The Liebermans

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The following history was contributed by my father, Mel Chaplin, as were the Lieberman genealogies.

The Liebman family* originally lived in Piliva, a small town in the province of Kiev, Ukraine in southwest Russia. They had originally emigrated from Germany, during the 16th century German Pogroms (about 1750). Because Jews were prohibited from owning land, the family earned their living as grain merchants. Business was good. The family prospered and became well known in the community. When his father died, Aaron Liebman, our great-grandfather (born 1850), inherited a small part of the estate and through hard work built up a successful business of his own. His son Maxwell was falsely accused of stealing a sack of grain. Actually someone else stole it from a nearby grain storehouse, ripped open the sack and left a grain trail to the Liebman storehouse. To avoid prosecution, Max fled to Austria, Poland, Czechoslovakia, Germany and France; then to England from where he left Liverpool and arrived in the United States in 1898.

Being a large, strong man, Max easily found work in a Philadelphia "Sweat Shop" as a presser in a men's clothing factory. From his meager earnings he was able to save enough money to send home to the family. This enabled his father, Aaron, and some of his brothers to come to America. Under the Czar, new laws imposed additional hardships upon Jews - more reasons to leave and emigrate to America. Aaron came to the United States in 1900 with children Rebecca, Harry, Abe and David; in 1903, Joseph and Freda arrived and through the years the remainder of the Liebman family were brought over. The last, Isaac and family arrived in 1923.

Soon after arrival, Aaron Lieberman (the new name) purchased a house on New Market Street near 4th Street in Philadelphia. It was a "Bandbox" style house, small for such a large family; somehow they managed. Aaron started his own men's pants manufacturing plant. It remained active until the 1960's. When son Abe, a dance instructor, married, his father took him into the business. David, the youngest son, also worked for his father; he played violin in an orchestra on the side. The business struggled along until 1920 when Max, who had been working elsewhere, came into the business, bringing in some much needed capital. The business prospered and moved to a larger factory building at 313 Arch Street. They also began to manufacture mens suits and overcoats under the company name, "Aaron Lieberman and Sons". Aaron retired in 1930 and left the business to sons Max, Dave, Abe and son-in-law Harry. Aaron invested in real estate and mortgages. He died in 1932 after major abdominal surgery. Most of his estate was left to Max, Dave and Abe by a will which was signed on his death bed. Nothing was left to the other brothers! In 1940, when the grandchildren became older dissension developed over bring the children into the business. Dave and Abe bought out Max and retained the business as "Aaron Lieberman and Sons" and "Palm Beach Clothing". Max, with his sons and son-in-law started their own company, Forel Clothes (after 4-L standing for Lieberman, Lieberman, Lieberman and Lichten [son-in-law] ). Aaron's son Harry stayed with Dave and Abe.

Our grandfather, Joseph, (born 1875) came to the United States in 1903. He was well educated in Russia, fluent in Hebrew, Yiddish and Russian. He was observant and well schooled in religion. He was intelligent and was considered the family "scholar". In 1893 he married Rose Redworth of the town of Konstantinouka in the province of Volhynia. On arrival in America, he worked as a presser in the ladies shirtwaist industry. He moved from Philadelphia to New Jersey and became a peddler along coastal towns. He traveled by foot, carrying his merchandise on his back. In 1918 he opened a general store in Atco. Living in the same building, he continued to peddle goods in the various towns while Rose and the children ran the store. He now owned a horse and wagon in which he traveled and carried goods. The store lease ran out in 1920 and the family was forced to move. He opened a new store in Marlton, but was the only Jew in a predominately Quaker town. The store was more or less boycotted and they since moved out of town. Around this time he bought his first auto, a Maxwell.

In 1921, the family moved to Camden (1588 Mt. Ephraim Ave.) and opened another General Store. He purchased a large truck for the business. The truck was kept in a garage located directly across the street from a police station. One day he was called to Philadelphia since his mother was very ill (she later died of stomach cancer). Returning to Camden he discovered the truck missing from the garage. He immediately reported it to the Police across the street and several days later it was found on the banks of the Cooper River, merchandise gone! He did very well in that store for two years but competition moved in nearby and he decided to pick up and move. For one year they lived and operated his business from 25th and Federal Streets in Camden. Then, for a short time, he moved to 35th and Haverford Ave in Philadelphia. In 1924 they moved again, this time to 5642 Pemberton Street in West Philadelphia. For a short time he was a contractor for a manufacturer of ladies dresses until that company went bankrupt. Soonafter he became ill with a stomach ailment and was hospitalized for a long time under the care of surgeon Dr Wayne Babcock. His father, Aaron, took care of the medical costs. After recovering from surgery, his father and brothers bought them a luncheonette at 4644 Lancaster Ave. which he operated from 1928 to 1932. Upon his father Aaron's death, Joseph inherited a property on the southeast corner of Patton and Wharton Streets in South Philadelphia. He moved the business to that location and the family lived on the upper floors. At this time, sons Roke and Barge (Abraham and Harold respectively) had begun studying Liberal Arts at Temple University, in preparation for Law School. They earned their own tuition. Son Louis was a traveling salesman; Sam worked as a writer and amateur inventor (he invented an exterior tinted glass sun visor for automobiles. Daughter Rae (Rachael) lived with her husband Jake in Vineland, New Jersey. Our mother Laura owned a store at 6524 Landsdowne Ave in Overbrook and sold children's wear.

In 1935 they moved to 254 Roosevelt Blvd. where they lived for one year before moving to 728 Roosevelt Blvd. At that address, our parents Laura and Herman met in March, 1937 and married in October of that same year. They lived with mother's parents and in 1939 moved to 1519 67th Ave where Stanley Saul was born on October 1, 1939. During the war they moved to the 5900 block of Wharton Street in West Philadelphia. In 1942 they moved to 6243 Walton Ave where Melvin was born on April 24,1943.

*The original name was changed to Lieberman by Immigration by error.