rl from Rohatin, another small town in Galicia. They left for the United States right after the wedding, which indicates that Itche Bromberg was the first Boiberker who emigrated to America.
In 1890, another of Emil Bromberg's uncles, Yehudah Halweil or Yide Kokler came to New York. After a sojourn of several years, he returned to Boiberke, but again he couldn't better his economic condition and when he learned that the Brazilian Government had sent a commission to Galicia to lure working people to Brazil, he joined the group and went there. However, he couldn't stand the hot climate of the country and returned again to Boiberke. This time he tried hard to remain there, but again he couldn't better his economic condition. By this time he had very little money, not even enough to pay his passage to the United States. He managed however to go to England, settled in London and brought over his family. Several years later he immigrated to the United States where he settled for good.
During those years many other Boiberker immigrated to America. Among them were Isaac Korn and Yidel Geier, who later brought over his father Moishe, who was known in Boiberke as Moishe Heker. The last three established themselves in the butcher business.
Between the years 1890-1897, the immigrants from Boiberke included several who were determined to remain strict Sabath observers. Abraham Paget, Hersh Schneider and his brother Dovid, Shmuel Josel Fechter, Shloime Drezen, and several others. They organized themselves into a Sabath observing group, Am Kedoshim of Boiberke. In later years, when their number dwindled, they joined the then outstanding Galician Synagogue on the lower East Side in New York, the Dukler Mogen Avrohom Shuhl which is still in existance [sic].
In 1901, a large group of Boiberker gathered at the home of a fellow Boiberker, Nissan Katz, by trade a house painter, and organized the Boiberker Sick and Benevolent Society for the purpose of acquiring burial grounds and to pay to its members weekly sick benefits. Among the founders were Nissan Katz, Israel Fiebert, Levy Haber, David Moishe Krieg, Hersh Zeiger, Jonah Stein, Leon Meierson and Moishe Brenner.
The last two also house painters, in later years were among the founders of several, institutions in the Galician quarters of New York. Moishe Brenner was for more than five decades the guiding spirit of the Boiberker Sick and Benevolent Society. The first president was Israel Fiebert and the secretary was Levy Haber. The present officers are, Alex Schwartz, ex-president; Morris Paget, president; Hersh Schnitzer, vice president; Hersh Zeiger, treasurer; Joe Konenthal, financial secretary; and Morris Zipper, Chairman Welfare Committee.
In 1891 there came from Boiberke Chaim Aaron Hafner, an intellectual, who was known in Boiberke as well as in the entire area as the best wedding jester, (Badchen). After a sojourn in New York of a year or two, he could not adjust himself to the enviroment [sic] and returned to Boiberke. Since his economic condition did not improve, again he was compelled to immigrate to the United States where besides being the jester at weddings of his fellow Boiberker, he gave private lessons in the Bible to the growing youngsters of his friends. He also began to write in Yiddish as well as in Hebrew periodicals. When the Yiddish weekly Dos Yiddishe Wochen Blatt, which was published by the Galician landsleit in New York, made changes in its management, Hafner became its editor. I recall one evening when I visited him in his tiny office on Rivington Street on the lower East Side in New York. I found him writing the editorial for the weekly by candlelight, as there was no money to pay the gas bills.
In 1895 our oldest brother, Yitzchok Leib, arrived in New York. He was followed at interwales [sic] of about two years, first by brother Samuel, then brother Leizer, then brother Abraham and finally I too came to the United States. It was the same with many families from Boiberke and elsewhere.
Just as the 19th century was drawing to a close, another fellow Boiberke, Sh