Esther Herman

Esther Berg was born either 1872 or 1870. She married twice. Her first husband was Irving (Israel) Isenberg (Eisenberg) (~ 1870-1900), son of Zalock. They married in Kamenetz Podolsky, Ukraine. Irving died just before the last of the Isenberg children was born (actually the last Isenberg born was named after his father). Esther left Kamenetz with her 4 children shortly after that and arrived to the USA on the S.S. Saint Paul on Sep 24, 1904 stating there as her next of kin a Brother in Law in Providence, RI. An interesting fact is that only Morris and Jacob are mentioned in the Ellis Island Manifest. Esther married later Zalmon (Samuel) Herman 1867-1929. Esther and Zalmon Herman were sweethearts in the Ukraine and as the story goes Esther was forbidden to continue seeing Zalmon by her family because they felt that he was beneath her status. After she arrived in the U.S. she met Zalmon again. Zalmon told her that he had been married in Kamenetz, that his wife had died and that their's was a childless marriage. The truth was that his wife had not died and that he had traveled to the U.S. after having promised his wife and 5 children that he would, in the U.S., make the money necessary to bring them all over to the U.S. The relationship with Esther deepened and they got married (making Zalmon a bigamist!)

In the mean time, Zalmon's 1st wife died in Kamenetz and the children were left parentless. Money somehow was raised and one of the sons, presumably the eldest, Benjamin, was chosen to go to the U.S. and find their father to tell him that his wife was dead. Benjamin arrived unannounced on the doorstep of Zalmon's and his new wife's home. Of course, this was quite a shock for everyone: Zalmon because he was found out, Esther because she was unaware of Zalmon's other family, Benjamin because he had no idea that his father had another wife. When the dust settled Esther agreed to take Benjamin in and one by one Zalmon and Esther raised the money and brought the rest of Zalmon's children to the U.S.

The household consisted of Zalmon, Esther, the 4 original Isenberg children, the 5 original Herman children and 5 new Herman/Isenberg children: a total of 14 children!.