Brocha Leya Novosedz

Bertha Lee Arenson (Bee)

Original birth entry, Birzai, Lithuania.

Birth name: Brokhe Leia Novosedz, 27 June, 1911, in Birzai, Panevezys, record: LVIA/1226/1/1959 This is on the Julian Calendar, therefore on the Gregorian calendar her date of birth was 10 July, 1911. Iankel, Serella's husband, worked for Baron Von Fredrichshof on the Fredrichshof estate in Riga. Iankel, Serella and all of their relatives were deported into Ukraine in the mass deportation of Jews from Lithuania & Latvia in 1915. Jankel had a General Dealer store in Kharkov. There are no records in the Ukrainian archives for this store. Jankel was reported by the local farmers for buying grain which was forbidden & was imprisoned. (There are no prison records for him in Ukraine archives). In Kharkov, Serella, her sister Sonia (mother of Esther Barsel) and their mother Esther, operated a confectionery store. Serella fell ill and was in a convalescent home suffering from TB. Sonia swept the local Jewish cemetery for extra money. Serella returned home when she heard the pogroms were coming. Serella died while Jankel was in prison. Later Jankel was brought home from prison & died that very same day from Typhoid. Bee & Morris then lived with their Aunt Sonia in Kharkov. At that point, Sonia must have been in her early 20's, she was a young girl now responsible for her dead sister's two children. Sonia met a teacher - Joseph Levin originally from the Ukraine. Sonia & Joseph were married. Sonia, Joseph, Bee & Morris all went to live in the old house which belonged to Rabbi Moses Garrenbloom in Raguva, where Serella, Sonia, Sarah, Chonna (John) and Abraham had all grown up. Abraham & John emigrated to South Africa and then brought their sister Sarah to South Africa - they made a Shiddach between her and Abraham Arenson. When Sonia & Joseph gave birth to Esther, they could not afford to keep Bee & Morris. In about 1920, Sarah who was then in South Africa sent her husband Abraham Arenson to Raguva to collect the children to bring them to East London to live with them. Bee and Morris arrived in East London on the Arundel Castle in November 1922. The transit record is 145175 under the name Aaronsohn, departure date from London was 3 November, 1922, traveling 3rd class to East London. He is listed as a British citizen age 46.

Lithuanian Birth record – modern.

Marriage record.

1945 Passport:

1964 Passport:

1974 Passport:

1986 Passport:

Arthur Aaron Smollan

Morris Arenson

Father of Arthur Smollan: Joseph Smollan:

Mother of Arthur Smollan: Rachel Hannah Kommel:

Father of Joseph Smollan – Harris Smollan:

Mother of Joseph Smollan – Rachel Kuzanski Daniels:

South African Estate #: 3228/21.

Father of Rachel Hannah Kommel – Barnett Kommel.

Mother of Rachel Hannah Kommel – Hannah Annie Carnofsky