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.)

Snowy Owl Sighting

http://nyti.ms/1jTagWh

There it was sitting on top of a car outside of my office - a large office park on the north side  of Woburn. I thought someone had l eft a bag on the roof until it flew away. Great, slow waves of its wings.

I saw where it went - the gravel depot the property company uses at the end of the parking lot. I parked, hoping it was in sight. It  sat just long enough for me to take a photo and then silently it swooped away.

Coincidentally, that day the New York Times had an article about sightings of this beautiful bird. Explains why I haven't seen any lemmings here lately!

Who Are These People? (2)

A few more photos made it my way, which I thought I'd share. Most are identified, but a few are not. Can you help? Clicking on the photos will bring up larger versions.

#10 Enhanced

Wahl/Weil family c. 1908. Top row: Harry (?), Rose, Sadie, & Bella Weil; Bottom Row: Max Weil, Sam (Sana) Weil, Yetta Weil, & Jack Weil.

 #12

Rose Weil Skurowitz and Sadie Weil

 #13

Sadie Weil by the Sea

 #14

Sadie Weil

 #15

Sam Weil

 #16

Unknown Man and Child

#17

Sadie Weil at the Wedding of George & Pearl Skurowitz

Who Are These People?

My cousin Joddy found these photos while going through his mother's personal effects. They are wonderful! They are probably all related to the Weil/Wahl and Abramowitz/Abrams families. We've been able to identify some of the people in the photos, but not all. Can you help? I've numbered each photo for reference. Please contact me if you have information. More photos to come!

#1

Wedding photo of ?????


#2

Update: Update: Esther Pearlman & Matty Weil at their wedding in 1912
Original: Esther Pearlman & Matty Weil & Esther ? Maybe an actress? - In his vaudeville days


#3 

Unknown Couple. Could this be the daughter in #12 below?

#4

Unknown man and child


#5

Update: Dorothy Weil
Was: Mystery Child "A"

#6

Update: Lester Weil
Original: Mystery Child "B"


#7 

Mystery Child "C"

#8 

Possibly Aron Abramowitz and Jente Wilkenfeld Abramowitz
Was: Unknown couple from Tarnobrzeg, Poland. Reverse says "Waal."


#9

Unknown family. Maybe the Abramowitz family? Frame said "Borsuk Photography"


#10 

Wahl/Weil family c. 1908. Top row: Harry (?), Rose, Sadie, & Bella Weil; Bottom Row: Max Weil, Sam (Sana) Weil, Yetta Weil, & Jack Weil.
(Note that they would have been using the name "Wahl" at this time.)
Wahl/Weil family c. 1908. Top row: ???, Rose Weil, Sadie? Bella?; Bottom Row: Max Weil, Sam (Sana) Weil, Yetta Weil, & Jack Weil. Note that they would have been using the name "Wahl" at this time.


#11 

Sam, Yetta, and Sadie Weil
Was: Sam, Yetta, and Sadie? Bella? Weil

My Year So Far

This is how I've felt all year - espeically at work - so I bought the comic book and put it on my office wall. A reminder that you can get out of anything.

Savran Pogrom

Growing up, my grandmother told me stories of fleeing Ukraine in the wake of the Russian revolution to the relative safety of Bucharest, Romania. My grandmother's story was that during a pogrom in their home village of Savran, Ukraine she was hidden in an oven to avoid injury. The mental image of my grandmother in an oven puzzled me: was it like the oven in my New Jersey kitchen? Or the ovens of the Nazi camps?

Either way, I didn't have a clear idea of just what a pogrom was. A few years ago a gentleman sent me an account of a series of pogroms in Savran that occurred shortly before my grandmother's birth at the hands of the followers of Kozakov, Petliura, and Denikin. It is a painful account: translated below. The name "Bershadsky" is mentioned - and I believe he is a cousin.

The Attack on SAVARN in Podolia County

After the Passover 1917, a group of bandits came to Savran to raid the town, and started attacking and raiding people homes,  “AGUDAT HAMAGEN” the protective group, scared them away. One of the bandits was killed. The Christian town people  retaliated, and killed the head of “AGUDAT HAMAGEN,” Dr. Klein, and his father-in-law, Liev Alters, and attacked many Jewish homes and stores.

From there on, there was no rest for the Jews of Savran: Kozakov's troops raided Savran. Kozakov called the two village rabbis and demanded a 200,000 Rubles  “contribution” and made them responsible for all that would happen if this would not be paid within one hour. The town Jews collected the money, but failed to do so in an hour, so Kozakov left the town with the two rabbis, captive, and killed them in a horrific way, torturing them to death, making them eat rotten eggs and burning their beards while singing praises for him. After crossing the river he caught three more Jews, an old man, and the two sons of Moyshe Barshedsky and killed them as well.

The 200,000 rubles where given to the widows and orphans of the rabbis by the town  people.

After a while the troops of Danikin started to come to Savarn, the first group caused no harm, and only asked for food supplies and clothes, but after came Kazaks from those troops, and after taking what they wanted (e.g., food clothes) they took a respected man, Shimon Elizepan, and whipped him fifty lashes just for saying: ”We can’t leave a Jewish town without leaving any  mark passing through.”  They laughed and the man fell to an illness for three months after this.

And when the Danikinians were killed of the hands of the Soviet troops, they came back to Savarn and slaughtered the entire Jewish town folks,  it was Saturday (morning of Shabbat) that the first faction came of fleeing Danikinians  and demanded “contribution” but then the town bells started , and they fled. But at noon came the second faction, and started the slaughter any Jew caught by the faction was killed on the spot. Old people were butchered, little children were torn to pieces which were thrown to the faction's dogs, every women between 12 and 70 years of age were raped  and then killed in many horrific ways.

At first the Danikinians  tortured their victims to get word of the hiding places where they stashed their belongings. After taking their possession they  also took their lives. Thus, they took 200,000 rubles out of the old man BOYKES hands and promised when he gives the money they will let him live, after taking his money, they put him against the wall pour oil on him, and torched him alive, counting the  money in front of  his eyes, while the poor soul  was  screaming  and burning to death. Then they killed his son.

SHAUL (SAUL) CHERNOAUS son, a five year old, they found under the bed, hiding , they asked him ”Where is your father?” "I don’t know" the boy said. Immediately they cut him to pieces and threw his remains to the dogs.

Israel Arages' wife, a very beautiful and graceful women, they took, raped, and decapitated.

 

The faction was accompanied by many of the important Christian community leaders which led them to the hiding places of the Jews.

All the Jews were killed by crude weapons. One Jew plead to be killed by a rifle, and got this answer: “Every bullet is now very expensive,  pay us the bullet price, and you will get killed this way.”

The killing lasted three days,  and after ten more days, more Danikinian factions came and again butchered, raped, robbed and pillaged the town Jews. The casualties toll came to approximately 800 people. Many of Savarn Jews fled to the nearing  villages where they died of cold or hunger. In Savarn few Jewish families stayed, but they were also harassed and driven out by the Christian families.

The state of these families is evident by this fact:

A Jewish student from Savarn traveled to Odessa with two Christians, and they stayed in an inn together over night, were they stole his money: 35,000 rubles. When the Soviets learned of this, they came to the hotel, checked the Christians satchels and found counterfeit money in their possession  and guns. They were of course arrested. After a few days a poster was hanged on a wall in Savarn :

“Communist Yids:

If you will not return our people, we will slaughter you all. Petliura slaughtered you all and didn’t finish; Danikinians slaughtered you all and didn’t finish;  we will slaughter you all - and will not leave even a baby in his crib.

The Alliance of Destroyers.”

(These are the words of Savran refugees.)

The Attack on Savran in Podolia County. from "Hebrew Yearbook for Autobiography, Ethnography and Folklore - Reshumoth" (Volume 3). Berlin 1923 (Moriya – Devir publishers, Jerusalem –Berlin). Pages 425 - 426. 

I am grateful to my cousin Ruby for translating this horrific document. 

IAJGS 2013 - First Reflection

It's been more than a year since I've blogged here. No time like the present to start again.

I've always wanted to attend a Jewish genealogy conference but always used cost and logistics as rationales for staying home. No excuse this time - the International Association of Jewish Genealogy Societies annual conference is in Boston this year!

I've been an avid genealogist for almost fifteen years and have a long list of personal puzzles I've grappled with. I've even solved a few. I've occasionally even supported a project with time and funds. But it has been a more or less solitary affair.

After a few days at the conference, it is clear to me that I need to be a more active contributor to this community. The question I need to ask myself: how, given all of my other commitments. This is a great problem to have - there are too many ways I'd like to be involved!