Family Stories

Genealogical and personal accounts of the Jewish families of Gombin.

Click on one of the Names below to view the story of that Name.

Mindy (Bigeleisen) Ballen-Prosperi

mindy ballen prosperi father

I am Mindy Ballen-Prosperi, the daughter of Samuel and Rosalind Bigeleisen (later changed to Ballen). My father, Samuel Bigeleisen (can also be spelled as Bigelajzen) was born either in Gombin Poland or in Ozorkow, Poland (where they originally came from) in either June 1921 or in 1924 (he may have changed the year to meet requirements to come to the United States). As my father did not wish to talk about his very difficult past,… Read More »


Ellen Kaplan (nee Max/Manczyk)

Robert Max's father

My connection to Gombin is through my paternal great-great-grandfather, Jankiel MANCZYK, who was married to Ryfka ROZENBERG. Jankiel was born in the late 18th or early 19th century. Chiel Manczyk One of their children was Chil (b.1832), who married Hana LEWKOWICZ. They had five sons including Luzer (b. 1867) who married two BAUMAN sisters and remained in Gombin. He fathered 10 children and died in Gombin in 1916. Abram, the second son (b. 1872), married… Read More »


Remembering Ada Holtzman

ada holtzman

“Back to Gombin” Again, Remembering Ada By Meredith Nelson As Gombiners plan a 2018 trip to Poland, its excitement and anticipation are tempered. It’s hard to imagine such a journey without Ada Holtzman. September 29th marked the yahrzeit of Ada’s death. “Ada was larger than life,” said Mindy Prosperi, one of untold numbers of people who discovered their families with Ada’s help. “She was the soul of so much of the work we’ve done. Even… Read More »


Ada Holtzman

My father Meir Holtzman and my mother Rywcia (Rivka) Gostinska were born in Gombin in 1914 and emigrated to Palestine in August 1939, on an illegal ship “Colorado”. My parents settled in Israel and were “khaluzim”, among the founders of Kibbutz Evron, near the Lebanese border. I was born in the end of 1951, in Naharia, the third daughter out of five. One child Igal, the first born, died when only a baby. I have a brother… Read More »


Ben Guyer

Ben Guyer as a young man

It was with great sadness that I learned yesterday of the passing of my Uncle Ben Guyer. I send my condolences to his family and friends. When Uncle Ben and Aunt Annette came to Detroit after the war they stayed for a time at our house on Taylor Street. It was a two family flat and they lived downstairs with our grandfather, Shmuel Guyer. Upstairs lived my father, Sidney, my mother, Pearl, my sisters, Mae… Read More »


Anita Greenbaum-Brush

Greenbaum Family History in Gabin, Poland My grandfather was Jacob Leib Greenbaum. He was the oldest of five brothers, sons of Abram and Hinda Greenbaum. The other brothers were, Joshua, Joseph, Simon (Simcha), and David. Like Jacob, Joshua remained in Gabin, married Sarah and had a daughter, Reizele. Joseph and Simon emigrated to Leeds in England just prior to World War I. They married and had families.. The fifth brother, David, was reportedly taken into… Read More »


Lukasz Florkiewicz

lukasz florkiewicz gabin lake

February 21, 2010 My name is Lukasz Florkiewicz and I live in village Grabie Polskie – near Gabin. I am 23 years old. Month ago I found Your page in internet and I am very surprised and interested in history of Gabin. I never heared about film ‘BACK TO GOMBIN’ – I would like to see this film. I never heard about Gombin Jewish Historical And Genealogical Society. I saw very interesting photos and I… Read More »


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