Grobstein Family Tree

Welcome

Приветствовать

ברוך הבא

to the Grobstein families pages

We hope that you enjoy our pages about all things Grobstein (with Grobshteins, Grubsteins, and variations, as well as Litovskys, and others).

This site includes stories of family members, and non-family members, data, pictures and information about the places from whence these families came, passed through, and where they lived.

Наслаждайтесь нашими страницами обо всех вещах Гробштейн.

Они включают истории семьи, истории индивидуальных членов семьи, информация относительно мест наша семья приехала от и жила. 

Enjoy our Grobstein family site!

наслаждайтесь нашей семейной группой Гробштейн! 

---

For an introductory guide an how to navigate this site, and find specific information, please go to Page 2.

---

For an introductory introductory explanation of the origins of Jewish last names, taken from Origins of Jewish Last Names in Turov, by Leonid Smilovitsky, PhD, The Goldstein-Goren Diaspora Research Center of Tel Aviv University, please go to Page 3.

---

In Yiddish, Grobshtein גרובשטיין is a grob shteyn, heavy or course stone. It is unlikely that it is a grave stone, gruv לוויה shtein, grab stein or מצבה.

It is also possible that Grobstein גרובשטיין was originally spelled with a ß, rather than a b, making the name, large or Groß, 'grosse shteyn', or 'large stone'.

The old German 'ß', now often written 'sse', would have been difficult to write in Russian, Ukrainian or Polish, and was possibly confused for a 'B', or Grob. shtein.

There are several variations in the spelling, such as:

* Grobstein

* Grobshtein

* Grobshtejn

* Grobshtain

* Grobstaijn

* Grubshtein

* Grubsztejn

The origins of the Grubstein/Grobstein family, according to Ben Weinstock, can be traced to four basic regions where Grubsteins lived:

1. Grubstein family from Podole Поділля, Ukraine (Ben Weinstock's branch)

2. Bobruisk Grobshteyn family from Bobruisk/Grodno, Беларусь Belarus, which, according to archival research by Oleg Perzashkevich, originated in the nearby shtetl of Glusk Глуск.

3. Grubstein family from Northern Poland

4. Grubstein family from Mid and South Poland

We have been able to trace our Grobstein roots back only a few generations to Baky Baku.

Some of our Grobstein family emigrated to North America, some stayed in Baky Baku, and a branch of our Grobstein family emmigrated from Baki to Israel.

One member of our Grobstein family immigrated to Israel, by way of the ГУЛАГ Gulags of Khazakhstan and Сиби́рь Siberia. Separated from his brothers, cousins, relatives and friends, he raised a family and Hebraicized the family name, changing it to גזית Gazit, after the לישכת הגזית Lishkat haGazit, the Chamber, or Office, of Hewn Stone (גזית Gazit is a hewn or cut stone).

The לישכת הגזית Lishkat haGazit was one of three Northern Chambers of the בית המקדש Temple, in Jerusalem, which was built with hewn stone, and was where the בית הדין הגדול High Rabbinical Court, or seventy man סנהדרין Sanhedrin, sat. It was forbidden to sit in the עזרא Azarah, therefore the לישכת הגזית Lishkat haGazit was located half way in the עזרא Azarah and half way in the היכל Haichal, and had entrances from both sides. Since half of the building was built outside the עזרא Azarah, the judges were allowed to sit.

---

The roots of the Litovsky family are in Lithuania and Беларусь Belarus, as Litovsk, means  Litvak or Lithuanian, is the adjectival form of "Lithuania", as in Brest-Litovsk, or Brisk de Lita, which literally means בריסק Brest of Lithuania.

The Jews of western Беларусь Belarus all called themselves ליטוואק Litvaks Litvishe Yidden יהדות ליטא, meaning Lithuanian Jews, although the reference has little to do with modern Lithuania.

There are several variations in the spelling, and even documents for members of our family show different spellings, such as:

* Letovsky

* Letofsky

* Litovsky

* Litovksiy

* Litofsky

We have been able to trace our Litovsky roots back only a few generations to Мала Виска Malaya Viska.