The GARFINKEL Philadelphia connection

June 29, 2016: I’ve discovered Sophie GARFINKEL’s parents names and graves!  I started searching for this information in 1993 after I retired.  My original goal was finding Harry SHANKMAN’s original name (Hershal KRASNITZSKY).  Then I added the goal of finding Vera and Millicent SHANKMAN’s mother, Rosabel GOLDEN’s, grand parents . . . . and found them: Elijah GARFINKEL and his wife Mollie nee RUBINSTEIN.  Elijah and Mollie are my GG Grandparents.   It’s been a long convoluted journey and I couldn’t have ‘connected the dots’ without the help of our cousin Leslie (4C1R) who’s great grandmother Taube ’Toby’ FREEZMAN (who married Moishe Shimon GARFINKEL (Moses Simon) and was from Philadelphia.  Leslie and I have been corresponding since 2005 trying to resolve our family connection.  We have succeeded and have documented our GARFINKEL ancestors to 1790 . . . . with more discoveries possible as archives are made available.  We know our 1790 GARFINKEL’s that settled in Lyublin were part of a colonist movement that began in the Kiev area about 1830.

UPDATE November 2017:  Ely A. GARFINKEL is Ikhel Avrum, as listed in the 1854 Bessarabia Revision (Census) List.  He was living in the town of Lyubin,  as Simon’s son Yechiel = Ikhel for sure.  So we have finally confirmed for sure how we are related.  Moses Shimon was Eli’s first cousin since their fathers (Geinikh and Simon were brothers living in the same household in Lyublin  (Town),  county of Soroki (Uyzed) in the Province of Bessarabia (Today’s Moldova and the city is now called Nimereuca), in the Russian Empire (Pale of Settlement).

UPDATE July 2018: Leslie and I have discovered our GURFINKEL’s to the 1835 Revision List (Bessarabia Census) which documents this branch to 1750.

Leslie and I took from 2005 to 2017 to prove our family connection.
Our great GGG Grandfather’s were brothers.  Ely and Moses headstones reference different paternal names (bar Geinikh = Enoch in Leslie’s case. and bar Yakov = Jacob in Ron’s.).  Their father, our GGGG Grandfather was Moshko GURFINKEL (ca1790 – abt1854) who was married to Enta SOROKOVA (1791 – XXXX).  For our younger descendants Moshko will be their GGGGGG Grandfather.  WOW!

 

Recall that Vera and Millicent SHANKMAN’s grandmother was Sophie GARFINKEL – also called ’Toby’ according to Vera & Millicent – who was married to Charles GOLDENBERG in 1893 and lived at 319 Catherine St., Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, where Leslie’s relative Frank GARFINKEL lived.  Vera & Millicent told me that their family lore had Sophie’s parents names as Eli or Earl, and her mother’s name was Millicent who ‘our’ Millicent was named after.   So the family lore is based in fact:  Sophie probably was named for Taube (Toby) GARFINKEL nee FREEZMAN.  ‘Our’ Millicent was named after Matilda who probably was called Millicent, although no documents have yet to be found confirming this.  Documents exist with the names Henry, Eli, Elijah and Matilda, Mollie.

There are other Philadelphia GARFINKEL relatives and the research on our branches continues.

This is how the story unfolds

Sophie/Charles’ 1893 marriage certificate listed Sophie’s father as Henry.

The 1910 census lists Eli and Matilda with daughters Reba . . . and Nettie (Largeman) with her children Elizabeth and Catherine.  Eli was a skirt presser in a factory.

The Probate papers of Mollie RUBEINSTEIN nee GARFINKEL list the LARGEMENs and ‘our’ Sophie GOLDENBERG . . . and show Mollie died a widow on October 20, 1915.  NOTE:  The probate date above the death date is October 20; I think they might have entered the incorrect death date because I received her death certificate and . . . .

Mollie’s death certificate shows death of June 24, 1915, with Har Nebo, Philadelphia, PA burial.  Mollie’s age is show as 53 which I think was written incorrectly since the 1910 census lists Matilda as age 58 . . . and that would make her 63 in 1915; a ‘typo’ type error?  She is shown as widow.   . . . the online Philadelphia death index shows Mollie’s death as June 20th with the file #62046 and that certificate shows June 24th; I’m assuming another data entry error.

So that would mean Henry / Eli / Ely A. died after the 1910 census but before 1915.

Leslie provided previous researched Har Nebo Cemetery information:

Mollie RUBENSTEIN nee GARFINKEL
Burial:  6/27/15 Grave 2, Lot 2230 Stomach Cancer Funeral Director:  Rosen

Elijah GARFINKEL
Date of death:  9/21/11 Date of Burial:  9/25/11 Grave 1, Lot 2229
Misc obit info on the fax sheet:  “Several variations” on spelling for first name of deceased. Cemetery records Lot book shows Eshaie.  The headstone shows Ely A. (Hebrew name Yechiel Avraham) and his age is shown as 65 years.

STONE Inscription: Ely A. Garfinkel

Here lies My dear husband Yechiel Avraham son of Yakov Shimon died 27 Elul 5670
“May his soul be be bound up in the bond of everlasting life”

Below is Elijah’s death certificate.  If you look closely you’ll discover that there is absolutely no data that could make the connection that it’s Elijah . . . our relative. (My great great grandfather). Not only is his given name illegible (I’m guessing it’s possibly his Hebrew name), but his surname is misspelled and his age is wrong – at least according to the 1910 census that lists his age as 60.  The informant is the undertaker.   So . . . how do we know it’s ‘our’ Elijah, Eli, Ely, Henry?  Note the residence address:  442 Emily St.  That’s the 1910 census address for Eli and Matilda.  After Eli died, Matilda (Mollie) moved as evidenced by her death certificate’s last residence address.

The story was not complete until as the genealogy journey continues as we continued seeking documents connecting our Garfinkel’s to Leslie via Taube FREEZMAN nee GARFINKEL.

The theory was that my great grand mother Sophie GOLDENBERG nee GARFINKEL and family were cousins related to Fred, Frank and Jacob GARFINKEL. Frank was a watchmaker and jeweler who worked for his brother Abraham’s jewelry store. All are related to Moses Melech Garfinkel. My goal was finding the family connection between Henry/Elijah/Eli & Jacob GARFINKEL who both lived at 319 Catherine Street in 1893 and 1894.  The 1900 Philadelphia census revealed that a different family lived at 319 Catherine Street.

Primarily using records in JewishGen.org, we – mostly Leslie, our cousin – have been able to trace our Garfinkel family back to about the 1790’s and Leslie’s great, great, great grandparents Moshko Garfinkel and Enta Sorokova Garfinkel.  If you browse the JewishGen Romania/Moldova (Bessarabia) database and put in the surname “Gurfinkel,” you can see a good number of family groups from various towns in Bessarabia.  Some GARFINKEL family documents list Romania and Bessarabia (present day Moldava) at one time was part of the Kingdom of Romania, probably leading to possible confusion.  We can’t say whether all the GURFINKEL’S in these extracts are loosely related.  However, we know that our branches of the family originate from the towns of Lyublin and Ataki in the district of Soroki.

Leslie’s family had a produce store at 1704 & 1706 Ridge Avenue.  I suspect that Ridge Avenue was a market area at that time.  Our GARFINKEL relatives are buried in the Her Nebo Cemetery.

Philadelphia City Directories

The Philadelphia City Directory, below, shows in 1894 that a Jacob GARFINKEL lived at 319 Catherine Street which is the address where Sophia lived. Jacob Garfinkel who lived at 319 Catherine Street, as well. The other GARFINKEL family cousin, Abraham, had a jewelry business one block up on Catherine Street, and Frank is also listed as a jeweler.

Henry/Elijah/Eli is my maternal great-great-grandfather. My great-grandmother, Sophia GOLDENBERG BERESIN nee GARFINKEL lived at 319 Catherine Street, Philadelphia, as indicated on her 1893 marriage license. In the 1894 Philadelphia City Directory there is a Jacob Garfinkel who lived at 319 Catherine Street. A relative, Abraham, had a jewelry business one block up on Catherine Street, and his brother Frank is also listed as a jeweler in the Philadelphia City Directory. Frank’s father was Moses Melech Garfinkel (1842-1918).  As with many immigrant families, they lived and worked in the same neighborhood.

Frank’s brother was Abraham Garfinkel. We know this because Abraham is buried a few feet from Frank and his headstone says his father’s name was also Moses Melech. We also know for sure that Abraham was a cousin, because an 80 year old cousin Sonya Garfinkel knew Abraham’s wife Annie Garfinkel.Frank’s brother was Abraham Garfinkel. We know this because Abraham is buried a few feet from Frank and his headstone says his father’s name was also Moses Melech. We also know for sure that Abraham was a cousin, because Leslie’s 80 year old cousin Sonya Garfinkel knew Abraham’s wife Annie Garfinkel.

Since Jacob lived at 319 Catherine Street and Henry/Elijah/Eli Garfinkle lived there as well, then Jacob and Henry/Elijah/Eli were either brothers (Samuel (Jacob) Garfinkel 1850-1920), or was Henry’s father (Jacob Simon aka Yakov Shimon). Abraham and Frank were related to Jacob and thus Henry must also be related. Now, all that was needed was documentation.

My grandmother Rosabel GOLDEN (GOLDENBERG)’s parents were Charles GOLDENBERG (Born 1863 Bessarabia, Russia, immigrated circa 1882 (est. age 19), and Sophia “Toby” nee GARFINKLE (GARFIELD on one document) who was born July 1877. The 1900 Philadelphia census listed Charles as a Dealer in Dry Goods. The 1920 Chicago Census listed him as a clothing salesman; he was living with his son Herman. Charles’ parents were both born in Bessarabia, Russia. Rosabel died shortly after giving birth to my Aunt Millicent SHANKMAN in 1926.

NOTE: In the chart’s below, Henry is also listed in documents as Elijah and Eli.

 

DOCUMENTATION SOURCES

There was a Fred Garfinkel living in Philadelphia turn of the century. Passenger record show that Fred, who was already a US resident was traveling back into the country with a Louis Garfinkel in 1900. There was definitely a Louis Garfinkle in another related family and the records show he immigrated in 1900 and was the same age and marital status as the Louis traveling with Fred. It is therefore concluded that Sophia GARFINKEL and her father are related to Fred. Based on records kept by the Philadelphia Jewish Exponent (a Jewish Newspaper still publishing today), a Fred Garfinkel paid for passage to the U.S. for a Rissel Goldenberg in 1892. That would indicate a connection between both of Garfinkel families. One Garfinkel family spent some time in Bessarabia. Sophia Garfinkel and the other GARFINKEL family great grandfather Moses Garfinkel were related. Not much is know about Moses or there any known photos. He died in 1898 in his forties. He and Tobie had a candy store in Philadelphia.

Rosenbaum Bank Records

Rosenbaum was a bank where jewish immigrants saved money in order to buy passage to the U.S. for relatives and friends. You will see that in 1908, someone purchased tickets for a Henry and Millie Garfinkel. Perhaps they had traveled back to Russia and were coming back to the U.S. We’ll never know.  Below are records of the tickets purchased for Henry & Millie GARFINKEL to return from Europe in 1908.   It also shows that Fred Garfinkel paid for passage to the U.S. for a Rissel Goldenberg in 1892.  UPDATE: Research of Henry and Millie GARFINKLE who were ticketed in 1908 has revealed that they are not Sophie GARFINKEL’s parents.  The information will remain as a cautionary tale of how potentially relevant information turns out to be totally unconnected and ‘wrong’.  So the mystery continues.  What happened to Sophie’s parents?  Where did they go?  Where are they buried?

Rosenbaum Bank Records: GARFINKEL

 

Millie’s ship ticket details from the Rosenbaum Bank ledger book for 1908.

I have not been able to trace a source birth document for my great grandmother, Sophia GARFINKEL (GARFIELD).  According to family lore, she was born in Philadelphia, PA in the year 1878, living at 212 King Street, . . . . while on the 1900 census it shows born July 1877.  But . . . Sophia was born in Russia according to her marriage license and 1900 census.

There are headstones from Har Nebo cemetery in Philadelphia. This for Frank Garfinkel. His Hebrew name was Ephraim. Freink was probably a diminuative or less formal version of Ephraim. You can also see on a passport document that Freink is referred to by the witness as Frank. The headstone says that Frank’s father was Moses Melech Garfinkel.

Frank had a brother named Abraham Garfinkel. I know this because Abraham is buried a few feet from Frank and his headstone says his father’s name was also Moses Melech. I also know for sure that Abraham was a cousin, because an 80 year old cousin Sonya Garfinkel knew Abraham’s wife Annie Garfinkel.

Freink (Frank) Garfinkel. (He was the one who was related to Jacob living at the same address as my great grandmother Sophia.) There are two passport applications for him on ancestry.com. Both say he comes from Ataki, Bessarabia (now Otaci, Moldavia). Ataki is on one side the Dneister River in the very North of what was Bessarabia, just across from the Ukraine.

The Garfinkle clan was from Ataki or nearby. It would explain how great grandfather Moses Garfinkel met his wife Taube Freezman Garfinkel. The Freezmans were from Southern Ukraine, not too far from Besserabia.

Frank’s wife was Sophia, so it is not likely that Sophie Goldenberg would have had the same name as her mother.

It was more likely that Henry and Frank were brother’s or cousins. At Har Nebo there are a lot of Garfinkel’s buried with readable headstones. Based on the information discovered, clusters of family groups exist. The first family group contains Frank, Abraham and their father Moses Melech who came over as well as was buried in the same cemetery. There are also many Garfinkel’s found in the Philadelphia City Directory. You will see there was a Jacob Garfinkel who lived at 319 Catherine Street, as well. Abraham had a jewelry business one block up on Catherine Street, and Frank is also listed as a jeweler.

Sophie Garfinkel (Garfield) 1893 Philadelphia Marriage License data

1. Charles resident of Troy, AL. 2. His age listed 27 with DOB c1866. If Oct 1863, from 1900 census, is correct he was really about 30 when he married. 3. Both show place of birth Russia 3. Sophie age 19 with DOB c1874. If July 1877, from 1900 census, and c1878 from 1920 census are correct she was really about 16/17 when she married. Census 1900 Philadelphia

1. Sophie age 22, with July 1877 on form

2. Charles age 36 with Oct 1863 on form

3. Both show place of birth: Russia 4. Sophie:

4 children, 2 living. With child Samuel listed born 1894, and another 1897. This would indicate she lost 2 children (twins?) before marriage.

5. Immigration: 1882

Census 1920 Chicago

1. Sophie age 42 DOB circa 1878

2. Place of birth Pennsylvania.

Ship Manifest

The most significant issue I have with this manifest is that the country of origin is noted as Germany, not Russia. But, perhaps this reflected the family arriving in Liverpool, England from Germany. This would have been a common route to America.

1. American Line ship British Queen arrived Philadelphia, via Liverpool June 6, 1882.

2. Garfinkel passengers: “I” (Probably for Ikhel) Husband age 32 DOB c1850; Malke (Millie / Matilda). Wife age 28 DOB ca1854; Chaje (Charles) age 9 DOB ca1873; Tante (Rose) age 6 DOB ca1876 Tonbe (Toby) (Female) age 4 DOB ca1878 THIS SHOULD BE Sophie

Sophie’s Marriage Paperwork 1893

Sophie “Toby” GARFINKLE or GARFIELD (born July 1877 Pennsylvania) nee GARFINKLE or GARFIELD married Charles GOLDENBERG (Born 1863 Bessarabia, Russia, immigrated circa 1882 (est. age 5).  Sophia’s marriage paperwork verify her living at 319 Catherine Street, and her father’s name: Henry. Sophia and Charles had four children, including Rosabel GOLDEN (not known when she changed her name from GOLDENBERG) who  married Harry SHANKMAN in Chicago 1920; Rosabel was born June 1900, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

The 1900 Philadelphia City Census

The 1900 Philadelphia census listed Charles as a Dealer in Dry Goods. The 1920 Chicago Census listed him as a clothing salesman; he was living with his son Herman. Charles’ parents were both born in Bessarabia, Russia.

Sophia and Charles first two children were Samuel Jacob GOLDENBERG, born Dec 1894, in Birmingham, Alabama, and Herman GOLDENBERG, born July 1897, born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

Sam GOLDEN WWI Draft Registration

Samuel’s World War I 1917 draft registration lists his last name as GOLDENBERG, while the 1920 census lists GOLDEN. Rosabel’s sister, Florence GOLDEN, was born in Chicago July, 1902. Florence married Herman JACOBSON in 1924; he is listed on the 1930 census as an auto parts proprietor. They lived in Chicago.

FAMILY LORE

According to family lore, Charles GOLDENBERG went to Philadephia to marry Sophia. Charles was wealthy and owned some dry good stores. Charles gave his brother Jake a store in Birmingham, Alabama to run, but Jake was a gambler and lost not only the store, but put Charlie into bankruptcy. Sophia divorced him – sometime prior to 1920 – and marrried Ben BERESIN, who, as noted on the 1920 Chicago census, owned a tailor shop. Ben had a son, Samuel, and daughter, Estelle, from a previous marriage; both were born in Chicago.
 Read the facts (Links to Goldenberg – Garfinkel Family Page)

HAR NEBO CEMETERY HEADSTONE DATA

Garfinkle Headstone Info Har Nebo Cemetery 6061 Oxford Ave Philadelphia, PA.

Cemetery Contact: Richard Levy.

FAMILY GROUP #1 Moses M. Garfinkel (Moses Melech) Died: July 25, 1918 Buried: 7/28/18 Age: 76 years (born 1842) Cause of death: diabetes Son of Isaac Samuel Section B, lot 31, grave 2 Funeral Director: Rosen Wife: Etta Garfinkel (Yetta) Died: October 20, 1915 Burial: 10/22/15 Age 70 years Daughter of SLMH? Section B, Lot 31, grave 1 Cause of death; cancer Funeral director: Rosen Notes: Same headstones as Abraham and Louis Garfinkel Abraham Garfinkel Died: July 11, 1920 Buried; 7/14/29 Cause of death: myocarditis Age: 60 years Abraham son of Moses Melech In memory of my beloved husband Abraham Garfinkel Section B, lot 30, grave 2 Annie Grossman Garfinkel (Section H, lot 214, grave 4) Wife of Abraham Garfinkel Burial Date: 7/22/51 Age 76 years Cause of death; uremia Funeral Driector; Levine Did not look for headstone. Morris Grossman arranged for burial Frank M. Garfinkel (Ephraim) Died: April 13, 1933 Burial: 4/16/33 Age: 69 years Cause of death: carcinoma Our precious father Ephraim son of Moses Melech Garfinkel Section B, lot 81, grave 4 Funeral Director; Levine Wife: Sophia Garfinkel Died: June 10, 1941 Burial: 6/12/41 Cause of death; cardiac failure Age: 67 years Daughter of Israel

Section B, lot 81, grave 3 Funeral Director; Levine Overturned Stone Probably Sol (Solomon Garfinkel) Son of Frank and Sophia Garfinkel Stone to left of Sophia Garfinkel Died; 7/3/68

Buried: 7/5/68 Section B, lot 81, grave 2 Payee: Mrs. Shade Also think I saw a double stone for an Isaac and Sallie Garfinkel who according to the 1900 census are also children of Moses Melech Garfinkle who may have married. _____________________________________________________________________

FAMILY GROUP #2 Samuel (Jacob) Garfinkel 1844-1920 (Age 76) Burial: 6/9/20 Son of Yakov Samuel Case of death: nephritis Lot 2238, grave 2 Funeral director (Rosen) Wife: Adel Garfinkel (Ida) 1853-1927 (Age 74) Burial: 8/17/23 Wife or daughter of XXXX Garfinkel Lot 2238, grave 1 Funeral director: Rosen Note: This appears to be Moses Garfinkel‚s brother (Bar Yakov also). During one census period he lived in Harrisburg, PA. Morris S. Garfinkel (Moses S.) Born: May 6, 1892 Died: September 24, 1893 Son of Samuel Jacob (Schmuel Yakov) Wife: Anna E. Garfinkel (nee Weinstein?) Born: April 24, 1898 Died: December 21, 1985 Burial: 12/22/85 Daughter of Meyer Mendel Funeral Director: Levine Section B, lot 16, grave 2 Albert E. Garfinkel (Avram Yitzak) Born: October 14, 1917 Died: December 3, 1976 Burial: 12/5/76 Age 59 Cause of death not given Abraham Isaac son of Moses Samuel (Morris) Buried paid by: Stanley Garfinkel (brother) Funeral Director: Levine

Related to Grace G Landsman? Stanley J. Garfinkel (Schmuel Yitzak) Born: May 8, 1923 Died: May 25, 1995 Burial: May 26, 2995 Son of Moses Samuel (Morris) Cause of death not given Section B, lot 16, grave 4 Funeral Director: Levine Misc obit info: Dearly belovedfriend of Rae Swarte ______________________________________________________________________

FAMILY GROUP #3 Fred Garfinkel 1861-1935 Burial: 5/9/35 Rabbi Shalom Freidel son of Rabbi Schmuel Section B, lot 17, grave 3 Funeral Director; Rosen Wife: Mariam (Mary) 1865-1935 Daughter of Rabbi Abraham Baer Our Grandparents Louis Garfinkel (Leib) Died: September 5, 1929 Age 55 years (Born 1874) Leib son of Shalom Freidel Beloved husband, father and son Louis Garfinkel Section B, Lot 17, grave 1 Date of burial: 9/8/29 Cause of death: myocarditis ________________________________________________________________________

SINGLE STONES 1. Tobe Garfinkel Died: February 4, 1914 Burial: 2/5/14 Cause of death: heart disease Age 59 years Our beloved Mother Perpetual care payee: Leslie Eisenberg 12/7/2006 Funeral Director: Kahn Section C, lot 144, grave 1 2. Harry Garfinkel Buried: 5/1/1922 Age 29 Unreadable but according to census his parents were William and Rosie Garfinkel of Romania Section G, lot 229, grave 1 Funeral director: Levine 3. Unreadable stone may be Abe Garfinkel Died 1935 as plot to right is empty per cemetery administrator Richard Levy mentioning an Abe Garfinkel with empty plots on either side.