Soccer Dad

The Oldest Family

According to the JTA:

You may not find Dr. Neil Rosenstein’s new book listed on national best-seller lists, but the noted genealogist — with his tongue halfway in his cheek — compares it to the popular thriller “The Da Vinci Code.”
Both books, the noted American genealogist and surgeon said, deal in varying degrees with family trees reaching back 30 centuries to the biblical House of David.

But Rosenstein, a 60-year-old New Jersey resident, notes that while Dan Brown’s novel presents a clever blend of fact and fancy, “The Lurie Legacy,” published recently by the New Jersey-based publishing house, Avotaynu, is based entirely on accurate historical information, with all sources carefully noted.

In “Legacy,” Rosenstein links the Lurie lineage — which includes such modern luminaries as Sigmund Freud and Martin Buber — to Rashi, the 11th-century sage, and many other revered Jewish figures from Hillel to Hezekiah — and ultimately to King David of the 10th century BCE.

The Luries are, according to many sources, the oldest family on record (and according to the JTA article accepted by Guinness). (i.e. the family that can trace its roots back the furthest.

That Rashi - the great French Rabbi whose commentary on the Bible is the most popular among Orthodox Jews - who lived from 1040 - 1105 - is descended from King David is something I've heard before. What interests me, is that I'm also supposedly descended from Rashi.

My mother's family is descended from an 18th century Rabbi named, Reb Leib Sarahs, who was a disciple of the famous Ba'al Shem Tov. R' Leib Sarahs is said to be descended from the great 15th century Rabbi, the Maharal of Prague. And the Maharal is descended from Rashi.

(This means that I am related to John Kerry on his father's side as he also claims to be descended from the Maharal. On his mother's side Kerry is related to George Bush, Princess Diana and Vlad the Impaler - aka the original Count Dracula.)

Of course most Jews of European origin are probably descended from Rashi. I once asked Rabbi Wein what percentage of Jews were descended from Rashi and he said 80 percent.

Getting back to R' Leib Sarahs, my brother recently informed me that the surname Sorotzkin. (ie "Sarahs kin") Is anyone familiar with the origin of the name Sorotzkin?

Posted by SoccerDad at October 25, 2004 8:51 PM