Saturday, June 14, 2008

The Foenkinos

The months of May and now June were pretty much devoted to the Foenkinos. This branch is originally from Tetuan, left for Algeria (Mascara) and from there France where they still live, mainly in the Paris area.
Les Foenkinos ont occupe les mois de Mai et maintenant Juin. Cette branche originaire de Tetouan, partit pour l'Algerie (Mascara) et de la pour la France ou ses membres vivent toujours, surtout dans la region parisienne.


Carole Bendrihem devoted sleepless nights unravelling the Foenkinos family tree. With Simita's help and through official documents from the French government, she is rebuilding the tree we received from Nicholas Foenkinos. The goal is to establish the link between the Foinquinos branch in Tanger and the one in Tetuan. The only thing I can say, is thank you Carole and Simita, you have the tenacity and the vision for such an endeavor.
Carole Bendrihem a passe de nombreuses nuits sans sommeil, essayant de dechiffer l'arbre des Foenkinos. Avec l'aide de Simita et de documents officiels francais, elle reconstruit l'arbre que nous avons recu de Nicholas Foenkinos. Le but est d'etablir le lien entre les Foinquinos de Tanger and ceux de Tetouan. La seule chose que je peux dire, c'est merci Carole et Simita, vous avez la tenacite et la vision necessaires pour accomplir cette tache.



Norbert Foenkinos came to California too this month and we met. He lives near Versailles and was visiting friends who were vacationing in Palm Desert. We spent a weekend talking and sharing family stories and it felt like we knew each other for a long time.
Norbert Foenkinos est venu en Californie aussi ce mois ci et nous nous sommes rencontres. Il vit pres de Versailles et est venu visiter des amis en vacances a Palm Desert. Nous avons passe un weekend a parler et a partager des histoires de famille et il semblait que nous nous connaissions depuis toujours.


Norbert was a airport construction engineer. He was sent by the Suez company to work all over the world, so in this way, he is true to the Foinquinos legendary wandering. He retired a few years ago with almost 2 million miles in his frequent traveler account.
Norbert construisait des aeroports. Il etait envoye par la companie Suez dans le monde entier pour son travail, et de cette maniere, il est un vrai Foinquinos, connus pour leur legendaire bougeotte. Il est a la retraite depuis quelques annees avec a son compte de voyageur frequent, pres de 2 millions de miles.



There are a few celebrities in his immediate family. His son David Foenkinos is a celebrated french writer. He wrote "Le potential erotique de ma femme" (the erotic potential of my wife), soon to be published in the US. His other son is Stephane Foenkinos, a film director and also a casting director for movies, among them "Casino Royal" and "Moliere". Both David and Stephane information is readily available thru Google or Yahoo.com.
Il y a quelques celebrites dans sa famille proche. Son fils David Foenkinos est un ecrivain francais celebre. Il a ecrit "Le potential erotique de ma femme", qui sera bientot publie aux USA. Son autre fils est Stephane Foenkinos, un directeur de films et un casting directeur de films, parmi eux "Casino Royal" et "Moliere". Plus d'information est disponible sur Google et Yahoo sur eux.


Also Norbert's uncle, Leon Foenkinos, who is today in his nineties, was a professional soccer player for the Paris St Germain and trained the french star team in the 60's, among them were Jean Paul Belmondo, Alain Delon and George Brasseur, well know french actors.
Aussi l'oncle de Norbert, Leon Foenkinos, aujourdhui age de plus de 90 ans, etait un joueur de football professionel pour l'equipe du Paris-St Germain et a forme et entraine une equipe de vedettes dans les annees 60, parmi les joueurs figuraient Jean Paul Belmondo, Alain Delon et George Brasseur.

More about the Foenkinos will follow as we learn more about them. Simita is meeting with Norbert, his brother Yves and his cousin Lise (the Foenkinos genealogist) this summer and may be Carole will join them too. All these meetings should bring the families closer, clarify the Foenkinos tree and establish the Foinquinos connection.
Plus sur les Foenkinos dans un prochain futur. Simita rencontrera Norbert, son frere Yves et sa cousine Lise, la genealogiste des Foenkinos, cet ete et peut etre que Carole Bendrihem les joindra aussi. Toutes ces rencontres devraient rapprocher les familles, eclaircir l'arbre des Foenkinos et etablir sa connection avec les Foinquinos.

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

hi! this Norbert Foenkinos is a first cousin of mine, so I believe.
could I have his email, or could you send him mine: delkoubi@orange.fr, I think he is related to André Messali who lived in Phoenix?

Thank's for your help, Anyway I have Foenkinos in my relatives, but lost contact, and we are trying to work out our own genealogy, any help will be welcome.
Shabbat Shalom from Paris

Denis ELKOUBI

Anonymous said...

Leon Foenkinos ne en 1915 à Mascara était joueur ^pro au RED STAR de St- Ouen et non au PSG.....