FILE: Data\WP Documents\NateBio Book of Family Roots Part I.wpd
Introduction: Why am I Looking for Family Roots?
It was in 1994 that there was much hype about the 50th anniversary of the World War II (1939-1945) Normandy invasion on D-Day (June 6). At the Senior University of Greater Atlanta, a course was given which was entitled World War II Remembrances. The eight lectures in the quarter were given by eight seniors who served in the war. This course was popular enough that it was scheduled for another quarter. On being asked to talk in the second course about my service in the Army of the United States, I consented. To prepare an one-hour lecture I looked at old photos taken during my army service and I began the task of writing about my experiences. Writing about my army service brought out many dormant memories, some pleasant and some unpleasant. So while reminiscing, I began to think about my life before the war and also the path I followed after the war ended. A realization came about that I knew very little about my family roots. I did not ask questions when answers could be given by family members who are now deceased.
A compelling reason for collecting and recording as much information about my family and writing an autobiography is that it is possible, and I suspect even probable, that someday our children, grandchildren, and perhaps even further future generations, will become curious about their family roots. Also, inasmuch as information about our ancestors in Russia is difficult to come about, at least, there will be a record of our family heritage from this time forward. I also hope that the several relatives still among the living will have enough of an interest in having a record of their family roots and will contribute to my effort..
So, before I “kick the bucket” a Book of Family Roots has been initiated and it is projected to have two parts. Part I will contain as much factual information that I can find about my past and present family. The facts will be extracted and recorded from documents such as passenger lists, U.S. census data, marriage, birth and death certificates, and from contacts of still living family members and others who have knowledge of our family roots. A family tree is projected from the data. Information about the education, occupations, and old photos old photos will be useful in recording our family history. Of course Part I will be evolving as more data are found. Data will be presented beginning with vague information about the ancestors of the four immigrant brothers we all knew, Moses, David, Joseph, and Isaac Rodniansky (in order from the oldest to the youngest brother). .
Part II will consist of biographies and at this time of my autobiography (a work in progress). Memories of the four immigrant brothers are intended to be recorded. If I can persuade family members who are interested, I would hope to add other biographical information of the four immigrant brothers and of their selves, whether succinct or in depth, to round off our family history. In writing my autobiography I need to emphasize that at my age of 83 years, memories are sure to be distorted. However, I believe that the autobiography will give future readers some idea of the times I lived in and in a narrower sense, a personal history of disappointments and achievements. Intended records of our family written by other members of our family, I suspect will also contain distorted memories as the generation beyond the immigrant brothers range in age from close to 80 years (a guestimate) to not far from 90 years.
Finally, I must enter a personal comment that from the information that I have already gathered and from personal knowledge, it seems to me that the four deceased immigrant brothers Moses, David, Joseph and Isaac and their wives would be very, very proud of their progeny.
I posted some probable surnames of our family on the Internet site of the Jewish Genealogy Society. On June 29, 1999, I received the following e-mail message: “Hi, My ancestors are Boruch and Rachel Rodniansky from Surazh. Are you familiar with these names? Regards, Leonid Rodniansky.” Subsequent e-mail exchanges which included a 1929 photograph of my Uncle Isaac Radin with Leonid’s grandfather Gregory Rodniansky. There were not only other members of the Rodniansky family in this photograph along with a two year old girl, Aida, who became Leonid”s mother, but Isaac R. Moses and Fanny R and Isaac and Miriam R did visit my grandmother Sonia Hinda R in Surazh (Russia) during the year 1929. My first cousin Vivian, Isaac’s youngest daughter, had a matching photograph. This finding indicated that our original family surname was Rodniansky. According to Leonid Rodniansky, the family tree begins with Abram Rodnianski (note that the last letter of the surname, i, subsequently seems to become y), a fabrics merchant, of Surazh, Chernigov Gubernia. It was proposed that the three children of Abram Rodniansky were Boruch, Sarah and my grandfather Nuchemia. Gregory R, who appears in the photo, is Aida’s father and Leonid’s grandfather. Gregory is one of th eight children of Boruch and Rachel Ber Rodnianski. If all this information can be corroborated, then our grandfather Nuchemia was the son of Abram, and he married Sonia Hinda Posner, It is known that the children of Nuchemia and Sonia Rodniansky were Moses, David, Joseph, and Isaac. There also were one or two girls. One is supposed to have been retarded and if there was another girl, it is part of the unknown.
Marriage: On a record obtained by a researcher Galina at the Odessa Archives, Moses Rodniansky married Feiga Brustein in the year 1899.
Name:* Moses Rodniansky** Fanin Rodmansky(?) Nackem Rodmansky
Ethnicity: Russia, Hebrew Russia, Hebrew Russia, Hebrew
Departure: March 10, 1906 March 10, 1906 March 10, 1906
Arrival: March 21,1906 March 21, 1906 Died en Route***
Ship of Travel: S.S. Statendam which left from Rotterdam, South Holland, The Netherlands.
*On the passenger manifest, the data is in handwriting and difficult to read. The names listed above are as read from the passenger manifest.
**Moses Rodniansky arrived at Ellis Island from Odessa at the age of 35 years and with $353.03. It is stated that he was going to visit Uncle David Posner, 1 Howard Street, New York.
***Nackem (probably Nachum), died on March 19, 1906, at 8 p.m., of diphtheria.
Reference: Intention to Become a Citizen of the United States (August 16 1906)
Circuit Court of the United States for the Southern District of New York
Emigrated from Rotterdam on or about the second day of March, 1906 landing at the port of New York City in the State of New York on or about March 15, 1906.
Reference: Petition for Naturalization (August 09 1912)
Emigrated from Rotterdam on or about the second day of March, 1906 landing at the port of New York City in the State of New York on March 15, 1906 on the vessel Statendam..
Wife Fanni (Brustein) Rodninsky born in Odessa, Russia
Witnesses: Unclear on document. The first witness is William G Jones, with the occupation Clergyman? and his residence is Woodhaven, New York. The second witness may be Davis Pausner? with the occupation Dressmaker and the residence is blank on the copy.
Certificate of Naturalization , No, 325189, issued on the 16 day of January, 1912 (year unclear).
Index Card Information: Vol 205, Ed 61, Sheet 7, Line 99 (LDS Reel #1821184)
Moses Rodninsky Age 48 Years, Fannie Rodninsky Age 38 Years
Place of Death and Home Address: 875 W. Park Avenue, Long Beach, Long Island, Nassau County, New York
Date of Birth: 1871 Age: 92 Years Birthplace: Russia Citizen of U.S.A.
Usual Occupation: Farmer Kind of Business: Chicken Farm
Father’s Name: Nathan Rodninsky Mother’s Maiden Name: Sonia Posner
Never in U.S. Armed Forces Social Security No.: None
Informant: Fany Rodninsky, 875 W. Park Avenue, Long Beach, New York
Burial: Land of First Odesser Young Men’s Assn. of E.N.Y., Organized August 22, 1909
Home Address: 875 W. Park Avenue, Long Beach, Long Island, Nassau County, New York
Date of Birth: July 29, 1981 Age: 93 Years Birthplace: Russia Citizen of U.S.A.
Father’s Name: Saul Brustein Mother’s Maiden Name: Naomie (Unknown)*
Informant: Dr. Henry Brustein, 127 Reed Drive, Roslyn, Long Island, New York
Cause of Death: Acute Cholecystitis and Septicemia
Other Significant Conditions: Systemic Nephrosclerosis
*According to the autobiography of Sonia Orlov Silverman (a cousin of Mary Orloff Radin), Fanny Brustein Rodninsky’s mother’s maiden name was Nichama Kazakevitch.
Burial: Burial: Land of First Odesser Young Men’s Assn. of E.N.Y., Organized August 22, 1909
Marriage: David Rodniansky and Chava (or Chana, Channah, Hannah, Anna) Claner (or Kleiner) were married in Odessa on November 20, 1909.
Port of Departure: Rotterdam, South Holland, The Netherlands
Note: Chava and a son Morris Rodniansky were left in Nikolayev ( city near Odessa).
Note: Dawid Rodniansky was detained on Ellis Island for one night until his brother Joseph came
Reference: Certificate of Arrival (Issued February 03 1930)
Reference: United States of America Declaration of Intention (NOV 14 1927)
White/Fair Complexion/Five feet Six Inches/140 Pounds/Brown Hair/Gray-Blue Eyes
Reference: United States of America Petition for Citizenship (August 05, 1930)
831 Madison Street, Brooklyn, New York Kings County
Witnesses: Miriam Radin/Housewife, 535 West 110th Street, New York, NY and Joseph Radin/Manufacturer, 1840 Summerfield Street, Brooklyn, New York.
Index Card: Vol. 186, ED 1130, Sheet 03, Line 24 (LDS Reel #1821173).
Address: 569 Rockaway Avenue, Brooklyn, New York
David Radin Age 36 Years Anna Radin: Age 34 Years
Son: Morris Radin Age:8 Years (Born in Russia)
Son: Nathan Radin Age 11/12 Years (Born in U.S.)
Entered U.S.: David in 1912 Anna and Morris in 1917 (All are Russian aliens)
State Board of Health, Bureau of Vital Statistics,
Place of Death: St.Francis Hospital, 250 W. 63d Street, Miami Beach, Florida
Date of Death: December 4, 1967 at 7:20 AM
Age: About 83 (?) [Note: Birth Dates: April 15,1886 on Naturalization Papers and April 10, 1884 on data from Mary Radin document for tombstone order]
Wife: Mary Radin - Somerset Hotel 335 Ocean Drive (Ocean Drive and 3d),
Physician: Alexander Robbins, M.D. 1100 Drexel Avenue, Miami Beach, Florida
Burial: Montefiore Cemetery, 12183 Springfield Blvd, Jamaica, NY 11413-1158 or
Land of First Odesser Young Men’s Assn. of E.N.Y., Organized August 22, 1909
Informant: Mary Radin, 335 Ocean Drive, Miami Beach, FL
Anna Radin: Born: Date Unknown Death: January 27, 1932
First Name: Chava or Chana, Channah, Hannah, Anna. .
Family: Mother named Emma on death certificate. Father named Morris on death certificate.
Morris R, the son of Anna and David was born in Russia, presumably Odessa. Anna and Morris came to the United States during World War I via Japan. Quite a few years ago, a postcard fell out of a pile of old photographs I received from my first cousin Ruth Radin Kalish. There was a photograph of an outdoor stairway to the Temple Kobe in Japan on this postcard and on the other side there was a message written by my mother. I knew that my mother and a brother came to the United States via Japan during World War I. The message on the postcard, addressed to my father who was now in the United State, was in written in Japan and was in written Yiddish. It took quite a while to get the postcard translated. A number of translators found the Yiddish to be difficult to read and I was told that an illiterate person had their own version of writing in Yiddish.
One translator for a fee of $25 (Sheva C. Zucker, 1114 Iredell Street, Durham, NC 27705 - November 1994) did translate the text as best as could be done. The text is as follows:
August 9 [1916?] Dear David, I am sending you a letter with a woman who is leaving now. She gave me 10 yen here. So I ask that you pay the 10 yen to whomever brings you the card, and you should thank her. You can imagine what a fine lady she is. She doesn’t even know me and she gave me 10 yen. May God grant her health for her good heart. I think that she will tell you everything. She saw the child and also about me [Translator Note: I assume she means “she will tell you about the child and about me,” S.Z.]. Your wife, Khane Radninsky (/). Morris kisses and kisses you. I wish we may see each other soon.
Reference: Standard Certificate of Death/Anna Radin
Place of Death: Cedars of Lebanon Hospital, Los Angeles, California
Date of Death: Wednesday, January 27, 1932 at 9:25 PM
Husband: David Radin 1945 New Jersey Street, Boyle Heights. Los Angeles, California, resident for three months
Contributory: Hypertensive Cardiovascular Disease.
Physician: Hyman Rapaport, M.D., Los Angeles, CA
Burial: Montefiore Cemetery, Land of First Odesser Young Men’s Assn. of E.N.Y., Organized August 22, 1909, Block Row Grave
Informant: David Radin, 1845 New Jersey, Los Angeles, California
Morris (Also known as Munyeh) Radin (1910?-1922)
Morris Rodniansky, later Morris Radin was born in Odessa , presumably during the month of May, 1910 and died in the United States during the year 1922.
Reference: Standard Certificate of Death/Morris Radin
Department of Health of the City of New York
Place of Death: Coney Island Hospital, Brooklyn, New York
Residence: 2869 West 21st Street, Brooklyn, Coney Island, New York
Father’s Name: David Radin Birthplace Russia
Cause of Death: Chronic cardiac valvular disease with duration of one year
Contributory: Chronic interstitial nephritis and duration of one month:
Physician: Adam Eberli (?), House Medical Superintendant
Burial: Mount Hebron Cemetery, 130-04 Horace Harding Expressway, Flushing, Queens, New York, NY 11367-1027, Workmen’s Circle Society Grounds
City of New York, Department of health, Bureau of Records and Statistics
Registered Number: 4483/Certificate and Record of Birth
Physician: Jacob Krieger, M.D., 518 Stone Avenue, Brooklyn, NY.
Date: Wednesday, January 22, 1919 (Wednesday, Shevat 21, 5679 on
Reference: Certificate of Marriage/Nathan Radin and Galla H Solomon
The City of New York, Office of City Clerk, Borough Hall, Richmond
Marriage of Nathan Radin, of Astoria, in the County of Queens, State of New York and Galla H Solomon, of Staten Island, in the county of Richmond, State of New York.
Witnesses: Estelle HS Jasper and Martin Goldstein.
Deputy City Clerk of New York City, Borough of Richmond: John J Demane
Father: Monroe Solomon Born May 2, 1896 Died April 30, 1973
Mother Rebecca (Ruby) Haller Solomon Born January 13, 1895? Died June 8, 1957
Galla: Born June 13, 1924, in Los Angeles, California.
Sister: Louise Solomon Born November 1, 1926.
The Children of Rachel Radin and William Dupree
Isaac Alexander Radin Dupree Born August 17, 1988
Eli Nicholas Radin Dupree Born September 22, 1990
Marriage: David Radin and Mary Orloff were married March 23,1932
Reference: Certificate of Marriage/State of New Jersey
Place: 1109 Harrison Avenue, Roselle, New Jersey (Residence of Rabbi Nathan Zuber)
Place of Death: Metropolitan Jewish Geriatric Centre, Coney Island, Brooklyn, NY
Physician: J.P. Dwivedi, 4915 Tenth Avenue, Brooklyn, NY
Burial: Montefiore Cemetery, Land of First Odesser Young Men Benevolent Association.,
Informant: Sonia Silverman, Sister (?), 545 Neptune Avenue, Brooklyn, NY
Marriage: Joseph Radin and Bertha Sherson were married (Place and Date of Marriage: ?)
Port of Departure: Rio de Janeiro, Federal District, Brazil
On Ship Manifest, Port of Depature is Santos.
Reference: Declaration of Intent: Joe Rodninsky (January 10, 1913)
Supreme Court of New York County, State of New York
Color: White Complexion: Dark Height: 5 Feet 5 Inches
Born In: Suras, Russia on the 22nd day of March, 1888.
Residence: 31 South Street, New York City, New York
Reference: Petition for Naturalization/Joseph Rodninsky (July 19, 1919)
Residence: 343 Wilson Avenue, City of New York, Borough of Brooklyn.
Born: In Suras, Russia on the 22nd day of March, 1888.
Emigrated from: Buenos Aires, Argentina about the 15th day of January, 1907 and arrived at the Port of New York on the 27th day of February, 1907 on the vessel Byro.
Wife: Bertha who was born on the 17th day of March, 1890 in Russia.
Children: Ruth born 4 June, 1913 at Pennsylvania and resides in Brooklyn
Declaration of Intention No. 39398 and Certificate of Arrival No. 2307..
Witnesses: Isaac Stolovitz Occupation: Operator Residence: 220 Keap (?) Street, Brooklyn, NY
and Moses Rodninsky Occupation: Store Residence: 31 South Street, Manhattan, NY
Index Card: Vol 191 ED 1255 Sheet 11 Line 24
Address: 343 Wilson Avenue, Brooklyn, Kings County, NY
Ages: Joseph 31 Years Bertha 31 Years (Born Kieve)
Daughter Ruth Age 6 Years (Born Pennsylvania).
Joseph entered US 1906 Bertha entered US 1904 (?).
Reference: Passport Application//Joseph Radin (Received July 10, 1931)
Born in Zourasj (?), Russia on March 22, 1888 and married January 1912.
Emigrated to the United States on or about March, 1906
Resided in New York City continuously from 1906 to 1931 at New York City, New York
Naturalized as a citizen of the United States before the New York Supreme Court, Kings County,
Residence: 1840 Summerfield Street, Brooklyn, New York.
Has not been outside on the United States since 1906.
Father Norman Rodinsky was born at Russia and is now deceased.
Desire a passport to visit mother in Russia and will return to the United States within 2 months.
Request for passport to include minor child daughter Ruth Radin who was born in PA.
On passport application copy there is an unclear request to change of name from Rodinsky to Joseph, Radin on October 15, 1924 at the Supreme Court, Kings County, Brooklyn, New York.
Place and Date of Marriage: December 20, 1939, Brooklyn, New York
The Children of Sam and Ruth Radin Kalish
Place and Date of Marriage: May 30, 1964, Flushing, New York
The Children of Harvey and Lynn Kalish
Place and Date of Marriage: April 2, 1984
The Children of Robin and Frank Kozakewiez
Place and Date of Marriage: September 7, 1996
The Children of Pamela and Michael Tassiello
Place and Date of Marriage December 26, 1996:
The Children of Arthur and Marilyn Kalish
Remarriage To: Norma Sundy Born: November15, 1955
Place and Date of Marriage: November 18, 1988:
Place and Date of Marriage: December 23, 1947
The Children of Norman and Norma Radin
The Children of Lon and Virginia Radin
Place and Date of Marriage: April 18, 1996
Marriage: Isaac Radin married Miriam (Place and Date of Marriage)
Isaac Radin: Born June 17, 1890? Died November 1969?
Date of Arrival: June 04, 1907 Age on Arrival: 16 Years
Port of Departure: Rotterdam, South Holland, The Netherlands
Miriam Born May 9, 1893? Died October 1966?
Residence: 162 Blake Avenue, Brooklyn, Kings County, New York
Isaac: Age 30 Years Miriam: Age 27 Years (Russian Alien)
Emigration to the United States: Isaac: 1907 Miriam: 1908
Kings County (Eastern Division): Petition #39561 Vol: 158
The Children of Bernard and Hilda Kaplan:
The Children of Larry and Susan Field
Zina Radin Born ? ? 1918: Died: Thursday November 11, 1999
The Children of Harvey and Susan Colten :
The Children of Zina and Irving Golden