He was also a champion cross country runner in his youth. As a child, Ehrich Weiss took several jobs, making his public début as a 9-year-old trapeze artist, calling himself 'Ehrich, the Prince of the Air'. They were joined by the rest of the family once Rabbi Weiss found permanent housing. Losing his tenure at Zion in 1887, Rabbi Weiss moved with Ehrich to New York City. On June 6, 1882, Rabbi Weiss became an American citizen. From 1907 on, Houdini would claim in interviews to have been born in Appleton, which was not true. They first lived in Appleton, Wisconsin, where his father served as Rabbi of the Zion Reform Jewish Congregation. The family changed the Hungarian spelling of their German surname into Weiss (the German spelling) and Erik's name was changed to Ehrich.

Weisz arrived in the United States on July 3, 1878, sailing on the SS Fresia with his mother and four brothers.

His parents were Rabbi Mayer Samuel Weisz (1829–1892) and his wife, Cecelia (née Steiner 1841–1913). (1874-1926) Harry Houdini was born as Erik Weisz in Budapest, Hungary, on March 24, 1874.

Harry houdini mayer samuel weisz