Jewish Families of Turov and Zhitkovichi, Belarus

The towns of Turov (Turau, Turaw, Тураў) and Zhitkovichi (Zhitkovich, Zhytkavichy, Zytkowicze) are on either side of the Pripyat River, in the southern Polesia region, now in Belarus.

The two towns are genealogically connected because some families had members in both, or even moved back and forth between the the two. Turov is one of the oldest cities in the area, is situated right on the south bank of the river, and had a population c. 1900 of several thousand — one of the larger towns in the region. Zhitkovichi is a day's wagon journey north, across the river and beyond the extensive swamps, was fairly small, but had the nearest train station.

This is an umbrella project for all Jewish family surname projects with members who live or lived in Turov or Zhitkovichi, or nearby smaller towns. There are around two hundred surnames known for these families. Of course many marriages happened between them, but this is not necessarily well represented at the level of an individual surname project. So this town project will provide a means to link those projects and families together. At its most ambitious, the project could aim toward reconstructing the family relationships of the entire Jewish Turov & Zhitkovichi community through a combination of traditional and genetic genealogy.

There were significant Jewish populations at larger towns near Turov or Zhitkovichi, and some links to projects for them are given below. Nearby smaller towns can be included in this project, but larger ones generally benefit from their own separate project. In particular, an east-west road linked a series of towns along the south bank of the Pripyat River, and two major towns along that road with large Jewish populations were David-Horodok and Stolin to the west and southwest.

Have any suggestions for additions or changes to this page? Please post them to this discussion thread.

Nearby Town Projects at Geni

• Jewish Families of David-Horodok
• Stolin, Belarus

Other Resources

• Jews of Belarus project @ Geni
• SIG (special interest group) @ JewishGen
• Jewish Genealogy Portal @ Geni

Turov

• Turaw, Belarus @ JewishGen KehilaLinks
• Scholarly works from Leonid Smilovitsky (webpage). Wikipedia articles about Dr. Smilovitsky are in French (auto-translated to English) and Russian (auto-translated to English).
  • Origin of Jewish Last Names in Turov, (2003). Leonid Smilovitsky. Published as: Federation of East European Family History Societies (FEEFHS) Journal 11:29-35. Reprinted online as JewishGen Belarus SIG newsletter 12/2004 (Mar).
  • Jews in Turov: The History of a Shtetl in Mozyr's Polesye Region [in Russian] (2008), by Leonid Smilovitskii. Original title: Евреи в Турове: история местечка мозырского полесья (romanized: Evrei v Turove: Istoriia mestechka mozyrskogo polesʹia), by Смиловицкий, Леонид. (ISBN10 9655553523; ISBN13 9789655553529; LCCN 2009465904; OCLC 271676462; OpenLibrary OL24096764M). Table of contents and intro also in English. Available for download from Dr. Smilovitsky's webpage.
• Turov, Belarus @ JewishGen communities DB
• The Jews of Turov
• Jewish Turov
• Turov Family Finder search @ JewishGen
• Turov @ Museum of the History of Polish Jews
• Turov cemeteries @ International Jewish Cemetery Project

Zhitkovichi

• Jewish Families of Turov and Zhitkovichi, Belarus @ Geni
• Zhytokovitchy, Belarus @ JewishGen communities DB
• Zhytkavichy Family Finder search @ JewishGen
• Zhytkavichy @ Wikipedia, also in Russian (transl.), Bylorussian (transl.), and more
• Zhytkavichy cemeteries @ International Jewish Cemetery Project

Known Turov and Zhitkovichi Jewish Surnames

Most names on this listing were copied from the Families page at the excellent JewishGen KehilaLinks website for Turov. Those are being supplemented with names from individual family research, the book "Jews of Turov" by Leonid Smilovitskii (Smilovitsky), and the Family Finder tool at JewishGen (all of the Zhitkovichi names, and up to Turov "Shtilman" so far). Note of course that spellings are highly variable.

The Russian spelling that's shown is particularly useful for searching Dr. Leonid Smilovitsky's book Jews in Turov: The History of a Shtetl in Mozyr's Polesye Region, which is written mostly in Russian and available for download from his webpage. If you find your family name in that book, you can copy the surrounding paragraph to Google Translate for a rough Russian-to-English translation.

Links to some representative genealogical profiles with these surnames are added if they identify the person as born, lived or died in Turov or Zhitkovichi. Not every possible profile will be added — just some early ones to establish that this family was present and to guide genealogists toward lineages.

• Aibinder (Айбиндер) — Boris Ainbinder.
• Aizinman (Айзинман)
• Albertson (Альбертсон)
• Babitsky (Бабицкий)
• Baidachnik (Байдачник)
• Bakman (Бакман)
• Begelman (??) — Toibe Fleytman.
• Begin, Beigin (Бегин) — Private.
• Begun (Бегун)
• Beidrikhs (Бейдрихс)
• Berman (Берман)
• Bindman (Биндман)
• Blokh (Блох)
• Bondar (Бондарь)
• Borodetzky (Бородецкий)
• Borodokskie (Бородокские)
• Borodyansky (Бородянский)
• Borukhman, Boruskin (Борухин, Борускин)
• Brailovskaya (Брайловская)
• Bregman, Bragman (Брегман) — Zeev Bregman.
• Bromberg (Бромберг)
• Bukchin (Букчин)
• Bunevitzky (Буневицкий)
• Burman (Бурман)
• Chechik (Чечик) — Sadie Chechik.
• Chernitsky (Черницкий)
• Chirin (Чирин)
• Chunder (Чуднер)
• Dobrinsky (Добринский)? — Rose Dubrinsky.
• Dombrovitsky (Домбровицкий)
• Dorfman (Дорфман)
• Doroshkin (Дорошкин) — Abraham Doroshkin/ Doroska / Doroski.
• Dorozhko (Дорожко)
• Drozdinsky (Дроздинский)
• Dvorkin (Дворкин)
• Elster (??)
• Epstein, Epshtein (эпштейн)?
• Farber (Фарбер)
• Feldman (Фельдман)
• Fishman (Фишман)
• Fleitman, Fleytman (Флейтман) — Shaya Fleytman.
• Fraiman (Фрайман)
• Freileimand (Фрейлейманд)
• Freir (??)
• Frenkel (Френкель)
• Fridman (Фридман)
• Funtzman (Фунцман)
• Furman (Фурман)
• Garbar, Garber (Гарбар) — Moshe Yosel Garber.
• Gershtein (Герштейн)
• Ginzburg (Гинзбург)
• Gitelman, Gittleman, Gittelman (Гительман) — Samuel "Sam" Gittelman, Timothy Gitelman, Israel Gittelman.
• Gitelson (Гительсон)
• Gizunterman (Гизунтерман)
• Gleiberman (Глейберман)
• Glin (Глин)
• Gliner, Gleener (Глинер) — Yaakov Gleener.
• Glozman, Glassman (Глозман, Глассман)
• Goberman, Hoberman (Гоберман)
• Gokhman, Gofman, Gohman (Гохман) — Judah-Moshe Gofman (Gohman).
• Goldberg (Голдберг)?
• Golin (Голин)
• Golod (Голод)
• Golovey (Головей)
• Gonickman, Honigman, Honikman (Гоникман) — Harry Honikman, Isidore "Levi Itzchak" Honigman, Samuel Honigman, David Honigman (grandson of Avraham Yitzchak Honigman).
• Gorodetzky, Gorazhietsky, Gorodetsky, Gorodzeisky, Gorazhetsky, Gorzhetsky (Городецкие) — Freida Sabasowitz (born Goradiesky).
• Gorelik (Горелик)
• Gorivodskaya (Гориводская)
• Gorodok (Городок)
• Gozman (Гозман)
• Grenader, Granadier, Grenadier, Granadir (Гренадер) — Yankel (Jacob) Granadier, Hershke Granadier, Shlomo Granadir, Menachem (Mendel) Grenadier, and see the project Granadier Families of Belarus.
• Gummer (Гуммер)
• Gursky (Гурский)
• Gurwitz (Гурвица)? (Гурвиц)?
• Gutman, Gutmanovich (Гутман, Гутманович)
• Note: In general, check the "G" section for surnames that start with "H" in English, e.g. Honigman as Gonickman.
• Horowitz, Hurowitz (Горовиц) — Also see the Hurowitz from Belarus project.
• Itkin (Иткин)
• Kabinetzkaya (Кабинецкая)
• Kaganovich (Каганович)
• Kagner (Кагнер)
• Kaiterman (Кайтерман)
• Kalmanov (Калманов) — Rabbi R' Asher Halevi (from Turov) Pinsk Kalminov, "Asher Chana'ls".
• Kalyuzhnaya (Калюжная)
• Kantor (Кантор)
• Kantorovich (Канторович)
• Kaplan (Каплан)
• Karolinsky (Каролинский)
• Karon (Карон)
• Katz (Кац)
• Keler (Келер)
• Khazan (Хазан)
• Khazanovich (Хазанович)
• Khinchik (Хинчик)
• Khochinskaya (Хочинская)
• Khrapunskaya (Храпунская)
• Kirzner, Kirzhner (Кирзнер)
• Kleinberg (Клейнберг)?
• Klugerman (Клугерман)
• Kocherovsky (Кочеровский)
• Koifman (Койфман)
• Komar (Комар)
• Konik (Коник)
• Korobochko, Korobotchka (Коробочко, Коробочка, Коробочки, Коробочку)
• Kotik (Котик)
• Kozhan-Gorodetzky (Кожан-Городецкий)
• Krasilshchikov (Красильщиков) — Vera Honikman (Krasilschek).
• Krugman (Кругман)
• Krymskiy (??) — Ilya Krymskiy.
• Kuznetz, Kuznetzov (Кузнец, Кузнецов
• Kunda (Кунда) — Aharon Kunda, Baruch Kunda.
• Kvechman (Квечман)
• Laikhtman (Лайхтман), Laichtman, Laitkhman, Leikhtman, Latkhman, Lichtman, Leichman, Leichtman, Laichman, Leicheman — "Fannie" Sara Feigel Borkin.
• Laitkhman (Лайтхман) — See: Laikhtman
• Lamdin (Ламдин)
• Lamdman (Ламдман), Landman — Yetta Landman.
• Landau (Ландау)
• Landin (Ландин)
• Latkhman (Латхман) — See: Laikhtman
• Lazebnik (Лазебник)
• Leikhtman (Лейхтман) — See: Laikhtman
• Leitman (Лейтман)
• Lekhchin, Lekhchinov (Лехчин, Лехчинов)
• Lelchuk, Lelchook (Лельчук)
• Levin (Левин) — Also see the Levin Family From Grodno Guberniya project.
• Levshin (Левшин)
• Liberman, Lieberman (Либерман)
• Libman (Либман)
• Libshitz, Lifshitz (Лившиц, Лифшиц)
• Lis (Лис)
• Lutzky, Lutsky (Луцкий)
• Margolin (Марголин)
• Maxman, Maxmann, Maksman (Максман)
• Maxtman, Maxtmann (Махтман)?
• Meklin, Miklin (Меклин) — Rachel Miklin.
• Mendelboim (Мендельбойм)
• Menzel (Мензель)
• Miller (мельник)?
• Mitvokh (Митвох)
• Molochnik, Molochny (Молочник) — Yankel Molochny.
• Mordukhov (Мордухов)
• Muravchik, Muravchick (Муравчик) — Michael Moses Moshe Moisey Muravchick.
• Newman (??) — Isaak Newman ha Levi.
• Offengendin (Оффенгендин)
• Olshansky (Ольшанский)
• Osovsky (Осовский)
• Ozer (Озер)
• Perkin (Перкин)
• Pikhovitzky (Пуховицкий)
• Pilshchik (Пильщик)
• Pinsky (Пинский)
• Pinchuk (Пинчук)
• Polishchuk (Полищук)
• Portman (Портман)
• Rabinovich (Рабинович)
• Raichman, Reichman (Райхман) — Shlomo Raykhman.
• Rashkin (Рашкин)
• Reider (Рейдер)
• Rekhtman (Рехтман)
• Reznik (Резник)
• Richman (Ричман)?
• Rivlina (Ривлина)
• Rimar (Римар)
• Rokhlin (Рохлин)
• Rosansky (??) — Ida Rosansky.
• Rosenfeld (Розенфельд)
• Roshan (Рошан)
• Ryshkin (Рышкин)
• Schumaker (Шумахер)? (Note:Russian for shoemaker is "sapoznick" or сапожник)
• Schwartz (Шварц)
• Schwartzman (Шварцман)
• Shapiro (Шапиро)
• Shepshylin (Шепшулин)
• Shifman, Shiffman (Шифман) — Moishe Velvl Shiffman.
• Sklyaver (Шклявер)
• Shklov (Шклов)
• Shleizman (Шлейзман)
• Shlyapintokh, Shlapintoch (Шляпинтох)
• Shnaidman, Schneidman (Шнайдман) — "Harry" Aaron Schneidman, Golda Shnaydman.
• Shneiderman (Шнейдерман)
• Shpeizman (Шпейзман)
• Shtelman, Shtilman (Штельман)
• Shub (Шуб)
• Shukhman (Шухман)
• Shulman (Шульман)
• Shusterman (Шустерман)
• Slavkin (Славкин)
• Slepchin (Слепчин)
• Soshkin (Сошкин)
• Soshnik (Сошник)
• Starobinsky, Storobinsky (Старобинский) — Samuel, Gayla Schneidman.
• Streletz (Стрелец)
• Shvartzman (Шварцман)
• Shvetz (Швец)
• Tabachnik (Табачник)
• Teplenky (Тепленький)
• Tkach (Ткач)
• Tsitlik (??) — Roza Tsitlik.
• Turoff (Туров)
• Tzibel (Цимбел)
• Vager (Вагер)
• Vainblat (Вайнблат)
• Vainer (Вайнер)
• Vikhnes (Вихнес)
• Volakh (Волах)
• Vygonskie, Viganskaya (Выгонские) — Sarah Raykhman.
• Yakovich (Якович)
• Yakhnich (Яхнич)
• Yudnovich (Юднович, Юдович)
• Yudkovich (Юдкович)
• Zaichik (Зайчик)
• Zager (??) — Nathan Zager
• Zamdvais (Замдвайс)
• Zapesotzsky, Zapesotsky (Запесоцкий) — Shmuel Zapesotsky.
• Zaretsky (Зарецкий)
• Zheleznyak (Железняк)
• Zholkver (Жолквер)
• Zilber (Зильбер)
• Zingman (Зингман)
• Zlatin (Златин)