Birth Name: Zak David Zilesnick
Place of Birth: Kensington & Chelsea, London, England, U.K.
Date of Birth: 1 March, 1995
Ethnicity:
*Sephardi Jewish (fahter)
*Ashkenazi Jewish (mother)
Zak Abel is a British musician.
His father was Moroccan Jewish, who moved to Israel. His mother, Rachel H. Zilesnick, is English Jewish.
Zak’s maternal grandfather is Harold Zilesnick (the son of Samuel “Sam” Zilesnick and Mary Bardofsky). Samuel was a Ukrainian Jewish emigrant, from Kiev, and was the son of Hyman Zilesnick and Miriam Kaplan. Mary was the daughter of Russian Jewish emigrants, Israel Bardofsky and Sarah Basia Sorrel.
Zak’s maternal grandmother is Ann S. Zola (the daughter of Joseph Zola and Minnie Derfield). Joseph was the son of a Polish Jewish emigrant, Morris Zola, of Warsaw, and of Kate Emanuel, who was also of Polish Jewish descent. Minnie was the daughter of Henry “Harry” Derfield, whose own parents, Aaron Derfler (later Derfield) and Rachel Levy, were Austrian Jewish and German Jewish emigrants, respectively, and of a Polish Jewish emigrant, Rose “Rosy” Appelbaum.
Zak’s matrilineal ancestry can be traced back to his third great-grandmother, Shinah Leibah “Jeanette/Jenetta/Janet/Georgina” Marchant (c. 1853, Poland – 1937, Stepney, London).
Sources: News article about Zak’s ancestry – https://www.pressreader.com
Birth record of Zak Abel – https://www.familysearch.org
Birth record of Zak’s mother – https://www.familysearch.org
Marriage record of Zak’s maternal grandparents, Harold Zilesnick and Ann S. Zola – https://www.familysearch.org
Genealogy of Zak’s maternal grandfather, Harold Zilesnick – https://www.geni.com
Birth record of Zak’s maternal grandfather, Harold Zilesnick – https://www.familysearch.org
Birth record of Zak’s maternal grandmother, Ann S. Zola – https://www.familysearch.org
Marriage record of Zak’s maternal great-grandparents, Joseph Zola and Minnie Derfield – https://www.familysearch.org
Zak’s maternal great-grandfather, Joseph Zola, on the 1911 England and Wales Census – https://www.familysearch.org
Marriage record of Zak’s maternal great-great-grandparents, Morris Zola and Kate Emanuel – https://www.familysearch.org
Birth record of Zak’s maternal great-grandmother, Minnie Derfield – https://www.familysearch.org
Marriage record of Zak’s maternal great-great-grandparents, Harry Derfield and Rose Appelbaum – https://www.familysearch.org