ELI A. FINN ( nee Pintov) - THE STORY OF MY LIFE
        
        I would like to thank Henoch Duboff for letting us know about this
  manuscript and sharing the research he did on the Pintov/ Rosoff family.
  
  
  I was born July 17, 1890, in Gluboko ( Glubokie, now in Belarus), Province of Vilna, Russia, the oldest
  son in a family of six children — 4 brothers and 2 sisters. I attended public
  school as well as Hebrew school.
  One day, when my father and I were standing outdoors in front of our home,
  the principal of the public school I attended passed by and stopped to talk
  to my father. He told my father that I possessed the capabilities for a
  college education. My father replied that he intended to educate me for the
  Rabbinate and not for any other profession.
  But I had a longing for accomplishments in other directions, and I told this
  to my father. We began to argue, which led to some quarrels, and then my refusal
  to assist my father in his leather-making enterprise.
  
  
  I joined a revolutionary organization ( during the failed revolution of 1905) which resulted in my facing arrest ( by the czarist government).
  It became necessary for me to leave town, so my father took me to Kurenitz
  to stay with the family of his youngest brother ( Yehuda Leib Pintov)
  Yehuda Leib emigrated to the U.S.A. Soon after my arrival. My uncles' wife (Keila nee Spektor/Shoolman , and 3 years old daughter; Badana) decided to join her husband in America. I asked my father to let me go with them, and he agreed
  We came to the U.S.A. in 1907, and I lived in my uncle's home in Boston,
  Mass. until mid-1908, at which point my aunt persuaded my uncle to return to
  
  Kurenitz, Russia. (In 1924 The Pintov family moved to Palestine/
  Israel. The family was in charge of Orange groves owned by Keilas‘ brother, Max Shoolman. They had other children in Kurenets and later in Israel. Daughter Badana married Yaakov Dori, the first chief of the IDF)
  
  I was now alone, responsible to myself for my future, and I did some hard
  thinking.
  I moved to Springfield, Mass, where Uncle Shmuel ( Rosoff), my grandmother's brother
  lived. He and his wife, Bailie, insisted that I stay at their home until
  I found work to support myself. I began to look for work that offered
  advancement into the future. It was tough - 1908 was a depression year,
  and discrimination against Jews and Catholics was practiced openly. Signs
  on entrance doors to businesses read — No Jews — No Catholics.
  I finally found employment at the Charles E. Burt Printing Co. by telling
  Mr. Burt that I had experience in printing, and that I could do what he was
  doing - feeding letterheads onto a Gordon Job Press, and I offered to work
  for $3.00 a week.
  He told me that business was very slow, and that he was considering closing
  and moving to his father's farm in Brookfield, Mass, until business improved –
  
  but if I would work for $3.00 per week, he would keep the shop
  open until business improved.
  
  -
  
  
  He gave me 25¢ to have lunch, and told me he would have work for me when I
  returned. When I returned from lunch, he had a job ready for me on the
  Gordon Press. I inserted the first letterhead into- the bed of the Press,
  but failed to remove my right hand fast enough, which resulted in the
  crushing of my two middle fingers. Mr. Burt was upset, and accused me of
  deception as to my claim of experience. I replied that if he were in my
  place, and needed a job as badly as I did, he would do what I did.
  He took me to a doctor who bandaged my fingers, and he told me that he
  would hold to his decision to let me work at his printing shop; that he
  would stay with me until the end of the week, and teach me the basics in
  keeping a printing shop operating.
  On Ferry St., where my uncle lived, there was a small printing shop. I
  approached the owner, told him of my predicament, and asked him for assistance.
  
  He told me that if I would work in his shop for two weeks, without
  pay, he would teach me the printing business. Of course, I agreed thank-
  fully. I learned enough in the two weeks to intelligently maintain the
  Chas. E Burt Shop profitably.
  I became an expert in color printing as well as in type setting. At the end
  of 1909, when Mr. Burt returned, I had $478.00 in cash for him, after
  paying the rent and the $3.00 per week to myself.
  To further my education, I attended night school classes with the intent
  of eventually qualifying for a college education.
  My work at the Chas. E Burt Co. progressed as my skills developed. My
  income was raised to $29.00 per week and I was financially comfortable. I
  admired and fell in love with Ida, Uncle Shmuel's younger daughter. We
  were married, and I moved into their home on Chestnut Street.
  I completed my High School education in night classes, and then applied
  and was accepted by Springfield Y.M.C.A. College.
  I consulted Mr. Burt about working hours, He agreed for me to work at the
  printing shop afternoons and evenings, without cutting my pay. Everything
  went fine to satisfy my ambitions, until the day when I asked Dr. Affteck,
  one of my professors at College, to be my advisor for a thesis I wanted
  to write, His reply was, "You cannot graduate". When I questioned him
  why, that I had no failures in my studies, his reply was, "You are Jewish".
  
  -
  When I replied, "If this is your policy, why was I accepted?", his reply
  was,
"We hoped you would convert." It sickened me. I lost all interest in my
  school work and I quit school. It affected my performance at the printing
  shop and I decided to move elsewhere. The Obletz family, Mary, Ida's sister,
  
  her husband Marry and their children lived in Hull, Quebec, Canada. We moved
  
  to join them in Hull.
  In about a year or so, the Obletz family moved back to Springfield and we
  moved
  to Montreal in the Westmont area. I was prospering in business and we
  decided
  to have a child. My anger toward the U.S.A. cooled and we decided that the
  child
  should be born in America. When the due date arrived, Ida went to Spring-
  field and Dr. O'Keefe delivered Mimi on May 27, 1917.
  Again, for business reasons, we moved to Quebec City, into a beautiful home
  on St. John Street. One day, I received a call from Dr. Dogget, president of
  
  Springfield Y.M.C.A. College. He told me that he came to Quebec City to talk
  
  to me, and asked me to have dinner with him at Chateau Frontinac. I accepted
  
  the invitation.
  At dinner, he told me that he and the Board of Directors wanted to correct a
  
  wrong done to me; that he came to an understanding with the president of
  Amherst College, Amherst, Mass., that if I go back to Springfield Y.M.C.A.
  College and graduate without a degree, I would be accepted At Amherst and
  would graduate with a Masters degree. I thanked Dr. Dogget. I told him that
  I was now a father, prospering in business, and that going back to school
  made no practical sense. He told me that he understood, and asked that I
  give
  the matter further consideration. Ida and I discussed the matter thoroughly
  
  and decided against my going back to college.
  Much happened the next few years. In 1920, when Mimi was 3 years old, a
  friend
  of ours, and his wife, invited us to go with them to Mont Royal. Ida had
  another appointment, but Mimi, her maid and I went with them, Midway to the
  Mont Royal, the driver swerved his car too sharply, he lost control, and the
  
  car turned over. The two women in the back seat were killed, but Mimi was
  cushioned between them and protected from injury. As for me, 1 suffered a
  fractured right elbow, but regardless of the injury, was able to free Mimi
  from her crushing , sandwiched position. When this shattering event occurred
  ,
  Ida's lonesomeness for family intensified, so we decided to move back to
  Springfield. I sold my share of the business to my partners, Mr. Williamson
  and Mr. Murphy, and moved back to Springfield, Mass. I bought a partnership
  in a plumbing business which turned out to be a bad investment.
  
  
  -
  Harry Obletz and family moved to Buffalo, N.Y. where he joined his brother
  in the drug store business. I was able to sell my share of the plumbing
  business, so we, too, moved to Buffalo where we bought a house on Loring
  Avenue.
  I joined into a partnership with Henry Maisel, manufacturing oak extension
  tables.
  By then, we decided to have another child, and Bob was born on August 8,
  1922.
  Our table manufacturing venture prospered, and we were contemplating expansion,
  
  when one night I was awakened by the telephone, and was told that
  our factory was on fire.. I rushed downtown and saw our factory engulfed
  in fire. Our factory was filled with table bases and tops and dry wood.
  It burned to the ground. Overnight, we were out of business.
  Now what to do!
  I had a good acquaintance with the furniture trade and was able to get some
  furniture lines to sell to furniture stores. I was doing fairly well at
  selling.
  One day, Mr. Schwartz, owner of Household Furniture Co. of Buffalo, N.Y.
  and Erie, Pa., told me that the Odin Stove Co. of Erie, Pa. decided to expand
  
  into the Eastern market and offered to introduce me to Mr. C.H.
  Hoffstetter, the president.
  My meeting with Mr. Hoffstetter was very fruitful. We signed an agreement
  that I would have Odin products on an exclusive basis in all of the
  territories east of Albany, N.Y., all of the New England states, metropolitan
  
  New York, the state of New Jersey, metropolitan Philadelphia,
  Delaware, the state of Maryland and southern Virginia.
  To properly cover such a large territory, I sold only to distributors
  on an exclusive basis. I prospered, even in the depression of the l930s.
  During the years, I tried to persuade my parents, as well as my brothers
  and sisters, to leave Russia and come to the U.S.A. I succeeded with my
  sister Sonia, her husband and their daughter, Diane, who emigrated and
  settled in Toronto, Canada, as well as my younger brother, Zalick, who
  settled in the U.S.A. The others in my family, my parents, two brothers
  and one sister, and their respective families, lost their lives in the
  Nazi Gas Chambers. (*The family perished in the Glubokie area, they
  were shot, not taken to the Gas chambers. Some members of the family
  joined the partisans and died fighting**)
  
  --
  
  Mr. C.H. Hoffstetter, president of Odin Stove Co., died in 1949, and his
  brother, R.F. Hoffstetter, liquidated the business. Morey Kerr, formerly
  with Odin Stove Co. and now with Dixie Stove Co. of Cleveland, Tenn., intro-
  duced me to Skeet Rymes, president of Dixie Stove Co., and I was able to
  sign
  an agreement with them similar to what I had with Odin.
  In 1953, Dixie absorbed Magic Chef Co. and began to market its products with
  
  the Magic Chef name.
  In 1962, 1 lost Ida. She died from heart failure in the hospital. I found
  living alone very depressing. After paying a condolence call to Sylvia
  Dietz on the loss of her mother, (she had been married to Sol Diets, a
  cousin of Ida's and now widowed) I began visiting her in Norwalk, Conn.
  and. meeting her in New York.
  On June 30, 1963, Sylvia and I were married, and. I moved into her home in
  Norwalk, Conn.
  My family now expanded. David and Susanne Dietz and their children, Tanya
  and Zareck, and Libby and George Miller and their children, Karen, Zachary
  and Susan.
  I stayed with Magic Chef until the end of 1971, when company age policies
  required my retirement. When I told Harold Price, owner of Unity Stove Co.
  of my pending retirement as of January, 1972, he asked me to join Unity
  Stove Co. We agreed on terms and conditions, and the move was finalized.
  One week-end, during our visit with Karin and Herb at their place in
  Vermont, we met their place in Vermont, we met their friend Sid Federbush
  of National Broadcasting Company. I complimented him on the most interesting
  
  documentaries he had done in China.
  A couple of weeks after our meeting, Mr. Federbush called me at the office
  to tell me that he was planning to feature, on the NBC program "Sunday
  Today", individuals of older age who are still working, and asked me to
  be one of them. He stressed that a program of this type would be of
  national interest, as more people continue working past the retirement
  age of 65.
  After some hesitancy, I consented. I was interviewed by Diane Bernstein.
  When she asked me if I ever experienced. disappointment in my life, I
  mentioned my experience at Springfield College, that I could not graduate
  because of my being Jewish.
  Monday morning, after the broadcast, I received a telephone call from
  Springfield College. The caller told me that he had seen and listened to
  
  
  
  
  the Sunday Today program on TV, and he asked what could be done to rectify
  the wrong. My answer was that they should know what could be done.
  One day in May, 1989, I received a telephone call from Springfield
  College to inform me that the Board of Directors voted to award me
  a BA degree, and that Dr. Falcone, the President of Springfield College,
  would confirm the decision in a letter.
  The letter arrived the next morning, in which I was invited to attend
  the special Alumni Dinner meeting on June 3, 1989, at Springfield
  College. Thirty-five of my family and friends were present at this
  special occasion.
  Accepting the degree, I made the following remarks; my appreciation to
  Dr. Falco1he and the Board of Directors of Springfield College for the
  honor bestowed upon me today. It is a fulfillment of a desire and an
  ambition that stayed with me since my youth.
  
  
  
  
  From the Glubokie Yizkor book;
  
  *A week after murdering the Fleishers, policemen came into the Ghetto
  at night. They used the same way as they had come, when they came for
  the Fleishers. They took Chanan Pintov, his wife, Kayle and their 16
  year old daughter. They were taken to prison, and from there to the "
  Barak" where all three were shot. Mrs Pintov had been a cook for the
  Justice Minister's secretary, Guzava. Guzava considered herself a
  folks German, her husband had been taken out by the Soviets. To this
  Guzava would often come the Chief of the Gendarmerie, Kern, to while
  away time. Later Guzava exchanged " lover". She abandoned Kern for the
  regional commandant. Seeking to avoid encounters with German, Kern
  Guzava told her cook, Kayle Pintov, that in case chief Kern should
  come, she should tell him that her mistress isn't home. And so it was.
  Kern came into the kitchen and Kayle Pintov told him that Guzava isn't
  at home. The German, however, found out that this wasn't so, and at
  night he drove his Gendarmes into the Ghetto. They broke a hole in the
  fence right where the Pintovs lived and unexpectedly they seized the
  Pintovs from their beds, took them to the " Barak" and there murdered
  them
  
  **Tzimmer brought with him from the Ghetto about 20 youths to join the
  Otriad. Among them were Yitzhak Hidekel, Abraham Peikin, Hirsh Pintov,
  Alter Leizer, Moshe Skolnik, Hirsh Levine, Kopl Hoberman, Abraham Shub
  and others
  
  
  
  Paul Sack ( born in Glubokie in 1925) wrote in an article about the war years;
  
  **….My best friend and fellow Partisan Luska Pintov, who was the only
  surviving member of his family, was also killed. The Partisan group
  made sure that these German soldiers would not threatened others.
  I called Paul Sack in Los Angeles and asked about the Pintov family of
  Glubok. He told me that Luska was the only other Jew with him in the
  Partisan otriad of 300 people; Bolshoy ? Luska Pintov was born in
  Glubokie in 1922. He was a very tall man. He was fighting bravely
  right next to him when he was killed. Luska Pintov was buried near by
  the place he fell..
  
  From Yad Vashem;
  
  Pintow Aba
  
  Aba Pintow was born in Glebokie, Poland in 1875 to Yerakhmiel and
  Zelda. He was an industrialist and married to Sonia and had 5
  children. Prior to WWII he lived in Glebokie, Poland. During the war
  was in Glebokie, Poland. Aba perished in 1942 in Glebokie, Poland.
  This information is based on a Page of Testimony) submitted on
  08/03/1957 by his relative ( the daughter of his brother) Badana Dori.
  
  Pintow Jehuda
  
  Jehuda Pintow was born in Glebokie, Poland in 1898 to Aba and Sonia.
  He was a merchant and married. Prior to WWII he lived in Glebokie,
  Poland. During the war was in Glebokie, Poland. Jehuda perished in
  1942 in Glebokie, Poland. This information is based on a Page of
  Testimony (displayed on left) submitted on 08/03/1957 by his relative
  Badana Dori
  
  Pintov Chanoch
  
  Chanoch Pintov was born in Glebokoye, Poland in 1895 to Aba and Sonia.
  He was a merchant and married. Chanoch perished in the Shoah. This
  information is based on a Page of Testimony (displayed on left)
  submitted on 08/03/1957 by his relative Badana Dori
  
  
  
  
  Pintov Yehuda
  
  Yehuda Pintov was born in Glebokie, Poland in 1890 to Yerakhmiel. And
  had a leather factory. Yehuda perished in 1943 in Glebokie, Poland at
  the age of 43. This information is based on a Page of Testimony
  (displayed on left) submitted on 30/06/1999 by his nephew from Israel
  Moshe Dov Kanis of Kiryat , a Shoah survivor
  
  Pintov Zelda
  
  Zelda Pintov nee Rozov was born in Dokszyce, Poland in 1891 to
  Mordekhai. Zelda perished in 1943 in Glubokie, Poland at the age of 42
  with daughter Necham ( born 1922), son Elka born in 1924. This
  information is based on a Page of Testimony (displayed on left)
  submitted on 30/06/1999 by her nephew from Israel, a Shoah survivor
  Dov Kanis of Kiryat Yam , a Shoah survivor
  
  Pintov Feiga
  
  Feiga Pintov was born in Glebokie, Poland in 1923 to Yehuda and Zelda.
  She was single. Feiga perished in 1943 in Glebokie at the age of 20.
  This information is based on a Page of Testimony (displayed on left)
  submitted on 30/06/1999 by her cousin from Israel, a Shoah survivor
  
  
  
  
  Pintov Shabtai*
  
  Shabtai Pintov was born in Gluboki, Poland. He was married to Beila
  Blaucher and had a daughter; Miryam, age 8. Prior to WWII he lived in
  Gluboki, Poland. During the war was in Gluboki, Poland. Shabtai
  perished in 1943 in Gluboki, Poland at the age of 35. This information
  is based on a Page of Testimony (displayed on left) submitted on
  12/08/1999 by his admirer from Israel, a Shoah survivor. Chaim Tauger
  of Krivichi (now of Herzelia)
  
  Pintov Beila
  
  Mrs. Beila Pintov was born in Krzywcze, Poland to Pinkhas and Batia
  Blacher. She was married to Shabtai. Prior to WWII she lived in
  Glubokie, Poland. During the war was in Glubokie, Poland. She perished
  in 1943 in Glubokie, Poland at the age of 30. This information is
  based on a Page of Testimony (displayed on left) submitted on
  12/08/1999 by her acquaintance, a Shoah survivor
  
  
  
  
  
  
  Pintow Chuna
  
  Chuna Pintow was born in Glebokie, Poland in 1897 to Leizer. He was a
  merchant and married to Keila. Prior to WWII he lived in Glebokie,
  Poland. During the war was in Glebokie, Poland. Chuna perished in 1943
  in Glebokie, Poland. This information is based on a Page of Testimony
  (displayed on left) submitted on 23/04/1957 by his relative Ytzhak
  Barkon
  
  Pintow Szulamit
  
  Szulamit Pintow was born in Glebokie, Poland in 1924 to Chona and
  Keila. She was a seamstress and single. Prior to WWII she lived in
  Glebokie, Poland. During the war was in Glebokie, Poland. Szulamit
  perished in 1943 in Glebokie, Poland. This information is based on a
  Page of Testimony (displayed on left) submitted on 23/04/1957 by her
  relative Ytzhak Barkon
  
  
  
  Pintow Lajbl
  
  Lajbl Pintow was born in Glebokie, Poland in 1922 to Chona and Keila.
  He was a clerk and single. Prior to WWII he lived in Glebokie, Poland.
  During the war was in Glebokie, Poland. Lajbl perished in 1943 in
  Glebokie, Poland. This information is based on a Page of Testimony
  (displayed on left) submitted on 23/04/1957 by his relative Ytzhak
  Barkon
  
  Pintow Kajla
  
  Kajla Pintow was born in Glebokie, Poland in 1897 to Shlomo and Khava.
  She was a housewife and married. Prior to WWII she lived in Glebokie,
  Poland. During the war was in Glebokie, Poland. Kajla perished in 1943
  in Glebokie, Poland. This information is based on a Page of Testimony
  (displayed on left) submitted on 23/04/1957 by her relative Ytzhak
  Barkon
  
  Chanan Pintov was born in Glebokie, Poland in 1895. He was married to
  Keila and had 2 children. Prior to WWII he lived in Glebokie, Poland.
  During the war was in Glebokie, Poland. He perished in 1943 in
  Glebokie at the age of 48. This information is based on a Page of
  Testimony (displayed on left) submitted on 26/04/1999 by his relative
  from Israel, Shalom Barkon a Shoah survivor
  
  Pintov Shulamit
  
  Shulamit Pintov was born in Glebokie, Poland in 1928. Prior to WWII
  she lived in Glebokie, Poland. During the war was in Glebokie, Poland.
  Shulamit perished in 1943 in Glebokie, Poland. This information is
  based on a Page of Testimony (displayed on left) submitted on
  26/04/1999 by her cousin
  
  From the Yizkor book; Glubokie residents in 1939;
  
  
  Krakover Street
  
  
  PINTOV Yankel 3 family members
  
  PINTOV Shabtai
  
  PINTOV Zelka 6 family members
  
  
  Yatkave Gas;
  
  
  PINTOV Shimshel and in laws Kapilovitch Shimon
  
  
  Zomkove Gas (Street)
  
  PINTOV Chanan 4 family members
  
  PINTOV Ytzhak
  
  
  Partisans from Glubokie; PINTOV Lucy/ Luska (was killed)
  
  
  
  
  Here is what Miel Dori, ( his mother was Badana nee Pintov, first
  cousin of Eli) wrote me about the Finns;
  ....We knew Ida, they, Eli & Ida were in Israel several times and we
  met. We visited them at their home in the Bronx.
  She was a very nice and worm person .
  About the daughter Miriam - Mimi- we (my wife Meira and myself ) met
  her a few times , with her husband Jo-  Joseph Smolev,was an MD
  (Gynecologist) , he painted, sculptured and was an active collector of art . If I'm not mistaken , the last time I saw Mimi was two years before Eli died , I drove from NYC to her home at: 122 Brewster Rd.
  Wyckoff , NJ 07481 Tel: 201-652-2945
  201-778-2340
  We drove (she insisted to drive) to Eli .we spent two
  hours with Eli, including a lunch in a place he loved .
  Eli was weak ( he was 105 years old) , but vital and hospitable as ever. I remember him
  taking me to his garden to show me the vegetables he grew:
  tomatoes, eggplants, carrots , etc etc . telling me how he fights the
  squirrels ....
  I saw Eli twice after that visit, the last time was a few months
  before he died in 1997.
  
  Back to Mimi- we drove to her house in NJ , she invited me to
  a tour at her house .The house was huge , at least 10-12 rooms ,
  stacked with art pieces , paintings , sculptures , absolutely a
  museum . Its worth looking where this collection is located ,
  I think , it was donated to some one , or maybe was sold .
  
  As to Eli's son , I know his name is Robert.  I never met him , I spoke
  to him once after Eli passed away .
  I heard from Eli that he is (or was) a Physicist , Mathematician
  in a west coast University ( Stanford?), I have his telephone.:
 I should mention , Eli told me with pride , that Robert attended
  Princeton while Albert Einstein was teaching there.
  As for Sylvia , Elis’ second wife. We met her several times at the home in
  Connecticut ,she was very very nice and worm to us, she spoke Hebrew.
  She had relatives in Bnei Brak . As you mention , she was MFG EXEC. of
  the DIETZ&Co- , when we visited the Finns in the spring of 1960 , we
  mentioned that our son will be Bar-Mitzvah
  in December 60 -she ordered the company car and took us to
  the finished goods department , and gave us a Bar Mitzvah present
  two ROYAL blazers , for our two sons .
  
  About Sylvia's family ; we met her daughter Libby & husband
  George Miller, they live close by in Norwalk Conn. Last about Sylvia-
  she had a son , who worked with her in the Deitz & Co.
  I never met him.
  
  Back to Eli . I heard  him talk many times  about his
  grandchildren. He was very proud. ( one had an animal feed company), but never thought to get addresses. If you try to locate them , the best would be through
  Libby and George Miller .
  L-hitraot Miel.
  
  
  Ellis Island records;
  
  First Name: Keile
  Last Name: Pintoff
  Ethnicity: Russia, Hebrew
  Last Place of Residence: Kurence, Russia
  Date of Arrival: September 03, 1907
  Age at Arrival: 27y Gender: F Marital Status: M
  Ship of Travel: Bremen
  Port of Departure: Bremen
  Manifest Line Number: 0014
  Going to husband; L. Pintov on Marie? Street in Cambridge, Mass.
  5' 1" brown eyes
  ------------------------------
  First Name: Berta ( Badana)
  Last Name: Pintoff
  Ethnicity: Russia, Hebrew
  Last Place of Residence: Kurence, Russia
  Date of Arrival: September 03, 1907
  Age at Arrival: 3y Gender: F Marital Status: S
  Ship of Travel: Bremen
  Port of Departure: Bremen
  Manifest Line Number: 0015
  Going to father L. Pintov on Marie? Street in Cambridge, Mass.
  blond with brown eyes
  -----------------------
  First Name: Elie
  Last Name: Pintoff
  Ethnicity: Russia, Hebrew
  Last Place of Residence: Kurence, Russia
  Date of Arrival: September 03, 1907
  Age at Arrival: 17y Gender: F Marital Status: S
  Ship of Travel: Bremen
  Port of Departure: Bremen
  Manifest Line Number: 0016
  Going to brother L. Pintov on Marie? Street in Cambridge, Mass.
  5' 5" brown hair and eyes
  
  
  Meil Dori to me More options 5/16/05
  
  Hi Eilat, I think that Berta ( the 3 yr ) is my mother, Keile
  is her mother ( my grandmother-) I know that they went to meet my
  grandmothers' brother;
  Max Shoolman in Boston ,( and Yehuda Leib, my grand father ).They stayed
  a short while in the US ,then Max bought an orchard in Palestine
  and sent Yehuda Leib w/family back to Kurenece , it took few
  years until the orchard materialized , and in 1924 , Yehuda Leib
  moved to Palestine to nurture the orchard .
  
  With regard to Elie ( 17 yr ) I 'm almost sure that he is Eli Finn
  who died at the age of 107.
  
  
  
  
  Name: ELI A FINN
  Father's Surname: PINTOV
  Death Date: 15 November 1997
  Death Place: Norwalk, Fairfield, Connecticut
  Age: 107 Years
  Birth Place: Lithuania
  Birth Date: 17 July 1890
  Marital Status: Widowed
  Spouse: SYLVI A
  State File #: 25663
  Occupation: SALES EXECUTIVE
  Industry: UNITY APPLIANCE DIST
  Education: 16
  Residence: Norwalk, Fairfield, Connecticut
  Address: 56 STRAWBERRY HILL AVE ,
  Gender: Male
  Race: White
  Name: ELI A FINN
  Address: 56 STRAWBERRY HILL AVE
  City: NORWALK
  State: CT
  Zipcode: 06855
  Phone: (203) 866-7737
  
  Name: Eli A. Finn
  SSN: 114-16-2988
  Last Residence: 06855 Norwalk, Fairfield, Connecticut, United
  States of America
  Born: 17 Jul 1890
  Died: 15 Nov 1997
  State (Year) SSN issued: New York (Before 1951 )
  
  
  
  in 1920;
  Eli A Finn
  Age: 28 years
  Estimated birth year: abt 1892
  Birthplace: Russia
  Race: White
  Home in 1920: Springfield, Hampden, Massachusetts
  Wife; Ida, daughter; Miriam age 2 and 6 months
  Son;
  Name: Robert Samuel Finn
  Palo Alto
  Elis’ daughter; 
        Name: Mary Smolev Last Residence: 07481 Wyckoff, Bergen, New Jersey, United States of America Born: 27 May 1917 Died: 22 Jul 1999 State (Year) SSN issued: New York (Before 1951 )
        Name: Joseph M. Smolev Last Residence: 07055 Passaic, Passaic, New Jersey, United States of America Born: 25 Nov 1909 Died: 18 Jun 1993 State (Year) SSN issued: New Jersey (1962 )