all of them deserved this degree. It was very difficult to receive a doctor degree fora Jew in Moscow in those days. For example, my father has successfully defended doctor degree thesis twice, but he has not received the degree. Other brother has prepared the thesis, but then withdrew it.To my question why, he has answered: "It is better to be an alive candidate of science, than a dead doctor of science".Their sister Bella in order to receive a doctor degree had to move for some years to Ordzhonikidze (Dzaudzhikau, Ossetia inNorthern Caucasus).