Hello all,

I am researching my family history. I am posting with the goal of identifying and hopefully connecting with cousins of mine living in the U.K. that got separated from my family at the beginning of the 20th century. My family, the Liebermans, were most likely from the town of Berezina (in Modern-day Belarus) and two twin Lieberman males and possibly a third older Lieberman brother moved to the U.K. sometime before 1903 (and possibly were married somewhere around that time as well) or maybe a few years earlier.

The two unknown Lieberman male twins and older brother were brothers of my great grandfather. An old family tree lists the eldest brother's Hebrew name as Dov Ber and the twins' names as Avraham Dovid and Yakov Nachum. My great-grandfathers' name is Henry Lieberman (also known as Hillel). They also had a sister named Zlata Bayla and Chana. I have no idea if they went by their Hebrew names or took on secular names and if they went by Lieberman (maybe it was shortened to Lee?). Only my g-grandfathers' brothers went to the U.K.. Zlata Bayla went to the U.S. and Chana we believe went to South Africa. My g-grandfather and his siblings' father's name was Zvulun Lieberman and their mother's name was Rochel (maiden name Frumkin), also known as Fruma Rochel. I am told that Zvulun Lieberman was originally born Zvulun Litman but was adopted by cousins named Lieberman (and changed his surname to Lieberman) to avoid forced conscription. 

The family story is that Henry/Hillel was forcibly conscripted into the Russian army and sent to the front lines in the Russo-Japanese war. Realizing that he faced almost certain death, Henry/Hillel deserted from Manchuria and ran away to Shanghai, eventually making his way to Bombay, India and then to the U.K. (somewhere along the way he may have passed through both/either South Africa and the Suez Canal). Henry/Hillel then lived with his twin brothers in the U.K. for a few months before making his way to America, his final destination. Henry/Hillel arrived in the U.S. through Ellis Island in December 1904.

I am very interested in tracking down what happened to my Lieberman family in the U.K. (Henry's twin brothers and eldest brother) and if any descendants are alive today. If anyone has any connections or recommendations, please let me know.

Thank you so much,
Jason Lieberman jliebe97@...

Jason,

U.K. vital records can be searched at:  https://www.freebmd.org.uk/search

The Poor Jews Temporary Shelter Database can be searched at:
http://www.jewishroots.uct.ac.za/Shelter.aspx
Immigrants could stay there before moving on to their final destinations in The U.K., Africa, America and elsewhere.  You can do a soundex search on the surname.

The 1911 England & Wales Census can be searched at:
https://www.familysearch.org/search/collection/1921547

JewishGen's All United Kingdom Database can be searched at:
https://www.jewishgen.org/databases/UK/

Hope this helps,

Sherri Bobish

I suggest a charity, based in London and Belarus, called The Together Plan.  One of its projects is to carry out a personalised genealogical research in Belarus.  They have the huge advantage of speaking the local languages, plus understanding the local bureaucracy !

Margaret Levin
London UK