ASIMOV, Daughter

Notes:

Moishe was a scholar and a cantor during the High Holy days in Petrovichi.
Judah (Jack) Asimov, 1896-1969, remembers his great-great uncle as very old and half blind, yet still wanting to sing--and not believing that anyone could sing better than he in the old shul. He was retired on a 10-ruble a year pension.
From "In Memory Yet Green," the first autobiography of Isaac Asimov: "As for Abraham Ber's younger brother, Moses Jacob Asimov, he, too, lived into my father's lifetime. In fact, he outlived his older brother, and my father remembers him when 'he was very old and half blind.' He, too, was a scholar, of course, and for many years he was a cantor at the town synagogue.
"'When I remember him," said my father, "he was already on a pension of 10 rubles a year, but if they allowed him, he would still perform as a cantor. He couldn't believe that anyone could perform better than he could.'"
"In fact [writes Isaac] it must be that my father told me about this great-granduncle of his, for I distinctly remember him telling me, when I was young, of a very old blind man who had once been a cantor and who continued to insist on singinn appropriate occasions even though his voice had altogether decayed. He would sing in his quavering, cracked voice, and out of respect for his age, no one would stop him, even though the sound was horrible enough to scrape the wallpaper off the walls.
"One time, though, Gentiles were present, and the embarrassment then became too keen. Someone approached the old man and said, 'Moses Jacob, please stop. There are Gentiles present, and it is not fitting.'
"Whereupon Moses Jacob turned his old blind eyes this way and that and said, 'Gentiles? Gentiles? I see no Gentiles,' and kept on singing."

Writes Isaac: "What really gives me pause about this story...is that I fully intend to continue writing as long as I live, and I wonder if I, like my great-great-granduncle, Moses Jacob, will continue to do so long after senility has deprived me of any writing ability, under the delusion that I can still do it. I have visions of my editors drawing straws to see who gets to tell me that I'm embarrassing the Gentiles.
"Well, what the heck! Great-great-granduncle didn't listen, and I won't, either."

Moses married MICHELEVA, Ita about 1850 in Russia. Ita was born in 1830 in Russia. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Other Events and Attributes:

• Occupation: Traveling Jewish preacher

Notes:

According to Judah's great-great grandson, Judah (Jack) Asimov (1896-1969):

Judah was a great scholar. The name Asimov came to his predecessors whenever last names were given to the Jewish people because he, like everyone in the family, were dealers in rye planted in the fall and kept warm under the snow all winter. The rye is known as "asimy chleb." So the the first dealer was given the name Asimy, and his sons, Asimov.

Judah lived in Petrovichi and, like all the town's people, paid taxes to the land owner. Each person had the right to sell it or transfer it, subject to a tax by the land owner.

Judah exchanged his great piece of land in the middle of town for a "third of land" at the west end of town.

With the money he received, he became a traveling Jewish preacher, walking everywhere. He had written a book advising piety and moral behavior. He gave out this book wherever he went.

Judah married MENDELEVA, Rochlya about 1820 in Russia. Rochlya was born in 1802 in Russia; died in Russia. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Wolf married UNKNOWN, Chaya about 1787 in Russia. Chaya was born in 1774 in Russia; died in Russia. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]