"Mama's (Sarah Leshansky's) organization was ... called 'The Ladies Gemilas Hesed Society of the Bronx.' It was a free loan society and there were clients that were undoubtedly immigrants. I could write a book about it and some day when we get together I am sure the tales would amuse you."

(Dorothy Leshan, her daughter, 2003)

The Leshansky Family (back row, left to right) Julius, Lily, Ida, Joe, and (front row, left to right) Abe, Eliezer, Dottie, Sarah (the matriarch, and subject of this page) and Sammy, circa 1910 (based on fact that Dorothy Lucy Leshan was born in 1905, and appears to be about 5 years old above.)

Sarah (Harakh) Leshansky, circa 1910

Five Stories about Sarah Leshansky

(1) Dottie Leshan told the following story to her great great niece Anisa Leshan (the daughter of Nina, who is daughter of Edward, who was son of Julius, who was Dorothy's eldest brother).

"Sarah was always very active in community work, including helping new immigrants get a foot up in New York. She always took Dottie along to meetings, where she sat in a corner with her book and listened in on the debates about which new immigrant in the community should be given a loan from the organization's small fund. Dottie was often given the job of printing out the flyers for the organization, and so her hands were always covered in purple ink. She got in trouble at school a lot for having "dirty" hands."

Dotty further explained in a letter to me (February 2003):

"Mama's organization was not an immigrant organization. It was called 'The Ladies Gemlas Hesed Society of the Bronx.' It was a free loan society and there were clients that were undoubtedly immigrants. I could write a book about it and some day when we get together I am sure the tales would amuse you."

~

(2) Dotty's mother Sarah used to go to visit Dotty's grandfather/Sarah's father, known to Dotty as Mota the Dyan, in Slutsk. She related the story of her mother Sarah's annual ride to Shlutzk/Slutsk in the winter to visit grandfather Mota, in the time before they came to America. Dorthoy Leshan recalls about her Mamma (Sarah) that Sarah was always seasick, and carsick. Apparently she had a terrible time coming to America on the ship.

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(3) When her husband left for England and then America, Sarah Leshansky missed him greatly. She went to stay with her mother-in-law Doba and father-in-law Avram Leshansky. As Dorothy remembered, "Momma said Papa went away and she was so unhappy" Yet, expressing her affection for her in-laws, she also said. "Why was I unhappy... they were such good people." That was her feeling about them, explained Dorothy, echoing the warm sentiments that Ida Leshan expressed for her grandfather Avram Yitzchak Leshansky.

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(4) Sarah migrated to US in 1898. This is definite, says Dotty. Sarah was 43 or 44 when she bore her last child, Dorthy "Dotty" Leshan in 1905. My great aunt Dorothy Leshan is the sole surviving sibling from the family pictured above. She was born in 1905, and is still sharp. You do the math.

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(5) Dorothy Leshan recalls (February 2003) "I once heard a conversation between an elderly woman who was visiting [and my mother.] The one sentence that sticks in my mind was from our visitor. It was "But you are Mote Dayan's granddaghter" and mother answered "of course". That's all I know about it aside of details about the trips by horse and wagon. Incidentaly, I was given to understand that the dayan was more like an arbitrator than a judge."

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