My Legal name is Jordan Mark Kolb. My Hebrew name is Yitzchak Mechel Kolb. There is of course a story behind this. I was named after my grandfather, my mother’s father, Yitzchak Yehichel Mechel Berger, also known as Geno Berger. That is the sources of my Hebrew name. My father didn’t really want to give me a different name as my legal name but my mother convinced him otherwise. She decided on the name Jordan Mark. People often say that a name is just a name but I beg to differ. I wear my grandfather’s name with pride. Geno Berger was just that guy that everybody loved. A good-looking, athletic, and hilarious man, Geno was loved by everyone that ever met them. My grandfather died within a year of birth and my mother was very happy she could keep her father’s name alive with me. What is most startling is that I am told my many people that I am very similar to my grandfather. People often explain how they see so much of Geno in me. Even today, still receive numerous comments from people that knew him and how much I remind them of him. I am often even called Geno; it has become a nickname of mine. My name is not just another name; rather it is something that I am proud of and can use when I confidently say, “I am Geno Berger’s grandson.”
That begins the discussion of my family. I am one of four children born to Elliot and Libby Kolb. My siblings Miriam, Moshe, and Yakov are 25,23, 19 respectively. I fall number three in and Yakov are 25,23, 19 respectiely. I am proline at age 21ud of and can confidently say that 21. My mother z”l passed away 10 years ago. She was born to Geno and Fanny Berger and lived most of her life in Monticello, New York before moving to the New York City area. Her parents both lived in Europe and made their way to America after the war. Her sisters’ names are Shelly and Judy and have provided me with 6 cousins. My father was born to Alexander and Irene Kolb in Kfar Saba, Israel. My grandparents had actually met before the war. Coming from Germany, my grandfather’s wife and two year old son David were killed in the Holocaust. After the war, he moved to the Check Republic where he met my grandmother, made her break off her engagement with another man and then married her. My father’s older sister was born in Romania and his older was born in Paris. My father has recently remarried to Sharon Small. She is a Boston native (doesn’t mesh well in a house of Yankee fans) and is the daughter of Sara and Rabbi Leonard Small. Rabbi Small was a long time stable in the Boston community and ran a kosher meat shop.
That is a little summary of my family history. When people think of the Kolbs, they often think of discipline. My grandfather, coming from a Satmir Chassid background in Germany ran a very strict and straightforward house. He knew how to have fun but was always a stern man. My father did not fall far from the tree. My father runs a tight shift in my house. He has instilled in my family a devotion and dedication to each other not often found. My siblings and I would do anything for each other. We are all very close and good friends. The passing of my mother z”l created a bond among my family that is absolutely astonishing. We all hold very strong t our beliefs and are never embarrassed of who we are. My father has taught us the right way and has never let us forget who we are. My father is a well respected and honest man of his community and looked upon with awe and pride. Just like I am proud to wear the name Yitzchak mechel, I am even more proud to wear the name Kolb.
