13:58:51 From Rose Allen : Hello Sarah 13:59:17 From Vlado Stojanov : Heloo!!!!!!!!!!!!!! 13:59:34 From Ethan Russo : Hello, all my Monastirli cousins! 13:59:37 From Sarah Nehama : Hello from Sarah Nehama 14:00:14 From julie kerem : Hello from Yitzchak Kerem, Israel 14:00:17 From Joel M. Ergas : Joel Ergas happy to participate and meet all of you. 14:00:24 From Dayna West : Hola from the San Francisco Bay! 14:00:30 From Dijana Gjorgievska : hi, from Dijana 14:00:31 From Ana Stojanova : Hello from Luxembourg :-) 14:00:38 From Isaac Azose : Shalom, Sarah Nehama. Yo me yamo Yitshak Azouz. En Ingles, lo trakaron a Azose. 14:00:48 From Lynn Weiner-Balshine : Hello to my fellow Monastirlis from West Hempstead, NY. 14:00:58 From Meto Koloski : Zdravo from Washington, D.C.! 14:01:05 From Joan LeMole : Hello from Maine in the US. My mom's maiden was Sarfaty. 14:01:10 From Frada Boxer : Hi, from Houston TX 14:01:28 From Rose Allen : Jake Kohenak and I from Sephardi Federation of Palm Beach County, Florida! 14:01:38 From Elli Sacks : Shalom from Modiin, Israel! 14:01:42 From Paulette Halpern : Good afternoon from Florida! 14:02:04 From LAURA ELIAS : Hi From Delray Beach! 14:02:23 From Arla : Los Angeles in the house 14:02:58 From Zoran Gjorgiev : Shalom from Monastir, now Bitola. 14:03:20 From Jackie Sauter : Hello Dear Monastirlis and Friends! 14:03:37 From Victor Batis : Kalispera hello from Athens Greece 14:04:16 From Judy Petersen : hello from Colorado! 14:04:48 From Suzanne Schechter : Hi everyone, so many familiar cousins names. 14:06:42 From Alberto DeMayo: Interesting Sarah that in Chile relatives of mine their last name is Arueste. Visited Bitola a couple of years ago just because my grandparents left from there some around after the first world war, keep up the god work, stay safe, Alberto 14:07:52 From julie kerem : wishing you until 120 Rachel! 14:08:09 From Liza Amor : Hi Aunt Rochelle 14:08:25 From Jackie Sauter : My nonna was Esther Arute from Monastir, My papoo was Sam DeMayo from Kastoria. They lived in Rochester and were a part of Congregation Light of Israel. Their friends were the Aroestes, the Cassorlas, the Pardos, the Sarfatys, and many more. 14:08:55 From Joan LeMole : My grandparents, the Sarfatys, were also in Rochester, NY. 14:10:27 From Dayna West : I was born Aroeste and would love to meet more! My father changed our last name to West in the 60’s. Please get in touch if you’re interested in connecting 😊 DAroeste4747@gmail.com 14:10:33 From Jason Brandt : I have several relatives named Aroesty, Nahmias, and Baker. From Monastir to Rochester to Brooklyn, and then all over! 14:11:34 From Regina Faresin : Thank you so much for sharing your story !!! 14:12:15 From Erika Pardo : Hello All. My grandparents came from Monastir to New York. My grandfather Solomon Pardo was President of the Monastirli Synagogue for many years. Does anyone here know of him? I would love to connect. 14:13:40 From Becky Cohen : My father was a Pardo. They immigrated to Israel in 1930’s 14:13:45 From Dayna West : My Grandfather Solomon Aroueste went to NY from Salonica 14:13:57 From Maja Malinovska : Hello All! my name is Maja Malinovska I am from Monastir..my grandfather told me so many stories about his friens Jews when I was little..I was impressed and I am still inspired today and that is why I am here 14:14:23 From Dayna West : Thank you, Maja 🙏💕 14:14:45 From Erika Pardo : Yes I think that was the synagogue- my grandmother was a Camhi. maybe we are related? 14:15:00 From Liza Amor : I'm a Camhi 14:15:15 From Liza Amor : It's my maiden name 14:15:29 From Prof Asher J Matathias : the crowning achievement of Monsstirllis in New Lots, Brooklyn, was to join with Kastorialis to create the United Sephardim; eventually to found The Sephardic Temple, Cedarhurst, NY. For more than 60 years our shul was led by the late Rabbi Arnold B. Marans, z”l, and eventually included Greeks like the Matathias family, survivors of the Holocaust of Greek-Jewry! The glory of our ancestors combined to truly make our America more diverse, accepting, embracing!🙏🔯🍷🌹🇺🇸🇮🇱🎶😀 14:15:45 From Becky Cohen : I am looking for my grandfather’s two married sister who immigrated to the USA with their families in j1930’s …their maiden name Pardo 14:15:47 From Marlene Halpern : My great grandparents are Camhis. I grew up in Long Island and and the family is connected to the Sephardic Synagouge in Cedarhurs 14:15:56 From Eileen Friedman : I am a Camhi, Franco, Levy , and Passo 14:15:56 From Susan Barocas : My grandmother Esther Testa was from Monastir. The story is that she left at about 11 years old on the back of a cart using the papers from a friend of hers who backed out of emigrating. She landed at Ellis Island where she stayed for a few weeks until word of the name to use to pick up Esther got to an aunt of hers living in NYC. My grandfather, by the way, was from Corlu. 14:15:59 From Lynn Weiner-Balshine : My maternal great grandparents Louna Camchi Cohen and Morris Cohen when they came to America settled in Rochester. Joseph Tarica who is on this Zoom is a cousin of mine as his Gt. Grandmother was the sister of Morris Cohen. I am a long term board member along with Michael Calderon that is on this Zoom of the Congregation Peace & Brotherhood of Monastir, Inc. which is the burial society that survived of Ahavat Shalom D'Monastir which was as synagogue on the lower east side of New York City. 14:16:32 From DS : My grandparents León Hasson Levy and Buena Hasson Albala was born in Monastir My name is Doris Schwartzmann 14:16:36 From Rivka Rosenberg : Here is the Facebook page if anyone is not yet familiar with it: https://www.facebook.com/groups/393479247525941/ 14:16:37 From Jason Brandt : My wife and I visited Monsatir for a day in 2013. We could find very little indication of the large Jewish population that had existed before WWII. 14:17:10 From Erika Pardo : I am thrilled to meet people who may be relatives or friends of my family in Monastir and later New York. Please send me a private message with your email if you would like to connect! My email is erika.pardo100@gmail.com. 14:17:11 From Ethel Assael : I am Ethel Assael My father name is Raphael Assael Levy from Bitolj my mother name i Sara Camhi Baruh 14:17:13 From Liza Amor : My grandfather was Samuel Camhi, my Grandma is Anne Aresty. 14:17:39 From Liza Amor : Well look me up and lets be FB freinds 14:17:44 From Erika Pardo : Liza I think we are cousins! 14:18:12 From Lynn Weiner-Balshine : We should set up a Facebook Group for all of us to join. 14:18:17 From Rivka Rosenberg : https://www.facebook.com/groups/393479247525941/ 14:18:19 From Susan Cook : My grandfather was Ralph Testa, my father - Morris Testa. We’re from Rochester, NY! 14:18:23 From Jennifer Niles : Hello. My relatives on my Mother’s side were Barouch and Aroeste from Monastir. My Levy family were from Corlu, Turkey. 14:19:57 From Rivka Rosenberg : Lynn, there is a FB group: 14:19:59 From Rivka Rosenberg : https://www.facebook.com/groups/393479247525941/ 14:20:14 From Rayna Kerber : Hello from Rayna Cohen Kerber 14:20:16 From Dayna West : Thank you, Rivka - just joined! 14:20:27 From Dayna West : Hi Rayna 😉 14:20:36 From Rayna Kerber : Hi Dayna 14:21:04 From Rayna Kerber : Hi Sarah 14:23:22 From Lynn Weiner-Balshine : Rivka I already belong to it, but, a lot of the info is in Hebrew. I think if we may want to create one for all of us to try to see if we're related that's more family tree oriented it may be an idea to do a separate one. 14:23:32 From Meto Koloski : The UMD in D.C. has a partnership with the Holocaust Memorial Center in Macedonia, click here to learn more and keep the memory alive: https://umdiaspora.org/2018/09/05/keeping-the-memory-of-the-holocaust-alive-in-macedonia/ 14:23:51 From Meto Koloski : Sarah is an unbelievable voice for the Macedonian Jewish community - kudos! 14:24:09 From Rayna Kerber : My grandparents and greatgrandparents are from there 14:24:26 From Leona Vogel : my mother’s maiden name was Aronesty but her cousins all spelled it differently - Aroesti, Arowesti. They were from Monastir. Her uncles settled in NY, Chicago and LA 14:24:58 From Paulette Halpern : My father was Morris Nissim Cassorla of the Cassorla/Elias/Kassorla/Aroesty family tree. 14:25:22 From Rayna Kerber : my family too Leona, My great grandmother was Buena Aroesti who married manuel Sarfatti. My grandfathers side is Cohen 14:25:29 From Magdalena Sajkova : Greetings from Bitola, sorry for the late response, some technical problems 14:25:38 From Dayna West : I’d love to know how we’re all related! Any historians out there? Maybe we should do a separate Facebook group as suggested? 14:26:02 From Rayna Kerber : yes 14:26:22 From Erika Pardo : I would love a group to join 14:26:27 From Gloria Ascher : Mashalla, Rachel, ke ermozo, verte la kara por Zoom! Mazal bueno i munchas grasias, Sarah! 14:27:21 From Bryan Kirschen : Mashala is right! 14:27:34 From Leona Vogel : Rayna, my mother had a cousin Vicki Sarfatti 14:27:52 From Gloria Ascher : Mashalla!! 14:27:56 From Jennifer Niles : Is everyone award of the book “A Town called Monastir?” It is quite wonderful. 14:28:34 From Joel M. Ergas : Hello to All. My father was born in Monastir in 1893 and his parents were Ergas and Calderon. Anyone who recognizes the names please contact me. 14:29:04 From Dayna West : I wonder if Sarah might be able to send an email out to those of us who consent? 14:29:21 From Lorraine Bolkoaky : My grandfather was Avraham Aroesty. He was married to my grandmother Esther Testa who was his second wife. I never met either of them. Avraham died in Monastir in the early 1900s. My grandmother came here with her sons and daughter. One of her son’s was Isaac, my father. My mother was Bucha Nahmias. I grew up in Rochester. I am on Ancestry but have not been able to establish any connections to unknown relatives. 14:29:29 From Erika Pardo : @Dayna That’s a great idea 14:30:41 From Meto Koloski : Couple of books that may be of interest to audience, which I highly recommend: Monastir Without Jews: Recollections of a Jewish Partisan in Macedonia https://smile.amazon.com/Monastir-Without-Jews-Recollections-Macedonia/dp/1886857091/ref=sr_1_6?dchild=1&keywords=monastir&qid=1606073388&sr=8-6 14:31:08 From Meto Koloski : Last Century of a Sephardic Community: The Jews of Monastir, 1839-1943 https://smile.amazon.com/Last-Century-Sephardic-Community-1839-1943/dp/1886857067/ref=sr_1_1?dchild=1&keywords=monastir&qid=1606073388&sr=8-1 14:31:34 From Sarah Nehama : Meto, my late father, Isaac Nehama worked on that book and translated it into English 14:31:38 From Jennifer Niles : Hello everyone. My Mother’s family from Monastir were Barouch and Aroeste. My dad’s family were Levy and Barokas. They moved to NYC, Brooklyn and some to Rochester. I have lived in Ojai, CA since 1971. 14:31:58 From Dayna West : Thank you, Meto. I have the 2nd one - mention of Aroeste’s in there 14:32:00 From Meto Koloski : Sarah - that’s amazing!!! 14:32:12 From Sarah Nehama : Thank-you for recommending it! 14:34:30 From Joan LeMole : Did anyone know the Sarfatys of Rochester, NY? 14:36:22 From LAURA ELIAS : My grandfather David Elias (Cassorla) was born in Bitola. He immigrated to the US in 1914. He was the Rabbi of a congregation in Coney Island. 14:36:49 From Rayna Kerber : Leona Victoria Sarfatti is on my ancestry tree 14:36:59 From Rose Allen : Laura are you related to Danny and Judy Elias? 14:37:11 From LAURA ELIAS : Yes. 14:37:26 From Lynn Weiner-Balshine : There's also a family tree website www/cassorla.net that was started by the late Eli Cassorla who included so many of us that he was able to be in contact with through various connections. I ended up getting connected to a 2nd cousin on the Camchi/Alboer side of my family who submitted his details and being that they matched mine as we share Camchi Gt. Grandparents. I don't know if anyone is actively updating this website but it's a good place for people to start. I've since created a family tree on Geni for my maternal Cohen and Camchi sides of my family which is how I got connected to my Cousin Joseph Tarica who is on this Zoom. 14:37:28 From Meto Koloski : Thank you Ambassador for your excellent remarks! Birthright Israel was one of the reasons we formed Birthright Macedonia 6 years ago. 14:37:34 From Rose Allen : You're Danny's sister? 14:38:02 From LAURA ELIAS : yes 14:38:26 From Erika Pardo : @Lynn - my family (Pardo and Camhi) is on that website you mentioned. 14:38:46 From Paulette Cassorla Halpern : To thee best o my knowledge no one is updating the www.cassorla.net website. 14:39:57 From Susan Cook : We Testas have Pardo cousins. 14:41:27 From Magdalena Sajkova : The Marsh of living in Bitola is serious and huge project, with lot of young people and students, I was part of it for two times, Bravo! 14:41:53 From Joel M. Ergas : My uncle Salomon Ergas was married to Allegra Pardo and they are deported from Monastir. 14:42:19 From Joan LeMole: Hi Sarah, Is there any chance of getting an email list together for those who are interested? 14:42:34 From Judith Cohen : Fascinating - I was FIRST in Bitola and all through Makedonija and former Yugoslavia back in 1970, hitch-hiking through with a friend and no money ;) That was well before I learned about Sephardic culture and eventually did a PhD in Sephardic music! But I always remember Makedonija bacjk then, and sing its songs. Bitola, moj roden kraj... 14:42:47 From Becky Cohen : Yes, Pardo in Israel have Testa as cousin 14:42:48 From Rose Allen : Make this part of the International Ladino Day Festivities 14:43:14 From Lynn Weiner-Balshine : I think that someone did copy some of the info from the cassorla website to Geni. There's someone on one of the Facebook Sephardic Geneology pages that is working on a large Sephardic family tree. 14:43:15 From Susan Barocas : Has anyone done any genealogical research on the Testa family? Unfortunately my grandmother (who was from a village near or part of Bitolj) disconnected from that part of her past. 14:43:25 From Becky Cohen : Some Pardo in Israel are Padro 14:44:30 From Judy Petersen : not just for academic researchers, but you should contact JewishGen and establish a KehilaLinks page and donate cemetery pictures/translations to JOWBR (JewishGen Online Worldwide Burial Registry to enable genealogical researchers all over the world to access this information. 14:45:33 From Steven Aroesty : Aroesty family, I have a family group on Facebook. Send me a messenger request and I can friend you and add you 14:45:55 From Dayna West (nee Aroeste) : Thanks, Steven! Will do 14:48:35 From Jason Brandt : Mute him. 14:51:48 From Barry Elias : Has anyone catalogued the names from the tombstones in the cemetery? 14:52:26 From Rivka Rosenberg : @Barry, yes--- Rachel has 14:53:03 From Steven Aroesty : Some of the stones are still buried and it is an ongoing project to renovate the cemetery. 14:53:20 From Susan Cobleigh : I will join the facebook group. My grandmother emmigrated in 1913 from Kastoria Greece. They were Turks with a lineage back to Spain. Her name was Becky Russo. My Grandfather Morris Ovadia emmigrated from Macedonia in 1913. He was considered a Turkish Jew. They both arrived in Ellis Island and lived in the lower east side of Manhattan. Then Manhattan Beach, Brooklyn and Sheepshead Bay. Please contact me if you have relatives with these names. 14:53:47 From Jeanette Lewandowski : best wishes from Santiago de Chile 14:53:59 From Phyllis Levy : best wishes from Philadelphia 14:59:53 From Rachel Nahmias Kornberg : Rachel has this photo on the upper right. Her brother Jacque is in that photo 15:00:42 From Rachel Nahmias Kornberg : She knew a Dr Abravenel 15:01:32 From Rachel Nahmias Kornberg : Was he in Albania during the war _ specifically Elbasan Albania? 15:01:35 From Suzanne Schechter : my Mom is Reina Kamhi. Her Parents were Sydelle and Issie Kamhi. Thei’re parents were Ralph Kamhi married to Reina Aroesty…. and also Sol Becker (originally Ben Yakar) who was married to Rebecca Negrin. I’m confident were cousins w/ Nahmias’, Russo 15:04:22 From Lynn Weiner-Balshine : HI Suzanne - I know your Uncle Sandy Kamhi from our years of being on the board of Cong. Peace & Brotherhood of Monastir. I also knew your grandmother and Uncle Ralph Kamhi as well. 15:04:42 From Susan Cook : What is the FaceBook group everyone is referring to? Susan Testa Cook 15:06:38 From Lynn Weiner-Balshine : Our Sephardic Family is one of the Facebook Groups. There 15:07:30 From Judy Petersen : Sarah, you and your group should also consider presenting at the IAJGS (International Association of Jewish Genealogical Societies) annual convention (held virtually this year; if able, In Philadelphia in 2021. Balkan history/genealogy is a very neglected field..... 15:07:34 From Lynn Weiner-Balshine : There also is one in Hebrew and English Monastir-Bitola, Macedonia 15:07:41 From Rivka Rosenberg : https://www.facebook.com/groups/393479247525941/ 15:12:43 From Rachel Bortnick : the book by Mark Cohen, Last Century of a Sephardic Community, is very good 15:14:31 From Jackie Sauter : Thank you Shelly, That was very moving. 15:14:31 From Dayna West (nee Aroeste) : When can we go? 😊 15:14:32 From Jason Brandt : Thank you! 15:14:33 From Linda Levy : Please arrange another heritage trip. It was one of my most meaningful experiences! 15:14:52 From Eileen Friedman : I went too!!! AGREED!!! 15:16:01 From Josh Bloom : Linda and Eileen, back in March, Sarah and I were days away from announcing another Jewish Heritage Tour. When the world is back to normal… 15:16:25 From Liza Amor : Please aim for a summer trip 15:16:51 From Liza Amor : I'd like to go, but a teacher's schedule will not allow it during the school year 15:16:57 From Jackie Sauter : I would love to go again. It was a life changing experience. I treasure the memories and the friends I made. 15:17:11 From Rivka Rosenberg : Let's hope Covid 19 will be over first 15:17:22 From Eileen Friedman : Me toooooooooooooooooooo! 15:17:48 From Zoran Gjorgiev : We wait for you here USA 15:18:04 From Eileen Friedman : Zoran is the best!!!!! 15:18:18 From Lynn Weiner-Balshine : I'm going to have to go offline to pay a shiva call. Happy Thanksgiving Hanukkah to all. I hope that we can get a Facebook page going that just touches on the geneology aspect of Monastir. 15:18:36 From Dayna West (nee Aroeste) : Bye, Lynn! Hope so, too 15:18:38 From Zoran Gjorgiev : Only with group from USA im the best :) 15:19:40 From Kathy Handl : Since this is being recorded, will it be possible to view it, again, at a later date? 15:20:23 From Eileen Friedman : You’re wonderfully modest. You’re an awesome human being and great representative of Bitola!!! 15:21:00 From Zoran Gjorgiev : THANK YOUUUUUUU EILEEN 15:21:31 From Zoran Gjorgiev : hearts hearts hearts 15:22:05 From Loren Levy : great idea - that's where we should plan a family reunion post covid! 15:22:58 From Linda Levy : Zoran, so good to see you! I agree you are the best! Can’t wait for our next in person meeting with many more of the family! 15:22:59 From Jason Brandt : We want to taste them! 15:23:32 From Zoran Gjorgiev : Thank you Linda, I cant wait too 15:23:55 From Zoran Gjorgiev : kissessssss 15:36:09 From Paulette Cassorla Halpern : It was BEAUTIFUL! 15:36:32 From Jackie Sauter : Beautiful. Thank you, Sarah. 15:36:39 From Reid Brody: Fantastic! 15:37:09 From andrew levy : beautiful, Sarah. THANK YOU!!! 15:37:38 From Fernando de Mayo : Munchas gracias Sarah , muy kontentes de esta reunyon 15:38:39 From Eileen Friedman : SARAH….THAT WAS BEAUTIFUL, STUNNING, and SIMPLY GREAT! 15:39:21 From Dayna West (nee Aroeste) : What is the date of the oldest stone found? 15:41:30 From julie kerem : We don\t have a donor for that yet! 15:43:21 From Susan Barocas : Beautiful, Sarah! This program is quite special. Thank you!! I hope you'll provide contact information for everyone on the panel. 15:43:35 From Jason Brandt : Has the Monastir Project encountered any anti-Semitism In Macedonia or elsewhere? 15:43:58 From Rachel Nahmias Kornberg : 1497 according to info I have seen 15:44:15 From Dayna West (nee Aroeste) : Wow, Rachel! Thank you 15:44:19 From Jason Brandt : Thant's amazing and wonderful! 15:44:37 From Susan Cook : where can we get recipes? 15:45:09 From Meto Koloski : Sarah - is there anything else we can do to help your project? 15:46:13 From Zmira Cohen : What a special programne.!Any way of restoring memory & giving honour is a chesed towards this lost community, is so important 15:46:28 From Eileen Friedman : AMEN! 15:47:14 From Zmira Cohen : towards building bridges between all communities.Zmira.Cape Town. 15:47:15 From Regina Faresin : Admirable! 15:51:13 From julie kerem : In the region though there were Deunme, Followers of false messiah Shabetai Zvi. Jews who converted to ISlam but were crypto-Jews 15:52:52 From Erika Pardo : Can someone post the link to the FB group? 15:53:26 From Josh Bloom : https://www.facebook.com/groups/393479247525941 15:53:29 From Marlene Halpern : Thank you for this meeting. I was in Bitola in 2010 and this definitely has lit the flame to revisit 15:53:49 From Regina Faresin : Thank you because I have not been able learn Hebrew;-) 15:54:19 From Shelly-Rachel Levy Drummer : https://www.facebook.com/groups/681279532795957 15:55:01 From Josh Bloom : This group is mostly in English: https://www.facebook.com/groups/165447026810791 15:56:55 From Rose Allen : I have to leave but send regards to all. A fabulous event - thank you Sarah!! 15:57:57 From Victor Batis : I have to leave also. Thank you Sarah Shalom. 15:58:53 From Regina Faresin : I also have to leave, so I am looking forward to an email with links and a way to see the recording of this presentation, to be able to post it on Facebook! Thank you! 15:59:16 From Sarah Nehama : THANK-YOU!!!! 15:59:22 From Dayna West (nee Aroeste) : Thank YOU! Thanks to All who made it happen! 15:59:43 From Linda Levy : I have a large family tree on 23 and me. Linda Levy 15:59:43 From Rachel Nahmias Kornberg : There is a famous Sephardic cemetery outside Amsterdam with very similar graves .. 15:59:53 From Daniel Malater i Alison Kelley : mersi muncho a todos 15:59:56 From Jason Brandt : Thank you, Sarah! 15:59:59 From LAURA ELIAS : Thank you Sarah! 16:00:00 From Jackie Sauter : Thank you Sarah and everyone. Our connection is so important. Sending love to you all. 16:00:04 From Josh Bloom : Wonderful job to all the speakers! Thank you Sarah for putting this all together. 16:00:07 From Ellen Aresty : Thank you 16:00:09 From Magdalena Sajkova : Thanks for excellent session, looking forward to see you all in Bitola 16:00:10 From Ilana Lemberger : Thank you! 16:00:18 From Eileen Friedman : BRAVO!!!!!!!!!! 16:00:20 From Henry Goldberg : Thanks, Sarah!