This is the third (of four) posts presenting photographs and biographical records of American Jewish soldiers from the state of Pennsylvania who served in the First World War. The images displayed here were found in Veterans Service and Compensation Files for Pennsylvania WW I veterans, were were accessed via Ancestry.com. The images are accompanied by biographical information about these soldiers, from a variety of sources.
This post covers men whose surnames began with the letters P through T, the first post having encompassed men whose last names began with the letters A through G. The Second post shows images of men whose surnames begin with the letters K through M.
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Polin, Herbert, Pvt., 1,235,292
28th Infantry Division, 109th Infantry Regiment, B Company
WIA 7/15/18 (gunshot wound right thigh)
Mrs. Ida (Probinsky) Polin (wife), 3213 Snyder Ave., Brooklyn, N.Y.
Mr. and Mrs. Abraham and Bessie (Nepomnu) Polin (parents), 1602 S. 8th St., Philadelphia, Pa.
Born Harrisburg, Pa., 7/4/96
Philadelphia Inquirer 11/23/18
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Polin, Jack, Pvt., 1,256,401
28th Infantry Division, 107th Machine Gun Battalion, A Company
Slightly WIA 10/1/18 (“shrapnel”)
(Deserted ~ 12/14/18!)
Mr. and Mrs. Louis and Jennie Polin (parents), 340 Winton St. / 2322 West Columbia Ave., Philadelphia, Pa.
Born Kiev, Russia, 4/21/97
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Robbins, Moe, Pvt., 1,235,347
28th Infantry Division, 109th Infantry Regiment, B Company
WIA approximately 7/16/18 (gas; initially reported MIA)
Mrs. Mary (McKeever) Robbins (wife), Lorraine and Theodore (daughter and son)
5213 Arlington St., Philadelphia, Pa.
Mr. and Mrs. Myer and Theresa (Goodstein) Robbins (parents); Miss Mazie Robbins (sister)
3821 N. 16th St. / 3213 Oxford St., Philadelphia, Pa.
Born Philadelphia, Pa., 5/2/95
Occupation: Tire salesman
Philadelphia Inquirer 9/5/18
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Roberts, Leon, Pvt., 1,252,751
28th Infantry Division, 108th Field Artillery Regiment, F Battery
KIA 9/7/18
Mr. and Mrs. Bernard (died 4/19/40) and Minnie (Jacobs) (3/29/71-11/30/25) Roberts (parents)
2044 East Fletcher St., Philadelphia, Pa.
Charles, Gustav, and Hattie (brothers and sister)
Born Philadelphia, Pa., 4/23/94
Montefiore Cemetery, Jenkintown, Pa. – Section C, Lot 1, Grave 1; Buried 7/14/21
Philadelphia Inquirer 10/12/18
Pvt. Roberts’ matzevot, at Montefiore Cemetery, in Jenkintown, Pa.
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Rose, Mathew Louis, Sgt., 1,251,933
28th Infantry Division, 108th Field Artillery Regiment, C Battery
WIA 8/25/18 (high explosive in back / struck in hip by shrapnel)
Mr. and Mrs. Abraham and Bessie (Wolphe) Rose (parents), Harry (brother), 420 N. 9th St., Philadelphia, Pa.
Also 4818 North Franklin St., Philadelphia, Pa.
Born Philadelphia, Pa., 1/18/92
Philadelphia Inquirer 10/2/18
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Sandrow, Harry, Pvt., 3,110,731
79th Infantry Division, 315th Infantry Regiment, I Company
KIA 11/9/18
Mr. and Mrs. Michael and Sarah S. Sandrow (parents), 3911 Germantown Ave., Philadelphia, Pa.
Born Ansonia, Ct., 1/28/95
Ivy Hill Cemetery, Philadelphia, Pa.
Philadelphia Inquirer 12/12/18, 12/13/18
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Seltzer, Joseph, Pvt., 1,239,440
28th Infantry Division, 110th Infantry Regiment, A Company
KIA 10/1/18
Mrs. Leona Seltzer (wife), 312 League St., Philadelphia, Pa.
Mr. and Mrs. Julius and Anna (Waterman) Seltzer (parents)
2547 or 2548 or 2647 (?) South 10th St., Philadelphia, Pa.
Abstract lists parents’ address as “2647”
Another address: Mr. Passen, at 1221 South 2nd St., Philadelphia, Pa.
Born Moscow, Russia, 1900
Occupation: Hardwood finisher
Served in National Guard for six years
Meuse-Argonne American Cemetery, Romagne-sous-Montfaucon, France – Plot B, Row 45, Grave 26
Philadelphia Inquirer 3/1/19
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Senecoff, Abe, PFC, 1,238,466
28th Infantry Division, 109th Infantry Regiment, Machine Gun Company
WIA 7/30/18 (gassed and shell shock)
Mrs. Sara (Selsky) Senecoff (wife), Max (son), 2440 South Beulah St., Philadelphia, Pa.
Mr. and Mrs. Jacob and Ida Senecoff (parents), Pvt. Emanuel Senecoff (brother), 2435 South Franklin St., Philadelphia, Pa.
Born Philadelphia, Pa., 5/15/93
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Shapiro, Israel, Pvt., 1,237,202
28th Infantry Division, 109th Infantry Regiment, I Company
Slightly wounded in action 7/30/18
Wounded in action 9/27/18
Mrs. Lena (Ginsburg) Shapiro (wife), Lester (son), 4251 N. Marshall St., Philadelphia, Pa.
Mrs. Sarah Shapiro (mother), 542 Pike St. / 1242 Brown St., Philadelphia, Pa.
Born Philadelphia, Pa., 9/22/97
Philadelphia Inquirer 11/2/18
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Silnutzer, Meyer, Pvt., 1,235,685
28th Infantry Division, 109th Infantry Regiment, C Company
WIA 7/15/18 (“shrapnel” – right foot) / (“wouned by shrapnel in right foot”)
Mrs. Anna (Skibinsky) Silnutzer (wife), Aaron and Ruth (children), 2700 South 16th St., Philadelphia, Pa.
Mr. and Mrs. Nathan and Sarah (Horn) Silnutzer (parents), 2113 Master St., Philadelphia, Pa.
Born Barshed, Russia, 6/7/98
Philadelphia Inquirer 11/14/18, 12/18/18
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Simons, Henry, Pvt., 1,237,957
28th Infantry Division, 109th Infantry Regiment, M Company
POW / WIA 7/15/18 (“gassed”; “fracture of right ulna”); POW at Camp Langensalza, Germany
Mrs. Bertha H. (Haas) Simons (wife), Helen and Ruth (daughters)
Mr. and Mrs. Samuel and Minnie (Hirsch) Simons (parents); Jacob Simons (brother), 2212 West Harold St., Philadelphia, Pa.
Born Philadelphia, Pa., 11/16/95
Died 11/11/31, Philadelphia, Pa.
New York Times 9/1/18
Philadelphia Inquirer 8/18/18, 8/22/18
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Tarr, Isadore, Pvt., 1,240,783
28th Infantry Division, 110th Infantry Regiment, G Company
WIA 7/30/18 (Slightly wounded) (“left thigh”)
Mrs. Fannie (Byer) Tarr (wife), Evelyn and Rhoda (daughters), 2 Stanle Court, Atlantic City, N.J.
Mr. and Mrs. Nathan and Esther (Ostroff) Tarr (parents), 1718 13th St., Altoona, Pa.
Born Poland (“State of German Poland”), 9/8/96
Philadelphia Inquirer 10/24/18
References
Books
Gumpertz, Sydney G., Capt., The Jewish Legion of Valor – The Story of Jewish Heroes in the Wars of the Republic – And a General History of the Military Exploits of the Jews Through the Ages, Sydney G. Gumpertz, New York, N.Y., 1934, 1941
Gumpertz, Sydney G., Capt., The Jewish Legion of Valor – The Story of Americans of the Jewish Faith Who Distinguished Themselves in the Armed Forces in All the Wars of the Republic – And a General History of the Military Exploits of the Jews Through the Ages, Sydney G. Gumpertz, New York, N.Y., 1934, 1946
Haulsee, William Mitchell; Howe, Frank George; Doyle, Alfred Cyril, Soldiers of the Great War – Memorial Edition: Volume I (Alabama through Maryland), Washington, D.C., Soldiers Record Publishing Association, 1920
Haulsee, William Mitchell; Howe, Frank George; Doyle, Alfred Cyril, Soldiers of the Great War – Memorial Edition: Volume II (Massachusetts through Ohio), Washington, D.C., Soldiers Record Publishing Association, 1920
Haulsee, William Mitchell; Howe, Frank George; Doyle, Alfred Cyril, Soldiers of the Great War – Memorial Edition: Volume III (Oklahoma through Wyoming), Washington, D.C., Soldiers Record Publishing Association, 1920
Book – No Specific Author
The War Record of American Jews – First Report of The Office of War Records, American Jewish Committee, January 1, 1919, The American Jewish Committee, New York, N.Y., 1919