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Charles Bronson, formerly Buchinsky--another reason for changing a name

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MBe...@aol.com

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Sep 1, 2003, 3:53:02 AM9/1/03
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For those who ask why people change their surnames,
here's the actor, Charles Bronson, formerly Buchinsky,
who died yesterday.

In 1954 he changed his last name, fearing reaction in
the McCarthy era to Russian-sounding names, according
to his obit in the NYTimes. He was born in 1921
to a coalmining family of immigrants "from Lithuania."
The name Buchinsky sounds plausibly Jewish. Was he?

Michael Bernet, New York

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Stan Goodman

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Sep 1, 2003, 11:19:57 AM9/1/03
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On Mon, 1 Sep 2003 07:53:02 UTC, MBe...@aol.com opined:

> For those who ask why people change their surnames,
> here's the actor, Charles Bronson, formerly Buchinsky,
> who died yesterday.
>
> In 1954 he changed his last name, fearing reaction in
> the McCarthy era to Russian-sounding names, according
> to his obit in the NYTimes. He was born in 1921
> to a coalmining family of immigrants "from Lithuania."
> The name Buchinsky sounds plausibly Jewish. Was he?
>
> Michael Bernet, New York

According to a biography/obit that I found through a
Google search, he and his brothers worked in Pennsiylvania
coal mines to support their family. These mines are
often worked by Ukrainians and other Slavic immigrants.
However, the same biography says that his first wife was a
Harriet Tendler, which is more likely Jewish.

So we may have to do with the likes of Danny Kaye,
Sam Jaffe, etc., etc., and so forth.

--
Stan Goodman, Qiryat Tiv'on, Israel

Searching:
NEACHOWICZ/NOACHOWICZ, NEJMAN/NAJMAN, SURALSKI: From Lomza Gubernia
ISMACH: From Lomza Gubernia, Galicia, and Ukraina
HERTANU, ABRAMOVICI, LAUER: From Dorohoi District, Romania
GRISARU, VATARU: From Iasi, Dorohoi, and Mileanca, Romania

See my interactive family tree (requires Java 1.1.6 or better):
http://www.hashkedim.com

Please remove the CAPITAL LETTERS from my address in order to send me
email, and include "JEWISHGEN" in the subject line, else your message
will be deleted automatically, unread.


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Mimi Katz

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Sep 1, 2003, 9:39:01 PM9/1/03
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According to www.jewhoo.com,
Charles Bronson was not Jewish.

Mimi Katz, Chicago


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zal

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Sep 2, 2003, 4:36:45 AM9/2/03
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Charles Bronson was my favorite actor in the 70s.
I saw his every movie beginning with the Dirty Dozen
and others and then his Westerns made in Italy
by Sergio Leone, culminating with still one
of the best action movies "Death wish 1/2/3" -
real good action, with no computerised "effects",
that make the movies look like cartoons on
steroids. I also remember reading his biography
here and there. No, he wasn't Jewish. He was Polish,
of Lithuanian origin. Could be that the real name
was Buchinskis, a Lithuanian name.

Zalman Lazkovich

>
> For those who ask why people change their surnames,
> here's the actor, Charles Bronson, formerly Buchinsky,
> who died yesterday.
>
> In 1954 he changed his last name, fearing reaction in
> the McCarthy era to Russian-sounding names, according
> to his obit in the NYTimes. He was born in 1921
> to a coalmining family of immigrants "from Lithuania."
> The name Buchinsky sounds plausibly Jewish. Was he?
>
> Michael Bernet, New York


MODERATOR NOTE: The "Jewishness" or otherwise
of famous actors, entertainers etc is not
really the concern of Jewishgen.
Let's please move on...

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