Profile Text
Birth Name: David Stephen J. Paulden
Place of Birth: Salford, Lancashire, England, U.K.
Date of Birth: 2 November, 1982
Ethnicity: Ashkenazi Jewish
Zack Polanski is a British politician. He has been Leader of the Green Party of England and Wales, since 2 September, 2025. He has also been Deputy Leader of the Green Party of England and Wales, from 7 September, 2022 to 2 September, 2025; as well as, a Member of the London Assembly for Londonwide, since 6 May, 2021.
His parents are both Jewish. His family’s surname was originally Polanski/Polinski, and was changed to Paulden before Zack was born. Zack changed the name back to Polanski when he was eighteen. He has said that he took on the name Zack after the character “Zach” from the novel Goodnight Mister Tom (1981). It appears that Zack’s parents are second cousins, sharing great-grandparents Abram Chaim Abramson and Sophia/Shifra Premeski/Promesky.
Zack’s paternal grandfather was Benny/Barnet Paulden/Polinsky (the son of Samuel Paluskin/Polinsky and Hilda Schulman/Shulman). Benny’s parents were Belarusian Jews, from Minsk. Samuel was the son of Abraham Paluskin/Polinsky. Hilda was the daughter of Moshe Monish Schulman.
Zack’s paternal grandmother was Ethel Shonn (the daughter of Morris/Moshe Shonn/Sohn and Leah Abramson). Ethel was born in Barrow in Furness, Lancashire. Morris was born in Russia, the son of Simon/Shraga Shon and Sarah/Sora Freida Skuy. Leah was born in Glazmanka, Dvinsk, Vitebsk, Latvia, the daughter of Abram Chaim Abramson, who was born in Glazmanka; and of Sophia/Shifra Premeski/Promesky, who was born in Russia.
Zack’s maternal grandfather was Maurice Edward “Mick” Marder (the son of Samuel “Mouie” Marder and Marie Solomons/Solomon). Maurice was born in Manchester, Lancashire. Samuel was born in Prestwich, Bury, Greater Manchester, the son of Bernard Marder, who was born in Austria; and of Sarah Zooker, whose father was born in Schuttenhofen, Plzensky, Czechia. Zack’s great-grandmother Marie was born in Manchester, the daughter of Maurice Solomons, who was born in Krakowiany, Mazowieckie, Poland; and of Esther Mendel, whose father was from Germany, and whose mother was from Warsaw, Poland.
Zack’s maternal grandmother was Shirley B. Henry (the daughter of Louis Ralph Henry and Fanny Abramson). Shirley was born in Heywood, Lancashire. Louis was born in Liverpool, the son of Solomon Henry. Fanny was born in Leeds, Yorkshire, the daughter of Abram Chaim Abramson and Sophia/Shifra Premeski/Promesky.
Sources: https://www.theguardian.com
Genealogy of Zack Polanski – https://www.geni.com
Genealogy of Zack’s maternal grandfather, Maurice Edward “Mick” Marder – https://www.findagrave.com