The Freunds

Kurima · Sighet · Nagykároly (Carei) · Satu Mare · Nyíregyháza · Jerusalem · on the map

The Freunds of Satu Mare

Sender and Chana Freund, Reb Chaim, and the family textile firm

Babi’s father, Nachman Alexander — Sender, Sándor — Freund, was born on 24 September 1893 at Kurima, a village near Bardejov in today’s Slovakia, where his mother’s family, the Sterns, lived. The Kurima register names his parents as “Freund Chaim, of Máramarossziget” and “Stern Chaja, of Kurima”; the same register holds his brothers and sisters Leitza (1883), Yehoshua (1885), Lázár (1885, died 1888), Anschel (1888) and Yitzchak (1891). Later children — Yosef, Tuvia (1898), Moshe Aryeh (1903) and Bernát (1909) — were born after the family settled in Satu Mare.

In Satu Mare the family built the textile firm “Freund Chaim fiai” — Chaim Freund & Sons — a wholesale house founded in 1898 that added a textile factory in 1934; the town’s yizkor book calls it the largest in Transylvania. Sender was a partner and, from its founding at the end of 1933, on the board of Textila Ardeleană SA. He was also a leader of the Orthodox kehilla of Satmar: elected vice-president in January 1934, acting president in 1939 and president in 1940. In May 1944 he gave Isser Handler money to build a hiding place, in which his son Yehoshua later hid; Sender himself survived in hiding. After the war he led the re-formed community until he died in Bucharest on 15 Cheshvan 5708 (29 October 1947), aged 54. He is buried in the Orthodox cemetery of Satu Mare.

Sender married Chana (Janka) Braun of Kisvárda. They had eight children: Nachman (1922), Feiga (who died in 1927, aged two), Yehoshua (1927), Asher Yaakov, Shmuel (Pilu), Moshe Aryeh, Chaya — Babi — (1931) and Yitzchak. Chana and the three youngest boys, Asher Yaakov (17), Moshe Aryeh (14) and Yitzchak (10), perished at Auschwitz on 27 May 1944; the family keeps their yahrzeit on 11 Sivan. Nachman settled in Israel, married his cousin Rachel, daughter of R’ Yosef Freund, and died in 1982; Yehoshua (Shea) and Shmuel (Pilu) lived in Brooklyn.

Sender’s father, Chaim Freund, was born in Sighet in November 1863, the son of R’ Moshe Aryeh Freund, rosh hakahal of Sighet. In Satu Mare he became treasurer (1921) and then vice-president (1923, 1925, 1927) of the Orthodox community and, in practice, its leader: in August 1928 he conducted the election that brought R’ Yoel Teitelbaum to Satmar as its Rav, and his signature heads the letter of appointment. He emigrated to Jerusalem at the end of 1939, helped found the Satmar community there, and died on 6 Nisan 5710 (24 March 1950); he is buried at the Sheikh Badr cemetery. His first wife, Chaya, daughter of Shmuel Stern of Kurima, died in Satu Mare on 28 October 1926. That the Kurima “Chaim Freund of Sighet” is this Reb Chaim is graded Likely: the yizkor book names Reb Chaim’s sons as Yitzchak, Yehoshua, Anschel, Sender, Yosef and Tuvia — the same sons — his wife’s stone matches, and at Babi’s funeral a grandson of her brother called her “the last surviving grandchild of Reb Chaim Freund”.

Of Sender’s brothers, Yitzchak died in Satu Mare in 1932; his widow Dina and four of their children perished in 1944. Yehoshua, a textile wholesaler in Nyíregyháza, perished at Auschwitz with his wife Devorah and their daughter Rachel in June 1944, and Anschel, a textile factory owner in Satu Mare, with his wife Margit on 4 June 1944. Yosef and Tuvia, partners in the firm, survived and are buried on Har HaMenuchot in Jerusalem.

The Freund family

• R’ Moshe Aryeh Freund of Sighet (d. 1902) × Chane Malke née Katz
• Reb Chaim Freund, 1863–1950 × Chaya née Stern (d. 1926) — Likely
• Leitza, b. 1883
• Yehoshua, 1885–1944 × Devorah Lefkowitz
• Lázár, 1885–1888
• Anschel, 1888–1944 × Margit Paskesz
• Yitzchak, c.1891–1932 × Dina
• Sender, 1893–1947 × Chana Braun
• Nachman, Feiga, Yehoshua, Asher Yaakov, Shmuel, Moshe Aryeh, Chaya — Babi, Yitzchak
• Yosef, 1895/96–1962
• Tuvia Gedalia, 1898–1977
• Moshe Aryeh, b. 1903
• Bernát, 1909–1918

The older Freunds and the Sterns

Sighet, Kroli and Kurima

R’ Moshe Aryeh Freund, Reb Chaim’s father, was born at Nagykároly (Carei) about 1825 and died in Sighet on 26 March 1902, aged 77; his civil death entry names his late wife, Chane Malke née Katz, and his parents, “Freund Saie”, a landowner of Nagykároly, and Gitsel. Published family genealogies identify the father as R’ Yehoshua Freund of Kroli, who died in 1848 and whose stone stands in Carei. Among R’ Moshe Aryeh’s other children were R’ Avraham Yehoshua, the Rav of Naszód (1855–1932), R’ Rafael, R’ Shalom, Yitel Brettler and Nisel Leah Paskesz — whose daughter Margit married Reb Chaim’s son Anschel.

Babi’s grandmother Chaya was a daughter of Shmuel Stern of Kurima and Rosi (Rochel) Seltenreich of Zboró, who married at Zboró on 13 July 1858; the marriage entry names the groom’s parents as Anshel and Gitel Stern and the bride’s as Szender Seltenreich and Ratza. A published genealogy carries the Seltenreich line back to R’ Yosef HaLevi “Yosseleh Charif”, Rav of Zborov, and through him to the Taz — the descent that Sender Freund’s own gravestone records (Likely). Chaya’s sister Gitel married Osias Brettler in Satmar in 1904 and lived with the Freunds.

Books and objects that survive

Objects of Reb Chaim Freund and of R’ Moshe Aryeh Freund (the later), photographed when they were sold. They add dates and offices, not new people. Each photograph belongs to the house that sold it and is shown, with its credit, for family-history reference.

Annotated photographs

Tap a framed face for the name and the family card. Only people the family or the caption identifies are marked.

The line in one chart

Direct ancestors of Nachman Alexander Freund, each box coloured by its grade (green Confirmed, amber Likely, dashed Possible). Tap a name for the card. All tree views.

Latest finds in this line

• Reb Chaim’s sister Rifke: two memorial records describe her as Rivka Stein née Freund of Vásárosnamény, mother of 13; she perished in 1944. Eight of her children are now on the tree, among them Dr Zsigmond Stein, a lawyer, and Dr Aryeh Stein, a physician in Paris.
• R’ Moshe Aryeh Freund’s 1902 obituary found (Zsidó Híradó): for decades president of the Sighet community, on the county and tax-assessment committees. The page is in the gallery.
• The Sighet firms: Freund Mózes, leather and general merchant (1887); the timber firm “Freund, Ganz és Freund fiai” with his sons Ignácz (Izsák) and Salamon (Shalom), 1893; Izsák’s wife Száli a flour dealer (1887).
• Reb Chaim: the Katz partnership ended in April 1897; his 1917 address, Zrínyi utca 7; in 1934 he bought the former Great Steam Mill for the textile factory.
• Berta (Baszje) Berkovits’s own birth entry, 18 Jan 1892, Fehéregyháza: father Mechel Feuerverger, mother Szura Berkovits (on Henrik’s card).
• Stones of Klara Sara (1924–2012) and Magda (Chana Malka) (1922–2007), daughters of Yehoshua and Devorah Freund, with Magda’s husband Tibor beside her. Photographs in the gallery.
• Originals (28 Oct 2026): Henrik (Chaim Nüszen) Freund and Berta (Baszje) Berkovits’s children Eszter (1911), Mózes Arje (1913) and Zsigmond (1919) added from their original Sighet birth entries; R’ Shalom’s daughter Regina (Ruchel) corrected to 10 October 1900; originals now behind Hermina (1903), Mózes Arje (1906) and Debora Fanni (1908).
• Egyenlőség, 8 March 1895: a newspaper names Ábrahám Freund of Satmar as a brother of Mózes Árje of Máramarossziget, Ezekiel of Szatmár and Ignácz of Nagykároly — kept as an open lead; the page is in the gallery.
• From the seforim (3): R’ Shemaya Löw’s wife was Chava Glück (born 1881), Fradel’s daughter — he is now on the tree as her husband, with their six children named on her card (R’ Moshe Aryeh Löw of Temesvár and Brooklyn, Chana Malka, Rikel, Sara Rivka, Yehoshua Naftali, Feiga).
• From the seforim (2): R’ Shemaya Löw of Székelykeresztúr, author of Bnei Shemaya, was the son-in-law of R’ Yaakov Yehuda HaKohen Glick and Fradel (married 1902); R’ Yosef Freund helped arrange the Satmar Rav’s Jerusalem beit midrash in 1933; Hadrat Kodesh on R’ Moshe Aryeh’s wine for the Rav of Liska and the Naszód Rav’s last illness at the Tarna baths.
• From the seforim: Maor Yehoshua (1967) names the households of R’ Chanoch Henich’s sons (R’ Yosef Simcha × Tzirel Malka, R’ Yechezkel Shraga × Rechil, R’ Elimelech of Interdam) and Nisel Leah’s son R’ Yuda (“Leibele”) Paskesz, a disciple of the Satmar Rav; an 1876 letter in Teshuvot Beit Hillel is addressed to “R’ Moshe Yaakov Avraham Freund” of Satmar, likely R’ Avraham Yaakov.
• Reb Chaim was a pupil of the Maharam Schick, and his brother the Naszód Rav wrote to him as rosh hakahal of Satmar in 1928 and 1929 (letters printed in Gedulat Yehoshua vol. 2). Fradel Glück’s civil death entry (28 Aug 1906) names her parents Mózes Freund and Chane Malke Katz, and R’ Rafael Freund is named in print as the Naszód Rav’s brother.

The people of this chapter

Abraham Eliezer Freund 1896–1914 Alexander (Sender) Freund 1904–1944 Anshel (Amsel) Stern c. 1798– Asher Yaakov (Anshil) Freund c. 1927–1944 Bernád Freund 1894–1895 Bernát Freund 1909–1918 Biene Seltenreich née Weisz Burik Stern 1851– Chaim Nuszen Freund 1885– Chajim Freund 1869–1870 Chana Freund –2020 Chana Malka Freund 1922–2007 Chana Malka Freund née Brettler –1991 Chana Malka Freund, daughter of the Naszód Rav –1886 Chana Malka Glück 1884– Chana Rachel Freund –1944 Chane Malke Freund née Katz c. 1832–1886 Chava Glück 1881– Chaya (Betty) Freund née Stern c. 1862–1926 David Seltenreich c. 1863– Debora Fanni (Dvojra) Freund 1908– Devorah Freund née Lefkowitz c. 1889–1944 Devorah Freund née Teitelbaum Dina Freund née Rosenwasser –1944 Dr Aryeh Stein 1897– Dr Zsigmond (Sio, Yehoshua) Stein 1880–1944 Emil (Emánuel) Stein 1890–1944 Esther Mermelstein née Freund –1972 Eszter Freund –1883 Eszter Freund 1911– Fayga Katz, wife of R’ Moshe HaKohen –1877 Feiga (Fáni) Stein 1883–1944 Feiga Dachner née Freund –1944 Feiga Freund c. 1925–1927 Feige Rifke Freund 1891– Fradel Freund 1857–1906 Gitel Brettler née Stern 1874–1921 Gitel Stern c. 1811– Gitlya (Gitel) Seltenreich c. 1836– Gittel Freund 1889– Hermina (Jochevet) Freund 1903– Hinda (Lea) Stein 1882–1944 Hinda Marjem Freund 1893– Hinda, daughter of R’ Gershon HaKohen Rapaport c. 1773–1865 Iczik Glück 1894– Ilona Brettler c. 1908– Izsák Farkas Brettler 1902–1944 Izsák Freund 1858–1932 Jakab (Yaakov) Weisz (Veisz) c. 1798– Jehides Landau née Seltenreich c. 1829–1904 Jenny Freund –1887 Jetl (Lina) Fleischmann née Freund –1917 Jetti (Gitsel, Yutel) Freund –1826 Johanna Brettler 1900– Jolan Brettler 1915–1918 Josef Schaja (Shaye Yosef) Stern 1854– Joseph Stern 1866– Joszef (Smil) Freund 1865– Julianna (Jetl) Guth née Fogel c. 1826–1911 Julianna Freund –1887 Klara Fried née Freund 1924–2012 Leah, daughter of R’ Shlomo Zalman –1767 Lecza (Lacza) Brettler 1898–1900 Leitza (Leah) Freund 1883– Leitza Seltenreich née Lichtig c. 1806– Leitza, wife of R’ Tzvi Hirsch HaLevi Leni (Laja) Holländer née Stern c. 1838– Lina Seltenreich 1881– Lázár Freund 1885–1888 Magdolna (Leni) Brettler 1896– Malka (Amalia) Fogel née Freund Malka Weiss née Freund –1994 Margit Freund née Paskesz 1893–1944 Marim Jakobovits née Seltenreich c. 1835– Meir HaKohen Katz –1842 Menashe Freund –1944 Moses (Mózes) Stern 1843– Moshe Arie Freund –1944 Moshe Aryeh (Mózes) Freund c. 1930–1944 Moshe Aryeh (Mózes) Freund 1903– Mozes Arje Freund 1906– Mór (Moshe Aryeh) Brettler 1906– Mózes Arje Freund (b. 1913) 1913– Nachman (Nathan) Freund 1922–1982 Nachman Alexander Freund 1893–1947 Nachum Mordechai (Markusz) Freund 1843–1900 Naftuli Freund 1888– Nathan Stern 1848– Nechuma Glück 1888– Nisel Leah Freund –1973 Nisel Leah Paskesz née Freund c. 1857–1922 Nitel, daughter of R’ Pinchas Zelig Osias (R’ Yehoshua) Brettler c. 1874–1914 Pesa Perl Lichtig c. 1788– Rachel (Irén) Freund –2009 Rachel (Rózsi) Kahan née Freund –1944 Rafael Glück 1891– Reb Chaim Freund 1863–1950 Rebbetzin Fradel Freund 1854–1935 Rebbetzin Yachet Freund –1891 Regina (Ruchel) Freund 1900– Regina Freund –1879 Regina Seltenreich 1873– Reitza Rechel Freund née Teitelbaum 1897–1984 Reiza Reizel Freund née Sneer –1941 Rifke Freund 1861–1944 Rizel Halberstam née Freund –1937 Rosi Stern née Seltenreich c. 1838–1917 Roza (Rozsa) Grossman née Stern c. 1832– Roza Eszter Glück 1897– Rozalia Brettler 1910–1912 Ruchel Lea Freund née Preiz c. 1861– R’ Aryeh Leibush Freund –1997 R’ Asher Anshil Freund –1956 R’ Asher Anshil Yaakov Brettler 1894– R’ Avraham Yaakov Freund of Satmar c. 1823–1877 R’ Avraham Yehoshua Freund –2010 R’ Avraham Yehoshua Freund, the Naszód Rav 1855–1932 R’ Baruch Freund, dayan of Bánffyhunyad –1944 R’ Chanoch Henich Freund, Av Beit Din of Interdam c. 1872–1933 R’ Eliezer (Krob) R’ Eliezer Freund –2022 R’ Gershon HaKohen Rapaport R’ Hersh Leib Seltenreich R’ Meir (Katz) R’ Mordechai Yehuda Freund, rabbi of Óradna –1944 R’ Moshe Aryeh Freund of Sighet c. 1825–1902 R’ Moshe Aryeh Freund, Av Beit Din of Naszód –1944 R’ Moshe Aryeh Freund, Ga’avad of the Edah HaCharedit 1903–1996 R’ Moshe HaKohen of Sighet –1864 R’ Moshe, father of R’ Rafael R’ Pinchas Zelig, Rav of Pápa –1772 R’ Rafael Freund 1859–1942 R’ Rafael Segal, kabbalist and dayan of Pápa R’ Shalom Freund 1861–1943 R’ Shemaya Löw 1884–1944 R’ Shlomo Zalman Tschasser of Veszprém –1770 R’ Shmuel Brettler –1955 R’ Shmuel Freund –1994 R’ Shmuel Freund –2005 R’ Shmuel Freund –2008 R’ Shmuel, father of Fayga Katz R’ Simcha HaKohen Rapaport R’ Simcha Yisrael HaKohen Katz –1841 R’ Tuvia Gedalia Freund of Kroli –1879 R’ Tzvi Hirsch HaLevi Leitzes, Av Beit Din of Dąbrowa –1803 R’ Yaakov HaLevi, Av Beit Din of Wolbrom, later of Kraków R’ Yaakov Tschasser R’ Yaakov Yehuda HaKohen Glück –1935 R’ Yehoshua (Saie) Freund of Kroli 1767–1848 R’ Yehuda Leib HaKohen Katz –1839 R’ Yisrael Freund, Av Beit Din of Hunyad –1940 R’ Yitzchak Freund –2018 R’ Yitzchak Freund of Kroli –1896 R’ Yitzchak Krob, son of R’ Eliezer, of Pápa –aft. 1770 R’ Yitzchak, father of R’ Pinchas Zelig –bef. 1770 R’ Yonah Fogel, son of R’ Ezra –1877 R’ Yosef HaLevi Lichtig, “R’ Yosseleh Charif”, Av Beit Din of Zborov 1773–1856 R’ Yosef Shmuel Freund –1868 R’ Yosef Zeltenreich of Zborov c. 1857– R’ Yuda Paskesz Salamon (Shalom) Stein c. 1864– Samuel (Shmuel) Freund 1914–1997 Sarah Freund –1944 Scheindel Freund 1896– Seindil Freund 1892– Shimon Weiss –2007 Shindel Benedikt née Freund –2009 Shmuel (Pilu) Freund –2012 Shmuel (Samuel) Stern c. 1836– Shmuel Yehoshua Freund 1862– Sprincza Weisz née Lichtig c. 1798– Sulem Glück 1889– Susanna Lezer née Stern c. 1835– Szender Seltenreich c. 1804– Sándor Brettler 1904–1905 Tobias Freund 1877– Tuvia Gedalia (Tobias) Freund 1898–1977 Tzipora, wife of R’ Eliezer (Krob) Tzvi Stein Volf Glück 1893–1893 Yaakov Asher Anshil Freund 1888–1944 Yachet Freund 1892–1934 Yechezkel Shraga (Ede) Freund 1899–1915 Yehoshua (Sija) Freund 1885–1944 Yehoshua Freund 1927–2005 Yehoshua Freund 1922–1944 Yekutiel Yehuda Freund –1944 Yitel Brettler née Freund –1925 Yitel Freund –1944 Yitzchak (Izsák) Freund c. 1891–1932 Yitzchak Freund c. 1934–1944 Yitzchak Stein 1904– Yosef (József, Yoske) Freund 1895–1962 Yutel Levi née Freund –2019 Zakharia Stein 1895–1944 Zalman Leb Freund 1890– Zsigmond Freund 1879–1939 Zsigmond Freund (b. 1919) 1919–

The research page for this line (updates, open leads)