George Barlaz papers

George Barlaz (born Gershon Mendel Barlaz, 1905-c.1970) was born in Szepetowka, Russia (currently Shepetivka, Ukraine) to Shmuel Barlaz (1865-1937) and Chaia (Chaya) Hinde Bailey (1869-1942) and had several brothers and sisters including Jacob, Elihu (1896-1959), Avraham (1907-1942), Dora (1894-1942), and Adela (1915-1942). George moved to Dubno, Poland (currently Dubno, Ukraine) in 1918 or 1919 and emigrated from Poland to the United States in 1923 with Jacob and Elihu. His father died of natural causes in 1937 and Chaia, Avraham, and his sisters remained in Poland. George and his family wrote many letters to each other until they stopped responding in 1941. After the war he tried to locate his family, but learned that everyone but Avraham perished in 1942. Avraham escaped with his wife, but became ill and passed away. George became a pharmacist, married Bertha Barlaz (1915-2005), and had two daughters, Frederica and Hinda. The George Barlaz papers include photographs, immigration material, school records, and extensive correspondence relating to George Barlaz and his family’s pre-war life in Russia and Poland, George’s immigration to the United States, his attempts to help his family immigrate to the United States in the early 1940s, and his attempts to locate his family after the war. The collection also includes a diary kept by George from 1913-1921 which includes entries, addresses, and other notes. Series 1 includes pre-war photographs of the Barlaz family including Avraham, Adela, George, Shmuel, and Chaia, prescription slips for George, and a diary kept by George from 1913-1921 which includes entries, addresses, and other notes. School records include report cards, identification cards, and school notes from Russia and Poland for George. The series also includes correspondence and forms related to attempts to immigrate to Palestine, letters to the American Consulate, vaccination cards, and applications for a visa relating to George’s immigration to the United States in 1923, and correspondence from the Bank of the United States and affidavits in attempts to bring his family to the United States in the early 1940s. Also included is correspondence and documents relating to George’s search for his family after the war. Correspondence includes a large amount of pre-war postcards from Shmuel and Chaia to their children in the United States. The last postcard is dated April 12, 1939. The series also includes correspondence with the Feinblüt family who assisted George in learning what happened to his family as well as extensive correspondence in, Yiddish, from 1917 through 1951. Copyright Holder: Ms. Frederica Barlaz