Introduction – About this book

Acknowledgements: – A special thanks to all who contributed

Preface – Introductions: Meet Leon Olej and Cypora Besser as they arrive in the Promised Land.

Part I Beyond Our Family Tree

Chapter One – From Nomads to the Jewish Kingdom: Exploring how our ancestors got the Levant and life in the Biblical Era.

Chapter Two – Diaspora: What caused our ancestors to leave ancient Israel.

Chapter Three – Life in Europe: From the establishment of the Ashkenazi Jews to settlement in Poland.

Part II: Olej & Levin in Industrial Poland

Chapter Four – 1750 to 1840 – Our Earliest Known Ancestor: Olej/Liverand in Lask Poland

Chapter Five – 1750 to 1900 – The Levins: Mendel Levin and Mindla Rapoport start a legacy in Pabianice.

Chapter Six – 1820 to 1900 – Avram Moshe Olej: Including Bella Horowicz & Chana Glevitsky (Saltz) and introducing their children: The Olejs: Aharon Mayer, Chaya-Bina, Machel, Ruchla, Chana Dvora, Yosef, Rifka, Izak, Laya, Berek and Mordichi Wolf. Saltz: Shlomo and Sucher.

Part III: Besser & Popaver in Warsaw Poland

Chapter Seven – Besser and Popaver – A peek beyond our brick wall and the lives of the Bessers and Popavers in and near Warsaw:

Part IV – The last Diaspora

Chapter Eight – Yosef and Mindel and family: A working-class family in Pabianice Poland. Introducing their children: Machel, Abraham, Benjamin, Masha, Yankle, Bella, Leon, Sara, and Ester.

Chapter Nine – The Saltz Leave Poland: Establishing a presence in Canada and the USA.

Chapter Ten – Escaping Antisemitism in Zdunska-Wola and Łask: The Olejs travel to all corners of the world.

Chapter Eleven 1920 to 1935 – Kalman and Frayda: Life of a prominent family in and near Warsaw Poland. Introducing their Children: Sonia, Yichiel, Pola, Cypora, Shraga, and Rose.

Part V – The Holocaust – שואה

Chapter Twelve – Caught in the Storm: Germany Invades Poland and the Holocaust begins.

Chapter Thirteen – Exploitation and Murder: from occupation to the Ghettos

Chapter Fourteen – A Global Tragedy: Among other Jews, our Relatives are rounded up and systemically murdered.

Chapter Fifteen – Remembering those we lost: A tribute.

Part VI – Survival:

Chapter Sixteen – 1939 to 1948 – Those that remain: Post war to Independence in Israel.

Chapter Seventeen – Various dates – Our Cousins – Naming those who made it out, where they went and a brief discussion on how they carry on our ancestor’s legacy. Note: it is the Authors hope that this chapters will be added in the future stories similar to those in Chapter 18.

Chapter Eighteen – 1944 to present – From Isreal to the United States – The origin story of Nili Olay.

Appendix A – Index of Surnames

Appendix B – Cypora Olive’s memoir

Appendix C – Olej Memoirs

Appendix D – Leon and Cypora interview

Appendix E – Trees from Polish Genealogist Petje

Appendix F – Pinchas Saltz Memoir

Appendix G – Letters from Kalman Besser and Family