The River Running
"Immigrants: we get the job done" -- Lin-Manuel Miranda, Hamilton
Raisa Wasserman and Lazar Gittelman
Lazar Gittelman was the oldest son of Mikhail and Sarah Gittelman of David-Gorodok. He married Raisa (Risha) Wasserman, and they had four children that I know of:
Herschel is said to have been born in Azdamichy, about 25 km east of David-Gorodok and 22 km west of Turov, and to have been a carpenter by trade. At some point in the early 1920s he set out for Poland, intending to immigrate to the States. En route he met Chana Rabinowitz from Chopovichi in what's now the Ukraine. Chana immigrated to the States in 1923. Herschel, forced to take a roundabout route via Argentina, arrived in 1924. He and Chana were married three weeks later. In the States Herschel was known as Harry Gittelman. He passed on 26 Feb 1950.
According to my aunt, Herschel and Chana's daughter, Pelka had one daughter. Both women are believed to have died during WWII.
Nathan married and had a son. He served in the Soviet army during WWII. He survived, but his wife and son did not. A notice published in the Detroit Jewish News on February 13, 1948, says that Nathan Gittelman is seeking information on his brother "Harry" and Harry's children, "Leo" and "Risha," as well as on his uncle Nathan, Nathan's wife Grunia and their daughter "Velchik." Sadly the older Nathan had died on March 4, 1947.
Nathan eventually did immigrate to the States. According to my aunt, he arrived six weeks after Herschel's death, which would be Apr 1950. He passed on in NYC in the 1960s.
Sarah is believed to have died during WWII.