For a century, the Schneider family had lost one another, unwillingly split in half in 1924 during efforts to flee the chaos brought on by the Bolsheviks taking control of Russia and the antisemitic riots that ensued.

Alex Schneider’s grandfather Aaron had traveled with 7-year-old daughter Mina and 5-year-old son Rem—who would become Alex’s father—with the intent of wife, Katerina, and the younger children, 3-year-old Simon and baby Fania, joining them on a second trip.

However, Joseph Stalin’s efforts to shut off the Soviet Union from the outside world prevented the family from reuniting, until eventually they lost contact completely.

“For the rest of their lives, my father and his sister did not know what happened to their mother and younger siblings. The separation was extremely painful and affected them deeply. They grew up without a mother,” Schneider wrote in a July 28 blog post.

Using the genealogy website MyHeritage, Schneider managed to find and connect with Michael Kogan, the son of Fania. Schneider spoke with JNS about the experience and the insights gained from his research.

“Connecting with our long-lost family members has been a transformative experience for all of the family members,” Schneider said. “Learning about our grandfather Aaron’s journey from Moscow to China and the challenges he faced has deepened our appreciation for the resilience and adaptability that runs in our family.”

“Discovering our father’s younger brother Simon at the Soviet Army memorial site with the help of MyHeritage and connecting with our long-lost cousins has enriched our understanding of our cultural heritage,” Schneider said.

The process of discovering this hidden family history also strengthened the bonds in the Schneider family, moving some to tears. 

“Sharing these discoveries with other family members has brought us closer together and created a sense of unity and pride in our shared history,” Schneider told JNS. “Overall, this journey has been a source of joy and inspiration.”

Elisabeth Zetland, a researcher at MyHeritage, said that the Schneider family’s story “highlights the power of online genealogy platforms like MyHeritage in bridging the gaps created by time and history.