Sept. 2025
Beverley Abramson
The Grynszpan (Katz) family reunion was held on Sunday, Sept. 7 in Hamilton with family members coming from both Hamilton and Toronto and even one from New York City. As the community centre filled up with so many happy faces of all ages, it was evident from the start that love was in the air.
The highlight for me was when our elders including aunts and uncles, some of them in their 90s who have trouble leaving their homes, arrived with big smiles along with several young families carrying their newborns. This meant that five generations of our family were attending to join in the festivities.
Guests were welcomed with gifts of local honey, coffee, tea or drinks by Laura Katz, cookies made with love by Lesli Herman and a ticket for a chance to win a door prize.
We had previous family picnics sporadically for decades, but this one was extra special. We were determined to expand our participants and include the descendants from all seven children of our great-grandfather who were all born in a small village in Poland. Thanks to the family tree that Carolynne Veffer created and maintains, we sought out cousins to invite.
David Malach who came to the picnic from Toronto, talked about his grandmother, Esther Malach (Katz), who was one of Sam Katz’s sisters. David says he came to the picnic because of his Uncle Sam who after emigrating to Hamilton on his own from Poland quickly established an auto parts business, which eventually led to his ability to bring his younger siblings to Canada, including David’s grandmother in 1929. Sam later offered a job to David’s grandfather when he was just a teenager.
“Because of Sam Katz our families were Holocaust avoiders, instead of Holocaust survivors, or worse,” David says.
As the day unfolded, we met cousins whom we hadn’t seen in many years and new ones of all ages. It was exciting to share stories with almost 200 family members.
“I believe it’s a privilege to know who knit us,” said Yael Schacter.
“We are so grateful and excited for the unique and rare opportunity to connect with so many family members we've never met,” said Sabrina Malach.
“I'm attending because it's a chance to reconnect with relatives I haven't seen in years which reinforces a sense of belonging,” said Donna Craig.
It was a beautiful sunny day at a location that enabled us to offer varied activities for all ages both indoor and outdoor: soccer-baseball, face painting, arts and crafts for our youngest led by Janet Roberton as well as an extensive tour of cousins Sandi Katz and Carl Loewith’s magnificent Summit Station Dairy where we could indulge in ice cream waffles, learn about their working farm as well as actually milk a cow – a new skill for us. Carl & his son Ben and daughter in law Jen orchestrated a delicious and educational experience.
Half the fun in creating a family reunion is in the planning, as it provided meaningful contact with each other and lots of laughter while we reminisced and shared stories of the good old days.
One of our young adult family members, Arly Abramson, reflected on growing up and getting to help out. “At the last picnic I was a teen, and at the one before that I was a toddler,” she said. “It was exciting to be an adult and get to help plan this one.”
Brian Katz, a mainstay on the organizing committee, recalled how his father, Jack, helped organize past family picnics many years ago and now Jack’s tombstone bears the words “Family is everything,” a phrase that continues to guide Brian every day.
“That’s why I’m so passionate about our family picnic. It’s more than just a gathering—it’s a celebration of our legacy, our love, and the enduring spirit of togetherness that defines us. It’s a chance to honour the past, embrace the present, and strengthen the ties that will carry us into the future,” Brian said.
Our multigenerational committee was key to our success. We learned from and relied on our younger team members who assisted us in areas that were more familiar to them. Our family member spreadsheets and electronic invitations were designed by Arly Abramson and Jory Katz initiated our electronic picture album using a QR code for our instant group family album.
Family bingo that brought people of all ages together to learn about each other was created by Talia Abramson with the help of her sisters and cousins.
Another highlight was the storytelling before and after our delicious lunch by our two maven emcees Teddy Katz and E.J. Abramson, as well as from people who spontaneously shared family memories.
We heard several theories as to why our name was changed from Grynszpan to Katz (my grandfather’s mother’s birth-name). Perhaps it occurred when my grandfather emigrated to Canada after the turn of the century. Apparently, it will still remain a mystery.
Our determination to continue the Grynszpan family reunion with a picnic and intergenerational activities that our parents initiated with so much love so long ago is part of our DNA – a tradition that we hope will continue.
CAPTION: Grynszpan family elders
Paul Wright Photography
