Early Life, Family and Training Michael Baxte was born on January 27, 1890, in the small town of Staroselje, located in Belarus within the Russian Empire. His family spoke Yiddish, the language of their home and community. The landscape of his childhood was shaped by the shifting demographics of the region, as the Chabad movement of Hasidic Jews, which had once been a central force in Staroselje, had largely departed by the time his family was preparing for a new life. The decision to leave their homeland was likely prompted by the death of Michael Baxte’s father. His older brothers had alr…