Descendant Chart for Aaron Samuel Karan

The known variations of the family name KARAN are CHARON, KHARON, KHARAKH, CHARACH.  The known cities in Belarus (which has been part of Lithuania, Romania, Poland and Russia during its history) are Kopyl, Grozovo, Chepeli, and Slutsk.

Aaron Karan, my great grandfather, was born in Belarus Abt. 1820 and died on 25 Mar 1878 in Slutsk, Belarus. Aaron was married to Jennie Schwedson. His son Samuel Karan was born on 10 Dec 1867 in Kopyl and immigrated to the US in 1902 from Slutsk.  Aaron's daughter, first name unknown, was married to Israel Schapiro and was living at 49 Rutgers Street, New York when Samuel Karan arrived to stay with them in 1902. Other children, if any, are unknown.

Samuel Karan had four wives. He had two marriages in Slutsk, Belarus and two in New York City. He married his first wife, Hannah Malika Bef. 01 Oct 1896 and divorced her on 01 Oct 1896 in Slutsk. He married his second wife, Chia Kniger (my grandmother), on 21 May 1897 and she died on 31 Jan 1914, in New York. They had two children, Aaron (my father) and Isidor. Samuel Karan married his third wife, Pauline Wald Bet. 1914-1920. Pauline's, aka Pearl, great grandson confirmed this with me. The 1920 and 1930 census shows Samuel living with Pauline in New York City and then Brooklyn. Pauline Karan (Wald) died 30 June 1937. Since I have not been able to find any marriage records for Samuel and Pauline, I am wondering if they just lived together and only married in the Jewish tradition but not civil. They did not have any children together. Samuel re-married very soon after Pauline's death to Rebecca Galivitz on 18 Dec 1937. Samuel Karan died 04 March 1938.

I am researching to find Samuel's siblings and to learn more about how Samuel earned his living at the synagogues. His internal Russian Passport listed his occupation as Melamda (Jewish Teacher). His immigration shows him as a "joiner" (wood worker or carpenter), and his 1908 and 1913 Declaration of Intention for Naturalization shows him as a carpenter. His occupation is shown as rabbi (1920 & 1930 Census) and his marriage certificate to Rebecca shows him as a rabbi. On his 1938 death certificate, he is a Sexton.