Rabbi Zaklos, I thoroughly enjoyed your story. I wish you continuing Brochoh v’hatzlochoh in Novosibirsk — and wherever you are. I believe we are related. My father z”l came out of the Minsk Yeshiva and entered the US in 1904. The family name in Russia was Kazdan. In the US our name was spelled Cohon, because we are Kohanim. My wife’s family came from Poland, where their name was Sturmach, in the US it became Stollman. If any of these names are familiar, I’d be glad to hear from you. Zy gezunt!
Baruch Cohon