|
*Historical Notes (Source: Personal communication with Pearl Shiovitz LeVine,
Louis Shiovitz and Harry Shiovitz; Family Tree as developed by Pearl Shiovitz
LeVine, Louis Shiovitz, Donald LeVine, and Nathan Shiovitz) Location of the Zborofsky family home is known only as in
the Ukraine. Jacob’s path, means and
condition of escape are conjecture.
Escapees were often given the name of the rabbi in a destination town. Beard color is apparently passed maternally, but red is
common enough in the family to use it for “poetic color.” Knee cartilage damage has appeared in all four of Louis’
sons: Bill, Ken, Jim, and Tom. Jacob was so much taller than Devorah that their
grandchildren sometimes referred to them, discretely, as “Mutt and Jeff.” Jacob’s mother’s name was Chia(h). It is unknown whether she was living at the
time of Jacob’s escape. Jacob’s
brother was Abraham, and his sister was Laka. Devorah’s mother was also Chia. Devorah had four step-siblings from her
father Borah’s (Boruch?) earlier marriage to Rose. It is poetic conjecture that her father and
step-sister Getchel died at the hands of the Cossacks. The spelling of Hirlau in a 1911 map was later changed to
Harlau. The village still exists today. The nickname Max is the Americanized version of his given
name, Isaiah Mordecai. Isaiah is
likely after his grandfather, the Shia of the original name Shiovitz. The name of sister Rose is Americanized
from the Yiddish, Raisel Laya. Devorah
is Americanized Hebrew for Deborah, and the Yiddish, Dora. Max was the second oldest sibling after Rose. The others were Fannie, Henry, Lena, and
Ida. The Rothschilds funded the flight
of 18 year old Jews from Romania to Canada.
Rose preceded Max to Detroit, with her husband and child. She arrived via Liverpool, England, by boat
to Halifax, Nova Scotia or St. John, New Brunswick, then by train to New York
City. They stayed in tenements for six
weeks, then were called by Jewish Social Services, along with 16 other
families to come to Detroit to work in the factories (source: her grandson). Bad Axe is located near the thumb of Michigan. The winters there are extremely
frigid. The two young sons were buried
in Detroit. Max continued his hauling business, mostly of store
fixtures, and eventually opened a store, “Avon Store Fixtures,” which was
supposed to be “A-1,” but his heavy accent misdirected the sign painter. |
