Fradjla Strzyza

The fifth child of Moshe Ephraim was Fradjla, a daughter born in approximately 1881. She was the next child born after Benjamin. I have not located her birth record. She married Eliasz Szeftel, of about the same age, sometime before 1904, when their first child was born. I have not located the marriage record. Nor have I found any evidence that they ever came to the United States. She died on June 10, 1919, death registered in Pultusk. I do not know when or where Eliasz died.

The couple had five children, all born in Pultusk. Only two of those children lived to adulthood. Jewish Records Indexing-Poland (JRI-P), accessed through JewishGen.org, lists some but not all of the birth and death dates.

1. Sura Rivka, daughter

2. Abram, son (May 21, 1906 - March 2, 1919 per JRI-P)

3. Icek, son (born December 7, 1908 per JRI-P)

4. Jankiel, son (June 24, 1911 - June 4, 1912 per JRI-P)

5. Elka, daughter (died March 9, 1917 at age 3 per JRI-P)

Sura Riva and Icek traveled together to the United States on the S.S. Manchuria, departing Antwerp on January 23, 1923 and arriving at Ellis Island on February 2, 1923. It's hard to imagine their feelings, having lost 3 siblings and their mother within the previous decade.

According to the ship manifest page 1 (above), Sura was 18, which would mean she was born approximately 1905, and Icek was 9 (which suggests a birth year of 1914 rather than 1908 as listed in JRI-P). Their "race/people" is listed as "Hebrew" and they are Polish from "Puttusk, Poland" (which was likely a misspelled Pultusk). The nearest relative left behind was "Uncle Mejer Wiatrak" of "Sysk." (could have been the small village that is listed elsewhere as Shiski). Future posts will deal more with the Wiatrak name. The pair of siblings were headed to Philadelphia.

The second page of the ship manifest indicates that their passage was paid by their uncle (it doesn't say which uncle), and they would be met by their Uncle Abe Strauss (youngest sibling of Benjamin and Fradjla), who was living at the time at 1528 W. Susquehanna Ave in Philadelphia.

This card, from the index of naturalization petitions, shows that Sura became a US citizen on June 26, 1929 at the age of 25, from which I calculated an approximate birth year of 1904. She changed her name to Shirley Shefter.

Icek's card from the same index shows that he became a US citizen on April 26, 1933 at the age of 24 (matching the calculation from the birth date listed in JRI-P, and indicating the ship manifest was wrong). He changed his name to Israel Shefter. Perhaps both siblings were using that surname from the time of their arrival in the country.

In the 1930 US Census, Shirley is listed living at 2229 N. Gratz St, with the family of Sol and Anna Sofian (distant cousins), whose then 2-year-old daughter Estelle later became my mother's lifetime friend (and though I understand Estelle's health is not good, she just celebrated her 91st birthday). Estelle's younger sister Bernice told me by phone that from childhood she remembers Shirley Shefter well; Shirley's first daughter and Bernice were born just a few days apart. The census record lists Shirley's occupation as a packer for Nabisco, possibly at the old location at Broad and Glenwood Streets.

Sometime that year, after the census was completed, Shirley married Morris Helmus in Philadelphia, marriage license #595745 (I could not find the actual certificate online). They had 2 daughters. By 1940, the census shows Shirley Helmus living with the 2 girls at 2700 Ridge Avenue. Morris does not appear in that listing, but is listed as living (with status = married) at his parents' home at 6146 Irving St. I don't know the story behind that, nor can I find a record of when Morris died. Shirley moved a few years later to 1812 N. Marston St. According to the US Social Security Death Index, she died on November 24, 2004. Her birth date in that record was March 30, 1904.

Israel, meanwhile, appears in the 1930 US Census living with Abraham Strauss at 1528 W. Susquehanna Avenue, age 20. He married Beatrice Himmelstein in Philadelphia in 1935, marriage license #647344. In the 1940 census, they appear at 3230 W. Montgomery Avenue #2. His occupation is "cutter" in men's clothing manufacturing. They had one 3-year-old son in that census listing. I don't know if additional children were born. According to the US Social Security Death Index, Israel died on March 1, 1989 in Boca Raton, FL. That record also confirms the birth date of December 7, 1908.