Hi Leah,

My great grand aunt Rebecca Plotnovosky from Raczki in Suwalki gubernia married Solomon Berkowitz Karobelnik from Kovno in Hull, UK in 1887. He dropped the Karobelnik as apparently it means a tinker, or travelling salesman and is derogatory, and he was known as Berkowitz. His children shortened the name to Birks - I am in contact with this family who are on MyHeritage.

In the course of my research, I found that Suwalki Karobelniks went to France, and there is a famous surgeon amongst their descendants who is on the internet.

Jill Whitehead, Surrey, UK