Barney (Ber) Rubin

JewishGen RUBIN, Ber 15-1- 1907 13 Shevat father Khaim Josif, grandfather Itska Mother Rivka GORFINKEL, grandfather Istka Kaunas Kaunas Kaunas Birth Kaunas 1907 record M8

(becky sacks:) Barney was the oldest of the kids. When their parents died, all the kids had to go ophanages except Max and Barney. Barney worked hard to get all the kids out. He had received some inheritance money from a distant uncle who had been in the Russian army. (The uncle had money because he was allowed to own land after being in the military. He had fought Napoleon after all!)

(zuni lan:) My mother's (Golda (Rubin) Lan) brothers' were all brought out to South Africa before the War: Sam, Barney, Golda, Max, Jack (except for Sam who was cut off while visiting France and landed up in Luxenbourg)

(zuni lan:) The Jews were expelled by the Lithuanian Czar in the 1st WW into Russia. He feared they would spy for the Germans as they spoke Yiddish On the way back they were orphaned during the Flu pandemic and split up when arriving back in Kovna. My mother Golda was sent to become a seamstress in WIZO Max and Jack were in a orphanage. My mother was orphaned at the age of 11 and married my Dad at 17 when they immigrated to SA. He had been called up to the Lithuanian army from which few Jews survived.

(becky sacks:) Rivka & Chaim Yosel and the children were evacuated to Russia during WW1, and were on the return journey in a train, when they both caught the Flu, and died within two weeks of each other. Barney, at age 13-14 took all of his siblings on the train back to Kovno. Golda went to live with an aunt, and was taught dressmaking at Wizo. Max, Louis and Jack were sent to an orphanage, but didn't stay that all that long.

(becky sacks:) Barney told me this story: his grandfather was given some land (they called it the orchard), by Napolean administration during Napolean wars, and then there was a dispute with an uncle who disputed the ownership of that land. Barney fought the case, and got the money for the orchard, and that's the money they used to go to south africa. My mother and father (Goldie and Mottel) went first - they got married on Aug 5, 1928, and were given more than their share of the money. Motel's visa was "sponsored" by a friend already in south africa. Barney went to South Africa with Max. Max was a little "educationally subnormal" (not very bright), and Barney looked after him.

(hymie rubin, July 2010:) One of the parents (I think Rivka) died on the train back of Cholera, and the other (Chaim?) died three months later. Jack and Louis were put in an orphanage, and were brought up by their uncle(?) Shachna. According to my father's request, I named my son (Wayne) Shachna after him. Later, the brothers moved to South Africa, with the help of Barney and Golda's friend Dov Levy who resided there.

(divon lan:) He was called Berl in Lithuania, Hebrew name דוב. He is likely named after his father's paternal grandfather, Ber Rubin.

(divon, dec 2009): found record of his arrival in South Africa on http://chrysalis.its.uct.ac.za :

Arrival 1929-12-11, on steamer Toledo, Rubin Ber, male, 23 years old from Kovno, headed to M. Lax, brother in law, on 204 Long Street, Cape Town. Remarks: barber

divon: I assume M. Lax is actually Mottel Lan, because Barney had only one sister, Golda

(sam lan feb 2018): The Lithuanian independence as you say persisted between the two world wars and became increasingly right wing and antisemitic. It reached its most intense form under the Iron Wolf Paramilitary Group (gelizinis vikas) under Voldemaras, Goldie's older brother (Barney) spent a period in the Lithuanian army at this time. He was an athlete and a boxer. On being discharged he said (according to his son Joe) that his biggest fights were not in the ring but outside with the antisemites in the army, He must have told Goldie and Mottel this and I am pretty sure it was part of the reason they decided to leave for South Africa in 1928.

(Eli Matzkovsky Dec 2017): "When my grandfather Berel Rubin got back from Russia after WW1, there was a court trial about the house of Itsik Rubin between the children of Chaim Yosel headed by Barney and Berel. The children one and Berel and Sarah had to pay Barney money - this is what I heard from my mother Chana Etel.

Despite the trial, the children kept in contact with my grandmother Sara and my mother (their cousin DL) through sending photos and letters (from South Africa DL). Esp Barney. He helped our family and also the family in St. Petersburg (Vigdorov DL).

Barney and one of his brothers visited St. Petersburg is 1964. They were not allowed to leave the hotel without policy permission, but they left and visited Riva Vigdorov - this is what I heard from Lev Miller."