David Labowitz (1863 – 1920)

David Labowitz was born in January 1863 in Joniškėlis, Lithuania1, then the Russian Empire. He and his wife, Tillie (nee Toba Shulman) emigrated to the United States in 1886, settling in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. He worked as a tailor, a common profession among Jewish immigrants of that time. They had five children in America: Reuben, Morris (who died as a child), Diana, Beatrice, and Nettie.

The Labowitz family initially lived in Northeast Philadelphia and then moved to South Philadelphia. He spent his final years in West Philadelphia. David’s life in America was marked by the typical challenges and opportunities faced by immigrants, striving to build a better future for their children in a new country.

David passed away on March 26, 1920. He was buried at Mt. Lebanon Cemetery in Collingdale, Pennsylvania, a resting place for many Jewish immigrants and their descendants.

David’s story is reflective of the broader Jewish immigrant experience in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, characterized by hard work, community building, and adaptation to life in America.

Joniškėlis, Lithuania

Late 19th Century Immigration Wave

David was born in Joniškėlis, Lithuania, during a time when the area was part of the Russian Empire. Jewish communities in Lithuania faced persecution, restrictive laws, and periodic violence, leading many to emigrate. He arrived in the United States in 1886, part of a significant wave of Eastern European Jewish immigrants seeking better opportunities and escaping anti-Semitic violence, such as pogroms.

1900 United States Census

In 1900, David Labowitz, 37 (born January 1863, with his last name misspelled as “Laboitz”) lived with his wife, Tillie, 36 (born June 1864), and their children: Rubie, 13 (Reuben, born June 1886), Morriss, 11 (Morris, born December 1888), Diana, 8 (born September 1891), and Rebbeca, 5 (Rebecca or Beatrice, born December 1894) in a rented house at 817 Barnett Street, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. They also had two boarders: Hyman Shulmann, 24 (born May 1876), and Samuel Brest 18 (born June 1881).

David was a cloakmaker but had been unemployed for six months the previous year. Rubie, Morriss, and Diana were in school. Hyman was a coat maker, and Samuel was an errand boy. It is unknown how many years David and Tillie had been married, but all four of their children were living. The children were born in Pennsylvania, while David, Tillie, Hyman, and Samuel were born in Russia, as were their parents. David and Tillie immigrated in 1886 and lived in the United States for 14 years. Hyman and Samuel immigrated in 1891 and lived in the U.S. for nine years. Everyone in the household could speak English, although Tillie could not read or write it.2

817 Barnett Street, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

The entire 800 block of Barnett Street has been replaced by a parking lot for the Navy Support Activity in the area.

Industrialization and Urbanization

During David’s lifetime, Philadelphia was undergoing rapid industrialization. This era saw the growth of factories and the rise of the garment industry, where many Jewish immigrants, including David, found work as tailors.

1900 Philadelphia City Directory

According to the 1910 Philadelphia City Directory, David was living at 1137 Ellsworth Street, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and was a tailor. The first house from the corner, which has black skeletons decorating the doors, was built in 1915, five years after David was listed as living there.3

1137 Ellsworth Avenue, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Jewish Community in Philadelphia

Philadelphia had a thriving Jewish community that provided support networks for new immigrants. Organizations helped with housing, employment, and education.

1906-08 Philadelphia City Directory

David lived at 824 Wilder Street, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania from 1906 until 1908, and he was a tailor.4 The house shown below was built in 1920, over a decade after David lived there.5

824 Wilder Street, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

1910 United States Census

In 1910, David M., 48, lived with his wife, Tillie, 40, and their children: Ruben, 22; Diana, 18; Rebecca, 16; and Nettie, 9. They also had a boarder, Joseph Newmeyer, 23, who would soon marry their daughter Diana. The family owned a mortgaged house at 2416 South 10th Street, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. David was a “ladies’ tailor” at a clothing factory, Ruben was a shipping clerk at a cloak factory, Diana was a sales lady at a department store, and Rebecca was a milliner at a millinery store. Joseph was a commercial traveler for a shirt factory. Tillie and Nettie did not work. David and Tillie had been married for 23 years, and Tillie had given birth to five children, four of whom were living, indicating that Morris had likely passed away. David and Tillie were born in “Russia Yiddish,” as was Joseph, while the children were born in Pennsylvania. All of their parents were also born in “Russia Yiddish.” The immigration year for David and Tillie was listed as 1895, conflicting with previous records and the birthplaces of their eldest children. David was naturalized, and everyone in the household spoke English, though Tillie could not read or write it. Only Nettie had attended school in 1910.6

2416 South 10th Street, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

According to the Philadelphia City Directory, David, listed as a tailor, and his family lived at 2416 South 10th Street, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, from 1909 to 1918.7 Starting in 1910, his son Reuben also appeared in the directory as a clerk living at the same address. However, the present house wasn’t built until 1925.

World War I Impact (1914 – 1918)

The war had significant impacts on American society, including economic changes and shifts in labor needs. The post-war period also saw a rise in nativism and restrictive immigration laws, which affected Jewish communities.

1920 United States Census

In 1920, 56-year-old David lived with his wife, Tillie, 54, daughters Diana Newmeyer (28, now a widow) and Netta Labowitz (19), and grandchildren Berenice (8) and Albin (Alvin, 4). They also had a boarder, 22-year-old Morris Vansent. The family owned a mortgaged home at 5644 Pine Street, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

David was a tailor, Diana and Netta, were clerks, and Morris was a salesman. David and Tillie were born in Russia with “Jewish” listed as their first language. Everybody else was born in Pennsylvania. David, Tillie, Diana, and Netta’s parents were born in Russia with a “Jewish” tongue. Berenice and Alvin’s mother was born in Pennsylvania, and their father was born in France, with French as his first language. Morris’ parents were born in the United States, with no state indicated.

David and Tillie immigrated in 1887 and were naturalized in 1900. Berenice had attended school in 1920, and everybody in the household could read, write, and speak English. This census was enumerated on January 2, 1920,8 just two months before David passed away.

5644 Pine Street, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

2014

2019

Now home to an empty lot, the house at 5644 Pine Street was standing as recently as 2014, and the above image was captured by Google Maps. David was a foreman, and was listed in the Philadelphia City Directory from 1919 to 1922.9 In 1925, Tillie, was listed at this address as David’s widow under the name “Matilda Labowitz.”10

Death of David Labowitz – March 26, 1920

David passed away at 3:40am on March 26, 1920, at the age of fifty. His parents were Louis and Entu. He died of post-operative acidosis, which he suffered from for two weeks after experiencing chronic pancreatitis for two years. He lived at 5644 Pine St., Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and died at University Hospital. His death was reported by L. Schultz (his brother-in-law, Louis Schultz) of 328 South 5th Street, Philadelphia, and was buried at Mt. Lebanon Cemetery in Collingdale, Pennsylvania.11

Engraved on his gravestone is “David M. Leibowitz,” a translation of the name he used in Lithuania.12

David Labowitz’s life, like many of his time, was marked by health challenges. Chronic pancreatitis, a condition he suffered from, was less understood and harder to treat in the early 20th century. His burial in Mt. Lebanon Cemetery in Collingdale reflects the importance of maintaining cultural and religious practices even in death, ensuring he was laid to rest according to Jewish traditions. His life story is a microcosm of the broader immigrant experience in America, reflecting themes of adaptation, resilience, and the pursuit of better opportunities amidst a backdrop of significant historical change.

Sources

  1. Vygis22, Город Йонишкелис, 15 April 2008, image, Wikimedia (https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Joniskelis.JPG : accessed 3 June 2024). ↩︎
  2. 1900 U.S. Census, Philadelphia County, Pennsylvania, population schedule, Philadelphia City, enumeration district (ED) 49, p. 50 (stamped), 6B (penned), dwelling 91, family 128, David Laboitz, image, Ancestry (http://www.ancestry.com : accessed 12 January 2021), citing NARA microfilm publication T623, roll 1452. ↩︎
  3. Gospill’s Philadelphia City Directory for 1900 (Philadelphia, PA: James Gospill’s Sons, 1900), p. 1278, image, Ancestry (https://www.ancestry.com : accessed 19 January 2021). ↩︎
  4. Gospill’s Philadelphia City Directory for 1906, (Philadelphia, PA: James Gospill’s Sons, 1906), p. 1472, image, Ancestry (https://www.ancestry.com : accessed 19 January 2021); Gospill’s Philadelphia City Directory for 1907, (Philadelphia, PA: James Gospill’s Sons, 1906), p. 1011, image, Ancestry (https://www.ancestry.com : accessed 19 January 2021); Boyd’s Philadelphia City Directory, (Philadelphia, PA: C. E. Howe Co., 1908), p. 1103, image, Ancestry (https://www.ancestry.com : accessed 12 January 2021). ↩︎
  5. “824 Wilder St, Philadelphia, PA 19147,” realtor.com. (https://www.realtor.com/realestateandhomes-detail/824-Wilder-St_Philadelphia_PA_19147_M43350-35216 : accessed: 12 January 2021). ↩︎
  6. 1910 U.S. Census, Philadelphia County, Pennsylvania, population schedule, Philadelphia City, enumeration district (ED) 1004, p. 270 (stamped), 11A (penned), dwelling 54, family 56, David M. Labowitz, image, Ancestry (http://www.ancestry.com : accessed 12 January 2021), citing NARA microfilm publication T624, microfilm 1150, roll 1409. ↩︎
  7. Boyd’s Philadelphia City Directory (Philadelphia, PA: C. E. Howe Co., 1909), p. 1129, image, Ancestry (https://www.ancestry.com : accessed 12 January 2021); Boyd’s Philadelphia City Directory (Philadelphia, PA: C. E. Howe Co., 1910), p. 1133, image, Ancestry (https://www.ancestry.com : accessed 12 January 2021); Boyd’s Philadelphia City Directory (Philadelphia, PA: C. E. Howe Co., 1912), p. 1104, image, Ancestry (https://www.ancestry.com : accessed 12 January 2021); Boyd’s Philadelphia City Directory (Philadelphia, PA: C. E. Howe Co., 1916), p. 977, image, Ancestry (https://www.ancestry.com : accessed 12 January 2021); Boyd’s Philadelphia City Directory (Philadelphia, PA: C. E. Howe Co., 1918), p. 1036, image, Ancestry (https://www.ancestry.com : accessed 12 January 2021). ↩︎
  8. 1920 U.S. Census, Philadelphia County, Pennsylvania, population schedule, Philadelphia City, enumeration district (ED) 1750, p. 93 (stamped), 2A (penned), dwelling 23, family 27, David Labowitz, image, Ancestry (http://www.ancestry.com : accessed 12 January 2021), citing NARA microfilm publication T625, roll 1647. ↩︎
  9. Boyd’s Philadelphia Combined City and Business Directory (Philadelphia, PA: C. E. Howe Co., 1919), p. 708, image, Ancestry (https://www.ancestry.com : accessed 12 January 2021); Boyd’s Philadelphia Combined City and Business Directory (Philadelphia, PA: C. E. Howe Co., 1921), p. 688, image, Ancestry (https://www.ancestry.com : accessed 12 January 2021); Boyd’s Philadelphia Combined City and Business Directory (Philadelphia, PA: C. E. Howe Co., 1922), p. 726, image, Ancestry (https://www.ancestry.com : accessed 12 January 2021). ↩︎
  10. Polk’s-Boyd’s Philadelphia City Directory 1925 (Philadelphia, PA: R. L. Polk & Company of Philadelphia, 1925) p. 754, image, Ancestry (https://www.ancestry.com : accessed 12 January 2021). ↩︎
  11. “Pennsylvania Death Certificates, 1906-1963,” image, Ancestry (https://www.ancestry.com : accessed 12 January 2021), record for David Labowitz, 27 March 1920. ↩︎
  12. Find a Grave, database and images (https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/180848606/david_m-leibowitz: accessed May 23, 2024), memorial page for David M. Leibowitz (unknown–26 Mar 1920), Find a Grave Memorial ID 180848606, citing Mount Lebanon Cemetery, Collingdale, Delaware County, Pennsylvania, USA, Maintained by Crypt Tonight (contributor 48494116). ↩︎

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