Media - Documenting Maine Jewry

1930 US Federal Census Data Rumford

Data extracted by members of the Colby College Maine Jewish History Project research team (2011),
directed by David M. Freidenreich

Name with link to DMJ bio	relation	O/R Value/Rent	birthyr	age	Age at 1st Marr	student	POB person	POB parents	mother tongue	YOI	citizen	occupation	Employed?	sheet #	district
Morris L Rothsfield	roomer		1896	34			Poland	Poland	Yiddish	1905	nat	sales clerk dry goods	wage	23A	46
Charles Levin	head	R-43	1894	36	28		Russia	Russia	Yiddish	1908	nat	proprieter, ladies garment store	owner	25B	46
Josephine Levin	wife		1899	31	23		Mass	Mass/Russia				sales clerk ladies garmentwage		25B
Robert Levin	son		1923	7		yes	Maine							25B
Suzanne LeBlanc	servant		1911	19			FrCanada							25B
Nathan Israelson	head	R - 31	1878	52	32		Germany	Germany	German	1888	nat	salesman, automobile	wage	36A	46
Nina Israelson	wife		1871	59	38		Maine							36A	46
Julian Israelson	son		1910	20		yes	Maine							36A	46
George Russell	f-in-law		1856	74	23		Maine							36A	46
Usenath Russell	m-in-law		1861	69	17		Maine							36A	46
Louis Cohen	head	O-5000	1875	55	20		Lithuania	Lithuania	Yiddish	1895	nat	laborer/helper, paper mill	wage	43B	46
Bertha Cohen	wife		1878	52	18		Lithuania	Lithuania	Yiddish	1895	nat			43B	46
Sonia Cohen	daughter		1915	15		yes	Maine							43B	46
Philip Marx	head	O-7000	1898	32	30		Maine	Germany				manager, clothing store	owner	44A	46
Esther Marx	wife		1906	24	22		Rhode Is	Maine						44A	46
Max Greenberg	head	0-6000	1880	50	27		Russia	Russia	Yiddish	1890	nat	proprieter, shoe store	employer	44A	46
Rebecca Greenberg	wife		1883	47	24		Russia	Russia	Yiddish	1925	alien			44A	46
Sarah Greenberg	daughter		1910	20		yes	Maine							44A	46
John Bronstein	head	R-40	1886	44	28		Russia	Russia	Yiddish	1892	nat	dealer, junk	owner	45A	46
Fanny Bronstein	wife		1894	36	21		Maine	Russia						45A	46
Lillian Bronstein	daughter		1917	13		yes	Maine							45A	46
Se???ll Bronstein	son		1921	9		yes	Maine							45A	46
Beverly Bronstein	daughter		1928	2			Maine							45A	46
Ted or Fred Cherinski?	lodger		1896	34			Russia	Russia	Russian	1910	alien	woodsman	wage	1A	47
Joseph Chase	head	O-10000	1883	47	19		Poland	Poland	Polish	1905	nat	proprieter, dry goods	owner	2A	47
Stella Chase	wife		1887	43	16		Poland			1905	nat	saleslady	wage	2A	47
Blanche Chase	daughter		1904	26			Maine					saleslady	wage	2A	47
Ida Chase	daughter		1907	23			Maine					saleslady	wage	2A	47
Rose Chase	daughter		1910	20		yes	Maine							2A	47
Ludwig Goldstein	head	R-26	1872	58	21		Lithuania	Lithuania	Yiddish	1890	nat	Rabbi	wage	2A	48
Sophie/a Goldstein	wife		1878	52	17		Lithuania	Lithuania	Yiddish	1891	nat			2A	48
Morris Greeman	head	O-8000	1887	43	23		Poland	Poland	Polish	1906	nat	merchant, retail -- goods	employer	4A	48
Annie Greeman	wife		1891	39	21		Poland	Poland	Polish	1906	nat			4A	48
William Greeman	son		1911	19		yes	New York							4A	48
Dorothy Greeman	daughter		1914	16		yes	Maine							4A	48
Frances Greeman	daughter		1916	14		yes	Maine							4A	48
Leon Greeman	son		1920	10		no	Maine							4A	48
Harry Cohen	head	O 6,000	1897	33	20	no	Lithuania	Lithuania	Yiddish	1898	nat	merchant - b___gter	wage?	25	45
Rebecca Cohen	wife		1897	33	20	no	Poland	Poland	Yiddish	1900	nat
M____ Cohen	son		1912	18		yes	Maine	Lit/Pol
Eddie Cohen	son		1920	10		yes	Maine	Lit/Pol
Melvin Cohen	son		1926	4		no	Maine	Lit/Pol

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 : Jan 2 , 2021

1930 US Federal Census Data Rumford

Data extracted by members of the Colby College Maine Jewish History Project research team (2011), directed by David M. Freidenreich

Methodological notes :

Data extracted by members of the Colby College Maine Jewish History Project research team (2011),
directed by David M. Freidenreich