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Abram SKOROCHOD
Part of Abraham SKOROCHOD’s biography was written in French.
Abraham Icko Skorochod was born in december 1883 in the city of Nowogródek, in Belarus and formerly in russia (until World War I) and in poland (from 1918 to 1939). The exact date can vary depending on the documents, it could either be December 2nd or December 24th. His parents, Lejzez and Rosa Skorochod, were merchants, and Abraham didn’t practice any religion.
It is known that he fled belarus for political reasons,and some family legends even say that he fled with Lenin in 1900. However, a person named Abram Skorochod also appears on the electoral list of kholmech for the 1906 duma (a parliament) elections, and a person named Abraham Itskov Skorochod is also listed in the 1912 list for the city of Vitebsk. Even though it cannot be certain, it is unlikely that this person is our Abraham, considering the dates and cities, which are located 350km away from Nowogródek / Navahroudak.
Abraham Skorochod.
Nowogrodek (market square) in 1889 – public domain, unknown author.
Abraham skorochod in a tailor congress (1914).
His travel, probably on foot, ended in Switzerland. There he met the one who will later become his wife, Emma Benkiser. This one, born in Neckarweihingen in Germany, on December 30, 1888, is part of a family of 12 children. She worked for the swiss branch of a german administrative service company. Then, Abraham and Emma moved to Plainpalais, a swiss town near Geneva.
On october 16, 1909, their first son Albert was born in Geneva. We know that he and his mother had a very close relationship; Emma would have even accompanied him on his honeymoon. Their second child, Emile, was born two years later on august 7, 1911, also in Geneva. On the other hand, Abraham held an english tailoring diploma from a prestigious school located in London. We therefore assume that he must have lived there for a year or two. On the diploma, it is stated that Abraham obtained it on August 20, 1910. The school has since closed, leaving little to no information.
Aleksandra’s draw.
Emma, in the middle and her children (albert, left & emile, right).
Abraham’s tailor diploma.
He arrived in Strasbourg between 1921 and 1922 (source: directory of addresses and trades 1921 and 1922, archives of Strasbourg). The family lived 11 General Gouraud street in the city center.
On september 2, 1924, Abraham Skorochod married Emma Louise Benkiser. Their witnesses were Joseph Burval (merchant tailor, 47 years old, Strasbourg) and Guillaume Lipski (photographer, 40 years old, Strasbourg). As we said, Abraham did not practice any religion. Emma grew, though, was a non-practising protestant. On june 16, 1927, Abraham Skorochod was naturalized and obtained french nationality. The same year, Albert made his father proud by graduating from the same school in London.
In 1931, the family moved to the 6 Peace avenue, still in Strasbourg after having bought a building thanks to the success gained in Abraham’s tailor activities. He had some expansion work done there (4th + 5th floor attic). The store was located on the 1st floor and the family lived on the 4th. According to family accounts Abraham went to auctions regularly to buy lots of diamonds. He was a connoisseur and kept the best quality ones beforereselling the others.
6 avenue de la paix (Strasbourg) – 1974
In his tailor shop, he made 3-piece suits or jackets or pants in beautiful english fabrics that he soldvery expensive. He had abig workshop and pants, men who worked for him. He also went to Germany where he often worked on site to make ordersof 150 pants at a time!
Meanwhile Emma kept her home, took care of the accounting, put the money and to buy ingots. He trusted her completely because she was thrifty.
On september 1, 1939 Abraham Skorochod and his family had to leave Strasbourg due to an evacuation order because of the beginning of World War II. They moved to 6 flander street, in Vichy (Allier, center of France). Abraham kept his “english tailor” shop at 8 rue de Sornin (Vichy). On may 2, 1944, both Abraham and his son Albert were arrested by the gestapo at their store, while Emma, was arrested at their home on the same day. The tailorshop was completely looted and destroyed by thegermans following their arrest. Two witnesses, Marie Demissier and Olga Abbo, saw the Skorochod family’s arrest. Olga’s sister, Georgette, later married Albert and helped him to escape by hiding a bicycle next to moulins’ prison with Albert’s best friend.
The motive for their arrest was their jewish identity. After staying to moulins prison since may 4, 1944, Abraham and his family were later transferred to the Drancy camp on may 12, 1944. Emma and Albert, however, were not deported and were sent back to moulins and then released from prison on August 21, 1944. Abraham was deported to Auschwitz II-Birkenau in Poland on july 31, 1944, and sadly, he passed away there on august 5, 1944.
Abraham’s shop in Vichy.
Shop’s sign – 8 rue sornin, Vichy.
Abraham’s shop looted by the germans.
After the war, Emma continued to live in Vichy, whilealbert (and possibly Emile) returned to 6 Peace avenue in Strasbourg, where he continued working as a tailor withsome of Abraham’s employees including someone named Mr Glückstein who was very close to the family according to their descendants.
According to a relative, during the war, the germans sequestered the building, sealed the furniture, emptied the safes of their bullion.They set up their administrative services there. After the war, Albert and Emile had to fight to recover their possessions, without the bullion of course.
On january 22, 1962, Emma initiated administrative procedures to have her husband recognized as a”political deportee.” Finally, on july 12, 1962, Abraham was officially granted the title of “political deportee”by the ministry of veterans and war victims.
Albert was an atheist but let his wife raise their childrenin the catholic religion.
Abraham’s shop door in Strasbourg (made of glass).
Vichy’s census – 6 rue de Flandres – 1946 (source : Vichy’s archives).
When his son Arnaud married a jewish woman, he was sick of it. He said to himself, “never again will there be such a horror in my family”. Emile, Abraham’s youngest son, had also married a catholic. He had four children all catholics and several grand children.
To explore Abraham’s life throughout Europe :
We deeply thank Abraham’s family who helped us in this project and looked for some documents :
- Maïka Skorochod
- Natacha Skorochod
- Arielle Skorochod
- Alain Skorochod
- Helen Macfarlane
Sources used :
- Documents from “Convoi 77” and “Shoah Memorial”
- Archives Strasbourg et de l’Eurométropole
- Archives de Vichy
- Jewishgen
- Belarus sig
- Skorochod family
- L’AFMD
Photos des élèves français et polonais ayant participé à ce projet
Les cartes postales échangées entre les élèves français et polonais
Photos de la venue de Serge Jacubert de l’association Convoi 77 devant les élèves (octobre 2022)
Afin d’achever ce projet de la meilleure des manières, nous avons rencontré la famille d’Abraham le 8 juin 2023
French polish partnership
- Liceum Ogólnokształcące im. Bolesława Chrobrego – Gnieźnie / Lycée Notre Dame Challans
- Liceum Ogólnokształcące im. Bolesława Chrobrego w Gnieźnie / EREA Portes du soleil Montélimar
- Zespół Szkół Zawodowych nr 1 im. gen. Sylwestra Kaliskiego wdziałdowie/ Middle School Athenee Royal Jean Rostand (Belgium)
- Społeczna Szkoła Podstawowa Dobra Szkoła w Ratajach / Collège Antoine Deparcieux Le Martinet
- Zespół Zzkół Ogólnokształcących i Technicznych nr 13 / Lycée Emilie de Breteuil, Montigny-le-Bretonneux
- II Liceum Ogólnokształcące in Jaworzno, Poland / Lycée Jean-Marie de la Mennais, Retiers
- II Liceum Ogólnokształcące in Jaworzno, Poland / Collège Raoul Dufy in Le Havre, France
