Looking for any information on my grandmother Rebecca Moscovici (Moscovitch), born in Botosani, Rumania btw 1908-1910. She moved to London between the ages of 6-9 years. She had her name Anglicized to Moss. She was married to Thedore Keller.They moved to Norwich and had four children, Stella Rachel, David, Victor, and Judith (my mum). Rebecca had two sisters, Renee (youngest) and Brenda (oldest). Do not know what happened to her grandparents. Rebecca's father was of Russian backround and her mother of Rumanian descent. They were Orthodox Jews. If anyone has any information, please contact me via e-mail or post a message here. Shalom.

the name is very familiar to me .,I am also born in
Botosani,but I lef on 1944, was she the one from the textiles? sister of Adler? If you have more information
will you please send them to me.

Hello. I believe she left in 1914, as she was born in 1910. I know that she had two sisters. I am not sure if there were other siblings who passed on. My great-grandmother was very short and my great-grandfather was very tall. We believe at least that he was from Russia, hence the name Moscovici (Moscovitch). I am assuming there were cousins or aunts or some other relatives remaining in Rumania; but I have no one to give me any information. Very frustrating, especially when you are told on an almost daily basis that you look Eastern European/Russian. I know times were bad for the family when they initially moved to London. Where are you?

Looking for Moscovici family from Botosani, my grandfather Georg (born 1900), lived in Dorohoi and his brother Ioan (born 1910), lived in Iasi, Romania. They never spoke about their parents or family.
Myself am born 1958 in Dorohoi, Romania and live in Vienna and London. My mother's name was Emilia, she was a single child -she was a Moscovici from father's side, from mother's she was Tzapiris from Braila, Romania. My mother told me about a Rivka Moscovici from Botosani, and that we had family there. We have no documents as we emigrated as political refugees from Romania in 1974, at that time i was 15 years old. I have 2 daughters, Simona and Martina, 29 and 25 years old, live in Vienna and San Francisco. Hope to hear from you

Hello! Were your relatives Jewish? My family was. Little is known about Granny's family from Rumania. I found a record that stated she was born in 1909 and not 1910 as earlier believer; but who knows? She is certainly from Rumania. I know that she def. had 2 sisters, Renee and Brenda. There was a record of a little sister, Clara that we received from a researcher in Rumania; but I have no way of knowing if this is true. I am certain that we had cousins, aunts and uncles; but no one seems to know if they even exist? I imaine it impossible they do not. I can be reached at hadassah23@hotmail.com or here of course. I live in the States as well.

Thank you for replying, yes, my family was Jewish, however, it is a very complicated thread back to our shtetl in Rumania, partly because documents were destroyed, names changed and records deleted. Now i am trying to get my parents' records at the Securitate archives in Bucharest, maybe there are some hints. As stated, i have no documents at all, not even my parents' or my own birth certificates. I have some family fotos from 1920 to 1938, then again 1958, when i was born in Dorohoi. My mother told me about Mosocivici family from Botosani and a Rivka Moscovici, however, it seems after a pogrom they changed their name to Tanase - i never saw a grave of grand grand parents neither of Moscovici nor of Tanase. I never saw a grand grand parents house, nor documents or pictures. One day my mother told me the graveyard was destroyed and a street was built across.
Last weekend i was in London and found a book at Steimatzky bookshop in Golders Green which i read very eagerly: Reva Mann's The Rabbi's Daughter, and another book on Hassidic Tales of the Holocaust.
I have friends who want to go to Romania and find their own family traces. Until now very little was written about the romanian shtetl life, we have to do pioneer work. How did you find a reliable researcher?
I live in Vienna, Austria and will come to Berkeley, California, 1-19 June, to visit my younger daughter who is married there - and would like to meet you in person if possible, please let me know,
Regards,
Marlena

Hello Marlena! I was reading in bed and checked my e-mail on my mobile (modern conveniences!) and I had to get up to type to you. This is what I know bout my grandmother. She moved to London in 1914 or around this time. There with her were two sisters and her parents. From my understanding, my great-grandfather was very tall and of Russian descent. My great-grandmother was very petite. I don't know if her family had been in Rumania for years or not.
My Granny had mentioned 2 uncles that she had; but that is all my mum recalls. My grandmother passed away in 1996. My mum was born in England; and I still have family there (Norwich and Nottingham; but let's just say these relatives are not so inclined to know about anything of the past.
I have done my best to read about shetls and there is no way I imagine Granny's family didn't live in one. There is also again no way that somewhere in Eastern Europe there were extended relatives. She never spoke of them or quite frankly, maybe she didn't really know.
The researcher was someone who contacted me (I've been trying to research for years). He did send my mum some sort of birth or death record of Clara Moscovitch. I never got to see it or prove its authenticity; but I believe he was a real researcher who lived in Rumania. From my understanding Moscovitch literally means "Of Moscow". Is this true? You know Jews were not really given last names so I am curious if they just gave this name to Jews who came from Moscow? You are the first person that has mentioned Rivka in Botosani. Granny's name was anglicized to Rebecca Moss. I would be happy to meet you when you come to the States in June. If you have any other questions or thoughts, please let me know. I believe we had one picture of Granny when she was a young woman (I will try to find this to scan to your e-mail). Angel

Hallo Angel, yes, it is a good idea to scan pics, i will and send you too, but maybe next week. My grand-pa Georg and his brother Ioan were both tall and very handsome men. My grand-ma Lina was petite. Moscovici means 'son (vici) from Moscow', that's correct. I never was in Moscow yet and i have great difficulties with Russian people and their language, although i like it when spoken by my jewish friend Irina Moisiewa.
We came to Vienna accidentally, as our tourist passports had visas for Paris. However, my mom wanted to see Johann Strauss' city, so we got off the Orient Express. On the way to Vienna's central park we met a catholic nun from Notre Dame de Sion, who had saved my mom during the awful years. She took us to the refugee camp of Traiskirchen and registered us for political asylum. You are right, we were not practicing Jews, i didnt even know i was Jewish until recently. Yes, i like this Rivka from Botosani a lot, and somehow i always felt attracted by London. Since 5 years i have a boy friend there, Jewish from Aden, Judd Yehooda, who works in textiles in the East End and lives in north east London, Stoke Newington close to Stamford Hill - it looks like the shtetl life is back again!!!
Thank you for your pic, you look lot like a cousin of mine, Gigi Albert Maier, who lives in Bucharest and is IT expert.
Where do you live in the States? i will go to visit my daughter Martina to Oakland, and will stay in Berkeley CA.
Maybe we can do a dna test? i was always thinking of it.
Regards, Marlena

Hello! Well that's a lot of information. I have still family in England and a very good Orthodox friend in London. I will be visiting there later this year. I live in LA presently; but the majority of my family moved to Florida and I will be moving there for a while. I work remotely so I have the option to leave and come back! I have no issue taking a DNA test. I am not sure if it would be better for myself or my mum to take it since she was Granny's daughter. Have you checked Yad Vashem (Shoah database)? There are a multitude of listings under Moscovitch (various spellings). Was your mum's family Jewish as well? I've no doubt under certain regimes tat it was better to say nothing about religion at all. I did a little research on Botosani's Jewish community and Romanian Jewish pogroms in general. Apparently, there are maybe 120 Jews left there; but there is an active shul, choir and school. I have dreamed for years of going to Rumania to visit; but since I do not speak the language- I was not sure how to start. I was visiting Turkey once and when I flew back (we stopped in Frankfurt), we flew over Romania. The plane was so close to the top of the trees- I just wanted to jump out (of course I couldn't)! There is one question I am wondering and not sure if you know. Were the Jewish members in your family Hasidic? My great-grandparents moved to London and died there (but no one outside of their nuclear fmaily was known). My mum was little when they passed away; but she does not recall them being particularly religious. My mum was bought up relatively Orthodox. Talk with you soon I hope. Ans coming to Berkelyarea is no problem...

My Grandfather was a Moscovici from Iasi and it was cchanged to Moskovitz. My great grandmother on the other side was Moscovich and 2 generations before that it was Moscovici. My mother did not if they were related . My aunt thinks they were cousins. My grandparents came to USA, and Jacksonville FL after short stays in Phila. and NY. They came in 1907 & 1908. One of his brothers stayed in Yasi. My Great grandfather came but sseveral brothers and sisters stayed in Iasi. I would like to compare notes with you as perhaps we have some relatives in common. I would lke to find out about the ones that stayed there.
I understand that some died in the holocaust and some survived and at least 1 or2 went to Isreal and one went to Venezuela. Please email me at mffsf@bellsouth.net
Sandra Frankel