Faust Klezmer Family

[Helen Winkler <winklerh...>]

I recently found this photo on a web site (I've seen it in many other places as 
well) and realized that this family of musicians was mentioned in a yizkor 
book-so I pieced together the entries.  The photo was taken in 1912.  By 1943 
only one of the brothers remained alive.  Just wondering, outside of the yizkor 
book, was this Faust family a well known klezmer family?  Did any of their 
tunes survive?

Helen

http://www.tachna.com/Jewish%20Life%20In%20Poland/page%2070.htm

photo of the faust family can be found here.


Klezmorim - traditional musicians, most of them members of the Faust family.  
Rohatyn, 1912.  Klezmorim frequently appeared with a badkhn (traditional 
wedding jester), who improvised humorous and sentimental rhymes. 

 

http://www.jewishgen.org/yizkor/rogatin/roh129.html

The Community of Rohatyn and Environs 
(Ukraine) 

49°25' / 24°37' 

Translation of Kehilat Rohatyn v'hasviva 

Editor and Publisher: M. Amihai 

Yiddish editing: David Stockfish 

English editing: Shmuel Bari 

Published in Israel in 1962 by Rohatyn Association of Israel 

 

 

Cherished Images

I remember the Purim "Seudah" [festive meal] in my parents' home. That evening 
many children of the town would come to our house in their costumes. Especially 
noticeable were the groups of students who portrayed historical figures, 
including those of the Megilla. Others came from Zionist youth groups, wearing 
blue and white sashes emblazoned with the Star of David. These were joined by 
four klezmerim (musicians) from the Faust family who played typical Jewish 
melodies and ended their musical performance with "Hatikvah." The faces of my 
father, Akiva Wagschal, and my mother, Cyril, would shine with joy upon every 
display of Zionism in the town. My father, who was a Zionist, heart and soul, 
was one of the founders of the Hebrew School of Rohatyn and had also been 
privileged to visit Israel.

http://www.jewishgen.org/yizkor/rogatin/roh084.html



Every Jew from Rohatyn would certainly remember the "family band of musicians," 
the Faust family. They were the talk of the town - Moshe, Dovid, Itzik-Hersh, 
Mordecai-Shmuel, and Yaakov. Moshe, the father, was the conductor, Dovid, the 
fiddler, Itzik-Hersh, the flautist, Mordecai-Shmuel, a multi-instrumentalist 
and clarinet player, and the little ruffian, Yekel, the trumpet player and 
drummer. 

Weddings in Rohatyn reverberated throughout the surrounding countryside. The 
canopy was set up beside the large synagogue, and the bride and groom were led 
there amidst a grand parade. The band led the way. The music rang through the 
streets and raised a great crowd. Children ran ahead and had a great time 
chasing after the band. It was lively and cheerful in the shtetl. 

http://www.jewishgen.org/yizkor/rogatin/roh007e.html

Can you then imagine the sweet joy and the exaltation when, on the morning 
after "matura' (graduation from high school), our Jewish orchestra (The Faust 
brothers) would awaken you with the joyous tunes of Jewish melodies? I do not 
think that any serenade ever sounded sweeter. And yet, how many of those who 
finished gymnasium ever had a chance for further education? 

Yes, the Fausts played at "maturas" and they played at the weddings. They 
played after the Yom Kippur fast and on any occasion when they might earn a 
zloty. One of them, who was our violin teacher, often told me about the 
adventures of his past. He had been in the great land of America and had had a 
chance to marry a rich girl there, but he preferred to come home and to marry 
the girl he loved. He often wondered how wise he had been. Could he have 
foreseen his end ? And what a hard job it was to teach kids like us all day and 
play at social functions all night! On Yom Kippur, when all of us would run 
home from synagogue after the Fast to rejoice with our families over the 
delicacies prepared for the occasion, the Fausts would run home to get their 
violins and go from house to house, playing happy tunes to wish those who could 
afford this "luxury" a happy New Year. 

http://www.jewishgen.org/yizkor/rogatin/roh032e.html

May - June 1943 
In the months of May and June we began to hear that all the surrounding places 
had been completely emptied of Jews. Now it was sure that the fate of the 
Rohatyn Jews was sealed and that our days were numbered. We began to become 
accustomed to the thought of the coming end. We often talked of approaching 
death as of a natural and inevitable event. We began to sell everything which 
still remained of former times and began to buy food to still our hunger. In 
some houses there were parties, with food and drink and song. There wasn't any 
music since the Faust family musicians were no longer with us. Only David 
Faust, with his wife and daughter, Rosa, were still alive. 

 

 


Helen Winkler
Helen's Yiddish Dance Page
www.angelfire.com/ns/helenwinkler

Calgary Folkdance Fridays
www.cadvision.com/winklerj/cff.html