i get excited when i get in touch with other schlachets.

last week i joined facebook, a big social networking site. as i usually do, i did a search for “schlachet” and found a joel, in berkeley. i sent him a note asking if he’s from the large group of schlachets from ohio. no, he said. he’s from sandiego, but he’s met some of the ohio family.

i sent him a message back, briefly telling him about how i found an eli schlachet living in san diego and i arranged to meet him. my dad, brother, and i were on our way from los angeles to the san diego zoo. we did meet. eli was married and had two boys, just like my father (and my father’s father). my dad’s recollection of his family basically jived with that of eli. if i’m thinking correctly, both their fathers emigrated to the u.s. from israel about the same time.

so this joel, in berkeley, is the son of eli schlachet. one of the kids i met back in 1995 or 1996 in san diego.

is it weird that i feel some sort of draw to schlachet folk? i want to learn more about them. i want to be linked to them on websites.

when i was growing up, it was just my immediate family, my grandfather who moved from ohio to florida, my uncle in los angeles, and my dad’s half sister. his sister carolyn was from the zacuto family. a couple years ago i got in touch with a jeff zacuto, who’s met my uncle and aunt.

as i get older, i guess i’m learning more about family and understanding more why people are so interested in geneaology. it’s like history that means something very personally to you.

it makes me wonder, why there are a large group of schlachets in ohio who my family never kept in touch with. it seems like different parts of the family came into the u.s. at different times. my grandfather lived in ohio, did he know these other schlachets? i’m just guessing that eli is still around, i wonder if he remembers when we came to visit. i wish i knew/remembered more about my family.

jared schlachet, the photographer from los angeles, is from ohio. i need to make a trip down there, as we told each other we’d have to meet up if one of us was near the other.

jason, jared, joel.