Wolf Baer Switzer Family
Wolf Baer Switzer is the progenitor of the Switzer family, Calgary’s largest extended Jewish family. He died in 1924, shortly before he was scheduled to travel from the family home in Radom, Poland, to join the children and grandchildren already in Canada.
He had eleven children, nine with his first wife, Leeba, who died in 1884, and two with his second spouse, Miriam Aizenman, who died in 1930.
Seven of his sons and daughters moved to Calgary, as well as the children of two others. Only two families remained in Europe. Fifty-three of his grandchildren, many already married with families, emigrated to Calgary.
There are now over 1,400 descendants of Wolf Baer Switzer; more than a thousand are rooted in Calgary, and about a third still live in the city.
The first to reach Calgary was Bella Singer. Her husband Abraham Singer came to Toronto in 1905, to Calgary in 1907, and was followed by Bella and son Hymie Singer in 1910. Bella Singer soon brought to Calgary two nephews, Charlie Switzer and Saul Bleviss, in 1912.
Each immigrant sponsored by Bella Singer was expected in turn to bring over other relatives. The huge family now here is in the fortuitous result of Bella Singer’s resolve and sacrifice.
Following is a very precise outline of Wolf Baer Switzer’s family, listed from oldest to youngest, and covering just two generations:(Spouses are noted in brackets.)
Mendel Switzer, oldest son of Wolf Baer, married Bella Rosenzweig. They emigrated to Canada in 1923. Their children were Meyer Switzer (Etta Bleviss), Charlie Switzer (Ida Wolfe, Chana Davids), Lily Switzer (Nate Horodezky), David Switzer (Ruby Hanson), and Ralph Switzer (Florence Gibbs). Mendel died in 1944, Bella in 1953, both in Calgary.
A daughter, Mindell Switzer, married Zacharia Bleviss; they came to Calgary in 1927. Their children were Leeba Bleviss (Chana Kirshenbaum), Sol Bleviss (Mary Pullman), Max Bleviss (Chana Wolfe), Deena Bleviss (David Cooper), Yosel Bleviss (d.1922), and Anna Bleviss (Harry Davidman).
Faiga Switzer married Myer Cyngiser and remained in Poland. There were three sons, Chaim, Mendel and Herschel Cyngiser. A grandson, Sucher (Sidney) Cyngiser, survived the Holocaust and came to Calgary. The remainder of the family perished.
Rifka Switzer married Luzer Belzberg and came to Canada in 1929. Their children were Shloima Belzberg (a Holocaust victim), Leeba Belzberg (Choona Ryder), Baltcha Belzberg (Baruch), Avrum (Abraham) Belzberg (Hinda Fishman), Fradel Belzberg (Labish Belzberg), Mendel Belzberg (Lena Spier, Corrine Gutnik), Chana Belzberg (Abram Davids, Charlie Switzer), and Sarah Belzberg (Berl Bresler).
The next daughter, Sarah Switzer, married Motle Aizenman; they had nine children, seven of whom came to Calgary. Their sons and daughters were Lily Aizenman (Mentke Cohen), David Aizenman, Fanny Aizenman (Leible Aizenman), Moishe Aizenman (Chana Fishman), Jack Aceman (Diane Singer), Joseph Aceman (Rae Rosman), Yoel Aizenman, Rose Aizenman (Max Jacobson), and Mildred Aizenman (Sam Nesbit).
Jacob Switzer and Chaiya Aizenman had nine children: Mendel Switzer (Rifka Aizenman) and Dincha (Zisman Groner) were twins. The others were: Shaindle Switzer (Chiel Mittleman), Rivka (Rose) Switzer (Zysha Zysblat), Philip Switzer (Helen Joskowitz, Mania Goldman), Avrum Switzer (Sadie Morris), Frances Switzer (Morris Huberman) and Harry Switzer (Sari Rosenbaum).
All lived in Calgary, Dincha Groner’s family coming after surviving World War II in France. Jacob Switzer died in Calgary in 1936.
Four of the five children of Jessie Switzer and Moishe Fishman came to Calgary. They were Sam Fishman (Ethel Singer), Percy Fishman (Sophie Rosenthal, Bessie Shapiro), Jack Fishman (Lily Switzer) and Lily Fishman (Max Katz, Morris Manusewitz). Father Moishe and oldest son Mendel were lost in the Holocaust.
The pioneering Calgarian, Bella Switzer, married Abraham (Osher) Singer in 1905, and came to Calgary in 1910. They had four children: Hymie Singer (Estelle Lebelle, Ruth Cohen), Diane Singer (Jack Aceman), Rosalie Singer (Lou Geller, Monte Franks) and Jack Singer (Shirley Cohen). Abraham Singer died in 1942, Bella Singer in 1984, at the age of 103.
Myer Switzer and Chaiya Geldman had five children;all lived in Calgary. They were Rebecca Switzer (Morris Mendelman), Lily Switzer (Jack Fishman), Jessie Switzer (Abe Sanofsky), Dinah Switzer (Harry Shore), and Sam Switzer (Anita Newman, Betty Casat). Myer and Chaiya came to Calgary in 1920; Chaiya died in 1962, Myer in 1964.
The youngest daughter, Noma Switzer, married Hershel Farber and remained in Poland. Three of their nine children, Phishel, Moishe and Avrum Farber, survived World War II. The remaining Farbers live in the USA.
Youngest son Gershon Switzer came to Calgary with his wife Chana Huftarczyk in 1920. Their children were Ester Switzer (David Klaiman), Charlotte Switzer (Michael Halas), Max Switzer (Rita Kutchinsky), Rosa Kessel, Dinah Switzer (Alexander Sim), Bennie Switzer (Doris Moran), Philip Switzer (Alice Collett) and Mary Switzer (Edward Lukeman).
Gershon Switzer died in 1969, Chana in 1991. All their children survive and four still live in Calgary.
In summary, Wolf Baer Switzer had eleven children; 72 grandchildren survived infancy. Seven sons and daughters and 53 grandchildren came to Calgary between 1910 and 1948. Many brought with them from Poland their husbands and wives, and a host of in-laws, neighbors and family friends.
The Switzer family has dispersed all over Canada, to the USA, to Israel, and other places. The greatest number, however, remain in Calgary, to carry on the community-building their forebears began.
