In 1968, Max and Joe (Stuart's grandfather) were reunited with their sister, Bluma, who had been living in Argentina since 1933. They had been separated for about one-half century.
Cousin Howard's account of the reunion:
This is one of my favorite family stories:
Great-Grandfather, Max, left his village in what is now known as Belarus in 1910. He traveled to America on his own at the age of 16 and stayed with family that were already settled here.
Think about traveling halfway across the world, on your own, to a strange place, at that age!
After a while, Max was followed by his younger brother, Joe, and then by his parents, Eli and Deborah. Max's eldest, sister, Bluma, had wanted to join her family in the United States, but by the time she tried to leave, the U.S. government had passed the Immigration Act of 1924.
That infamous law shut the door to most immigration into the United States. It especially barred people from eastern and southern Europe. Bluma was forced to choose an alternative destination.
Max’s sister, Bluma, decided to emigrate to Argentina. This South American country was very welcoming to the Eastern European Jews. Bluma lived there for more than 50 years, raised a family, made a life.
The remainder remained in Europe and died in the war: two sisters and their families. Also their mother, Devorah Shacknofsky Lien, who had returned to Europe ~1931 to be with her family.
In the summer of 1968, Bluma and her family decided that it was time to rejoin what remained of her family in America. When the day came for her and her family to arrive by plane in New York, nearly all of the Leavitt family gathered together at the airport gate to welcome her. There were at least 20 of us!
Watching our Grandfather reunite with his sister for the first time after over 50 years was one of the most incredible and emotional things I’d ever seen. We were all laughing and crying — tears of joy. Imagine, not seeing your sister for over a half century. All of the memories. All of the family and friends lost. All of the new family members and friends to meet and embrace. It was something I’ll never forget. The memory still brings tears to my eyes to this day when I tell the story.
Text and photos contributed by the Leavitt descendants.