Hello,

In the course of researching my BLUM family >from Gebe, Hungary (present
day Nyirkata), I'm seeking to clarify the locations associated with
Rabbi Amram b. Yitzchak Yakov BLUM (1834 - 1907), his siblings and
ancestors. I'm hoping that some of the readers of this posting to
Rav-SIG, H-SIG, Rom-SIG and JewishGen (please forgive the cross-posting)
will be able to assist.

The published sources that I've been able to consult--Magyar Zsido
Lexicon, as well as various online family trees--have Rabbi Amram's
place of birth as Samson, Hungary (present day Hajdusamson). His father
Yitzchak Yakov is also referred to as the 'Shamshon Rav' and the Pinkas
Hakehillot entry for Hajdusamson
(http://www.jewishgen.org/yizkor/pinkas_hungary/hun270.html) states that
he was a Rabbi there but doesn't provide specifics. The Zsido Mult
website
(http://hajdu.zsidomult.hu/index.php/elveszett-koezoessegek/koezponti-jaras/hajdusamson)
[or http://tinyurl.com/jl4fkjh --Mod]
states that he served there until his death in 1851, but since I don't
know Hungarian it's unclear to me when he started; however, the
information at this website
(http://www.virtualjudaica.com/Item/19407/Responsa_Maharaf) about Rabbi
Aharon FRIED states that he served as the rabbi of Hajdusamson >from 1844 -
1860. There is a Karoly Fried listed in Samson in the 1848 Census, but no
details fit other than his birth year.

The research that I've been able to conduct in the primary sources indexed
in the JewishGen Hungary database state that Rabbi Amram (secular name
Abraham), his brother Rabbi Moshe (Moricz) and sister Hava (Eva) were all
born in Nagykaroly (present day Carei, Romania)--see the 1869 Hungarian
Census entry for Mad, Hungary. Additionally, the Encyclopedia Judaica
entry for Amram states that "He studied under his father, who was head of
the bet din in Nagykaroly, and later in the seminaries of Nagykaroly
[under Rabbi Meir Perles], and of Abraham Samuel Benjamin Sofer, rabbi of
Pressburg."

I'm new to rabbinic genealogy, but I'm surprised that there isn't more
information readily available about Amram's father if he indeed was ABD
of Nagykaroly which was an important town at that time and one of the
oldest Jewish communities in Hungary / Transylvania. In addition to the
1869 Census entry, I believe I can substantiate that the family was in
Nagykaroly starting in at least the 1820s as I found an entry for
Yitzchak Yakov's father Levi BLUM in the 1828 Hungarian Property Tax
Census.

According to Yitzchak Yakov's family tree on Geni, his first marriage
was to a STERNBERG who I believe was Rabbi Bernard (Dov Ber) STERNBERG's
daughter and whose other daughter married Rabbi Shimon SOFER (son of
Chatam Sofer). His second marriage was to Miriam ROSENBAUM, daughter of
Rabbi Amram Chassida ROSENBAUM. My limited understanding of rabbinical
marriages leads me to believe that Yitzchak Yakov must have been a fairly
well-known and respected rabbi in his time to have merited matches with
other prominent families, and would align with him being ABD Nagykaroly.

Other than the Encyclopedia Judaica entry though, I can find no other
mention of Yitzchak Yakov as a rabbi in Nagykaroly. According to the
timeline I've been able to piece together >from various sources, Rabbi
Moshe Aryeh b. Mayer Yehuda OSTREICHER served >from 1774 to his death in
1820, followed by Rabbi Isaac b. Asher Uri Lippmann FRANKEL >from 1820 to
his death in 1834, followed by Rabbi Meir b. Isaac Moses PERLES >from 1834
to his death in 1893. However, the book "Wine and Thorns in the Tokay
Valley..." states that Rabbi FRANKEL died on October 10, 1825 which I
would tend to believe since it appears to be well-sourced. That
discrepancy could align with Rabbi BLUM serving at that time, or perhaps
others were considered the chief rabbi while he was ABD?

So, the association with Nagykaroly seems to be well established. What
I'm trying to clarify is the association with Hajdusamson, particularly
in the late 1700s and early 1800s. The later association (i.e. after
1850) seems to be more clear, either with Yitzchak Yakov dying there
and/or Amram serving there in his early career. Amram's son-in-law
Rabbi Yosef Zvi SOFER served there as did his son-in-law Rabbi Gavriel
(Gabor) ILLIOVICS.

The key seems to be finding more information about Yitzhak Yakov and his
father Levi / Lebi. I wonder whether his father was a rabbi, or if not
clearly was wealthy enough to have owned property in Nagykaroly. I'm
hoping that some subscribers will have access to other sources (e.g.
Hakhme Hungaryah and Hakhme Transilvanyah by Yitshak Yosef Kohen,
Toledot Geonei Hagar and Shem ha-Gedolim me-Erets Hagar by Schwartz, or
Rabbi Blum's own works) that may have more information on them.

I speculate, but hope to more definitively establish, that Yitzchak
Yakov was born in Hajdusamson and possibly his father Levi as well.
Unfortunately, I've been unable to locate them in the 1848 Hungarian
Jewish Census records that have been indexed in the JewishGen Hungary
database which could have provided the birthplace. Although there are
no fixed surnames, there are likely candidates in the early 1770 census
indexes due to the given names and frequency of those names in later
BLUM family records.

My apologies for the long note, but I tried to make it as succinct as
possible while including all the information I've found.

Regards,
Aaron Slotnik
Chicago, IL

WOROSHILSKY - Bialystok area, Poland
GOLDBERG, KATZ - Dabrowa Bialostocka, Poland
ZLOTNIK, RZEZNIK - Nowy Dwor Mazowiecki, Zakroczym, and Nasielsk, Poland
SCHAPIRA - Jagielnica and Horodenka, Ukraine
BLUMENTHAL, KANTOR - Borshchiv, Husiatyn and Horodenka, Ukraine
BLUM, KATZ, MARTON, LIEBERMANN, ELKOVITS, VAISZ, SAMUEL - Salaj,
Satu Mare, and Maramures Counties, Romania