Happy New Year - 2018

Happy New Year

Wishing you a year of new adventures, small comforts, and continued successes!

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Honeymoon to Havana - 1938

There are always new things to discover on Ancestry.com. My grandfather, Jacob Weil, was born in the US. So I was surprised when Ancestry had a "hint" about his immigration. Turns out it was the passenger manifest of the ship he and my grandmother (Marian Goldner Weil) took on their honeymoon cruise from New York to Nassau, Havana, and Miami on the S.S. Munargo in 1938! According to the manifest, they left on Feb 6 and returned on Feb 17.  They were married on 31 January 1938, so the honeymoon was only a few days later.

Below are some photos and documents putting it all together - including my grandmother's original labels from the back of the photos with corresponding dates.

The S.S. Munargo in New York Harbor

Marian Goldner Weil "On Boat (Going) Carribean Sea - (Feb 7, 1938)"

Jack & Marian Weil - "Nassau (Feb 8, 1938)" 

Marian & Jack Weil - "Paradise Beach - Nassau (Tues Feb 8, 1938) - Macy"

Marian & Jack - "La Playa Beach, Havana (Feb 11, 1938)"

Jack, Marian, & Unknown Couple - "Nassau - Paradise Beach (Feb 14, 1938)" 

Detail of Passenger Manifest. Note the second-to-last column for naturalized citizens. Marian immigrated as a child and was naturalized when her father became a citizen.

The Telles and Birnberg Family Origins

Itzak, the son of Chiam Telefus was born around 1891 in Khotyn, Ukraine, located on the banks of the river Dnister. The family was very poor - family lore is that Chiam sold water to make tea in a samovar. Following his sister Sheava Fisherman and her family, who immigrated around 1908. Itzak traveled on the S.S. Kroonland to the Ellis Island in 1909. Itzak had a brother Pesah who immigrated to Israel, and another sister Anna who came to the US. The name Telefus was changed to Telles soon after he immigrated.

In 1913, Itzak married Sarah Birnberg, the daughter of Meyer Birnberg and Ruchel Schneider. Although Sarah was born in Ukraine as well (in Medzhibozh), it was in America that they met. Sarah, the daughter of Meyer Birnberg and Rachel Schneider, was the only daughter in a family with five brothers/half-brothers. Joseph Birenberg remained in England, where they had stopped on their way to America. Jacob Birnberg left for Argentina, where he worked with livestock. Louis Berenberg and his wife Bessie were involved with the garment union in New York, but eventually moved to Cleveland, OH where their sons had a drugstore. Nathan Birnberg and Ettel Birnberg lived in New York, which is where Sarah immigrated to in 1910 on the S.S. Noordam.

Itzak and Sarah lived in Brooklyn, where Itzak made a living as a furrier - a family business taken over by his three sons: Jack, Sam, and Harry. Itzak passed away in 1951, and Sarah in 1965.

Telles and Birnberg Descendant Charts

Aron Telefus, b. before 1830

+unknown spouse

└── Chiam Hirsh Telefus, b. at Khotin, Bessarabia, d. after 1909 at Khotin, Bessarabia

    +Mary Cohen, m. before 1865

    ├── Rachel Telefus, b. circa 1865

    │   +(--?--) Marcus

    │   └── Bluma Marcus, b. 1897

    └── Sheava Telefus, b. between 1872 and 1873, d. 1955 at NY

        +Aron Fisherman, b. between 1869 and 1870 at Khotin, Bessarabia, m. 1892

        ├── Louis Fisherman, b. 1894 at Khotin, Bessarabia

        │   +Sadie (--?--), b. 1901 at NY, m. 1918 at NY, d. 1929 at NY

        │   +Rose (--?--)

        ├── Minnie Fisherman, b. 1898 at Khotin, Bessarabia, d. 1987

        │   +Melvin Presser, b. 1903, m. 1948, d. 1988 at FL

        ├── Anne Fisherman, b. between 1901 and 1901 at Khotin, Bessarabia, d. 1984

        └── Mickey Fisherman, b. between 1902 and 1902 at Khotin, Bessarabia

            +Roberta (--?--)

    +Leah Berenstein, m. circa 1875

    ├── (--?--) Telles, b. at Khotin, Bessarabia, d. at Khotin, Bessarabia

    ├── Pesach Telefus, b. at Khotin, Bessarabia, d. 1970 at Tirat-HaCarmel

    │   +Frida Appelboim, b. at Bessarabia, d. 1935 at Bessarabia

    │   ├── Lea Telefus, b. 1919 at Khotin, Bessarabia, d. 2004 at Tirat-HaCarmel

    │   │   +Rafael Faige, b. 1922, d. 2011

    │   └── Chana Telefus, b. 1931 at Bessarabia

    │       +Efraim Sholimovich, b. 1931 at Kostansa, d. 2002 at Tirat-HaCarmel

    │   +Rivka Vrombrant, d. 1967 at Tirat-HaCarmel

    ├── Anna Telefus, b. 1887 at Khotin, Bessarabia, d. 1968 at Riverdale, NY

    │   +Chaim Telefus, b. 1887, m. 1910 at NY, d. 1922 at NY

    │   +Max Lichtenstein, b. 1877 at Odessa, m. 1931 at NY, d. 1961

    └── Isador Telles, b. 1891 at Khotin, Bessarabia, d. 1951

        +Sarah Birnberg, b. 1893 at Khotin, Bessarabia, m. 1913 at East Villiage, NY, d. 1965

        ├── Meyer Jack Telles, b. 1913 at NY, d. 2003 at CA

        │   +Helan Konsky, b. 1915 at NY, m. 1936, d. 1994 at CA

        ├── Sam Telles, b. 1917 at NY, d. 1972 at Borough Park, NY

        │   +Rose Broitman, b. 1918 at Savran, Podolie, m. 1938 at NY, d. 2011 at West Orange, NJ

        └── Harris Telles, b. 1923 at NY, d. 2002 at TX

            +(Living)

Meyer Birenberg, d. before 1910

+Rachel Schneider, m. before 1880, d. after 1910 at Khotin, Bessarabia

├── Joseph Berenberg, d. at London, England

│   +Rachel (--?--)

│   ├── Anne Berenberg

│   │   +William Rosenberg

│   ├── Lilian Berenberg

│   │   +unknown spouse

│   ├── Deborah Berenberg

│   │   +unknown spouse

│   ├── Sarah Berenberg

│   │   +unknown spouse

│   └── Esther Berenberg

│       +unknown spouse

├── Nathan Birnberg, b. between 1863 and 1864, d. 1945

│   +Nachuma Schechter, b. between 1872 and 1873, m. 1894, d. 1952 at NY

│   ├── Fischel Theodore Birnberg, b. 1895, d. 1980

│   │   +Sonia (--?--), b. 1895, m. 1924 at NY, d. 1974

│   ├── Sarah Birnberg, b. either 1897 or 1897 at Medzhibozh, d. 1977

│   │   +Sam Walowitz, b. 1900, m. 1926 at NY, d. 1990

│   ├── Meyer Birnberg, b. 1902, d. 1987 at Santa Clara, CA

│   │   +Eva Elman, b. 1906, m. between 1930 and 1931, d. 1992 at Santa Clara, CA

│   └── Irving Birnberg, b. 1906 at Medzhibozh, d. 1997

│       +Augusta (--?--), b. 1908, m. 1925, d. 1994

│       +Jean Shafran, b. 1914, m. 1949 at FL, d. 1984

├── Jacob Birenberg

├── Edel Lab Birenberg, b. either 1880 or 1881 at Medzhibozh, d. 1953

│   +Ida (--?--), b. before 1881, m. before 1901

│   +unknown spouse

├── Louis Berenberg, b. 1884 at Medzhibozh, d. 1959 at Cleveland, OH

│   +Bessie Cohen, b. 1886 at Minsk, m. 1911 at NY, d. 1980 at Beechwood, OH

│   ├── Meyer Berenberg, b. 1912 at NY, d. 1980 at Beechwood, OH

│   │   +Mollie Bader, b. 1909, m. between 1927 and 1957 at OH, d. 1997 at Deerfield, IL

│   └── Abraham Berenberg, b. 1915 at NY, d. 1987 at Phoenix, AZ

│       +Edith Polsky, b. circa 1918

└── Sarah Birnberg, b. 1893 at Khotin, Bessarabia, d. 1965

    +Isador Telles, b. 1891 at Khotin, Bessarabia, m. 1913 at East Villiage, NY, d. 1951

The Goldner Family Origins

Shmuel and Channa Goldner settled in north-east Romania, in the town of Bivolari, on the banks of the river Prut. They may have come from Russia, attracted to the area in the mid 19th century with the promise of greater freedom for Jews, such as the ability to farm or own land. Shmuel and Channa had five sons: Moshe, Meyer (b. 1868), Hershel, Leizer, and Abram.

The Goldner's were a merchant family, and Meyer may have worked as a peddler of dry goods. In 1889, Meyer married Ciornia Mindla (Minna) Faibish, the daughter of Leib ben Faives, from the nearby town of Sculeni. Over the next 20 years, Meyer and Minna had 10 children: Sarah, Lena, Alex, David, Morris, Aaron, Bessie, Leon, Marian, and Edward.

Meyer's children began slowly to immigrate to the United States. Sarah and Lena came to New York in 1911, followed by David in 1912. They sent money home so that in April of 1914, Meyer and Minna came with most of the rest of the family on the S. S. Kaiser Wilhelm II. The final sibling to come to the US was Aaron in July of 1914.

S. S. Kaiser Wilhelm II

The Goldner family had a family millenary business in New York for many years. The family moved to Brooklyn in the 1920's. Sarah married Joel Primer in 1918, Lena married Benjamin Turner in 1922, Marian married Jack Weil in 1938, and Bessie married Harry Rabin in 1929. Minna passed away in 1934, and Meyer in 1950.

Meyer's grand-children and great-grandchildren now live all over the US, from New York and Florida to Massachusetts and Virginia. Most of Meyer's brother's families remained in Bivolari and Iasi for several decades. After WWII, the family immigrated to Brazil, Israel, and the US.

Goldner Descendant Chart

Moshe (--?--)

+Ghitla (--?--)

└── Samuel Goldner, b. 1831 at Hermeziu (Lunca Prutului), Iasi, Romania, d. 1924 at Bivolari, Iasi, Romania

    +Chana Goldner, b. 1841, m. between 1857 and 1863 at Romania, d. 1920 at Bivolari, Iasi, Romania

    ├── Hershel Goldner, b. 1849

    │   +Gitel Focsineanu, b. 1860

    │   ├── Moshe Goldner, d. 1958

    │   │   +Tauba Berdicheff, d. 1962

    │   │   ├── Roza Goldner, d. 2013

    │   │   │   +Lazar Elazar Ackerman, d. 1970

    │   │   ├── Rachel Goldner

    │   │   │   +Solomon David, d. 2008

    │   │   ├── Rudi Goldner

    │   │   │   +Jacques Israel Ludatcher

    │   │   ├── Zvi Hershl Goldner

    │   │   └── Leon Leib Goldner, b. 1909, d. 1924

    │   ├── Sifra H Goldner, b. 1879 at Bivolari, Iasi, Romania

    │   │   +Moish Antonier, b. 1873 at Bivolari, Iasi, Romania, m. 1897 at Bivolari, Iasi, Romania

    │   │   ├── Marcu Goldner, b. 1898

    │   │   │   +Fanny (--?--)

    │   │   ├── Ruha Antonier, b. 1901

    │   │   │   +Ioel Roshoaie, m. 1921

    │   │   ├── Leib Antonier, b. 1903, d. 1977

    │   │   │   +Sura Goldman, b. 1909, d. 2000

    │   │   ├── Mendel Antonier, b. 1910

    │   │   │   +Hilda (--?--)

    │   │   │   └── Joseta Antonier

    │   │   ├── Clara Antonier, b. 1913

    │   │   ├── Sura Antonier, b. 1913 at Bivolari, Iasi, Romania

    │   │   │   +Lupo Faclieru, b. 1905 at Sculeni, Iasi, Romania, m. 1934

    │   ├── Buruh Goldner, b. 1884, d. 1977 at Israel

    │   │   +Etla Moskowitz, b. 1886, m. at Bivolari, Iasi, Romania, d. 1973 at Israel

    │   │   ├── Marcel Goldner, b. 1913, d. 1941 at Iasi, Iasi, Romania

    │   │   ├── Usher Zelig Goldner, b. 1916 at Bivolari, Iasi, Romania, d. 2011

    │   │   ├── Israel Goldner, b. 1918 at Bivolari, Iasi, Romania, d. 1941 at Iasi, Iasi, Romania

    │   │   └── Ana Goldner, b. 1922 at Bivolari, Iasi, Romania, d. 1996 at Israel

    │   │       +Sami Moses, b. 1913, m. 1941, d. 1981 at Israel

    │   ├── Meyer Goldner, b. 1886 at Bivolari, Iasi, Romania, d. 1975 at Israel

    │   │   +Lisa Dick, m. between 1906 and 1919

    │   ├── Marcu Goldner, b. 1893 at Bivolari, Iasi, Romania

    │   └── Sloim Goldner, b. 1893 at Bivolari, Iasi, Romania

    ├── Moishe Goldner, b. 1864 at Bivolari, Iasi, Romania, d. 1946

    │   +Miriam (--?--), b. 1867, m. between 1883 and 1885

    │   ├── Yankle Goldner

    │   ├── Chava Goldner

    │   │   +(--?--) (--?--)

    │   │   └── Paula (--?--)

    │   ├── Leah Goldner, b. 1885 at Bivolari, Iasi, Romania

    │   │   +Leizer Goldner, b. 1876 at Bivolari, Iasi, Romania

    │   │   ├── Estra Goldner, b. 1902 at Bivolari, Iasi, Romania, d. before 1905 at Bivolari, Iasi, Romania

    │   │   ├── Strul Goldner, b. 1904 at Bivolari, Iasi, Romania, d. 1976

    │   │   │   +Rachel Weinberg, b. 1913, d. 2014

    │   │   ├── Iancu Goldner, b. 1907 at Bivolari, Iasi, Romania, d. 1907 at Bivolari, Iasi, Romania

    │   │   ├── Solomon Goldner, b. 1908 at Bivolari, Iasi, Romania, d. 1910 at Bivolari, Iasi, Romania

    │   │   ├── Iosub Goldner, b. 1911 at Bivolari, Iasi, Romania, d. 1911 at Bivolari, Iasi, Romania

    │   │   ├── Batzalel Goldner, b. 1912 at Bivolari, Iasi, Romania, d. 1912 at Bivolari, Iasi, Romania

    │   │   ├── Cili Goldner, b. 1913 at Bivolari, Iasi, Romania

    │   │   │   +unknown spouse

    │   │   ├── Iser Goldner, b. 1915 at Bivolari, Iasi, Romania

    │   │   ├── Zlata Goldner, b. 1918 at Bivolari, Iasi, Romania, d. 1919 at Bivolari, Iasi, Romania

    │   │   ├── Buium Goldner, b. 1920 at Bivolari, Iasi, Romania, d. 1920 at Bivolari, Iasi, Romania

    │   │   └── Shikoo Goldner, b. 1922 at Bivolari, Iasi, Romania

    │   │       +Fanny Iser

    │   ├── Joseph Goldner, b. 1889 at Romania, d. 1957 at Brooklyn, NY,

    │   │   +Esther Smilovici, b. 1898 at Romania, m. 1918 at NY,  d. 1958 at Brooklyn, NY,

    │   ├── Adele Goldner, b. 1900 at Bivolari, Iasi, Romania

    │   │   +unknown spouse

    │   │   +Strul Iser, b. 1896, m. 1924 at Bivolari, Iasi, Romania

    │   ├── Leon Goldner, b. 1904 at Bivolari, Iasi, Romania

    │   │   +unknown spouse

    │   └── Sure Goldner, b. 1908 at Bivolari, Iasi, Romania

    ├── Meyer Goldner, b. 1868 at Bivolari, Iasi, Romania, d. 1950 at Bath Beach, Brooklyn, NY,

    │   +Minna Faives, b. 1868 at Romania, m. 1889 at Bivolari, Iasi, Romania, d. 1934 at Brooklyn, NY,

    │   ├── Sarah Goldner, b. 1890 at Sculeni, Romania, d. 1974

    │   │   +Joel Primer, b. 1887 at Lublin, Wojewedztwo Lubelskie, Poland, m. 1918 at Manhattan, NY,  d. 1965

    │   ├── Lena Goldner, b. 1893 at Romania, d. 1977 at Manhattan, NY,

    │   │   +Benjamin Turner, b. 1892 at Austria, m. 1922, d. 1972

    │   ├── Alexander Goldner, b. 1895 at Bivolari, Iasi, Romania, d. 1978 at NY,

    │   │   +Nadia Luger, b. 1903 at Hungary, m. circa 1923 at NY,  d. 1976 at Miami, Dade County, FL,

    │   ├── David Goldner, b. 1895 at Bivolari, Iasi, Romania, d. 1987 at FL,

    │   │   +Esther Maskowsky, b. between 1899 and 1900 at NY,  m. 1923

    │   ├── Morris Goldner, b. 1899 at Bivolari, Iasi, Romania, d. 1979 at Hollywood, Broward County, FL,

    │   │   +Esther (--?--), b. between 1906 and 1907 at NY,  m. 1929 at NY,

    │   │   +Helen (--?--), m. after 1931

    │   ├── Aaron R. Goldner, b. 1900 at Bivolari, Iasi, Romania, d. 1974 at Manhattan, NY,

    │   │   +Rose Schnitzer, m. 1930 at NY,

    │   ├── Bessie Goldner, b. 1901 at Bivolari, Iasi, Romania, d. 1992 at Manhattan, NY,

    │   │   +Harry Rabin, b. 1904 at Poland, m. 1929 at NY,  d. 1986

    │   ├── Leon Goldner, b. 1903 at Bivolari, Iasi, Romania, d. 1986

    │   │   +Beatrice Halpern, b. circa 1908 at Manhattan, NY,  m. 1928, d. 1965

    │   │   +Ann (--?--), b. 1909, m. after 1965

    │   ├── Marian Goldner, b. 1905 at Bivolari, Iasi, Romania, d. 2001 at Riverdale, Bronx, NY,

    │   │   +Jacob Weil, b. 1903 at Lower East Side, Manhattan, NY,  m. 1938 at Brooklyn, NY,  d. 1987 at Hollywood, FL,

    │   ├── Leea Goldner, b. 1908 at Bivolari, Iasi, Romania, d. 1908 at Bivolari, Iasi, Romania

    │   └── Edward I. Goldner, b. 1909 at Romania, d. 1999

    │       +Edna Frank, b. 1915, m. after 1920, d. 2001 at CT,

    ├── Avram Goldner, b. 1874 at Bivolari, Iasi, Romania, d. 1953

    │   +Zilie Glasburg, b. either 1874 or 1875 at Sculeni, Romania, m. 1893 at Iasi, Romania

    │   ├── Sure Goldner, b. 1897 at Bivolari, Iasi, Romania, d. before 1907

    │   ├── Hilda Goldner, b. 1898 at Bivolari, Iasi, Romania, d. 1995

    │   │   +Harry Liebmann, b. 1898 at Austria, m. 1922, d. 2002

    │   ├── Moise Leib Goldner, b. 1900 at Bivolari, Iasi, Romania, d. before 1907

    │   ├── Marie Goldner, b. 1905 at Bivolari, Iasi, Romania, d. 1989 at Los Angeles, Los Angeles County, CA,

    │   │   +Harry Borsuk, b. 1904 at Brooklyn, NY, m. 1935, d. 1992 at Los Angeles, Los Angeles County, CA,

    │   └── Elias Goldner, b. 1907 at Bivolari, Iasi, Romania, d. 1986 at Nassau County, NY,

    └── Leizer Goldner, b. 1876 at Bivolari, Iasi, Romania

        +Leah Goldner, b. 1885 at Bivolari, Iasi, Romania

        ├── Estra Goldner (see above)

        ├── Strul Goldner (see above)

        ├── Iancu Goldner (see above)

        ├── Solomon Goldner (see above)

        ├── Iosub Goldner (see above)

        ├── Batzalel Goldner (see above)

        ├── Cili Goldner (see above)

        ├── Iser Goldner (see above)

        ├── Zlata Goldner (see above)

        ├── Buium Goldner (see above)

        └── Shikoo Goldner (see above)