Block and Berkowitz Family
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Moishe
(Morris) Blokh, approximately 26 years of age, son of Shlioma Bloch, was
visiting the unmarried seamstress in Kupishok, when Esther Borukhovitch
(daughter of Shmerel ben Vulf Borukhovich, born 1860, and Khaia,
1863-1912) age 15 wandered in. Morris fell immediately in love and soon
asked Esther’s father, Shmerel, for her hand in marriage. It
was approved, but Esther was not interested. Several days before the
wedding day, young Esther ran off to the train station with her bag of
belongings. Fortunately for all of the descendents Esther was spotted by
a teamster neighbor who notified Esther’s father and was returned
home. They were married March 21, 1903, with the celebration lasting a
week. Prior to getting married, Moishe had been drafted and served 4 years in the army. He was called up again during the Russo- Japanese war; they were expecting their first child Raiza (Rae) and he didn’t want to go to war, so he left his pregnant wife and went to stay with her brother in South Africa. According to family sources, she was thrilled that he was leaving as she could be alone with her parents during the last part of her pregnancy and birth. Before he left he wanted a memento to take with him; Esther’s Hassidic father had forbidden photography, so there were no wedding pictures. They went off to a local photographer with Esther 7 months pregnant in her sky blue wedding dress, open in the back with flowers partially covering the baby bump. When
Rae was 2 years old they immigrated to the US on the Smolensk,
arriving in New York on November 23, 1906 to settle in Paterson, NJ. By
then Esther’s parents had died. (According to Kupiskis death records,
her mother Khaia did not die until 1912.)
One of Moishe’s brothers, Leibe, stayed in Kupishok and
perished with his family in the Holocaust. Other than New Jersey, their
respective families settled primarily in South Africa and Boston. (Excerpted
by Alan Block from notes recorded by June Block Kessler) |
| Marriage of Rose Blokh, Morris' sister, to Max Kalmanowitz, date unknown |
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Sara
Blokh, mother of Morris (sitting), and
his sister Itka Blokh, date unknown |
| 50th
Anniversary (1953) of Morris and Esther Block, with sons and
daughters L to R: top, William Block, Bob Block (Herman), Sam Block, Archie Block; bottom, Rae Block Teplitsky, Morris Block, Esther Borukhovitch Block, Ben Block, June Block Kessler |
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Esther Berkowitz Cutler, daughter of Rasha and Wulf Borukhovich; Bessie Cutler; Abraham Yossie Cutler, husband of Esther Berkowitz; Willie Cutler; Rasha Berkowitz, grandmother of Esther Borukhovitch (Berkowitz); unknown |