Brodsky and Winokur Family Trees

Rachel Brodsky Jurnoft

When Meische (Morris), Aron (Harry) and Welvel (William) came to America, their contact in Philadelphia was their brother-in-law, Samuel Jurnoft of 791 Eastwick Street. They were subject to a Board of Special Inquiry in Philadelphia, where Morris testified that Samuel was the husband of their sister Rachel, that Samuel had been in Philadelphia for three years (since about 1903), that Samuel worked as a butcher, that Rachel had been in Philadelphia for one year (since about 1905), and that Rachel and Samuel had two children.

Rachel also testified at the hearing, and her testimony was slightly different. She said that Samuel could not appear because he was not feeling well. She said that she lived at 791 Eastwick Ave, that Samuel was a butcher and grocer, that Samuel had been in Philadelphia for four years and Rachel had been here for three, that their house had six rooms and the store, and that she had two children. She described the brother and sister of Morris's wife Yetta as her cousins, which may indicate that her husband was Yetta's cousin, or may indicate that Morris and Yetta were cousins.

I have found no evidence of any couple that meets the description of Rachel and Samuel, and the address 791 Eastwick is not a real address, which may indicate that they were fake people used to help immigrants get into the country. I have seen examples of this before. Or it may indicate that their names were so far changed in America that I cannot identify their records and the address was written down incorrectly (there was a butcher named Samuel Radoff at a 7901 Eastwick in the 1910s but the wife's name was Ida and they had less children).

If you can shed any light on this Jurnoft connection, please let me know!