Sarah Riva Helfet is the sister-in-law of Sarah Ann Levin, my 2x great aunt. Helfet family HERE. Her name was also spelt Sara. Her younger sister Sarah (1884 - 1939) had the same English first name. I can only assume that their Hebrew or Yiddish names were different and when they came to England they both took the same English first name
Born: 1873 in Chernuch, Russian Empire, nowadays Chornukhy (Ukrainian: Чорнýхи; Russian: Чернýхи), a rural settlement in Lubny Raion, Poltava Oblast, central Ukraine.
Hebrew name: Sara Riva daughter of Yaakov
Migration: The family came to Liverpool, England in 1892 when Sarah was 19 years old. She and her family then emigrated to the United States in around 1901 at around age 28. They settled first in Chicago, before living in Sioux City. A few years after her husband Lazar's death in 1932 she moved to Venice, Los Angeles
Married: Lazarus Goldsmith in Chernuch, Russian Empire in around 1891 when Lazarus was 21 and Sarah 19
Children
Their first child was born in 1899 when Lazarus was 30 and Sarah 26. Their last child was born in 1905 when Lazarus was 36 and Sarah 32
- Jack Maxwell Goldsmith 1899 - 1982 (born Jacob)
- Lillian Goldsmith 1902 - 1970 (born Elizabeth)
- Solomon (Sol) Goldsmith 1904 - ? (after 1947) (born Charles)
Census details
1901
Sarah is age 28 and living at 22 Vale Road, Rhyl, Wales, with her 19 month old son Jacob. Her husband Lazarus is living with Sarah's sister Nellie and her family in Liverpool, England. I have no idea why Sarah at this time is living in Wales apart from her husband
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1910
In the 1910 census the family are living in 9a Cook Street, Sioux City, Iowa, USA. Lazarus is age 38 and a fruit peddler. Sarah is age 34 and the children are Jack age 10, Elizabeth (Lizzie) age 8 and Charles (Charlie) age 6. Living with them is a lodger, Emil Karas age 26 who is working in a retail grovery store
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1915
Sarah's card in the 1915 census. She is living in Sioux City, Iowa
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1920
In the 1920 census the family are now living in 1106 10th Street, Sioux City, Iowa, USA. Lazarus is age 49 and the owner of a grocery store. Sarah is age 47 and the children are Jack age 19, Elizabeth age 18 and Solomon age 15
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1925
In the 1925 census the family are now living at 2023 Grandview Boulevard, Sioux City, Iowa, USA. Lazarus is age 52, Sarah is age 50 and the only child still living at home is Elizabeth age 22
1930
In the 1930 census the family are now living at 1003 Pierce Street, Sioux City, Iowa, USA. Lazarus is age 59, the manager of a grocery store and Sarah is age 56. Their surname is misspelled as Goldstein
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In the 1940 census Lazarus is deceased having died in 1932 and Sarah, now age 67, has living with her daughter Lillian Mushkin, age 37 and a lingerie saleslady. With them are Lillian's two children, Marilyn age 11 and Burton age 9. They are now living at 15 Paloma Avenue, Venice, Los Angeles, California, USA. In 1935 they were still living at Sioux City. Lillian's husband Arthur is lodging at 3042 Livonia Street in Los Angeles. They were still together in the 1950 census so I am not sure why they were living apart at this time
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Death
Tombstone inscription: Mother. Sarah R Goldsmith June 10, 1947
Hebrew translation: Sarah Riva daughter of Jacob. Died 22 Sivan 5707 (Jun 10, 1947)
Poltava Region
Jews began to settle in the region during the early 17th century in the process of Jewish participation in the colonization of Ukraine. By 1610 there was a Jewish community in Berezan (to the north of Pereyaslav), and within a few decades about a dozen Jewish communities were established in the districts of *Pereyaslav and Mirgorod, of which the largest were in Pereyaslav and *Lubny. Jews engaged in commerce and the leasing of estates, flour mills, liquor distilleries, breweries, and inns. There was strong competition from Christian towns-men, and during the *Chmielnicki massacres of 1648 these communities were among the first to be destroyed. After the region came under Russian rule Jews were not permitted to live there until the first partition of Poland in 1772. Individual Jewish families, however, settled in various estates under the protection of their owners despite frequent expulsions by the authorities.
After the first partition of Poland in 1772, Jewish settlement on the eastern bank of the river Dnieper was renewed, and by 1792 there were over 700 Jews in the region, most of whom lived on estates or in villages. In 1794 this region, which then formed part of the province of Yekaterinoslav, was incorporated within the *Pale of Settlement. In 1803 there were 82 Jewish merchants and 2,030 Jews classed as townsmen living in the province of Poltava, which was formed in 1802. The community of *Kremenchug was the largest in the district, and developed in particular owing to its position on the Dnieper, the main waterway from Lithuania to the south. It accounted in 1897 for 30% of the Jews in the province. In 1847, 15,572 Jews were counted in the 18 communities of the province (which also included the Jews in the small settlements and their environs). Their numbers increased as a result of a large emigration from Lithuania and Belorussia, and were estimated at 84,000 in 1881. The census of 1897 recorded 111,417 Jews (4% of the total population) in Poltava province (the lowest percentage of Jews in all the provinces of the Pale). The Russian-Ukrainian majority had a strong assimilationist influence on the Jews in the province, who were a minority in all the towns; it was only in Kremenchug that their numbers approached half the population. On the other hand, *Chabad Ḥasidism, which penetrated from the north, was an important spiritual influence (the tomb of *Shneur Zalman of Lyady, the founder of Chabad Ḥasidism, is in *Gadyach in Poltava province).
About one half of the Jews of the province of Poltava earned their livelihood from commerce (in contrast to 38.5% in the whole of Russia), and about 30 percent were engaged in crafts and industry. Commerce was principally conducted in grain and other agricultural produce. Although some Jews owned saw mills, brick-kilns, flour mills, alcohol distilleries, and other enterprises, the overwhelming majority of the workers in them were non-Jews. During the spring of 1881 pogroms occurred in the north of the province of Poltava. In 1905 a wave of pogroms swept across 52 settlements of the province. The most severely affected were Gadyach, Kremenchug, Romny, and Zolotonosha.
During World War I thousands of refugees and Jews expelled from the battle zone arrived in the province of Poltava and found refuge in the Jewish communities. During the Civil War, the communities of the western section of the province suffered especially from pogroms by bands of Ukrainians and the "volunteer army" of A.I. *Denikin. In 1926 there were approximately 93,000 Jews in the five districts (Kremenchug, Lubny, Poltava, Priluki, Romny) of the former territory of the province of Poltava.
10 June 1947 age 75 in Venice, Los Angeles, California. She is buried on 11 June 1947 in the Home of Peace Memorial Park, East Los Angeles, Los Angeles County, California, United States of America
Death certificate for Sarah Goldsmith who died on 10 June 1947. She is listed as living at 15 Paloma Avenue, Venice, Los Angeles, California. She died of heart disease
Hebrew translation: Sarah Riva daughter of Jacob. Died 22 Sivan 5707 (Jun 10, 1947)
Place of Birth
Sarah Riva Helfet was born in Chernuch, Russian Empire, nowadays Chornukhy (Ukrainian: Чорнýхи; Russian: Чернýхи), Chernich (Yiddish) and Chernuchi (German), a rural settlement in Lubny Raion, Poltava Oblast, central Ukraine.
Chornukhy
The earliest known Jewish community was by the end of the 18th century. In 1900 the Jewish population was 275 and in 1926 it was 366. Chornukhy was occupied by the Germans on September 17, 1941. During that month 132 Jews were shot by local police in the Chornukhy County park. The village was liberated by the Red Army on September 17, 1943. The present town population is 1,000-5,000 with fewer than 10 Jews.
Poltava Region
Jews began to settle in the region during the early 17th century in the process of Jewish participation in the colonization of Ukraine. By 1610 there was a Jewish community in Berezan (to the north of Pereyaslav), and within a few decades about a dozen Jewish communities were established in the districts of *Pereyaslav and Mirgorod, of which the largest were in Pereyaslav and *Lubny. Jews engaged in commerce and the leasing of estates, flour mills, liquor distilleries, breweries, and inns. There was strong competition from Christian towns-men, and during the *Chmielnicki massacres of 1648 these communities were among the first to be destroyed. After the region came under Russian rule Jews were not permitted to live there until the first partition of Poland in 1772. Individual Jewish families, however, settled in various estates under the protection of their owners despite frequent expulsions by the authorities.
After the first partition of Poland in 1772, Jewish settlement on the eastern bank of the river Dnieper was renewed, and by 1792 there were over 700 Jews in the region, most of whom lived on estates or in villages. In 1794 this region, which then formed part of the province of Yekaterinoslav, was incorporated within the *Pale of Settlement. In 1803 there were 82 Jewish merchants and 2,030 Jews classed as townsmen living in the province of Poltava, which was formed in 1802. The community of *Kremenchug was the largest in the district, and developed in particular owing to its position on the Dnieper, the main waterway from Lithuania to the south. It accounted in 1897 for 30% of the Jews in the province. In 1847, 15,572 Jews were counted in the 18 communities of the province (which also included the Jews in the small settlements and their environs). Their numbers increased as a result of a large emigration from Lithuania and Belorussia, and were estimated at 84,000 in 1881. The census of 1897 recorded 111,417 Jews (4% of the total population) in Poltava province (the lowest percentage of Jews in all the provinces of the Pale). The Russian-Ukrainian majority had a strong assimilationist influence on the Jews in the province, who were a minority in all the towns; it was only in Kremenchug that their numbers approached half the population. On the other hand, *Chabad Ḥasidism, which penetrated from the north, was an important spiritual influence (the tomb of *Shneur Zalman of Lyady, the founder of Chabad Ḥasidism, is in *Gadyach in Poltava province).
About one half of the Jews of the province of Poltava earned their livelihood from commerce (in contrast to 38.5% in the whole of Russia), and about 30 percent were engaged in crafts and industry. Commerce was principally conducted in grain and other agricultural produce. Although some Jews owned saw mills, brick-kilns, flour mills, alcohol distilleries, and other enterprises, the overwhelming majority of the workers in them were non-Jews. During the spring of 1881 pogroms occurred in the north of the province of Poltava. In 1905 a wave of pogroms swept across 52 settlements of the province. The most severely affected were Gadyach, Kremenchug, Romny, and Zolotonosha.
During World War I thousands of refugees and Jews expelled from the battle zone arrived in the province of Poltava and found refuge in the Jewish communities. During the Civil War, the communities of the western section of the province suffered especially from pogroms by bands of Ukrainians and the "volunteer army" of A.I. *Denikin. In 1926 there were approximately 93,000 Jews in the five districts (Kremenchug, Lubny, Poltava, Priluki, Romny) of the former territory of the province of Poltava.
Residence
In 1901 Sarah and her infant son Jacob are living at 22 Vale Road, Rhyl, Wales
