Individual Details
Morris Gray
(Nov 11, 1893 - )
Events
| Birth | Nov 11, 1893 | Ostro, Poland |  | ||
| Marriage | Feb 15, 1914 | Poland - Esther Moshontz | | ||
| Immigration | 1921 | ||||
| City Directory (Fam) | From 1925 to 1939 | Esther Moshontz |  | | |
| Miscnote (family) | Oct 1, 1929 | Lewiston, Androscoggin, Maine, United States - Esther Moshontz | | | |
| Census (family) | 1930 | Lewiston, Androscoggin, Maine, United States - Esther Moshontz | | | |
| Naturalization | 1931 | ||||
| Miscnote (family) | Oct 1, 1933 | Lewiston, Androscoggin, Maine, United States - Esther Moshontz | | | |
| Census (family) | 1940 | East Liverpool, Columbiana, Ohio, United States - Esther Moshontz | | | |
| City Directory (Fam) | 1943 | Esther Moshontz | | | |
| Alt name | Grajewska | |
Families
| Spouse | Esther Moshontz (1895 - 1975) |
| Child | Rose Gray (1916 - ) |
| Child | Louis Gray (1917 - 2011) |
| Child | Evelyn Gray (1921 - 1974) |
Notes
City Directory (Fam)
In 1925 they were listed in the Sedalia, Missouri city directory. From 1930 to 1933 they were listed in the Lewiston, Maine city directory. In 1939 they were listed in the East Liverpool, Ohio city directory.Miscnote (family)
The following article originally appeared on October 29, 1929, in the Lewiston Daily Journal:"Rabbi Morris Gray. who had succeeded Rabbi Segal at Beth Jacob Synagogue conducted his first services here. They were on the eve of the Jewish New Year. Rabbi Gray, who came here from Tarentum.Pa.. had been in this country but eight years, coming from Poland."
Census (family)
They were renting ($48/mon) 30 Howard St in Lewiston, Maine with their children. Neither had attended school and Yiddish was their native language. He could speak English; she could not. He was a rabbi.Miscnote (family)
The following is a portion of an article from the Lewiston Daily Sun of September 1, 1933:"Morris Gray, for four years Rabbi of the Beth Jacob Synagogue, has resigned his position and will leave this city the first of the month. In leaving the local synagogue, the Rabbi will drop his clergical duties and enter business in Brooklyn, N.Y. Rabbi Gray gave as his reason for leaving, dissatisfaction of a certain group in the congregation.
The Rabbi came here four years ago from Tarentum, where he held a similar position. The past four years Ii said to have been the most successful in the history of the local congregation. Rabbi Gray succeeded Rabbi Siegel, who for 35 years was head of the congregation.
Rabbi Gray stated "Politics among the congregation, especially this group of relatives of Rabbi Siegel, who wished that he remain as head of the synagogue until death completed his work, is one of the reasons for my resignation. Those who are engaged in congregation politics, and to whom politics means more than religion and anything were offended because the congregation did not retain Rabbi Siegel. I am going to take a two weeks' vacation, and then enter business in Brooklyn, N.Y."
Rabbi Gray termed the four years spent in Lewiston the four most unpleasant of his life. During his stay in Lewiston Rabbi Gray has made many friends not only of the Jewish faith but of all faiths."
Census (family)
They were living with their children at 324 Ninth St in East Liverpool, Ohio. He had finished 4 years of college and she had finished 8 years of grade school. In 1935 they were living in New York City; he was a rabbi earning $2100/year.City Directory (Fam)
In 1943 they were living at 1159 Parkwood Drive in Cleveland.Endnotes
1. "Maine, County Naturalization Records, 1800-1990", images; Familysearch.org, Estera Grajewska: Petition 2239 Androscoggin Petitions for Naturalization: 1931, Vol 22, No 2184-2283 (accessed Oct 3 2014) [E-1742].
2. "Maine, County Naturalization Records, 1800-1990", images; Familysearch.org, Estera Grajewska: Petition 2239 Androscoggin Petitions for Naturalization: 1931, Vol 22, No 2184-2283 (accessed Oct 3 2014) [E-1742].
3. "U.S. City Directories, 1821-1989", database on-line, Ancestry.com, Morris Gray: Sedalia, Missouri, 1925; Lewiston, Maine, 1930; 1932; 1933; East Liverpool, Ohio, 1939 (accessed Jan 8 2015) [E-1905].
4. "Lewiston [Maine] Evening Journal", online database, (news.google.com/newspapers), Article: Morris Gray; "25 Years ago today 1929" Oct 6, 1954; Page 4 (accessed Oct 1 2014) [E-1737].
5. 1930 U.S. Census: Maine, Androscoggin County, population schedule, Digital images, Ancestry.com, Morris Gray: Lewiston; Roll: 827; Page: 12B; ED: 0030; Image: 916.0; FHL microfilm: 2340562 (accessed Oct 1 2014) [E-1739].
6. “Lewiston [Maine] Daily Sun”, online database, (news.google.com/newspapers), Article: Rabbi Morris Gray: "Head Local Jewish Synagogue Resigns", Sep 1, 1933 (accessed Oct 1 2014) [E-1737].
7. 1940 U.S. Census: Ohio, Columbiana County, population schedule, digital images, Ancestry.com, Morris Gray: East Liverpool, Ohio; Roll: T627_3044; Page: 6A; ED: 15-33 (accessed Oct 1 2014) [E-1740].
8. "City Directories, Cleveland Ohio", online database, Cleveland Public Library (cpl.com), Morris Gray: 1943 Cleveland City Directory (accessed Oct 3 2014) [E-1741].
9. "Maine, County Naturalization Records, 1800-1990", images; Familysearch.org, Estera Grajewska: Petition 2239 Androscoggin Petitions for Naturalization: 1931, Vol 22, No 2184-2283 (accessed Oct 3 2014) [E-1472].