David Sorofman first stepped foot on U.S. soil in 1906 on the 13th day of September. He arrived in Boston Harbor as a passenger on board the SS Saxonia traveling with his mother and siblings. His father was already living in Boston. I imagine he was somewhere in the area waiting impatiently for his family to get through immigration.

A close reading of this image reveals there were seven people comprising the Soriffman family in 1906. Six were traveling to meet B. Soriffman, described as husband and father, who was living at 129 Ruggles Street, Boston. He was the husband of Taube (33) and the father of Klara (16), Rosa (14), Loiue (Sonja) (8), David (7), and Berl (11). They were Russian citizens last residing in the city of Soroka, Russia (now Moldova).¹

Finding this passenger record answers many questions about this family. It also invites many, many more questions:

• When did B. Soriffman first arrive in the U.S.?
• Did any of them become citizens?
• Is David Soriffman who was 7 years old in 1906, acutally David Sorofman, husband to Ida Klein and father to Harold?
• How did Soriffman become Sorofman?
• Why did they leave there home in Soroka?
• Where is Soroka and does it exist today?
• Did they leave family behind?
• Did they have other family living in the US?
• What happened to them once they disembarked from the SS Saxonia?

Look for the answers to these and other questions in upcoming Sorofman family posts.

Footnote

1. Entry for Taube Soriffman,  p. 211 (stamped), line 11, SS Saxonia passenger manifest, 13 Sept 1906; Passenger Lists of Vessels Arriving at Boston, MA, 1891-1943, (National Archives Microfilm Publication T715, roll 56); Passenger Arrival Records, 1882-1957; Records of the Immigration and Naturalization Service, Record Group 85; National Archives Building, Washington, D.C.  Ordered from the NARA microfilm catalogue at www.archives.com, 09 Dec 2014.