The Story of the Ferszter Family

Ewa Lotem (of the Ferszter family) had identified her step-sister in the photo galleries of Lodz Ghetto, on this website:
Felicja (Feiga) [Ferszter].
She appears in two photos:
Page no.21, row 9, first photo from the left.

Felicja is the first child on the right in the first row [near Stella Rein - the teacher]

Page no.21, row 10, second photo from the right.

Felicja is the first child on the right leaning on her hands

This photo is also kept in the archive of photos at Lochamei HaGetaot Museum (The "Ghetto Fighters' House").
Felicja and Ewa Lotem share one father – Leon Ferszter, a native of Lodz.

Felicja (Feiga) Ferszter.	Leon Ferszter	Ewa Lotem [Ferszter]

The story of the family is as follows: 

Sitting on the right: Leon, Mother Malka. Standing on the right: Romek, Cesia, Tola

Hersz Ferszter, the son of Lejbusz and Feiga, was born in Końsk, on the 20th of January 1882. He married Malka – the daughter of Pinchas and Feiga Gantz, who was born in Warsaw in 1882.
Before the War, they had resided in Lodz and owned a footwear store on Piotrkowska Street. During the War they stayed in Opoczno Ghetto and had perished together on the 5th of January 1943 in Treblinka death camp.
They had 6 children:

1. Leon, who was born in Lodz at 02 February 1906, was a bookkeeper by trade. Leon married Zofia [Zelda] Asz, the daughter of Melech and Szyfra Asz, who was born in Lodz in 1909. Their only daughter was Felicja (Feiga), who was born in Lodz at 09 November 1931 (the girl that appears in the two photographs on the Website).

Before the War, they had resided at 133 Kilińskiego Street, Lodz.
In the Ghetto they resided at 10/14 Sulzfelder Street. Felicja and her parents worked at the Girdle and Bra Resort (Resort Gorseciarski). Felicja's work certificate from the Ghetto was submitted to the Ghetto Fighters' House, where her personal details had been documented. When the Ghetto was abolished, the three were transferred to Auschwitz concentration camp. Felicia and her mother were killed on the 9th of August 1944. In 2005, a collection of songs, which Leon Ferszter wrote in memory of his wife and daughter – upon his return from the camp, was translated from Polish to Hebrew. The collection was submitted to "Yad VaShem" and to the Ghetto Fighters' House. Leon underwent hard physical labor at the coal mine in Jaworzno and, upon his release on February 1945, he had returned to his house in Lodz. He married Zofia of the Borenstein family, a native of Płońsk, who was also a Holocaust survivor. Their only daughter, Ewa, was born in Lodz at 05 June 1946.
The three had immigrated to Israel on the 19th of March 1957, and had established themselves in the city of Holon. Leon passed away in December 1968.
Their daughter Ewa had married to Yossef Lotem. They live in Holon and share 2 sons:

Lior, who was born in 1973, is married to Nadia, with whom he shares a daughter – Daphne, who was born in 2007 and Nir, who was born in 1978, married to Limor, with whom he shares a son named Dan, who was born in 2007.

The Lotem family: on the right: Lior, Yossi, Nir & Ewa		On the right: Aunt Roma, Ewa & Zophia Ferszter

Tauba – Tola, was born in Lodz in 1908, and had married Zygmunt Rosenzweig, with whom she shared two children: Hannah who was born in 1932, and Pinchas, who was born in 1934. During the War they stayed in Opoczno Ghetto; they were murdered at Treblinka on the 5th of January 1943.

1. Sarah-Ala, was born in Lodz in 1910, and had married Mathitiahu Weizman, who was born in Krakow in 1908. They shared one daughter – Hannah, who was born in 1934. During the War they stayed in Opoczno Ghetto; they were killed in Treblinka on the 5th of January 1943.
   
   
2.  Reuben – Romek, was born in Lodz in 1912, and had married Primet of the Skoczylas family, who was born in 1913. They were both murdered in Treblinka on the 5th of January 1943.
   
   
3. Daniel was born in Lodz in 1914 and had married Leah, of the Szechtel family in 1906, with whom he shared a son – Pinchas, born in 1936. The three were killed in Treblinka on the 5th of January 1943.
   
   
4. Tzipora-Cesia was born in Lodz in 1917, and had married Reuben Rosental, who was born in Lodz in 1916. They were both killed in Treblinka on the 5th of January 1943.

In the event where some other woman identifies herself in the two photos from Lodz Ghetto on this website, please contact Ewa Lotem at 38a Weizman St., Holon – 58326, Tel: 03-5036041. Email: evalotem@zahav.net.il