Sam Pugach

Sam ( Eliezer Solomon ) Pugach was born  13 Jan 1894 in Polonnoye, Ukraine.  He left at the age of 17 from Libau, Lithuania on the S.S. Kursk and arrived in New York on the 14 Aug 1911 . His name on the New York Passenger List was Luser Pugacz and his contact was his brother A. Pugacz  ( I don't know an A. Pugach ) at 64 Dominique in Quebec City. This is the same address as Eliahu Endler in Quebec City.

When his mother, Tema Felhendler, arrived 25 Jun 1923, she was heading for Eliezer/ Sam at 174 Laval Ave, Montreal. She sailed from Riga, Latvia, 16 Jun 1923 on the ship, S.S. Canada. Here Tema's name was spelled Thema Pugatsch.

Tema gave the name of her niece, Zisel Birstein in Anopil, Volyn . This person is unfamiliar to me.













Sam married Anna Levine 5 Nov 1933.

It is this Marriage Record that gave Felhendler as the maiden name of Tema Pugach. This would mean that Tema was the sister of  Nuchum and Eliahu.

Sarah Pugach Gold, Sam's niece, told Brian Furstman, my Jewish Family Finder Jewishgen contact, the very tragic story of Sam's life. Sam went back to the Ukraine before WWll with the intention of staying and building the country. He returned to Montreal disillusioned. He had seen terrible starvation and the disparity between the starving masses and the privileged class of party functionaries. Sam committed suicide while his wife was away in the US visiting her brother. He apparently took steps to ensure that the plants weren't harmed by the gas from the stove that he used to kill himself.

Jacob Pugach

Jacob Pugach ( Yiddish name, Yankel ) whose Hebrew name was Yaakov was born in 1886 and died 29 Jun 1986 in Montreal, Quebec. He was the oldest son of Tema Felhendler and Hershel Tzvi Puguz.

He married Rose Irga, known as Rossie, born in 1894 and died 13 Aug 1973.

My grandmother was very close to Rossie. Over 20 years ago, it was Sarah, Rossie and Jacob's oldest daughter who told Brian Ferstman, my contact from Jewish Family Finder, a lot of family history.

Rossie and Jacob had 2 daughters., Sarah and Thelma. Sarah was born in 1918 and married Morris Gold ( died 23 Jan 2001 ). Thelma, born 14 Oct 1926 married Joseph Irgon.

The Ship S.S. Corsican sailed from Warsaw on 23 Aug 1921 and arrived in Montreal in September. Jacob was with his wife Rossie and daughter Sarah and was heading for his brother Hyman at 243 Bleury St.

Hyman Pugash

Left to Right: Charles Ring ( partial), Ethel Gillick Ring, Sophie Gillick Endler, Meyer Endler, Sarah Buckman Pugash, Hyman Pugash

Hyman Pugash/ Chaim Joseph Pugacz was born about 1890 and died 8 Jun 1968. He married Sarah Buckman, born 12 Oct 1896 and died 30 May 1992. Sarah was the oldest of the 10 children of David Buckman and Breine/ Brenda Schwartz.

Hyman and Sarah had 2 children, Muriel and Harold. Muriel was born 10 May 1919 and married Lou Malus on 24 Sep 1942. Lou was born 3 Jul 1912 in Montreal and died 18 Apr  1988 in Montreal.. They had 2 daughters, Eleanor and Roslyn. Harold was born 15 Mar 1928 in Montreal and died 27 Sep 1995 in Italy. He married Rhea Weinstein on 17 Jun 1951. Rhea was born 10 Jan 1929 and died Sep 2001 in Vancouver. They had 3 children, Eric Samuel, Mark and Robyn Anne.

According to the 1921 Census, Hyman immigrated in 1908 and Sarah in 1903. His occupation in the census was manufacturer. It is Hyman who paid for his siblings, Riva and Jacob's ocean passages in 1921.

Tema Felhendler and Hersh Tzvi ( Joseph ) Puguz had 4 children.
Riva Pugach
Jacob ( Yankel ) Pugach
Hyman ( Chaim ) Pugash ( spelled with an s )
Sam ( Eliezer Solomon ) Pugach

Riva Pugach

Riva Pugach was the oldest child and only daughter of Tema Felhendler and Hershel Puguz. I have tried to find out about her and her life after she married Myer Spilberg. She was born 1879.  She and Myer had 2 children, Jerry Julius/ Yoel/Joel, born 25 Dec 1909 and Clara/ Chaika.

 Myer Spilberg  sent a letter to the Russian Consulate requesting separation papers done in Nov or Dec 1914. He lived at 466 Jarvis Ave, Winnipeg, Manitoba at the time he sent the letter.

Jerry married Lily Klein ( born 15 Jun 1917; died 17 Jun 1986 ) on 14 Jan 1940 in Montreal. They had 2 children, Ronald Marvin and Beverley. Jerry died 1 Aug 1988 in Montreal.

I have not been able to confirm that the information that I found for Clara is for the Clara in this family.

There is an Ocean Crossing Record for "Rywa Szpilberg" for 8 Sep 1921. Riva was 42 and said that she was a widow. She gave her father's name as Hershel Puguz from Polona, Volyn and that she was heading for her brother Chaim ( Hyman) at 243 Bleury St in Montreal. She left from Warsaw on the ship, S.S. Scandinavian and arrived in Montreal.

In an obituary index that I found for her mother on the Canadian Jewish Heritage Network website, Riva is referred to as Mrs Rivka Vizenberg. The spelling of her mother's name was Tema Pogatch who died on 10 May 1926.