Yehiel-John Mintz

From Alex Vlashchevsky,"Head of Research department of CCI of the Saratov region, Russia

As far as I know, before leaving for America Yachiel worked in bristle factory.In Nevel early 20th century bristle factory was the largest company in the city. At the factory employed several hundred people. Bristle exported in Leipzig, Germany. The factory was founded in 1889 by brothers Vozlinsky, they owned it until 1918, then the factory was nationalized, became a state. During the 2nd World War, the Germans staged in the territory of the factory Jewish ghetto. Died there about 200 people. See how looked factory in 2014 th year (see. Attachment to the letter).

As far as I know, the family Mintz was engaged in small business, mainly trade. The elder brother Yachiel – Chaim- Gershon traded skins, bristles, engaged in carting. Other brothers - Zalman-David, Samuel was hired managers. Aunt - Doba Kazarnovskiy (sister Haya Shusterovich, they both have on an old family photo 1912) was a business - wool-carding production (she and her husband had several wool-carding machines). About granary, I have not heard anything.

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Jewish life in Nevel in the early 20th century, as in most cities of the Pale of Settlement, was unenviable. After 1905, in the cities of the Russian Empire intensified anti-Jewish pogroms. I'm not talking about 2-in World War II. In our family, killing about 20 people.

The main thing that made your grandfather when he left Russia - to save their lives and produced a remarkable descendants who have many more opportunities.

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