The Babusky & Weingranovitz (Weiner) Families
by
H.M. Ballen

These family members emigrated from Cherkassy:

Isadore (Itzak) Babusky and his parents Avrum & Ruchel Babusky immigrated to the U.S. in 1912. They changed the family name to Bell and lived in Philadelphia, Pensylvania. Other members of the family settled in Wilmington, Delaware.

 Sophie (Shifra) Weingranovitz and her parents Nathan (Nutte) & Elke Weingranovitz immigrated to  the U.S. in 1914. They changed the family name to Weiner and lived in Philadelphia, Prennsylvania. Other members of the family settled in NYC, NY.

 

 

The Belogalov & Kutzko Family
by
Dora Resnik

My ancestors lived in Zvenigorodka, Ukraine, Cherkassy Oblast. The only relative living in that city in 1941, when the Nazis arrived, was my mother's brother Yaacov Aaron Belogalov,  with his wife, children and grandchildren. I searched everywhere and can find no trace of them, so I assume that they were rounded up by the local Ukrainians, taken to the forest, shot with one bullet each and thrown into the pits. I was hoping that maybe my male cousins or their children survived in the army.
 
My mother also had a sister Toba Leya Belogalov, who married a hatmaker, (family name Machler). They were sent to Birobdjhan during the early 1930's with their two young sons, aged eleven and fifteen (I'm guessing). No trace of them either.
 
At the turn of the nineteenth century, my mother's two cousins, family name Kutzko, immigrated to Argentina, or were sent their by the Baron de Hirsch organization. They and their families visited New York years later.  We corresponded with them for a while and then they disappeared.

 

 

 

The Isaac Cohen, Lomawatsky & Bogasausky, Uswath Families
by
Deatra Cohen

My paternal great grandfather was supposedly from Cherkassy.  He was Isaac Cohen and came to the US through Canada (Regina) around 1920.

According to some of the handwritten documents, a cousin's "Family Tree" and another cousin's handwritten documents, it was my great grandmother who was from "Cherkas".  Her name was Bessie Lomawatsky and she married Isaak Cohen.  Her parents were Mayer Lomawatsky and Mina Bogasausky.  Bessie and Isaak emigrated to Canada and eventually found their way to Philadelphia, PA.  Isaak Cohen's parents were Israel J. Cohen and Tisha Uswath. 

 

 

 

The Cohen/Kitigorosky Family
by
Yona Magal

I feel that my roots are from Cherkassy. My father Yehuda (born Chekassy @1907-died Israel@1887) was (the son of Shmuel-Yona Cohen [died 1917], a Hebrew teacher). He, a few of his siblings and a few of his cousins were born in Cherkassy. He and his wife Chia (nee Kitgorosky) lived in Cherkassy. He was a Hebrew teacher. The family was very Zionistic. He studied in a Volozin Yeshiva when he was young; but was also a very enlightened person.

Myfahter's grandfather was Hanoch Cohen. He was born in Cherson; but lived in Cherkassy.

The family left Cherkassy when he was a young boy. The entire family, including the Kitgorosky brothers, seems to have gone from place to place together. They went to Galicia (Tarnipol, Lvov). They were there during WW1; but were exiled to Hungary for they had come from an alien country. After the War they returned sick to Lvov. Yehuda came on Aliya to Israel in 1922. The Kitgorosky brothers taught in a Yeshiva in Drobi.

My father's cousin Joseph Katai, who wrote for the Zofeh (Israeli newspaper) told us some stories about the family background and their life in Cherkassy.

 

 

 

The Dubovick Family
by
Yitzchok Dubovick

My paternal great grandfather Tzvi Hirsch Dubovick lived in Cherkassy where he was in the lumber business, leasing forests from the "poretz", cutting down the trees and sending them down the river where they were sawed into lumber and used for furniture or building. Thus the family name Dubovick,  which comes from the Russian word for Oak Trees DUB. He later moved to Bohuslav and his son my grandfather moved to Goroditsch where my father and his siblings were born and lived till they immigrated to the USA in the early 1900s

There was a Chassidic Rebbe  of the Twersky Dynasty that lived there, one of the eight sons of  Rebbe Mordechai of Chernobyl  who  was the son-in-law of the second Lubavitcher Rebbe. A monument was erected over his grave through the efforts of Rabbi Meir Yisroel Gabai, who is engaged in the identification and perpetuation of the memory of  Tzadikim in various parts of both Western and Eastern Europe. Today Cherkassy has become a pilgrimage destination for many tourists who come to Ukraine to visit the burial sites of the righteous and celebrated Jewish leaders throughout the history of this region.

 

 

 

The Duchen Family

"Oral History"

by

 Hortense Kessler Herman

This information was submitted by Sarah Smith.))

(January 16, 1991)

Our paternal great-grandfather, Jochanan Duchen (whom our Uncle Ed was named after) floated down the Dneiper River from its source in Cherkasy, which was the county seat, some 60-80 miles from Kiev on a homemade raft, alone, at the age of 12-13.

He was "taken–in" by a wealthy Jewish  man named Herschel, whose father was a Warrnehov. He admired Jochanan's ability  from studying at the Yeshiva.

Warrenhov had a young daughter named Chasse (whom Hortense is named after). When Jochanan turned 15, he was required to join the Czar's army since he was single. So, Warenhov had him marry his 12- year- old daughter, Chassa. However, they didn’t consummate the marriage until Chasse was 15 and Jochanan was 18. Chasse bore three daughters  (Risel, Yanta, and Sarah), then our grandfather Heshel (Harry) and then another daughter, Rivka.

We are most likely related, as well, to Eddie and Peter Duchin (famous pianists) and Kitty (her husband ran for U.S. President.) They lived in the Boston area, were originally from a small town near Kiev, and were exremely musical as are many  members of our father's family  such as Frank (Duchan) Wolf, our first cousin, who was a composer in Hollywood. Their father’s grandfathers probably were first cousins or brothers of Jochanan Duchen from nearby Kiev or Cherkassy. Jochanan died young and Chasse soon after (when Rivka was 14) of breast cancer in Russia. She also had helped raise another relative and "fosters daughter" named Babell Warenhov, who immigrated to Boston and knew about the Duchen's/Duchin's (& Dickson's). Mr. Warenhaus would be our (as well as Kathies's).great- great-grandfather.

Rissel  told her children (our cousins) the story of how her parents would not allow little Harry (our grandfather) to walk alone to school in Russia. They bought Rissel a fine pair of Russian boots to walk with Harry, and she would listen to the lessons at the boy's school and that is how she became educated.

All of the sisters immigrated with their young families in the early 1900's to the United States after their parents died. Our grandparents arrived in St. Louis in 1905 with Rose (age 5) and Sarah (an infant). They are listed on the "manifest" at Ellis Island (February 1905) as Duchin: Gersch (age 26), Fiege (age 25, Rissel (age 4) and Sore (9 months).The young family had traveled from Russia to Glasgow, Scotland and then set sail from Glasgow on "The Ethiopia" in steerage to  New York. Aunt Rose, age 5, recalled how it was a damp, grey and rainy day when they arrived in the harbor and she saw the Statue of Libery through the mist. Upon arrival, "a man handed me a banana on the dock and I didn't know what it was or how to peel and eat it!". The family journeyed by train, joining Grandma Duchens sister's family in St. Louis, who helped sponsor their immigration to the United States. Grandpa Harry Duchen had also worked in Western Europe for some time to earn money for the trip, and learned several languages. As the oldest Jewish boy in his family, he was required to join the Russian Czar'a army for 60 years, which reinforced their desire to flee from Russia to America.

Our grandmother Fagala (Fannie) Duchin had come from a fairly well-to-do Russian Jewish family (family name-Shamishaw). Unlike most of the young women of her time, she had been taught  to read and pray in Hebrew. She married our grandfather, Heshel (Harry), who she had met at a drinking well, and fell in love with, in her Russian village, and who was most devoutly religious. Although our grandpa learned English, Grandma never learned the language, staying at home to raise six children, including their baby Charles Duchen, who she bore at home at age 42, weighing 13 pounds. Although quite upset at being pregnant, he became the light of her life, as well as the rest of the family, and went on to be their first college graduate.

Rivka, Harry's youngest sister, and her husband moved to (San Antonio) Texas with her children, due to her asthma. Rissel and her husband owned a candy store. She was very short, proper, "queenlike", and independent. She gave Grandpa Charlie extra ice-cream sodas. Yanta and her family were extremely fun-loving and jovial. Sarah married an "academic", who apparently was a Communist. All three sisters resided in St. Louis, as did Harry and Fanny (our grandmother). Grandpa Charlie loved staying at Yanta's house, because it was the most fun and lively.

We would be interested in receiving information about the Shamishaw family.

 

The Dworecki & Chodesh Families
by
Daniel Geselowitz

In my family tree, there are only two main families that I know of who came from the town or district of Cherkasy.

 My great-grandfather and my grandfather and his siblings appear with the surname of DWORECKI on their immigration manifest, and they apparently came from the town of Smila in the Cherkasy district. For some reason, the family changed their surname to PADEROVSKY after arrival in New York, and then used a variety of other surnames in the US.  The reasons for this are not entirely clear. However, I believe that DWORECKI was the true surname in Russia. DWORECKI, was the name listed on the ship manifest.

     The other family in my tree is the CHODOSH family. They apparently came from Cherkasy, and they generally spelled their name CODISH in the US.

(L>R)Eli DWORECKI (Alex PADEROVSKY) b. 1882

Avram DWORECKI (Pa ADOLPHE) b. 1874

Leie DWORECKI (Elizabeth PADEROVSKY) b. 1888

David DWORECKI (David PADEROVSKY) b. 1886

Nachum DWORECKI (Nathan PADEROVSKY)
b. abt 1855

Ruben DWORECKI (Ruben PADEROVSKY) b. 1892

Marjam DWORECKI (Marie or Merle PADEROVSKY,
nee CHIGIRINSKY or BIRCHINSKY (?)) b. 1855

Yetta DWORECKI, immigrated
married as Yetta CHODOSCH (in USA)
b. abt 1873

 

 

 

The Gimpilewitz Family
by
Jean

My husband's maternal grandfather was Israel Gimpilewitz (Americanized to Ed Gimble).  He came in the early 1900's and homesteaded near Velva, ND.   His wife Marione (Mary) and children, Hansel (Howard), Jonse (John), Dobrie (Doris), Rochil (Rose), Aisih (Ivan) came in 1907 on the SS Majestic White Star Line to join him.  According to the ship manifest their place of residence was Zercaty, Russia.  (Howard Margol & others are convinced that is Cherkassy.)  The parentheses are the Americanized names. 

Last fall I went to Salt Lake City and with assistance found the birth record of my mother-in-law, Rose Gimble Marck, in the records for Cherkassy.   Very exciting!

Here is the Birth Certificate:

 

 

 

The Golding/Goldin Family
by
Esther Rechtschafner

My Mother’s Great-great Grandparents were Yehuda Reyentowitz and Necha Tsirilstein. Their oldest son Monash Reyentowitz  (@1825-1914) married Rachel.               

They had a daughter Necha Reyentowitz who was married to Philip Golding. He was a struggling magid (teacher of Jewish subjects), a teacher and lecturer and a very religious man. He was a very strict person and pretty harsh to the children. Yiddish was the family language. The family lived in Cherkassy. It is quite possible that the family also lived previously in Cherkassy, Ukraine.

Necha Reyentowitz died in about 1890, when my Grandmother was about 8 years old. When I asked her about her Mother, she told me about a Passover, which they wanted to celebrate in the traditional way; but were forced to do otherwise.  They all had to stay in their house and be sure to be under the window level. The windows and/ or shutters (or whatever they had, had to be closed). I asked her if she couldn’t run outside to tell something to a girlfriend. She looked at me, as if to say that it was obvious that I could not understand, and said that it seemed impossible for her to cause me to understand what had happened. I asked what about their Sedarim. She said that what was important was to stay alive, that they lived through their own “Exodus from Egypt”. Therefore I think that this was evidently a pogrom, and was when her Mother was killed.

Her Father remarried to a woman whose name was Etta. Etta had 2 daughters, who were about the age of my Grandmother. The children were all brought up together and related to each other as siblings. My contact and feelings towards Lena's Grandchildren are the same as to all of my other cousins. I was probably a teenager when I understood that not all of my relatives were actually blood-relatves.

The family immigrated to Manchester, England in about 1895. They brought their samovar, candlesticks, wine cups, and bedding with them from Cherkassy.

Necha and Philip Golding had 3 children:

Julius- Jewish name- Judah (1878-1932). He married Annie Shimm in 1902. She was his mother's cousin. He came with the family to England, in about 1895. He stayed there for a short time- about a few years. Then he went to the USA at about the turn of the century. He married Annie Shimm in New York in 1902. He worked as a furrier. They lived in Far Rockaway, New York. They had 4 children.

Sarah (1886-@1960) She came to England when she was about 15 years old. Therefore she did not have much or any schooling in England. She went to work. She did learn to speak English, but never actually learned to read or write English.  She married Rubin Goldstone. They had a corner grocery store, in Manchester. They had 4 children.

Edith- Jewish name- Hinda (1882-1956) She was my Grandmother! 

She went to school for a while in Manchester. She knew how to read and write in English; however I was always under the impression that this was not too easy for her. She felt more comfortable in Yiddish and spoke in Yiddish to my Grandfather. She succeeded in teaching me a little bit of  Yiddish. She married Zacharia Marcus at about the beginning of the twentieth century. They lived on Sycamore Street, in Manchester. They had 4 children:

Etta had 2 daughters from her previous marriage:

Janie: 1881-@1948) She was born in Cherkassy. She married Mr. Shorr and lived in England; but came to the USA together with her sister Lena. She was very sickly. Her husband evidently died in England. They did not have any children. She died about 1948. She was a very good friend of Annie Wintrob.

Lena (1891-1954): She was born in Cherkassy. She married Harry Sagar in England. He immigrated to the USA, where he apparently had family. He died in 1918 and was buried in Philadelphia.  The family was very poor. Harry eventually left the family; for it was very hard to live with Lena. The family immigrated to the USA. They had 3 children

Etta and Philip Golding had 3 children:

Abey- (1893-1965) He was born in Cherkassy.  Abe married Ginny Gustav. They had 2 children.

Louis- (1895- 1958) He was already born in Manchester, England. He was a British writer, very famous in his time especially for his novels, though he is now largely neglected. He also wrote short stories, essays, fantasies, travel books and poetry. He showed talent in writing from when he was a young boy.He did not get along well with his Father.  He was a good friend of Maurice Samuel. His novel Magnolia Street was a bestseller of 1932. He traveled the world. He was invited to many important places. He was once invited by the Queen. He married his childhood friend, Annie Wintrobe.

Jack- (1899-1918) He was also born in Manchester, England.  Jack Golding was an English soldier and was killed in battle. The British Jewry Book of Honour confirms his service number and date of death as well stating that he was in the 1^st and 7^th Battalions of the Manchester Regiment. His home address is listed as being 19 Sycamore Street. Apparently this was the address of his sister and brother- in-law: Edith (My Grandmother) and Zacharia Marcus.   He died at Flanders on April 5, 1918. He is buried at Gommecourt Wood New Cemetery Foncquevillers. His death was also listed as a Jewish casuality.

The family name was originally Goldin, but was changed by custom officials upon arrival in England.

My grandmother reminisced   about  Anti-Semitism, Chassidim  and sunflower seeds in Cherkassy.

 

 

 

Florence Elman

Family Photographs

Chergassy

 

Gotlibovich photos

courtesy of

Florence Nerenburg Elman

 

 

 

 

 

 

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