Zak Abel

Birth Name: Zak David Zilesnick

Place of Birth: Kensington & Chelsea, London, England, U.K.

Date of Birth: 1 March, 1995

Ethnicity: Sephardi Jewish, Ashkenazi Jewish

Zak Abel is a British singer, songwriter, musician, and English Cadet national table tennis champion.

His father was Moroccan Jewish, who moved to Israel. His mother, Rachel, is English Jewish.

Zak’s maternal grandfather is Harold Zilesnick (the son of Samuel “Sam” Zilesnick and Mary Bardofsky). Harold was born in Stepney, London, England. 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). Ann was born in West Ham, Essex, England. 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 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 –

Marriage record of Zak’s maternal grandparents, Harold Zilesnick and Ann S. Zola –

Genealogy of Zak’s maternal grandfather, Harold Zilesnick –

Birth record of Zak’s maternal grandfather, Harold Zilesnick –

Birth record of Zak’s maternal grandmother, Ann S. Zola –

Marriage record of Zak’s maternal great-grandparents, Joseph Zola and Minnie Derfield –

Zak’s maternal great-grandfather, Joseph Zola, on the 1911 England and Wales Census –

Marriage record of Zak’s maternal great-great-grandparents, Morris Zola and Kate Emanuel –

Birth record of Zak’s maternal great-grandmother, Minnie Derfield –

Marriage record of Zak’s maternal great-great-grandparents, Harry Derfield and Rose Appelbaum –