Twenty years ago, Moishe Nachshen established a "family circle" consisting of all his descendants and their spouses. Nachshen died in 1968, but the family circle has survived and grown.

Every year, the family has gotten together for some simcha. This Passover, for the first time, all of the relatives, with a few exceptions, sat down together for the second seder. There were 60 people around the table at the King David Residence in Cote St. Luc, representing four generations.

The youngest was 15 months old and the oldest was 87-year-old Abraham (Avrum) Nachshen, who lives at the King David.

Besides Montreal, the "circle" members came from Toronto, Vancouver, New York, Baltimore and Israel. Some discovered relatives they never knew they had. The traditional seder service was conducted by Issie Nachshen, the eldest grandson of patriarch Moishe, who immigrated to Montreal from Russia in 1927.

"It was a great reunion, and was several years in the planning," said Issie Nachshen. "We were celebrating being together. This was my grandfather's purpose: the family should get together and remain together even though its members are scattered far and wide."

Breaking from tradition, Abraham Nachshen started asking the four questions and then the youngsters joined in. Almost everyone was able to read a portion of the Haggadah. After the service, the family members provided their own entertainment with various musical instruments brought along. "We are hoping we will be able to do this every Passover from now on." says Issie Nachshen.

The following was submitted by a reader who wished to share his family experience with others. We print it in the hope the Nachshen family experience will inspire other families to organize events designed to foster familial togetherness. (Ed.).

The Family Foundation referred to is not the establishment of a monetary fund for some useful purpose. It is the foundation of a family circle - the Nachshen family circle - whose main purpose is to keep the extended family together and to try to keep members of the family in touch with each other.

The family circle meets as often as possible in Montreal, as well as in other cities where there are several members of our family; for example, "branches" in Israel, Vancouver, New York and Toronto.

This year it was to be different. "Ma Nishtana" was answered by us in a unique and special way. We got together - sixty of us - from all parts of the world - to celebrate the great family holiday par excellence - Pesach.

Perhaps a little background would be in order. Some 20 years ago, the patriarch of our family, the late Reb Moishe Nachshen, Z"L, tried to insure the family would remain as a family, more than by having had the same ancestors, and not merely by seeing each other occasionally or not at all.

My grandfather, Moishe Nachshen wanted the family not to become strangers and each generation to know not only its sires but also its contemporaries.

And so, together with my grandmother, Sarah, my grandfather laid the foundations for the family circle, which to this day has been an active part of our family relations.

As in most matters, it takes the interest of many and the actions of a few for things to get moving, and thus our circle has been meeting sometimes regularly and sometime not so regularly, for the past 20 years. We tried to make sure that the cousins would know each other, or at least know of each other, and from time to time, when members form out of town would visit, special gatherings would be arranged.

One of the most interesting features of our family "meetings", is the personal report given by each person present. The person reports, on his or her activities as well as the activities of his or her immediate family. This has proved to be one of the most interesting features of our gatherings, and in this way everyone knows what is going on in the extended family.

On the Second Seder night of Pesach, 1983, the Nachshen family circle met to celebrate a true Pesach Seder in the "old" traditional manner, which most of those present remembered from Grandfather's Seder. It was conducted in accordance with traditions and practices followed by Grandfather, and almost every person present participated in the readings, recitations and rituals.

From Israel, Vancouver, New York, Baltimore and Toronto, members of the family streamed into Montreal and eagerly awaited the "first" historical family seder. From the youngest member, 15 month-old Lynn, to the oldest member, 87 year old Uncle Avrum, it was a marvelous sight to behold.

The Seder was held at the King David Residence Hotel in Cote St. Luc, with the fullest cooperation and assistance of the management. Everything was arranged by them in the traditional manner, with tables set as one would have them in their own homes.

The family circle committee that organized the Seder was made up of George and Issie , with an able assist from Peter (from Vancouver), all grand- children of Moishe Nachshen.

The Seder was conducted by myself as eldest grandson, with the full cooperation and participation of the entire family.

This "historic" first is a new tradition that we hope will be continued for many years to come.

25 April 1997, Cote Saint-Luc - Nearly 100 members of the Nachshen family gathered in Montreal for the 15th annual Nachshen Family Seder. Family members, all descendants of Moishe and Sarah Nachshen from the Zhitomer region of the Ukraine, came from Ontario, British Columbia, California, Texas, Maryland, Massachussetts, New York, New Jersey and even from Israel to participate in the affair.

"This is a chance for cousins, aunts, and uncles to come together to keep our connection to one another and to our common heritage", said Issie Nachshen, a local Yiddish/English translator. "We are fortunate to have such a tight-knit family who have taken an active role in maintaining a bond which so rarely lasts through the generations", added George Nashen. "It was tremendous to see fifth generation descendants of my Zaide playing and singing together. This is the epitome of Mishpocha.

This year's gathering was highlighted by the recent launching of the Nachshen Family Circle (NFC) Website on the Internet. Vancouverite Brian Nachshen gathered photos, stories, maps, family archives and even old recipes and posted them on the Internet in order to keep the family ties even stronger. "It doesn't matter where our family lives anymore. We are linked by computers and our children and grandchildren can learn all about our family history, and contact cousins they may never have known," Nachshen, the family webmaster, said at the Montreal Seder.

"Weeks ago, another Nachshen family in England happened upon the NFC home page while surfing the net. A flurry of E-mail ensued and it seems that we may have found a branch of the family that lost touch with ours about 150 years ago," said Glenn J. Nashen, a Cote Saint-Luc City Councillor. "We are consulting with the elders of our family and are seeking assistance through authorities in the Ukraine to establish the family connection," Nashen said. "It is very exciting to reestablish your roots, even after a century and a half," added Jack Clement, formerly of Cote Saint-Luc and now living in Toronto. "The world is a huge place, but it just got a little smaller for us," he said.

This year's Seder was organized by Silka Fitelberg (St-Laurent) and Anne Nachshen and Cheryl Carpman-Nashen (both of Cote Saint-Luc). A specially made Haggadah is prepared for the evening which includes excerpts from many Jewish sources and Haggadahs around the world. Many of the Israeli members concluded the evening with traditional folk-dancing. Ages range from Jack Mills, born three weeks ago in Nelson, BC, great-grandson to family matriarch Polly Nachshen, who recently celebrated her 90th birthday but unfortunately could not attend due to health reasons, to Kynan Caldecott, born two months ago in Bombay, India, who slept through the Ma Nishtana in the arms of his 82 year old great-grandfather, Jack Clement.

The Nachshen Family Circle also includes Montreal families Fitelberg, Mass, Garber, Brecher, as well as the Clement's of Thornhill, Ontario, and Nelson and Vancouver, BC.