Sonia’s Uncles: The Haft Family in Liverpool

---

Harris had gone to school at night and soon learned how to speak English. At first, he had earned his living by selling merchandise to the humble folks in the small hamlets and villages on the outskirts of Liverpool. Harris had sent for his wife and two children a few months before Joseph came.

Sonia H. Davis, Two Hearts That Beat as One, 2023, p. 20.

Racille Haft had two brothers: Harris and Joseph Haft.

Harris Haft (1851 – 30 Apr 1921) was the eldest of the siblings.¹ In 1871, Harris married Hilda Vaksman (1848 – Jun 1927).² The couple had eight children, but according to the 1911 census, five children had passed away while only three survived. This appears to be a mistake, as per Harris’s “Family Tree” in Family Search, five children are listed, all with very long lives: Harry Haft (1882–1961), Morris Haft (1883–1943), Sarah Haft (1884–1961), Annie Lily Haft (1884–1960), and Hetty Haft (1888–1969). 

Harry Haft³ was a cabinet maker. In July 1904, he married Rebecca Adleman, but the couple separated in 1919. They had three children: Millie Haft, Alexander Haft, and Samuel Morris Haft. Harry married Rebecca “Becky” Glover in 1920, with whom he had two additional children: Horace Haft and Henry Haft. In 1939, Millie and Horace were living at home. Millie was a grocery shop assistant while Horace was a student.

Morris Haft⁴ was a boot repairer.⁵ He married Leah Cohen, although the year of their marriage is unknown. The couple had six children: Miriam “Millie” Haft, Abraham Alfred Haft, Lilian Haft, Harry Haft, Gertrude “Gertie” Haft, and Rose Haft. In October 1935, Miriam married Maurice Henry Hyman Glassman,⁶ while in July 1937, Gertrude married Isadore Glassman.⁷ I was unable to determine the familial relationship between the two Glassman men.

Sarah Haft is a woman of complete mystery. There is very little documentation on her life. She is listed in the 1891 census with the rest of her family. There is another record, specifically a passenger list for Ellis Island, that may be Sarah. The passenger’s name was Sarah Haft, 21 years of age, a Russian citizen by birth who lived in Cheetham, England, and worked as a dressmaker. Brooklyn was her destination. The ship, Umbria, sailed from Liverpool and arrived at Ellis Island on 20 July 1907.⁸ Sonia had shared a tidbit about “her English cousins” coming to the United States and “insisted her name was Sonia, not Sarah”.⁹ Could Sonia’s cousin, Sarah Haft, be the woman in the passenger list and one of the English cousins who came to visit Sonia? It’s hard to say, but it could be a possibility.

Annie Lily Haft Crystal¹⁰ married Joseph Louis Crystal on 16 June 1903, and the couple had eight children: Maurice Crystal, Samuel “Sam” Crystal, Rebeca “Becky” Crystal, Pese Crystal, Ashke Crystal, Jacob David “Jack” Crystal, Abraham Isaac “Abe” Crystal, and Zena Fanny Crystal.¹¹ Annie briefly worked at a newspaper shop in 1911, and in 1939, her occupation was documented as “Unpaid Domestic Duties”.

Hetty (Ettie) Haft Fleishman¹² is the most documented of all of Harris’s children. Hetty married Harry Fleishman, a Polish man, around 1907. In 1911, she and her 18 month old son, Maurice Harry Fleishman, were living with her parents, Harris and Hilda. The Fleishman family emigrated to Montréal, Québec, at some point between 1911 and 1922; Hetty gave birth to her daughter, Norma Cecile Fleishman, on 3 May 1922, making Norma a Canadian citizen.¹³ On 1 April  1935, the family was still living in Montréal, yet shortly thereafter the family moved to Beverley Hills, California, appearing in the 1940 Beverly Hills census. Sonia visited Los Angeles in 1934 and chose to stay, but it’s unknown if Sonia was close to Hetty, or if either woman was aware of their close proximity. In 1940, Maurice completed his military registration card, and on April 2, 1941, he married Susanne Frances Miller. It is unclear how long the family stayed in Beverely Hills. When Hetty passed away, she was buried at Back River Memorial Gardens in Montréal, Québec.¹⁴

It is difficult to pinpoint when Harris emigrated to Liverpool. He appeared, along with his family, in the 1891 census for the county of Chester. His occupation was listed as Stock Broker Agent. In the 1901 census, however, his occupation had changed to “Drapery Traveller”, which aligns with Sonia’s account of Harris earning “his living by selling merchandise to the humble folks in the small hamlets and villages on the outskirts of Liverpool”.¹⁵

In 1896 – 1897, Harris was president of the Chester Hebrew Congregation, originally formed in 1894, although members held services in their home before the established date.¹⁶

“Harris Haft, in the lean days, had turned his large living-room at home into a small synagogue where the few Jews in Chester, where Harris had his summer home, worshiped on the Sabbath and on the Holy Days.”

Sonia H. Davis, Two Hearts That Beat as One, 2023, p. 21.

By 1911, Harris was a keeper of baths, an occupation his wife was “assisting in the business” as well. In two instances, Harris appeared in the Chester Observer:

A Girl Charged with Theft. — Alice Tallice (15), Hoole, was charged with stealing a small cup, said to be silver, value 6s., the property of Harris Haft, a Russian, living at 28, Philip-street, Hoole. Prosecutor stated that defendant had been washing the rooms in his house, and she took the cup in question out of a box in his bedroom. He next saw the cup in the window of the house of defendant’s mother. —Two witnesses having been called, P.S. Finchett stated that when he served the summons on defendant her mother said, “Yes, she did bring a cup here,” and defendant remarked that when she was sweeping the room she swept it on her shovel, and took it away not thinking that it was silver.

—Mr. Brassey, who defended, denied that defendant took the cup with any felonious intention. He had been instructed to defend the case by Mr. Woodcock, of Boughton, who had a good opinion both of defendant and her mother. He submitted that when the girl was sweeping the room she found the cup in question, which was dirty and brown, and she took it home thinking it would do for the baby. Defendant’s home was near prosecutor’s house, and he contended that it was absurd to suppose that if defendant had stolen the cup she would have put it in the window of her mother’s house where prosecutor could see it. — Mary Tallice, mother of defendant, stated that when her daughter brought the cup home she had not the least idea that it was of any value. Her daughter had always had a good character.— The Bench took a lenient view of the case, and bound defendant over to come up for judgment when called upon. —Mr. Brassey asked the Bench to make an order for the County Council to pay the costs. He stated that the husband of Mrs. Tallice was a bricklayer. He was suffering from cancer in the tongue, and was away undergoing an operation. It was a very sad case. —The Bench, under the circumstances, remitted the costs.

Complaints by Russian Jews. — Harris H’Aft, [sic] a Russian Jew, living in Hoole, summoned Patrick Blake for assault. Wolfe Lewin, another Jew, also summoned Blake for assaulting him. Mr. Caldecutt defended. It appeared that on Tuesday afternoon defendant was coming home with some other men from work at Saltney. As they were crossing Hoole Railway Bridge they met the complainants, and Blake’s coat, which was on his arm, fell off. Thinking it had been knocked off by Lewin, defendant threw it at him. Blake was ordered to pay the costs of Lewin’s case, and the other was dismissed.

Harris, no doubt, set the stepping stone for a better life. For himself, his family, and his siblings. A life relieved of pogroms and required conscriptions. It was his lead which ultimately encouraged Joseph and Racille to take the chance on Liverpool.

“I will pawn my watch, my cherished Bar Mitzvah gift, and perhaps someday, if and when Racille can follow me to England, I will send her money to retrieve it and bring it to me. Brother Harris is not doing badly in Liverpool. Perhaps he can find me a job. I’ll save as much as I can and with a little help from Harris, we can send for Racille.”

Sonia H. Davis, Two Hearts That Beat as One, 2023, p. 16.

Joseph had now been away for more than a year. Being good at arithmetical problems he soon found a good situation as an auditor in a wholesale merchandise supply establishment of men’s and women’s apparel. His brother Harris, who had been in England more than three years, was a clerk in that store.”

Sonia H. Davis, Two Hearts That Beat as One, 2023, p. 20.

Joseph Haft (1863 – ) followed Harris to Liverpool. He was listed in the 1891 census, living with Harris and his family, and with the same job as his brother, Stock Broker Agent. In the same year, Joseph married Leah, maiden name unknown. According to Sonia’s autobiographical writings, Leah was Joseph’s “second cousin,” who was “a very beautiful girl but inordinately proud of that beauty.”¹⁷ Prior to leaving Liverpool, Leah had “refused to marry him”, yet upon hearing rumors of his success, Leah “purchased a ticket posthaste for England and set sail a few days after Racille and her entourage had left.”¹⁸ Leah arrived first, however:

When the boat, in which Racille and her two charges were traveling, had reached its first destination, she was not permitted to land. Leah had hired a lawyer in Konotop and bribed him to dispatch a telegram to the boat in which a trumped-up charge made the captain refuse landing to her and her little party. When Leah reached the seaport, she left on another vessel for Liverpool. It was only then that her mealy-mouthed flunkey dispatched another telegram to the captain saying that a mistake had been made, that the culprit was on another ship, under another name similar to Racille Haft. By this time, Leah had reached Liverpool and met Joseph.

Sonia H. Davis, Two Hearts That Beat as One, 2023, p. 22.

The two inevitably married, and although “Joseph presented his sister and niece with beautiful dresses for his wedding,” Racille didn’t attend it.¹⁹ There is very little documentation, aside from the 1891 census, to further elaborate on Joseph’s life. In Find A Grave, there’s only one memorial for Joseph Haft, yet the information warrants some consideration as to whether it’s really him. The parents listed are Levy I Haft and Eva Kukeloff Haft, and the spouse’s name is Leah Kukeles Haft, which confirms Sonia’s account of Leah being a second relation. The given year for the marriage is 1891, which, again, matches with the 1891 census with Joseph being married. However, the siblings, Max Harris Haft (1861–1938) and Moses Haft (1871–1936), strays slightly from what we’ve come to know already. I’m inclined to believe the memorial for Joseph Haft is not Sonia’s uncle, Joseph Haft. There is one other record for “Leah Haft”, whose husband was Joseph Haft. The couple had one daughter, Hettie Haft, born on 10 January 1897. Unfortunately, there is nothing further in the available records to confirm this, and the matter remains uncertain.

---

Endnotes:

1. Hebrew name: Tzvi Noach ben Moshe ↩︎
2. Most records document her name as “Hilda” while others as “Hannah”. Moreover, her maiden name varies between Waxman or Vaksman. ↩︎
3. Family details: Harry Haft (5 May 1882 – 17 Mar 1961); Rebecca Adleman (13 Apr 1884 – 24 Aug 1936); Millie Haft (21 June 1905 – 14 Feb 1996); Alexander Haft (Jan 1907 – 3 Dec 1917), Samuel Morris Haft (1909 – 29 July 1912); Rebecca “Becky” Glover (15 Oct 1893 – 8 Feb 1978); Horace Haft (8 July 1922 – 12 Jan 2004); Henry Haft (11 Oct 1927 – 6 Feb 1994). ↩︎
4. Family details: Morris Haft (7 Jun 1883 – 10 Jun 1943); Leah Cohen (6 Mar 1884 – 25 Aug 1948); Miriam “Millie” Haft (24 Mar 1907 – 10 Apr 1984); Abraham Alfred Haft (10 Jul 1907 – 16 Oct 1980); Lilian Haft (27 Mar 1910 – Oct 1933); Harry Haft (15 Aug 1912 – 21 Dec 1943), Gertrude “Gertie” Haft (17 Dec 1915 – 14 Jun 1977); Rose Haft (12 Jul 1918 – Oct 1999). ↩︎
5. 1939 Register, Courtesy of The National Archives, London, England. ↩︎
6. See “Miriam “Millie” Glassman” in FamilySearch Family Tree. ↩︎
7. See “Gertrude “Gertie” Haft” in FamilySearch Family Tree. ↩︎
8. “New York, Passenger Arrival Lists (Ellis Island), 1892-1925”, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:JXVG-V3J: Sun Aug 31 21:57:57 UTC 2025), Entry for Sarah Haft and Moses Haft, 28 July 1907. ↩︎
9. Sonia H. Davis, Two Hearts That Beat as One, 2023, p. 35. ↩︎
10. Hebrew name: Chaiah Leiba bat Tzvi Noach ↩︎
11. Family details: Annie Lily Haft Crystal (7 Oct 1884 – 4 April 1960); Joseph Louis Crystal (15 Mar 1880 – 6 Mar 1964); Maurice Crystal (20 Jun 1905 – 30 Apr 1982); Samuel ‘Sam’ Crystal (1 Jul 1907 – May 1997); Rebeca ‘Becky’ Crystal (15 Sept 1909 – 6 Nov 1992); Pese Crystal (22 Jan 1912 – 14 Dec 2004), Ashke Crystal (28 Aug 1914 – 6 Dec 1948); Jacob David ‘Jack’ Crystal (24 Aug 1917 – 18 May 1990), Abraham Isaac ‘Abe’ Crystal (10 Jun 1919 – 25 Mar 1998); Zena Fanny Crystal (15 Jan 1925 – 9 Nov 2011). ↩︎
12. Family details: Hetty Haft Fleishman (1888 – 12 Mar 1969); Harry Fleishman (1880 – Oct 1948); Maurice Harry Fleishman (19 Aug – 11 Sept 2009); Norma Cecile Fleishman (3 May 1922 – 13 Oct 2020). ↩︎
13. 1931 Canada Census ↩︎
14. Obituary ↩︎
15. Sonia H. Davis, Two Hearts That Beat as One, 2023, p. 20 ↩︎
16. JewishGen: Chest Hebrew Congregation. ↩︎
17. Sonia H. Davis, Two Hearts That Beat as One, 2023, p. 22. ↩︎
18. Sonia H. Davis, Two Hearts That Beat as One, 2023, p. 22. ↩︎
19. Sonia H. Davis, Two Hearts That Beat as One, 2023, p. 25. ↩︎