Finding Connections through ESRA Magazine Website - again
Honzo (then known as Jan Baeck) with his cousin George Willhelm
Finding Honzo (David Ben Shalom) - Famous Puppeteer from Givat Haim Meuhad
One of Honzo’s puppets made for his puppet show in the early 1970s. It is in the Tel Aviv University Archive with the rest of Honzo’s puppets
Compiled by Myra Olswang, ESRA Magazine Webmaster
The following two letters from Dr.Peter Lubrecht were received in the comments section of the ESRA Magazine Website, where Peter found an article about Kibbutz Givat Haim. He decided to ask for our help with his research about a distant relative, the famous puppeteer Honzo, who he knew had lived on the kibbutz. He was also hoping to make contact with Honzo's family who are distantly related to him.
We took up the challenge. Searching the Internet we first discovered a fascinating article in the Givat Haim Meuhad archives describing Honzo's puppets and his work as a puppeteer in the 1950s, 60s and early 70s. This led us to Nili, the very helpful archivist on Givat Haim Meuhad, who was very happy to help us make contact with Honzo's two granddaughters who are still living on Givat Haim Meuhad. Both granddaughters have since made contact with Peter and the family has discovered their connections thanks to ESRA Magazine Website.
This is the link to the article on the Internet. It shows Honzo's amazing puppets, and the charming film clip is of Honzo himself demonstrating how to work the puppets, and showing scenes from some of his shows https://www.archghm.co.il/%D7%94%D7%91%D7%95%D7%91%D7%98%D7%A8%D7%95%D7%9F/
Puppet heads probably sent by Honzo to Peter Lubrecht around 1950
The following is the correspondence between Dr Peter Lubrecht and ESRA Magazine
My name is Dr. Peter Lubrecht.
I am an author and presenter researching my cousin Jan Baeck who changed his name to Honzo David Ben Shalom . His Mother was my great-aunt Magdelena Ficke from Oldenburg in Germany. She married Alexander Baeck, the grand Nephew of Rabbi Leo Baeck (yes the famous one). The marriage certificate lists him as Evangelical but he was Jewish. He was originally from Hungary; they left Germany in 1911 or so and son Jan was born in 1912 in Ostrava, Czech Republic . His brother Tomas was born in 1916. Alexander was a paper salesman. All I knew growing up in New York City was Tante Magdelena married a Jew and they moved to Czechoslovakia. In 1950 my 5th grade class was studying puppetry and I received three puppets which I thought were from my cousin Jan in the Czech Republic. I learned later that he lived somewhere near Tel Aviv in Israel. Thanks to the internet I found that Cousin Jan was then Honzo David Ben Shalom from kibbutz Givat Haim who became an internationally known puppeteer.
I have since found his book, and newspaper articles. I am looking for information about his migration to Israel (1934 ) from his family and those who knew him. My family would have nothing to do with him. I think he was in the U.S. to make a movie called King Boor. He is buried on the grounds of Kibbutz Givat Haim Meuhad. His puppets are in the Tel Aviv University.
I have a Power Point called the Rabbi and the Puppeteer which I will be presenting Jan 27 2025 and it will be on You Tube through the Hacketstown Museum website.
I am looking for information on Honzo. My email is This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it., my website is Olpeteshistory.com.
Thank you in advance.
Pete Lubrecht
Dr.Peter Lubrecht Sr
This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
_________
Dear Myra,
Thank you so much for the article. You sure can use my letter. There is more information and a bit of a puzzle so far…. The attached picture is a family picture. Until last week we had no idea which was which. We think that Jan (Honzo is Jan in Czech) is on the right.
The puppet heads are from Honzo I think in 1950. We were doing a puppet/history unit in fifth grade PS 152 Manhattan and these puppets appeared from??? I was 10 and was told they came from my cousin in the Czech Republic…
Thanks again for the response. Any relatives of Honzo are my cousins!
My best, Pete
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