Roots,remember that program? Well I can only trace my roots back to the early 1900's when my grandfather who was a Russian Jewish immigrant who landed in Ireland around 1916 on a cattle ship bound for America. Unfortunately he got off the ship in Carlow and it sailed without him (if he had only stayed on I might have got the Letterman Show!!!) His name was Bolano and was changed when he arrived without a passport..Thats as much as I know as he died when my father was 13

Above is a very rare photograph of my grandfather shop in Riga Latvia. They sold hardware and you will see barrells at the front that was pickles. My cousin actually visited the town a few years ago and the shop still stands but as a private home, she also found my great grandfathers grave stone in the Jewish cemetery

A wedding. Probably a Balon relative as Shlomo, (great grandfather), is escorting the bride, in white, standing middle left four rows back, with beard. Note the fiddle players on the right who would be playing klezmor music traditional at weddings.

My great grandmother, Nechama Minna Balon

My great grandfathers gravestone.