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1940 US Federal Census Data Rockland
Families with one East European immigrant



Name and Link relation to head of householdest birth yearbirth placemartial statusstreetoccupationindustryresidence in 1935 Highest Gradeweeks worked in 1939income
Sarah Cohen Wife1878LithuaniaMarried37 Willow St.   6th grade00
Lippmen Cohen Head1876LithuaniaMarried37 Willow St.Sellerprivate 6th grade400
Molly Miller Mother-in-law1888LithuaniaWidowed71 Willow St.   8th grade00
Alan A Grossman Head1911MassachusettsMarried71 Willow St.Lawyerprivate business college, 4th year520
Constance Grossman MillerWife1915MaineMarried71 Willow St.   college, 4th year00
Isadodre Gordon Head1890LithuaniaMarried126 LimerockDealerreal estate none520
Ethel P. Gordon Wife1897LithuaniaMarried126 Limerock   8th grade00
Edward M Gordon Son1917MaineSingle126 LimerockAntique dealerantiques college, 4th year200
Jeannette H Gordon Daughter1923MaineSingle126 Limerock   high school, 3rd year00
Samuel S Shapiro Head1888LithuaniaMarried85 LimerockProprietorShip Chandlers High School 4th year520
Nettie Shapiro Wife1896LithuaniaMarried85 Limerock   High School 1st year  
Ida Shapiro Daughter1920MaineSingle85 Limerock   High School 4th year00
Elizabeth Shapiro Daughter1926MaineSingle85 Limerock   High School 1st year  
Benjamin S Shapiro Son1927MaineSingle85 Limerock   8th grade  
Malcolm Shapiro Son1928MaineSingle85 Limerock   5th grade  
Meredith M Shapiro Daughter1928MaineSingle85 Limerock   4th grade  
Samuel B Cohen Head1882LithuaniaMarried35 TillsonTailorown tailor shop 8th grade52 
Dora Cohen Wife1890LithuaniaMarried35 Tillson   4th grade0 
Bernard Cohen Son1916MassachusettsSingle35 TillsonLaborergarage High School 4th year50700
Maurice Cohen Son1919MaineSingle35 Tillson   7th grade  
Solomon Cohen Son1921MaineSingle35 Tillsonnone  High School 4th year  
Harry Carr Head1882RussiaMarried54 WillowOwnerPrivate 8th grade520
Lina Carr Wife1888RussiaMarried54 Willow   4th grade00
Marion Carr Daughter1914MaineSingle54 WillowSales Ladyfather's business high school 4th year52520
Sam Rubenstein Head1906RussiaWidowed19 RocklandProprietor ManagerJunk metals 6th grade520
Elinor Rubenstein Daughter1926MaineSingle19 RocklandHouse  4th grade00
Maynard Rubenstein Son1928MaineSingle19 Rockland   4th grade  
Madaline Rubenstein Daughter1930MaineSingle19 Rockland   3rd grade  
Harris Polose Head1864RussiaWidowed13 RankinTailorprivate business none520
Ida F Dondis Wife1890RussiaMarried11 TillsonSalesladyconfectionary store 8th grade260
James Dondis Head1887RussiaMarried11 TillsonPeddler Salesmanwholesale candy 8th grade520
Philip Dondis Son1912MaineSingle11 TillsonOperatorTheatre high school 4th year521840
Edith D Dondis Daughter1921MaineSingle11 TillsonSalesladyconfectionary store high school 4th year52286
Joseph H Dondis Son1923MaineSingle11 Tillson   high school 4th year240
Ernest H Dondis Son1925MaineSingle11 Tillson   high school, 1st year60
Bertha N Dondis Daughter1932MaineSingle11 Tillson   1st grade  
Sarah Sharek Head1886RussiaWidowed11 Lea   4th grade00
Rose Small Mother1892RussiaWidowed34 Fulton   8th grade00
Samuel Small Head1915MaineMarried34 FultonButcher  high school 4th year00
Ruth D Small Wife1917MaineMarried34 Fulton   high school 4th year00
William Small Son1939MaineSingle34 Fulton   none  
Irving Small Son1927MaineSingle34 Fulton   8th grade  
Samuel Shafter Head1904RussiaMarried15 RocklandPeddler Jumb Dealerin business with father 6th grade520
Diana Shafter Wife1905RussiaMarried15 Rockland   6th grade00
Ronald Shafter Son1931MassachusettsSingle15 Rockland   2nd grade  
Gloria S Shafter Daughter1936MassachusettsSingle15 Rockland   none  
Annette E Shafter Daughter1938MaineSingle15 Rockland   none  
Isaac Berliawsky Father1872RussiaMarried385 Broadway   8th grade00
Annie Berliawsky Mother1880RussiaMarried385 Broadway   4th grade00
Anita Goldfarb Head1903RussiaDivorced385 BroadwayAsst Mgrtransient hotel college, 1st year521300
George Goldfarb Son1929New YorkSingle385 Broadway   6th grade  
Morris Gordon Head1879RussiaWidowed6 Main St.PeddlerPrivate 6th grade520
Joseph Dondis Head1886RussiaMarried69 Beech ManagerTheatre High School 1st year522434
Lena Shafter Wife1885RussiaMarried15 Rockland   3rd grade00
David Shafter Head1875RussiaMarried15 RocklandPeddler Jund Dealerown business none520
Sylvia T Shafter Daughter1917MassachusettsSingle15 RocklandMathers Helperhome college, 3rd year520
Sidney L Shafter Son1919MassachusettsSingle15 RocklandNew Worker  high school 4th year00
David Rubinstein Head1887RussiaMarried526 Main St.Proprietorantique dealer 7th grade280
Sarah Rubinstein Wife1891RussiaMarried526 Main St.   college, 1st year  
Helen Rubinstein Daughter1917MaineSingle526 Main St.   college, 4th year  
Dorothy Rubinstein Daughter1921MaineSingle526 Main St.   college, 1st year  
Lena Green Wife1886RussiaMarried14 Lea   8th grade00
Jacob Green Head1885RussiaMarried14 LeaOwnerprivate store 4th grade520
Ada Green Daughter1915MaineSingle14 LeaClerkfather's store high school 4th year400
Maynard Green Son1923MaineSingle14 Leaushertheatre high school, 2nd year315
Rose Benovitch Head1878RussiaWidowed12 Rankin   5th grade00
Louis Benovitch Son1920MaineSingle12 RankiinRefreshorat SteelPrivate High School 1st year220
Bernard Benovitch Son1907MaineSingle12 RankinHelperFamily 8th grade00
Anita Goldfort BerliawskySister1903RussiaDivorcedThorndike HotelBookkeeperhotel college, 2nd year521300
Nathan Berliawsky Head1899RussiaMarriedThorndike HotelOwner & Proprietorhotel 8th grade520
A Sidney Leonard Head1877ConnecticutMarriedWest Meadow Rd.ManagerPoor Farm high school 4th year52945
Maurice L Leonard Son1920Coopers MillsMarriedWest Meadow Rd.Floor ManGrain Company high school 4th year20100
Marion C Leonard Daughter-in-law1921Rockland, MaineMarriedWest Meadow Rd.   high school 4th year00
Pearl B Leonard Daughter1922Rockland, Knox, MaineSingleWest Meadow Rd.   high school, 3rd year00
Donna L Leonard Granddaughter1940Rockland, MaineSingleWest Meadow Rd.   none  
Benjamin Segal Head1879RussiaWidowed59 RankinOwnerstore private 8th grade520
Evelyn Segal Daughter1915MaineSingle59 Rankin   high school 4th year00
Sidney Segal Son1910MaineSingle59 RankinWholesale-Ownerprivate college, 4th year520
Jake Smalley Head1877PolandMarried19 RankinOwnerPrivate 3rd grade520
Nettie Smalley Wife1885PolandMarried19 RankinHelperprivate family 4th grade520
Jacob Smalley Son1912MaineSingle19 Rankinlaborerfish factory high school, 4th year16160

Methodological notes :

This data was culled from the original U.S. census manuscripts, as found on www.ancestry.com.
Jews are understood to constitute an ethnic group of Eastern and Central European origin characterized by common names and occupational pursuits, as well as a distinctive language.
This definition lends itself well to analysis of the data preserved in census records.
Two primary methods were used to identify Jews:
1. Individuals born abroad whose mother tongue is "Yiddish," "Jewish," or "Hebrew" were automatically included in the spreadsheet, as were all members of their families.
2. For individuals born abroad whose mother tongue was another Eastern or Central European language (e.g., Russian, Polish, German), or individuals born in the U.S. with one or more parents from Eastern or Central Europe, we examined surnames, given names within a household, and occupations in light of common Jewish characteristics. This method of analysis is, of course, subject to inaccuracy, as we may have excluded Jews with uncommon names or occupations or included non-Jews whose characteristics appear Jewish. Individuals listed with the annotation "nj?" in the far right-hand column are those whose Jewish ancestry is plausible but questionable.
This method of analysis easily misses Jewish households whose members' parents were all born in the United States. In 1930 Maine, however, such households were quite rare. Special efforts were made to identify households of this nature in Portland, where they constituted less than 1% of identified Jewish households.
All members of a household containing a Jew are included in the spreadsheet, with the exception of Jewish lodgers and servants, who are listed individually. Household members who are evidently not Jewish (such as non-Jewish servants and some spouses or in-laws) are listed with the annotation "nj."
Information on place of birth
Some people replied with the name of the place when they left; others replied with the name of place when the census was taken; in other cases it just seems that it was easier for the census taker to write ‘Russia’ rather than Lithuania, Ukraine or other unfamiliar country names.
And there is another reason to be skeptical of the accuracy of the place of birth information. Immigrants from the Pale had a very justified fear of the Russian and often local governments. One way to manage this reality was to tell government representatives what they expected they wanted to hear or what they thought would bring them the least trouble. This may well explain why a number of family members, who were clearly from Eastern Europe, may have answered ‘Maine’ or ‘New York’.

Last Updated : Nov 5. 2020

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