Every time Bernie Estrin goes out of town, he checks the local phone book for other Estrins.
“I’m always tempted to phone them and say, `We’re visiting Estrins,’ or `How are we related?,'” he said. “But I never do.”
Like many North American Jews, the Edmonton, Alberta, resident knew bits and pieces of family history and lore — fact mixed with myth.
However, when a young cousin began asking him about the Estrin family history, Bernie Estrin posted a 200-word message on the Jewish Genealogy Internet site — a call to any Estrins, family of Estrins or genealogy buffs interested in helping out in the quest.
In his message, Bernie Estrin wrote that the family came from the Mogilev or Gomel area of Belarus, and mentioned Rav Leibel (Leib) Estrin, Chief Rabbi of Schedrin in 1880, and his wife, Sara.
Within 72 hours he had heard from 15 possible relatives. One respondent wrote:
“My name is Ernest Romanovich Estrin. I am 33 years old (excuse me for my English because I have not many speak practice)…My father is Roman Mihailovich…My great-grandfather Israel-Wulf-Iankel-Meirovich Rogalin was born in Shklov. He was a rebe [sic]…By the way, I’m going to San Francisco, California.”
In San Francisco, the Russian Estrin — who lives in Kirov, east of Moscow — was set to attend the Global Summit on Science Education, sponsored by the National Science Teachers Association. Charlene Bornstein, whose mother was an Estrin, met Ernest at the San Francisco Marriott in late December and brought him home with her to Santa Rosa for a family party where he met 25 Bay Area Estrins — his potential relatives.
“Initially when we looked at him, we thought he looked familiar. Dark hair. Dark eyes, the features of our family,” said Bornstein, whose mother was an Estrin. “But by the end of the evening we couldn’t trace how he was linked to us.”
During a phone interview from his home, Bernie Estrin added: “It’s possible Ernest is related. He’s from a place about 25 kilometers from where my great-grandfather is from. It’s possible there is a relation somewhere.”
“It was really exciting. I felt like we were digging down further and finding our roots,” Bornstein said of the meeting. “It’s sad, too. A lot of our family was killed in the Holocaust.” She also mentioned relatives who couldn’t stay together or had to hide their identities.
“With Ernest, we still don’t know the connection.”
Many relatives, and details about them, were lost during the Holocaust and earlier atrocities such as pogroms.
Bernie Estrin is trying to confirm facts and double-check information about Ernest as well as other respondents to his Internet message, including individuals in Israel and South America, and Uri Estrin of Australia.
In addition, he is completing his Estrin family address book, to be sent or e-mailed to all confirmed and potential relatives in hopes of completing the family tree and staying in touch.
Bernie Estrin said he feels all Estrins are relatives, whether or not the connections are ever confirmed. He feels linked to those he has discovered through the Internet search — as well as to a history that only recently opened up.
Bernie Estrin has discovered possible roots to his surname — that it could be derived from “Esther,” or from “Austria.” He also learned that Rav Leibel Estrin was a missionary for Chabad in Belarus.
A Conservative Jew currently on his own spiritual quest, Bernie Estrin had recently begun attending services at a Chabad synagogue near his home — before learning this fact about his ancestor.
“I was shocked. It’s a total coincidence, as odd as it sounds,” Estrin said, adding, “My rabbi is doing more research.
“I’m sure we can find out more.”