{geni:occupation} Jeweler
{geni:about_me} The recent discovery of a set of notes made by a Zerkowitz descendant [Emil Zerk (1892-1988)] shows that the brothers Leopold and Nathan Kohn-Zerkowitz of Trencin City were not the sons of Simon Kohn-Zerkowitz (c1754-1817), but rather of Simon's brother Eleazer. This has led to the positive identification of "Eleazer" as LAZAR KOHN, who is seen living in Trencin in 1781, 1795, and 1798.

Likely due to his lack of standing as a younger son, Eleazer Kohn-Zerkowitz left Moravia about 1778 or 1779, and crossed the border into Hungary. He settled in Trencin City where he is consistently seen as "Lazar Kohn" (althoughonce as "Lazarus Kohn"). His sons, Leopold and Nathan, were also known exclusively as "Kohn". It wasn't until after their deaths that their children and descendants resumed using "Kohn-Zerkowitz", and then later, just "Zerkowitz".

Lazar sold jewels in the center of Trencin and attained enough wealth to purchase his own residence in Trencin City. He was married about 1781 to Chaja Pick, and is seen living in the Pick household in 1781. Lazar Kohn is also listed in the 1795 and 1798 censuses, but is not seen after that. According to family lore, Lazar met his death (before 1809) when he was robbed and murdered on the outskirts of Trencin City as he was returning to that area "fromthe Leipzig Fair". According to Emil Zerk's notes: "My great-grandfather, from Trencin, was a jeweler. On a ride from Leipzig, Germany to take gold along, he was murdered."