Can you tell me where your parents came from and also your grandparents?
By Hanni Harel
@Hannihar (130213)
Israel
July 10, 2020 7:44am CST
My father was born in Bessarabia which was Moldavia which is by Russia. My mother was born in the United States. My mother's parents were born in the Ukraine so that makes me a Jew with family from Russia. They did not speak Russian. I am not sure if my grandparents did. I did not live with them and my grandmother died when I was a baby. My grandfather spoke English to me. My parents spoke Yiddish. Since it is easier for me to put a link than try to explain it I will do that and those that want to read about it can:
I only know some words. My parents spoke it so we would not understand what they are saying. So, that is what I can tell you about where my parents and grandparents were from.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yiddish#:~:text=Yiddish%20(%D7%99%D7%99%D6%B4%D7%93%D7%99%D7%A9%2C%20%D7%99%D7%99%D7%93%D7%99%D7%A9%2C%20or,spoken%20by%20the%20Ashkenazi%20Jews.
19 people like this
19 responses
@garymarsh6 (23404)
• United Kingdom
10 Jul 20
You have a fascinating background Hanni. As for me and my ancestors there is nothing exotic about us. We are pure English through and through and have traced our family back to the 13th Century. All English born and bred!
2 people like this
@garymarsh6 (23404)
• United Kingdom
10 Jul 20
@Hannihar Hanni I have been very lucky to have travelled to many countries. I was going to come to Israel last year but cancelled my trip. I am quite eager to visit Israel one day. I have a friend who lives in Tel Aviv. Who knows maybe next year or the year after perhaps I will visit then. My daughter has been to Tel Aviv several times (Cabin Crew).
1 person likes this
@Hannihar (130213)
• Israel
10 Jul 20
@garymarsh6
I hope you will come to Jerusalem so I can meet you.
1 person likes this
@Hannihar (130213)
• Israel
10 Jul 20
@garymarsh6
Thanks Gary. So have you ever been to Israel? You are not far from us. So you are English through and through. Where have you been outside of England or Britain or the UK?
1 person likes this
@Luacsadel4 (158)
• Hungary
10 Jul 20
My mother's parents have slovakian origins, while my father's parents have polish, and french origins. We all speak hungarian, but we have mixed nationalities in our bloods. Your family is very unique, I like it!
2 people like this
@Hannihar (130213)
• Israel
10 Jul 20
@Luacsadel4
Thanks. Do you know any Polish and do you speak French?
1 person likes this
@Hannihar (130213)
• Israel
10 Jul 20
@Luacsadel4
ok. Is there someone that can teach you French?
1 person likes this
@Luacsadel4 (158)
• Hungary
10 Jul 20
@Hannihar No, none of it, but I'd like to speak French and visit Poland sometime.
1 person likes this
@ScribbledAdNauseum (104628)
• United States
10 Jul 20
I have actually heard of Moldavia but only recognize the name.
I was born in the US, and so were my parents and grandparents. I know more about my mom's side than my dad.
Mom's Side
Both grandparents born in Western NC
I believe great grandparents were as well, ancestrally wise we've come from Western NC
Mom was born in the area I live in now.
Dad's Side
I think dad was born in NC.
Grandmother born about an hour away I believe
Grandfather probably born in this area.
I really don't know, nor do I care much about my dad's side.
1 person likes this
@ScribbledAdNauseum (104628)
• United States
10 Jul 20
@Hannihar Maybe they felt that America would have the most opportunities for them and for you? Of course, that doesn't seem to be the case anymore.
1 person likes this
@Hannihar (130213)
• Israel
10 Jul 20
@ScribbledAdNauseum
My mother was not in the picture. I tried to ask my father questions but he never answered me so I stopped asking. I have no idea why they went there and not to Israel.
1 person likes this
@Hannihar (130213)
• Israel
10 Jul 20
@ScribbledAdNauseum
That is really interesting that you have heard of Moldavia. It has been mentioned in the movies on TV I have heard it. So your roots are right in the good old U.S.A. I wonder why my family went Minneapolis and hot to Israel. I feel that it was good that I came from a Western country to live in Israel so I can compare the two as far as living is concerned. I am not sure I would have wanted to have been born here, but, to know the language and not feel like an outsider would have been nice to have been born here.
1 person likes this
@PatZAnthony (14749)
• Charlotte, North Carolina
11 Jul 20
We were very fortunate to know our grandparents and some of our great grandparents. All of them spoke other languages, but we were not allowed to speak anything other than English.
It is amusing to me now that the older ones felt if all of us spoke English, we would fit in. It would be very obvious to anyone in the USA that the older family members were not born here.
1 person likes this
@PatZAnthony (14749)
• Charlotte, North Carolina
13 Jul 20
@Hannihar We are actively working on learning the languages our family members refused to speak in front of us. It is harder as you get older and the family members who are no longer with us have no idea how wonderful it would have been if they had taught us their languages. When they were not speaking English we were usually told to leave the room.
1 person likes this
@Hannihar (130213)
• Israel
11 Jul 20
@PatZAnthony
My grandmother on my father's side only spoke Yiddish and I did not know enough or did not know any at the time to speak to her. I am not surprised that if you spoke the language of the country that in your case was speaking English you would fit in. I am sure Jews may have felt that way when they came from Europe or other countries to America and thought if they spoke English they would fit in. I feel people should be able to speak any language they want.
1 person likes this
@Hannihar (130213)
• Israel
14 Jul 20
@PatZAnthony
That is too bad they did not speak the language of their country at home. Yes, it is harder with those gone and getting older to learn different languages. After you do learn them who will you practice on?
@dgobucks226 (35762)
•
10 Jul 20
My Dad's father (my Grandfather) came over into Ellis Island, NY from Italy. My Dad was born in Newark, NJ. My Mom's side has both German and Dutch ancestry so not sure of which country. My Grandparents spoke very little English.
1 person likes this
@Hannihar (130213)
• Israel
11 Jul 20
@dgobucks226
My family went to Ellis Island and they could not pronounce their last names so changed them. My father had a strong accent when he spoke English. Thanks for sharing that DB. It was very interesting. Did Ellis Island change your family's names too?
1 person likes this
@Hannihar (130213)
• Israel
13 Jul 20
@dgobucks226
I get the feeling if they cannot pronounce them them give a name that they can possibly.
1 person likes this
@dgobucks226 (35762)
•
12 Jul 20
@Hannihar Yes, same here with the last name spelling. 
1 person likes this
@Hannihar (130213)
• Israel
10 Jul 20
@Butterfingers
Were your parents and grandparents born in India?
1 person likes this
@Hannihar (130213)
• Israel
12 Jul 20
@Butterfingers
So are you happy be in India or have you traveled to other places or countries?
1 person likes this
Not because of hate, but because of the Chinese civil war.
@mods196621 (3652)
• Philippines
10 Jul 20
My parents came from the Philippines same as my grand parents. But they have half Spanish blood. Maybe because we are conquered by the Spaniards thousands years ago. So they called my mother as meztiza.
1 person likes this
@Hannihar (130213)
• Israel
10 Jul 20
@mods196621
What does it mean what they called your mother? Is she half Spanish and half Filipino?
@Hannihar (130213)
• Israel
10 Jul 20
@AkoPinay
Others here have also said they have Spanish blood and from the Philippines. So were your grandparents from Spain and went to the Philippines? We have Jews that escaped from the Nazis in Europe and went to where they would let them in and cannot remember if it was China, or the Phiippines. I just checked and I think they went to China but there were Jews saved by the Philippnes too.
1 person likes this
@everwonderwhy (7376)
•
11 Jul 20
Do you speak Hebrew fluently? I'm trying to learn Hebrew and read and understand the Bible in Jewish perspective.
1 person likes this
@Hannihar (130213)
• Israel
11 Jul 20
@everwonderwhy
No, I do not speak Hebrew fluently. Are you Jewish that you want to understand the Old Testament from a Jewish perspective?
@aureategloom (11046)
• Bosnia And Herzegovina
11 Jul 20
too bad i don't have a cool story about this...
1 person likes this
