PDA

View Full Version : Woman with 1400+ descendents dies at age 99



SwordoftheVistula
09-25-2009, 04:17 AM
http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-3778275,00.html

The commandment to "be fruitful and multiply" the Krishevsky family follows quite closely. Last Saturday, the great grandmother, Rachel Krishevsky passed away at the age of 99, leaving behind no less than 1,400 children, grandchildren, great-grandchildren, and even great-great-grandchildren.

Krishevsky got married to her cousin, Yitzhak, just before turning 19. The couple brought seven sons and four daughters into the world. In accordance with haredi custom, Krishevsky brought up her children to see children as a great joy. Her children subsequently adopted her outlook and produced 150 children of their own.

These 150 children continued the commitment to be fruitful and multiply and themselves had no less than 1,000 children. From here, the lineage continued even further, and Rachel Krishevsky was blessed with a few hundred great-great-grandchildren.

Rachel Krishevsky died on Saturday surrounded by loving descendents.

Due to their great numbers, the family is not quite clear on precisely how many descendents there are. "The estimate in the family is that we are about 1,400 people since almost all of those from the family line were blessed with many children," said one of the grandchildren Wednesday.

Though she lived a full and long life, the family is saddened by Rachel's passing. Krishevsky lived nearly her whole live next to Jerusalem's Mahane Yehuda open-air market.

"Grandma was a God-fearing woman her whole life, and her door was always open to the homeless and poor near the market who were looking for a place to eat," added the grandchild.

"She knew the entire book of Psalms by heart, and participated in all the family events, happy and sad, up until two years ago. She knew all of her descendents. We are sad about her death, but proud of what she achieved in her life and her righteousness and compassion."

Though Krishevsky certainly produced many offspring, she did was not a record-breaker. In the haredi sector, there are two well-known cases of living people having great-great-great-grandchildren. One such case is in a Hassidic family living in the Jerusalem neighborhood of Mea Shearim. Another such family is that of Rabbi Yosef Shalom Elyashiv, the leader of the Lithuanian branch of haredi Judaism. A few months ago, his great-great-grandson had his first child.

Psychonaut
09-25-2009, 04:36 PM
My mind is officially boggled. That's old school.

Fortis in Arduis
09-25-2009, 09:29 PM
I read about this a few days ago.

What this lady has done is nothing short of heroic.

Tabiti
09-25-2009, 09:34 PM
Krishevsky got married to her cousin, Yitzhak.
Quite genetic healthy family...

Electronic God-Man
09-25-2009, 09:38 PM
Quite genetic healthy family...

Jews are already at risk of health problems from having a small gene pool. Marrying her cousin was probably not a good choice.

Fortis in Arduis
09-25-2009, 09:47 PM
Quite genetic healthy family...

My maternal grandmother's father, William Middleton, was the product of a cousin marriage and he was an amazing Yorkshireman, despite only having one child; my maternal grandmother.

He grew up in a beautiful house with land attached, owned several farms and married the daughter of a wealthy Leeds industrialist.

It is safe to do it once, although twice in a row can be dangerous.

The cousins married because they were the eldest children and heirs to two shops in Chester. The Middletons were jewellers and the Burtons were tailors. People used to make arbitrary decisions like that.

Orthodox Jews in Israel have genetic testing to prevent the expression of Tay-Sach's disease, which is quite prevalent in their endogamous community.

My own mother was nearly engaged to her cousin, who, in the end married the sister of the man she was first engaged to.

I think that it is very important to marry someone who is a good cultural fit.

The man my mother was first engaged to was also the best man at my uncle's wedding.

I would be a happy man if a good marriage could be arranged for me.

In Jewish culture there is the tradition of the matchmaker who prevents unsuitable unions.

Phlegethon
09-25-2009, 09:57 PM
How many of them hold jobs?

Fortis in Arduis
09-25-2009, 09:59 PM
How many of them hold jobs?

Does it matter whether they work or not if they are the priestly bearers of Jewish culture?

I am not entirely with the notion that people can be valued by the money that they earn or the taxes that they pay.

I think that you were expressing that idea.

Tabiti
09-25-2009, 10:00 PM
Eastern Orthodox church, for instance, forbids all marriages between near relatives, even if they don't have blood connection.

ikki
09-25-2009, 10:29 PM
How many of them hold jobs?

None of the guys if they are true to their faith, a mans place is at home studying scriptures.... women work, tend the family and keep the house :D

Absinthe
09-26-2009, 02:27 PM
Eastern Orthodox church, for instance, forbids all marriages between near relatives, even if they don't have blood connection.
I was under the impression that all Christian dogmas forbid that...but, no? :icon_ask:

Skandi
09-27-2009, 07:46 PM
Anything past 1st cousins is allowed here :) it does not say how distant they were though so who knows, Yes that woman needs a medal, although I did read somewhere that they were upset when their birthrate fell to below 7 per woman.

anonymaus
09-27-2009, 07:52 PM
This is really quite inspirational. "Practice what you preach" :eek: