Aleksandras Ziselis ( Ziskind ) Machtas
was born in Kaunas , Lithuania
on 6 Oct. 1892.
He was the third child
of Lea (1858-1941)
and Shraga (1860-1921).
His nick name was Sasha.
His older brothers
were called Isaak and Gutman.
His younger brother - Yaakov.

Gutman moved to the U.S
before the first world war.
Isaak though moved to Russia
around the same period.
They as well as their families
have stayed there ever since.

Yaakov stayed in Kaunas.
He and his family fled to Russia
at the start of the second world war.
They came back to Lithuania later on
and became Soviet citizens.

Lea was the only family member
to remain in occupied Kaunas.
She was too old to run away.
All of her children and grand children
escaped the fate of the vast majority
of European and Lithuanian Jews.
They were all safe now , far away.