Links:
CIRLIN-GINZBURG HOME PAGE Family History Page
Holocaust Memorial Tribute
Celebrities Photo Gallery
My name is Aaron Israel Ginsburg. I was born in Newport, RI, and am the oldest child of Maurice and Dorothy Ginsburg. My father was born in Dokshitz, and came to Newport in 1921 with his mother Dvorshe Kusinitz Ginsburg, and two sisters to join my grandfather, Israel, after whom I am named. When I grew up in Newport, I was surrounded by my fathers Uncles and Aunts, his numerous first cousins who were flitting in and out of the picture depending on whether they were residents or visitors, and many landsleut from the ancestral shtetl. At the time, I did not realize how special this experience was.I am the proud father of two teenagers. Here is a recent picture of my children and I:
I have been repeatedly asked why I am putting the effort into our family history, when did I start, and how do I find the time. I will attempt to answer these questions, and maybe the true answer will be included. I have always loved to read about history. I have read many books about European and Russian, especially modern European, and Jewish history. As part of these interest I have read many works about the Russian revolution, American Revolution and Civil war, and books about the Holocaust, Israel and Zionism, and WWI and WWII. Our family has been affected by and participated in these events, so researching our family history is natural extension of my interests. When I get interested in a topic, I try to learn as much as possible about it. I have handled my family research in the same matter. My job as a pharmacist gives me some spare time during the week to pursue my interests.
There are other reasons. I will never be an historian, a renowned physician or writer, or a distinguished attorney. But in exploring my family history, I have stumbled on an area where I can be a star. It is very gratifying when I spread a family tree on the table, and hear the oohs and ahhs! When I call someone, and introduce myself as the cousin you never heard of, I know that I represent scores, even hundreds of family members. Imagine how wonderful it is to throw a bridge across a gap that may have opened 30-50 years ago-I have done this several times! Its fun to do the detective work to track some one down. In one case, I found 90 relatives when I heard the sentence "There is a rumor of a branch of the Kusinitz family in Memphis." In a couple of cases, I started looking for some one in 2000 or early 2001, and found them in 2005.
I actively started researching my father's side of the family in the fall of 2001. I tend to work in bursts. I have just completed a journey to Florida, where one my primary aims and accomplishments was to reach out to our Cuban branch. You might be next. I could on, but I have to plan my next move in the family history game..."Hi my name is Aaron Ginsburg. I am the cousin you never heard of. I got your name from..."
You might enjoy the websites I created about the sukkahs in Sharon,(2005) Massachusetts, where I live, a Hannukah in Sharon, and Sukkahs of the World.org in 2006. You may also enjoy this site about my fathers mother's family(from Dokshitz) at the Kusinitz Family Home Page, and about my mother's Pokross family. I also conceived, co-chaired, and micro-managed a memorial concert to Naomi Shemer. You may read about it at the Shemer tribute home page. I am also proud of my efforts to point out the ethical problems with the many exhibits you will hear about that use real human bodies. I have created a site to bring these issues to the publics attention. Contact me with thoughts, questions and suggestions.