The Weil Family Origins

Origins

My branch of the Weil family originated near Dzikow/Tarnobrzeg, a small city in the area of the Austro-Hungarian empire known as Galicia. The town is located in present day Poland (50º 35' N, 21º 40' E). Meyer may have been a poultry broker. He had at least one son, Sanna Wahl around 1863. According to records from the town, the Wahl surname was fairly widespread.

Sanna married Yetta Abramowitz, the daughter of Aron Abramowitz and Jenta Wilkenfeld around 1883. They had two children while still in Poland: Majer (Matty), who was named after Sanna's father, and Reisla (Rose). According to the Radomysl-nad-Sanem birth register, the family was residing in Radomysl-nad-Sanem, Majdan, and Witkowice between 1878 and 1886.

Couple believed to be Jenta Wilkenfeld Abramowitz and Aron Abramowitz

In 1890, the family made the decision to come to New York. Sanna traveled from Dzikow to Hamburg, Germany, where he took the steamship "Weimar" to Leith, Scotland. About two weeks later, Sanna embarked from Glasgow for New York on the State of Georgia, arriving May 8, 1890.

A year after Sana Wahl arrived in New York, Yetta, Matt, and Rose Weil traveled to America. They embarked from Rotterdam on the S.S. Veendam, and arrived in New York on August 12, 1891.

Passenger manifest for Itte (Yetta), Majer (Matt), & Raisel (Rose) Weil on the S.S. Veendam. Note that "Raisel "was transcribed incorrectly as "Peril"

In my family, the name WEIL was originally WAHL. Sam Weil arrived in 1890 under the name "Zanne WAHL," and the name was WAHL in both the 1900 and 1910 Federal Censuses. However, by the 1920 Federal Census, the name had been changed to WEIL. Family legend has it that it was the idea of the eldest brother, Matty, to change the name. Matty, an actor, thought that WEIL looked better on a marquee - perhaps because "WAHL" sounded too Jewish.

Although he was known as Samuel Weil on US legal documents, Samuel's Hebrew name was "Natanel," the equivalent of "Nathaniel." However, the Yiddish pronunciation of this name is "Nasanel," which was shortened to "Sanel" or "Sana" as a nickname. This is why his name on the manifest of the "State of Georgia" in May 1890 is Zanne. In New York, Sanel became Samuel.

The family settled in New York City. Sam and Yetta had six more children who survived to adulthood: Harry, Bella, Sadie, Max, Abe (Albert), and Jack. The surname was changed to WEIL between 1910 and 1920. Sam made a living as a coat presser until he became too disabled to work any longer. Matty was involved as an actor in the early Broadway stage. Harry was a successful businessman. Sadie worked in the publishing industry. Al was a championship roller skater, railroad detective, and antiques collector. Jack was a postal clerk.

Yetta Weil passed away in 1944, and Sam in 1954. They are buried in Queens, NY, alongside Max, Sadie, and Abe.

Weil & Abramowitz Descendant Charts

Meyer Wahl, b. 1825 at Tarnobrzeg, Poland, d. between 1880 and 1886

+Gitla (--?--), b. 1824 at Nisko, Poland

├── Mojzesz Wahl, b. 1855 at Tarnobrzeg, Poland

├── Estera Bluma (--?--), b. 1858 at Tarnobrzeg, Poland, d. between 1897 and 1899

│   +unknown spouse

│   ├── Ruchel (--?--), b. 13 Jan 1892 at Tarnobrzeg, Poland

│   │   +Sam Davis, b. circa 1897 at Austria, m. circa 1922 at Manhattan, NY, USA

│   └── Isaak Majer (--?--), b. 8 Jul 1896 at Tarnobrzeg, Poland

├── Nasanel (Sam) Wahl, b. between Jun 1863 and Jun 1864 at Dzikow, Galicia, Poland, d. 17 Jun 1954 at Bronx County, NY

│   +Yetta Abramowitz, b. 15 Jul 1865 at Galicia, mar. 8 Jun 1888 at Dzikow, Poland, d. 12 Jul 1944 at Manhattan, NY

│   ├── Matt Weil, b. 15 Jul 1886 at Galicia, d. Mar 1970 at Manhattan, NY, USA

│   │   +Esther Pearlman, b. 1890 at Kremnitz, Russia, m. 29 Oct 1912 at Manhattan, NY,  d. 8 Feb 1979 at L.A., CA

│   ├── Rose Weil, b. Oct 1888 at Galicia, d. 1 Jul 1983 at Bronx, NY

│   │   +Morris Skurowitz, b. 5 Dec 1891 Moletai, Lithuania, m. 27 Jun 1915 at Manhattan, NY, d. 3 May 1988 at Bronx, NY

│   ├── Henry Weil, b. 20 May 1893 at Lower East Side, Manhattan, NY, USA, d. 14 Jun 1979 at Dade County, FL

│   │   +Miriam Lowenthal, b. 1894/95 at Dobromil, Lviv, Ukraine, m. 9 Jul 1914 at Manhattan, NY

│   ├── Abraham Weil, b. 22 May 1895 at Manhattan, NY, USA, d. 16 Apr 1984 at Manhattan, NY,

│   ├── Sadie Weil, b. 21 Jan 1897 at Manhattan, NY, USA, d. 4 Mar 1986 at at Manhattan, NY

│   ├── Bella Weil, b. Jun 1899 at Manhattan, NY, d. 2 Oct 1971 at Bronx, NY

│   │   +Charlie Forshner, b. circa 1892 at Austria, m. circa 1922 at NY, USA, d. Israel

│   ├── Max Weil, b. 11 Aug 1901 at Manhattan, NY, USA, d. 28 Aug 1982 at Manhattan, NY, USA

│   ├── Jacob Weil, b. 28 Jul 1903 at Lower East Side, Manhattan, NY, USA, d. 6 Jan 1987 at Hollywood, FL, 

│   │   +Marian Goldner, b. 20 Nov 1905 at Bivolari, Romania, m. 31 Jan 1938 at Brooklyn, NY, d. 5 Mar 2001 at Bronx, NY 

│   └── Moishe Wahl, b. 14 May 1905 at Lower East Side, NY, USA, d. 12 Nov 1907 at Lower East Side, NY

└── Bruche Wahl, b. 1866 at Tarnobrzeg, Poland, d. 1941 at Rosja, Poland

    +Hersch Mayer Munsdorf, m. between 1870 and 1890

    ├── Hena Sara Munsdorf, b. 26 Jan 1890 at Tarnobrzeg, Poland

    ├── Elias Munsdorf, b. 4 Oct 1892 at Tarnobrzeg, Poland

    ├── Cerla Munsdorf, b. 20 Sep 1894 at Tarnobrzeg, Poland

    ├── Szeindla Munsdorf, b. 3 Jan 1897 at Tarnobrzeg, Poland

    └── Blima Munsdorf, b. 29 Jul 1899 at Tarnobrzeg, Poland

Aron Abramowitz

+Jenta Wilkenfeld, b. between 1845 and 1855, m. between 1860 and 1865, d. before 1918

├── Yetta Abramowitz, b. 1865, d. 1944 at East Villiage, NY

│   +Nasanel (Sam) Wahl, b. between 1863 and 1864 at Dzikow, Galicia, m. circa 1883, d. 1954 at Bronx, NY

├── Morris Abramowitz, b. 1871 at Galicia

│   +Sarah Rocku(?), b. 1869 at Galicia, m. circa 1888 at Galicia

│   ├── Harry Abramowitz, b. either 1894 or 1895 at New York, NY, d. 1978

│   │   +Minnie Perlman, b. 1898 at New York, NY, m. 1914

│   ├── Rose Abramowitz, b. circa 1897 at New York, NY

│   ├── David Abramowitz, b. 1897 at New York, NY

│   ├── Abraham Abramowitz, b. 1901 at New York, NY, d. 1966

│   ├── Ida Abramowitz, b. circa 1905 at New York, NY

│   ├── Annie Abramowitz, b. 1906 at New York, NY

│   └── (--?--) Abramowitz, b. before 1910, d. before 1910

├── Rose Abramowitz, b. 1878 at Majdan

│   +Alexander Abrams, b. between 1885 and 1887, m. 1909 at Lower East Side, NY, d. 1951

│   ├── Edith Abrams, b. 1915 at NY, d. 2007 at FL

│   │   +Charles Densa, b. 1908 at Radomsk, m. 1949 at NY, d. 2003 at FL

│   ├── Sidney Abrams, b. 1918, d. 1926

│   └── Arthur Abrams, b. either 1918 or 1919 at NY, d. 1925

└── Hersch Abramowitz, b. 1881 at Radomysl-nad-Sanem

Yetta Abramowitz Weil and Sam Weil at the wedding of their granddaughter Edna on May 15, 1939

(This post was originally published in 2003 on my website www.tangerinecrafts.com. It has been updated.)