What’s in a Name?

Amstibovsky – Amit - Amsterbovsky – Amster - Stambovsky

Based upon research done by Trudy Chityat

Once there was a man named Jakob Dov Lifshiz, who lived in the little town of Amstibeva. Because he lived there, he took the town’s name for his name and from then on he was know as Jakob Dov Amstibovsky. Jakob cut off his finger to get out of serving in the army. Some of his children kept the name of Amstibovsky and some kept the name of Lifsiz.

Jakob’s son Yoel Amstibovsky had six children. Some of the family came to Palestine. Yoel’s grandson Ben-Zion Amstibovsky changed the family name to Amit.

Zvi Herschel Amsterbovsky was a furrier in Antepolie. Meyer and Itka Amsterbofsky immigrated from Antepolie Grodno Belarus to America in 1921 together with their children, one of them was Sol Amster (Amsterbofsky). Meyer had two brothers, Peseach Amster (Amsterbovsky) and Gershon Shlomo Amsterbovsky who also emigrated to the US in the early 1900’s.
Abraham Leib Stambovsky was born in Antepolie, Grodno Gubernia in 1879 and emigrated to the United States in 1904.