Biography of Echiel Chaim Chardash

Yechiel Chaim Hordas was born in 1870 near Bobruisk in a small place named Cholui. The place name does not sound nicely in Russian (it means a kind of slave) and under the Soviet rule, the place got a new name Lipen (in Ukrainian Lipen means July). As far as the author knows this name and the place itself remain to this day.

Following is the piece from the diary of William, Ishee (Yehoshua) Velvl Hordes, son of Yechiel. The piece is about a meeting in Israel with another person from Bobruisk whose family name is Zaichik: "...and memories of our wonderful childhood came over us - my father who was a great man - well learned and yet a man of the world - a wealthy timber man..." (author's remark: well learned meant for Jews first of all knowledge of questions connected with Judaism).

His son William tells in a newspaper article that Yechiel was a Cantor. He says that when Bobruisk was under the rule of the Polish troops (apparently at about 1920) the Jews who gathered together for a Yom Kippur service were commanded to leave the synagogue and to clean stable. Yechiel was left to continue the services alone.

Some notion about Yechiel can be obtained from how he raised children. The elder son, Ishee Velvl, received a very wide education - he was visited by private teachers who taught him both the Jewish knowledge - Tora, Talmud and others, and the secular knowledge - mathematics and other sciences. Another son of Yechiel - Hirshl was known a great knower of Gmara. In particular, when he was in prison under Soviets he cited Gmara by heart.

It is also known the Yechiel's wife, Hoda Maron was from a prominent Chasidic family, while the kind of clothes that Yechiel wears on the family photo also testify about his belonging to Chasids. Finally, in a letter to his son Yechiel uses a special blessing which is probably Kabbalistic.

The 1907 list of the 3rd Duma, 1st Congress of Igumen Uyezd has the following entry on Yechiel:

KHARDAS' Ekhel' Abramov homeowner

Yechiel's son, William, when he immigrated to the US brought with him a teaspoon from his family house which appears to be the only physical remnant of the house.

Yechiel Chaim Hordas died in Bobruisk in 1925.