109 gather for family seder

MONTREAL - More than 100 people gathered for the 18th annual Nachshen family seder in Montreal last month.

The Nachshen Family Circle (NFC) was launched in 1963. The annual second seder began in 1983. The NFC members are all descendants of Moishe Nachshen and Sarah Romeinik from the Zhitomer region of Ukraine.

Family members came to Montreal from across Canada and the United States, as well as from Germany and Israel, to participate in the seder.

"This is a chance for cousins, aunts and uncles to come together to keep our connection to one another and to our common heritage," said Issie Nachshen, a senior member of the family.

"We are fortunate to have such a tight-knit family who have taken an active role in maintaining a bond which so rarely lasts through the generations," added George Nashen. "It was tremendous to see fifth-generation descendants of my zayde playing and singing together. This is the epitome of mishpachah."

In 1997, the Nachshen Family Circle Web site was created by Vancouver cousin Brian Nachshen at www.nachshen.com. Photos, stories, maps, family archives and even old recipes have been posted on the site in order to keep the family ties even stronger.

"It doesn't matter where our family members live anymore. We are cyber-linked, and cousins, young and some not so young, can learn all about our family history and contact other relatives they may never have known," said Glenn J. Nashen of Cote Saint-Luc.

Former Cote Saint-Lucer Gary Nachshen is actively involved in researching the family's history. "It is very exciting to reestablish your roots, and learn how our ancestors lived early in the 20th century and even in the 19th century," he said. "The world is a huge place, but it just got a little smaller for us," said the lawyer, who now lives in Toronto.

This year's seder was organized by Silka Fitelberg of St.-Laurent. A specially made Haggadah prepared for the evening included excerpts from many Jewish sources and Haggadahs around the world.

One cover featured a colourful artistic reproduction of the exodus from Egypt and the parting of the Red Sea. The Bible says that Nachshon, a prince of the tribe of Judah, was the first Israelite to jump into the sea before it was parted.

The other cover was a reproduction of an original 1902 family portrait of Moishe and Sarah Nachshen and their seven children, Motle, Avrum, Jack, Grisha, Mutzie, Fira and Tanya.

Several family members brought their musical instruments and organized an impromptu family orchestra, including former band leader and Beth Ora Synagogue choir member Al Fitelberg, and klezmer musician Judy Posner of` Maryland. Phillip Clement from Vancouver, flutist, joined the musical group. Then Wendy Zoffer from Princeton, a professional classical and jazz flutist, played, accompanied by her partner Paul Levine, adding to the enrichment of this grand event.

Many members concluded the evening with traditional folkdancing. The age range spanned some 80 years. The youngest, Thomas Nachshen of Toronto, is 1½. 85-year-old great-grandfather, Jack Clement was the oldest in attendance.

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