R' Abraham Haim Katzenellenbogen-Volovelski

Biographical information for this profile appears on pages 365 and 601 of Chapter 8, of the 3rd edition of the Unbroken Chain, as follows:

Page 601:

G11.2 R' Abraham Haim Katzenellenbogen, born sometime after 1804 (the year his grandfather after whom he was named died). He settled in Drohitchin (Drohiczyn)

Page 365:

G11.2 R' Abraham Haim Katzenellenbogen-Volovelski, born sometime in 1809, the year his namesake grandfather died, and settled in Drohiczyn, east of Brest-Litovsk, and Kobryn. He married into the prominent and wealthy Volovelsky (Volovelski) family of Drohiczyn, later adopting his wife's surname. He was the progenitor of BRANCH G. He was one of the donors to the publication of Avot D'Rebi Natan by R. Elijah of Delyatichi, west of Minsk, published in Vilna-Grodno in 1933 and is listed its the prenumeranten

Note: The year given on page 601 for his grandfather's death conflicts with the date given on page 365. Either way, it would be correct to say that he was born after 1809, as reflected on this profile.

Source: The Unbroken Chain - Neil Rosenstein (3rd Edition) Volume 3, Chapter 8, pages 365 and 601 __________________________________________________________________________________

RABBI AVRAHAM CHAIM KATZENELENBOGEN

       Rabbi Avraham Chaim Katzenelenbogen of Svislotch (near Byalistock) descended from the famous Katzenelenbogen family, which is said to derive from the legendary R. Shaul Wohl, who was king of Poland for one night.

Approximately 175 years ago, Rabbi Katzenelenbogen came to Drohitchin looking for a son-in-law from among the family of Drohitchin Valevelskys, who were among the most veteran families in town.

It is believed the name Valevelsky is derived from the Valevel Estate near Drohitchin. Apparently, the first Valevelsky came to Drohitchin from Valevel.

The bride and groom were accompanied to the wedding canopy over a carpet of velvet that stretched from the house to the synagogue. The groom had received a large dowry for the wedding, and his father, the rabbi of Svislotch, also received a dowry.

Rabbi Avraham Chaim, who was called “the Rabbintchik” spent his entire life in study, and his wife Bodya was the breadwinner. Bodya was involved in the grain business and would shake hands with the noblemen using a glove.

Before his death, Rabbi Avraham Chaim asked for forgiveness from his wife for not having complied with the conditions of the wedding ketubba certificate, insofar as a husband is required to support his wife and children.

The Katzenelenbogens had four sons and two daughters:

Zelig (his children: Sheina-Tsippa, Aharon, Yoel-Leib, Bunya and Sarah); Shimon (died together with his father. Feiga Motya-Liebs was a grandchild; Frank Volin of Chicago [is] a great-grandson);

       Freida (her children are unknown);

       Bunya (her husband was Zelig Kaplan of Brisk. Their children: Zalman, Shimon, Chatskel and Dvasha);

       Pinya (her children: Meir-Leib, Rabbi Yosef Valevelsky and Chatzkel Katzenelenbogen);

       Chatzkel (his children: Moshe-Leib, David, Sheina-Rachel, Leah, Sarah, Dina, Feiga and Chava Averbuch).

       It's noteworthy that all of Rabbi Katzenelenbogen's children used their mother's last name, Valevelsky, and not Katzenelenbogen. The name of the great-grandmother Bodya was also very popular in the Valevelsky family until the present. Almost all girls born later into the Valevelsky family were named Bodya. The original Bodya lived for almost one hundred years.

       Information from Zalman Shevinsky

(From http://www.jewishgen.org/yizkor/drohichyn/dro233.html#katz)