The Manishin (Maniszyn) family is believed to have originated in Maniusin (Mieczyslawow), Poland, a small village approximately 100 miles southeast of Warsaw, and according to the Dictionary of Jewish Names and Their History took its surname — following Napoleon's 1808 decree that all Jews adopt last names — from the Yiddish adaptation of the town name. The family eventually moved eastward into present-day Ukraine, populating Vladimeretz, Chartorisk, Sarny and other shtetls surrounding Rovno at the beginning of the 20th Century. Israel Manishin, the oldest known ancestor, was a teacher and Rebbe in Vladimeretz (now Vladimirets, Ukraine). His son Yankel (Jacob) Manishen was the first to leave the Old Country, immigrating to Winnipeg, Manitoba around World War I, eventually followed by most of Jacob's nephews and nieces, who settled as well in Boston, Montreal and Cincinnati. Israel and Esther Manishin's present descendants include 71 great-great-grandchildren, 38 great-great-great-grandchildren, and a total of more than 140 living cousins — doctors, lawyers, teachers, artists and much more — everywhere from Canada to California and Illinois to Israel.

The Silberstein/Gilbert family originated in Russia (Latvia) in the early 19th Century, where the family name was "Pereplotcyk," taken from the Russian word for "book-binder." Samuel & Ruth Silberstein, the oldest positively identified ancestors, settled in Dorchester, Boston around 1893, preceded on their journey from the Old Country by several of their sons. The Silberstein name was predominant among their children, but one son chose Silverstein and another Gilbert. Just after the turn of the 20th Century, several of the sons and a daughter moved to Baltimore, where the Kolodny family and more than 100 Silberstein descendants still reside. The Boston half of the family kept in fairly close touch with a "cousins club" through the mid-1960s, and held its most recent reunion in 1965 at the Summer home of the late Saul & Rigi Silverstein in Willimantic, Connecticut. Samuel and Ruth Silberstein's presently known descendants include at least 105 great-great-grandchildren, 77 great-great-great-grandchildren, and a total of more than 245 living cousins, everywhere from Brookline to Baltimore, California, Washington and Miami.

The Baizman (Bejzman) family originated in Rafalovka, Poland, northeast of Lvov in northern present-day Ukraine. Aaron Bejzman's oldest son Yena and his wife Ethel emigrated to Boston with their family in 1922, settling on Chestnut Street in Chelsea. Other Bejzmans, retaining the Old Country spelling of the name, settled in Porto Alegre, Brazil and Israel. Aaron & Chaya Bejzman's present descendants include 16 great-great-grandchildren, 5 great-great-great-grandchildren, and a total nearly 40 living cousins — doctors, lawyers, artists and at least one Rabbi — everywhere from New York City to Washington, Boston, Brazil and Tel Aviv.

The Gordon family originated in the early 19th Century in Meretz, Russia (now Merkine, Lithuania), a small town approximately 88 km Southeast of Vilnius which would eventually be decimated by the Nazi Holocaust in the April 1941. Little is presently known about the family's life in Europe. The Gordon family settled in the United States when Abraham Gordon, age 20, immigrated to New York City in 1888. Abraham and Martha Gordon eventually had 8 children and lived in Medway, Massachusetts, operating Grass & Gordon (later Gordon Mfg. Co.) ladies' clothing company first at Washington and Kneeland Streets in Boston and later from Framingham. The company is owned and operated today by Abe's grandson Jay Gordon, Maxwell's son. Abe & Martha's present descendants include 39 great-great grandchildren, 8 great-great-great-grandchildren and a total of 93 living cousins, everywhere from Boston to San Diego, Florida, Washington and New York.