The inspiration to produce this web page grew out of a March 20 – 27, 2015 Atlanta trade and sister cities mission to Israel. After 39 years, I fortunately re-connected with branches of the Panzer family in Israel, the Ilani and Metzger lines. I so appreciated the strength of this bond after such a long disconnect that I decided to produce a web page to describe it.
I married into this family by virtue of a wonderful 38 year marriage to my late wife Sue Auerbach Heller whose grandmother Sadie was a Panzer. Sadie was the mother of Rosalinde, or Rozzie, who married Herman Auerbach, my father-in-law. Marc Auerbach is Sue’s brother and my brother-in-law.
From left to right, Marc, Rozzie, Herman and Sue Auerbach Heller.
Herman Auerbach passed away ten years ago at the age of 90 – my wife Sue, age 59, died Nov. 21, 2009. Rozzie passed Oct. 8, 2013 at the age of 94. Marc Auerbach lives in Houston, Texas, with his wife Lisa. Their daughter Maggie Bolstead lives in Silver Spring, Maryland, with husband Paul and daughter Talula
This tribute is not a Panzer Family History, nor is it intended to be comprehensive or even balanced. For a true history, proceed to the Panzer Family History being written by Michelle Leder, or peruse the Panzer Family Facebook page.
My aim is to illustrate my re-bonding with the Panzer family branches in Israel. Therefore, the focus is on the Panzer family in Israel and Sue’s family links.
Abraham Panzer married Scheindel Altman and lived in the Chodoroiv shtetl located in then Poland and now Ukraine. They had seven children who were all born and lived in Chodroiv – by birth order they were Faiga, Jacob (Jack), Julius, Sadie, Sol, Gladys and Murray.
Faiga was born in 1886 and married Leifish Baumel. They moved to Lemberg and raised three children there – Eda, Moshe, and Rivka.
Faiga and Leifish immigrated to Palestine in 1935. Eda became involved in the Zionist movement and may have influenced them to make aliya instead of joining the rest of the family in the United States. They would have died in the Holocaust if they’d stayed in Poland.
As an act of Israeli patriotism, a lot of European immigrants changed their Yiddish and European names to Hebrew names – Leifish became Arie, Faiga became Zipora. Cobi Metzger, son of Joseph, thinks they are the same Hebrew names they’d had in Europe. Moshe changed his last name Baumel (German) to Ilani.
1. Yaron -Boyfriend of Sarah
2. Sarah Cassel (grand grand child of Soul Panzer)
3. Maya Metzger
4. Ido Ilani
5. Efi Ilani
6. Dalia Ben Shahar
7. Martin Cardoso
8. Ofer Barak
9. Miri Barak
10. Hadas Cardoso
11. Hagit Ilani
12. Yael Ilani
13. Tom – Boyfriend of Yael.
14. Oren Karaso
15. Asaf Karaso
16. Avi Karaso
17. Ayelet ilani
18. Dan Ilani
19. Sharon Karaso
20. Tamar Karaso
21. Yoav barak
22. Yonatan Barak
23. Lior Topaz
24. Rotem Barak
25. Adi Metzger
26. Moshe ilani
27. Alex Bekerman
28. Shula Metzger
29. Roni Ben Shahar
30. Ayala Metzger
31. Harel Bekerman
32. Michal Bekerman
33. Davides (Guest)
34. Yulia (Guest)
35. Omer Bekerman
36. Erez Yoskovitch
37. Tal Yoskovitch
38. Michal Topaz
39. Neri bekerman
40. Dor Bekerman
41. Roy Bekerman
42. Sharon Eshet
43. Itay Eshet
44. Rotem Eshet
45. Guy Topaz
46. Eyal Topaz
47. Yarden Topaz
48. Yael Bekerman
49. Ilay Bekerman
50. Eliana Bekerman
51. Aya Yoskovitch
52. Ayelet Eshet
Cobi Metzger is photographer and not pictured.
Yael Harel (48) married Alex Beckerman (27) – she is pictured holding grandson Ilay (49). Alex is grouped in the back, center-left with Effie and Dalia.
The three children of Faiga and Leifish married – Eda Baumel married Vizek Harel (changed to Hebrew from Halperin). They had two children, Dr. Michael Harel and Yael Harel Bekerman. Michael married Nava Abramavitch and moved to New York to practice medicine. Michael is pictured below in 2008 with my late mother-in-law Roz Auerbach.
Moshe Baumel was born in 1920 and changed his name from Baumel to Ilani. Moshe married Chaya, joined the Hagana, and was part of the Jewish Brigade that fought under the British in WW II. Moshe was also part of the Jerusalem Brigade – the 250 who in 1947 took Jerusalem from 10,000 Jordanian soldiers. Moshe and Chaya had three children: Dalia, Effie, and Rachel.
Rivka Baumel was born in 1922, married Joseph Metzger, joined the Irgun and assisted with medical supplies. Rivka and Joseph had two children, Coby and Shula. Cobi and his wife Ayala have two daughters, Maya and Adi.
Moshe, now 95, is flanked by Dalia on right and Effie standing. Cobi Metzger, son of Moshe’s sister Rivka, is seated far left. Joseph, Moshe’s brother-in-law, is credited with developing the anti-Tuberculosis program within the National Health Service.
The below picture is my dinner with the Metzgers and Ilanis, March 25, 2015. Yael Harel Bekerman is to my right, her husband Alex is to my left. Across table are Cobi’s wife Ayala, two daughters Adi and Maya, and his sister Shula. Effie is at top of table with his sister Dalia (top right). Cobi was also the photographer and again is not pictured.
Dalia Ilani married Roni Ben Shahar – they have three daughters and six grandchildren. Miri Ben Shahar married Ofer Barak – their three children are Yonatan, Yoav, and Rotem. Michael Ben Shahar married Eyal Topaz – their three children are Guy, Lior, and Yarden. I am pictured below with Effie, Moshe, and Dalia.
Effie Ilani married Hagit Beit Dagan – they have three children; Yael, Iddo, and Dan who married Ayelt. Rachel Ilani married Avi Karasso – they have four children – Oren, Tamar, Sharon, and Asaf. Rachel died tragically in a car crash on August 4, 2013.
Of the seven children born to Cipi Leder and Moshe Altman, the Leder family has stayed connected to the descendants. The family spread across small to medium sized North Carolina towns – the next generation graduated college and migrated to Atlanta. Brenda Leder, far right, is seated next to cousin Sherry Segerman – Marcia Leder Goldman is to Sherry’s right with Anne Bernstein to her left.
The original Panzer Cousins Club included Saul and Dora Panzer, Seymour and Zelda Panzer, Claire and Herb Afromsky, Ruth and Ben Hilton, Roz and Jay Lewitt, Howard and Shirley Cassell, Danny and Estelle Kornhausen.
The next generation of the Panzers and Blanks.
My Texas mispoocha – my brother-in-law and sister-in-law Marc and Lisa Auerbach top row; my son Sasha Bart Heller (left) and me (right).
