The Rabinowitz Family of Makarov

Basheva Zalonowsky or possibly Zrunofsky was born in 1865-1870 in Makarov, in the Kiev gubernia. At some time in or before 1882, she married Schloime (Solomon) Rabinowitz, who may have been the son of Feige Rabinowitz and the brother of Sarah Rabinowitz who married Eli "Louis" Kedofsky. This in turn suggests a connection between the Rabinowitz family in Makarov and the Rabinowitz family in Chopovichi.

Basheva and Schloime had at least seven children that I know of:

• Ele born in or about 1882;
• Fredel born in or about 1885;
• Broche born 1893-1895;
• Mottel born 1894-1896;
• Naschama born in or about 1900;
• Josef born in or about 1904; and
• Itzchock born in or about 1908.

All the children were born in Makarov.

Ele and Fredel immigrated to the States in 1911, arriving in New York on February 9, 1911, on the SS Campanello departed from Rotterdam. Ele reported his occupation as "teacher." Fredel didn't report an occupation. They were joining their uncle, "Ele" Kedowski, at 79 Columbia Street in NYC. Their uncle had paid their passage. Their home contact was their father, Schloime Rabinowicz in Makarov.

Broche and Mottel immigrated two years later. They arrived in New York on September 24, 1913, on the SS Bremen departed from, appropriately, Bremen. Broche was a tailor, while Mottel was a clerk. They were joining their uncle, "Leib" Kodofsky, at "99" Columbia Street in NYC. Their uncle had paid their passage. Their home contact was their father, Schloime Rabinowicz in Makarov.

1915 found all four siblings living together in the Manhattan in the 6th Assembly District in Enumeration District 10. Ele had become "Elias." Fredel had become "Fannie" and dropped six years off her age. Broche had become "Bessie" and Mottel, "Max." When Max filed his Declaration of Intention to become a US citizen on May 11, 1916, he gave his address as 629 5th Street. If he meant 629 East 5th Street, then that would be consistent with AD 06, ED 10.

On June 5, 1917, Max registered for the draft. He gave his date of birth as August 27, 1894, and his place of birth as "Makaru." He was living at 372 East 8th Street, presumably with his siblings, and working as a pharmacist for Dr H Pachter at 89 Avenue C in NYC. He claimed an exemption from the draft on the ground of his parents - I wasn't able to make out the complete phrase. What's interesting about this is that in 1915, both of Max' parents were still in Russia. He may have been sending money home to help support them, but he had three other siblings to do the same.

I haven't been able to find a draft registration record for Elias. I also couldn't find any records for the siblings in the 1920 US Census. However, on May 19, 1920, Max petitioned for naturalization. (Max seems to have been the go-getter of the family.) He gave his date of birth as August 27, 1894, his place of birth as Makarov and his occupation as pharmacist. However, for his home address he supplied 79 Columbia Street, Louis and Sarah Kedofsky's home. His witnesses were Louis Kedofsky and Louis' son Joseph. His petition was granted on August 24, 1920.

Max Rabinowitz, 1921

US citizenship obtained, Max applied for a US passport on April 22, 1921. Again he gave 79 Columbia Street as his home address. His identity was vouched for by Charles Jacobowitz, a salesman at Louis Kedofsky & Sons, 79 Columbia Street. However, he asked for his papers to be sent to the drug store at 443 East Houston Street, presumably his place of employment. His reason for requesting a passport was to travel to Latvia "to join and aid family (Mother) (Sister) (Brothers)." There's no mention of his father, who was presumably deceased by this time. Note also the singular "Sister," as this will become of interest later on.

The passport was granted on July 26, 1921. Max wasted no time in using it. On December 12, 1921, he arrived in New York on the SS Kroonland, which had sailed from Antwerp via Southampton. With him were his mother Basheva ("Boszewa"), his brothers Josef and Itzhock, both students, and his sister Naschama, a dressmaker. Max also appeared to have acquired another sister, Sonia, a student a year younger than Josef. All five of the newcomers were described as residents of Kiev but born in Makarov.

By 1925, the entire household was living in 8th Assembly District of Manhattan. Basheva was listed as the head of the household, along with "Alex" (Elias), Max, Fannie, Bessie, "Anna" and "Isadon." "Anna," born in 1900, is presumably Naschama, while Isadon is clearly Itzchock. (Later documents refer to him as Isaac.)

The issue of the the New York Sun published February 20, 1925 reported that "about midnight, Max Rabinowitz's drug store at 443 East Houston street was held up by a lone gunman, who took $100 from the cash register and thirty-six cents from the pockets of Joseph Rabinowitz, brother of Max. After keeping silence for ten minutes in obedience to the robber's instructions, they notified the Clinton Street police station."

Both Josef and Sonia are missing from the larger family household by 1925. This might have something to do with the fact that on September 24, 1924, Joseph Rabinowiz, born 1904 in Kiev, to Solomon Rabinowitz and Basheva Zalonowsky, had married Sonia Twersky, born 1905 in Kiev to Isaac Twersky and Lea Galonteisky. I have to wonder if the Sonia who arrived in New York in 1921 with the rest of the Rabinowitz family was Joseph's fiancée rather than his sister.

I couldn't find Joseph and Sonia in the 1925 New York State Census records. However, they had a daughter named Sulamith born in or around May 1925 and a second daughter, Florence (per the 1930 US Census) or Phoebe (per the 1940 US Census) born in or around January 1928.

Both Fannie and Anna appear to have married between 1925 and 1930. Fannie may be the Fannie "Rubbinowitz" who married Max Haft in Manhattan on March 21, 1926. The bride was born in Russia, the daughter of Solomon Rubbinowitz and "Nasheva Zrunofsky," and claimed to be 29 years old. The groom was also born in Russia, the son of Aaron Haft and Chana Chobonsky, and claimed to be 39.

By 1930 Basheva and her children had moved from Manhattan to Brooklyn, to 821 48th Street. Elias was working as teacher at a private school, Max as a druggist, Bessie as an independent dressmaker and Isaac as a cosmetics retail merchant. Elias, Max and Bessie are all said to be naturalized citizens, while Basheva and Isaac are not.

Joseph, Sonia and their two young daughters were living at 960 Sherman Avenue in the Bronx. Joseph was working as a pharmacist, apparently undeterred by his drug store robbery experience in 1925. He was naturalized, Sonia wasn't.

Fannie and Max Haft were living at 340 Belmont Avenue in Newark. Max was a trucker who owned his own truck. He'd immigrated to the States in 1912 and had filed his Declaration of Intention to become a citizen, while Fannie was already naturalized.

At some point between 1935 and 1940, Basheva, Elias and Max moved to 313 Brightwater Court, still in Brooklyn and only a block away from Coney Island Beach. They were there during the 1940 US Census and in 1942 when Elias and Max registered for the draft. Elias was a Hebrew instructor at the Hebrew Institute of Flatbush - also known as the Yeshivah of Flatbush - at 1264 Coney Island Avenue. On his draft registration, he gave his date of birth as February 28, 1882, and his place of birth as "Marcarvo." Max was a pharmacist who owned a drugstore, not in Brooklyn but at 137 East 157th Street in the Bronx. He stuck to August 27, 1894, for his date of birth but gave the place as Kiev. Max listed Elias as his contact person, but Elias listed Basheva, so we know she was still alive in 1942.

The 1940 US Census reported highest level of education completed. Basheva completed eight years of school, which was surprisingly high for a woman of her age and background. Elias and Max had both completed four years of college.

Joseph, Sonia and their daughters also moved between 1935 and 1940, to 976 East 172nd Street, still in the Bronx. Again, Joseph gave his occupation as druggist. I couldn't find a WWII draft registration for him, so I don't know whether or not he was working at his brother's drugstore in the Bronx. Oddly enough, the 1940 US Census form left Joseph and Sonia's older daughter's name blank, where in the 1940 US Census it had been reported as Sulamith. Their younger daughter was recorded as Phoebe rather than as Florence as in 1930. Sulamith and Phoebe/Florence were still attending school as of March 1, 1940. Sulamith had completed two years of high school and her younger sister had completed Grade 6. Joseph had completed four years of college and Sonia, four years of high school.

I couldn't find Bessie Rabinowitz, Isaac Rabinowitz, Fannie Rabinowitz Haft or Max Haft in the 1940 US Census records, nor could I find WWII draft registration records for Isaac Rabinowitz and Max Haft.

There are a number of Rabinowitzes buried in the Montefiore Cemetery in Queens in Block 98, Section B, "Moses Park." Their names suggest that at least some of them may be "our" Makarov Rabinowitzes. However, with one exception this is largely conjecture. The exception is Max Rabinowitz, whose date of birth is stated consistently in his American records as August 27, 1894. The burial records are as follows:

• Row 9
  • Grave 32 - Max Rabinowitz deceased 1979-11-25 at the age of 84, hence born in or about 1895. The US Social Security Death Index (US-SSDI) records a Max Rabinowitz born 1894-08-27 as dying in Brooklyn in November 1979.
  • Grave 33 - Basheva Rabinowitz deceased 1951-02-23 at the age of 84, hence born in or about 1867.
  • Grave 34 - Elias Rabinowitz deceased 1952-04-22 at the age of 68, hence born in or about 1884. (Remember that "our" Elias reported his birthdate as 1882-02-28 on his WWII draft registration.)
• Row 8
  • Grave 30 - Joseph Rabinowitz deceased 1978-06-04 at the age of 78, hence born in or about 1900. The US-SSDI records a Joseph Rabinowitz born 1904-01-01 as dying in Brooklyn in June 1978.
  • Grave 31 - Sonia Rabinowitz deceased 1988-05-15 at the age of 91, hence born in or about 1897.
• Row 2
  • Grave 37 - Bessie Rabinowitz deceased 1987-01-12 at the age of 93, hence born in or about 1894. The US-SSDI records a Bessie Rabinowitz born 1897-05-15 as dying in Brooklyn in January 1987. If this is "our" Bessie, she apparently never married.
• Row 1
  • Grave 37 - Isaac Rabinowitz deceased 1984-06-18 at the age of 77, hence born in or about 1907. The US-SSDI records an Isaac Rabinowitz born 1908-05-28 as dying in Brooklyn in June 1984.

There are also two other Rabinowitzes buried in Section B of Block 98. In fact, they're buried in Row 9 right next to Max, Basheva and Elias. Bart Rabinowitz in Grave 30 died on 1952-01-03, while Max Rabinowitz in Grave 31 died on 1958-03-20. Neither has an age supplied in their burial records. This might (or might not) suggest that at the time they were buried, there was no one available who knew how old they were. Despite the suggestive location, I haven't been able to find an connection to the Rabinowitzes of Makarov.