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Alexandrovsk, a town in Ekaterinoslav gubernia

Booklets: "The History of the Jews in Zapporojhe"

By Lori Miller

In August, 1999 my husband and I traveled to the Ukraine in search of my roots. One of our stops was at Zapporojhe, which is 317 miles SE of Kiev and whose coordinates are 4657 3503.

In 1912 when my grandparents immigrated to the US, it was known as Alexandroskov. While we were there, the Chief Rabbi gave us 3 booklets which were called "The History of the Jews in Zapporojhe", by Shimon Orlyansky (whom we met). A Russian friend of mine translated a few parts so that I could ascertain the importance of the book. 

The three books are divided by dates: Book #1 is 1775-1719; Book #2 is 1917-1920; and Book #3 is 1921-1941. 

Some of the important points of the books:

In the 17th Century, Peter the Great took back from Turkey, the land that is now Ukraine. This land remained largely “wild”. Then in 1765, Catherine the Great admitted Jews from Poland, Hungary and Germany into the Western Ukraine to “tame” the “wild” land. In 1793, Jews were given citizenship with full rights. 

In 1808, there were 15 men and 27 Jewish women living in Zapporojhe (Alexandroskov). In 1807, the first Jewish mayor was Froim Braslavsky. In Alexandroskov in 1844, 3% of the population were Jews. In 1850, of 171 businessmen, 63 were Jewish, and of 1329 people in the middle class, 70 were Jewish. In 1863, 6% of the population was Jewish, while in 1880, over 10%. To the end of the 19th century, there were close to 1/3 Jewish. In 1917, almost one third of the population was Jewish. In 1917, the Jewish mayor was Shimon Isakovich Gurovich. 

There are many, many lists in the three booklets. The following are just a sampling. Please remember when reading these lists that they are translated from the Cyrillic Russian alphabet and therefore are subjective in spelling. Also realize that many of these names include the patronymic, a type of variation of their father's given name.

Lori Miller; Northridge, California. LBubby at aol.com

1816 -- Citizens & merchants
Iona Mashkov Golubovsky   Froim Yankelev Braslavsky
Morthka Yankelev Kubovsky   Moishe Yankelev Braslavsky
Izdo Leibov Zaslavsky   Abraaam Yankelev Braslavsky
Leiba Nasckelev Bertezky    

1860-1864 Jewish Community Tax Collectors
Lev SaksanskyBoris Vengerov  

1848 Merchants, Taxpayers
Maorsha Schedrovich Zalman Schedrovich
Iona Schedrovich   Izko Schedrovich

1848 Citizens & Merchants
Avraam Motinsky Ilya Kaminsky
Nalman Rubanovich   Izik Falkovich

1858 Tax Collectors
Ion Kasta Simon Mindlin

1865 Voters (City Council)
These people were listed because they either owned property or had very successful businesses and were considered rich.
Josif Izkel Averbax 2nd class merchant
Haja Leibova Berdichevskaya   2nd class merchant
Freida Hasckeleva Boltyan   citizen
Ruvin Solomonov Vengerov   2nd class merchant
Haja Yankeleva Varshavskaya   2nd class merchant
Rivka Izraeileva Volinskaya   citizen
Abram Movshovich Volinsky   citizen
Solomon Izraelevich Goldenveizer   1st class merchant
Arkadij Matveevich Goldenshtein   2nd class merchant
Avram Gidalev Zabotinsky   2nd class merchant
Gudya Chaimovna Kaminskaya   2nd class merchant
Samoilo Yankelevich Konstantinovsky   2nd class merchant
Samoilo Leib-Gerikov Kerner   2nd class merchant
Berk Leibov Kerner   2nd class merchant
Iliya Ioseleva Kaminskaya   2nd class merchant
Solomon Solomonovich Mindlin   citizen
Avraam Izkovich Ostrovsky   1st class merchant
Ehil Simonov Ostrin   2nd class merchant
David Girshovich Olschovsky   citizen
Avraam Gershkovich Regirer   2nd class merchant
Nahman Grigoriev (Hersh) Rubanovich   2nd class merchant
Leiba Ilzhov Reinov   2nd class merchant
Manja (Maria) Josifovna Stojanovaskaja   2nd class merchant
Lev Abramovich Sacksansky   citizen

Iona Yankelevich Chast

  2nd class merchant
Morsha Gershov Zimbler   2nd class merchant
Marko Aronov Chudnovsky   2nd class merchant
Abram Gershkov Schwartzman   2nd class merchant
Iosel Marshov Scherovich   2nd class merchant
Izcho Morshov Schedrovich   2nd class merchant

1896 (from a List of Jewish Families)
Le-Izko Yudkov (7 sons & 1 daughter)
Moisey (Moshe) Leizerov Miloslavsky (6,3)
Abram Kononov Olichov (6,2)
Zelman Yankelev Ilshtein (4,2)

1872-1896 Elected Rabbi (re elected every 3 years) 1st class merchant
Abram-David Usherov Lavut

1896-1914 (Elected Rabbi) (re elected 6 times)
Abram Chaimov Chaimovich

1909 Representatives from the Synagogue to Elect the Rabbi
Z.E. Zeitlin V.L. Tagaersky
L. Yasin   S.I. Morochovsky
Y.Y. Birger    

 

March 1866 Elected as a Spiritual Council of Alexandrovsk
Samoil Midlin chairman
Abram Regirer   treasurer
(These above men also had this office in village of Gulyaipole)
Samoil Konstatinopolsky   secretary
Isaak Ostrovsky    
Yakov Berdichevsky    

CENTRAL SYNAGOGUE
1913    
Yakov Isaakovich Ljaschinsky   Elected as president of the Central Synagogue

1915
A.S. Drobinsky Elected as president of the Central Synagogue
A. Zlatin   treasurer
G.L. Koblenets   secretary

1911    
Yakov Leshinsky Elected as president of the Central Synagogue
Judel Burger   treasurer
Simon Morochovsky   secretary

 

1911    
Afraim Drobinsky Major Synagogue president
Berko Genshaft   treasurer
Hersh Zlatin   secretary

 

Before 1861 THIRD CLASS MERCHANTS
A.M., M.Y., F.Y. Braslavsky I.Z. Kaminsky
I.L, L.L. Zaslavsky   S.S. Mindlin
M.G. Brailovsky   A.I. Golubovsky
I.Z. Bradsky   M.O. Shedrovich

Before 1861 SECOND CLASS MERCHANTS
I.L. Bak A.G. Regirer
A.J. Ostrovsky (Abram Izkovich)   H.G. Rubanovsky

1864    
Wolf Zipora Kapelev Izik Ziskovu Drujan
Riseja Movsheva Kapelev (wife)   Zalman Shmerko Baranovsky

1887-- Real Estate Owners
Josef Moiscevich Schedrovich   David Grigorievich Olkhovsky
Lev Abramovich Saksansky    

1902    
Isaak Abramov Volinsky Bendet Mordockuv
Yakov Isaakovich Lazen