York Lewson was born Yor Luzym in the small Jewish village of Wysokie-Mazowiecke (Vi-sook-uh Mah-zeh-vee-yetch), Poland (near Bialystok) on March 14, 1915. He was the youngest of Mendel (1878-1938) and Sara (1879-1958) Luzym's children (Rifka 1901-1990, Cyril 1903-1991, Goldie 1907-1985, Irene 1910-1983, and Ben 1912-2008). He grew up in a very small house with no electricity or running water. They used a wood stove and a cellar full of vegetables to get them through the cold Polish winters. Mendel bought supplies from local farms and sold dairy products door to door. Sara kept the strictly Kosher Jewish home and raised the kids. Not allowed to go to public school because he was Jewish, York went to Chader, a strict Jewish religious school. As he got older, York saw very little future as a Jew in Poland. He got involved in the Zionist movement to build a Jewish homeland and attended Zionist camps. The camps taught skills to people interested in emigrating to Palestine. York left his family in the mid 1930's and went to Palestine to work on a Kibbutz. He helped build settlements, tended horses, and took care of citrus groves. Meanwhile, his father left to America to relocate the family and Rifka and her husband Chaim moved to Mendoza Argentina. When Mendel unexpectedly died in the late 1930s, York had to go to America to help to take over the emigration task because U.S. immigration required a male sponsor for the family. He took a train to London, and then the Queen Mary to New York. As he went through immigration his name was Americanized to York Lewson. He continued to St. Louis where his sister Cyril was living with his cousins the Grodzky's. While in night school learning English, York met the owner of Silton Brothers Sportswear, and ended up working for him for the next 46 years. One by one the rest of the family left Poland and started a new life in St. Louis. Cyril, Irene, Goldie, and Ben all got jobs in the garment industry. York met Helen L******* 1912-2005) at a community pool and knew her several years before they got married in 1945. Both were involved in the Zionist movement and Jewish causes. When Siilton Brothers decided to relocate in California a few years later, York was happy to move because the weather in St. Louis reminded him of Poland and the climate and ocean in Los Angeles reminded him of Palestine. After he was settled, he sent for Helen and eventually Sara, Cyril, Goldie, Irene, and Ben followed. York and Helen raised two children, Marilyn (1948-1958) and Sam (1953-present) in a traditional Jewish home. In 1975 Sam graduated Cal Poly Pomona and became an engineer in Anaheim. York officially retired in 1985 but he continued to work one day a week for a while. During retirement, he walked in La Cienega Park every day, pedaled his bike around, continued his gardening hobby maintaining a yard full of vegetables and fruit trees, and took care of his sisters and brother who lived just a few blocks away. Sam married Stephanie S****** (1954-present) in 1989 and moved to Huntington Beach where they raised their two children, Spencer (1992-present) and Michael (1996-present). One by one as they got older, York's sisters passed away and in late 2002 after much prodding, Sam moved York, Helen, and Ben to an assisted living facility in Fountain Valley to be closer. Helen passed away on Sept 18, 2005, at the age of 93 and York followed almost exactly a year later on Sept 22, 2006 at the age of 91. Ben passed away on May 9, 2008 at the age of 95. York and Helen are buried at Mt. Sinai Memorial Park in Hollywood Hills California in crypt 1 of lot 3003 in section Ramah 20A (N34 08.969 W118 18.703). Take the main road past the Tanach Chapel and Ramah Way. When you get to Moriah road on the left, go down the second driveway on the right. The attached pictures show the way. For more information and photographs, see Helen Lewson and Ben Lewson.
York Lewson was born Yor Luzym in the small Jewish village of Wysokie-Mazowiecke (Vi-sook-uh Mah-zeh-vee-yetch), Poland (near Bialystok) on March 14, 1915. He was the youngest of Mendel (1878-1938) and Sara (1879-1958) Luzym's children (Rifka 1901-1990, Cyril 1903-1991, Goldie 1907-1985, Irene 1910-1983, and Ben 1912-2008). He grew up in a very small house with no electricity or running water. They used a wood stove and a cellar full of vegetables to get them through the cold Polish winters. Mendel bought supplies from local farms and sold dairy products door to door. Sara kept the strictly Kosher Jewish home and raised the kids. Not allowed to go to public school because he was Jewish, York went to Chader, a strict Jewish religious school. As he got older, York saw very little future as a Jew in Poland. He got involved in the Zionist movement to build a Jewish homeland and attended Zionist camps. The camps taught skills to people interested in emigrating to Palestine. York left his family in the mid 1930's and went to Palestine to work on a Kibbutz. He helped build settlements, tended horses, and took care of citrus groves. Meanwhile, his father left to America to relocate the family and Rifka and her husband Chaim moved to Mendoza Argentina. When Mendel unexpectedly died in the late 1930s, York had to go to America to help to take over the emigration task because U.S. immigration required a male sponsor for the family. He took a train to London, and then the Queen Mary to New York. As he went through immigration his name was Americanized to York Lewson. He continued to St. Louis where his sister Cyril was living with his cousins the Grodzky's. While in night school learning English, York met the owner of Silton Brothers Sportswear, and ended up working for him for the next 46 years. One by one the rest of the family left Poland and started a new life in St. Louis. Cyril, Irene, Goldie, and Ben all got jobs in the garment industry. York met Helen L******* 1912-2005) at a community pool and knew her several years before they got married in 1945. Both were involved in the Zionist movement and Jewish causes. When Siilton Brothers decided to relocate in California a few years later, York was happy to move because the weather in St. Louis reminded him of Poland and the climate and ocean in Los Angeles reminded him of Palestine. After he was settled, he sent for Helen and eventually Sara, Cyril, Goldie, Irene, and Ben followed. York and Helen raised two children, Marilyn (1948-1958) and Sam (1953-present) in a traditional Jewish home. In 1975 Sam graduated Cal Poly Pomona and became an engineer in Anaheim. York officially retired in 1985 but he continued to work one day a week for a while. During retirement, he walked in La Cienega Park every day, pedaled his bike around, continued his gardening hobby maintaining a yard full of vegetables and fruit trees, and took care of his sisters and brother who lived just a few blocks away. Sam married Stephanie S****** (1954-present) in 1989 and moved to Huntington Beach where they raised their two children, Spencer (1992-present) and Michael (1996-present). One by one as they got older, York's sisters passed away and in late 2002 after much prodding, Sam moved York, Helen, and Ben to an assisted living facility in Fountain Valley to be closer. Helen passed away on Sept 18, 2005, at the age of 93 and York followed almost exactly a year later on Sept 22, 2006 at the age of 91. Ben passed away on May 9, 2008 at the age of 95. York and Helen are buried at Mt. Sinai Memorial Park in Hollywood Hills California in crypt 1 of lot 3003 in section Ramah 20A (N34 08.969 W118 18.703). Take the main road past the Tanach Chapel and Ramah Way. When you get to Moriah road on the left, go down the second driveway on the right. The attached pictures show the way. For more information and photographs, see Helen Lewson and Ben Lewson.
