The Beginning

We started in Europe, that much is certain. We are Jewish, though not all of us practice(d) the same way. We fought in World War I, World War II and during Vietnam. We operated street cars in Los Angeles, sold fruit from outdoor markets in Boyle Heights; worked in Downtown L.A. factories, sewed shirtwaists in Manhattan and outlived the Great Depression.

We all seem to hail directly from New York, though ventured to California when the promise of a new life and year-round sunshine was too perfect an idea to pass up. Along the way, Louis Greene became the Mayor of Brooklyn Avenue in Boyle Heights and Marine Corporal Len Smith was nearly shipped to WWII Japan years after a car he was driving crashed, leaving his soon-to-be wife Marilyn Greene with a broken nose and collarbone.

Below is our family tree, spanning four generations of Obersteins, Greenes, Smiths, and Cohens, though it also includes the Ausssies (Aldens) and Israelies (Ilans), each of whom deserve there own entries. If you haven't already, I invite you to visit geni.com to register and fill whatever gaps in our family's history that might remain. On this blog, I will attempt to tell some of the story with stories from those inclined to share and pictures when available.

I invite you to tell yours as well, whether it's first, second or third hand. If you would like to contribute, send Mitch an email and he will add you as an author.

Thanks...

Click on the tree to scroll around or click here to see the whole thing.