mlbishow@... writes:
I was told that KATZ meant cohen tzadik (righteous cohen). My
grandfather, Shimon KATZ, fiercely denied that he was a cohen, as did his
cousins ....

The story told to me by my mother was that the SABEL family in Lithuania
(possible Rietavas or vicinity) wanted to avoid recruitment. Therefore half
of the brothers changed their surname to KATZ and the other half did not do
so. The KATZ siblings went to USA while the SABELs stayed in Lithuania and
Latvia. Unfortunately I have no idea how to find anyone of that lost branch.

Ella Barkan
Tel-Aviv

Researching:
AVRECH, SABEL-Retowo, Mazeik Lithuania / Liepaja, Riga Latvia / Poland
JACOBSON-Libau (Liepaja), Riga, Jekabpils Latvia > Bronx NY 1906, Israel 1962
TROTIZ- Svenciany, Lithuania / Libau, Riga Latvia / Paris, France 1938
MAMJOFFE, VOLK - Mazeik Lithuania / Libau Latvia BARKAN, DONDE, FONAROV -
Latvia, USA, Argentina, Uruguay, Israel ZIDON – Leizuva, Mazeik Lithuania /
Libau, Riga Latvia / South Africa /
Israel ~1922