I am Damon Raphael, MD age 85 and retired near Tucson, AZ, USA. I was born and grew up in Brooklyn, NY. I have a suspected connection with an Isidore Hershkowitz born 1874 in Romania living as "brother" with widowed Molly Solomon and her children Jack, Phillip and Rose B on E 117th St in Manhattan, NYC in the 1920 US Census.
Molly Moskowitz Solomon was my maternal great aunt born in Romania. She was born circa 1874 and is thought to have died in Brooklyn, NY in 1959. I think that I met her when I was very young. I do not remember her but she is clearly remembered by my brother and 1st cousin.
Molly, known to our family as "Tanta Malka" was an interesting woman of mystery. My mother left family notes. She said that Molly's husband was "Chaim" Solomon but she is in the earlier Censuses first with Max Solomon as her husband and then listing her as widowed in the 1915 US Census. In the 1920 US Census she is living with her 3 children and Isidore Hershowitz as her brother.
It is commonly believed in my late mothers family that Molly's grandmother was of Romani (Gypsy) origin. During World War 2, Molly ran a Gypsy Tea Room in Manhattan which catered to servicemen. One distant cousin from Molly's sister Pauline "Leike" Moskowitz Rosenthal's family, referred to Molly as "the Tarot Reader".
My 1st cousin Barbara Moskowitz Schwartz remembers visiting with Molly, who was living alone in Brooklyn with sister Leike when Barbara was very young. She related that Molly told her fortune, reading her palm.
I have not been able to find any DNA connection for me with Molly's descendants, which has led me to suspect that she might not be a direct relative to me. When I found the 1920 US Census record with a Hershowitz brother, it made me wonder if she could have been a half sister of my grandfather Isidore Moskowitz. I have been able to connect with DNA with the rest of my grandfather's siblings but never to any of Molly's descendants.
My grandfather Isidore Moskowitz claimed in his Naturalization Document that he was born in Iasi, Romania but his sisters called him "The Turk". He did not have a close relationship with his sisters. My mom related that the family came from Turkey originally and had the surname "Miron (?Myron or Mairon). Isidore;s father was a Turkish fisherman who moved the family first to Russia and finally Romania according to my mother's notes.The family name was change to Moskowitz supposedly to avoid military conscription. That would have likely been the fear of Turkish Army conscription.
My tree is here on GENI, on My Heritage and Ancestry. My most reliable and up to date is on Ancestry. I am also on FamilySearch and Wikitree. My trees are PUBLIC under my name. I believe that Molly was already married to Max Solomon when she arrived in NYC.
If you wish to contact me directly:
w7md@arrl.net
Best regards and good luck in locating your relatives. Please let me know if you come up with something.
Damon Raphael, MD
Vail, AZ, USA
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