Sure Tarnopolsky
B. 1843- D. 1932



Sure Tarnopolsky was born in 1843 in Rzhishchev, Ukraine. She, like her husband, Chaim, was very short (4’7”) and was very frume (religious). At the end of the 19th century, Chaim and Sure’s son, David, moved to Ekatersinoslav (now Dnepropetrovsk, Ukraine) where industry was booming and the job market was much better. The Tarnopolsky family followed David to that town. Chaim and Sure were the last to move there in 1918. Sure Tarnopolsky arrived in the United States on September 24, 1924.

At the end of the 19th century, Chaim and Sure's son, David, moved to Ekatersinoslav (now Dnepropetrovsk, Ukraine) where industry was booming and the job market was much better. Other family members also followed David to that town. Chaim and Sure were the last to move there in 1918.

Sure moved to the U.S. several years after the death of Chaim, Sure immigrated to America by traveling from Ekatersinoslav (now Dnepropetrovsk, Ukraine) to Danzig (now Gdansk, Poland), on the Baltic Sea where she boarded a ship, which took her to Antwerp, Belgium. She then boarded another ship, the Lithuania, which arrived at Ellis Island on September 10, 1924. Sure claimed to be 65 years old on the ship manifest, but she was actually 81 at the time. Sure probably did this to allay the fears of the ship’s officers that, at her advanced age, she might expire during the rigorous journey to America. According to Leon Paul, when Sure arrived in Philadelphia, she was greeted by quite a party at Max Paul's house. They danced and partied through the night. A known address for Sure is 2214 S. 8th Street. She was known as "Little Bubba".

Undated photo from Russia.

Undated photo from Russia.

Circa 1930 with Max Paul at a meeting ( close up). Full picture below, 3rd row center.

Circa 1930 with Max Paul at a meeting ( close up). Full picture below, 3rd row center.

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