The Cousins Check It Out and Check In

Everyone (from California to Israel to Boston) is enjoying the new RLFG website and many have provided good ideas.

1. We are working on the identification of everyone in the pictures. If you send in any new pictures, be sure to identify them.
2. Yes, anyone can read what is on the site but the only way to comment is to register.
3. We are happy to post articles from you .
4. Coming soon is a page for minutes old and new. If you like the pictures you will love reading the minutes from 1952.
5. We are thinking about the My Space or Facebook links several people mentioned. In fact, working on this site can be a full time job which neither John nor I can devote to it. So, it will come in good time. We hope you will comment on the site and send us the pictures and comings and goings of your family.

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Yonah Singer Engaged

Josh and Sonia Greenspon are happy to announce the engagement of their grandson Yonah Singer, son of Ellen and Saul Singer to Michelle Pomerantz, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Pomerantz of Philadelphia. Yonah is a special education teacher in Bronx, NY and is working toward his Master’s Degree in Special Education. Michelle is an assistant principal in a day school in NY.

Happy Purim From Israel

(Ed. Note: This was in response to the receipt of the Family Group’s mailing list)

Hi!
Thank you very much for the list! It’s so clear and simple!

I have a few little corrections:

We have four children now: Shneor Zalman is before Shalom Dober
If the names are too long it’s enough to write: Rachely, Mendy, Shneor, Dober.
That’s how we call them on day to day basis.

I go today by the name Yocheved ( Yomi is a nick name used only by the family, It’s short for Yocheved Miriam). So maybe it’s better to write:

Yocheved (Yomi) & Eli Rosenblum

The children dressed up for school Yesterday (Wednesday). They had a wonderful time. I’m sending a few small pictures. Enjoy!

Have a Happy Purim!
Yomi

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Chanukah Party – Plans for ‘07 and Looking Back to ‘06

This year, once again, the RLFG Chanukah Party will be at Sandy and John Walter’s home in Silver Spring. The theme of the party will be “What’s Cooking”. The art project will be a cover and back for a RLFG cookbook. In addition, you will want to visit our RLFG Computer Lab to see what is cooking online. We will be rolling out a blog site for members to keep in touch. Each participant will try out the site, see the picture gallery and genealogy information, test the access and get information so they can use the site from home. This is a wonderful way to keep in touch online with cousins around the world, grandchildren at college and family as they move from place to place.

One highlight of the RLFG Chanukah Party 06, was a holiday “sing-along”. Yoni Mitnick accompanied the group on piano. Songbooks were distributed with old familiar songs and Neal Meiselman led us in a new song. Molly Mitnick gave us the lyrics to “On this Night” and everyone sang (or in some cases actively listened). The theme in 06 was Israel and featured an Israeli Lunch catered by Shalom Kosher in Wheaton. Schwarma and falafel, Israeli salads and drinks were followed by Sufganiot (jelly doughnuts). Everyone had an opportunity to make Chanukah cards for RLFG members now residing in Israel. And several get well cards were made for Josh Greenspon, Stuart Mitnick, Hilda Klein and Hilda Miller.

Linking to the Past and into the Future

During our family group meetings during the year, Lenny Taube, RLFG Recording Secretary had the wonderful idea of reading the minutes from the first RLFG business meetings held over 50 years ago. Those minutes were full of wonderful detail and we enjoyed hearing the planning, the ideas, the issues of the day and the travels of the family as the RLFG began. The minutes included where the meeting was held, what was served, and more. The reason for the RLFG was to make the connections so that the future generations would not loose touch as the family grew and spread and evolved.

Has it worked? How many families can name and visit with 4th cousins? How many families know who has babies and who is graduating from college and where across the world their members live? The founding members certainly had insight into how to keep the family connected then.

We hope to include some quotes from those minutes for you to consider and enjoy.

Singing along….

You might have seen the exciting pictures from the annual June Father’s Day Picnic but you really had to be there to fully enjoy the various musical talents by our family on that lovely Sunday afternoon at the Hettleman’s.

Rachel Looban Family Group Picnic
After the meeting (with all of the family birthday’s and anniversary’s read by Isabel), and greeting (so great to see Harry Cohen, both Sonia and Josh and Helen Klein and the Pivar brothers out and about) and eating picnic lunches, we adjourned to the Library where everyone was entertained by flutes, pianos, cello, violin and guitars. And yet again, the RLFG was singing along!!! Young and old participated. Some were duets. Some were solo. Some were electronic and some were serendipity. All were amazing performances. Well done.

Welcome to the New Rachel Looban Family Group Site

We are developing this site to help the Rachel Looban Family Group keep in touch. The Website was introduced on Sunday, December 2nd at the annual Chanukah Party. And we are sending e-mail invitations to the website to everyone on Monday, December 4th.

We are glad you have signed into the site and hope it will become one of your favorites as you check-in with family around the world.