The Telegraph-courier. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1888-1946, 1922-01-05
FAMILY REUNION
BEGINS new YEAR
Family of Reuben KOnef-
sky Arrives from Uk-
rainia Saturday.
SON IS A SCHOLAR

The Happy New Year" greeting
means more to Reuben Konefsky, Of
500 Chicago street, this year than 1T
has ever meant before. And it is 60
ing to be a Happy New Year, all OBJ
jections to the contrary notwithstand-
ing.
On New Years eve Konefsky hied
himself to Chicago where he met his
wife and two children who had just
arrived from Russia. The meeting in
the Union Station was not without its
pathos, despite the happy fact that the
family was reunited again after eight
years of separation. Konefsky recog-
nized his wife Immediately in the wait
ing room as his little mother" and
with tears in his eyes he hastily re-
called his sad departure from the lit
tie home in Russia eight years ago.
Yes, Bunye was the same little woman.
But the children Surely, they can't
be those two youngsters Juggling at
the skirts of the mother. Why, in
eight years they should have grown to
twice the size they are now. Little
Max, age Is, and Rachel, age IL,
seemed to be little tots hardly more
than ten years old.
His Minds Fancy.
For the past several years Reuben
had followed the growth and progress
of his two children in his mind. True,
the letters from home had told of the
hardships and suffering under the re-
gime of the Bolsheviks, and the later
ravishing pogroms Of the Poles, but
it seemed hardly possible that the suf-
fering could have made much vivid
impressions on the bodies of the chill
dren and their mother.
Max weighs but SO pounds while his
sister, three years younger, tips the
scales at rs. The children told of their
eating real bread made from -four for
the first time in many years while at
hotel in Belgium. They were daz-
zled at the sight of so many Injuries
on the table. My! How extravagant
these Belgians were. But when the
family arrived in Nova Scotia they saw
the same eatables in the same profu-
sion. They were then told that the
outside world hadn't suffered so much
from the lack of food as their neiegh-
bors in Ukrainia. And clothingi Their
Sabbath clothes" consisted OF coarse
sacks and anything they could piece
together and keep clean, in addition to
their "Talas"-the sacred robes. And
here in America they saw track hands
and other men doing the worst kind
of jobs with much better clothes than
they had ever dreamed existed.
Children Are Hebrew Scholars.
With the family reunited in Keno
sha, Sunday was a gala day. All their
friends came into visit them and to
hear their tales of Russia today. An
incessant stream of conversation went
on between tho members of the fam
lily, one relating how the village butch
err was married-tor the Rabbits daugh-
ter, and the horrible period that fol-
lowed, and SO on
The father asked the son to recite
several chapters from the Hebrew Tel
mud, and was gratifed at the extent
Of knowledge and appreciation of the
Hebrew law that the son had learned.
The son in another year would have
qualified to becomeda Rabb in Russia,
and now it is the fathers greatest am
bition to see his son through to his
goal in America. Arrangements have
been made already to have the son
take prominent part in the Sabbath
services at the B'Nai Zedek synagogue
next Saturday morning.
And today the little family are still
giving thanks to their God, that after
six months of effort, they are at last
together and that theirs will truly be
a Happy New Year.