Today, on Hoshana Raba in 1811, my 3rd great grandfather, Avraham Shlomo Zalman Zoref arrived in Israel from Keidan in Lithuania.
Zoref, a student of the Vilna Gaon, was the leader of the pioneers who rebuilt the Ashkenazi community in the Old City of Jerusalem and was responsible in 1836 for obtaining the rights to build the synagogue. He was assassinated in 1851.
http://kehilalinks.jewishgen.org/kedainiai/Zalman_Tzoref.html
The Hurva Synagogue
Chag Sameach
Eli
elirab 
Hi Eli, What an absolutely fascinating bit of family history! Well done.
Sent from my iPad
How fascinating….your posts are always filled with interesting stuff. I am always tempted to do my family tree, then I get so far and give up.
What a great family history. Glad to see that you and your family are taking care to preserve and pass it on.