Family1 5november

Photograph showing Sidney and his wife Lucille taken at
Jack and Mildred’s 50th wedding anniversary in 1974

Sidney (‫ )שמואל‬passed away on Fri, 10 January 1992 - ‫ה׳ ִּב ְּש ָבט תשנ״ב‬

Allan and Phyllis have two children:
Mark married to Randi – 2 children; Dylan and Rachel

Sherry married to Dan Steinberg
Allan and Phyllis Solden and their family – January 2017

L to R: Mark, Dylan, Randi, Rachel, Phyllis, Allan, Sherry, Dan

SHALOM KAUFMAN - Zeida’s half-brother.

On page 31 of Zeida’s diary he records:
Sunday 8th January 1893 – This morning we arrived in Frauenburg after an overnight journey
during which the weather was freezing as is during this time and thank goodness we found
that everything necessary had been done for our celebration.

The next day he writes:
Monday 9th – the days of rejoicing and the days of happiness with music and rejoicing and the
evening has passed and we rejoiced at the Chuppah of my sister and her man of a similar age
and may the Lord bless them with much happiness and success because that will be our
satisfaction.
All the wedding was in a luxurious atmosphere and all the guests were happy but we had a
heavy heart.
This evening my father went back home and I remained with my sister for a few weeks.

On page 32 of the diary Zeida records the following:

Thursday 9th February 1893 – this evening my father married another woman, Simcha, the

widow of Reb. Yizhak Tinet who died a few days before my mother, my teacher, in Vechsnau.

A SON WAS BORN FROM THIS MARRIAGE

AND HE WAS NAMED SHALOM.

As a young boy and while on some of our family visits to Cape Town there was always
mention of “Uncle Shalom” from Paarl but it was not until I arrived in Cape Town in 1966
that I actually met him and this on a number of occasions at Uncle Isaac and Aunty Annie’s
home in Vredehoek.
I remember him as a quiet and reserved man and we only spoke in very general terms and
especially about the times that I remembered spending with Zeida as a young boy as well
when Basil and I visited Ramat Gan in 1963.

When Norma and I were married on 22 December 1968
we invited Uncle Shalom to our wedding.

Photograph below shows one of the tables of immediate family
at our wedding reception.

Uncle Shalom – 3rd from left sitting between
Auntie Annie Kaufman (Potash) and Uncle Charles.

Sitting around the table L to R:

Isaac Kaufman – Zeida and Bobba’s eldest son.
Annie Kaufman (Potash) – Isaac’s wife.

Shalom Kaufman – Zeida’s half - brother.
Charles Kaufman – Zeida and Bobba’s second son.
Hyman Schauder, Arthur Lewin, Effie Schauder, Joy Lewin.
Annie Boner and Dave Boner – Dave Boner was Granny’s brother.

On 21 April 2016, soon after I began with this project I received an email from cousin Isaac
Karpas, which was written shortly after the funeral of Aunty Bess Kaufman.
Isaac writes:

……“We had not advertised the funeral and low and behold Fishel Kaufman – from Paarl - pitched up. He had
seen it on face book. Do you know how the family connection works out. Zeida and Fishel’s father were half
brothers that I do know, but he asked if I knew about their parents. Let me know if you have any info”

The next bit of information came to me from Gita after her visit to Cape Town in June 2016
…just a few months after I heard from Isaac.

Isaac and Gita drove to Paarl to meet Fishel and his late wife Zelda.

L to R: Isaac, Zelda, Fishel, Gita

On 26 December 2017 I wrote to Fischel:

-----Original Message-----From: Cyril Kaufman [mailto:[email protected]]

Sent: 26 December 2017 03:28 PM
To: [email protected]
Cc: Gita
Subject: Family contact

Hello Fishel
My cousin Gita has forwarded your mail to me.
Better late than never to form new family bonds I was very sorry to hear of the passing on of your dear wife
Zelda and would like to express my condolences to you and your family.
I did send you an email some days ago but perhaps you did not receive it ..
I probably had a mistake with the address.
Of course it would be really nice to meet you if you did decide to come to Israel in June next year and then we
can catch up.
In the meantime and if you have the time I wonder if you could let me have any information that you may have
about a man called Shabsa/Shapse Kropman who lived in Wellington many years ago. He had a brother Herman
(Zvi Hirsh) in Klerksdorp (I was born and grew up there) and he was most probably a cousin of my late
grandfather Abraham Zalman Kaufman ..the half brother of your father Shalom.
Wishing you and your family all the best for 2018
Cyril Kaufman

Fishel’s reply:
Hello Cyril
Thank you so much for making contact and for message of condolence, I really appreciate it. The contact from
Gita and yourself could result in meeting or discovering new bonds with family members with whom we have
lost contact. Yes, I do remember the late Shapse Kropman who lived to a ripe old age of 100years.His son, Gielie
also passed away about 3 years ago. Mr.Kropman thought that my father was a cousin of his and that our
surname should have been Kropman.
My dad arrived at Cape Town docks on a Saturday in approximately 1909 at the age of 13/14. His stepbrother
Zalman walked from Maitland to fetch him. Unfortunately my dad ,possibly because of the trauma of his
experiences at such a tender age never told us about his family tree. We did have contact with Zalman and
remember most of the family although I never met your father Maurice from Klerksdorp. We did visit uncle Isaac
occasionally .
I have been invited to join friends of ours to celebrate their grandsons Barmitzvah in Israel during June and I will
be extremely happy to make contact with long lost family. I think that my family and I are the last of the
Kaufmans in South Africa.

Regards / Groete
Kaufie Kaufman

This interesting letter contains a wealth of interesting information including:

• The fact that Shapse Kropman from Wellington questions the “Kaufman” name and
tells Fishel that it should have been Kropman and that they were cousins.

I have mentioned Shapse Kropman and his family roots in my chapter – Zeida’s extended
Kropman family.

• The fact that Sholom was aged “approximately” 13/14 when he arrived in Cape Town

in 1909.

Shalom Kaufman/Kropman died on 19 July 1970 aged 76 - written on his tombstone below.
This means that he was born in 1894 and it therefore confirms the record of his parents
wedding date as written by Zeida in his diary - 9th February 1893.

Fishel writes:

“My dad arrived at Cape Town docks on a Saturday in approximately 1909 at the age of 13/14.
His stepbrother Zalman walked from Maitland to fetch him”

Fishel confirms that Zeida and Shalom were half-brothers.

16 June 2018:

As I sit and write this chapter I eagerly await Fischel and Mark’s visit to Israel in a few
weeks and we will certainly have a wonderful opportunity to catch up and close the loop and
hopefully we will discover more about this amazing family saga.

Tuesday 3rd July 2018:
This day was the first time ever that I met Fishel Kaufman and his son Mark.
We met at the Sarona Market in Tel Aviv.

The descendants of Yehoshua Fishel Kropman and his first wife – Cheyna
as well as those from his second marriage to Simcha Tinet.

Standing: Mark Kaufman (Fishel’s son)
Seated L to R: Cyril Phillip Fishel Harold Gita
Fishel Kaufman was born to Shalom and Ethel Kaufman on 17th August 1935 in Paaarl –
Western Cape, South Africa.
There are two sons from this marriage:
Mark (divorced) – two children – a son Jonathan and a daughter Lindy.
Errol married to Karen and they have two daughters – Zara and Emma.
Fishel had a sister whose name was Joyce (Simcha) and she was born on 1 October 1929 and
passed away on 29 May 2009.
Joyce was named after her grandmother Simcha (Yehoshua Fishel Kropman’s second wife)
Joyce married Leslie Friedman – there were no children from this marriage.

5th August 2018 – Winchester Mansions Hotel, Beach Road, Sea Point.
In the photographs above, Fishel and I are sorting through the items from the “suitcase”

Aside from some of the photographs that have become part of the sections relating to Mary
Diamond, Slowa Trunk and Zelda Solden there were many other items of interest and these
are listed below.

• Wedding invitation - Solomon (Shalom) Kaufman to Tina Chorn.

• Zelda Solden

• Zelda and her eldest daughter – Jenny

• Jenny and her youngest brother Shloma Shmuel (Sam) Solden – Sheila Erner’s father.
Shalom received this photo in Van Rhynsdorp on 19th March 1914

• Jenny Solden - 1914

• Solomon (Solly) Solden – Zelda’s eldest son
Photo taken June 1914 (written on reverse side of photo)

Solly and his wife Esther were guests at our wedding 22 December 1968

• Doris (Dora) Solden – Zelda’s 2nd oldest daughter

Left side of card (Top) Left side of card (Bottom) Right side of card
‫די ניישטע וואך וועט‬
‫מיין ליבער ברודער‬ ‫איך ווינש אייך‬
‫איך בין געקומען דיר‬ ‫קומען פאר זאלמענען‬ ‫אלעמען פיל גליק‬
‫בעטען אנשולדיגין פיר‬
‫מיינעם ניט שרייבין‬ ‫צום נייעם יאר‬
‫דאש ווינשט אייך אייער‬
‫אנשולדיג מיר אנשולדיג מיר‬
‫שוועסער אונד שוועגירין‬
‫אונד טאנט ריווע קאפמאן‬

My dear brother Next week will I wish you
I have come here Come here Zalmen All full luck
To ask your forgiveness For the New Year
For my not writing you This wishes you your
Forgive me forgive me Sister and sister-in-law
And Aunt Riva Kaufman

‫‪My brother I greet you from‬‬ ‫מיין ברודער איך גערוס פאן‬
‫‪My heart and a sweet and a good‬‬ ‫מיין הערצען א זיס א גוטען‬
‫‪Year I wish you. And a letter‬‬ ‫יאהר ווינס איך דיר אונד א לעטער‬
‫‪Do not forget to write me for‬‬ ‫שרייב מיר פערגעס ניט אויפען‬
‫‪The New Year. From me‬‬ ‫נייען יאהר צו שרייבן מיר פאן‬
‫‪Your sister Zelda‬‬ ‫מיר דיין שוועסטער זעלדע‬

The tombstones of Shalom Kaufman and his wife Ethel Kaufman
both to be found in the Paarl Jewish Cemetery

The tombstone of Joyce (Simcha) Friedman (Kaufman)
in the Pinelands cemetery in Cape Town



ZEIDA’S EXTENDED KROPMAN FAMILY

As a young boy I remember being told the stories about my father’s youth in
Maitland and his days at SACS High School in Cape Town and then that he had
wanted to study medicine.
I was told that after matriculation he completed a Medical BA (Basic Medical
Sciences and Latin) at Cape Town University and then travelled to England and
to Liverpool University where he received his medical degree in 1931 and then
on to Edinburgh where he studied for and received a fellowship in Surgery –
FRCS (Edin) in 1934.
I also heard many stories about the weekends and holidays that he spent in
Manchester with the Solden family - his Aunt Zelda (the youngest of Zeida’s
three sisters) and her husband Abraham and his cousins, especially Lou and Sam
and their sister Marie.
The story continued when he returned to South Africa in 1935 and that he then
made application and was accepted for a post as locum to a medical practice in
Johannesburg.
Before leaving Cape Town he learned that he had family in a small town called
Klerksdorp which was on the way to Johannesburg and so he decided that as it
was only 100 miles from Johannesburg that he would drive there to visit these
“cousins” whose family name was KROPMAN.
He eventually drove over to Klerksdorp and met the Kropman families - Abram,
Elik, Karl and their sister Golda (Borer) and their families and children and
they suggested that he should consider settling in Klerksdorp and to open a
medical practice of his own.

BUT THIS WAS ALWAYS JUST A STORY.

In 1936 he returned to Klerksdorp where he established his medical practice and
then he met and married Sylvia Rosalin Owsianick

and they were married in 1941 and I was born on May 14, 1942.

ALL of my father’s family, as I ever knew them,
were of the family name KAUFMAN and although I was very well acquainted
with ALL of the Klerksdorp Kropman and Borer families, I never really knew

nor was I ever told that there was any sort of family relationship.

When my mother passed away in 2011 and I discovered the “Tanach” Book
there was also a big black metal box that contained many of Dad’s personal
items – birth certificates, passports, personal letters, medical certificates and
more and also a small flip book in a plastic envelope.
I was absolutely astonished to read what was written on the cover page of this
document – photo below – and I realized that it had belonged to my Zeida and
that it was actually his handwritten diary, written in 1893 when he was 15 years
old.
But what caught my eye even more was the name inscribed on the diary written
both in Hebrew and English print:

A. S. KROPMAN …………………….‫אבר זלמן ב"ר יהושוע פישל קראפמאנן‬

Ever since that day and particularly for the past two years, I have made every
effort to try to find out when, where and why the family name changed from

KROPMAN to KAUFMAN
and although I never knew nor had ever been told I was determined to try and

discover how this happened and why my father ever visited the Kropman
families in Klerksdorp and if there really was some family connection.

As I sit now and write this chapter, I have been taken back in time on the most
fantastic journey that has enabled me to record family history starting as far
back as sometime around 1777.
The information that follows is based not only what was gathered from internet
sites such as My Heritage and JewishGen but also from accurate written records
in Zeida’s handwritten diary “Tages Buch”, in immigration papers, shipping
manifests, passport applications and more.
Through my searching on the internet I have made renewed contact with old
friends (most probably distant cousins), Michael Borer and his sister Zena (the
children of Phillip and Golda Borer (Kropman) and have found new friends and
“new cousins” and I have met people that I never ever knew existed but are now
confirmed members of the Kropman families from Lithuania.
I have met:

• Margaret Fullarton married to David Mark – Australia.
• Dr. Martin Been – London.

• David Jackson

All three of these people are direct descendants of the Kropman families who
lived in the towns and villages of Laizuva, Akmene, Triskiai and Vechsniai all in
the area of Kovno (Kaunas), Lithuania.

Margaret has been instrumental in enabling me to fill in a lot of missing
information about:

• Zeida’s sisters, Tamara Gittel and Slova and their families.
• Zeida’s grandfather – Abram Kropman married to Taube.
• Zeida’s great Uncles -Meir, Ber, Izik and Shabsel and great Aunt Keyle.
• Zeida’s great grandfather Girsh/Hirsh Kropman.
• Berel Kropman – from the year 1777.

Martin and David have filled in about their roots and so together we have been
able to present the information that follows.

Margaret Fullarton:

I first came across Margaret absolutely by chance when I was surfing the
internet and looking at family trees in a website called My Heritage.
Margaret had set up a family tree which was named Toff Mark Sewelson and
included a section about “Kropman” family.

When I opened the Kropman family section I was suddenly confronted with all
sorts of information regarding Fisel (Yehoshua Fishel) Kropman, his wife
Hiyena (Cheyna) and their children Avraham Zalman, Zelde and Slova.

I had never met nor did I know anyone by the name of Margaret Fullarton but I
decided to follow up via the link on the internet and within minutes I received
her reply -- and the rest is history.

Margaret is married to David Mark and she told me that she had, for many
years, been researching the history of her husband’s family.

Margaret writes to me on 9th December 2017:
“The father of them all was Abram Kropman and he had three sons that I know of:

Fisel (Yehoshua Fischel Kropfman), Leizer and Mendel and they lived in Popelianskaya St in Akmene so I in my infinite
wisdom thought they must be brothers and their father was Abram and Fisel and Leizer each had a son called Abram so
there you go. Leizer had three daughters, two of whom married Craft brothers and went to Manchester UK. Goodness
knows what happened to the other siblings. You have all that info you lucky thing.”

What I learned from Margaret was:
• David’s mother’s maiden name was Esther Kropman and she was one of
the daughters of Leizer (Eliezer) and Chana Rivka Kropman. There were
two other sisters and a brother Abram Matus.
• Esther Kropman married Maurice Craft and they lived in Manchester and
they had
• Lithuanian census records showed that Leizer had a brother Fisel
Kropman who was married to Hiyena and that they had three children,
two daughters Slova and Zelde and a son Avram Zalman.

Eliezer Kropman and Yehoshua Fischel’s were brothers

What has transpired since is that there is information which
goes back for SEVEN generations.

In about 1775 there are records of two men.

• Sholom/Shevl (married to Zelde) born circa 1775 – died circa 1825.

• Berel (married unknown) born circa 1777 – died circa 1830.

They lived in Akmene, Lithuania.

SHOLOM/SHEVL married ZELDE they had a son LEYB/LEIB.
LEYB/LEIB married RAUSKE and they had four children.

ZELIK – DAVID – BEILA -MARKUS.

This is as far as I have traced the children of Sholom/Shevl.
To the best of my knowledge, Sholom/Shevl and his family are not directly

connected to the Kropman/Kaufman family tree.

BEREL married UNKNOWN and there were two sons that we know of

GIRSH/HIRSH & ZALMAN/ZELMAN

BEREL (1777-1830) m UNKNOWN

GIRSH/HIRSH(1801-?) ZALMAN(1804-?)
ETTA (1804-?) MERE (1808-?)

father MEYER/MEIR in 1834 (father Abram Kafter)

ZALMAN married MERE (father Abram Kafter) and they had two sons that we
know of

IZIK & MANNE

ZALMAN(1804-?)
MERE (1808-?)

in 1834 (father Abram Kafter)

Izik Manne
(1835) (1840)

GIRSH/HIRSH married ETTA (1804_?) whose father’s name was Meir and they
had six children.

SHABSEL (1821_?), ITZIK (1835 -?), BER (1837 _?), ABRAM (1821- 1855), and
MEIR (1836 _?)

and a daughter KEYLE (1845 _?)

https://www.myheritage.com/research/record-1-18624951-13-17/girsh-kropman-in-myheritage-family-trees?s=480286231

SHABSEL married ELKE (1821_?) in about 1840 and they had three children
ABE, MEIR (married to CHAYA ROCHEL) and RASKE

Shabsel(1820-?)
Elke (1821)

ABE MEIR(1841-?) RASKE
(1847-?) CHAYA ROCHEL

https://www.myheritage.com/research/record-1-18624951-13-19/shabsel-kropman-in-myheritage-family-trees?s=480286231

IZIK married LEAH and they had three children
ABRAM, MEIR and ESTHER

IZIK(1835)
Leah

Abram Esther Meir
(1856) (1857) (1861)

https://www.myheritage.com/research/record-1-18624951-13-20/itsyk-kropman-in-myheritage-family-trees?s=480286231

KEYLE/KEILE married GERSON SISCHY and they had two sons
BARNETT (BARNEY) and CHARLES

Charles Sischy married Minnie Osrin and they had a daughter Clarice who in
turn married Joseph Been in 1947 and they had a son Martin.

Below is an email from Martin Been to Margaret Fullarton on 2 January 2018

Hi Margaret,
Yes - as I remember it we couldn't find a definite link between our Kropman relatives but I think it
likely they are related. Your relatives were from Latvia (?) and mine were in Li thuania but right on
the border with Latvia.
As for the Been/Sischy family - yes that is my family!
My father, Joseph (Been) married my Mother Clarice (Sischy) in 1947.
Can you remind me or update me with some of your Kropman relatives?
Happy New Year,
Martin

Michael Borer (son of Golda Kropman) wrote to me that he remembered that
there were family ties to the Sischy family and that one of the branches had two
sons – Kenny and Issy and that Issy Sischy had lived some years in Klerksdorp.

https://www.myheritage.com/research/record-1-18624951-13-95/barnett-sischy-shishi-in-myheritage-family-trees?s=480286231



There is no information about BER KROPMAN

ABRAM (1821/55) and MEIR (1836 -?)
the remaining two sons of GIRSH/HIRSH and ETTA (father Meir)

are, I believe,
the ancestors of the KAUFMAN/ KROPMAN families.

ABRAM KROPMAN (1821/55) married Taube (unknown maiden name)
and they had three sons that we know of

YEHOSHUA FISHEL (my great grandfather), ELIEZER/LEYZER and
MENDEL.

Margaret Fullarton was never certain about whether or not Yehoshua Fishel and
Eliezer/Leyzer were brothers.

I was able to show her that according to a written description in Zeida’s diary
he writes:

‫יום ה' כז' ניסן – הלילה הזה באתי לפאפעלאן ללמוד פה הקיץ אך לא קלעתי את המטרה כי אמי זקנתי אשר גר‬
‫בפאפעלאן ואצלה קיוותי למצוא מחסה נסע בלילה טרם בואי לאקווענאן אל דודי אליעזר ועל כן נשארתי בלי משען‬

.‫ומשענה וגם הכסף אזל מכיסי‬
14 April 1893 – On this night I arrived in Papile to begin my studies for the summer but unfortunately my
grandmother who lives in Papile and in whose house I had hoped to stay had the same evening travelled to
Akmene to my Uncle Eliezer and so I was left without a place to stay and also I had no money in my pockets.

As a result of above we can now safely say that the children, grandchildren and great
grandchildren of Eliezer and Yehoshua Fishel Kropman, were all first cousins and this is the
connection between David Mark (m. Margaret Fullarton to the children, grandchildren and

great grandchildren of Yehoshua Fishel and also that Akmene, Lithuania was one of the
hometowns of the Kropman families.

KLERKSDORP KROPMAN FAMILY:

MEIR/MEYER married ROCHEL (father Kadysh) and they had five children
that we know of

ZVI HIRSH, SHAPSE/ SHABTAI, BENZION and daughters HANNA, FEIGE
& SARA.

https://www.myheritage.com/research/record-1-18624951-12-444/leizer-kropman-in-myheritage-family-trees?s=480286231

https://www.myheritage.com/research/record-1-18624951-13-58/meyer-kropman-in-myheritage-family-trees?s=480286231

The children of Zvi Hirsh and Hinde Rocha are the “family” in Klerksdorp who
my father went to visit in 1935.

These Kropman brothers and sister – Abram, Elik, Karl and Golda (Borer) were
of the same generation as my Zeida – in fact they were first cousins which meant

that they were second cousins to my father and that actually our family name
always was and should have been Kropman.

Point of interest:

• In one of conversations with my cousin Zilla-Jane Goodman the subject was raised of
how the name Kropman changed to Kaufman.

Zilla-Jane lived in the same house as Zeida in Maitland and also when they made Aliyah in
1960 and she told me the following story.

“Zeida arrived in South Africa in 1903 and was met at the Cape Town docks by his
brother’s in law Max and Hyman Joffe who had sent him the money to travel from
Lithuania and who had also arranged for him to be employed as the chief “Shochet” for
Cape Town.
When approached by the customs officials regarding his name he was repeatedly
misunderstood and each time he said “Kraufman”– the customs official kept saying
“Kaufman” until eventually Hyman Joffe then stepped in and said to the official “yes
Kaufman” and that is how the family name changed?

Some thoughts:

I would like to propose that “our Abram” was the son of Zalman and Mere and not of Girsh and Etta and I will
explain.

• My grandfather – Avraham Zalman - was the only son of Yehoshua Fishel and Cheyna (that is a fact).
• Avraham Zalman was always known to all his family as Zalman and his birth, which is described in the

diary as “great joy to the family as he was the only son”, would have been the one and only opportunity
that Yehoshua Fishel had to give his only boy child the name Avraham (his maternal great grandfather) and
Zalman (his grandfather)
• NEXT – Yehoshua Fishel and Cheyna’s eldest daughter - Tamara Gittel (Mary Diamond) - could very well
have been named after her grandmother Mere - Mere being an endearment name of Tamara.
• ALSO – I see that Slowa had a daughter whose name was Maria (Mere/Mary/Tamara)
• ALSO – the dates for “our Abram” fit in much better if he were the son of Zalman and Mere (not of Girsh
and Etta) and born sometime between Izik (1835) and Manne (1840) because I think he was probably born
around 1836/7.
• FINALLY – Zalman and Mere had a son Izik – “our Abram’s” sibling. My grandfather’s eldest son born in
Lithuania in 1901 – his name was Izhak/Izik

This should in no way deter from the fact that Zeida
was part of a very large family with the name Kropman

and they all lived in the area of Lithuania
called Kovno (Saliai or Shavli and Telsiaia or Telsch )

and the names of the villages were
Vechsniai (Vechsna), Akmene and Triskiai (Trishki)





DOCUMENTS:

The family of Eliezer Kropman - 1897

Lithuania Census 1897

Town Address Name Relationship Born Source
Volost Landowner Age Father Registered
District
Gubernia Comments Living

Akmene Popelianskaia KROPMAN, Leizer h Akmene LVIA / 768 / 1
Akmene Street 45 Abram Akmene / 101
Siauliai Kropman Akmene
Kovno shoemaker Siauliai
District
KROPMAN, Khana- hwif Akmene
Rive 40 Matus Akmene
Akmene
- Akmene
Akmene
KROPMAN, Abram- 7 Leizer hson Akmene
Matus - Akmene
Akmene
KROPMAN, Ester-Leia 16 Leizer hdau Akmene
- Akmene
Akmene
KROPMAN, Elke-Matle 12 Leizer hdau Akmene
- Akmene
Akmene
KROPMAN, Ete hdau
4 Leizer

-

Esther-Leah (Kropman) Craft

50th Wedding Anniversary photo – circa 1950.

Birth: 1880 - Akmene. Lithuania.

Marriage: Marriage to: Maurice Craft - Circa 1900 Maurice Craft (1879 – 1952)

Census: Apr 2 1911 - 25. Wood Street, Stockport, Cheshire, England

Death: 1957 - Manchester UK
Parents: Leizer Kropman - 1852 – 1912 – married Chana Rivka

Children:

Jane (Sylvia) Mark (born Craft) - 1903 – 1987
Jane (Sylvia Mark) was the mother of David Mark (Margaret Fullarton’s husband)

Freda Greenberg (born Craft) - 1916 - 1994
<Private> Craft
Fay (Fanny) Craft - 1910 – 1947 <Private> Fletcher (born Craft)

Margaret Fullarton replies to one of my emails and writes the following on 9th December 2017:

Well wasn’t your grandfather the sensible one – if only the rest of them left such a legacy!

Thank you Cyril – it is so good to get some information that is concrete. We founder on rumour and family stories we
genealogists! To think that Zelda was in Liverpool and we have no stories about her as the Crafts were all in Manchester
just down the road! And now I can’t ask any one because they are all dead. Blow! As you can see from the info from
Jewishgen, Tamara is not mentioned.

The father of them all was Abram Kropman and he had three sons that I know of:

Fisel (Yehoshua Fischel Kropfman), Leizer and Mendel and they lived in Popelianskaya St in Akmene so I in my infinite
wisdom thought they must be brothers and their father was Abram and Fisel and Leizer each had a son called Abram so
there you go. Leizer had three daughters, two of whom married Craft brothers and went to Manchester UK. Goodness
knows what happened to the other siblings. You have all that info you lucky thing.

David Ellis Mark – married to Margaret Agnes Fullarton
Eliezer Kropman (brother of Yehoshua Fischel Kropman)

Esther Kropman (Craft) – 1st cousin to Zeida
Isaac Mark - cousin to Zeida’s children

Leslie Mark – cousin Zeida’s grand children
David Mark – cousin to Zeida’s great grandchildren.

Tax and Voters Lists

Father Comments Day Town Archive/Fond/Inventory/File
Age Type of Record Month
Name Uyezd Record #
Year
Guberniya Page#

KROPMAN, Girsh Berel record # is for last Vieksniai KRA/I-223/1/32
revision Siauliai 167
Family List (Index) 1845 Kaunas 120
Vieksniai KRA/I-223/1/32
KROPMAN, Leyb Shevel record # is for last Siauliai 214
revision Kaunas 129
Family List (Index) 1845 Akmene KRA/I-49/1/1381
Siauliai 5
Berel well-to-do; #7 on last May Kaunas 980
KROPMAN, Girsha rev list 1846 Akmene KRA/I-49/1/1381
Candle Taxpayers Siauliai 55
Kaunas 981
Girsha middle class; #7 on last Akmene KRA/I-49/1/1381
KROPMAN, Shabshe Siauliai 141
rev list May Kaunas 982
Akmene KRA/I-49/1/1381
Candle Taxpayers 1846 Siauliai 179
Kaunas 983
Berel poor; #67 on last rev May Laizuva KRA/I-49/1/17525
KROPMAN, Zelman list 1846 Siauliai 4
Candle Taxpayers Kaunas 114
Laizuva KRA/I-49/1/17525
Sholom very poor; #54 on last May Siauliai 7
KROPMAN, Leyba rev list 1846 Kaunas 114
Candle Taxpayers 21
KROPMAN, Ber December
inn owner; 4 in family 1892
KROPMAN, Meyer Box Taxpayers 21
December
inn owner; 4 in family 1892
Box Taxpayers

Father Comments Day Town Archive/Fond/Inventory/File
Age Type of Record Month
Name Uyezd Record #
Year
Guberniya Page#

KROPMAN, Meyer inn owner; 9 in family 21 Laizuva KRA/I-49/1/17525
Box Taxpayers December Siauliai 18
1892 Kaunas 114

KROPMAN, Itsyk peddler; 3 in family 21 Laizuva KRA/I-49/1/17525
KROPMAN, Ber Box Taxpayers December Siauliai 39
KROPMAN, Meyer 1892 Kaunas 115
KROPMAN, Meyer inn owner; 5 in family Laizuva KRA/I-49/1a/389
KROPMAN, Itsyk Box Taxpayers 1896 Siauliai 12
KROPMAN, Itsyk Kaunas 67
KROPMAN, Leyzer inn owner; 3 in family 1896 Laizuva KRA/I-49/1a/389
KROPMAN, Mendel Box Taxpayers Siauliai 14
KROPMAN, Girsh 1896 Kaunas 67
inn owner; 7 in family Laizuva KRA/I-49/1a/389
Box Taxpayers 1896 Siauliai 18
Kaunas 67
peddler; 3 in family 1903 Laizuva KRA/I-49/1a/389
Box Taxpayers Siauliai 25
1903 Kaunas 67
Evreyskaya (Jewish ) Akmene KRA/I-51/5/80
St. 1903 Siauliai
Real Estate Owners 20 Kaunas 8
October Akmene KRA/I-51/5/80
Popelianskaya St. 1908 Siauliai
Real Estate Owners Kaunas 8
Akmene KRA/I-51/5/80
Popelianskaya St. Siauliai
Real Estate Owners Kaunas 8
Tryskiai KRA/I-49/1/26862
store owner; well-to- Siauliai 1
do; 7 in family Kaunas 36
Box Taxpayers

Father Comments Day Town Archive/Fond/Inventory/File
Age Type of Record Month
Name Uyezd Record #
Year
Guberniya Page#

Meer town dweller 15 Siauliai KRA/I-27/1/129
KROPMAN, Leyba Candidates for 28
Municipal Electors September Siauliai

1910 Kaunas

Gruzdziai KRA/I-49/1/21909
41
KROPMAN, Abram Rabbi Electors Siauliai 47
1912 Kaunas KRA/I-49/1/21912
13 Akmene 3
30
KROPMAN, Leyzer Rabbi Electors January Siauliai KRA/I-49/1/21912
1915 Kaunas no #
KROPMAN, Leyzer community's 13 Akmene 31
55 representative January Siauliai KRA/I-49/1/21912
Rabbi Electors 1915 Kaunas 25
29 Akmene 3
KRA/I-174/1/1
KROPMAN, Leyzer Rabbi Electors (Prayer August Siauliai 127
Kaunas 125
School) 1903 KRA/I-49/1/21815
188
KROPMAN, Eta Leyzer born in 1893,lives with 7 Akmene 80
10 parents; 0,25 ruble November Siauliai KRA/I-174/1/1
1903 Kaunas 263
Postal Savings Bank 257
Records LVIA
117
23 Akmene 174
LVIA
KROPMAN, Leyzer Rabbi Electors February Siauliai 132
1904 Kaunas 174
KROPMAN, Leyzer Abram a shoemaker; married; 5 Akmene
53 30 rubles March Siauliai
Postal Savings Bank 1907 Kaunas
KROPMAN, Beyla Records 21 Akmene
Lives in Akmene December Siauliai
KROPMAN, Leyzer Siauliai District Real 1913 Kaunas
Estate Tax Exempt 21 Akmene
December Siauliai
Lives in Akmene 1913 Kaunas
Siauliai District Real
Estate Tax Exempt

Father Comments Day Town Archive/Fond/Inventory/File
Age Type of Record Month
Name Uyezd Record #
Year
Guberniya Page#

KROPMAN, Chaya Lives in Laizuva 21 Laizuva LVIA
Siauliai District Real December Siauliai 36
Estate Tax Exempt 1913 Kaunas 186

KROPMAN, Abram Itsik born in Akmene; from 2 Papile KRA/I-175/1/1
40 Akmene; sorter of February Siauliai 94
timber; 800 rubles 1896 Kaunas 94
23 Tryskiai KRA/I-49/1/21815
Postal Savings Bank 128
Records 79

KROPMAN, Girsh Rabbi Electors February Siauliai KRA/I-562/1/3
1904 Kaunas 23
KROPMAN, Aron Yankel tailor since Apr 17
66 20,1878; from 1859-1887 Vieksniai
Vieksniai Siauliai KRA/I-562/1/3
Siauliai District Kaunas 23
Temporary Registered 17
Craftsmen Vieksniai KRA/I-106/1/493
Aron's wife 167
57
KROPMAN, Ita 60 Siauliai District Siauliai KRA/I-106/1/493
Temporary Registered Kaunas 186
Leib Craftsmen 1859-1887 Akmene 63
KROPMAN, Beylia wooden house, Siauliai LVIA/1567/1/2657
Klikolskaya St. 1912-1915 Kaunas 43
Abram Real Estate Owners Akmene 2
KROPMAN, Leyzer 1912-1915 Siauliai LVIA/1567/1/728
wooden house, 18 Kaunas 3
KROPMAN, Ber Girsh Dobikishskaya St. June Laizuva 10
52 Real Estate Owners 1889 Siauliai
14 Kaunas
signed Laizuva
Voters

Girsh

KROPMAN, Ber Voters November Siauliai

1899 Kaunas

Father Comments Day Town Archive/Fond/Inventory/File
Age Type of Record Month
Name Uyezd Record #
KROPMAN, Ber Year
Guberniya Page#

Girsh signed 3 Laizuva LVIA/1567/1/1047
65 Voters June Siauliai 4
1903 Kaunas 5

KROPMAN, Itsik 53 has a house and lives 17 Akmene LVIA/1567/1/2420
in Akmene April Siauliai 39
Voters 1884 Kaunas 2

18 Laizuva LVIA/1567/1/2657
36
KROPMAN, Itsik Girsh signed June Siauliai 2
48 Voters LVIA/1567/1/728
1889 Kaunas 13
Girsh signed 14 Laizuva 3
67 Voters LVIA/1567/1/1047
KROPMAN, Itsik November Siauliai 36
5
Girsh signed 1899 Kaunas LVIA/1567/1/2420
68 Voters 3 Laizuva 27
2
KROPMAN, Itsik June Siauliai LVIA/1567/1/806
15
has a house and lives 1903 Kaunas 1
in Akmene; signed 17 Akmene LVIA/1567/1/2657
Voters 16
KROPMAN, Leyzer April Siauliai 2
40 LVIA/1567/1/2657
1884 Kaunas 33
12 Akmene 2

KROPMAN, Leyzer signed February Siauliai
44 Voters

Girsh signed 1901 Kaunas
53 Voters 18 Laizuva

KROPMAN, Meyer June Siauliai

Shabshel signed 1889 Kaunas
42 Voters 18 Laizuva

KROPMAN, Meyer June Siauliai

1889 Kaunas

KROPMAN, Meyer Girsh signed 27 Laizuva LVIA/1567/1/508
58 Voters June Siauliai 4
1896 Kaunas 6

Father Comments Day Town Archive/Fond/Inventory/File
Age Type of Record
Name Month Uyezd Record #

Year Guberniya Page#
27
Shabshel signed Laizuva LVIA/1567/1/508
66 Voters
KROPMAN, Meyer June Siauliai 7

1896 Kaunas 6
14 Laizuva LVIA/1567/1/728

KROPMAN, Meyer Girsh signed November Siauliai 7
63 Voters
1899 Kaunas 3
Shabshel signed 14 Laizuva LVIA/1567/1/728
60 Voters
KROPMAN, Meyer November Siauliai 10

1899 Kaunas 3

The All Lithuania Revision List Database - Part 1
The family of Meir & Chaya Rochel

Town Surname Given Father Relationship Age Reason Comments Date Page Publication Type
Uyezd Name This Left
Guberniya Registration Archive / Fond
Age Year etc
Last Former
Registration

Akmene KROPMAN Meyer Shabshel Head of 25 Moved 5 18 Additional Revision
Household 1881 September 15 to 14 List
Siauliai
Kaunas 23 1866 14 LVIA/1262/1/124
18
Akmene KROPMAN Chaya Wife 5 15 to 14 Additional Revision
Siauliai Rochel September 14 List

Kaunas 1866 LVIA/1262/1/124

The family of Meir & Rochel (father Kadysh)

Akmene Head of 30 Moved (?) 21 194 Additional Revision
Household April 2 to 26 List
Siauliai KROPMAN Meyer Girsh 1866
Kaunas 26 LVIA/1262/1/124
Missing 1881 21 194
April 2 to 26 Additional Revision
Akmene 24 1866 26 List

Siauliai KROPMAN Rochel Kodysh Wife LVIA/1262/1/124
Kaunas

The family of Eliezer & Chana Ryve

Akmene KROPMAN Leyzer Abram Head of 45 lives at 29 First Census of the
Household Popelianskaya Russian Empire
Siauliai 40 St., in his own 1897 29 LVIA
Kaunas 7 house, #1; born 29
16 and registered in 1897 29 First Census of the
Akmene KROPMAN Chana Matus Wife Akmene 1897 Russian Empire
Ryve Leyzer Son 1897 LVIA
Siauliai Leyzer Daughter born in Siauliai
Kaunas district, First Census of the
registered in Russian Empire
Akmene KROPMAN Abram Akmene LVIA
Siauliai KROPMAN Matus
Kaunas born and First Census of the
Estera registered in Russian Empire
Akmene Leah Akmene LVIA
Siauliai
Kaunas born and
registered in
Akmene

The family of Yehoshua Fishel & Hiyena/Cheyna/Jane

Vieksniai

Akmene 49 Residents
Siauliai
Kaunas KROPMAN Fisel Abram Head of 3 Registered in
Household Other
1893/94
Communities

KRA/I-223/1/31

Vieksniai

Akmene 47 Residents
Siauliai
Kaunas KROPMAN Hiyena Wife 3 Registered in
Other
1893/94
Communities

KRA/I-223/1/31

Vieksniai

Akmene 15 Residents
Siauliai
KROPMAN Abram Fisel Son 3 Registered in
Kaunas Zalman Other
1893/94
Communities

KRA/I-223/1/31

Vieksniai

Akmene 23 Residents
Siauliai
Kaunas KROPMAN Slova Fisel Daughter 3 Registered in
Other
1893/94
Communities

KRA/I-223/1/31

Vieksniai

Akmene 19 Residents
Siauliai
Kaunas KROPMAN Zelde Fisel Daughter 3 Registered in
Other
1893/94
Communities

KRA/I-223/1/31

Lithuania Marriages

Marriage of Yehoshua Fischel Kropman to Cire Shmukler – 21/1/1924
This is the 3rd marriage of Yehoshua Fischel

Abramas Vieksniai

Vieksniai KROPMANAS / Taube 77 husband Khaimas BERAS Not filmed /
Siauliai [KROPMAN], Fishelis Akmena and wife 1924
Kaunas

21/1/1924 SHMUKLER, Cire Lozeras 71 widowers marria LVIA/1817/1/323/34
Rebeka
Vieksniai 1

Lithuania Deaths

Yehoshua Fishel – Death Certificate

Name Father Residence Date of Death Town Place Microfilm
Mother Comments DD/MM/YY Uyezd Recorded Item
Spouse Hebrew Date Guberniya
Year Image
Age Record # Archive /

Cause of Fond
Death

Abramas Akmene 17/9/1924 Akmene Akmene Not filmed
KROPMANAS / [KROPMAN], Fiselis Siauliai 1924 LVIA/1817/1/13
82 Kaunas M1
Old age

Yehoshua Fischel died on 17 September 1924, aged 82 and 8 months after he married for the
3rd time.

There are huge discrepancies in the ages – the marriage certificate has age 77 in 1924 and
the death certificate has 82 in 1924.

I would be inclined to take the age at 82 in 1924 which means that he was born in 1842 and
that he was aged 36 when Avraham Zalman was born.

Lithuania Internal Passports Database, 1919-1940

Day Month Name MaritalSt Relations Age Left Occupatio Record Type
Year (Maiden Name) atus hip to n Archive/Fond/Inve
Plac Reason
Address Father Head of e of Left Comments ntory/File
Househol Birt
Town Passport
d h #
Uyezd

17 May 1920 KROPMANIENE / [KROPMAN] married Mother Internal Passport Applicat
Tryskiai , Rokha ion
Tryskiai
36813/51 LCVA/412/7/28

Siauliai KROPMANAITE / [KROPMAN], single Daughter Internal Passport Applicat
Golda ion

36815/53 LCVA/412/7/28

26 May 1920

Tryskiai KROPMANAS / [KROPMAN], married 2 others in Internal Passport Applicat
Tryskiai Leib family - ion
Siauliai names not LCVA/412/7/28
36911/110 recorded.

18 June 1920

Tryskiai KROPMANAS / [KROPMAN], married 2 others in Internal Passport Applicat
Tryskiai Abraham family - ion
Siauliai names not LCVA/412/7/28
136276/276 recorded.

1 July 1920

Tryskiai KROPMANIENE / [KROPMAN] married 1 other in Internal Passport Applicat
Tryskiai , Shule family - name ion
Siauliai not recorded. LCVA/412/7/28
136339/339

30 Oct 1920

Tryskiai KROPMANAS / [KROPMAN], married 2 others in Internal Passport Applicat
Tryskiai Leibe family - ion
Siauliai names not LCVA/412/7/28
3870218/82 recorded.
1

4 Apr 1921

Tryskiai KROPMANAS / [KROPMAN], Internal Passport Applicat
Tryskiai Eliye ion
Siauliai LCVA/412/7/59
579010/101
0

The graves of Meyer/Meir and Sheyna Krose KROPMAN

Meir the son of Tsvi
Sheyna Krose the daughter of Keresh

This photograph was given to me by Hannah Klass – daughter of Isaac and Ada Klass.

Isaac was the son of Hannah (Kropman) Klass
who in turn was a sister of Herman and Shabse.

I do not have information about the people who are visiting the gravestone.

SHAPSE/SHABTAI KROPMAN ‫שבתי בן מאיר‬

TOMBSTONES OF THE KROPMAN FAMILY
IN THE WELLINGTON (South Africa) CEMETERY

ZVI HIRSH/ HERMAN KROPMAN ‫צבי הירש בן מאיר‬

TOMBSTONES OF THE KROPMAN FAMILY
IN THE OLD CEMETERY, KLERKSDORP (South Africa)

THE HISTORY OF THE MAITLAND HEBREW CONGREGATION

AND TALMUD TORAH.

I never really knew the exact year that Zeida arrived in South Africa until to
my surprise I discovered that he had written a document detailing the year of
his arrival “in Africa” and early years in Cape Town, as well as a very detailed
history of the Maitland Hebrew Congregation and Talmud Torah, from 1903 to
1954.
I discovered this from a document, which is a translated version in English of
the original and which was given to me by Harold Kaufman, who in turn
received it from his friend Harold Zuckerman on 14 July 2000.
According to what Harold Zuckerman writes in his letter, this document was to
be part of an exhibit in the Jewish Museum at the Gardens Shul in Cape Town.
He writes, and I quote, “the scroll which has totally disintegrated within the glass
tube, remains in that tube and cannot be lifted or read at all”
Upon receipt of the document, I immediately made contact the authorities at
the Jewish Museum in Cape Town and asked for a photograph of the exhibit so
that I could include it in this project.
Below is some of the correspondence which began in January 2017:

From: JDAP [mailto:[email protected]]
Sent: 25 January 2017 16:31
To: [email protected]
Subject: Scroll from the Maitland Shul

Dear Mr Kaufman,
I hope this finds you well.
My name is Leila Bloch and I work at the South African Jewish Museum on the Jewish Digital Archive
Project.
I am writing in response to a letter you sent Gavin about the scroll written by your Paternal
Grandfather Avraham Zalmna Kaufman, which describes the History of the Maitland Hebrew
Congregation. This is a very informative document and with your permission I hope to keep it in our
archive. I unfortunately don't have much more information on the document at present. However I am
looking in to it. Would it be helpful for me to to give you names of people who were once connected to
the Maitland Shul? I will continue to explore the history of this document via these networks.
When we have made the right changes to our website, would you feel ok with me making a post about
it, calling for more information online? Here is a link to our website:
http://jdap.co.za/

Jewish Digital Archive Project

jdap.co.za
Welcome to the Jewish Digital Archive Project. The Jewish Digital Archive Project (JDAP) is a community
project located at the South African Jewish Museum in Cape ...

Please let me know your thoughts.
Many thanks,
Leila

I was also in contact with my late cousin, Isaac Karpas, who lived in Milnerton,
Cape, and asked him to see if he could trace this object.
Below is a letter received from Isaac:

“The story of the scroll is 75% correct. I was away living in
Johannesburg when I heard that the Shul was going to be deconsecrated
(7th day Adventist bought the building) and speaking to my friend Simon
Schiff, I said that they must look for this tube behind the corner stone,
and that’s where they found it.
I do remember my Dad sending turkeys from Koffiefontein for Yomtov,
and Zeida plucking the tail feathers, sharpening the points ala dipping
pen points and writing this scroll.
Grandson Max and I have been trying to get to the museum but just
cannot get a date where we and the lady from the museum are available
she only worked Monday and Wednesday morning. (On both these days I
go to rehab classes)
As a matter of interest, the house in Ferndale Road was called Zion Villa
and these stones are also supposed to be in the museum”

The facts are as follows:
• Zeida wrote this scroll using ink and a turkey quill (just as the scribes do
when they write the “Torah”) and placed it into a glass tube inside a lead
container.
• He then placed it in the wall behind the cornerstone of the Shul building
in Maitland and there it remained until it was found, as Isaac describes
above, sometime around 1989.
• It was then presented to the museum and was exhibited in the year 2000 at
which time it was opened and someone unknown to me translated it to
English and replaced it in the glass tube.

Below is a copy of the letter that my cousin Harold received from his friend
Harold Zuckerman and the document contained:

• A cover letter written by Harold Zuckerman on 14th July 2000.
• Three typewritten pages which were the translation of the Hebrew scroll.