אוסף צפורה לבית בלבן ויהודה פרנקל

The Frankel family originated in the Volhynia Grotto in the Ukraine. Avraham Frankel and his wife Leah nee Velkenstein came to Israel in 1913, with their 7 children, from Irkutsk, Siberia. Avraham and Leah Frankel Born in the year 5621 (17.8.1861) to Simcha (a wood merchant) and Shoshana (Raizel) nee Halpren. As a chld and youth he received traditional education in the 'cheder' and yeshivot, and a general education, by private teachers. At the age of 13 he was orphaned and went to live with his uncle in a large estate in Ukraine. At the age of 17 he went to London to study engineering. Upon his return to Russia he was arrested and sent to Irkutsk in Siberia because of his political ideologies and activities. There he worked in various government jobs and in building the railroads. Avraham participated, along with other political prisoners, in building the bridge of the Baikal Lake (a strategic bridge in the Russian-Japanese War in 1905). Due to his skills and perseverance he was asked to build additional engineering jobs. During the Russian-Japanese War he was responsible to supply food to 15 divisions of the Russian Army that was camped in Siberia. During his time in Siberia Avraham met and wed Leah, the daughter of Avraham and Chaya Velkenstein, who grow up on the banks of the Baikal Lake. They had 7 children: Tzipporah (Leibovitz), Simcha, Nachum, Yehuda, Eliyahu, Rivka (Friedman), Nechama (Berger). The family spoke Hebrew in their home in Siberia. They moved to Israel on 11.4.1913 (Nissan 5673). The family bought land in Gedera from Kraabad Aburose, an Armenian who lived there. In this way the borders of the settlement were extended North, beyond Nahal Sorek. Upon the suggestion of Menachem Shenkin and Shalom Labonsky, Avraham Frankel invested money in the 'Spector Hotel' in Tel-Aviv, the first modern hotel in the city. It was located on Nachalt Binyamim Street #18 (later it served as a building for Hadassah Hospital and the 'Es' meat factory). The home of Leah and Avraham Frankel was known as 'Noah's Ark' because of the help they gave to people and the fact that the house was opened to all. Between the years 1917-1918, when the Jews were expelled from Jaffa, many families found shelter in their home. The workers who worked for the Frankel's later founded Nahalal, Kfar Malal and Be'er Tuvya. In the courtyard of the house there were fruit trees, chickens, an oven and a dovecote. In 1920 bought one of the first tractors that were brought to Israel. They had the first electric refrigerator in Gedera. Avraham taught his sons and daughters Torah and knowledge. In the 1930's due to the drought and a plague of locust, which caused much damage to the crops, Avraham Frankel, together with some partners, bought the "Hamardim" Transport Company. The company provided public transportation from Gedera to Jaffa and Tel-Aviv. Later he started the company "Hamitan". In later years his children, Simcha and Yehuda, worked in these companies. Avraham also supplied gravel for paving the road between Mamia and Castina settlements. Chava Velkenstein (Leah's mother) lived in the home of Avraham and Leah and assisted, together with her daughter Rivka (Leah's sister) to care for the children. Rivka married Alexander Yivazrov (later changed to Ezer) who was one of the developers of "Yerid Hamizrach" in Tel-Aviv and builder of "Binyanei Hauma" in Jerusalem. Leah Frankel had difficulty dealing with the weather in Gedera and moved to Jerusalem. She passed away in 1939. Avraham died on December 6th, 1945 in Gedera. Their house was sold and today serves as the entertainment center of Gedera- "Habiluim 12". Yehuda and Zipporah (Balban) Frankel Yehuda Frankel, the son of Leah and Avraham, was born in 1906 in Irkutsk. He cam to Israel in 1913 with his parents, brothers and sisters. He went to elementary school in Gedera and completed his studies in 'Mikveh Yisrael' (1925). He returned to Gedera to help work in the family farm which included an orchard, vineyard tobacco field and a barn. Yehuda, together with his brother Simcha, worked in agriculture and in addition they joined the 'Hamardim' Company, as drivers and stock-holders, that their father founded. In later years the company merged with transportation company 'Drom Yehuda'. During WWII Yehuda transported British soldiers from Alexandira and Cairo to Beirut and Damascus. In addition to his work as a driver in 'Darom Yehuda', he was a 'noter' (a Jewish policeman in Israel during the British Mandate) and during the War of Independence he assisted in smuggling weapons to the besieged settlements in the south. Yehuda met Zipporah Balban in Tel-Aviv. The origin of her family was in the city Brody (today in the Ukraine). Zipporah, the daughter of David Balaban (1880-1917) and Bella nee Katz (1883-1925), was born in 1910. At the age of 17 she was orphaned and a number of years later, in 1934, she came to Israel by herself. She lived in the home of her friend in Tel-Aviv. She worked as a seamstress in the homes of the high society and was highly regarded. Zipporah married Yehuda Frankel on Succot 1937 (5698), during the Arab uprising. After her marriage she moved to Gedera to live with her husband. She continued sewing high quality children's clothing. She volunteered her whole life in various organizations and institutions, including, Hadassah Women's Organization, The Israeli Cancer Association, The Committee for the Welfare of the Soldiers, WIZO and the Kaplan and Herzfeld Hospitals. Yehuda and Zipporah had 3 children: Bilha, born in 1938, married Moti (Mordechai) Meiron (see collection 0785); David (Dudi), born in 1942, married Yehudit and lived in Gedera ' Sarah (Sarale), born in 1945, married Baruch Yogev. اقرأ أكثر