A Tapestry of Names, Migrations, and Reclaimed Roots
For overtwo decades, our journey to trace the Berman and Saklovitz lineages has unfolded like a detective novel—filled with serendipitous connections, bureaucratic riddles, and the quiet heroism of ordinary lives. What began as fragmented whispers of the past has blossomed into a sprawling narrative spanning continents and centuries, anchored by the resilience of a family determined to remember.
The Spark: Stevie Milne and the Mystery of Simon Berman
In March 2005, genealogist Stevie Milne reached out after spotting an online inquiry I’d posted. He shared his groundbreaking research on Simon Berman, born in 1867 in Ivenets (now Belarus), who migrated to England around 1882. Simon’s parents, Elias and Easter, were shrouded in obscurity, but Stevie’s work revealed a critical clue: Simon had abandoned his original surname upon arrival, adopting his wife Kate’s maiden name, Berman, after a customs official struggled with his Slavic birth name. This act of reinvention would echo across generations, leaving descendants scrambling to untangle the threads.
Together, we mapped Simon and Kate’s six children—Alec, Mark, Leah, Sophy, Esther, and Rose Rene—and connected with distant relatives through tea-soaked afternoons, photo exchanges, and painstaking document collation. A physical family tree, stretching nearly 7 feet tall, became a testament to their legacy, digitized into 29 pages for posterity.
The Surname Enigma: From Saklovitz to Berman
For years, the family buzzed with rumors of a “lost” surname. Relatives like Sheila Dobin, Keith Band, and Hetty Woodward recalled vague references to a Russian-sounding name like Millerkovsky or Mullkoski. The puzzle deepened with mentions of Rabbi Myer Berman, whom Simon called a nephew—yet no formal link existed in the tree.
The breakthrough came via Helen Stoll, a descendant who revealed:
“The real name was Sackelovitch [likely Saklovitz]. A brother of Mordechai Berman married a Berman woman and adopted her name at customs to simplify things.”
Cross-referencing this with the 1901 UK Census, we found Simon and Kate listed as Saklovitz at 5 Basire Street, Islington—a fleeting glimpse of their true identity before the name vanished from records. Nearby, Mordechai (Mark) Saklovitz—Simon’s brother—lived under the anglicized Berman, his family visitors hinting at a web of connections (a Harris with Mark’s household, a Morris with Jacob and Ettie next door).
Letters from the Past: Philip Kuhn and Dan Berman’s Legacy
In 2007, Philip Kuhn shared notes from his grandfather Dan Berman, who’d documented his life before passing. Dan recalled childhood Saturdays visiting a wealthy uncle (Fatta Shima – The Uncle), describing a household of two sons and four daughters:
- Leah, Sophie, Esther (who married a nearly blind musician, Mr. Caplin), and Renee
- Alec, who wed a baker’s daughter, and Mark, left deaf by World War I shrapnel
These details mirrored Simon’s own children, cementing the Saklovitz-Berman link. Meanwhile, Philip’s mother remembered Renee Berman corresponding with American relatives—a thread that led us to Carol Seigal and her daughter Sybil, who connected us to Gloria Sher in Tucson, Arizona.
Gloria unveiled a bombshell:
“Simon had a sister, Rachel Sokolove, and a brother Jacob. My grandmother was Rachel.”
Her family tree added 95 descendants of Rachel and Jacob, while Steve Garber—a Jacob Sokolove descendant—contributed another branch, swelling the lineage to over 600 souls.
The Living Archive: Documents, Mysteries, and Unanswered Questions
The Saklovitz-Berman story thrives in census records, marriage certificates, and heirlooms:
- 1901 Census: The Saklovitz name surfaces briefly before dissolving into Berman.
- Simon’s Will: Bequests to Rabbi Myer Berman’s yeshiva and ties to Rev. Abraham Rose, the will’s executor.
- Name Parallels: Simon’s children Alec and Leah mirror Jacob Berman’s siblings, suggesting deeper bonds.
Yet mysteries linger:
- What became of the sister rumored to have emigrated to America?
- How did Rabbi Myer Berman truly fit into the family?
- Why did Elias and Easter Saklovitz’s children scatter their identities across surnames and continents?
The Legacy Today: 600+ Descendants and Counting
Current Family Snapshot
- 600+ Descendants of Elias and Easter Saklovitz/Sokolove
- Global Reach: Roots in Belarus, England, the U.S., and beyond
- Rich Artifacts: Photos of Basire Street tenements, handwritten letters, and Rabbi Myer’s yeshiva records
Collaboration remains key. Relatives like Gloria, Steve Garber, and Carol Seigal have transformed fragments into a living chronicle, while our [Unanswered Questions page] catalogs enigmas still awaiting answers.
A Family Reborn Through Memory
This saga is more than names on a tree—it’s a testament to migration’s upheavals, the fluidity of identity, and the tenacity of kinship. From the cobblestones of Pre-Revolutionary Ivenets to Arizona’s deserts, the Saklovitz-Bermans remind us that every altered name carries a story of survival. And as we keep digging, we honor a simple truth: To be remembered is to endure.
— If you have ties to the Saklovitz, Sokolove, or Berman families, or hold pieces of this puzzle, [reach out]. The next chapter awaits.