About Mozyr:  *Historical note: According to the 1897 Russian Census, 69.7% of the population of Mozyr was Jewish. Mozyr, located in Belarus, was, at that time, part of the Russian Empire having been acquired by Catherine II. Minsk is also located in Belorus. Belorus is bordered on its north by Lithuania. Rosseniai is a city that was, at that time, in the region or "gubernia" of Kovno, Lithuania. During the occupation of Lithuania by the Russian Empire, Lithuania was divided into three main governorates, one of which was Kaunas (Kovno). Rasainenai is located west of the city of Kovno. Before Lithuania's independence, the city was generally known in English as Kovno, the traditional Slavic form of its name; the Polish name is Kowno. The traditional Russian name is Ковно although Каунас has been used since 1940. The Yiddish name is Kovne קאָװנע) while its names in German include Kowno and Kauen. Click here to read a brief history of Rosseinn.)  

PATERNAL SIDE: BORIS (Borispolsky)  

The known history of the Boris side of our family tree begins with my great-grandparents,  Yaakov Moshe Borispolsky and his wife Ana Bessie (Chana Batya?) (nee) Swirsky (and Meyers on the maternal side).  (Hyman Boris, my grandfather's brother, lists his father as Jacob Boris and his mother as Bessie Rachlin on his brother Joseph Boris’ certificate of death in 1941.  I believe “Rachlin” may refer to their foster mother.

For a while, at least, Yaakov Moshe and Chana Borispolski lived in Mozyr, Russia, and this is where my grandfather, Joseph Boris, was born.  Mozir is located in Belorus, in the extreme south, just north of the border between Belorus and Ukraine, in Minsk guberniya. (Click here for map of Mozyr.)  (Click here for satellite photo of Mozyr.) 

There are two known children of Yaakov Moshe and Ana Bessie:

1) Joseph (Yosef) and
2) Hyman (Yehoshua?).

Both immigrated to America.  However, on the family photograph, there are other children, and we do not have any knowledge of any other than Hyman and Joseph. 

Origins of the surname Borispolsky We are not exactly sure of its origin, or where the Borispolski family came from before Mozyr.  The most likely answer is that it was "Barishpolski", a common Jewish surname in Kiev, and that the family immigrated toward the Baltic Sea from there.  Note: The surname "Barishpolski" is said to derive from B (ben) R (rabbi) SH (Shimon), with "polski" tacked on.

Origins of the maternal surname Swirsky: This name may indicate that Ana Bessie came from the town of Swir, located in Belarus.  Swir is just south of the border between Belarus and Lithuania.  Click here to read more about Swir.  

Immigration History: Borischpolsky 

The first Borispolsky I found immigrating to the US – arriving through Ellis Island on August 8, 1912, was Chasia Borispolsky, age 23, married, age 27, traveling with her three sons,  Lael (?) 6 yo)< (4 yo), Lieb, and Itzig (infant).   She was traveling to Philadelphia, to be with her husband, Abraham Borischpolsky, who was living at 415 Lombard Street.  She indicated she was born in Bialacerkow, known today as Bila Tserkva, and indicating it was part of Kiev.   She indicated the name of her closest living relative in Bialacerkow was Hershel Gligin (spelling?).  We have not been able to link this Borispolsky with our family tree, although both families were from Kiev.

JOSEPH BORIS (Borispolsky) (1888 - 1941)  (Yosef ben (son of) Yaakov Moshe) 

1913: My grandfather “Josef Borispolski” arrived at the Port of Philadelphia on March 20, 1913, age 25,  hids year of birth was estimated to be 1888.  He listed his Birthplace, Mosyr (located northwest of Kiev), Russia, Last Residence: Minsk; father, Yankel* (*nickname for Yaakov) Borispolski, currently in Mozyr.  He was met at the Port of Philadelphia by his brother Hyman Borispolski, and he is headed to Johnstown PA, which was booming at that time due to the coal industry.

1917: Next, on June 5, 1917 Joseph Borispolsky registered for the draft for WW1.  He listed his birth date as June 10,1888, place of birth Mozir, Russia.  He was a clerk employed by his brother Hyman Boris ("Uncle Hymie") at 119 Broad Street, Johnstown.  Joseph was, at that time, single and he indicated that he was a Private in the Infantry in Russia and served for 3 years.  He signed his name as Joseph Borispolsky.  His height was “medium”, build “stout”, hair black, eyes, black.  (If he was born in 1888, he was 29 at the time. If he was born in 1892, he was 26.)

I have been unable to locate Joseph Boris in the 14^th Census of the United States (1920), who would be 32 at that time.

We don't know how they met, but on June 29, 1922, Joseph Boris and Ida Tanur applied for a license to wed in the City of Philadelphia.  Joseph Boris listed his occupation as merchant, place of residence as 5841 Larchwood Avenue, and date of birth as July 15, 1892.  He listed his mother as Ana Bessie (paternal: Swirsky; maternal: Meyers) and indicated that (in 1922) both his mother and father were deceased. (If he was born in 1892, he was 30 at the time and if he was born in 1888, he was 34 at the time.  We theory that he is born in 1888, since his 26-year old wife Ida was born in 1896, and this would make him a younger 30, not an older 34.)

1930: Joseph and Ida Boris were living with the Jacob (Menachem Nachum) and Lena Sporkin - the Sporkins hailed from near the town of Gorodishche, Kiev (500 Km south of Mozyr) - and their two youngest children, Mollie (11 yo)  and Charles (8 yo). The two families were related through Ida Tanur: Lena Sporkin and Ida (Tanur) Boris were first cousins -- same "thin lips" and "pointed chin" as Sarah: Ida's mother and Lena's father (Moshe Zev) were siblings. Lena married Jacob Sporkin (hence, Lena Meyers Sporkin), The Sporkins and Joseph and Ida Boris were listed in the 1930 Census Record, along with Theona (Chana Tuba) (7 yo) and Jerome (Yaakov Moshe) (5 yo) and they lived on North 7^th Street. But Nathan (17 yo), Morris (15 yo) and Abraham (13 yo), the older children are not listed. Betty Ida was born to Joseph and Ida Boris soon after the cencus was taken.

This is when the tragedy that broke my father's young family apart occured: His mother died in the hospital, shortly after giving birth to Betty Ida; the children lived with One of the Sporkin children was Mollie, who had married Benjamin Tress, and the children lived with Mollie and Benjamin Tress shortly thereafter. Then Joseph turned the three children over, my father was 11 or 12 at the time, to the care of foster parents, visiting the children sporadically. My father recalls his father smoking, and coughing a lot during these short visits. (Mollie Tress, sadly, died in June 1936 at the age of 37.)

In 1936, Joseph Boris moved to New York City, to 91 Second Avenue (See photo at left.) He got a job at Turin’s Restaurant, at 76 Second Avenue, as a singing waiter.  He was 48.  (I have photographs of his place of residence; the restaurant is across the street and down one block and has been converted to a Spanish church.)  (He applied for Social Security on Dec. 14, 1936.)

<--  91 Second Avenue (pictured in November, 2006)


1941:  He returned to Uniontown PA, living at 77-1/2 Main Street. His brother and sister-in-law, Hymie and Sadie Boris (see below), were also living in Johnstown.  Joseph Boris was niftar on June 5, 1941, at 6 pm.  He is buried in the Holy Society Cemetery, Uniontown, PA.



 

HYMAN BORIS

Hyman, who was known as Hymie, was my dad's uncle, my grandfather's brother. 

Jan. 15, 1882 - "Uncle Hymie" was born on this date (according to his WWII Draft Registration card).  I have found no immigration record for Hyman Boris or Hyman or Chaim Borispolski.

1918:  Hyman Boris' WWI Draft Registration card lists his address as 119 Broad Street, Johnstown, Cambria, PA.  He indicated his wife “Saidie Boris”.  His occupation was “merchant”, at the same 119 Broad Street address.  Physical characteristics, height 5’6”, eyes brown, hair dark brown.

1920: The next listing jumped to 1920, the 14^th Census of the United States.  Hyman (Hymie) and Sadie Boris were living at 115b Broad Street, Johnstown (Cambria County), with their 3 children, Rebecca (6), Jacob (5) and Bessie (2).  They had a servant, Mary Belah.  (It is this that I believe links Joseph Boris to Ida Tanur: Hyman Boris lived in Johnstown and Ida Tanur lived outside of Altoona, and I believe they may have met - or been set up - here in western PA.)

During WW2, Hymie and Sarah Boris were living in in Jamaica, NY.  He indicated he was working for the Capital Home Improvement Co., 125 W. Main St., Uniontown.

972: Sadie Boris died in Jamaica, Queens, NY, in June, 1972.  Her date of birth was April 15, 1887.

TANUR BRANCH: My father's maternal side

I am able to trace my great-grandparents with certainty:  They were Tsvi Hirsh Harry) Tanur and his wife Chana Toba (nee) Myers. They lived in Roseinai, Lithuania.  She was born in Roseniai (a city in the region or "gubernia" of Kovno), Lithuania. (See map below.) The (known) children of Tsvi Hirsh and Chana Toba Tanur were Sarah and Chaya Henya (Ida), both of whom came to America; we are trying to document whether there were other siblings as well, as we now believe there may well have been.  (For details, see Tanur page).
 
 

MATERNAL SIDE:

IDA (Chana Henya) TANUR (b. 1891 or 1896,  d. 1930)

"Chaya Henya" (Ida) Tanur, my grandmother, arrived at Ellis Island on July 12, 1910 , having sailed on the SS Nieuw Amsterdam, from Rotterdam. The manifest listed Chaje Tanur, last place of Residence: Reseinn.  She listed her age as 19 and she was a seamstress.  Her father’s name was given as Hirschel Tanur, from Reseinn, Kovno.  She was listed as “Hebrew” and traveling to Expedit, PA to live with her uncle, H Tanur (Hyman Tanur), who lived in Twin Rocks Station, PO Box 196, Expedit Pa.  (See below.)

Meanwhile, Ida's aunt and uncle, Hyman and Rachel Tanur, were indicated in the 1910 census, living in Blacklick County, PA, with sons Samuel (17 yo, Solomon (15 yo), Jacob (7 yo), and daughters Fanny (4 yo) and Ida (3 yo). They had immigrated to the US in 1902.  Jacob, Fanny and Ida were both born in the United States.

Joseph Boris and Ida Tanur marry: On June 29, 1922, Joseph Boris and Ida Tanur (see Boris(polsky) section) applied for a license to wed.  Here, she listed her date of birth as December 19, 1896. She listed her father as an Americanized name Harry and her mother as an Americanized name, Ana Tillie (nee) Myers.  She indicated her father was alive and living in Russia, her mother was deceased.  She also indicated her address was the same as her husband-to-be, 2841 Larchwood Avenue, Philadelphia.

1930 Census: Joseph and Ida Boris were living at 5803 Larchwood Avenue, Philadelphia.  By this time, they had three children: Theona (Chana Tova), Jerome (Yaakov Moshe) and Betty (Betty Ida).  They were living with the Sporkins (see below) at this time.   

My grandmother, Mrs. Ida Boris was niftar, Presbyterian Hospital in Philadelphia, at the age of 34, on April 24, 1930., at 9:45 a.m., shortly after her third child, Betty, was born.  My grandmother was laid to rest at Mt. Lebanon Cemetery, Collingdale, on April 25th. Her birthstone indicates her Hebrew name of Chaya Hania bat Tsvi. We have no photographs of my grandmother.

We have no known photos of my grandmother Ida, only her sister Sarah.

MATERNAL SIDE: SARAH Tanur (b. May 1, 1896    d. May 1984)

Sara Tanur arrived at Ellis Island on Dec. 9, 1920, on the SS Oscar II, sailing from Copenhagen; she was 23 at the time. It indicated her language as German, and her birthplace as Rosseinic, Lithuania.  She was going to visit her uncle, Jacob Sporkin, at 308 North 7^th Street., Philadelphia.  Her height was given as 5’ 3”.  (Sarah Tanur was related to the Sporkins through Lena: Sarah and Ida's mother and Lena's mother were sisters.)

Sarah Tanur married Abe King (Sept. 7, 1884 - March 1982).  In 1937 they were living at 5940 Hazel Avenue. Abe had a business at 104 North 60th Street named "West Philadelphia Decorating Co."  Abe was from England; his parents are David King and Milly (nee) Singer.

In October 19, 1942, they were living at 547 S. Salford Street.  As indicated in the Boris(polsky) section, Sarah Tanur applied for her social security card on October 19, 1942.  She listed her date of birth as March 12, 1896.  She listed her father’s name as Girsh Tanur, and her mother as Tobey Myers.  She listed her place of birth as Rosseniai, Lithuania.  On July 21, 1943, "Aunt Sarah" became a citizen of the USA.

Sarah (nee Tanur) and Abe King moved to Los Angeles, CA.  Sarah passed away on May 16, 1984, and is buried at Mt. Sinai Memorial Park, Los Angeles, CA.

 Click here to Continue with:  TANURs