Matthew Lindenberg and Ethel Lisombicka Lindenberg

Matthew Lindenberg

Matthew (Matys) Lindenberg was born on February 21, 1896 in Chorzele, Poland to Baruch Lindenberg, age 25 and Gitla Tauba Klecesker Lindenberg, age 27. Chorzele was a small town north of Warsaw and part of the Russian Empire prior to World War I.

For several centuries Eastern Europe was divided into 3 countries – Russia, German Empire and Austria – Hungary. Jews were only allowed to live in certain areas referred to as the Jewish Pale. They were not allowed to farm, travel and attendance at school was severely restricted. There were occasional Pogroms where entire communities of Jews were massacred.

This is a screen shot from Jewishgen.org which shows that Matthew’s father, Boruch, married his brother Szulim’s widow (Gitla Tauba) in 1883. In was in Chorzele that their three sons, Moszek (Morris), Chaim (Hyman) and Matys (Matthew) were born.

Baruch Lindenberg moved his family from Chorzele to Praga which was a borough of Warsaw around 1900. It was there that The Lisombicka Family and the Lindenberg family shared an apartment in Praga. It was there that their daughter, Anna was born in 1900.

Matthew’s oldest brother, Moszek (Morris) was the first to emigrate to America, arriving in 1907. His brother Chaim (Hyman) followed 2 years later.

Ethel (Edka) Lisombicka Lindenberg

Ethel Lisombicka was born on May 12, 1897 in Warsaw, Poland (which was part of the Russian Empire) to Mordechai and Mira Lisombicka. She had one brother (Abram) and 5 sisters (Miriam, Chava, Chaya, Raizel and Gussie). Mordechai was a veteran of the Russian Japanese War therefore had more freedoms than most Jews of that time.

Ethel and Matthew

Matthew Lindenberg was conscripted into the Polish army to fight in the Polish-Soviet War. Jewish men were considered expendable and were frequently placed on the front lines. This usually meant certain death. Matthew deserted and fled to Germany. He returned to Warsaw to see Ethel at great personal danger. He told her that he was hoping to get to America and wondered if she would be willing to join him there as his wife.

He became an illegal immigrant in Amsterdam working to earn enough money for passage to America.

This is likely the house where Matthew lived while in Amsterdam with his friend Mr. Loman. The address was on his manifest (below) and this picture was taken by his granddaughter, Marcy Steinberg Chessler in 2023 on a visit to Amsterdam.

He emigrated to America at the age of 24 in March of 1920 aboard the SS City of New York. We were unable to find a ship manifest for Matthew’s arrival in America. By examining his Petition for Citizenship from 1920 we discovered that he had arrived on the SS New York on March 13, 1920.

When we searched for Lindenberg’s on that ship we discovered a Chaim Lindenberg but no Matthew. Chaim was already living in New York – so it became obvious that because Matthew had deserted from the Army and was an illegal alien in Amsterdam, he had to use his brother’s identity for his passage to America.

That had us search further and we found documentation on a second
smaller sheet of paper attached to his petition confirming that he came to
America as Chaim Lindenberg!

Chaim Lindenberg went to the docks to welcome his brother, Matthew, to America. He later related to his family that he was concerned that he might not recognize his younger brother as Matthew was only 13 when Chaim left for America. Chaim immediately recognized his brother as he later stated, “he looked so much like me!”

Ethel (Edka) emigrated to America at age 23 accompanied by Matthew’s sister, Anna (Chana). Her sister, Gussie, was already living in New York. Her sister, Chaya, emigrated to France and Chava to Israel. Sadly Miriam, Raizel and their families all perished in the Holocaust. Abram who was an artist allegedly died in a tragic accident while working.

Ethel and Matthew were married on May 28, 1922 in New York City.

Their first child, Martin was born on September 1, 1923. Two of Matthew’s older brothers also had sons named Martin Lindenberg. The family moved into an apartment at 3395 Reservoir Oval in the Bronx. Gloria was born in that apartment on May 27, 1927. Ethel and Matthew maintained that same apartment for over 40 years. Matthew changed careers from Life Insurance to working in the family textile business in New York’s Garment District.

Martin married Irene Dwartz and Gloria married Sydney Steinberg. The two couples remained very close. Karen Lindenberg and Marcy Steinberg were born 3 months apart.

Cindy Steinberg was born October 6, 1952 and Barry Lindenberg March 16, 1953. Matthew and Ethel enjoyed many great times with their family.

Matthew was a kind, generous and loving man. Despite his lack of formal education, he was in the process of writing a book on the stock market when tragedy struck in 1965. He suffered a massive stroke while on the subway on his way home from work. Fortunately, he was with his cousin and lifelong friend, Sam Eisenstadt, who took him off the train and got him to a Montefiore Hospital. The stroke left Matthew with R sided weakness and inability to speak. He and Ethel spent that summer living in Levittown, Pennsylvania with Gloria and Sid. It was during that time that Marcy and Cindy learned that “girls who don’t make their beds will never find a husband.”

Matthew and Ethel celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary at the wedding of their granddaughter Karen Lindenberg to Cary Alevy on May 28, 1972.

In 1972 Karen and Cary were married on the Karen’s paternal grandparents’ 50th anniversary. By shear coincidence in 1976, Robin Marshall married Barry Lindenberg on Robin’s paternal grandparents’ 50th wedding anniversary.

Matthew and Ethel rented a room at the Barclay Plaza Hotel in Miami Beach. For many years they were “snowbirds.” When they became too old to travel, they lived their permanently.

Matthew passed away at age 78 on February 25, 1975. Ethel lived independently in her apartment in Miami Beach until her death on April 25, 1985, at age 88.