An Email From Andy Boroditsky, 05 March 1998
My name is Andy Boroditsky - and I am the one who received your letter in which you asked for explanation of the meaning of the "Boroditsky" second name.
I am a 19 year old man in Moscow, Russia, and I know the explanation of the puzzle that is bothering you.
Your great-grandfather Jacob Isaac Boroditsky had a lot of brothers and sisters (approximately eleven). One of them (I do not remember his name) emigrated to Canada (and now there are some of his descendants), others stayed in Russia. One of them was my great-grandfather Nisson Naum Boroditsky (he died a few years ago, in 1996, at the age of 102).
The grandfather of all of them was a simple Russian slave-peasant with no name (let's call him "The First One") but during the war of 1812 against Napoleon he was recruited in the army and in the fight of Borodino (it is a very famous fight!) he lost one hand. For his courage he was granted freedom and gained a second name - Borodinsky (by the name of the battlefield). This is a very rare name - there were only about 100 people that have had such a name - and all of them received it there - at the Borodino's battlefield. But the name Boroditsky appeared only when the son of The First One grew up and received a document approving his citizenship. It was an error in the document that made him Boroditsky instead of Borodinsky.
Boroditsky is a rare second name - there are maybe 30-40 people in the whole world that have it. And all of them are our far, far relatives...
Yours sincerely,
Andy Boroditsky
A Letter from their Granddaughter, Clarice, Daughter of Gertie Winkler, 23 July 1997
Mordechai and Malka Boroditsky were married in Propoiske, Russia. Mordechai was the only one of the Boroditsky brothers not to immigrate to Canada because he was worried about having to give up his religious freedom.
He earned his living as a "schoichet", slaughtering the animals acccording to Jewish law.
Malka and Mordechai had seven children - Reva, Getel, Mayer, Sora Roska, Rachmeil, Chanka and Yosef.
Malka ran a small business before their marriage. From the type of dress worn in this picture (photo to be posted at a later date) she sewed clothes for her children.
Yosef Boroditsky - brother of Gertie Winkler and the only surviving son of Malka and Mordechai - was employed by the Soviet Government in the scientific field. His whereabouts are unknown now.