The oldest living descendant of the Jews from Mszana Dolna, Golda/Jeana Chapnick, has died

We have some sad news: the oldest living descendant of the Jews from Mszana Dolna, Golda/Jeana Chapnick, has died at the age of 99. She was the granddaughter of Shulem Geller, who owned a wooden sole factory and 3 houses – they were located at a place where the oldest blocks of flats in Mszana now stand, on today's  John Paul II Street, formerly Kościelna Street.

Last year we had an amazing conversation with Golda, who recalled Poland and Mszana Dolna - the country of her childhood - with emotion. During that online meeting, on zoom platform, Ms. Golda asked us to sing the Polish anthem! On the other hand, during last year's 80th anniversary of the Shoah in Mszana Dolna, her son Saul, made an amazing gesture to the German Consul, Ursula Maier, which was read by many of those present as a sign of reconciliation.

You can read more about the Geller family here: https://www.sztetlmszanadolna.com/en/the-geller-family.html

To Saul we offer our deepest sympathy on the death of Mom: may her soul be tied in a knot of eternal life!

And one more touching circumstance: Golda/Jeane for years lived in the US. Her funeral was held in West Hempstead, New York, at the synagogue she used to attend since 1955. However, she was buried, alongside her husband, in Israel. Due to the weather circumstances, there were flight complications and Saul and his wife, Denise, missed the Israeli funeral. And here is the amazing circumstance: he was replaced by Avi Taylor, another descendant of the Jews from Mszana Dolna. Saul and Avi met only last year in Mszana, during the aforementioned anniversary celebrations, to which we invited descendants of Jewish families from Mszana Dolna! This is a beautiful manifestation of the recently established, but real community of people coming from Mszana Dolna. And our role in all of this.