Chernikoff to Hazleton

MORRIS AND FAYGA KLEMOW

AND THEIR DESCENDANTS

  • The following history was given in the form of a speech delivered by Marvin Klemow, from the pulpit of Agudas Israel Synagogue in 1995, not long before the Klemow Family Reunion. Copies of this history were given out at the reunion.

  • IT IS VERY APPROPRIATE THAT THIS GATHERING IS OCCURRING IN AGUDAS ISRAEL IN HAZLETON WHERE SO MUCH OF THE KLEMOW FAMILY HISTORY TOOK PLACE. IN THIS SYNAGOGUE, FOR ALMOST 70 YEARS, KLEMOWS HAVE MARRIED, HAVE BEEN BAR AND BAS MITZVAHED, HELD BABY NAMINGS AND HELD MEMORIAL SERVICES FOR THOSE WHO PASSED ON.

  • I RECOGNIZE THAT WHAT I HAVE TO SAY TODAY ABOUT THE KLEMOW FAMILY MAY NOT BE FAMILIAR TO EVERYBODY, BUT I THINK MY RECOLLECTIONS WILL BE OF INTEREST TO ANYONE WHO HAS LIVED IN HAZLETON; OR WHO IS A MEMBER OF THE HAZLETON JEWISH COMMUNITY AND TO THE YOUNGER GENERATIONS OF KLEMOWS AND THEIR SPOUSES, ESPECIALLY THOSE IN THE FOURTH AND FIFTH GENERATIONS.

  • THOMAS WOLFE WROTE A BOOK "LOOK HOMEWARD ANGEL" IN WHICH HIS THEME WAS THAT YOU CAN'T GO HOME AGAIN. MR. WOLFE WAS WRONG, YOU CAN GO HOME AGAIN BY REMEMBERING YOUR FAMILY AND THE PEOPLE WHO MADE UP THAT HOME.

  • SINCE I STARTED PREPARING THESE REMARKS ABOUT THE KLEMOW FAMILY HISTORY, I HAVE BEEN ABLE TO GO HOME OVER AND OVER AGAIN IN MY MIND AS I THOUGHT ABOUT ALL OF MY RELATIVES WHO LIVED IN HAZLETON.

  • THE KLEMOW FAMILY TREE IS REALLY IS A FAMILY FOREST MADE UP OF MANY TREES SO I WILL HAVE TO LIMIT MY COMMENTS TO ONLY THAT PART OF THE FAMILY THAT FORMED THE ROOTS OF THE ORIGINAL KLEMOW TREE THAT BEGAN WITH MORRIS KLEMOW. MY REMARKS WILL COVER THE FIRST, SECOND AND THIRD GENERATION OF KLEMOWS. TO THOSE KLEMOWS WHO ARE IN THE FOURTH AND FIFTH GENERATION, I HOPE YOU WILL FIND THIS FAMILY HISTORY OF INTEREST.

  • MORRIS KLEMOW BORN IN RUSSIA IN 1866, CAME TO HAZLETON IN 1907 AT THE AGE OF 41. HIS PASSPORT WAS PRINTED IN RUSSIAN, FRENCH AND GERMAN. IN GERMAN THE FAMILY NAME IS KLIMOWICH. IN FRENCH IS ITS WRITTEN KLIMOVITSKY. THERE ARE ACTUALLY TWO PASSPORTS, ONE FOR MORRIS AND ONE FOR HIS FIRST WIFE FAYGA. IN HER PASSPORT HER NAME IS LISTED AS FEIGA. IT ALSO LISTS THE NAMES OF THE YOUNGER CHILDREN. I AM ASSUMING THE OLDER CHILDREN HAD THEIR OWN PASSPORTS. THE PASSPORT SAYS MORRIS KLEMOW WAS A JEW, A BOURGEOIS JEW. MORRIS CAME FROM A SHTETEL CALLED CHNERKOFF.

  • I SAID EARLIER THAT IT WAS APPROPRIATE THAT THIS GATHERING IS TAKING PLACE IN AGUDAS ISRAEL SYNAGOGUE. I WONDER HOW MANY OF YOU KNOW, THAT WHERE I AM STANDING, NEAR THE BIMAH, IS WHERE MORRIS KLEMOW'S LIVING ROOM ONCE STOOD. YES, MORRIS KLEMOW GAVE THE LAND TO BUILD THIS SYNAGOGUE ON THE CONDITION THAT THEY WOULD MOVE HIS HOME AND ATTACH IT TO THE REAR OF THE SYNAGOGUE.

  • ONE OF THE QUESTIONS MOST ASKED IS WHY DID MORRIS AND FAYGA KLEMOW COME TO HAZLETON IN THE FIRST PLACE?

  • MY FATHER ALWAYS TOLD ME THAT HE CAME TO AMERICA IN A BASKET AND THAT ANOTHER PERSON CAME IN THROUGH ELLIS ISLAND ON HIS NAME. I RECENTLY LEARNED THAT THE OTHER PERSON WAS A FRUMKIN AND THAT MORRIS KLEMOW CAME TO HAZLETON TO DELIVER THAT FRUMKIN CHILD TO ITS PARENTS. HE CAME TO HAZLETON, AND HE STAYED.

  • IT'S A GOOD STORY, BUT I AM NOT SO SURE NOW IT IS ACCURATE. MORRIS FIRST CAME TO AMERICA IN 1907. FAYGA CAME WITH MY FATHER IN 1909. MY FATHER WAS SIX YEARS OLD, AND THAT MUST HAVE BEEN SOME BASKET THAT HE WAS HIDING IN.

  • MORRIS AND FAYGA HAD SEVEN CHILDREN, ALL OF WHOM WERE BORN IN EUROPE. - LOUIS (1882-1961), BESSIE (1887-1955), MINNIE (1888-1938), SAMUEL (1892-1962) JACOB (1895-1975), DAVID (1898-1971) AND HARRY (1904-1985).

  • MORRIS AND FAYGA WERE THE FIRST GENERATION OF KLEMOW'S IN HAZLETON. THEIR SEVEN CHILDREN REPRESENTED THE SECOND GENERATION.

  • THOSE SEVEN CHILDREN HAD 27 CHILDREN. THEY WERE THE THIRD GENERATION OF KLEMOWS. THIS IS THE GENERATION THAT MOST OF THE YOUNGER KLEMOWS KNOW.

  • LOUIE KLEMOW HAD TWO WIVES, THE WOMEN I KNEW AS MRS. GOOTMAN AND, BESSIE KLEMOW. LOUIE HAD SIX CHILDREN - MANUEL, BERTHA, ANOTHER BERTHA, JACK, ALICE AND SHIRLEY.

  • BESSIE KLEMOW MARRIED HARRY BRENNER AND THEY HAD FIVE CHILDREN DORA, BERTHA, CHICKIE, THEDA AND FAYE.

  • SAM KLEMOW WAS MARRIED TO NETTIE AND HAD FIVE SONS - PHIL, OR FISHKA, SIDNEY, HARRY, PAUL AND JERRY.

  • DAVE KLEMOW WHO WAS MARRIED TO IDA, HAD THREE CHILDREN - SIDNEY, MIRIAM AND FLORENCE.

  • MINNIE KLEMOW MARRIED LOU LISSES AND THEY HAD THREE CHILDREN AARON, HAROLD, WHO WE ALWAYS CALLED HURKIE, AND FAY.

  • JACK KLEMOW WAS MARRIED TO IRENE. THEY HAD THREE CHILDREN - PHOEBE HAROLD AND RITA.

  • HARRY KLEMOW WHO WAS MARRIED TO ROSE, HAD TWO CHILDREN. GERRIE WHO WAS ALWAYS CALLED GOLDIE IN HAZLETON AND MARVIN KLEMOW. THAT'S ME. HARRY AND ROSE KLEMOW WERE MY PARENTS. I AM THE YOUNGEST OF THE 27 KLEMOWS WHO MADE UP THE THIRD GENERATION. MANUEL KLEMOW WAS THE OLDEST. INCIDENTALLY MY NAME WHEN I VISITED HAZLETON WAS NEVER MARVIN. EVEN TODAY FLORENCE SILVER STILLS CALLS ME MENDY.

  • 17 OF THE 27 THIRD GENERATION KLEMOWS ARE STILL LIVING. THIS PAST YEAR HAS BEEN VERY SAD. WE LOST THREE OF THE 27 FIRST COUSINS, BERTHA FABRICANT, PAUL AND RITA. YOU CAN'T GIVE AN ACCURATE PICTURE OF THE KLEMOW FAMILY BY ONLY MENTIONING THE BLOOD RELATIVES. YOU HAVE TO ALSO INCLUDE THOSE MEN AND WOMEN WHO MARRIED THE KLEMOW 27 FIRST COUSINS, BECAUSE TO ME THEY ARE AN EQUALLY IMPORTANT PART OF THE FAMILY AND ITS HISTORY IN RELATIONSHIP TO HAZLETON AND AGUDAS ISRAEL SYNAGOGUE.

  • THESE NAMES INCLUDE REBA KLEMOW, MAURICE FABRICANT, SIDNEY SCHWARTZ, RUTH KLEMOW, ELI BECKER, STANLEY SHAPIRO, ARNOLD SUKENIK, MILT ZIFF, LEROY ORKIN, RICHIE RIFKIN, IRVING MILLER. IT ALSO INCLUDES BEN TRAUB.

  • THERE IS GRACE, FAY, RHODA, ANNETTE AND CONNIE ALL WHO ARE NAMED KLEMOW AND WERE THE WIVES OF THE SAM KLEMOW'S FIVE SONS.

  • THERE IS CHARLOTTE LISSES, RAE LISSES AND IRVING MARK.

  • IT INCLUDES LILLY KLEMOW, NATE KLINE, NATE KUSS AND PAUL SILVER.

  • NAT BRANT AND MY SISTER'S HUSBAND LENNY KARASIK AND OF COURSE MY WIFE BRENDA KLEMOW, WHO REALLY KNOWS MORE ABOUT THE KLEMOWS THAN I DO.

  • THE 27 CHILDREN I MENTIONED HAD A TOTAL OF ABOUT 60 CHILDREN. THEY REPRESENT THE FOURTH GENERATION OF KLEMOWS. FOR THE RECORD, HAROLD KLEMOW, MANUEL'S SON, WAS THE FIRST OF THE FOURTH GENERATION. MY SON JASON WAS THE LAST BAR MITZVAH OF THE FOURTH GENERATION.

  • I REALLY DON'T KNOW HOW MANY CHILDREN THE FIFTH GENERATION KLEMOWS HAVE HAD ALREADY. I THINK IT IS 85.

  • WE ARE NOW ENTERING THE STAGE WHERE THE SIXTH GENERATION OF KLEMOWS ARE BEING BORN.

  • WHEN YOU ADD UP ALL THE NUMBERS OF THE BLOOD RELATIONS AND THOSE RELATED BY MARRIAGE, FROM THE FIRST GENERATION TO THE SIXTH GENERATION IT ADDS UP TO APPROXIMATELY 335 PEOPLE. AMAZING.

  • IT IS VERY ODD THAT I AM GIVING THIS HISTORY OF THE KLEMOW FAMILY IN HAZLETON, BECAUSE I ACTUALLY NEVER LIVED IN HAZLETON. MY SISTER WAS BORN IN HAZLETON, BUT BY THE TIME I ARRIVED, MY PARENTS HAD MOVED TO NEW YORK. YET I CONSIDER HAZLETON MY HOMETOWN, BECAUSE ALL THE MEMORIES OF MY YOUTH ARE CONNECTED TO HAZLETON WHEN I USED TO COME VISIT HERE DURING THE SUMMER. AS WE ALL KNOW, THE MEMORIES OF YOUTH ARE THE BEST.

  • LET ME TAKE YOU BACK TO HAZLETON 40, 45 AND 50 YEARS AGO AND TRY TO CREATE FOR YOU A PICTURE OF HOW THE KLEMOW FAMILY WAS SO MUCH A PART OF HAZLETON IN THOSE DAYS.

  • MOST OF THE TIME MY VISIT STARTED AT DORA AND ARNOLD'S HOUSE ON BROAD STREET, WHERE I USUALLY STAYED SO I COULD BE WITH HILLEL WHO WAS MY AGE. I STILL REMEMBER DORA'S MAGIC FREEZER, WHERE THERE WAS ALWAYS A GREAT CHOCOLATE CAKE WAITING FOR MENDY. I ALSO REMEMBER LISTENING TO MICHELE PLAYING A SOUTH PACIFIC RECORD OVER AND OVER

  • AGAIN AND SINGING THE SONG "HONEY BUN". I ALSO REMEMBER ARNOLD COOKING STEAKS ON THE OUTDOOR GRILL. KOSHER OF COURSE.

  • SOON AFTER ARRIVING I STARTED MY TRADITIONAL "SAY HELLO TO THE KLEMOW FAMILY" WALK DOWN BROAD STREET AND TO A YOUNG CHILD IT WAS TRULY AN ADVENTURE WALKING FROM THE HEIGHTS TO DOWNTOWN.

  • MY FIRST STOP WAS MY UNCLE SAM'S GROCERY STORE AT 328 BROAD STREET. I ALWAYS HAD TO REMIND UNCLE SAM THAT I WAS HIS BROTHER HARRY'S SON. AFTER ESTABLISHING MY IDENTITY HE ALWAYS OFFERED ME A TASTY CAKE. I REMEMBER HEARING STORIES ABOUT HIS FIVE SONS, WHO WOULD WALK DOWN BROAD STREET WITH THEIR ARMS LINKED KNOCKING PEOPLE OUT OF THE WAY. I ALSO REMEMBER THAT UNCLE SAM WOULD HAVE A GREAT TALENT FOR HITTING THE RIGHT KID AFTER NETTIE COMPLAINED HOW BAD THIS PARTICULAR CHILD WAS THAT DAY. SOMEONE TOLD ME THAT SAM USED TO LINE THE BOYS UP AND WITHOUT LOOKING, ALWAYS CONNECTED TO THE HEAD OF THE RIGHT OFFENDING CHILD.

  • THE NEXT STOP WAS HARRY BRENNER'S RAG WAREHOUSE, NEAR THE RAILROAD TRACKS. WHAT A PLAYGROUND THAT WAS FOR ME AND HILLEL, AND SIMON KLEMOW AND SAMMY RABINOWITZ (BIDDY). THERE WAS A MACHINE THERE THAT COMPRESSED AND BALED THE RAGS AND YOU COULD JUMP INTO THE MACHINE THROUGH A HOLE IN THE FLOOR ABOVE. I ALWAYS CAME OUT COVERED WITH LINT.

  • MY NEXT STOP WOULD BE MANUEL KLEMOW'S FURNITURE STORE AT 120 BROAD STREET AND OF COURSE, I ALWAYS HAD TO STOP AND SAY HELLO TO MANUEL'S MOTHER, MRS. GOOTMAN WHO LIVED ABOVE THE FURNITURE STORE.

  • SOMETIMES I WOULD HEAD TO 502 CRANBERRY AVENUE TO SEE AUNT BESSIE AND UNCLE HARRY BRENNER. I REMEMBER THEM AS PATRIARCHS, VERY SERIOUS, NOT SOMEONE TO FOOL AROUND WITH. I REMEMBER UNCLE HARRY ALWAYS YELLING AT ME FOR PICKING GRAPES BEFORE THEY WERE RIPE.

  • I ONLY SAW MY FATHER CRY TWICE IN HIS LIFE. ONCE WHEN MY MOTHER DIED AND ABOUT 30 YEARS EARLIER WHEN BESSIE PASSED AWAY. I STILL REMEMBER THE PHONE RINGING IN OUR APARTMENT IN l985 IN THE BRONX WHEN MY FATHER GOT THE CALL FROM HAZLETON THAT HIS SISTER BESSIE DIED.

  • MY NEXT STOP ON MY CHILDHOOD TOUR OF HAZLETON WAS THE DRUG STORE ON WYOMING STREET, WHERE RUBY RABINOWITZ WOULD ALWAYS MAKE ME A WONDERFUL SUNDAE. I CAN STILL SEE THE SMALL ROUND METAL CUP WITH THE PAPER INSERT. HE ALWAYS ADDED EXTRA WHIPPED CREAM AND AN EXTRA CHERRY FOR ME BECAUSE I WAS SO THIN. MR. RABINOWITZ'S MOTHER WAS MARRIED TO MORRIS KLEMOW AFTER, MY GRANDMOTHER FAYGA PASSED AWAY.

  • IT WAS THEN ON TO 118 TAMARACK STREET, WHERE MANUEL KLEMOW LIVED. THIS IS WHERE MOST OF MY MEMORIES OF SIMON AND HAROLD ARE FROM. SIMON HAD THE GREATEST COLLECTION OF COMIC BOOKS KNOWN TO MAN. IF REBA DIDN'T THROW THEM AWAY WHEN SIMON WAS IN THE ARMY, THEY WOULD BE WORTH A FORTUNE TODAY.

  • PHIL AND GRACE ALSO LIVED ON TAMARACK STREET, 114, AND LATER SIDNEY AND BERTHA SCHWARTZ. AND WHEN YOU VISITED BERTHA....SHIRLEY AND ALICE AND AUNT BESSIE KLEMOW WERE USUALLY ALSO THERE. IN LATER YEARS I STILL SEE FISHKA COOKING SOUP.

  • I THEN WENT OUT THROUGH THE ALLEY WAY, WHERE MANUEL USED TO STORE FURNITURE IN SOME SORT OF A LOFT, CROSSED THE SCHOOL PLAYGROUND AND WENT TO MY GRANDFATHER'S HOUSE. AS I SAID BEFORE, MY GRANDFATHER'S HOUSE, WAS ATTACHED TO THE SYNAGOGUE. I STILL REMEMBER MY ZEDDA. I REMEMBER HE WAS ALWAYS TELLING ME NOT TO RUN AROUND AND YELL. WHEN I WAS A CHILD I HAD A BOW AND ARROW. THE ARROW HAD A RUBBER SUCTION TIP. I WAS SHOOTING IN AND IT HIT MRS. RABINOWITZ IN THE HEAD. MY GRANDFATHER CAUGHT ME AND HIT ME WITH HIS CANE.

  • IN FACT THIS IS THE CANE HE USED AND SEVERAL TIMES I REMEMBER HE ALSO NUDGED ME WITH IT WHEN I WAS MAKING,AS USUAL, TOO MUCH NOISE, ESPECIALLY ON THE SABBATH. TO THIS DAY I AM MAD AT MY FAMILY FOR NOT NOTIFYING ME THAT THEY WERE TEARING DOWN MY ZEDDA HOUSE'S. I WANTED TO BE THERE AND SAVE SOMETHING FROM THAT PLACE WHERE I REMEMBER SO MANY CHILDHOOD MEETINGS OF MY KLEMOW RELATIVES.

  • IN LATER YEARS I ALWAYS REGRETTED NEVER SITTING DOWN WITH MY GRANDFATHER TO ASK HIM ABOUT THE KLIMOVITSKY FAMILY LIFE IN RUSSIA.

  • EVERY TIME I LOOK BACK THROUGH THE OLD PHOTOS OF THE KLEMOW FAMILY, THE ONE THAT STANDS OUT THE MOST IS THE KLEMOW FAMILY PASSOVER SEDER THAT WAS HELD IN HAZLETON 50 YEARS AGO.

  • SOMETIMES WE WOULD STAY AT MY UNCLE DAVE AND AUNT IDA'S HOUSE AT 1 WEST CLAY AVENUE IN WEST HAZLETON. BOTH OF THEM WERE ALWAYS GOOD FOR ANOTHER TASTY CAKE. YOU HAVE TO REMEMBER WE DIDN'T HAVE TASTY CAKE IN NEW YORK AND I THOUGHT IT WAS THE BEST CHOCOLATE ICING TOPPING I EVER ATE. I REMEMBER RIDING WITH UNCLE DAVE IN HIS TRUCK AS WE WENT FROM TOWN TO TOWN SELLING THE GROCERIES. UNCLE DAVE USED TO TAKE ME TO SEE THE HAZLETON DODGERS PLAY AND BECAUSE OF THAT I BECAME A LIFELONG DODGER FAN, BROOKLYN THAT IS, EVEN THOUGHT I LIVED IN THE BRONX NEAR THE HATED YANKEES. WHEN IN WEST HAZLETON, I ALSO WENT TO VISIT JACK AND RUTH AND ALL THEIR CHILDREN. I RECALL THAT I HAD TO WALK UP A LONG FLIGHT OF STAIRS TO GET TO THEIR APARTMENT, WHICH WAS ALWAYS FILLED WITH LOVE AND JOY. SOMETIMES I WOULD ALSO GO UP THE BLOCK TO SAY HELLO TO NATE AND MIRIAM KLINE. MOSTLY TO PICK A FIGHT WITH LARRY.

  • SOME OF MY OTHER MEMORIES ARE SIDNEY KLEMOW COMING BACK FROM WORLD WAR II. SIDNEY GAVE ME A SECOND HAND GERMAN BAYONET. TODAY THE ONLY THING SIDNEY GIVES ME IS HORSES THAT COME IN SECOND.

  • I REMEMBER RICHIE RIFKIN TEACHING ME TO FISH.

  • I REMEMBER PLAYING IN MILT ZIFF'S AUTO JUNK YARD.

  • I REMEMBER GOING INTO THE COAL MINES AND COMING BACK BLACK FROM HEAD TO FOOT. I STILL RECALL THE BEATING I GOT.

  • I ESPECIALLY REMEMBER ARNOLD SUKENIK WHO WAS VERY SPECIAL TO ME. I RECALL MANY CONVERSATIONS WITH HIM ABOUT JUDAISM. I ALSO REMEMBER ARNOLD FOR HIS WONDERFUL ATTITUDE ON GIVING TZADUKA. I REMEMBER COMING TO THIS SYNAGOGUE WITH ARNOLD ON SUNDAY MORNINGS, WHERE WITH A GROUP OF MEN, HE PUT ON TFILLIN, PRAYED, ATE BREAKFAST AND ALWAYS CONCLUDED THE SERVICE BY SINGING HATIKVAH.

  • MY LAST CONVERSATION WITH ARNOLD IS SO CLEAR TO ME EVEN TODAY. IT TOOK PLACE IN DALLAS IN FAGGIE'S HOUSE AND WE WERE DISCUSSING THE GENESIS CHAPTER OF THE TORAH.

  • I REMEMBER RABBI ROCKOFF. IN FACT, I HAVE A LETTER THAT RABBI ROCKOFF WROTE ABOUT MY FATHER SOMETIME AROUND 1942.

  • AS I LOOK THROUGH m FATHER'S PAPERS I SAW THAT A JUDGE WROTE MY GRANDFATHER THAT HE AND HIS SONS SHOULD GET TOGETHER AND DECIDE ONCE AND FOR ALL HOW TO SPELL KLEMOW. THE FAMILY DECIDED AROUND 1924 TO SPELL IT K-L-E-M-O-W INSTEAD OF K-L-I-M-O-W OR K-L-I-M-O-V.

  • EVEN WHEN I WASN'T PHYSICALLY IN HAZLETON, WHEN EVER I WAS WITH MY PARENTS, I WAS ALWAYS MENTALLY IN HAZLETON. MY FATHER LOVED HIS FAMILY. IN HIS EYES NO KLEMOW COULD EVER COMMIT A WRONG ACT. HE ESPECIALLY CARED FOR DORA, BECAUSE SHE SHARED WITH HIM THE LOVE FOR THE KLEMOW FAMILY.

  • I REMEMBER HOW MANY OF MY RELATIVES WERE PRESIDENT OF AGUDAS ISRAEL CONGREGATION. MANUEL KLEMOW WAS PRES I DENT, SIDNEY KLEMOW WAS PRESIDENT. ARNOLD WAS PRESIDENT, AND NOW I UNDERSTAND LARRY KLEMOW WILL BE PRESIDENT. SO MANY OTHER KLEMOWS WERE ALSO ON THE SYNAGOGUE BOARD INCLUDING DAVE KLEMOW. LET ME ALSO PROUDLY SAY THAT THE TRADITION CONTINUES IN MY FAMILY. MY WIFE BRENDA KLEMOW IS (WAS) PRESIDENT OF A CONGREGATION WITH 620 FAMILIES THAT HAS A HEBREW SCHOOL WITH 400 CHILDREN.

  • MY FATHER WAS VERY PROUD OF ME BECAUSE OF THE WORK I DO FOR ISRAEL AND ESPECIALLY BECAUSE I OFTEN GOT THE KLEMOW NAME IN THE PAPER AND ON NATIONAL TELEVISION WHEN I WAS BEING INTERVIEWED. I REMEMBER WHEN I APPEARED ON 60 MINUTES, MY FATHER CALLED EVERY PERSON IN THE KLEMOW WORLD TO TELL THEM TO WATCH THE SHOW. I TOLD MIKE WALLACE THAT IF ONLY HALF THE KLEMOWS WATCH 60 MINUTES THAT NIGHT, THEY WOULD HAVE THE HIGHEST RATING IN TV HISTORY. MY FATHER ALSO SAVED EVERYTHING THAT MENTIONED THE NAME KLEMOW INCLUDING BACK ISSUES OF THIS SYNAGOGUES PUBLICATION.

  • ALVIN TOFLER WROTE A BOOK CALLED FUTURE SHOCK. HE TALKS ABOUT THE MOBILITY OF AMERICAN FAMILIES. 50 YEARS AGO THE AVERAGE FAMILY MOVED TWO TIMES IN THEIR LIFETIME AND THE AVERAGE MOVE WAS UNDER 4 MILES. TODAY THE AVERAGE FAMILY MOVES ABOUT 5 TIMES AND THE AVERAGE DISTANCE IS FIVE HUNDRED MILES. THIS IS VERY TRUE WITH THE MODERN DAY KLEMOWS. THEY ARE LIVING ALL OVER THE UNITED STATES. IN TEXAS, CALIFORNIA, FLORIDA, MASSACHUSETTS, VIRGINIA, COLORADO, ARIZONA, WASHINGTON, SOUTH CAROLINA AND SEVERAL OTHER PLACES, BUT

  • FOR THOSE OF US LUCKY ENOUGH TO REMEMBER, HAZLETON WILL ALWAYS BE THEIR HOME, EVEN IF THEY NEVER LIVED HERE AT ALL.

  • I MENTIONED MANY NAMES TODAY. THESE WERE THE PEOPLE, THE FACES, AND YES, THE VOICES OF MY YOUTH WHEN I VISITED HAZLETON.

  • MENTIONING THEIR NAMES FILLS ME WITH MANY WONDERFUL MEMORIES AND I HOPE EVERYBODY HERE TODAY WILL HAVE THE SAME WARM MEMORIES AS I DO. I HOPE ALL OF YOU HERE WILL ALSO REALIZE HOW PRECIOUS THESE MEMORIES ARE.

  • EVERY JEWISH OCCASION IS VERY MUCH LIKE A HAVDALA CANDLE. THE INTERTWINED CANDLES REFLECT BOTH THE JOY AND SADNESS OF JEWISH LIFE. IN ORDER TO APPRECIATE THE JOY OF CELEBRATING DORA'S 80TH BIRTHDAY, WE NEED TO BE REMINDED OF THE GENERATIONS THAT PRECEDED US. WE NEED TO ALWAYS REMEMBER THAT THOSE WHO HAVE PASSED ON, WILL ALWAYS BE WITH US, AS LONG AS WE THINK ABOUT THEM. AS LONG AS THERE ARE MEMORIES, OF THE NAMES THAT I MENTIONED WHO HAVE PASSED AWAY, THEY WILL BE WITH US FOREVER. I URGE THE FOURTH AND FIFTH AND THE SIXTH GENERATION MEMBERS OF THE KLEMOW FAMILY, WHO I DID NOT TALK ABOUT TODAY, TO KEEP UP THE TRADITION OF REMEMBERING.

  • YEARS AGO IN HAZLETON IT WAS MUCH EASIER FOR ALL OF THE KLEMOWS TO KNOW EACH OTHER. NOW, BECAUSE WE ARE SCATTERED ALL OVER THE UNITED STATES, IT IS MUCH MORE DIFFICULT. I KNOW THE KLEMOW FAMILY REUNION WILL AGAIN GIVE US ALL THE OPPORTUNITY TO GREET FAMILY MEMBERS THAT WE SELDOM GET A CHANCE TO SEE AND IN SOME CASES HAVE NEVER EVEN MET.

  • I CAN'T WAIT TO SEE THE FAMILY TREE THAT HAS BEEN PREPARED FOR THE REUNION.

  • THE KLEMOWS -- APPROXIMATELY 335 MEMBERS OF A WONDERFUL FAMILY.

  • IT ALL STARTED WITH MORRIS KLEMOW, A BOURGEOIS JEW FROM A SHTETLE IN RUSSIA WHO CAME TO AMERICA AND MOVED TO A LITTLE TOWN IN PENNSYLVANIA CALLED HAZLETON.

    WASHINGTON, D.C.

    JUNE 28, 1993

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