The Ser-Charlap Family Newsletter Reunion in Tel
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l THE SER-CHARLAP FAMILY NEWSLETTER Volume 3, Number 4 December 1992; Kislev 5753 REUNION IN TEL AVIV Ed. Note: From November 22nd through December 6th, I had to be in Israel for business reasons. The fact that daughter Deborah (71, Pl. Jc) is living in A.rad also prompted the trip. Deborah told a few family members that we were coming and they immediately arranged a major family reunion. We especially thank Harry Mankuta (1832,Pl.17b) and Aharon Manor (6298,Pl.19d) for their dedicated work in assuring the success of this meeting. On the evening of November 25, 1992 the Ser-Charlap Family Association had its first large meeting in Israel. Approximately one hundred members of ·our mishpocha converged on the ZOA House on Shlomo Ibn Gabirol Street in Tel Aviv. Representatives from most branches of the family were present. For the first hour, there was informal conversation and investigation and the din was deafening. Everyone wanted to know how they fit into the family. At nine o'clock Harry Mankuta {1832,Pl.17b) called the meeting to order and introduced Arthur Menton {58,Pl.3c), who was visiting from the United States. Arthur proceeded to tell the assemblage of his research into the family. He spoke in English and Harry translated to Hebrew. The thrust of the message follows: I have taken on the massive task of being the family historian. My mother's father was Isaac {Max) Sahr (Ser) (7,Pl.3) who came to the United States from Ciechanowiec, Poland in 1891. He died in 1949 when I was 17. We were very close, but I realized that aside from the families of his six daughters, I knew nothing of his history. I knew he had an older brother up in Schenectady, New York so I investigated and found many close relatives there. I learned that my grandfather was one of ten children of Sender (1,Pl.1) and Chaya Podkowa (2) Ser of Nur (Danir). Four came to America and unfortunately the others stayed in Poland. I was shocked to learn that my mother's uncles, aunts, and cousins perished in the Holocaust without us ever knowing of their existence. I decided to memorialize them. That is the driving passion behind this work. I soon found many interrelated families. Transportation and communication were poor in northeastern Poland and people married those close to them. Within a few generations everyone in these shtetls were related. I have traced many of these families and have learned just how close they are. Ser means cheese in Polish. The name was adopted when Napoleon forced everyone to assume surnames. That was in the early 1800s. There are also Kiejsmachers (cheesemakers) in the family. Other families closely related are: Kur, Kuropatwa, Lew (Lewin, Levine), Danowitz, Smolarczyk, Tama, Pasternak, Kopyto, Mankuta, Parczewski, Pakzciar, Lapin, and Charlap. Associated families that are probably related, but whose exact connection has not (continued on page 5) 2 EZRA.TH NASHIM-HERZCJG other daughters, Bernice Schlecker (1709) IK>SPITAL of Miami Beach, Florida and Estelle Krumholz (1716) of Florham Park, New Jeanette Sir Krauss (1708,Pl.8e) has Jersey. All three daughters have been appointed Executive Director of the participated in Ser-Charlap family events. American Friends of Ezrath Nashim-Herzog Jeanette has two children. Michael (1719) Hospital. Jeanette has exceptional is a noted actor who was featured in the credentials, having worked with many Jewish acclaimed film Avalon. Elizabeth (1720) is and Israeli organizations. She will involved with education. Jeanette is also coordinate all U.S. fundraising activities proud of her grandson, Sam Krauss (7554), on behalf of the hospital. whom she describes as "a young man of Ezrath-Nashim Herzog Hospital, outstanding qualities: intelligence, located in Jerusalem, contributes to beauty, and linguistic abilities." Sam was Israeli society in three ways: 1) Patient born Sept. 21, 1990. Best wishes for care is foremost, 2) Training the next success to Jeanette in her new and generation of health professionals, and important position. 3) Research. The research done at Herzog in ****************************************** both its geriatric and psychiatric A WARSAW BOARDING HOUSE departments has implications for the medical profession far beyond Israel's Discovery of new family members of ten borders. Findings are promptly published in comes about in strange ways. Recently, we international journals and grants have been were going through some old Polish awarded by private and public sources telephone directories. At the top of page around the world. 853 of the 1936 Warsaw volume the name Jeanette, who lives in New York City, Charlap leaped out. No first name was is the daughter of Abraham (1412) and Anna given. However, after the name are the Friedman (1414) Sir. Abraham was born in words pensjona t Radjum. The listing is for Zareby Koscielnie (Zaromb), Poland in 1908. the small town of Druskieniki outside His father, Harry (1405), born circa 1875, Warsaw. Apparently, this Charlap person emigrated to America around the time of operated the Radjum Boarding House in World War I. He ran a fruit store on the Druskieniki in the year 1936. We know Lower East Side and also a shoe store at 92 nothing else about him or what his fate was Rivington Street. After he had saved enough in the turbulent years that followed. Does money, he sent for his family. His wife anyone have additional information about Goldie Ziegelbaum Sir (1408) arrived with this mysterious Charlap? children Abraham and Sarah (1358) on May ****************************************** 31, 1920 aboard the S.S. Santarem. Goldie NEWSCASTER BOB KUR had ten dollars in her possession. Harry took them home to 209 Forsythe Street, not Several family members have asked if far from his shop. Abe also went into the Bob Kur, the NBC news reporter, is related shoe business operating a store on the to us. Bob descends from a Jewish family corner of Rivington and Ludlow Streets. In that emigrated to the USA from Latvia. His addition to Jeanette, Abe and Anna had two grandfather Harry Kur ran_ an auto repair ***************************************** shop in Bayonne, New Jersey and is buried THE SER-CHARLAP FAMILY NEWSLETTER is in the United Hebrew Cemetery on Staten published quarterly. We encourage submittal Island. This Kur name derives from Kurland, of news items, essays, poems, and a region of Latvia. It is doubtful that historical articles. Correspondence should this family is directly related to us. Our be directed to: Kur branch originates in the shtetls of Arthur F. Menton, Editor northeast Poland and the name is associated P.O. Box 108 with Kuropatwa, which means partridge in Cold Spring Harbor, N.Y. 11724 Polish. Kur, itself, means miller's thumb, Tel: (516) 754-1742 bullhead, or partridge cock. Bob is welcome Copyright ~ 1992 to contact us for more details about his All rights reserved family's origins. J THE ELDRIDGE STREET SYNAGCX;tJE .AND OUR FAMILY The first great house of worship built by East European Jewish immigrants on New York's Lower East Side was the Eldridge Street Synagogue. A group of Polish Jews had tormed the Congregation Khal Adas Jeshurun in 1856. The congregation grew rapidly and in 1887 erected the largest synagogue on the Lower East Side, a distinction it retains till this day. The structure was designed in an eclectic manner by Herter brothers, a well-known architectural firm. Moorish, Gothic, and Romanesque elements are combined in a tasteful architectural blending. The main sanctuary is paneled in rich walnut with beautiful, but fading, trompe l'oeil paintings on plaster adorning the side walls. Immense brass chandeliers with Victorian glass shades hang from the seventy foot ceiling. This magnificent building has been declared a New York City landmark and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Despite its beauty and historic importance, the synagogue had fallen into a sad state of repair due to a dwindling congregation of poor elderly Jews, vandalism, and general neglect. After years of decay there is now hope. The not-for-profit Eldridge Street Project has been formed to preserve the synagogue and to renew its purpose with public cultural and educational activities for a diverse audience. Tours are offered each Sunday between 12 and 4 p.m. or by special arrangement. A more detailed description of the synagogue with several excellent photographs can be seen in Jo Renee Fine and Gerard R. Wolfe, The Synagogues of New York's Lower East Side (New York: Washington Mews Books, 1978), pp. 42-50. On page 50 of this reference is a photograph of a hand written note in Hebrew and English that was hanging in the building. Above the note hangs a sign which lists the name of Gaby Hanorable [sic] Hyman Sear. We now had a task to find out who this Hyman Sear was. The irreplaceable Tillie Sier (475,Pl.2a) proved to be a big help. Tillie was brought up on the Lower East Side and still lives on Grand Street and the FDR Drive. She visited the synagogue to speak with the rabbi and other congregants. This jogged her memory and she remembered her father visiting relatives who belonged to the Eldridge Street Synagogue. She recalled that this Sear family had two sons and a daughter. One of the sons had Down's Syndrome. From the 1920 census we discovered a Max Sear who lived at 121 Henry Street. He was 55 years old, married to Ann, age 48. They were both born in Russia/Poland as was their first son, Hyman. They had another son Abe, age 9, and a daughter Sylvia, age 4-5. From the Passenger Arrival Lists of the Port of New York, we found a Mordecai Sear who arrived on February l, 1904 aboard the S.S.