AN American couple have been reunited with a long-lost relative . . . thanks to the Jewish Telegraph.

Albert and Libby Kaplan, of New Jersey, appealed through our Roots Directory for news of anyone with the family name Kushner who came from Vasilishki in Lithuania.

The plea was spotted by Marie Churney, of Southport, who had a great aunt called Tamara Kushner.

Marie got in touch with the American couple - and on Sunday they met each other for the first time.

Marie said: "It was the best day of my life. We had 37 members of our family waiting to greet them. It was so lovely to find out about my family background. Because my parents were so busy making a living and raising a family, they never got to tell us about our history."

Albert and Libby brought with them photographs they inherited from their second cousin, Saul Kushner, who was the only survivor of the mass killings of Vasilishki in 1942.

"They brought photographs with them of my mother and father, and even of me at my wedding," Marie said.

"They brought them with to find out who the people pictured were. As soon as I saw my wedding photo, I said 'that's me!'.

"It was amazing to have all the family sitting around the table.

"Since getting in contact, my brother-in-law, Franklyn Churney, has become good friends with Albert and Libby and he showed them around the area."

Albert and Marie share great-grandparents - and Albert's grandmother, Tamara Kushner, was Marie's great-aunt.