Belarus
Belarus
Belarus - aka Byelorussia. Former territory of the Russian Empire.
Modern day Belarus is divided into 6 governates (Oblasts) (similar to counties) which seem to roughly correlate with the divisions/names used around 1900. Major cities within the Oblasts often bear the same name as the name of the governate.
- Vitebsk - Northern Belarus bordering Lithuania on the west, Latvia on the north, and Russia on the north and east.
- Minsk - Central Belarus, surrounded by other Oblasts.
- Mogalev - East Central Belarus - bordering Russia on the east (and a bit on the south as a portion is extends further East. Samotevich is located in that portion.
- Grodno - West Central Belarus - bordering Lithuania to the north and Poland to the west.
- Gomel - (aka Homel) South Eastern Belarus - bordering Russia on the east, Ukraine on the south.
- Brest - South Western Belarus - bordering Poland on the West, Ukraine on the South.
Jews in Belarus
According to ChatGPT (7/23/23): During the early 20th century, the Jewish population in Belarus played a significant role in the country's social, cultural, and economic life. At that time, Belarus was part of the Russian Empire, and the Jewish community faced a complex set of circumstances.
The Jewish population in Belarus was relatively large, with many communities residing in both urban and rural areas. The Jews were engaged in various occupations, including trade, crafts, agriculture, and intellectual pursuits. In cities like Minsk, Brest, and Grodno, Jewish communities flourished and contributed to the local economy and cultural development.
However, the Jewish population also faced discrimination and periodic outbreaks of violence, such as pogroms. Pogroms were violent attacks against Jewish communities, often instigated by anti-Semitic sentiments or political unrest. These events caused significant hardships and forced some Jews to emigrate to other regions, including the United States.
In terms of religious practices, traditional Judaism was prevalent among Belarusian Jews during this period. Synagogues, yeshivas (Jewish educational institutions), and Jewish cultural and social organizations played important roles in preserving Jewish identity and fostering community cohesion.
The early 20th century was also marked by political changes and social movements, including the rise of Zionism. Zionism, a movement advocating for the establishment of a Jewish homeland, gained traction among some Belarusian Jews who sought to emigrate to Palestine (later Israel).
It's worth noting that the Jewish community in Belarus faced immense challenges during and after World War II, with the Holocaust leading to the destruction and loss of many Jewish lives and communities. Today, the Jewish population in Belarus is much smaller compared to the early 20th century, but efforts are ongoing to preserve Jewish heritage and culture in the country.
Please note that this is a general overview, and specific details may vary based on individual experiences and locations within Belarus.
NOTE: One of the most difficult aspects of researching these towns are the various spelling differences. Languages, transliterations, spellings and political divisions based on memory, and changing political divisions all contribute to a mishmosh of spellings, etc.. Also, the records for that time period are scarce. One goal here will be to try to gather the various spellings, as well as the modern names. For most of the immigrants to the U.S., their country of origin is listed as Russia.
Locations in Belarus of Interest to the Newmark/Glusker Families
- Samotevich - Home of the Zalman and Tsippe Newmark Family. (Mogilev Oblast)
- Lipovka / Khotsimsk - Home of the Leah Newmark and Jacob Glusker Family
- (Lipovka was a small shtetl outside of Khotminsk) in the easternmostmost part of the Mogilev Oblast (bordering Russia)
- Albion Kahn mentions Chauchernsk in Mogilev country of Ukraine as Anna Glusker's hometown. Likely this was Khotsimsk, Belarus.
- Max mentions Chotimsk, Russia as a place where Anna and Jenny had a store.
- Simon Hutner, a family friend who helped with family businesses in the Chicago area, may also have been from Khotsimsk.
- Surazh - Home of other Glusker relatives. (Vitebsk Oblast)
- Again, there is a Surazh in the Bryansk Oblast of Russia. Which is more likely the Surazh in Max's memoir.
- Dnieper River - Where Max and Sam Newmark had a job hauling logs before their emigration to the U.S.
- Novoye Mesto - Likely home of Albion Newmark (Called Novo Myesto in Max's Memoirs). An area/suburb of Minsk 27 mi NW of the City of Minsk in the Minsk Oblast.
- However, there also seems to be a Novoye Mesto situated just west of Novozybkov in the Bryansk Oblast of Russia. This is probably the one since Max's memoir says it is only 10-12 miles from Novozybkov.
- Zhilonkevitch - Birthplace of Tsippe Newmark according to family tree on Wikitree (TBD: Find alternate spellings). Possibly Zhytkavichy in the Gomel Oblast
Other Important Locations Outside of Belarus Proper
- Kovno, Lithuania (Kaunas) - Central Lithuania
- Panemune, Lithuania - Home of Leiba Newmark's family, brother of Zalman Mordecai Newmark (aka Penemune in Max's memoir). Western Lithuania, west of Kovno.
- Novozybkov, Russia - Home of Jankov-Michl and family. Likely siblings of Albion or Chana Newmark. This exists in the Bryansk Oblast of Russia, just to the east of the Mogilev and Gomel Oblasts of Belarus.
- Roslavl, Russia - Birthplace of Albion Newmark, oldest know Newmark patriarch. Located in the Smolensk Oblast of Russia, just north of the Bryansk Oblast, just to the east of the Mogilev and Vitebsk Oblasts of Belarus.
- Varena, Lithiania (Orany, Aran ) - Camp where Russian troupes were stationed and Max worked for Leibe supplying barracks.
- Rotterdam, Netherlands - Embarkment point for many Newmark's emigration to the U.S.
Other Towns Mentioned
Because records are spotty, the following list of towns that are findable on the web may/may not be related to our history. Listed here for further research. Perhaps they are different spellings of some of the names above?
- Mogilev - Mentioned in Albion Kahn's memoir as a county in Ukraine, home to his mother Anna Glusker. The city mentioned is Chauchernsk. One old map shows the are Chachersk. Other possible matches are: Khotmisk or Kostyukovichi.
- Novogrudok - Also means "New town". Grodno Oblast, so may be different than Novoye Mesto
- Slonim - Grodno Oblast