The Levin Family
My earliest Levin ancestors about whom I know something were Ayzik (1771 to 1828) and Fruma Golda (1770 to ?) who lived in the shtetl of Uzda which was in Russia but is now not far from Minsk, the capital of Belarus. Their son Mordukh showed courage when he and two other parents in 1833 lodged a formal complaint with the Minsk Governor about the abduction by the military of their sons who were less than 12 years old, the legal minimum age for recruitment. Sadly, there is no record of the Governor's reply and we have no further information about Abram, Mordukh's son, so we can assume that he did not survive his 25-year army service.
In 1845 at age 17 Mordukh's son Itsko Ayzik applied to live in Minsk. Within a year he had married Chaya and they had their first child, Risya. Itsko was a tinsmith and eventually owned his own one story iron-roofed brick house with a wooden shed on Bogodelnaya Street (in 1922 renamed Komsomolskaya Street). When Risya was about 20 she married Baruch Axelrod, another Minsk resident. In 1886, the couple and their six children emigrated to New York City, becoming Rose and Barnet Axelrod.
Sadly, I have no photograph of Risya/Rose. The only image I have documents her death.
Gravestone of Risya Rose Levin Axelrodd.
View photographs and read the story of a trip to Minsk, home of the Levins.
Risya (Rose) Levin, daughter of Itsko and Chaya, married Barnet Axelrod. See the Axelrod family page.
Report on genealogical research of Levin family from shtetl Uzda of Minsk uyezd and town Minsk.
1811. Revision list of Jews from shtetl Uzda of Minsk uyezd
№ 15. Ayzik son of Abram-Sholom Levin – 40 years old
His wife: Fruma-Golda – 41 years old
Ayzik’s sons: 1. Khaim-Sholom, in 1795 – 1 year old; died in 1796
2. Mordukh – 15 years old
3. Leyba – 11 years old
4. Yankel-Elya – 6 years old
5. David – 1 year old
Ayzik’s daughters: Eska – 10 years old, Meryam-Chaya – 4 years old
1816. Revision list of male Jews from shtetl Uzda of Minsk uyezd
№ 19/15. Ayzik son of Abram-Sholom Levin – 45 years old
Ayzik’s sons: Mordukh – 20 years old
Mordukh ‘s son: Iosel – 6 months old
Leyba – 16 years old
Yankel-Elya – 11 years old
David – 6 years old
1833 Ofiice of Minsk governor/ complains of Jews petty bourgouis residents of shtetl Uzda of Minsk uezd about unlawfuly taking their sons in recruits.
On May 1, 1833 nine Jewish boys from Uzda Jewish community were taken to recruits, among them there were 3 boys younger than 12 years old. One of the boys was Abram son of Mordukh Levin, 11 years old. Parent of 3 boys including Mordukh son of Aizik Levin complained to the Minsk governor to return their sons, because they were taken to recruits unlawfully.
The file doesn’t have any further information about governor’s decision. Since Abram Levin doesn’t mention anywhere after 1833 we can assume that he wasn’t returned to his family, and he had to serve in the army for 25 years.
1834. Revision list of petty bourgeois Jews from shtetl Uzda of Minsk uyezd
№ 7/19. Ayzik son of Abram-Sholom Levin, in 1816 – 45 years old; died in 1828
His wife: Fruma-Golda – 64 years old
Ayzik’s son: Yankel-Elya – 29 years old
Yankel-Elya’s wife: Sora – 28 years old
Yankel-Elya’s son: Afroim – 1 year old
Ayzik’s daughters: Chana –7 years old, Nekhama –2 years old
№ 9/19. Mordukh son of Ayzik Levin, in 1816 – 20 years old; was absent during census.
His wife: Itka-Leya – 38 years old
Mordukh’s sons: Iosel, in 1816 – 6 months old; was absent during census.
Zalmon – 16 years old
Abram – was recruited in 1833
Ayzik- Itsko – 6 years old
Mordukh’s daughters: Zislya – 10 years old
Beylya-Tauba – 8 years old
Asna - 4 years old
Yenta – 2 years old
Minka– 6 months old
№ 12/19. Leyba son of Ayzik Levin – 34 years old
Leyba’s wife: Brokha – 36 years old
Leyba’s sons: Shmuyel – 11 years old. It was added was recruited in 1836.
Volf – 7 years old
Leyba’s daughters: Ester-Golda – 11 years old
Chaya – 9 years old
Leya – 5 years old
Reyzlya – 2 years old
Leyba’s brother: David, in 1816 – 16 years old; doesn’t live in shtetl Uzda.
1845 Register of outgoing documents to residents of shtetl Uzda/ petty bourgeois administration of shtetl Uzda, Minsk uezd
№ 7 February 23 a note was issued to Itzko (Itzko-Aizik) son of Mordukh Levin, 17 years old, Jew, petty bourgeois of shtetl Uzda, single, no criminal history, for submitting to the petty bourgeois administration of town Minsk.
1850. Revision list of petty bourgeois Jews from shtetl Uzda of Minsk uyezd
№ 5/9. Mordukh son of Ayzik Levin was absent during census in 1834; died in 1847.
His wife: Itka-Leya – 54 years old
Mordukh’s sons: Zalmon, in 1834 – 16 years old; doesn’t live in shtetl Uzda.
Itsko, in 1834 – 6 years old; doesn’t live in shtetl Uzda.
Mordukh’s daughters: Minka – 16 years old, Sima – 14 years old
№ 6/9 Yankel-Elya son of Ayzik Levin – 45 years old
Yankel-Elya’s 2-wife: Feyga – 39 years old
Yankel-Elya’s sons: Afroim, in 1834 – 1 year old; doesn’t live in shtetl Uzda.
Peysakh – 6 years old
Mordukh – 3 years old
Borukh-Ayzik – 1 year old
Yankel-Elya’s daughters: Genya – 12 years old, Beylya – 10 years old, Chana – 5 years old
№ 9/9. Leyba son of Ayzik Levin – 50 years old
His 2nd wife: Keylya – 45 years old
Leyba’s sons: Volf – 23 years old
Girsh-Tsvi – 15 years old
Ayzik– 10 years old
Shimon-Khaim – 8 years old
Abram-Neukh – 4 years old
Leyba’s daughters: Brokha – 12 years old, Slava – 6 years old
1853. Supplemental revision list of petty bourgeois Jews, town Minsk.
№ 101. Itsko son of Mordukh Levin: wasn’t listed in 1850 census; 25 years old now, came from shtetl Uzda of Minsk uyezd.
Itsko’s wife: Chaya daughter of Shlyoma – 26 years old
Itsko’s son: Mordukh-Srol – 2 years old
Itsko’s daughters: Risya – 7 years old, Dvoyra – 5 years old, Elka-Fruma – 5 months old
1858. Revision list of petty bourgeois Jews from Minsk.
№ 1776/101 (as per 1853 Supplemental census).
Itsko son of Mordukh Levin – 30 years old
Itsko’s wife: Chaya – 31 years old
Itsko’s sons: Mordukh-Srol – 7 years old, Yankel – 2 years old
Itsko’s daughters: Risya – 12 years old, Dvoyra – 10 years old, Elka-Fruma – 5 years old
1861 Birth records of Jews, town Minsk
#396 November 29 (Tevet 8) a girl Sora was born. Her father is Itsko son of Mordukh Levin, petty bourgeois of shtetl Uzda; mother is Chaya daughter of Shlema.
1874. Supplemental revision list of male petty bourgeois Jews from Minsk.
№ 683. Itsko son of Mordukh Levin – 46 years old
Itsko’s sons: Mordukh-Srol, in 1858 – 7 years old; has been missing since 1871.
Yankel – 18 years old. It was added: was included into 1876 draft list.
Zalmon – 14 years old
1874. List of out of town Jews who live in town Minsk without registration.
№ 1227. Itsko son of Mordukh Levin – 46 years old; petty bourgeois from shtetl Uzda of Minsk uyezd; tinsmith, owns a property in Minsk, has no criminal history. He’s lived in Minsk for 30 years. He was listed in 1858 Revision list under № 1776.
His wife: Chaya– 55 years old
Itsko’s sons: Mordukh-Srol, in 1858 – 7 years old; current whereabouts are unknown; is listed with Minsk Jewish community.
Yankel – 18 years old; is listed with Minsk Jewish community.
Zalmon – 14 years old; is listed with Minsk Jewish community.
1876 List of students of Jewish artisan school, town Minsk 2nd year
Yankel son of Itzko Levin, 20, petty bourgeois of town Minsk, learning to become a tinsmith, grades are satisfactory, behaviour is good.
Added: on November 15, 1876 he was granted a 1-year postponement from the military service.
1880 List of artisans, town Minsk
№ 11. Itzko son of Mordukh Levin, 52, tinsmith, Jew, permanently lives on Bogodelnaya Street in his own house.
1882 List of property owners-tax payers, town Minsk
Bogodelnaya Street, left side
Itzko son of Mordukh Levin, 54, Jew, petty bourgeois of shtetl Uzda, owns half of the brick one story house with iron roof and wooden shed. Estimated value of the property is 373 rubles. Property taxes are 3 rub. 75 kop.