PHEITL AND ZISEL GABRILOWITZ

Pheitl (Faitel) Gabrilowitz is the earliest known ancestor for hundreds of Gabrilowitz family members. Pheitl lived in the Novogrudok district of Belarus. It is unclear where he was born, but the date of his birth was likely around 1820. His name appears in the 1906 Novogrodok Voter registration list (as the father of Kalman).

He most likely had three sons, Israel Yonkel, Kalman Lieb, and Abraham, who spawned twenty-three grandchildren. He also had a daughter Taube Dine, who had three sons and a daughter.

In previous family trees, Pheitl has been charted as having additional sons, Ossip and Zisel. These relationships are likely inaccurate (please read right hand column "Important Updates" for more details).

Zisel was most likely a brother to Pheitl, both of them probably born between 1815 and 1820. This precise fraternal relationship has not been corroborated, but is the most probable. There was significant correspondence between the two families and a strong sense of connection.

Below is a summary family tree detailing the first three levels of Pheitl's descendants.

As the generations develop, the tree expands to hundreds of descendants. I assume that in today's world of "identity theft" that many folks would not want genealogical information disseminated on the Internet.

So, if you would like to get the complete chart tracing all the descendants of Pheitl, please email me at info@gabrilowitz.com.

Below is a summary of the descendants of Zisel Gabrilowitz, who through his daughter Chaya, also spawned at least one hundred descendants. Again, in order to protect personal privacy, please email me to get the complete chart.

A major revision of the Gabrilowitz genealogy has recently been undertaken. There are several important changes I have made that I believe will create greater accuracy in the chart.

These changes create a very different version of the family tree than the one that has been widely disseminated since 1996, which shows Pheitl (Faitel) as the single progenitor, born circa 1790. The chart that has been widely distributed lists six children for Pheitl: Israel Yonkel, Kalman Lieb, Abraham, Taube, Ossip and Zisel.

Below are the appropriate corrections.

1) Pheitl (Faitel) was most likely born around 1820. The calculation of 1790 was based on oral narratives, which today I believe must be considered inaccurate.

One reason for the change in Pheitl's estimated birth date, is pure biological math. His last child, Abraham, was born circa 1855. Unless there was an early version of Viagra available in Novogrudok, it is unlikely that Pheitl fathered children into his sixties.

2) I do not belive that Zisel Gabrilowitz was a son to Pheitl. In fact there are two family letters/charts that show the sons of Pheitl as Israel Yonkel, Kalman Lieb, and Abraham. One letter is from Zeidel Gabrilowitz written in 1977, who was one of the last European born Gabrilowitzs. His letter states Pheitl had three sons. Second, a chart created by the Shafner family of New London, CT tells the same story, but includes a daughter, Taube, who married a man with the surname Virshup.

3) Zisel's grandaughter Leah has a firm birth date of 1864. This would mean that Zisel was likely born around 1814. If Zisel was Pheitl's son, it would push Pheitl's birth date back to circa 1790. Again, going back to points #1 & #2, it is unlikely.

4) Ossip Gabrilovich, grandfather to Ossip the pianist, was NOT a son of Pheitl's. The aforementioned relationship was stated by Fagie Gordon, a great-great Grandaughter to Zisel, in a letter dated 1981. However, Ossip Gabrilovich the grandfather was likely born in 1802 in Lithuania, the son of a Berel Gabrilovich. This is corroborated by Lithuanian census information. Pheitl's relationship to Ossip the pianist, if even legitimate, is much further back into the 18th century.

5) I have recently added a significant number of relatives who are descended from Kalman Lieb and his wife Rivke. A distantly related family member I recently corresponded with has done excellent work tracing these descendants.

6) I have also recently added the descendants of Taube Dine, the daughter of Pheitl, who married Morris Virshup. Again, another family member recently provided the descendants.