this is a wonderful thing
I am so glad this family blog has been started. I'm not the best at keeping in touch with people, but I am interested in the family history, and often questions or just thoughts enter my mind in regard to the family. They get shelved in the back of my mind as it seems trifling to bother people with it, but that leaves questions unanswered.
To introduce myself, I am Etty Dickinson (nee Ethel Birnbaum), only daughter of Max and Chana Birnbaum, born July 8, 1954 in South Carolina
I grew up in New York city but have lived in London with my husband Nigel (who is British) since 1983. We have 5 children;
Alicia born August 3, 1979 in NYC
Lindsey born April3, 1983 in NYC
Nina born October 31, 1985 in London
Andrew born September 14, 1990 in London
Elodie born June 15, 1995 in London
Some of you who remember me will remember a spolied brat and a troublesome kid. All true.
But I am middle aged now and although I have health issues
the good news is that I have settled down and have become, if not a mensch at least not a vilda chaya.. My father of blessed memory was an impossible man in so many ways, but I will be eternally grateful that the last words I ever spoke to him were to tell him I loved him. Of course I miss my darling mother immensely. She was truly the most angelic woman I have ever met.
OK, enough about me.
Here is a Birnbaum trivia question:
One of the Toronto Birnbaums (I don't remember which one, but they are my generation) told me that George Burns was somehow related to our branch of the Birnbaum family. A distant cousin. True or false??
I hope to make this blog a regualr thing, thank you for inviting me!!
ETA:
Thank you, Alan, for posting the picture of Ruchel. I have seen it befofre but don't have a copy of it. The family picture you have on the main page is one I have never seen before. Is there a way to make it bigger?? I would love to get a good look at it. Thans!
2 comments:
As to the question of George Burns. It was David Birnbaum (Jack's son) who made that claim. He once told me and others that he had knock on Geroge Burns door on a visit to Los Angles and spoke to him about it.
To clarify the issue, George Burns real name was Nathan Birnbaum. He was born in January 1906 in New York city. His father was Louis (Eliezer Shrager) Birnbaum and his mother Dorthy (Dassah) Bluth (Got this all from Google).
Now to the question.
1. I have no reference to his parents in our family tree.
2. As far I remember reading a post on a Jewish Genealogical discussion forum many years ago that Geroge Burns was a Cohen. Since our Birnbaums are not Cohanim there is no chance of Birnbaum family connection.
So ends another family myth.
Too bad, I have been dining out on that one for years! My father believed that George was some kind of relative, too, so the myth went back a ways.
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