Celebrating 100 Years
The Gips Family Circle
Gips Family Circle
Charter Members
Mr. and Mrs. Wolf Gips
Mr. and Mrs. Alex Kerner
Mr. and Mrs. Max Kerner
Mr. and Mrs. Sam Kerner
Mr. and Mrs. Abraham Weiss
Mr. and Mrs. Isak Haselkorn
Mr. and Mrs. Sam Koves
Mr. and Mrs. Murray Gips
Mr. and Mrs. Harry Kerner
Mr. and Mrs. Louis Lapkin
Miss Esther Gips
Mr. Philip Gips, I
Mr. Irving Weiss
Mr. Martin Weiss
The Gips Family Circle was incorporated in New York City March 23, 1923 and named after Wolf Gips one of the charter members.
The purpose of the Organization was to promote, foster and encourage a spirit of friendship, fellowship, good will and social interaction among its members
According to the Gips Family Circle Constitution
​
Article VIII
Organization Benefits:
​
The right to burial on the Gips Family Circle cemetery grounds shall be considered a benefit of the organization.
​
Artiicle VII
Membership Qualifications:
​
Charter members, their children and each succeeding generation of their children shall be considered automatic members. Legally adopted children who assume a member's name shall also be considered automatic members.
Beth David Cemetery, Elmont, NY
Bernard Kerner reading the Original GFC Charter at the 75th Anniversary Party
The Story of the Leff Sisters
The story begins in the mid 1870's in a small farming town called Podhajce in the Province of Galicia which
at the time was called the Austrian-Hungarian Empire, later to become part of Poland, now in the Ukraine.
​Ethel and Moses Leff had six daughters. SARAH, MINNIE, ANNA, BILAH, ROSA and DORA.
​In 1889 while Moses was out selling his wares from his cart in neighboring towns a fire broke out in
their home. Ethel perished in the fire leaving the girls motherless. Dora was just an infant.​
Six years later at age 15, Anna decided to go to America. When she arrived in New York City she lived
and worked in the home of a former resident of Podhajce. There she met Wolf Gips who was also from
the town of Podhajce and was apprenticing to become a butcher. ​Wolf and Anna fell in love, got married
and began to bring Anna's sisters to America.​
The first sister to come was Bilah, followed by Dora, Rosa and then Minnie. Sarah the eldest sister never
came to America but sent her children, Max, Yetta and Harry Kerner.​ Sarah was the second wife of
Beryl Kerner. His first wife was Yetta Bella Lef. They had two sons, Sam and Alex Kerner who also
immigrated to America.​
And, it is through the families of Yetta Gips and The Leff Sisters that we are related in the Gips Family Circle!
