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