Benjamin William and Shmuel Yankel
Both born in Eastern Europe, Benjamin William Korach and Shmuel Yankel Goldstein were able to escape Europe before the onset of the wave of Antisemitism that washed over Europe in the early to mid 1900’s. Fortunately, they were able to keep track of their immigration journey’s and their family history. Their ability to maintain and pass on their family history has helped me understand and write this project on their lives.
The Headquarters of S. Korach & Co. on 2400 Superior Avenue in Downtown Cleveland circa. 2015
Shmuel Yankel Goldstein’s Synagogue in Zabludow, Russia (pre-secession of Poland) circa. 1900
The Bialystok Pogrom
Shmuel Yankel Goldstein and his family lived in an area known as Zabludow, in the Bialystok area. The increasing violence that occurred in the late 1800’s and the early 1900’s against Jews, ultimately culminated in the Bialystok Pogrom. In 1900, Bialystok’s population mainly consisted of Jews (76% of population was Jewish) and the city was mostly known for its textile manufacturing as well as its general commerce. During the Russian Socialist Revolution, Bialystok was considered the center of the socialist labor movement. The increasing tension between socialists and the Russian Empire led to a violent pogrom in which members of the Russian Imperial Army killed around 85 Jews and wounded 80 others. Fortunately, Shmuel Yankel Goldstein and his family was able to escape the violence in Bialystok and immigrated to America. The picture above is an image of the aftermath of the Bialystok Pogrom.