Popok Family from Mir

Morris Popok, his brothers Meyer and Isser and their sister Alta left Mir around 1904. They went to America, leaving their families behind because they did not have enough money to pay for passage for all of them. Eventually the brothers were able to send for their wives and children. Later Morris and his son Joseph became the soda makers. At first they made soda in vats and bottled it themselves. Eventually they had a factory with machines to do the work.

In 1930 Joseph took his wife and there two young children Herbert (age 7) and Jean (age 5) and his cousin Lillian to visit Mir, the town where he was born.

Jean Popok Kasliner sent the photo below, showing them with their extended family. Joseph is said to have begged these relatives to let him help them leave Mir and come to America.

The Popok family and friends in Mir around 1930 (The sign on the building says M. Pogorelsky, Men's Tailor*)
Close up starting on right side
Jean is the little girl in the white hat. Her brother Herbert is next to her. Her mother, her father Joseph Popok and Lillian Popok** are in the photo too.

*Information provided by Ted Hyman who received the translation from Dr. Sheldon Kneller. Ted is a grandson of Isser Popok and therefore is a 2nd cousin of Jean Popok Kasliner

**Lillian Popok became the mother of Shelly Kneller, whose photos from an other visit to Mir are on this web site.