The Seidmans
The big mystery about the Seidman brothers is how they got their last name and why. As the documents so clearly show, Ben, who arrived in 1913, was named Pesi Zakman. Sam entered the States as Schulem Zakman. The postcard from their brother Duveed to my grandparents is signed D.A. Zakman.Zakman. Pesi Zakman had changed his name to Benjamin Harry Seidman by 1917 according to his draft registration card. Of course, that document also said he was 51, which was impossible, given that he was born in 1891, according to his Passenger Card from Ellis Island. When Schulem Zakman entered Ellis Island in 1924, he had written he was going to his brother Ben Seidman. The next document for Schulem, his naturalization papers, were signed as Sam Seidman. I suppose Benny renamed himself was that he perceived Pesi as not being American, but why exchange Zakman for Seidman? That is a mystery. Also, did he know a Seidman whom he admired? Is that why he chose that surname? Unles any of his daughters know and can enlighten us, there is no way to find out that I know.
There is no doubt that the family name was
When I was a child, the Seidman brothers lived in Revere, Massachusetts. They lived next door to each other, Uncle Benny in a white cottage, and Uncle Sam on the second floor in a double decker. Both were married to women named Ida. My family referred to them as
Ida Benny's and Ida Sam's. Uncle Benny had five daughters, Ruth, Selma, Anna, Faye, and Marion, not necessarily in that order. My Uncle, Simon Ostrach, told me that he loved spending summer holidays with the Seidmans. Revere Beach was a lively resort in those days When I was very young, in the early 1940's, the girls seemed very glamorous to me. All of them had long hair which was put up in the style of that time, and they always wore brightly colored fashionable dresses, stockings with the seams straight, and, of course, high heeled shoes, often with platforms. I remember dressing tables with makeup and perfume in their bedrooms, and also going on the roller coaster at Revere Beach. Uncle Sam had two sons, Sonny, who was five years older than me, and Allen, who was five years younger. Somehow, I found out that Sonny's "real" name was Leo, which makes me think he was named for Sam's brother Laban who died when he was in the Russian army, whether as a result of war wounds or army life, which was very hostile to Jews, I don't know. Sonny always seemed grown up to me, but Allen I remember as an adorable baby with big blue eyes.
We often visited Uncles Benny and Sam in Revere. I remember that Uncle Sam had a collection of opera records. I've always wondered whether he liked opera and listened to the records. He never mentioned them to me, and I don't recall seeing him listening to music. Then again, he'd hardly do that when there were visitors. Of course, the Seidmans also visited our family in Providence. They always brought their own steaks, which my grandmother broiled for them on an electric broiler which was used for no other purpose except for her brothers' visits.
As a toddler, apparently I mispronounced
pocketbook as "kuhpockabook." That struck Aunt "IdaSam's" as so funny, that, even when I was a teenager, she used to tease me about my "kuhpockabook." To my surprise, at their 50th wedding anniversary party, as I was dancing, Allen and Jo Ann sailed by me, dancing, and he shouted out, 'Elaine, good to see you. How's your kuhpockabook?"
Uncle Benny
and Uncle Sam,both having learned blacksmithing from their father, started a restaurant supply business in Boston, making all the special stoves and equipment for restaurants. I recall the business was on or near Milk St. in Boston. Eventually, they became the suppliers for most of the Chinese restaurants in and around Boston. Uncle Bennny died when I was still young. Sam's sons both went into the business and carried it on. Sonny married Nancy, and had two sons, and Allen married Jo Ann, and had three sons. I invite any of the Seidmans or their descendants to contact me with information they would like to see on this page and also with pictures taken before 1949, which is the cutoff date I've used on this site.
