Isaac Isak Chesler Epstein

In a letter of May 1984, Elinor Chesler Smathers wrote:

"Dad's (Isidor Chesler) cousin Abe came to this country in 1906 when he was about 8 years old. The last time i visited him he told me the family name had always been Chesler when they lived in Slonim. He remembered Slonim quite well. He also told me that our great grandfather had about 13 children with his first wife. I know that Abe's father and one of the other brothers also came to this country. I remember seeing them once with Grandpa and thinking that they looked like three peas in a pod. The fourth brother went to Palestine USING THE NAME OF ISAAC EPSTEIN to escape the draft."

From Gil Goldman: "Lisa's mother died when she was young, Isaac was alone and he came to Palestine to his daughter. His other daughter, Rosa was killed in Minsk during the war, together with her son and daughter. The only one survivor was Misha that as a kid ran to the forest and joined the Partizans. Misha is the father of Marina, they live in Chicago. the 4th Chesler brother went to Israel with his daughter Lisa and took his wife's name, Epshtein. He died there in 1928 and is buried in Jerusalem. Her sister Rozalia (1893-1943) who was married to Lev Longin stayed in Minsk and was murdered in the ghetto with her children Tatyana and Samuil

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Rozalia and Lev's son Misha survived. (Lev was in the army and not in the ghetto when it was emptied) Lisa married Moshe Murro and they have a large family in Israel.

This is Misha's story in his words (as an old man):
From Israeli cousin Gil Goldman: "Lisa's mother died when she was young, Isaac was alone and he came to Palestine to his daughter. His other daughter, Rosa was killed by nazis in Minsk Jewish Ghetto during the world war two, together with her son Mulik and daughter Tanya. The only one survivor was her youngest son Misha that as a kid ran to the forest and joined the Partizans. Misha is the father of Marina and Alexander, they live in Chicago."

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The story of Rosa Epshtein and her 3 children ; Tanya, Mulik, and Misha, told by Misha Longin in 2007: Mulik was born in 1923. At school he was a very good student. Especially he liked the math. He also liked playing soccer and chess. He had a lot of friends. While in high school, in the summer he worked in the summer camps as a counselor. There was Jewish Theatre in Minsk. And Mulik liked watching plays there. Circus was also popular among young people. And he also liked reading.

Mulik graduated from school and went to Leningrad to take exams in military school artillery school. He passed the exams and returned to Minsk just before the war started

Tanya was born in 1922. Before the war she was very-very nice young girl. While at school, she was an extremely good student 1st in her class. She had nice girl friends. Together they liked going to the Opera Theatre. She read a lot. There were a lot of books in the house because parents, Lev and Rosa, also liked reading. Tanya was playing piano. And even Rosa, their mom, started taking music lessons when she was aver

Lev and Rosa were pharmacists. Under their influence, Tanya decided to become a doctor. Before the war, she finished 2nd year of medical school.
In June of 1941, Misha was in the summer camp. He was 10 years old. As soon as war was declared, all campers were returned to Minsk.
Their father, Lev Longin, was called to the military hospital. But Nazis started bombing Minsk, and Lev could not get to the hospital. He came back home.Their mother, Rosa Epshtein, was at work. Father (Lev) decided to take children (Misha, Mulik, and Tanya) and leave Minsk. On the way they wanted to get to Rosas work place and take her with them. But everything was destroyed on their way, Minsk was bombarded and in fire. So, without Rosa they left Minsk and started going East following Mogilev highway. On their way, from other people, they learned, that Rosa organization was evacuated. They thought that Rosa was safe.

In 3 days, they reached town of Cherven. There Lev went to the Army Service and was immediately recruited to the Army. Children joined their other relatives (their dads sister Musya and her family) and kept moving Eastward. When they reached river Berezina, they were caught by Nazis that ordered everyone to turn back and go to Minsk.

They did not rush in their way back, and in several days they came to Minsk. By that time, all Jews were forced to Ghetto and gathered and lived there. MIsha, Tanya, and Mulik have found there their dad;s brother Kolya family. And they let them live in their rooms. There they have found their mom Rosa. She refused to evacuate with her organization because she did not want to leave without her family.

brother Kolya, there were other relatives in Ghetto. There was dad;s sister Vera with her daughter Dina, and also dad;s sister Musya with her husband and their son. They all lived in different locations in Ghetto, but they kept seeing each other when they can.

Soon after creating Minsk Ghetto, Nazis decided to relocate German Jews from Hamburg to the same location in Ghetto where Misha and family lived. At the same time Nazis wanted to terminate all Jews that lived there at that time. But something went wrong and Nazis just ordered the Jews to move to some other locating. They created Ghetto in Ghetto for Hamburg Jews. At this time there were more than 100 thousand Jews in Ghetto.

Rosa and children were moved to another house. A lot of people already lived there. Rosa and children were given a corner in a room. At this house there lived a middle age man. He was involved in underground activities. He invited Mulik to join that organization. He helped Mulik to get a job in the cantine (they called it fabrica-kitchen) where they cooked for the German soldiers and generals. With some other members of underground organization, Mulik poisoned big casserole (at least it is what was said by the Nazzis). He and his 3 friends were caught and kept in a jail. And the Nazis hanged them on the Plaza of Freedom in Minsk in March of 1942.

Nazis forced Ghetto Jews to work. Tanya worked in some German company. And Misha (he was 11)workd for some builders. He had to pack piles of wood.

For a day of work, Germans gave a bowl of some ugly soup and a piece of bread.
In July of 1943 Misha &the remainders of the family went through the last;pogrom They made a hiding place under the floor of the house and all people who lived in the house were hiding there for 4 days. When they decided to get out of there, there was no people around that place.

Germans ordered them to live in some other place. One day, Dina, Veras daughter, got to know that a group of people is going to the partisans. Dina told Tanya about it. She wanted to propose that Misha would follow them and later would help them all to leave Ghetto. Tanya told Misha about it, and Misha decided to go. In the evening, he crossed the street that divided Ghetto in two parts, and hid under the bush. Suddenly he heard the shots and saw people running. He stayed under the bush the whole night and came home in the morning. There he learned that that people sho wanted to run, met German patrol, but likely they were able to run away.Next day Misha was sitting under the same bush and was watching with a lot of attention. That time he saw people crossing to wire and ran after them. They noticed yellow spot on Misha clothes (All Jews were ordered to wear yellow spots), tear them off, and took Misha with them.

They were led by a young boy Bonka, He wasIn a few days they reached the forests of Naliboki. The whole group went to their partisan detachment. Misha was sent to the family partisans detachment of Zorin. Sorin was a commander of that detachment, and it has been known by that name since then

MIsha agreed with Bonka, that next time Bonka goes to Minsk to lead another group, he would take Misha with him so that Misha could save his relatives. They were supposed to meet in a village of Klechischi. IN amonths, Misha learned where this village is located and went there. He was admitted in a house where brother a sister lived. Their names were Gleb and Gelka. They were middle age people. They were taking care of a wounded partizan. Misha started helping them around the house and in the fields, and also took care of the partisan, changing his bandages.

Bonka never came to take Misha to Minsk. Later, Misha learned that Bonka was killed.
Soon, Nazis decided to destroy all partisans in Naliboki forests and surrounded and blocked them all inside their circle. Wounded partisan told Misha that time came to go the forest. Gleb and Gelka did not want Misha to leave them. That attached to him very hard. But Misha was afraid to stay under Nazis again since he already know what hey would do with a Jewish boy. So, he followed the partisan and they came to the detachment

(The movie "Defiance" was about them and their group)
All partisans left their base and hid in the swamps form the Nazis. They finally found an island in the swamps and there they survived. When Nazis stopped catching them, they went toward the town of Novogrudok to their other base.
When later they came back to Naliboki, Misha met one woman that he know from before, and she told him that Tanya was almost ready to leave Ghetto. She stood with this woman by the border and could not cross it. She did not want to leave her mom alone. Rosa by that time was very weak and would not be able to walk all the way to the forest.
Very soon the news came to the forest that Nazis destroyed Minsk Ghetto. All the Jews were killed in the stoves of the concentrated camp of Trostinets.