RESEARCH OUTLINE Jewish Genealogy

CONTENTS INTRODUCTION

Introduction...... 1 This outline introduces records and strategies that Jewish Search Strategies...... 1 can help you learn more about your Jewish Finding Jewish Records in the Family ancestors. It teaches terminology and describes the History Library Catalog...... 5 content, use, and availability of major Maps of Jews in Europe...... 7 genealogical records. Archives and Libraries...... 9 Biography...... 1 1 Business Records and Commerce...... 1 2 Using This Outline Cemeteries...... 1 3 Census...... 1 5 This outline will help you evaluate various records Chronology...... 1 7 and decide which records to search as you trace Church Records...... 1 8 your Jewish ancestors. Records that are uniquely Civil Registration...... 1 8 Jewish are listed, as are other general sources, that Concentration Camps...... 2 1 may contain the information you are searching for. Court Records...... 2 2 These record sources are often created by the Directories...... 2 2 government or other organizations and list details Divorce Records...... 2 3 about all people. Emigration and Immigration...... 2 3 Encyclopedias and Dictionaries...... 2 4 Gazetteers...... 2 5 This outline discusses in alphabetical order many Genealogy...... 2 9 major topics used for genealogical research, such Holocaust, Jewish (1939–1945)...... 3 1 as “Archives and Libraries,” “Civil Registration,” Inquisition...... 3 3 and “Military Records.” “Church Records” are Jewish History...... 3 3 discussed because many churches, which were Jewish Records...... 3 5 state churches of various countries, recorded Language and Languages...... 3 7 information for Jews in certain time periods. Maps...... 3 8 Furthermore, where there were few Jews, Jewish Military Records...... 4 0 births, marriages, and deaths were recorded by the Minorities...... 4 1 local churches. Names, Personal...... 4 1 Naturalization and Citizenship...... 4 5 At the end of this outline you will find a list of Newspapers...... 4 6 Nobility...... 4 7 additional subject headings under “Other Notarial Records...... 4 7 Records,” a short bibliography of sources under Obituaries...... 4 8 “Further Reading,” and a glossary. Occupations...... 4 8 Orphans and Orphanages...... 4 9 JEWISH SEARCH STRATEGIES Periodicals...... 4 9 Population...... 5 0 Probate Records...... 5 1 Those doing research on Jewish families should Schools...... 5 2 first follow the genealogy strategies and methods Social Life and Customs...... 5 2 for the area where the family was from. Research Societies...... 5 3 outlines and other research aids can help you learn Synagogue Records...... 5 5 about records and formulate strategies. In addition Taxation...... 5 5 to general sources, which list all of the population Vital Records...... 5 6 including Jews, there are many books, indexes, Voting Registers...... 5 7 and other resources that have been created for Other Records...... 5 8 Jewish research in particular. This is not a For Further Reading...... 5 8 comprehensive listing of Jewish records available Comments and Suggestions...... 5 8 at the Family History Library but does list Glossary...... 5 9 examples of the major types of records available. The following basic steps for genealogical research your ancestor lived, see “Gazetteers” and will help get you started: “History” in that outline.

Step 1. Identify What You Know about Your • Learn about the jurisdictions of the places Family where your ancestors lived. You will need to know about civil and often church boundaries. Begin your research at home. Look for names, See “Gazetteers” in this outline for more dates, and places in certificates, letters, obituaries, information. diaries, and similar sources. Ask relatives for any information they may have. Record the information • Use language helps. Jewish records may be in you find on pedigree charts and family group Yiddish, Hebrew, or in the language of the record forms. country of residence. Some church records for Jews may be in Latin. See “Language and Step 2. Decide What You Want to Learn Languages” in this outline.

Choose an ancestor to research for whom you know Compiled Records. Surveying research already at least a name, the town where he or she lived, and done by others can save time and reveal valuable an approximate date of birth. The more you know information. Check compiled sources such as: about your ancestor, the more successful you will be with further research. • Private collections of family histories and genealogies deposited in historical and It is best to begin by verifying the information you genealogical societies and other libraries already have. Then you can decide what else you • Printed family histories and genealogies want to learn about that ancestor. You may want to • Family histories, genealogies, and abstracts or ask an experienced researcher or a librarian to help transcripts of records on the Internet you choose a goal. • Compiled records of the Family History Library • FamilySearch™ International Genealogical Step 3. Select a Record to Search Index (IGI) • FamilySearch Personal Ancestral File Effective researchers first find background •Vital Records Index British Isles and Vital information. Then they survey compiled sources Records Index North America. See and finally they search original records. “For “Genealogy” in this outline for details about Further Reading” in this outline has a list of these sources. Similar indexes for other genealogy how-to books, both general and countries are in production. geographically specific, that give information about •Pedigree Resource File tracing Jewish ancestors. These records are described in “Biography,” Background Information Sources. You must “Genealogy,” and “Societies” in this outline. have some geographical and historical information. Remember, information in compiled records may This will help you focus your research in the have some inaccuracies, and the information in correct place and time period. them should be verified.

• Find the place of residence. Use maps, Original Records. After surveying previous gazetteers, histories, and other place-finding aids research, you can begin searching original to learn about each place where your ancestor documents, which are often handwritten and lived. Identify governmental and ecclesiastical copied on microfilm or microfiche. Original jurisdictions, local Jewish congregations, cities, documents provide first-hand information counties, and other geographical features. recorded at or near the time of an event by a reliable witness. To do thorough research, you • Review local history. Jewish history and the should search: history of the area your ancestor lived in affected the records about the Jews. See • Jurisdictions that may have kept records about “Gazetteers” and “Jewish History” in this your ancestor. outline for more information. If there is a • Records of Jewish communities. research outline for the country or state where

2 Most researchers begin with civil registration, Step 5. Find and Search the Record census records, church records, or probate records. Suggestions for Obtaining Records. You may be Step 4. Use the Internet able to get the records you need in the following ways: Many individuals and organizations have made family history information available on the • Family History Library. The Library is open to Internet. This is particularly true of records the public and charges no fees for using the pertaining to the Jews. Internet sites often refer to records. For more information, write to: information others have placed on the Internet. These sites, also called home pages or web sites, Family History Library are connected with other sites to create the World 35 North West Temple Street Wide Web (www). Each site on the Internet has an Salt Lake City, UT 84150-3400 address that enables you to go directly to that site. The most popular starting sites for genealogists • Family History Centers. The Family History include: Library can loan copies of most records on microfilm to thousands of family history http://www.familysearch.org/ centers worldwide. There is a small duplication http://www.cyndislist.com/ and postage fee for this service. http://www.usgenweb.org/ http://.worldgenweb.org/ • Local Archives and Libraries. Although the http://homepages.rootsweb.com/ Family History Library has many records on microfilm or microfiche, others are available For Jewish research, the most helpful sites are: only at local or national archives and libraries. See the “Archives and Libraries” section of this http://www.jewishgen.org/ outline for more information. http://www.feefhs.org/ • Libraries and Interlibrary Loan. Public, You can use search engines to search a broad range academic, and other research libraries may have of Internet sites that contain certain keywords. For some published sources for Jewish research. example, if you want to find Jewish cemetery Many provide interlibrary loan services that records for a certain place, type in “Jewish” and allow you to borrow records from other “cemetery” and “Berlin” in a search engine, which libraries. will present a list of sites that contain these words. Different search engines search in different ways, • Look-Up Exchange. There are lists of people on so you may want to try more than one. the Internet who will search various types of Many books about using the Internet are available records for certain areas free of charge. You at libraries and bookstores. Some list Internet sites can locate these lists through Internet sites such of interest to genealogists. Guides listed in this as: outline can be purchased from: http://www.genuki.org/ (for the British Isles) Distribution Center 1999 West 1700 South Salt Lake City, UT 84104-4233 • Jewish Genealogical Societies. Jewish Genealogical Societies around the world have LDS Distribution Centre information about their respective Jewish 399 Garretts Green Lane communities. Such information includes the Birmingham B33 0UH history of, and relevant resources for, that England locality. Some societies will do limited local research for you. A list of these societies can be You can also order Family and Church History found at: Department resources through the Internet at: http://www.iajgs.org http://www.familysearch.org/

3 • Jewish Genealogical Special Interest Groups • Search for your ancestor’s entire family. (SIGs). Jewish Genealogical SIGs focus on a Records may contain clues for identifying other common area of interest. Often this is family members. Search other record types and geographic (e.g. Galicia or Lithuania). But some in other localities to find a missing family focus on other areas (e.g. Sephardim or member. Rabbinic). Most SIGs maintain online discussion groups that you can use to ask others • Search each source thoroughly. A small piece relevant questions to assist you: of information in a record may provide the clue needed to continue your research. http://www.jewishgen.org • Search several years before and after the date • Professional Researchers. You can hire a you think an event occurred. Dates in some researcher, many of whom specialize in Jewish sources may not be accurate. research. Others specialize in research in various countries or states. Lists of qualified • Do not make assumptions. Your ancestor may professional researchers for various not have been born in the place or the year that geographical areas are available from the Family your records indicate. And the name you knew History Library. Archives or family history him or her by may not be the legal name societies may also provide lists of people who recorded in official government documents. can do research for you. Jewish and other • Use indexes. Although not every record has genealogical periodicals usually contain names been indexed, many have been. Look for an and addresses of people or companies that do index that includes the time period, event, and research for hire. Researchers can also be found place you need. Many indexes include only on genealogy Internet sites. some of the people mentioned in the record. Make sure you check the original records after • Photocopies. The Family History Library and using an index. some other libraries offer limited photoduplica- tion services for a small fee. Books protected by • Be aware that most Jews did not have surnames copyright cannot be copied in their entirety. prior to 1800. Before surnames were adopted, However, a few pages can usually be copied for Jews used a patronymic naming system. personal research (you must specify the exact pages you need). The library does not copy large • Watch for spelling variations. Spelling was not portions of a microfilm. To get a copy of a major standardized until the late 1800s, and names portion of a film, write to the archive where the were often written phonetically. Also, if a original material is stored for permission and family moved to a new country with a new then contact the library with your request. language, they often changed the spelling of their name to phonetically conform to that To contact libraries or professional researchers or country’s language. any other family historian, write a brief, specific letter. Enclose a self-addressed, stamped, long Step 6. Use the Information envelope when writing within your own country. When writing to a foreign country, enclose three Evaluate the Information You Find. Decide if international reply coupons (available from your the information you find is complete and accurate. post office). You will usually need to pay in Ask yourself the following questions: advance for photocopy or search services. • Who provided the information? Did that person Suggestions for Searching Records. Follow these witness the event? principles as you search records for your ancestor: • Was the information recorded near the time of the event or later? • Search for one generation at a time. Do not try to • Is the information logical and consistent with connect your family to others who have the same other sources about the family? surname if they lived more than a generation • Does it suggest other places, events, time earlier than your proven ancestor. periods, or records to search?

4 Record Your Searches and Findings. Copy the The Windows version of the Family History information you find and keep notes about each Library Catalog has eight types of searches: record you search. Note where and by whom the records were made, even those that provide no • Title Search information. • Author Search • Film/Fiche Search Share Your Information with Others. Your • Place Search family history can become a source of enjoyment • Surname Search and education for yourself and your family. You • Keyword Search may want to compile your family history and share • Call Number Search it with family members or other people. • Subject Search

The Family Tree of the Jewish People is an Internet The Family History Library Catalog on the site where you can contribute your own genealogy Internet currently has five types of searches: as well as search the database of Jewish genealogies that have been submitted by others. • Author Search This resource is available at: • Film/Fiche Search • Place Search • Surname Search http://www.jewishgen.org/gedcom/ • Call Number Search Information can also be submitted to the Pedigree Resource File at: Subject Search

http://www.familysearch.org/ One of the most effective ways to locate Jewish records in the fiche catalog is by Subject Search. Many Jewish records are found under the subject FINDING JEWISH RECORDS IN headings Jewish History and Jewish Records. THE FAMILY HISTORY LIBRARY Other subject headings that should be searched CATALOG include: Church Records, Civil Registration, Concentration Camps, Genealogy, Holocaust, The key to finding Jewish records in the Family Inquisition, and Minorities. All these records have geographical tracings, which enables you to History Library’s collection is the Family History choose the record by place that is appropriate to Library Catalog. The catalog describes each of the your research. library’s records and provides its call number. The catalog is available on compact disc (Windows The Windows CD version of the Family History version) as part of the FamilySearch computer Library also contains a Subject Search option. program, and on the Internet at: Place Search http://www.familysearch.org/ Another effective way to locate Jewish records is Click on Custom Search on the home page, then by the Place Search. The Place Search lists records click on Family History Library Catalog. according to geographical area. The records are listed by the name of government jurisdictions The CD Windows version of the catalog is from the largest to the smallest reference. available at the Family History Library, family Different countries refer to these levels by history centers, and some other libraries and different names; however three levels are archives. You can also buy the Windows version at generally used in the Family History Library the Distribution Center (see “Introduction” for the Catalog: address). Largest: Continents, regions, or countries Because there are two different versions of the catalog, including the one that is available on the Middle: Countries divided into administration Internet, there are several different ways to search. areas such as states, provinces, counties, and Be creative when using the catalog. departments

5 Smallest: Each administrative area divided into Keyword Search local areas such as parishes, municipalities, townships, towns, and cities The Keyword Search, found only in the Windows version of the catalog, is an easy and effective way An exception to this system is the United States to search for Jewish records. This powerful tool and Canada, where the state or province is listed on allows you to search for records using keywords. the largest level, the county on the middle level, For example, you may type in “Jews census” or and the town or township on the smallest level. “Census of Jews” to locate census records that are unique to the Jews. Circumcision records can be For example, in the Place Search look for: found using the keywords “Jewish records” or “circumcision.” The key words “Church records • The place where an ancestor lived, such as: Jews” locate synagogue records of Jews in Quebec, Canada, that were turned in as part of EUROPE (by continent) civil registration. GERMANY (by country) AUSTRALIA, NEW SOUTH WALES You can also do a wildcard search using “Jew*.” (by country, state) This search brings up all the records in the Library FRANCE, BAS-RHIN, ROSENWILLER that have this word (including Jewish and Jews) in (by country, department, parish) the title, in catalog notes, or in a catalog reference POLAND, GDANSK, GDANSK citation. (by country, county, city) CHILE, TALCA, MOLINA Use several different keywords or combination of (by country, province, municipality) keywords in looking for specific record sources. The way they are listed or described in the catalog • Then choose the record type you want, such as: affects how you find them by Keyword Search.

JEWISH RECORDS Jewish Records in the Family History Library CEMETERIES Catalog CIVIL REGISTRATION or VITAL RECORDS The database “Jewish Records in the Family For example: History Library Catalog,” prepared for the International Association of Jewish Genealogical EUROPE – EMIGRATION AND Societies (IAJGS) is an inventory of microfilms, IMMIGRATION – INDEXES microfiche and books, that are specifically Jewish This search by continent lists the Württemberg genealogical sources, and that are available at the emigration index Family History Library. The first stage of this database was completed in 2000; it has been GREAT BRITAIN – JEWISH RECORDS updated with additional sources. Researchers This search by region lists the Isabel Mordy should, however, check for current resources using collection of Jewish pedigrees techniques described elsewhere in this publication, for materials that have not yet been includes in the UNITED STATES – CENSUS – 1890 database as well for other materials that are This search by country lists the surviving 1890 valuable genealogical sources that includes Jewish census or population schedules people along with others in the population (see the Sections: Census, Passenger Lists, Vital Records, GERMANY, BADEN – CENSUS etc.) The “Jewish Records in the Family History This search by country and state lists the 1939 Library Catalog,” can be found at: non-Germanic minority census for that state http://www.jewishgen.org/databases/FHL/C ILLINOIS, COOK, CHICAGO – JEWISH RECORDS This search by state (United States), county, and city lists synagogue and other Jewish records in Chicago.

6 Gray area shows the western area of the Russian Empire in which Jews were legally allowed to live. This ruling began with the first partition of Poland in 1772 and ended after World War 1.

7 8 ARCHIVES AND LIBRARIES YIVO Institute The YIVO Institute was established to preserve Archives collect and preserve original documents East European Jewish heritage and is currently the created by organizations such as governments or world’s leading research center for East European religious institutions. Libraries generally collect Jewish studies. Among its holdings are the world’s published sources such as books, city directories, largest collection of Yiddish books and materials and maps. Many of the records discussed in this relating to the history and culture of Eastern outline are deposited in archives and libraries European Jewry. They also have extensive throughout the world. This section describes the resources to aid in the genealogical research of major repositories housing records that may be Eastern Europe including encyclopedias, used for Jewish historical and genealogical gazetteers, yizkor books (Holocaust town memorial research. books), reference books on the geographical distribution of Jewish family names, biographical If you plan to visit one of these repositories directories, and Landsmanshaft records. personally, first contact the organization and ask for information about their collection, hours, You can contact the YIVO Institute at: services, and fees. Ask if they require you to have YIVO Institute for Jewish Research a reader’s ticket (a paper indicating you are a Center for Jewish History responsible researcher) and how to obtain one. 15 West 16th Street New York, NY 10011 Remember, the Family History Library may have a Internet: www.yivoinstitute.org printed or microfilmed copy of the records you need. Leo Baeck Institute

The following publication lists addresses and The Leo Baeck Institute is dedicated to preserving telephone numbers of many local and state the history of Jewish communities of German- archives: speaking nations. All geographic areas where German was spoken are documented in the Archivum: Revue Internationale des Archives Institute’s library and archive. Its collections date Publiée avec le Concours Financier de from the 17th century to the Holocaust and include family pedigrees, family histories, memoirs, and l’UNESCO et sous les Auspices du Conseil Jewish community histories. The institute has a Internationale des Archives (Archivum: Family Research Department to help genealogists. International Listing of Archives Published with Financial Assistance of Unesco and You can contact the Leo Baeck institute at: under the Authority of the ICA). Paris: Presses Universitaires de France, 1992. Leo Baeck Institute (FHL book 020.5 Ar25 v. 38). Much of the Center for Jewish History text is in English. 15 West 16th Street New York, NY 10011 There are many Internet sites that have information Internet: www.bi.org about archives and libraries. One site that lists details about various archives and libraries by The Institute also operates offices in England and geographical locations (country and state) is: Israel:

http://www.cyndislist.com Leo Baeck Institute 4 Devonshire Street London W1N 2BH Many archives and libraries house significant England collections on subjects relating to Jewish history, historical events, and people. Staff at many Leo Baeck Institute archives and libraries usually will not undertake 33 Bustanai Street genealogical research. However, they may be able 91082 Jerusalem to locate and copy documents in their collection if Israel you are reasonably specific in your request. Internet: www.leobeck.org

9 Holocaust Memorial Museums The Hebraic Section is located in the Adams Building at 110 2nd Str., SE Washington, D.C. Yad Vashem is the major repository in the world for information about the Holocaust. The Yad The Jewish Public Library of Montreal has a large Vashem library contains more than 85,000 collection of yizkor books and the largest public volumes documenting the Holocaust and includes collection of Judaica in North America. Reference the world’s largest collection of yizkor books. Also and catalog information is available in English, at Yad Vashem are the only publically available French, Hebrew, Yiddish, and Russian. The copies of the records of the International Tracing collection documents all major aspects of Service, a manuscript collection called Pages of Canadian Jewish history and maintains a large Testimony that identifies more than three million genealogical resource collection. Jews murdered in the Holocaust, and many oral or written testimonies of Holocaust survivors. You can contact the Jewish Public Library at:

You can contact the Yad Vashem library at: Jewish Public Library of Montreal 5151 Cote St. Catherine Road Yad Vashem Martyrs and Heroes Montreal Remembrance Authority Quebec H3W 1M6 P.O. Box 3477 Canada 91034 Jerusalem Israel The New York Public Library is an excellent place for research because most Jewish immigrants to Online information about Yad Vashem is available the United States lived in New York for a time. at: http://www.yadvashem.org/ The library has borough directories, census records The United States Holocaust Memorial Museum for the greater metropolitan area, back issues of provides access to archived material relating to the The New York Times, maps, atlases, gazetteers, Holocaust. Its Survivors Registry and other community histories, yizkor books, indexes to resources such as transport lists, death lists, yizkor some of the U.S. federal census returns, vital books, personal papers, and oral histories can be records for New York City, and ship passenger used to determine the fate of Holocaust victims lists. and survivors. Most materials are in English, German, Polish, Russian, Yiddish, or Hebrew. The library’s Jewish Division has one of the most significant collections of Judaica in the world, Library staff will not do genealogical research. An including bibliographies, reference works, online catalog of their holdings is available at: periodicals, and newspapers. The collection is only available in the Jewish Division’s reading room. http://www.ushmm.org/ About 40 percent of the Division’s holdings are in Hebrew; the remainder are in other languages, You can contact the museum at: primarily English, German, Russian, and French.

United States Holocaust Memorial Museum An online catalog of material cataloged after 1972 100 Raoul Wallenberg Place, SW is available at: Washington, DC 20024-2150 http://www.catnyp.nypl.org/ Other Libraries and Archives Pre-1972 materials are described in the Dictionary The Library of Congress houses hundreds of Catalog of the Jewish Collection, published in 14 yizkor books as well as an extensive collection on volumes in 1960; the 8-volume First Supplement, the Holocaust and all aspects of Jewish history and published in 1975; and the 4-volume Hebrew- culture. An online catalog is available at: Character Title Catalog of the Jewish Collection, published in 1981. http://www.loc.gov/ You can contact the New York Public Library at: You can contact the Library of Congress at: New York Public Library Library of Congress 42nd Street & 5th Avenue 101 Independence Ave. SE New York, NY 10018 Washington, DC 20540

10 The American Jewish Archives has organizational Gundacker, Felix. Matrikenverzeichnis der records, family and personal papers, and Jüdischen Matriken Böhmens (Register of synagogue records (many of the synagogue records Jewish Vital Statistics in Czech State have been filmed by the Family History Library). Archives Pertaining to Bohemia). Wien: An online catalog of the Archives’ holdings is Felix Gundacker, 1998. available at: Guzik, Estelle M. Genealogical Resources in http://www.huc.edu/aja/ the New York Metropolitan Area. New York: Jewish Genealogical Society, 1989. You can contact the American Jewish Archives at: (FHL book 974.71 A3ge; fiche 6,100,654.)

American Jewish Archives Rhode, Harold and Sallyann Amdur Sack. Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion Jewish Vital Records, Revision Lists, and 3101 Clifton Ave. Other Jewish Holdings in the Lithuanian Cincinnati, Ohio 454220 Archives. Teaneck, NJ: Avotaynu, 1996. (FHL book 947.5 F23r.) Historical and Genealogical Societies Sallis, Dorit and Marek Web. Jewish The Jewish community has established many Documentary Sources in Russia, Ukraine historical and genealogical societies. Some & Belarus: a Preliminary List. New York: societies maintain libraries and archives that Jewish Theological Seminary of America, collect valuable records. See the “Societies” 1996. (FHL book 947 A3sd.) section of this outline. Weiner, Miriam. Jewish Roots in Poland: Inventories, Registers, Catalogs Pages from the Past and Archival Inventories. New York: YIVO, c 1997. Virtually all archives and libraries have catalogs, (FHL book 943.8 F2wm.) inventories, or guides that describe their records and how to use them. Many of these repositories Weiner, Miriam. Jewish Roots in Ukraine and have online catalogs on the Internet. If possible, Moldova: Pages from the Past and Archival Inventories. New York: YIVO, study these guides before you visit or use the 1999. (FHL book 947.71 F2w.) records of these repositories so you can use your time more effectively. Many books have been The Family History Library has copies of other published that list inventories of Jewish records in published guides, catalogs, and inventories of various regional archives. These include: some archives and libraries. Check for these records in the Family History Library Catalog. Bernard, Gildas. Les Familles Juives en Volunteers at the Family History Library are also France XVIe siècle–1815, Guide des making an inventory of Jewish records in the Recherches Biographiques et collection. Généalogiques (Jewish Families of France 14th century–1815, Guide to Biographal and Genealogical Research). Paris: BIOGRAPHY Archives Nationales, 1990. (FHL book 944 D27bg.) An inventory of Jewish records in A biography is a history of a person’s life. In a the Departmental Archives of France. biography you may find the individual’s birth, marriage, and death information and the names of Elyashevich, Dmitri A. Äîêyìåíòàëüíûå his or her parents, spouse, children, or other family ìàòåðèàëû ïî èñòîðèè åâðååâ â àðõèâàõ members. Biographies can include descriptions of ÑÍÃ è ñòðàí Úàëòèè (Documentary family traditions, places where he or she has lived, Sources on Jewish History in the Archives military service, and activities within the of the CIS and the Baltic States). Sankt- community; stories; photographs; and clues about Peterburg: Akropol’, 1994. (FHL book 943 an ancestor’s place of origin. Use this information A3e.) This is an inventory of records for the carefully because there may be inaccuracies. countries of the CIS (Commonwealth of Independent States, which includes all the Biographies are divided into two types: individual former Soviet Union except the Baltic and compiled. In addition to general biographies, states) and the Baltic states. which often include Jews, there are also Jewish specific biographies.

11 Individual Biographies Jewish Biographical Archive/Jüdisches biographisches Archiv on 781 microfiche. Thousands of biographies have been written about New York City: K.G. SAUR Verlag, specific people; copies may be at local historical 1994–1996. (FHL microfiche societies and libraries. Public libraries have lists of 6,137,099–6,137,108, 6,142,109–6,142,116, and published biographies for many countries. If there 6,144,954–6,144,980.) is a research outline for the country or state where your ancestor lived, see the “Biography” section of Levi, John Simon. The Forefathers: A the outline. Dictionary of the Jews of Australia, 1788–1830. Sydney: The Australian The Family History Library has acquired some Historical Society, 1976. (FHL book 994 individual biographies. These are listed in the D3lj.) Surname Search of the Family History Library Catalog under the individual’s name. Also contact Wininger, Salomon. Grosse jüdische other family members for unpublished life National-Biographie: mit mehr als 8000 Lebensbeschreibungen namhafter jüdischer histories they may know of. Männer und Frauen aller Zeiten und Länder; ein Nachschlagewerk für das Compiled Biographies jüdische Volk und dessen Freunde (The Great Jewish National Biography: with Compiled biographies, sometimes called more than 8000 Biographies of Prominent biographical encyclopedias or dictionaries, contain Jewish Men and Women of All Ages and biographical sketches that have been collected and for All Countries: a Reference Work for the published. These are generally collected according Jewish People and their Friends). Zug, to a particular theme, such as prominent Switzerland: Inter Documentation AG, 1975 (FHL film 1,608,860–01 and individuals in a particular country, state, or county. 1,608,864; fiche 6,041,316 [83 fiche].) One example is: Many major libraries, including the Family Konopczyñski, W³adys³aw. Polski S³ownik History Library, have excellent collections and Biograficzny (Polish Biographical indexes of national and regional compiled Dictionary). Kraków: Polska Akademia biographies. These libraries can help you locate Nauk 1935–1974. (FHL book 943.8 D36p; additional biographical sources listed in published film 1,044,531–1,044,549). bibliographies. To find biographies at the Family History Library, check the Family History Library Other compiled biographies are for specific Catalog. professions (such as: The Courts and Lawyers of You can also find biographical information in New Jersey, 1661–1912) or other themes. local histories and encyclopedias and dictionaries. See “History” and “Encyclopedias and Jewish Biographies Dictionaries” in this outline and in outlines for other countries and states you are researching. Jewish specific biographies include biographies of prominent or well-known Jewish citizens of a BUSINESS RECORDS AND particular country. Others feature biographies of COMMERCE specific groups of people such as: Records of businesses usually list names, Spira, Roman. Rabbis and Jewish Scholars in addresses, company owners and shareholders, and Poland in the 16th, 17th, and 18th financial information. Life insurance, pension (for Centuries. [S.l.]: R. Spira, 1985. (FHL book some railroad companies in the U.S.), bank, and 943.8 F2sr.) under-taker records may include biographical information. Examples of biographical collections of Jews compiled by location include: For some vocations, trades, or businesses there are occupational records or commercial directories The Encyclopedia of Russian Jewry: that may be helpful in compiling a family history. Biographies. Northvale, NJ: Jason Aronson, See “Directories” and “Occupations” in this 1999. (FHL book 947 D36e.) outline for further details.

12 Business and commerce records are often kept by symbol of two hands with thumbs touching and the company or may be in archives or libraries in fingers spread out in a priestly blessing. the area where the company is located. The Internet also contains searchable databases of For further information about Jewish cemeteries business records. One example is the New York and burial customs, see the chapter “Jewish Emigrant Savings Bank. This database has Cemeteries” in: information on many Jewish emigrants including name, place of birth, residence (most lived in New Kurzweil, Arthur. From Generation to York City), occupation, names of relatives, and Generation: How to Trace Your Jewish immigration information. You can find this Genealogy and Family History. Updated database at: edition with online resources. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass Publishers, 2004. http://www.genexchange.com/ (FHL book 929.1 K967f 2004.)

The Family History Library has some business- Jewish congregations with a large membership related records. Because of their limited value, usually maintain their own cemeteries and burial registers. Smaller congregations reserve a section these type of records should be searched after within other cemeteries. other sources such as civil and vital records, Jewish records, and obituaries have been searched. There are two major types of cemetery records:

CEMETERIES •Gravestone inscriptions. Information recorded on gravestones or monuments, Jewish religious customs require that Jewish burial including transcripts of this information, sites be held in reverence. The religious duty provide at least the decedent’s name, death (mitzvah) of burial is the responsibility of a date, and name of the father. Other decedent’s children or spouse. If there are no information may be listed. Jewish gravestones children or spouse, it is the responsibility of the are usually inscribed in Hebrew. The closest relative. According to Jewish law, burial information may be duplicated on the stones should take place promptly, preferably on the day in English or in the language of the country in of death, but within three days at the most. which they are found.

For Jews a grave site is permanent and once estab- •Cemetery registers. Information kept by lished cannot be violated. In most other cemeteries cemetery officials or caretakers include in Europe grave plots are reused, so while other registers, plot books and maps, grave-books, and public (municipal) cemetery records. Europeans will not find old tombstones of their Information provided in these records includes ancestors, Jews often will. names, ages, marriage information, sometimes dates and places of birth, who paid for the When Jews founded cemeteries, they routinely burial, and names of people (often relatives) attempted to purchase land on a permanent basis. buried in the same plot. Because local laws often made this difficult, bodies were sometimes transported a considerable To find gravestones and cemetery registers, you distance to secure a permanent burial site. need to know where an individual died or was buried. The person may have been buried in a Different Jewish groups have different traditions community or private cemetery or in a cemetery about gravestones. Ashkenazic Jews have vertical maintained by the local synagogue where the gravestones; Sephardic Jews have horizontal ones. deceased lived. You can find clues about burial Sephardic stones often have angelic figures and places in obituaries, funeral notices, synagogue biblical images while images were not permitted records, and death certificates. on Ashkenazic stones. Today both groups make frequent use of classic Jewish symbols: the star of You can find cemetery information in: David, the menorah, the Book of Life, or a candle. Jewish Cemeteries Throughout the World. Families that belonged to the priestly class [S.l.]: International Association of Jewish (kohanim) were forbidden to go inside the gates of Genealogical Societies. (FHL fiche a cemetery because that would violate laws of 6,334,783.) Two microfiche sold by ritual purity. Their gravestones usually bear the Avotaynu, Inc. which list 7500 cemeteries in 79 countries.

13 Cemeteries of the U.S.: A Guide to Contact Information for U.S. Cemeteries and Their – The present cemetery caretaker, synagogue, Records. 1st ed. Detroit. Michigan: Gale or funeral home. Research, 1994. (FHL book 973 V34ce.) – A local library, historical society, or local Lists over 22,000 cemeteries alphabetically historian. If they don’t have the records, by state, county, and cemetery name. they can help you locate obscure family Entries may list geographical location or plots or relocated cemeteries. mailing address, phone and fax numbers, – Cemetery associations, which sometimes contact information for cemetery record publish inventories or transcripts for their keepers, years of operation, and religious areas. and other – Transcripts of gravestone information that affiliations. are published by genealogical periodicals or by others in individual books. Information from many Jewish cemeteries can be – Records of Jewish burial societies (khevrah found on the Internet. Use a search engine and kadisha). Burial societies in Jewish search the topics: cemetery, Jewish, (name of communi-ties were responsible for burying town). the dead. Records they may have kept would be similar in content to those kept by The mission of the International Association of cemetery caretakers. Names of society Jewish Genealogical Societies’ (IAJGS) members and the amount of dues they paid International Jewish Cemetery Project is to may also be recorded. catalogue every Jewish burial site throughout the – Lists of soldiers’ graves described in the world. Jewish cemetery or burial sites are listed by U.S. Military Records research outline town or city, country, and geographic region, (34118). based on current place designation. Information under each listing includes history, size, exact Records at the Family History Library location, etc. Some listings include links to other websites with additional information such as burial The Family History Library has copies and lists or contact information. The project is indexes of many cemetery and tombstone records ongoing. The IAJGS International Jewish but has limited records of Jewish cemeteries. Cemetery Project can be found at: Examples of published Jewish cemetery records include: http://www.jewishgen.org/Cemetery/ Margolinsky, Jul. Transcript of 298 epitaphs The JewishGen Online Worldwide Burial Registry from the Jewish Cemetery in St. Thomas, (JOWBR) is a database of names and other W.I., 1837–1916, with Index. [s.l.: s.n.], identifying information from cemeteries and burial 1957. (FHL film 1,013,426, item 18.) records worldwide, from the earliest records to the present. As of October 2006, this database lists a Muneles, Otto and Milada Vilímková. Starý total of 1,447 cemeteries and a total of 629,986 židovsky høbitov v Praze (Old Jewish burials; the project is ongoing. The JewishGen Cemetery in Prague). Praha: Státní Online Worldwide Burial Registry can be found pedagogické nakladatelství, 1955. (FHL at: book 943.71/P3 V3m; film 1,181,638, item 6.) Tombstone inscriptions from the old http://www.jewishgen.org/databases/cemetery Jewish cemetery in Prague. Includes pictures of tombstones. Another book on Other sites that have information for cemeteries the same cemetery was published in 1903 are: (FHL book 943.71/P3 V3j; film 1,181,915, item 9.) •http://www.rootsweb.ancestry.com (you can access information for every U.S. Weyl, Robert. Le Cimetière Juif de state at this site; many of the state sites include Rosenwiller (The Jewish Cemetery in contacts for people who have transcribed Rosenwiller). Strassbourg: Editions Salde, cemetery records and tombstone inscriptions) 1988. (FHL book 944.3835/R1 V3w.) Includes pictures of tombstones with •http://www.cyndislist.com inscriptions recorded in Hebrew, French, and German and notes about each one. • Other sources to check for cemetery records From the town of Rosenwiller in Alsace- include: Loraine (now in France).

14 Wolf, Egon. Sepulturas de israelitas – II: Uma The enumeration can document an entire pesquisa em mais de trinta cemitérios não population or only specific classes of persons such israelitas (Jewish Burials: a Search in More as males, property owners, or Jews. However, than Thirty Non-Jewish Cemeteries). Rio de there are few censuses that were taken specifically Janeiro: Cemitério Comunal Israelita, 1983. of Jews. (FHL book 981 V3w.) Other records were made that are similar in intent Check for records of this type in the Family to census records, such as population History Library Catalog. registrations, communion lists, tax lists, and voter registration lists (see “Church Records” and For information about inscriptions published in “Population” in this outline). The information in periodicals, see “Periodicals” in this outline. If some of these records may come from official there is a research outline for the country or state census records. Revision lists from the Russian where your ancestor lived, see “Periodicals” in the Empire are sometimes referred to as census outline. records; see “Taxation” in this outline.

If there is a research outline for the country or When using census records, consider the state where your ancestor lived, see “Cemeteries” following: in the outline. • In countries that have primary sources, such as Funeral Home Records church records and civil registration or vital records, census records should be used to Funeral directors or undertakers in the area where supplement information in these records. your ancestors lived may have records similar to death and cemetery records. Most of the addresses • In countries where civil registration or vital for those in the United States are found in: records begin late and other records are lacking, census returns may be the only source American Blue Book of Funeral Directors. of information available for specific time New York: National Funeral Directors periods. Association, biennial. (FHL book 973 U24a.) National Census. Most nations periodically take a census of their population. The United States The Family History Library has some funeral has taken a census every decade since 1790. The home and undertaker records, which are listed in Russian Empire, on the other hand, has only one the Subject Search of the Family History Library national census (1897). Catalog under “Business and Commerce” or “Cemeteries.” Some countries conducted censuses specifically of the Jewish population. Germany, for example, had a census of Jews in 1939. Microfilm copies of CENSUS these census records are found at the Family History Library on 292 reels, 130 of which are for A census is a count and description of the popula- the city of Berlin. A register showing what films tion of a country, territory, province, state, county, cover which parts of the German empire is: city, or congregation. Census records usually list a large segment of the population and include Edlund, Thomas Kent. The German Minority names; relationships; ages; birthplaces; marital Census of 1939, An Introduction and status; and occupations. Other information may be Register. Teaneck, NJ: Avotaynu, Inc., listed such as religion, ethnicity, and native 1996. (FHL book 943 X22e.) language. In addition to censuses of the general population, Censuses were taken to: Hungary also took a special national census of Jews in 1848: • Determine the demographics of the population, such as sex, age, religion, and education. Conscriptio Judaeorum, 1848 (Census of • Determine the number and identities of eligible Jews, 1848). Budapest: Magyar Országos voters. levéltárban történt, 1970. (FHL film • Determine potential tax base. 719,823–719,828, 754,368 item 2.) This • Count potential military conscripts. census gives the name, age, and specific

15 birthplace of all members of the household. • Soundex indexes listing every person in the The birthplace is particularly useful in 1900 and 1920 United States census returns tracing families that have moved from for each state and for some states in 1910. another area or country. Also a soundex for the 1880 census of every state; it includes only those households where Provincial. Some censuses, both general and children ten years and younger are present. Jewish specific, were carried out by province or other region. The following is an example: • Street-finding aids for many cities in the United States that identify census wards for Dénombrements nomitatifs des Juifs en Alsace, these streets. 1784 (Enumeration by Name of the Jews in Alsace, 1784). Colmar: Jean-Henri Decker, • Names indexes to many of the 1851 and some 1785. (FHL film 1,069,535 item 3.) of the 1861–1891 censuses of England, Includes names all the Jews of Alsace- Scotland, and Wales. Loraine (Elsaß-Lothringen [German] or Bas-Rhin [French]) in the year 1784 and • An every-name CD-ROM index to the 1851 1785 by town. Has an index to towns with census for the counties of Devon, Warwick, the number of Jews in each town in the and Norfolk, England and an every-name CD- region. ROM index to the 1881 census of England, Wales, Scotland, Channel Islands, and Isle of Local. In some cases a census was taken on a local Man. level. An example is the census of the inhabitants of the city of Debreczen, Hungary, taken in 1870. • Street indexes for many cities in England, It includes a separate Jewish conscription list: Scotland, and Wales (1841–1891 censuses), and in Ireland (1901 and 1911 censuses). Népszámlálás 1868–1870 (Censuses, 1868–1870). Budapest: Magyar Országos In addition to these general indexes, some indexes Levéltárban történt, 1970. (FHL films have been made that extract only Jewish names in 722,259–722,302.) This census is arranged census records. Examples are: by house numbers and includes surrounding communities. A conscription list of Jewish Freedman, Murray. List of the Jewish males is on films 722,262–722,263. Residents, 1891 census, Leeds. Leeds, England: M. Freedman,1994. (FHL book Another example is an 1814 census of Jews for 942.74/L1 X22f 1891.). This census does many individual towns in Denmark. These are not identify the religion of the population. listed in the Family History Library Catalog under The index includes people with Jewish- each town. The Jewish census of the town of sounding names. Skælskør, Sorø, Denmark on FHL film 41,007 is representative. Eker, Glen. Eker has published several volumes of indexes containing information Census Indexes for Jews (when identified in the census) from the 1851–1901 returns of all Some census records are indexed. Indexes may be provinces in Canada. He has also produced arranged by names of individuals or by localities, a similar index to the 1921, 1935, and 1945 such as streets. When indexes are available, it is censuses of Newfoundland. See the Author best to use them before searching the actual census Search of the Family History Library records. However, the information in an index may Catalog for details. be incomplete or transcribed incorrectly. If you have reason to believe your ancestor should be in Various web sites on the Internet also contain the census, search the census regardless of the census indexes and abstracts. As examples: information in the index. • Volunteers are creating research databases for Some major examples of census indexes include: various U.S. census returns. To access these indexes or participate in the project, go to: • Name indexes by state to the heads of household for all the 1790–1850 (and often http://usgwarchives.net/census/ later) census returns of the United States.

16 • An index to people with Jewish-sounding CHRONOLOGY names enumerated in the 1851 and 1891 censuses of South Wales is available at: In the Hebrew calendar the years are counted from the creation of the world, which is considered to http://www.jewishgen.org/databases have taken place 5760 years ago as of the year 2000. Days are reckoned from evening to evening. Searching Census Records The Jewish civil year begins in September or October with the festival of Rosh Hashanah (the When searching census records, remember that: first day of Tishri).

• Ages may be inaccurate. The calendar is based on 12 or sometimes 13 • The name on the census may not be the same lunar months that adjust to the solar year. The 12 as the name recorded in vital records, Jewish months are Tishri, Kheshvan, Kislev, Tevet, records, or other sources. Shevat, Adar, Nisan, Iyar, Sivan, Tammuz, Av, • Place-names may be misspelled. and Elul. The 3rd, 6th, 8th, 11th, 14th, 17th, and • Names may be spelled as they sound. 19th years in every 19-year cycle have a 13th • Individuals missing from a family may be month. This extra month of 30 days, Adar II, is listed elsewhere in the census. C added after Adar. The information provided may have been deliberately or inadvertently falsified. The months and years of the Hebrew calendar do not correspond with the Gregorian calendar, Census Records at the Family History Library which is the calendar in common use in the world today. The Gregorian calendar is based on the The Family History Library has an extensive birth of Jesus Christ and uses the abbreviations collection of census records and indexes from a.d. (year of our Lord) and b.c. (before Christ). around the world. In addition to the ones When Jews date events in accordance with the previously mentioned, its holdings include all Gregorian calendar they use c.e. (common era) available federal (United States) census returns and b.c.e. (before the common era). prior to 1920 and many censuses taken by individual states, pre-1911 censuses of Canada, The Gregorian is a correction of the Julian pre-1901 censuses of Great Britain, and census calendar, which had been in use since 46 b.c.e. returns for several countries in Latin America and Leap years had been miscalculated in the Julian Europe. Check for these records in the Family calendar; by 1582 the calendar was 10 days History Library Catalog using the Place Search behind the solar year. Pope Gregory XIII and Keyword Search. corrected the calendar by dropping 10 days. The new calendar was adopted by the Catholic church If there is a research outline for the country or in 1582 but at later dates in non-Catholic state where your ancestor lived, see the “Census” countries. Russia did not accept the new calendar section of the outline. until 1918. In Russia and part of Poland, the Julian calendar was generally used throughout the The One-Step Webpage includes very useful ways 1800s, when the difference had accumulated to 12 of searching for census records. See: days. Polish vital records often give both the Julian and Gregorian dates. This can be confusing http://stevemorse.org/ to beginning researchers. When both dates are given, use the later date (the Gregorian) for your Census Records Online record keeping.

It is now possible to obtain many census records Many Jews lived in nations where other calendars online. Ancestry.com includes all U.S. Censuses were prevalent. Most notable is the Muslim calen- and some from Canada and the United Kingdom. dar, which reckons time from the date Muhammad The Findmypast website provides access to and his fellow Muslims emigrated to Medina in censuses taken in the United Kingdom in 1841, 622 c.e. The French calendar was used in 1861, 1871, and 1891. Searches can be made by countries ruled by Napoleon (France and “person” or “address.” Both of these require bordering countries to the north and east) from payment for use. You can reach these resources at: 1793–1805 and has to also be converted to the Gregorian calendar. See the guide French http://ancestry.com Republican Calendar (34046). http://findmypast.com

17 Resources and conversion charts have been a more lengthy explanation of how church published that convert dates to the modern records, civil registration, and Jewish records Gregorian calendar. Many of these are available interrelate, see “Vital Records” in this outline. free through the Internet, including: Countries where Christian church records were Calendar Conversions by Scott E. Lee: used by the government as a form of civil http://www.rosettacalendar.com/ registration and where Jews are likely to be This is a online conversion freeware program recorded include Poland, the Russian Empire, and that will convert days from the Julian, Hebrew, other central and eastern European countries. and French Republican calendars to the standard Gregorian calendar. It will also The Inquisition in Spain, Portugal, and Latin convert backwards from the Gregorian to the American countries also resulted in recording Julian calendar. Jews (conversos or marranos) in Christian church records. See “Inquisitions” in this outline. Tarek’s hijri (Muslin)/Gregorian/Julian Converter: http://bennyhills.fortunecity.com/elfman/454/c Two other reasons why Jews may appear in alindex.html records of Christian churches are:

This online conversion program converts days • If there was no rabbi or synagogue in an area from Muslim, Gregorian, and Julian calendars. where a Jewish family chose to settle, events Simple to use; no download necessary. associated with that family are sometimes recorded in another church. Over 50 other calendar freeware and shareware programs are available for converting dates from • If a Jew voluntarily left the Jewish religion, the Gregorian, Julian, Hebrew, Muslim, French future records of that individual and his Republican, and Chinese calendars and can be family may appear in a Christian church. found on the Internet at: If there is a research outline for the country or http://www.calendarzone.com/Software state where your ancestor lived, see the “Church Records” and “Civil Registration” sections of the CHURCH RECORDS outline. Finding Church Records In many countries the established national church (such as Catholic, Orthodox, or Lutheran) was appointed as the official record keeper of births, Many original church records are still at the local marriages, and deaths for the entire population, church. Others have been deposited in church or including Jews. The clergymen already recorded government record centers or archives. The christening, marriage, and burial records for mem- Family History Library has a extensive collection bers of their parishes. As most people belonged to of church records for many countries. Use the the established church, it was easier for the Place Search to locate church records. The catalog government to require the clergymen to include the listings for church records sometimes include a birth, marriage, and death information for people of notation that the record contains information for other religions in their parishes rather than have the Jews. government keep a separate record. Therefore, it can be important to check records of Christian CIVIL REGISTRATION churches when researching Jewish ancestors. Records of births, marriages, and deaths are This is particularly true of Central and Eastern commonly referred to as “vital records” because Europe in the period prior to 1826–1840, when the they document essential events in a person’s life. governments of most countries in this area required Civil registration are vital records that are separate records be kept of the Jews. Copies of the recorded by most governments in the world. The church records in many of these countries were Family History Library Catalog uses the subject sent to the government. These records are known as heading Vital Records for these records in the metrical book transcripts and parish register United States and Canada. See “Vital Records” in transcripts. Eventually most governments this outline. developed a separate system for registering births, marriages, and deaths, called civil registration. For

18 Civil registration records are very important to of civil registration in countries with significant genealogists because they often are the primary Jewish populations are: source of information for names, dates, and places of births, marriages, and deaths. These records are Austria (Republic)...... 1938 (transcripts 1784) usually indexed and include most of the population Belgium...... 1793 of a country. Unfortunately, many people, England...... July 1837 including Jews, never registered these events with France (Republic)...... 1792 civil authorities even though it was mandatory. German Empire...... 1876 (some 1792) Greece...... 1925 Hungary...... 1895 (some 1867) Governments used church records or transcripts of Italy...... 1860–1870 (some 1806) church records as their earliest forms of civil Netherlands...... 1811 (some 1795) registration. Later they required Jews to keep Poland...... 1821 (transcripts 1719, 1784, 1794) separate registers. Eventually most governments set Prussia...... 1874 (transcripts 1794) up independent civil registration offices where Romania...... 1865 (transcripts 1831) birth, marriage, and death records were kept Russian Empire...... (transcripts 1719) separately from religious denomination. These Soviet Union...... 1918 independent civil registration records are the Spain...... 1870 primary topic of this section. For more information about the relationship between civil registration, Information Recorded in Civil Registers church records, and Jewish records, see “Vital Records” in this outline. Information listed in civil registration records varies from country to country. The following descriptions list what you may find in these Most civil registration records are divided into records. Be aware that information in these separate volumes by event (birth, marriage, and records is not always accurate. For example, the death). Some countries also kept separate civil birth date and place and names of parents listed on registration records of Jews. These records are a death record may not be accurate because the usually listed in the Family History Library Catalog informant often did not have first-hand knowledge under Jewish Records. See “Jewish Records” in of the decedent’s birth. this outline. Births In addition to births, marriages, and deaths, civil registration may include documents required for Birth records generally give the child's name, sex, marriage as well as records of stillbirths, deaths date and place of birth, and the names of the father and mother (frequently including her occurring in other cities or countries, name maiden surname). Many of the early records and changes, and acknowledgments of paternal most of the later records provide additional details responsibility. such as parents’ birthplaces, ages, and occupations. General Historical Background Births were generally registered shortly after the As governments needed accurate information about event by the parents or another person present at the population for military conscription and the birth. Corrections to a birth record may have taxation purposes, they began keeping records of been added as a marginal note. Frequently these births, marriages, and deaths. notes provide information concerning marriage and death.

The commencement dates of civil registration vary Marriages from country to country. Sometimes they vary from region to region within a country. The Baltic states Marriages usually took place in the town or city did not have civil registration until 1940, which is where the bride lived. Some governments required quite late for Jewish research in those countries. a civil marriage in addition to the religious Countries such as Poland and the Russian Empire ceremony. When available, search both types of used transcripts of church records, which included records as one may contain details not found in Jews, before they had a separate government civil the other. registration system. General dates of the beginning

19 The following records may be found in connection marriage contract may have been made to with a marriage: stipulate how the property was to be divided if one of them died. These are not documents that Marriage Registers. Civil officials recorded the will generally be found among court records. marriages they performed. If the marriage was They are similar to the pre-nuptial agreements performed by an ecclesiastical authority or justice people make today. of the peace, that person was required to report the marriage information to civil authorities. Marriage Deaths registers give the date of the marriage and names of the bride and groom and witnesses. Other informa- Death records often provide information on the tion could include ages, birthplaces, residences, decedent’s birth, spouse, and parents. Death occupations, and names of parents. records can exist for people who have no birth or marriage records. Deaths were usually registered Marriage Certificates. The individual who per- with civil authorities. formed the ceremony or the civil office where it was recorded may have given the couple a Early death records generally give the decedent’s certificate of marriage listing the names of the name, date, and place of death. By the latter 19th bride and groom, the marriage date and place, and century death registers also included age, the name of the person who performed the sometimes the date and place of birth, residence, marriage. Certificates are often in the possession of occupation, names of parents and spouse, cause of the family. death, burial information, and details about the informant. Marriage Documents. In many countries, such as the Netherlands and those of Latin America, you Locating Civil Registration Records will find supplemental documents submitted at the time of marriage. These may include birth certifi- Civil registration records are kept at town or city, cates for the bride and groom, death certificates for district, or municipal registration offices. Some parents if not present to give permission, proof of civil registration records have been deposited at military service, and so on. Such documents often city or state archives. provide much genealogical information. If there is a research outline for the country where Marriage Intentions. Countries had different laws your ancestor lived, see “Archives and Libraries” concerning marriage. Many had requirements that and “Civil Registration” for directions on locating couples had to comply with before getting married. civil registration records for that country. Documents generated from these requirements for various countries included: Records at the Family History Library

•Proclamations or Allegations. The couple had The Family History Library has microfilmed the to announce their intentions a few weeks civil registration records and indexes of many before their marriage to give anyone the countries, including fairly complete collections of opportunity to raise any legitimate objections most of the countries of Latin America and to the marriage. Western Europe. Examples of records that include Jews as well as the rest of the population are: •Marriage Applications. A bride and groom obtained a license to be married by applying to Civil Registration, 1914–1941. Thessaloniki, the proper civil authority. These records often Greece: Lixiarheion Archive, 1989. (On contain more information than the marriage 235 FHL films beginning with 1,690,717.) record itself. Birth, marriage, and death records from the city of Thessalonica from 1914–1941. •Marriage bonds. In many countries two men were required to sign a statement that they Registers van de Burglijke Stand, 1811–1940 personally knew the bride and groom and could (Registers of Civil Registration, certify that there was no reason why they 1811–1940). ‘s-Gravenhage: Algemeen should not be married. Such men were called Rijksarchief, 1954–1997. (On 2498 FHL bondsmen and were often relatives or friends. films, beginning with 1,138,940.) Birth, marriage, death, and other civil records for Amsterdam 1811–1940. Marriage Contracts. When a marriage occurred between people of different social status, a

20 Specific holdings for civil registration records and • Death or extermination camps where virtually indexes can be found in the Family History Library everyone who arrived was immediately killed. Catalog using the Place Search. Remember also to • Camps where people who arrived were either check for civil registration records under the immediately killed or assigned to labor camps. headings “Jewish Records” and “Church Records.” Camp officials kept records of Jews who were Obtaining Civil Registration Records Not at used for slave labor. Some of the concentration the Family History Library camp records that survived the war were seized by British, Soviet, and U.S. military forces. In the Birth, marriage, and death records may be obtained United States these records can be found at: from local civil registration offices or archives in the country of interest. To protect the rights of United States Holocaust Research Institute privacy of living persons, civil authorities often 100 Raoul Wallenberg Place, SW place restrictions on their records. Washington, DC 20024-2150

When requesting a certificate by mail, determine National Archives and Records who has jurisdiction over the records for the time Administration period you need, and write a brief request to the Pennsylvania Avenue and 8th Street NW appropriate office. Send the following: Washington, DC 20408

• Full name and the sex of the person sought. Documents of camps in Poland are found in the • Names of parents, if known. Polish State Archives, the Jewish Historical • (Approximate) date and place of the event. Institute in Warsaw, and in archives of the State • Your relationship to the person. Museum of Auschwitz-Birkenau in Oœwiêcim and • Reason for the request the Majdanek Museum Archives in Lublin. There • Request for a photocopy or transcript of the are also university libraries, regional museums, complete original record. local archives, collection of private individuals, • Check or money order to cover the required and other sources from concentration camps. search fee and postage. There are a few databases on the Internet with You can access civil registration records or order information about people in concentration camps, them for some areas over the Internet. For example, and more information is being added. See the a searchable database is available to some civil following web sites for information: registration indexes for the Netherlands and Poland. The Scottish Registrar General has http://www.jewishgen.org/ provided a searchable database of their indexes from 1855 to 1897 and has an online ordering This site has information from yizkor books, service for certificates. To find these types of including a list of Austrian Jews in concentration resources, search for the area where your ancestor camps. lived at: http://www.ushmm.org/ http://www.cyndislist.com/ This site is for the United States Holocaust Also check the list of databases that are included Memorial Museum. Under the topic “Collections on the JewishGen web site at: and Archives” is a searchable database of prisoner registration forms from Auschwitz. http://www.jewishgen.org/ The Family History Library has some concentration camp records. For example, death registration records from the Mauthausen, Austria, CONCENTRATION CAMPS camps are available on microfilm:

Concentration camps were internment centers Totenbuch, Konzentrationslager Mauthausen, established to confine minority and national groups Jan. 7, 1939–Apr. 29, 1945 (Death and political prisoners. During World War II the Register, Concentration Camp Mathausen, Nazi government of Germany administered several Jan. 7, 1939–Apr. 29, 1945). Washington, concentration camps and relocation facilities. The D.C.: National Archives, 19–. (FHL film camps were of two general types: 812,876–812,877.)

21 Records associated with concentration camps and cemeteries, civil registration offices, and other Nazi persecution of Jews are discussed in locations of value to the genealogist. “Holocaust, Jewish (1939–1945)” in this outline. An example of these, which is listed in the catalog Some trades, such as the medical profession, under Concentration Camps is: publish their own directories. For example, annual medical directories for the British Isles have been War Crimes Case Files, 1945–1959. Suitland, published since 1845. Trade directories can be Maryland: National Archives and Record particularly valuable for Jewish research. They Administration, 1992–1994. (On 45 FHL often list advertisements and personal information films, beginning with number 1,788,042.) that may help you compile your ancestor’s history. A summary about Russian business directories is Check for similar types of records in the Family found in: History Library Catalog. Gostin, Ted. “Russian Business Directories.” COURT RECORDS Syllabus. Salt Lake City: FEEFHS 1997: 55–58. (FHL book 940 C4f; film 1,183,732 item 3.) Court records contain information about people involved in litigation or other court matters. These Information from some directories can be found records include names of people who were parties on the Internet. One such searchable database is to court action, family relationships, places of for 19th century London Jews compiled from residence, occupations, descriptions of individuals, several London trade directories and other and other family information. The records to be sources. Another database is the 1923–1925 searched are determined by the country you are Lithuanian medical directories and includes researching. See “Court Records” in the outlines of information for over 800 Jewish medical the countries or states you are researching. personnel. Information listed on the Internet from these medical directories includes name, place of The Family History Library has some court residence, professional specialty, citizenship, year records. Check for these records in the Family of birth, and the source and date of the medical History Library Catalog. degree for the people who are listed. A web address that contains information about Jews Because of their importance to family history listed in several directories is: research, probate and naturalization records are discussed in separate sections in this outline. http://www.jewishgen.org/databases/ DIRECTORIES Some places have directories that list only Jews. For example, England has directories of Jews Directories are alphabetical lists of names and beginning in the 19th century. addresses. These often list all the adult residents or trades people of a city or area. Beginning in the The Family History Library has many directories 20th century there are telephone directories. that date from the late 1700s to the present day. Some directories list only certain types of trades The most helpful directories for genealogical people or businesses. Check for these records in research are city directories. These can identify a the Family History Library Catalog. Most will be street address where an ancestor lived, which may listed in the Place Search section of the catalog be needed to locate his or her family in a census under the name of the city where your ancestor record. Depending on the area, directories may also lived. be for a much broader area, such as state-wide You can use modern telephone directories to directories for Australia. These types of directories locate relatives or organizations that can help with are generally published annually and may include your research. An Internet site that has links to an individual’s name, address, and occupation; a telephone directories for various states and spouse’s name; and other helpful facts. An countries is: individual’s address can be very helpful when searching in a large city, especially if there are http://www.infobel.com/en/world/ records such as unindexed censuses that need to be searched. Directories sometimes have city maps If there is a research outline for the country or and may include addresses of synagogues, state where your ancestor lived, see the Directory section of the outline for further information about records in specific geographical areas.

22 DIVORCE RECORDS you may find information on your ancestor’s family members or neighbors. People who lived near each other in their country of origin often Depending on the time period and place, divorces settled together after they emigrated. before the mid-20th century were often uncommon, illegal, or allowed for specific religious groups Depending on the country and the record source, only. Civil officials in the Russian Empire kept emigration and immigration records may list the divorce records only for Jews. While divorce was name of the ship of arrival or the name of the an accepted practice among Jews, records of person to whom the immigrant is going (often a divorce were seldom kept by the synagogue. relative or friend from the previous place of residence). Many of these records are indexed. Divorce records are often not open to the public. The Family History Library has some records of Most countries made records of passengers who divorce in its collection. Most divorce records are arrived in their country. These were generally kept found in the civil registration or vital records office by port authorities. Jews are included in these of the town or county where the divorce took place records along with all other immigrants. The or in court records. See “Civil Registration” and records of arrivals at New York, Philadelphia, “Vital Records” in this outline and in the outlines Baltimore, Boston, New Orleans, and other U.S. of the countries or states you are researching. and Canadian ports are excellent sources of information about immigrants to these countries. EMIGRATION AND Records of departure are of equal or even greater IMMIGRATION genealogical value as they are even more likely to provide your ancestor’s place of origin. The major Emigration and immigration sources list the names European ports Jews emigrated from were of people leaving (emigration) or coming into Bremen, Hamburg, Liverpool, and LeHavre. (immigration) a country. Because Jews emigrated Many Jews also sailed from Odessa in Russia. at various time periods throughout the centuries and went to many different countries, the records Most of the records of Bremen and Liverpool that were kept vary from time period to time period have been lost. Fortunately, the passenger lists of and place to place. Records prior to the 18th the port of Hamburg are preserved and accessible. century, if they exist at all, are generally less For research for 1850–1934, see Hamburg detailed. Passenger Lists, 1850–1934 (34047). Another good card index to these records from 1850–1871 Most emigration and immigration records of the is: 19th century and later consist of passenger lists, permissions to emigrate, records of passports Index von Karl Werner Klüber zu den issued, lists of people deported, and alien registers. Passagierlisten der Auswandererschiffe Information found in these later emigration and 1850–1871 (Index by Karl Werner Klüber immigration records usually include the name, age to the Passenger Lists of Emigration Ships or birth date, occupation, destination, and place of 1850– 1871). Hamburg: Staatarchiv, 1994. origin or birthplace of the emigrant. (On 48 FHL films, beginning with number 1,961,710.) Perhaps the greatest genealogical value of these records is information about where your ancestor An alphabetical listing of emigrant Jews who came from. In order to successfully research your returned to Hamburg from 1905–1907 and Jewish ancestry, you have to determine exactly where the orphans from Russia in 1906 are also among the immigrant ancestor was born or lived and search Hamburg passenger lists (FHL film 1,732,431, the records of that place. For detailed information items 6, 11). There is also a listing of Jews who about how to trace an immigrant ancestor, sailed from Bremen from 1 November 1913 to 31 including a description of various emigration and Dec 1914 (FHL film 1,568,852 item 2 and immigration records, see Tracing Immigrant 1,568,871). Origins research outline (34111) and the “Emigration and Immigration” sections of the state An index to the emigration lists for the port of and country research outlines where your ancestors Hamburg from 1850 to 1934 is being compiled. lived. For further information, see the following web site: These records can also help in constructing family groups. If you do not find your ancestor’s name, http://www.progenealogists.com/germany/hamburg

23 In addition to the sources discussed in these this outline for further information about the publications, other emigration and immigration Hebrew Immigrant Aid Societies. sources, which may or may not be at the Family History Library, are: The library has many emigration and immigration records, including some records of the Hebrew • Records of the Russian Consular Offices in the Immigration Aid Society. Check for these records United States, containing information about in the Family History Library Catalog. people from Eastern Europe, mostly Jews, who came to the United States during the latter half It is now possible to make online searches of of the 19th century and early part of the 20th passenger lists from, for example, Ellis Island, century. Castle Garden, Baltimore and San Francisco. Most useful for making such searches are the • Locally kept 20th century alien registers of One-Step Webpages found at: England. http://www.stevemorse.org/ • Copenhagen, Denmark, Police Records of Emigrants, consisting of 90 ledger books that ENCYCLOPEDIAS AND list details about people leaving Denmark from 1868 to 1940. DICTIONARIES

• Records of the Poor Jews’ Temporary Shelter Encyclopedias provide information on all in England. Information contained in these branches of knowledge, usually in articles records includes the name of the person who arranged alphabetically. They often contain was sheltered, date of arrival, age, marital information of great interest for genealogical status, number of children accompanying the research, including articles about towns, places, person, place from which the person came to prominent people, minorities, and religions. They the shelter, occupation, port of entry into can give information about diverse topics such as England, length of stay at the shelter, date record-keeping practices, laws, customs, leaving the United Kingdom, where the person commerce, occupations, costumes, and archaic was going, and the name of the ship on which terminology. the person sailed. A searchable database that lists information about Jews who stayed at the The Family History Library has general- shelter between 1895 and 1914 while on their knowledge encyclopedias from countries way to South Africa is found at: throughout the world. Similar collections of encyclopedias can be found in most research and http://chrysalis.its.uct.ac.za/shelter/shelter.htm university libraries. Examples of two general- knowledge encyclopedias are: Some emigration and immigration sources are on the Internet. The Immigrant Ships Transcribers Great Soviet Encyclopedia. 31 vols. New Guild is one web site that lists details from ships’ York: Macmillan, 1979. (FHL book 030.47 passenger lists and can be found at: G798s.) Translation of the third edition of Bol’shaia Sovetskaia Entsiklopediia. http://www.immigrantships.net/ Orgelbrand, Samuel. Encyklopedja There are also searchable databases of limited powszechna (Universal Encyclopedia). emigration and immigration sources, such as Warszawa: Archiwum Dokumentacji United State Department of State Consulate records Mechanicznej, 1974. (FHL film for Jerusalem, Jaffa, and Haifa and lists of 997,501–997,518.) Germans, Swiss, and Austrians deported from France. Check the following web site for these There are several Jewish-specific encyclopedias. records: The following may be particularly helpful in your research: http://www.jewishgen.org/databases/ Kurzweil, Arthur and Miriam Weiner. The Unique to Jews are records kept by Hebrew Encyclopedia of Jewish Genealogy Vol. 1: Immigrant Aid Societies and other Jewish United States and Canada. Northvale, NJ: associations in the United States. See “Societies” in Jason Aronson Publishers, 1991. (FHL book 929.1 En19e.)

24 Encyclopaedia Judaica. 17 vols. Jerusalem: • Religious jurisdictions, such as locations of Keter, 1972, 1982. (FHL book 296.03 Jewish congregations and Christian En19j.) This encyclopedia is now online parishes. and may be searched by name, subject, • Statistics about the population, often town, etc. Go to: including the population of Jews and other religions. http://jewishencyclopedia.com • Reference to local commerce, major cities in the vicinity, and sometimes historical notes. Jewish Encyclopedia. 12 vols. New York City: Funk and Wagnalls, 1901–1906. (FHL You can use a gazetteer to locate where your book 296.03 J556.) family lived and determine the jurisdictions where records may have been kept. Gazetteers can help Pinkas Hakehillot (Encyclopedia of Jewish determine the county jurisdictions used in the Communities). Various editors. Jerusalem: Family History Library Catalog. Yad Vashem, 1969–date. These volumes are in Hebrew and cover many different When learning about a place for genealogical countries as defined by pre-WWII purposes, you should use both old and modern boundaries. Jewish communities with a gazetteers. Old gazetteers have information about population of over 100 are discussed in each older jurisdictions, Jewish communities that no volume. The countries covered to date longer exist, and town names as they existed over include Romania (2 vols.), Germany (5 the years. Some names have changed several vols.), Hungary, Poland (7 vols.), times as the boundaries and governments of a Netherlands, Yugoslavia, Latvia and Estonia, country have changed, and the name may be Lithuania, Greece, and Libya. The Family different in family documents from how it is listed History Library collection of this reference is today. incomplete. On the other hand, modern gazetteers are also Region FHL book important for genealogical work. They can be Netherlands 949.2 F2m used to determine how the town name is spelled Romania 949.8 H26ph today, which may be crucial for finding the town Bavaria 943.3 H26ph on a map. It is necessary to know how the town Hungarian 943.9 H26ph name is spelled today and where it is located in Poland-Lodz 943.8 H26ph v.1 order to write letters requesting records. Poland-E.Galicia 943.8 H26ph v.2 The Family History Library has an outstanding Language dictionaries are discussed in “Language collection of gazetteers from all over the world. and Languages” in this outline. Historical diction- These can be categorized into two groups: general aries of most countries have also been published by gazetteers and Jewish gazetteers. Some examples Scarecrow Press, Inc. in Metuchen, N.J. and by the of both types are given here. Federal Research Division of the Library of Congress (Country Studies). These books give Although many of these gazetteers may have been valuable background information on many of the compiled after your ancestors left these countries, smaller countries of the world. location of towns changed very little during the 18th and 19th centuries. A gazetteer from 1914 GAZETTEERS will list the same towns that existed there a century earlier. There was often more than one A gazetteer is a dictionary of place-names. It variation of the town name, depending on the describes towns, villages, rivers, mountains, and language and ethnic group, but the location other geographical features. It usually includes the seldom changed. names of places that existed when the gazetteer was published. The place-names are generally General Gazetteers listed in alphabetical order, similar to a dictionary. Most gazetteers are written for a general audience, Gazetteers may also provide information such as: not specifically for Jews. Generally, gazetteers list all localities in a country and may give • Present-day administrative jurisdictions, such information that pertains to the Jewish population. as counties, provinces, and districts. Because most Jews lived in cities and not rural

25 areas, a general world gazetteer can often be of Council). 14 vols. Vienna: K.K. help. The following is a good general gazetteer: Statistisches Zentralkommission, 1903–1908. (FHL book 943.6 E5g; film The Columbia Gazetteer of the World. Ed. [see below].) Saul B. Cohen. New York: Columbia University Press. 1998. (FHL book 910.3 1,187,925 Item Vol. 1 Niederösterrei C723.) 2 ch (Lower Austria, now Some of the best gazetteers are for specific states or countries. Country-specific gazetteers described part of Austria) here also list references to Jewish communities and synagogues. Although this section has descriptions 1,187,925 Item Vol. 2 Oberösterreich of several specific gazetteers, the Family History 3 (Upper Library and other libraries have many gazetteers Austria, now not listed here. For other countries, refer to the part of Family History Library Catalog and descriptions of Austria) gazetteers found in research outlines, if available, for the countries where your ancestors lived. 1,187,925 Item Vol. 3 Salzburg 4 (Salzburg, Country-Specific Gazetteers now part of Austria) Because most Jews trace their origins to Central and Eastern Europe, the references cited in this 1,187,926 Item Vol. 4 Steiermark section are for this area only. Following is a 1 (Styria, now description of gazetteers from the former Austrian, part of Austria Hungarian, German, and Russian Empires. Poland and Slovenia) was part of the Austrian, Prussian (German), and Russian Empires and will be included in the 1,187,926 Item Vol. 5 Kärnten gazetteers mentioned under those headings. 2 (Carinthia, now part of Austrian Empire Austria, Italy, and Slovenia) In the late 1800s Austria contained a large portion of eastern Europe, including parts of present-day 1,187,926 Item Vol. 6 Krain Poland, Ukraine, Romania, the Czech Republic, 3 (Carniola, now Slovenia, and Croatia. Many Jews were displaced part of from towns and cities in this part of Europe. Slovenia)

The following gazetteer for this region was based 1,187,926 Item Vol. 7 Küstenland on the 1900 Austrian census. The volume for each 4 (Coastland, province is arranged by district and includes an now part of index to German and local place-names. If you do Italy, not find the town on the page listed in the index, Slovenia, and check the footnotes. Parishes and synagogues are Croatia) not listed in the main text but are in an appendix located between the main text and the index of 1,187,926 Item Vol. 8 Tirol und each volume. The appendix is arranged 5 Vorarlberg alphabetically by district and sub-district. The (Tyrol and synagogues and parishes are given in the last Vorarlberg, column: Standort der röm.-kath., gr.-kath. und isr. now part of Matrikelstellen (location of the Roman Catholic, Austria and Greek Catholic, and Jewish Place of Registration): Italy)

Gemeindelexikon der im Reichsrate 1,187,927 Item Vol. 9 Böhmen vertretenen Königreiche und Länder 1 (Bohemia, (Gazetteer of the crownlands and now part of Territories Represented in the Imperial the Czech Republic)

26 according to religion. The following abbreviations 924,736 Item Vol. 10 Mähren 1 (Moravia, now are used: part of the Czech izr. Izraelita Jewish Republic) rk. Római Katholikus Roman Catholic 1,187,927 Item Vol. 11 Schlesien 2 (Silesia, now gk. Görög Katholikus Greek Catholic part of Poland (Eastern Orthodox) and the Czech Republic) kg. Keleti Görög Greek Orthodox 1,187,928 Item Vol. 12 Galizien ag. ¢gostai Augsburg 1 (Galicia, now Evangelical part of Poland Lutheran and Ukraine) ref. Reformatus Reformed 1,187,928 Item Vol. 13 Bukovina 2 (Bukovina, un. Unitárius Unitarian now part of Romania and Ukraine) If the village had a parish church (or synagogue for Jews), the abbreviation for the religion will be 1,187,928 Item Vol. 14 Dalmatien in boldface capital letters. The diocese will 3 (Dalmatia, follow, also in boldface type. If the people now part of attended church or synagogue elsewhere, the Croatia) abbreviation of the town for the nearest congregation for that religion will be in lower Hungarian Kingdom case. The name of the parish or congregation location follows the population figure. If a dash Hungary was a large empire in the late 1800s and (—) follows the population figure, it means early 1900s. It included large portions of present- members of that religion belong to no particular day Austria, Croatia, Romania, Serbia, Slovakia, congregation. Slovenia, and Ukraine. German Empire A useful gazetteer of this entire region, which lists places where Jews in each town worshiped, is: In the late 1800s many people left the German Empire for other countries. At that time the Magyarország Helységnévtára (Gazetteer of Empire (including Prussia) was a much larger Hungary). 2 vols. János Dvorzák, comp. territory than it is today and included areas now Budapest: “Havi Füzetek,” 1877. (FHL located in Poland, Russia, Ukraine, Lithuania, book 943.9 E5d; film 599,564 [Vol. I] and Denmark, and France. As records of these 973,041 [Vol. II]; fiche 6,000,840.) emigrants often refer to towns by their German names, it is helpful to locate the town today in a Volume I is an alphabetical index of localities. German gazetteer from that period. An excellent Entries in the index are followed by the name of the old Hungarian county and a set of numbers, gazetteer based on the 1910 census of the German which refer to the entry in volume II. The first Empire is: number is the number of the county; the second is the number of the district; the last is the number of Uetrecht, E., comp. Meyers Orts- und the place. Town names have spelling variations in Verkehrs- Lexikon des Deutschen Reichs parentheses following the Hungarian standard (Meyer’s place and Transportation spelling. Directory of the German Empire). 2 vols. Leipzig: Bibliographisches Institut, Use the numbers from the index to find the entry 1912–1913. (FHL book 943 E5mo; film for your town. Population figures are given 496,640–496,641; fiche 6,000,001– 6,000,029.)

27 This gazetteer is written in the old Gothic script, other frontier regions. Written in German and towns are listed alphabetically. It gives the and Russian. 1871–1918 political jurisdictions and indicates whether the place had its own parish or synagogue. Separate gazetteers in the above series exist for The following abbreviations are used: Belarus but are listed in the Family History Library catalog under the name of the province Evangelical parish: evPfk. (Gubernia). For example there are gazetteers for Catholic parish: kath. Pfk. Minsk (FHL film 1,923,576 item 1), Vitebsk Jewish synagogue: Syn. (FHL film 1,923,576 item 3), and Mogilev (FHL film 1,923,576 item 2 from 1908–1910). Another A multi-volume gazetteer was compiled for the gazetteer for Minsk is dated 1924 (FHL film provinces of the former Kingdom of Prussia based 2,044,163 item 1). on the 1905 census. It includes statistical information about the number of Jews living in As a result of persecution, many Jews left or were these provinces and other valuable information: displaced from Russian Poland, which included large sections of Ukraine and Belarus. The Gemeindelexikon für das Königreich following gazetteer may be particularly helpful in Preußen: auf Grund der Materialen der identifying a place of origin in this region: Volkszählung vom 1. Dezember 1905 und anderer amtlicher Quellen (Parish Sulimierski, Filip. S³ownik geograficzny Dictionary for the Kingdom of Prussia: Królestwa Polskiego i innych Krajów Based on the Material of the Census of 1 Slowiañskich (Geographical Dictionary of December 1905 and Other Official the Kingdom of Poland and Other Slavic Sources). 15 vols. Berlin: Verlag des Countries). 15 Vol. Warsaw: W³adys³aw Königlichen Statistischen Landesamts, Walewski, 1880–1902. (FHL book 943.8 1907–1909. (FHL book 943 E5kp; films E5c; films 920,957–920,972.) Arranged 1,181,005–1,181,006.) alphabetically with text in Polish. Usually indicates whether a town had a Jewish Russian Empire population and a synagogue.

The Russian Empire in the 1800s and early 1900s In addition to the ones mentioned, the Family comprised most of eastern Europe, including areas History Library has many other gazetteers. The of high Jewish concentration: Ukraine, Belo- Russia, and Poland. There are many gazetteers for U.S. Board on Geographic Names has published this area and for individual countries that were gazetteers for each country in the world, which once part of it. Two general gazetteers for this are generally excellent reference sources. Check region are: for these books in the Family History Library Catalog. Ñïèñêè íàñåë¸ííûõ ìåñò pîññèéñêîé èìïåðèè (Spiski Naselennykh míèst Jewish Gazetteers Rossî0sko0 Imperîi = List of inhabited places of the Russian Empire). Zug, Switz.: Inter Because Jewish historical reference books include Documentation Co., 1976. (FHL fiche alphabetical listings of Jewish communities, they 6,002,224, parts 1–420.) This gazetteer is may be used as gazetteers. Information found in used as a standard for place names of the these books includes local history, the Holocaust, Russian Empire in the Family History remarks concerning record-availability, and Library Catalog. Separate books were alternative spellings. published for each province (Gubernia). This does not list the entire Russian Empire and is missing information on the Baltic The following books are a guide to Jewish States and Belarus. communities in Germany, the former Austria- Hungary Empire, and the Russian Empire. They Russisches geographisches Namenbuch include place-name spelling variations, modern (RGN)(Russian Geographical Name Book country jurisdiction, proximity to larger towns [RGN]). 12 vols. Wiesbaden: O. (not always in the same jurisdiction), number of Harrassowitz, 1964–1988. (FHL book 947 Jewish residents prior to 1945, and references to E5r.) Alphabetical listing of places within various other sources where a given locality is the Russian Empire, including Belarus and mentioned:

28 Cohen, Chester G. Shtetl Finder – Jewish GENEALOGY Communities in the 19th and Early 20th Centuries in the Pale of Settlement of Russia The term genealogy is used in this outline and in and Poland, and in Lithuania, Latvia, the Family History Library Catalog to describe a Galicia, and Bukovina, with names of variety of records containing compiled family Residents. Los Angeles: CA, Periday Co., information. These records are often gathered by 1980. (FHL book 947 F24s.) individuals, other researchers, societies, or archives. They may include pedigree charts, Mokotoff, Gary and Sallyann Amdur Sack. correspondence, ancestor lists, research exchange Where Once We Walked–A Guide to the files, record abstracts, and collections of original Jewish Communities Destroyed in the or copied documents. Genealogies can be a time- Holocaust. Teaneck, NJ: Avotaynu, Inc., saving source of information, but they must be 1991. (FHL book 940. E5 ms.) carefully evaluated for accuracy.

Mokotoff, Gary. WOWW Companion: A guide Major Collections and Databases to the communities surrounding central & eastern towns. Teaneck, NJ: Avotaynu, The Family History Library has several sources c1995. (FHL book 940 E5mg supp.) that contain previous research or can lead you to others who are interested in sharing family information. These sources include: The JewishGen Internet site includes a gazetteer with 350,000 towns in 24 countries in Central and •International Genealogical Index, which lists Eastern Europe. It is based on the Geographic the names of deceased individuals from all Names Database (GNDB) compiled by the U.S. over the world. This index includes names Defense Mapping Agency, which was also used extracted from birth and marriage records and extensively in the compilation of Where Once We from submissions of private individuals. Walked. It has links to maps showing where various While it may include only limited information towns are located in Europe. This system searches on Jewish families, it is certainly worth by the Daitch-Mokotoff Soundex (see the searching. glossary), which may help you find a town name even if it is spelled slightly differently from the •Ancestral File. This file, part of FamilySearch gazetteer. The web address is: and on the FamilySearch.org Internet site, contains family history information linked in http://www.shtetlinks.jewishgen.org/ family groups and pedigrees that has been contributed by patrons since 1979. Although it contains the names of millions of people, few are of Jewish descent. Ancestral File allows This same database is available on microfiche in you to print pedigree charts, family group three indexes: alphabetical, in the Daitch-Mokotoff records, details about the submitters, and Soundex, and by grid location: individual summary sheets for any person in the file. Gazetteer of Central and Eastern Europe. 21 fiche. Teaneck, NJ: Avotaynu, c1995, 1998. •Vital Records Index British Isles, and Vital (FHL fiche 6,312,315, 6,310,076, Records Index North America. These two CD- 6,306,695.) These fiche cannot be circulated ROM indexes contain information from by the Family History Library. millions of birth, christening, and marriage records for the British Isles (1538–1888) and For those who read Hebrew, a multi-volume work the United States and Canada (1631–1888). has been compiled that gives a detailed history and Both indexes can be purchased from the description of Jewish communities of Europe, Distribution Center (see “Introduction” for the along with maps, photographs of synagogues, and address). well-known rabbis and community leaders. It is •Pedigree Resource File. This CD- and DVD- called Pinkas Hakehillot (Encyclopedia of Jewish ROM database contains more than 650 Communities) and is explained in greater detail in million names in lineage-linked pedigrees that “Encyclopedias and Dictionaries” in this outline. have been submitted by researchers. These pedigrees contain unedited notes and sources.

29 Charts and reports can be printed from the data. Institutions). Bordeaux: Archives The set also includes a master index to the départementales, 1987. (FHL book names. It can be purchased from the 944.71/B1 F2c.) Distribution Center (see “Introduction” for the address). Willigsecker, Alain. Chroniques blithariennes: La communauté israëlite de These databases are also found at most family Grosbliederstoff aux 18ème et 19ème history centers and on the Internet at: siècles (Blitharian Chronicles: the Jewish Community of Grosbliedstroff in the 18th http://www.familysearch.org/ and 19th Centuries). Forbach: Cercle Généalogique de Moselle-Est, 1994. (FHL Family Histories book 944.3825/G2 D2w.)

Some Jewish families have produced histories or Genealogical Collections newsletters that include genealogical information, biographies, photographs, and other excellent Genealogical collections include published and information. These usually contain several unpublished family histories and lineages as well generations of the family. An example is: as the research files of prominent genealogists. A major Jewish genealogical collection is: Freedman, Chaim. Eliyahu’s Branches: the Descendants of the Vilna Gaon (of Blessed and Saintly Memory) and His Family. Mordy, I. Collection of Jewish Records. (FHL Teaneck, NJ: Avotaynu, 1997. (FHL book film 994,068 item 11 contains notes on the 947.5/V1 D2f.) use of the indexes; 1,279,240–1,279,250 contain the indexes). Microfilm copy of The Family History Library has many published original records held by Isobel Mordy in Jewish family histories contributed by Jewish England. It includes compiled pedigrees of genealogists throughout the world. To find family Jews and three indexes to the pedigrees by histories in the Library, look for the family name in name, date, and locality. The name index is the Surname Search of the Family History Library arranged alphabetically and gives pedigree Catalog. Also consult bibliographies of Jewish reference numbers. genealogies such as: The Internet has information about genealogical Zubatsky, David S. and Irwin M. Berent. collections, such as the American Jewish Sourcebook for Jewish Genealogies and Historical Society’s online catalog of their Family Histories. Teaneck, N.J.: Avotaynu, manuscript collection. Their holdings include 1996. (FHL book 296 Z81s.) personal manuscripts that contain genealogy collections of specific individuals or families. Genealogical information on Jews in a given Access their catalog at: community has also been compiled. The following are examples of compiled genealogies for Jews: http://www.ajhs.org/reference/online_catalog.cfm

Stern, Malcolm H. First American Jewish There are also collections of genealogical Families, 600 Genealogies 1654–1988. 3rd materials about non-Jewish people that include ed. Baltimore: Ottenheimer Publishers, Inc., information about individual Jews. Several family 1991. (FHL book 973 F2frs.) This book papers and unpublished genealogical collections contains alphabetically-arranged pedigrees are at local libraries and archives in the United of prominent Jewish families whose States. Many of these collections are listed in: ancestors settled in the United States before 1840. National Union Catalog of Manuscript Collections (NUCMC). Annual. Cavignac, Jean. Dictionnaire du Judaisme Washington, D.C.: Library of Congress, Bordelais aux XVIIIe et XIXe Siècles: 1959–. (FHL book 016.091 N21.) Biographies, Généalogies, Professions, Institutions (Dictionary of Judaism in An index to 200,000 names in the collections is Bordeaux in the 18th and 19th centuries: found in: Biographies Genealogies, Professions,

30 Index to Personal Names in the National Jewish Genealogical Society. Jewish Union Catalog of Manuscript Collections, Genealogical Family Finder. New York, 1959–1984. 2 vols. Alexandria, Va.: New York, 1992–. (FHL book 940 F2 Chadwyck-Healey, 1988. (FHL book [1992]; microfiche 6,334,925 [1998].) 016.091 N21 Index 1959–1984.) An Internet version, called the JewishGen Family Genealogical Indexes Finder, contains tens of thousands more entries. It is located at: Indexes are excellent tools for genealogists. Many http://www.jewishgen.org/jgff/ organizations and individuals compile indexes to various genealogies and records, including ones by Other Internet sites that help bring together people name or place. If an index applies to your research, working on the same family lines include: it can save you many hours of searching. The Family History Library has some of these indexes. http://www.familysearch.org/ The following are some examples: http://rsl.rootsweb.com/cgi-bin/rslsql.cgi http://genforum.genealogy.com/ Kaminkow, Marion J. Genealogies in the Library of Congress: A Bibliography. 2 The Family History Library has many of the vols. 2 supplements, 1972–76, 1976–86. sources discussed in this section. Check for these Baltimore: Magna Charta Book, 1972. records in the Family History Library Catalog. (FHL book 016.9291 K128c.) The Complement lists genealogies at 45 other HOLOCAUST, JEWISH libraries. (1939–1945) The newest supplement is: The term Holocaust, Jewish (1939–1945) is used Genealogies Cataloged in the Library of in this outline and the Family History Library Congress since 1986. Washington, D.C.: Catalog to describe various records and Cataloging Distribution Service, Library of publications that document the genocide of Congress, 1992. (FHL book 016.9291 European Jews during World War II. Before L616g.) WWII over 80% of the world’s Jews lived in Central and Eastern Europe. During WWII Jewish communities in these areas were systematically Research Coordination destroyed. The Holocaust [shoal in Hebrew], migration issues, and naming patterns are three Many organizations, such as family history major obstacles in Jewish genealogical research. societies, publish directories listing the research interests of individuals. These directories are Following the war, the Jewish community began excellent tools for finding others researching the several large-scale undertakings to document the same family lines who may have information about towns and people destroyed in the Holocaust. your family. The following is one major example: Three records of great importance to genealogical research are Yizkor books, Pages of Testimony, Johnson, Keith A., and Malcolm R. Sainty. and lists of victims and deportees. Genealogical Research Directory. Sydney: Genealogical Research Directory Editors, Yizkor, or memorial books. These publications are 1996. (FHL book 929.1025 G286grd.) usually written in Hebrew or Yiddish and include Search all editions since it is published the history of a Jewish community, memories of yearly and specific family names may the community’s survivors, information from appear in only one edition. friends about families that had no survivors, a list of Holocaust victims from the town, and names Thousands of Jews worldwide are researching their and addresses of survivors. Yizkor books are family histories. The Jewish Genealogical Society usually privately printed in small publication runs. created a database of surnames and towns that are The following archives have significant being researched by genealogists. You can write to collections of yizkor books: these individuals to coordinate your research efforts and find out what they have already learned. • Yad Vashem This published database is: • YIVO Institute for Jewish research • Library of Congress • Jewish Public Library of Montreal

31 See “Archives and Libraries” in this outline for 1,045,357 item 1, 1,181,856 item 1, addresses and other information about the Jewish 1,183,644 item 11.) collections of these and other archives. Klarsfeld, Serge. Le memorial de la JewishGen has an ongoing project to facilitate dÁportation des Juifs de France (Memorial access to yizkor books. Information is available at: of the Deported Jews of France). Paris: Beate et Serge Klarsfeld, 19––. (FHL book http://www.jewishgen.org/yizkor/ 944 F2k.) Lists alphabetically names of Jews transported in over 75 convoys to Pages of Testimony. These manuscripts were concentration camps in Germany and compiled by the Yad Vashem from 1955 to the Poland. Includes name, birth date, and present under authority of The Martyrs’ and other information. Heroes’ Remembrance Law. This collection has information on over 3 million Jews murdered in the Holocaust. Each page of testimony records the Many groups are compiling information about individual’s name, year and place of birth, names survivors of the Holocaust. For example, the of parents and spouse, place of residence before the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum has a war, places of residence during the war, and national registry of survivors of the Holocaust circumstances of death (place, date, and so on). who came to the United States after WWII. Each form is signed and dated by the person giving Information about people on this list can be the testimony. Pages of Testimony are available obtained at the museum. See “Archives and only through the Hall of Names at the Yad Libraries” in this outline for further information Vashem. about this repository.

Lists of Victims and Deportees. Included in this The Family History Library has a few yizkor category are names of Jews (reported by survivors) books and other information about the Jewish who were born in various countries and died during Holocaust. Check for these records in the Family the Holocaust and lists of Jews who were deported History Library Catalog. Other sections of this from various countries. Some published books outline that discuss records of Jews during the listing holocaust victims and deportees are: Holocaust include “Census” and “Concentration Camps.” Gedenkbuch, Opfer der Verfolgung der Juden unter der nationalsozialistischen A guide to researching Holocaust families is: Gewaltherrschaft in Deutschland 1933–1945 (Memorial Book, The Victims Mokotoff, Gary. How to Document Victims of Jewish Persecution under the National and Locate Survivors of the Holocaust. Socialist Regime in Germany 1933–1945). 2 Teaneck, NJ: Avotaynu, 1995. (FHL book vols. Frankfurt/Main: Johannes Weisbecker, 940 F2mo.) 1986. (FHL book 943 V4g.) Lists German Jews alphabetically with place of residence, Holocaust Lists Online date of birth, date of death or missing, and cause of fate due to persecution (usually the A number of organizations now provide name of the concentration camp). information and lists about Jewish individuals who perished in the Holocaust. Lijst van nederlandse joden, gevangenen, en vermiste personen die gestorven zijn in The Yad Vashem website lists three million concentratie kampen gedurende de tweede names of victims found in various sources as well wereld oorlog: bijvoegsel tot de as online access to Pages of Testimony submitted Nederlandse Staatscourant van donderdag in the memory of those who died. Yad Vashem’s 1949–1962 (List of Dutch Jews, prisoners, Shoah Victims’ Database Search can be done at: and missing persons who died in concentration camps during the second http://www.yadvashem.org/ world war: supplement to the Netherlands The Document Centre of Austrian Resistance has State-Newspaper every Thursday a searchable online “Registration by Name”- 1949–1962). 3 vols. ‘s-Gravenhage: Austrian Victims of the Holocaust database with Staatsdrukkerij en Uitgeverijbedrijf, more than 62,000 names and documentation on 1949–1950. (FHL book 949.2 V23n; film

32 the Shoah of the Austrian Jews. This database can Documents created during the Inquisition contain be found at: details on the investigations conducted, names of the accused, and details of their heresy. Some may http://doew.at/ include family relationships and a detailed descendancy from a converso. Other references to The United States Holocaust Memorial Museum the family may appear in sources such as church, has an online name search for victims and is found court, and notarial records. These records are at: difficult to use and are seldom indexed.

http://ushmm.org/namesearch/ A web site that describes various Inquisition records and lists archives where records are A sample of other Holocaust related lists of victims deposited is found at: (and survivors) are: http://www.orthohelp.com/geneal/inquis.htm http: http://www.jewishgen.org/Registry/ The Family History Library has many Inquisition records for Mexico, Portugal, Columbia, Peru, and some for other South American countries. For http:// jewishgen.org/databases/holocaust/ example, documents of trials of Jews from Brazil and Portugal and from Mexico can be found on microfilm at the Family History Library:

Inquisição de Lisboa (Inquisition of Lisbon). Lisboa: Laboratórios Fototécnicos, 1975. (On 77 FHL films, beginning with 784,501.) The JewishGen Holocaust Global Registry provides a central place for anyone searching Indice del Ramo de Ynquisición (Index of the Holocaust survivors, for survivors searching family Branch of the Inquisition). 2 vols. México members or friends, and for child survivors City: Archivo General de la Nación, 1978. searching clues to their identity. See: (FHL book 972 A5mi; film 1,149,544.) The manuscript gives a summary of the http://www.jewishgen.org/registry/ various cases tried during the Inquisition. Procesos del Santo Oficio de México, INQUISITION 1522–1820. Salt Lake City, Utah: Genealogical Society of Utah, 1952–1954. (On 322 FHL films, beginning with The term Inquisition refers to Catholic courts that 34,797.) were established to find and punish heretics. During the persecution of Jews in Spain in the To find these and other similar records in the 1390s, thousands of Jews accepted baptism to save Family History Library Catalog, use the subject their lives. These converts were called conversos, search under the topic “Inquisition.” Neo-Christians, or marranos. They retained their love of Judaism and many secretly observed Jewish laws and customs. This aroused the hatred of JEWISH HISTORY Catholic fanatics and clergy and the greed of others. Effective research requires understanding historical events that affected your family and the Spain began the Inquisition in 1480 and conducted records about them. Learning about governments, it for nearly 300 years, spreading it to Portugal and laws, wars, migrations, and religious and Spanish and Portuguese colonies. Many conversos economic trends helps you understand political fled Spain and returned to Judaism. Some remained boundaries, family movements, and settlement Catholic and successfully hid their Jewish activity. patterns. These events may have led to the Some Jewish traditions were lost over time and creation of records about your family, such as many descendants lost all knowledge of their taxation and military documents. Jewish identity. Other practices were retained and even today Catholic descendants continue family Your ancestors will become more interesting to traditions such as not eating pork or not lighting you if you also use histories to learn about the fires on Friday night and Saturday. events that were of interest to them or that they

33 may have been involved in. For example, by using a history you might learn about the events that 1791 French Jews are granted full rights and declared citizens. Russia establishes occurred in the year your great-grandparents were married. the Pale of Jewish settlement, an area of western Russia where Jews were Since Roman times Jews were found in many cities permitted to live. The borders of the Pale are modified from time to time. throughout the Mediterranean region. After the fall of Jerusalem in 66 c.e., Jews were scattered even 1804 In his “Statute Concerning the wider. This scattering of the Jews is called the Organization of the Jews” Russian czar Diaspora, which means dispersion in Greek. The Alexander I expresses the dual policy Jews that settled in Spain [Sepharad in Hebrew] of forced assimilation and expulsion came to be called the Sephardim or Sephardic from villages. The goal is to draw Jews Jews. They lived among the Islamic Moors and the into the general stream of Russian Catholic Spanish. This influenced their language economic and cultural life. Jewish and culture. These Jews came to speak a language residence in villages is prohibited, and related to Spanish called Ladino. expulsions begin soon afterward. Other Jews migrated north from Italy and by 1808 The Duchy of Warsaw introduces civil medieval times were settled among the Germanic registration of births, marriages, and peoples of central Europe. These Jews came to deaths under Catholic supervision. known as the Ashkenazim or Ashkenazic (Ashkenaz Jews are recorded. means German in Hebrew) Jews. The language that developed among them was closely related to 1813 Prussian law requires Jews to take German and called Yiddish. fixed surnames. Some key dates and events in Jewish history of 1826 The Polish government requires all interest to the genealogist are: religions to keep their own registers of births, marriages, and deaths. 1492 Jews are either forcibly converted or expelled from Sardinia, Sicily, and 1827 Reinterpretation of Russia’s Conscrip- Spain. They settle in the Netherlands, tion Law mandates 31 years of military France, Italy, the Balkans, and North service for Jews, beginning at age 12, Africa. Later many European Jews flee in another effort to assimilate the Jews. to Poland, which has become far more 1835 A strongly enforced Russian law tolerant of religious diversity than requires Jews to take fixed surnames other nations. After the expulsion of and register with the Crown Rabbinate. Spanish Jewry and the continued persecution of Jews in western Europe, 1848 Revolutions and riots in Central Poland and Lithuania (united into one Europe, especially Germany, spur kingdom in 1569) become the new increased Jewish immigration to cultural center of Jewish life in America. Europe. The Jewish population grows and flourishes in Poland. In some cities 1861 Russian laws free the serfs. Russian Jews constitute over 50% of the Jews are gradually allowed to settle in population. villages outside the Pale. 1654 The first Jewish settlement in North 1867 The Jews of Austria and Hungary America is established at New receive full civil rights. Amsterdam (New York). 1873 Reform Judaism in the U.S. establishes 1784 Austria introduces official registration the Union of American Hebrew of births, marriages, and deaths by Congregations. Catholic clergy. Jews are recorded in Catholic registers and are required to adopt fixed surnames.

34 General local histories describe the settlement of 1881 The “May Laws” in Russia result in the area, churches, schools, and local economy Jews being forced to live only in the and may include information about the local Pale of Settlement. These restrictions Jewish community. Other histories focus and the pogroms (organized massacres specifically on the Jewish community and give of innocent people) that spread additional information about the founding of throughout the southwestern region in synagogues, yeshivas (an academy of Jewish Eastern Europe mark the start of mass learning and scholarship), and businesses, migrations of eastern European Jews. including maps and photographs. Yizkor books, which are discussed in “Holocaust, Jewish 1890 The Jews of Great Britain receive full (1939–1945)” in this outline, also contain civil rights. information about the history of Jewish communities. Examples of some local Jewish 1908 The Jews of the Ottoman Empire histories include: receive full civil rights. Berkley, George E. Vienna and Its Jews, The 1917 As a result of the Russian Revolution, Tragedy of Success, 1880s–1980s. Soviet Jews receive full civil rights Cambridge, MA: Abt Books, 1988. (FHL book 943.613/W1 F2b.) 1918 The end of WWI. European borders are redrawn, and many Jews now live Emmanuel, Isaac S. and Suzanne A. History in the new Republic of Poland. of the Jews of the Netherlands Antilles. 2 vols. Cincinnati: American Jewish 1939– World War II and the Jewish Archives, 1970. (FHL book 972.986 F2e.) 1945 Holocaust occurs. Gans, Mozes Heiman. Memorbook, History of 1948 The State of Israel is proclaimed. Jews Dutch Jewry from the Renaissance to begin immigrating to Israel. 1940: with 1100 Illustrations. Baarn: Bosch & Keuning, 1977. (FHL book 949.2 The Family History Library and many other public F2g.) and private libraries have many books on Jewish history or histories that include information about Kayserlin, Meyer. Historia dos Judeus em the Jews. Some examples are: Portugal (History of the Jews in Portugal). São Paulo: Livraria Pioneira Editora, 1971. Cohn-Sherbok, Dan. Atlas of Jewish History. (FHL book 946.9 F2k.) London: Routledge, c1994. (FHL book 296 C661a.) Wachstein, Bernhard. Urkunden und Akten zur Geschichte der Juden in Eisenstadt und Patai, Raphael et al. The Vanished Worlds of den Siebengemeinden (Records and Jewry. New York: MacMillan, 1980. (FHL Documents on the History of the Jews in book 296 P27v.) Eisenstadt [Austria] and the Seven Congregations). Wien: Wilhelm Potok, Chaim. Wanderings: Chaim Potok’s Braumüller, 1926. (FHL book 943.615/E1 History of the Jews. New York: Alfred A. B4w Vol. 2.) Knopf 1978. (FHL book 296 P849w.) JEWISH RECORDS Local Histories Jewish records, including synagogue records, Some of the most valuable sources for Jewish family history research are local histories. Even if contain information specifically about Jews. these books do not discuss your ancestors, These include vital records (births, marriages, information on other relatives may be included that divorces, and deaths) prepared by or for Jewish will provide important clues for locating your communities, registers of name changes, account ancestors. A local history may also give you ideas books of congregations, circumcision records, and of other records to search. In addition, local burial records. Synagogue records are listed in the histories should be studied and appreciated for the Family History Library Catalog under Jewish background information they can provide about Records, but they have a separate section in this your family’s life-style and the community and outline. environment your family lived in.

35 Jews generally did not keep vital records unless Examples of some published Jewish Records are: required to do so by law. In most countries Jews are recorded in the civil registration or vital records Attal, Robert. Registres Matrimoniaux de la along with people of other religions. For example, communauté juive portugaise de Tunis aux when civil registration started in France in 1792 XVIIIe et XIXe siècles (Marriage Registers and the Netherlands in 1795, Jews were recorded of the Portuguese Jewish Community of with the rest of the population. Tunis [Tunisia] from the 18th and 19th Centuries). Jérusalem: Institut Ben-Zvi, Some countries required separate Jewish vital 1989. (FHL book 961.1 F2a.) records be kept. After 1826–1835, many countries of Europe required separate registers to be kept of Margolinsky, Jul. Jødiske dødsfald i Danmark Jews. Although these separate registers were a 1693–1976 (Jewish Deaths in Denmark form of civil registration, they are listed in the Family History Library Catalog as Jewish Records. 1693–1976). København: Dansk Historisk Håndbogsforlag, 1978. (FHL book 948.9 For information about the relationship between V22m.) Jewish records, civil registration, and church records, see “Vital Records” in this outline. An Austrian Example Records kept of Jews are not the same from The following example shows how laws in parts country to country or from time period to time of the Austrian Empire affected the keeping of period. Even within the same country Jewish Jewish records. The availability and genealogical records can vary from region to region. An example value of Jewish records varies for the time periods from Austria is given at the end of this section. mentioned and in the different regions (Bohemia, Silesia, and the rest of the Austrian Empire). Many records of Jews kept by local governments or by Jews themselves, especially for cities of Europe Some circumcision registers were kept in Austria that had significant Jewish populations, have been since the early 1700s (officially designated as microfilmed. For example, there are Jewish records Matrikeln [vital records] in 1722). These records, at the Family History Library for marriage written mostly in Hebrew, had no legal validity. contracts [ketubah], circumcision records [bris], burial and cemetery records, and other Jewish Although a law was made in 1766 requiring birth records from Amsterdam that date back to 1580. registers be kept in Bohemia, there was not wide- Excellent records of German and Portuguese Jewish communities during the 18th century are spread compliance. In 1784 the Austrian vital found in cities such as Bordeaux, France. Other registration system was revised; standardized Jewish records include: forms were made for recording births, marriages, and deaths. The rabbis were now required to keep Matrikel, 1826–1938 (Metrical Books, Jewish vital records for their congregations. 1826–1938). Wien: Niederösterreichischen Stadt und Landesarchive, 1980. (On 236 In 1788 Austria passed a law requiring records be FHL films, beginning with 1,175,370.) in German. Jews had to take fixed surnames and a Registers of births, marriages, and deaths in given name selected from a list of German names. the city of Vienna from 1826–1938. Larger Jewish congregations began keeping records, which were not considered legal unless Matryku³a, 1826–1866 (Metrical Books, verified and approved by Catholic clerical 1826–1866). Warszawa: Genealogical authority. Society of Utah, 1968. (FHL films 689,510–689,556.) Registers of births, In 1797 Jewish registration in Bohemia came marriages, and deaths in the city of Warsaw under Catholic clerical supervision. Because there from 1826–1866. were no rabbis in Silesia, tax collectors in this area kept the Jewish records. Juden und Dissidenten–Register, 1812–1874 (Jews and Dissidents’ Register, 1812–1874). Laws in 1837, 1843, and 1846 gave the responsi- Berlin: Staatsarchiv, 1938. (On 44 FHL bility of keeping accurate Jewish records to civil films, beginning with 477,280.) Registers of registrars with Catholic oversight. In July 1868 births, marriages, and deaths in the city of Jewish records finally received full recognition as Berlin from 1812–1874. legally valid without Catholic supervision.

36 Locating Jewish Records originally written. Diacritical marks and subscript signs are now used to represent vowels. The The Family History Library has filmed many following chart shows the 22 Hebrew consonants Jewish records, including extensive collections and how the letters are transcribed into the Roman from Hungary and Slovakia. Search for Jewish alphabet. Each of the 22 consonants also records in the Family History Library Catalog for represents a number value, which is also shown. the town or region where your ancestors lived under the topic Jewish Records. Hebrew Number Roman à 1, (or disregarded) á 2 b or v LANGUAGE AND LANGUAGES â 3g ã 4d Most records used in Jewish research are written in ä 5h the language of the country. In past centuries Jews å 6 v (if consonant) did not generally keep birth, marriage, and death æ 7z records unless required to do so by the laws of the ç 8kh country of residence. These laws also dictated the è 9t language records were to be kept in. Depending on é 10 y (if consonant) the time period, information for Jews who appear ë (final) ê20 kh in church records may also be in Latin. You do not ì 30 l need to speak or read these languages to do Jewish î (final) í40 m research, but you will need to know some key ð (final) ï50 n words and phrases to understand the records. ñ 60 s ò 70 ‘ Some languages have grammatical structures which ô, (final) ó80 p or f may affect the way names appear in genealogical ö, (final) õ90 ts records. For example, in Polish the name Icek ÷ 100 k [Isaac] may be grammatically changed to Icka, ø 200 r which means “of Icek.” In Czech, a female with the ù 300 sh or s surname Neumann would appear as Neumannová. ú 400 t or th (in Yiddish, s) Spelling problems make some records difficult to interpret. Family names and place names were Thousands are designated by a single quote next often spelled phonetically, which would alter the to the letter: spelling from record keeper to record keeper. This problem is further complicated by spelling names ‘ à= 1000 in different languages that have different spelling ‘ ä= 5000 rules or even different alphabets. For example, foreign words with an h are generally rewritten in A double quote between the last two letters Russian with the letter g [ã]. The Russian letter â signifies a year: (pronounced as a “v”) is written in English as v but in German as w. The Family History Library has å”ùú represents 706 and year (5)706 genealogical word lists that include suggested spelling variations. You may want to become Vowels are indicated by modifying the preceding familiar with the spelling rules of the languages in consonant. The following example, using the first the areas you research. letter of the alphabet, shows how this is done:

Hebrew Alphabet Hebrew Roman à Ç ha Jewish records may be in Yiddish, Hebrew, or the éàP hai language of the country of residence. Yiddish, à È ha, ho Hebrew, and Ladino are all written in the Hebrew à Æ he alphabet. Synagogue records, other records kept by é à Æ he Jews, and tombstone inscriptions are often written à Å he in the Hebrew alphabet. é à Å he (hej) à Ä hi Hebrew is written from right to left. Vowels were é à Ä hi used to mark grammatical form and were not à Ò ho

37 å É à ho If there is a research outline for the country or à Ë hu state where your ancestor lived, see the å Ì à hu “Language and Languages” section of the outline. à À he or disregard vowel à Â ha à Á he MAPS à Ã ho Maps are an important source for locating places Hebrew months are written as follows: where your ancestors lived. They identify political boundaries, names of places, geographical éøùú Tishri features, cemeteries, synagogues and churches, ïåùç (ïåùç øî) Kheshvan (Mar Kheshvan) and migration routes. Historical maps are åìñë Kislev especially useful for finding communities that no úáè Tevet longer exist and for understanding boundary èáù Shevat changes. øãà Adar (á øãà, à øãà Adar II, Adar I during leap year) Maps are published separately or in collections ïñéð Nisan called atlases. Maps may also be included in øééà Iyar gazetteers, guidebooks, local histories, directories, ïåéñ Sivan and history books. æåîú Tammuz áà (áà íçðî) Av (Menakhem Av) Different types of maps will help you several ìåìà Elul ways:

A few other Hebrew abbreviations you often find • Historical atlases describe the development of on tombstones include: countries. They show boundaries, migration routes, settlement patterns, military ðØô Here lies interred (Poh Nitman) campaigns, and other historical information. èØô Here lies buried (Poh ta-mun) • Topographical maps show elevations and ×ø Honorific, does not mean Rabbi include physical and manmade features. (Reb) • Road atlases show a lot of detail. úøî Mrs/Miss • Ordinance maps show specific areas of a úá Daughter of country in great detail. ïá Son of • City or street maps are useful in researching ø×á Son/Daughter of (Ben/Bat Reb) large cities, such as Berlin, London, or Minsk. äØåî Our Teacher, Rabbi (Moreinu) ïäëä The person was a Cohen If there is a research outline for the country or éåìä The person was a Levi state where your ancestor lived, see the “Maps” äØáöðú May his/her soul be bound up in the section of the outline. bonds of (everlasting) life (acronym) ÷Øôì The Hebrew year without the 1000s Using Maps number åðéîà Our Mother Use maps carefully for the following reasons: çØø New month (Rosh hodesh) çØøà First day of the new month • Often several places have the same name. For example, there were more than 800 towns Language Aids called Àëåêñàíäðîâêà (Aleksandrovka) in the Russian Empire. The Family History Library has genealogical word lists for many languages, including German, Polish, • The spelling and even the names of some and Latin. These can be very helpful in reading the towns may have changed. This is particularly records that pertain to your ancestors. The Library true of eastern European countries whose also has a good collection of dictionaries. Those boundaries have changed. For example, the that have not been microfilmed cannot circulate. town presently known as Zagreb in Croatia Check for dictionaries for the countries you are was called Agram before the Austrian Empire researching in the Family History Library Catalog. was dissolved. Foreign dictionaries are also available at many bookstores, including bookstores on the Internet.

38 • Foreign place-names are often misspelled by that lists the sheet number and longitude and record keepers of other countries. Sometimes latitude for each place (FHL book 947 E7e difficult names were shortened and important index; fiche 6,001,727–6,001,728). A grid diacritical marks omitted. map at the front of the film also shows what sections are on which maps. References to • Political and local boundaries are not always this map are found in gazetteers of this clearly indicated on all maps. region published by the U.S. Board on Geographical Names. Finding the Specific Place on the Map Generalkarte von Mitteleuropa (General Map To do successful genealogical research, you must of Central Europe). Scale 1:200,000. Wien: identify the place where your ancestor lived. Bundesamt für Eich-und Because many localities have the same name, you Vermessungswesen, 1889–1967. (FHL book may need some additional information before you 940 E7bm; film 1,181,580.) This map can find the correct place on a map. Search includes the region from middle Germany to gazetteers, histories, family records, and other western Ukraine and down to Greece, an sources to learn all you can about: area of high concentration for Jews. The grid map at the beginning of the film lists • The country, state or province, county, and numbers across the top and at the left. The town of your ancestor’s birthplace or residence. section maps use the top number plus the • The location of the synagogues or churches in left number together as a map number. these areas. • The size of the town. Militär-Landesaufnahme und Spezialkarte • Your ancestor’s occupation (this can indicate der österreichisch-ungarischen Monarchie the size or industries of the town). (Military Topographical and Specialized • Nearby localities, such as large cities. Map of the Austrian-Hungarian Empire). • Industries in the area. Wien: Das Institut, 1879–1928. (FHL book • The dates the town existed, if and when it was 943.6 E3am; film 1,045,395). Includes all of renamed, and other names it was known by. the former Austro-Hungarian Empire except • Geographical features, such as rivers and for modern Austria. Overview map at the mountains. first of the film gives map numbers.

Use gazetteers to identify the government district Karte des Deutschen Reiches (Map of the your ancestor’s town was in. This will help you German Empire). 647 Maps. Berlin: distinguish it from other towns of the same name Königlichen Preussischen Landesaufnahme, and enable you to locate it on a map. For further 1914–1917. (FHL film 68,814.) Overview information, see “Gazetteers” in this outline. map at the first of the film shows map numbers in the top right corner. Finding Maps and Atlases Recently published road atlases for each central Collections of maps and atlases are available at and eastern European country have alphabetical historical societies, county record offices, libraries, indexes and show how town names are listed and on the Internet. The Family History Library has today. They can be found at public libraries or a good collection of maps and atlases for most bookstores. countries of the world. Check for these records in the Family History Library Catalog. A historical atlas can be very helpful in visualizing your ancestor’s homeland and may Because of boundary changes, the dissolution of empires, and the changes in place names, it is resolve research questions. Historical atlases are especially important to use maps in researching available at most libraries. The Family History Central and Eastern European countries. Some Library has several historical atlases including: helpful maps for these areas include: Magocsi, Paul Robert. Historical Atlas of East Eastern Europe. Scale 1:250,000.Washington, Central Europe. Seattle: University of DC: Army Map Service, 1956–1959. (FHL Washington Press, 1993. (FHL book 942 map 947 E7e; film 1,183,629.) This map H2ho vol. 1.) comes with a two-volume place-name index

39 MILITARY RECORDS Information on people who served in the military may also be found on the Internet. For example, there is a searchable database of Jewish veterans Military records identify individuals who served in of the American Civil War taken from an 1895 the armed forces or who were eligible to serve. Jewish directory. To find this database go to: Evidence that an ancestor served in the military may be found in family records, biographies, http://www.jewishgen.org/ census returns, probate records, civil registration or vital records, obituaries, records of veterans’ organizations, and church or synagogue records. Austrian Military Records

In some countries military service or military The Family History Library has more than 1500 registration was mandatory. Russia and Austria Austrian military records, mostly for the years used the military as a way to assimilate Jews. Most 1740–1870. These contain valuable genealogical people served for only a short period of time while information. others made it their lifetime career. Officers usually came from the upper classes while soldiers usually The Austrian Empire began universal conscription came from the general population. Jews were able in 1868. Military records from the Austrian to serve as military officers in many countries. Empire include documents from parts or all of present-day Austria, Bosnia, Croatia, Czech All military organizations (army, navy, coast guard, Republic, Hungary, Italy, Montenegro, Poland, marines, militia, fencibles, yeomanry, and Rumania, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia, and Ukraine. territorial armies) kept records. These records contain details about a person’s military service Documents are divided into two large collections, including conduct, duty assignments, military the records of the Central Command and those of schooling, pay, pension, and promotions. They also individual military units. Many types of records include genealogical information such as age or are found in both these categories, some including birth date, birthplace, occupation and residence more genealogical information than others. prior to joining, physical description, and sometimes information about other family The Central Command records include the members. Military conscription rolls in countries following types of records: such as Denmark and Germany listed all males from the time of their birth until they reached the • Military Commissions. Lists officers’ age of service (about 18–21) or were too old to be appointments, commissions, and instructions. • Nobility Grants. Includes land or property eligible for military service (about 34–40). grants awarded for valor. • Vital Certificates. Records births to and To use military records, you must first find out the marriages and deaths of military personnel. country, province, or state your ancestor lived in at • Wills. the time he or she may have served in the military. • Army Rank and Regiment Schematics. Lists Then learn what branches of the armed forces were military personnel by rank and unit. found in these localities. Finally, determine what • Pension and Assistance Records in four areas: records were generated by the military, when they a) Pension records begin, and where these records are located. b) Invalid Office records c) Orphans’ Commission records The U.S. Military Records research outline (34118) d) Soldier Orphans records provides extensive information about federal and • Payment Books. Records wages and salary other military records and search strategies. If there data and includes some biographical is a research outline for the country or state where information. your ancestor lived, see the “Military Records” • Marriage Bonds. Lists family members’ section of the outline. names and occasionally has spouse’s place of origin. The library has extensive military records for •Military School Records. Includes countries such as Austria and the United States but biographical information. little for others. Look in the Place Search (by •Military Court Records. Includes probate country, state, county, and city where your ancestor information for military personnel. lived) of the Family History Library Catalog under the topic Military Records. Records of individual units include:

40 • Muster Rolls. Lists soldier’s name, birthplace, Hagen, William W. Germans, Poles and age, religion, occupation, marital status, and Jews: The Nationality Conflict in the names of dependant children. Prussian East, 1772–1914. Chicago: • Foundation Books (muster rolls compiled University of Chicago Press, 1980. (FHL locally). Summarizes soldier’s career, including book 943 F2hw.) age, postings, and marriage information. • Service Records. Supplements and muster rolls Hardwick, Susan Wiley. Russian Refuge: with information about a soldier’s actual Religion, Migration and Settlement on the service record. Includes name, rank, birth date, North American Pacific Rim. Chicago; marriage information, religion, education, place London: University of Chicago Press, and date of induction, and decorations. c1993. (FHL book 979 F2h.) •Religious Vital Registers of Individual Units. Lists birth, marriage, and death information. Kuropas, Myron B. The Ukrainian Americans: Roots and Aspirations 1884–1964. Toronto: For more information about Austrian military University of Toronto Press, 1991. (FHL records at the Family History Library, see: book 973 F2mb.)

Schmidl, Erwin A. Juden in der k.(u)k. Armee The Family History Library has many records of 1788-1918 = Jewish in the Habsburg Armed minorities. Check for these records in the Family Forces. Eisenstadt: Österreichisches History Library Catalog. Jüdisches Museum, 1989. (FHL book 943.6F2). Text in German and English. NAMES, PERSONAL Blodgett, Steven W. Great-grandfather was in the Imperial Cavalry: Using Austrian Understanding Jewish surnames and given names Military Records as an Aid to Writing can help you find and identify your ancestors. Family History. Salt Lake City: Corporation This section discusses the origin and development of the President, 1980. (FHL book 929.1 of Jewish names and naming patterns. W893 1980 v. 7 pt. 4; fiche 6,085,770.) Surnames MINORITIES Until mandated by laws enacted in the late 18th From the time of the Diaspora to the creation of the and 19th centuries (the date varies by country), Jewish state of Israel, Jews have been considered a most Jews did not use fixed surnames. Jews with a religious minority wherever they lived. When they common given name were often distinguished by left their homelands, they were also considered part a patronym, meaning that a father’s name was of the ethnic minority of the place they immigrated used in addition to a given name. For example, from. It is important to learn the history of the Jacob the son of Abram was called Jacob Abram ethnic groups your ancestors belonged to. For or Jacob ben [son of] Abram. If this was not example, you might study a history of the Russians enough to distinctly identify a person, a nickname in New York, Germans in Wisconsin, or the Poles was used. Such nicknames described a person in in Canada. This historical background could tell some way, such as a physical characteristic, you where your ancestors lived and when they occupation, or place of origin. A Jew named lived there, where they migrated, the types of Abram ben Maimon might also be called Abram records they might be listed in, and other the copper merchant or Abram red-beard. These information that would help you understand your nicknames were not permanent or inherited. They family’s history. changed from one generation to the next. Fixed surnames often developed from these patronyms For some minorities there are unique records and and nicknames. resources available, including histories, gazetteers, biographical sources, settlement patterns, and Naming customs for two groups of Jews were handbooks. Examples of resources for minority established at different times and are therefore studies that include information about the Jews are: discussed separately in this section:

Arkin, Marcus. South African Jewry : A • Sephardic Surnames—hereditary surnames Contemporary Survey. Cape Town: Oxford date back to the 1500s University Press, 1984. (FHL book 968 • Ashkenazic Surnames—in many areas did not F2am.) take hereditary surnames until the early 1800s

41 Surnames often were formed four ways, examples Ashkenazic Surnames of which are given in the following sections: Some Ashkenazic Jews, those who originated in • Patronymic the central and eastern part of Europe, used • Occupational hereditary surnames as early as the Middle Ages, • Places although the custom was uncommon. The practice • Descriptions was limited to German Jews who had business dealings with the gentile world. These early Sephardic Surnames Jewish surnames were often the same as Christian family names. Sephardic Jews, those who originated in Spain, first began using hereditary surnames in the 1500s. By the 17th and 18th centuries Ashkenazic Jews, The Arab and Spanish cultures were the two major especially those in Western Europe, moved influences on Sephardic surnames. Spain was under increasingly into mainstream life. The adoption of Moorish Moslem rule from the 700s to the 1200s, fixed surnames became more and more important. and Jewish family names developed under the influence of Arab custom. Most Ashkenazic surnames were patronymic, many having the German ending -sohn or the Surnames of patronymic origin commonly used the Slavic -wicz and -vitch, which mean “son of.” Arabic term ibn for “son of.” Ibn was placed in These yielded names like Abramsohn, Berkovitz, front of the father’s name, such as in Ibn Baruch. or Szmulowicz. Other surnames were derived from Arabs sometimes reversed the patronym, using the localities (Frank for someone from France), term abu for “father of,” such as Isaac abu Jacob. occupations (Schneider, the German for tailor), or descriptions (Klein, meaning small). Some After the Arabs were driven out of Spain, Jews Germanic Jewish names came from house signs, made their Arabic-sounding names sound more like which served in place of house numbers in many Spanish. Among Spanish Jews we find the family cities during the 16th and 17th centuries. For name Avinbruch which corresponds to Abu Baruch. example, Strauss [ostrich] comes from the house The Hebrew word for son, ben, was also used; the with an ostrich plume sign. son of Elisha became Benelisha or Belish. Some- times Jewish given names were translated into their Most Eastern European Jews were isolated from Spanish form and used as a surname. For example, their gentile neighbors and rarely used surnames. Mendel, a common Jewish given name, became Until the end of the 18th century the use of a Mendez and Chaim, a Hebrew given name meaning family name was left to the discretion of the “life,” became the Spanish surname Vital or Vidal. individual Jew. The bulk of the Ashkenazic Jews in Germany and especially in Eastern Europe still Surnames of occupational origin include Chazan followed the custom of using only a given name [Cantor], Gabbai [synagogue official], Dayan and the patronymic (Joseph, son of Isaac). [rabbinic judge], Coffen [Cohen], and Tibbon [flax merchant]. The political status of European Jews changed dramatically at the end of the 18th century. Many Surnames of place origin are Toledano, Cordoza, countries freed Jews from restrictive laws and Espinoza, and de Castro. gave them limited or sometimes full civil rights. At the same time laws required Jews to adopt After the Inquisition, Sephardic Jews emigrated to permanent family surnames for taxation and other countries, and their surnames came to fit the conscription purposes. Jewish surnames were to language and culture of their new homelands: be registered by a government commission. If a Greece, Italy, Holland, France, England, and North Jew refused to select a surname, the commission Africa. In areas where they were in the majority, could impose one. Records of the registration of they were able to impose their Spanish-Arabic Jewish surnames were kept in France, language and naming customs on the existing Netherlands, and other countries. Following is an Jewish community, as they did in the Greece and example of these records: the Balkan states. Where they were in the minority, as in North Africa, they assimilated the language, Registres des déclarations faites par les culture, and naming customs of the Jewish Israelites (Registers of Name Declarations communities they joined. Made by the Jews). Strasbourg: Archives départementales à Strasbourg, 1973. (FHL films 1,070,259–1,070,263, 1,070,123.)

42 Laws requiring Jews to take surnames were passed Hirschsohn, Herz, Hirschberg, Hartwig, and at different times by different countries. The Herschel. The Slavic version of deer [hind] is following dates are when these changes took place Jellinek and in French is Cerf. in different parts of Central and Eastern Europe: Jews also used given names as part of a surname. • Baden, Germany (1790). From Aaron, for example, comes the surnames • French Empire, including Belgium, Arnstein, Arndt, Ahrens, Ehrens, Ehrenstamm, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Italy, Westphalia, Ehrlich, and Ohrenstein. A man with a wife the Confederation of the Rhine, Duchy of named Perla could have taken the surname Warsaw (1808). Perlmann. • Prussia (1812), now Germany and parts of Poland. As Prussia acquired additional But the most common names were ones that were territory, it was necessary to restate this cleverly disguised. Often the German name requirement. The family name requirement was chosen had a different meaning to the Jew than it extended to Posen in 1833 and to all other parts did to the German official who recorded it. For of the Prussian state in 1845. example, the acronym of the Hebrew words kohen • Bavaria, Germany (1813). ha-tzedek [righteous priest] produced Katz • Mecklenburg, Germany (1813). (German for cat), a name acceptable to German • Kingdom of Poland under Russian administra- officials. This same abbreviation of form is found tion (1821). A decree requiring family names in Bach [German for brook] from ben Chaim [son was issued in 1821, but it was not enforced. of Chaim]. Polish law again required surnames in 1833, but it was only in accordance with the Imperial Family names were often derived from Russian statutes of 1835 and 1844 that all place-names. Place-names chosen by Ashkenazic Polish Jews adopted permanent family names. Jews may represent a recent place of origin or • Württemberg, Germany (1828). may go back to some ancestral home (real or • Saxony, Germany (1834). supposed) the family was expelled from in the • Russia (1844). Statutes of 1804 and 1835 Middle Ages. Thus we find such names as decreed that Jews were not permitted to alter Amsterdam, Lemberger (from Lemberg, L'vov), their family names, but these statutes did not Halpern (from Heilbronn), Dreyfus (from Trèves), require them to adopt fixed names. and Shapiro (from Speier). Some names are less • Oldenburg, Germany (1852). specific like Westermann (from the West), Unger • Switzerland (1863). (from the Hungarian county of Ung), Schlesinger (from Schlesien [Silesia]), and Hess (from Hessen By the 1820s most of the small states in western [Bavaria]). Germany had extended civil rights to Jews, usually requiring them to adopt surnames at the same time. Occupations were also a source for family names, Often the Jews resisted the imposition of last including Schneider, Kravitz, or Portnoy [tailor], names, and the edicts had to be enforced over and Kaufmann [shopkeeper], Schuler, Schulmann or over again. In many areas, patronyms continued to Szkolnik [sexton, beadle], Singer [cantor], be used in addition to surnames. Metzger, Reznick, Schlachter, or Schochet [ritual slaughterer], and Klopman [one who knocks on Ashkenazic Jews continued to choose surnames the shutters to wake people for morning worship]. from localities and vocations. In many cases Many surnames reflect priestly or levitical restrictions were placed on the choice of names. heritage. One of the most common of all Jewish Some governments forbade the adoption of surnames is Kohen [priest] and its variations, Christian-sounding names or names of famous Cohen, Kahn, Kogan, and Katz. Surnames families. French laws forbade Jews taking names showing Levitic or priestly heritage include Levy, based on localities or to adopt Old Testament Levinsky, Levin, Lewek, Lewenberg, and Segal (an names. Hebrew names were generally not allowed. abbreviation for segan leviah [member of the Since Jews considered Hebrew names sacred, a Levites]). Yiddish, German, or Polish version that often had a symbolic association was generally used. Many Jewish names are based on personal traits, including Gross [big], Kurz [short], Krummbein Many Hebrew given names have a symbolic [cripple], Rothbart [red-beard], Weiss [white], and connection with animals. For example, the German Lustig [merry]. word for deer is Hirsch or, in some dialects, Herz or Hart. Hence we find surnames such as Hirsch,

43 Jews often combined elements of languages, such Ashkenazic Jews often adapted Hebrew given as Hebrew with Yiddish and German or Slavic names to fit the country they were living in. In roots with Yiddish or Slavic endings. Thus, Jewish America, for example, the name Avraham names are often found with various spellings (Hebrew) or Avrum (Yiddish) could be anglicized depending on the languages that influence them. In to Allen, Allan, Albert, Alvin, or Arnold; Chaim Russian, for example, the h sound is substituted could become Hyman, Herman, Herbert, or with g. This factor creates such diverse spellings Charles; and Feigla could be Fanny, Faye, Fran, or as: Victoria.

Rothstein and Rotstejn Naming Patterns Glückman and Glikman Warschauer and Varsaver Sephardic Jews usually named their children in Aschermann and Ojzerman honor of living grandparents. There was a specific Himmel and Gimmel order in which this was done. The first son was Kohen and Kogan generally named after the father’s father, the second son after the mother’s father, the first The process of surname development continued with the emigration of Jews from Europe. In the daughter after the father’s mother, the second United States many changes in surnames can be daughter after the mother’s mother. Successive attributed to an ignorance of European languages children might be named after living siblings or on the part of American officials and registrars. other relatives of the father and mother. The immigrants’ ignorance of English also contributed to the creation of numerous new In the Ashkenazic tradition children were named surnames and variations. Changes may have been after deceased rather than living relatives. Usually minor, such as a slight adjustment in spelling to a child was named after the closest deceased make the name easier to pronounce, such as relative for whom no one else in the immediate Wallace from Wallisch or Harris from Hirsch. Or family was already named. For example, if a the name may have been shortened to make it mother died in childbirth and the baby was a sound less Jewish or foreign, such as Rosenzweig female, she was almost always named after the changed to Rose or Ross. A surname may have mother. been translated into English, such as Schneider to Taylor, or it may have been discarded and replaced Relatives were not the only source of names. A with a new name altogether. child born during passover might be named Pesach. One born on the Purim holiday could be Daitch-Mokotoff Soundex Coding named Mordechai or Ester. If it was feared that a child might die in infancy, they might receive the The Daitch-Mokotoff Soundex System was created name Chaim or Chaia, which means “life.” to apply soundexing to Slavic and Yiddish surnames. To learn more about this system, go to: Several books can help you understand Jewish names and naming customs, including: http://www.jewishgen.org/jos/jossound.htm Beider, Alexander. A Dictionary of Ashkenazic Given Names: Their Origins, To calculate a name into soundex codes using the Structure, Pronunciation, and Migrations. Daitch-Mokotoff system, go to: Bergenfield, New Jersey: Avotaynu, 2001. (FHL book 940 D46.) http://www.jewishgen.org/jos/jossound.htm Beider, Alexander. A Dictionary of Jewish Given Names Surnames from Galicia. Bergenfield, New Jersey: Avotaynu, 2004. (FHL book 943.86 Jews often took their given names from the D46.) languages of the countries they lived in and kept Hebrew names for “sacred” purposes (Bar Mitzvah, Beider, Alexander. A Dictionary of Jewish marriage, and blessings associated with reading Surnames from the Russian Empire. from the Torah). The spelling of their names varied Teaneck, N.J.: Avotaynu, Inc., 1993. (FHL considerably depending on the spelling rules of the book 947.2 D46b.) language and culture they lived in.

44 Beider, Alexander. A Dictionary of Jewish Citizenship was usually a three-step process. First, Surnames from the Kingdom of Poland. a declaration of intent was filed. After a period of Teaneck, N.J.: Avotaynu, Inc., 1998. (FHL time, the immigrant then filed a final petition for book 943.8 D46b.) citizenship. Once the requirements for citizenship were met, the immigrant received a document Feldblyum, Boris. Russian–Jewish Given granting citizenship. Names: Their Origins and Variants. Teaneck, N.J.: Avotaynu, Inc., 1998. (FHL book 947 Naturalization records also include lists of aliens D4f.) and other records of aliens. For example, the Jews’ Temporary Shelter in England dealt with Gorr, Shmuel. Jewish Personal Names: Their Jewish refuges from Eastern Europe during the Origin, Derivation, and Diminutive Forms, first half of the 20th century. Jews passing ed. Chaim Freedman. Teaneck, N.J.: through England on their way to other Avotaynu, Inc., 1992. (FHL book 929.4924 destinations were temporarily housed in the G683j.) shelter. See “Emigration and Immigration” in this outline for further information about the shelter. Guggenheimer, Heinrich W., and Eva H. The Family History Library does not have this Guggenheimer. Jewish Family Names and source, but it does have some records of aliens for Their Origins: An Etymological Dictionary. other countries. Hoboken, N.J.: Ktav Pub. House, 1992. (FHL book 296 D46g.) Information found in naturalization records varies from country to country. Generally the later the Lévy, Paul. Les Noms des Israélites en time period of naturalization, the more information given, including the name of the France, Histoire et Dictionnaire (The Names applicant, birth date and place, occupation, and of Jews in France, History and Dictionary). date of arrival. Other information that may be Paris: Presses Universitaires de France, 1960. found in these records is a physical description of (FHL book 944 D46l.) the person, names of other family members who immigrated, the port of arrival, and the name of Menk, Lars. A Dictionary of German-Jewish the ship. Surnames. Bergenfield, New Jersey: Avotaynu, 2005. (FHL book 943 D46.) Beginning in 1906, naturalization in the United States was handled by the Immigration and The Family History Library has some books about Naturalization Service (INS). The United States names. Check for these in the Family History Research Outline (30972) has a detailed section Library Catalog. about the naturalization and citizenship process in that country and how to find records. If there is a research outline for the country or state where NATURALIZATION AND your ancestor lived, see the “Naturalization and CITIZENSHIP Citizenship” section of the outline. Locating Naturalization Records Naturalization is the process of granting citizenship privileges and responsibilities to foreign-born Naturalization was handled through national, state residents. Privileges granted to citizens vary from or province, county, or local courts that had the country to country but usually include the right to authority to grant citizenship. Usually records live in a locality without being expelled, the right were processed at the state or province, county, or to engage in business, the right to vote, and other local court level. Many records, especially United protections under the law. States naturalization records before 1906, are still held by the courts where naturalization was Although immigrants were not required to become granted. In some countries records are deposited citizens, many did. Evidence that an immigrant in local, county, state or province, or national completed citizenship requirements can be found in archives. censuses, court records, voting registers, military papers, and other sources. Even if an immigrant did The Family History Library has many naturaliza- not complete the process to become a citizen, he or tion records for the United States and a few she may have filed an application or declaration of records for other countries. Check for these in the intention to become one. Family History Library Catalog for the area where your family settled.

45 NEWSPAPERS An accompanying booklet by the same title contains instructions and the key to repository Newspaper publication usually began soon after the codes. (FHL book 973 B32u 1989.) initial settlement of a locality. Newspapers may report family information in notices of births, Brigham, Clarence Saunders. History and marriages, obituaries, and local news. Some Jews Bibliography of American Newspapers, also put ads in newspapers trying to find relatives 1690–1820. 2 vols. Worcester, Mass.: and friends. To find information in newspapers, American Antiquarian Society, 1975. (FHL you will need to know the place and an book 973 A3bc.) This lists the locations of approximate date of the event. collections of newspapers published from 1690 to 1820. Most of these newspapers are In addition to local newspapers, Jewish newspapers available at the American Antiquarian were established in areas where there were large Society, 185 Salisbury Street, Worcester, Jewish settlements. They may be in the language of MA 01609-1634. the country they were published in or in Hebrew or Yiddish. Local newspapers and Jewish newspapers, Gregory, Winifred. American Newspapers, if they exist, should both be searched. 1821–1936. 1937. Reprint, New York: H.W. Wilson, 1967. (FHL book 970 B33a 1967; You may also find it helpful to place a notice in a film 483,713.) This lists newspapers local newspaper in order to contact others who may published from 1821 to 1936, including have information about your family. those that are no longer published. It identifies where copies of the newspapers To find the names and locations of newspapers, use were located in 1936. the following sources available at most libraries: Gale Directory of Publications: An Annual Newspapers in Microform: United States, Guide to Newspapers, Magazines, Journals, 1948–1983. 2 vols. Washington, D.C.: and Related Publications (formerly Ayer Library of Congress,1984. (FHL book 011.35 Directory of Publications). Annual. Detroit: N479 1984; film 1,145,942;.) This is a Gale Research, 1969–. (FHL book 970 B34a geographically-arranged list of newspapers 1987.) This lists currently published on microform and the repositories where the newspapers. Most newspaper publishers will microforms are available. Most of these can not search their files for you but some will be borrowed through interlibrary loan. make a copy of an article if you can provide a specific date and event. Newspapers in Microform: Foreign Countries, 1948–1983. Washington, D.C.: Library of A list of Jewish newspapers is found in volume 1, Congress, 1984. (FHL book 011.35 N479f; pages 193–219 of the following source: fiche 6,085,887.) This is a geographically- arranged list of foreign newspapers and the Encyclopaedia Judaica. 17 vols. Jerusalem: repositories where the microforms are Keter, 1972, 1982. (FHL book 296.03 available. Most of these can be borrowed En19j.) through interlibrary loan.

United States Newspaper Program National The American Jewish Press Association has a web Union List. 4th ed. Dublin, Ohio: Online site that lists, by state, published Jewish Computer Library Center, 1993. (FHL fiche newspapers with descriptions and contact 6,332,710–14 [set of 70].) Many states are information. The Internet address is: collecting and microfilming the newspapers published in their state. The microfilms are http://ajpa.org/ often available at the state archives, state historical society, or major libraries within The Newspaper Library in London, England, has a the state. They can usually be borrowed large collection of newspapers, including some through interlibrary loan at your local library. Jewish newspapers. Other libraries throughout the This list is an inventory of newspapers that world may have newspaper collections. You can have been collected by the Library of access the catalogs of many of these libraries on Congress and 20 states as of 1985. the Internet to see what is in their holdings. Finally, contact local libraries in the area where your ancestor lived to locate existing newspapers.

46 Information from a few Jewish newspapers can be perform a heroic deed, achieve greatness in some found on the Internet, such as a database of endeavor, or hold a prominent government wedding announcements from the Boston Jewish position. Advocate. Check the following web site for infor- mation about databases for Jewish newspapers: Some Jews became part of the nobility class in several countries, including England, Germany, http://www.jewishgen.org/ Austria, Russia, and Italy. European kings found it advantageous to have a prominent Jewish banker One project to index announcements in German- or trader in their service who could quickly raise language newspaper is the Aufbau Indexing money and equipment in times of war. An Project. Aufbau, published in New York, printed example is the Rothschild family of Germany. announcements of birth, engagement, marriage, Members of this family were granted German death and other special occasions that appeared hereditary nobility in 1816. Several Jewish between 1934 and 2004. It also printed numerous families were also ennobled in the 1860s in the lists of Jewish holocaust survivors located in Italian state of Savoy. Europe from September, 1944 to September 27, Many genealogies have been published for 1946. Issues of Aufbau from the beginning in 1934 members of the nobility; see “Genealogy” in this to December 1950 have been scanned and are outline. If there is a research outline for the online. To search the database and access the country or state where your ancestor lived, see the online material, go to: Genealogy section of the outline. http://www.calzareth.com/aufbau/index.html NOTARIAL RECORDS

Indexes to obituaries from Jewish newspapers are In countries outside the British Isles and North also found on the Internet. See “Obituaries” in this America, notaries perform the services typically outline for further information. offered by lawyers, solicitors, and attorneys in those areas. The duties of notaries vary from The Family History Library has few newspapers in country to country, but one responsibility they its collection. It does acquire published indexes and usually have is copying important documents such abstracts of obituaries, marriages, and other vital as wills, land and property transactions, marriage information found in newspapers such as: and other contracts, and custody records of minor orphans. Berger, Doreen. The Jewish Victorian Genealogical Information from the Jewish Of particular interest to Jewish research are the Newspapers 1871–80. Witney, England: notarial records of western European and Latin Robert Boyd Publications, 1999. (FHL book American countries. These records have been kept – on order.) for centuries; for example, the notarial records in Spain date back to the 1200s. Index to Palestine Gazette. Teaneck, N.J.: Data Universal, 1984. (FHL fiche 6,334,296.) From Notarial records are recorded in the language of 1921–1948 the official government publication the country where the notary lived. The records listed legally changed names. Over 27,000 entries are seldom indexed and therefore difficult to use, are listed during that period, most being Jewish. but they include many important genealogical Check for these records in the Family History documents. As these records become more widely Library Catalog. Indexes are listed under known, additional indexes may be available. An Newspapers – Indexes. Abstracts from newspapers example of an index of notarial records is: may also be listed under Vital Records. Fleury, Jean. Contrats de mariage Juifs en If there is a research outline for the country or state Moselle avant 1792: recensement à usage where your ancestor lived, see the “Newspapers” généalogique de 2021 contrats de mariage section of the outline. notariés (Marriage Contracts of Jews in Moselle since 1792: List for Genealogical Research of 2021 Marriage Contracts from NOBILITY Notarial Records). Plappeville: J. Fleury, 1989. (FHL book 944.3825 V29f.) Includes The nobility is a class of people who had special marriage contracts from Metz and the political and social status. Nobility is inherited or department of Moselle, which is part of granted by the Crown as a reward to people who Alsace-Loraine. It includes bride and groom indexes.

47 Because many countries licensed their notaries, notarial records are often considered the property of the government. In some countries notaries may OCCUPATIONS have retained their own records or passed them on to their successors. Notarial records are most often Jewish occupations were largely determined by found in local, state, and provincial archives and the restrictions placed on Jews by the countries repositories. where they lived. Farming, for example, was not common among Jews because of various The Family History Library has some notarial restrictions on the holding of land. There were records for a few countries. For additional many trades Jews were barred from because they information, see the country research outline for were controlled by guilds. the area where your ancestor lived or check for these records in the Family History Library The purpose of guilds was to train apprentices and Catalog. regulate the practice of its trade. Depending on the time period and the country, Jews were admitted into some guilds. Records of guilds include lists OBITUARIES of members, information on journeymen as they advanced in the trade, marriage information of Obituaries are useful genealogical sources because guild members, and names of relatives. they often contain birth dates and places; names of parents, siblings, spouse, children, and other Often the occupations of Jews were determined by relatives; death information; and place of burial. religious considerations. Butchers were needed Local genealogical and historical societies, public for kosher meat and printers for prayer books. libraries, and some newspaper publishers maintain Jews were often tailors, weavers, silversmiths, clipping files of obituaries. Printed abstracts of day-laborers, and bakers. Many Jews worked in business and commerce as bankers, pawn brokers, obituaries can also be found in various published importers, retailers, wholesalers, merchants, sources such as genealogical periodicals. A tradesmen, shopkeepers, innkeepers, tavern- bibliography of published obituaries for the U.S. is: keepers, traders, dealers, peddlers, hucksters, and hawkers. Jarboe, Betty M. Obituaries: A Guide to Sources. 2nd ed. Boston: G. K. Hall, 1989. Until the 16th century, Catholics were forbidden (FHL book 973 V43j 1989.) An appendix by their church to engage in money lending. Jews, describes obituary indexes available at major who were excluded from other business, often libraries. became money lenders. In some cases they were compelled to do so by the Christian authorities. There are some searchable databases on the Some Jews gained considerable prominence in the Internet for obituaries found in Jewish newspapers, field of banking and commerce; however, most such as an index to obituaries from the Boston remained very poor, struggling to provide for their Jewish Advocate from 1905 to November 1998 families. located at: Records of guilds, businesses, and commerce and http://www.jewishgen.org/databases trade directories can be found in local archives such as city or county record offices, in modern A cumulative index of obituaries of over 3,000 guilds, or in libraries. Books about guilds and occupations usually describe the life of a person notable Jews published in various volumes of the employed in that occupation or trade and American Jewish Year Book between 1948 and sometimes list records that may survive. 1998 is located at: An example of a source containing information http://www.jewishgen.org/databases/USA/ about an occupation that included many Jews is:

Naggar, Betty. Jewish Pedlars and Hawkers, The Family History Library has collected some 1790–1940. Camberley, Surrey: obituaries and published lists of obituaries. Check Porphyrogenitus Limited,1992. (FHL book for these in the Family History Library Catalog. 942 F2nb.)

48 An example of a trade directory is: Vine Hall, Nick. Tracing Your Family History in Australia: A Guide to Sources. 2nd ed. Culme, John. The Directory of Gold and Albert Park, Victoria: N. Vine Hall, 1994. Silversmiths: Jewellers and Allied Traders (FHL book 994 D23v.) 1838–1914 from the London Assay Office Registers. Poughkeepsie, NY: Apollo Book, The Family History Library has records of a few 1987. (FHL book 942.1/L1 D3c.). Lists the orphans and orphanages for some countries. business history of gold and silversmiths in Check for these records in the Family History England. Includes biographical information. Library Catalog. Also check under school records because many orphanages established their own If there is a research outline for the country or state schools. where your ancestor lived, see “Business and Commerce” and “Directories” in the outline. PERIODICALS

Most genealogical and historical societies ORPHANS AND ORPHANAGES throughout the world publish magazines and newsletters. The articles often include: Orphans are children who were either parentless or homeless because the parents were dead or could • Family genealogies and pedigrees. not care for their children. While many cities had • Transcripts of emigration sources, vital Jewish orphanages, not all Jewish children were records, census returns, and cemetery records. placed in these orphanages. Some went to • Helpful articles on research methodology. orphanages run by city, county, or state • Information about local records, archives, and governments or to private or nonsectarian services. orphanages. The records of many orphanages have • Book advertisements and book reviews. been lost, especially those destroyed during the • Research advertisements. Holocaust. • Queries or requests for information about specific ancestors that can help you contact To find orphanage records, first determine what other interested researchers. orphanages existed in the areas your ancestors lived in at the time they lived there. Local histories Genealogical Magazines of General Interest and directories often contain this information. Once you locate the orphanage, determine if records Some general periodicals contain basic how-to survive. If the orphanage is still operating, it would instructions, advertisements, book notices, and likely have records. If it no longer exists, records queries. These seldom include record transcripts may be in local, state, or national archives or or compiled genealogies. Examples include: libraries. Heritage Quest: The Genealogy Forum. Some Internet sites have information about 1985–. [Published by Heritage Quest, P.O. orphanages. One example is the Hebrew National Box 329, Bountiful, Utah 84011-0329. Orphan Home, which includes a list of Jewish Telephone: 801-298-5358. Fax: 801-298- orphanages in the U.S. with details about their 5468.] (FHL book 973 D25hq.) histories and how to access records, information about orphan trains, a database of orphans and Genealogical Helper. Logan, Utah: Everton foundlings buried in New York area cemeteries, Publishers, 1947–. (FHL book 929.05 and lists of children living in Jewish orphanages as G286.) enumerated in various United States censuses. The web address of the Hebrew National Orphan Home Genealogical and Historical Journals is: Genealogical periodicals or newsletters usually http://www.hnoh.com/ provide more in-depth instruction, book reviews, record transcripts, case studies, and compiled When searching for records of non-Jewish genealogies. Historical periodicals usually include orphanages throughout the world, look for articles of a historical nature, including Jewish genealogical how-to books or genealogical web history. These periodicals are usually published sites for the area. For example, for information quarterly by genealogical or historical societies about orphans and orphanages in Australia, see:

49 and may focus on a region, state, county, or time Indexes period. Examples include: Most magazines have annual or cumulative Newsletter of the Federation of Eastern indexes. Two major composite indexes that European Family History Societies include Jewish periodicals are: (FEEFHS). (FHL book 940 C4f.) PERiodical Source Index. Fort Wayne, Ind.: The New Zealand Genealogist. Auckland, Allen County Public Library Foundation, New Zealand: The New Zealand Society of 1988– 1998. (FHL book 973 D25per; fiche Genealogists Inc. (FHL book 993.1 B2na.) 6,016,863 [1847–1985], 6,016,864 This journal contains articles on research [1986–1990]; compact disk no. 61.) methodology in New Zealand and the Partially indexes over 5,000 English- British Isles, articles of genealogical language and French-Canadian family interest, book reviews, queries, and other history periodicals and has many references items of interest. There is a general yearly to articles about Jews. Microfiche indexes index published that includes an index to are cumulative; book indexes since 1986 member queries. are year-by-year. For further details see the Periodical Source Index Resource Guide Jewish Periodicals (34119).

In addition to genealogical and historical periodi- Genealogical Periodical Annual Index. cals, several Jewish genealogical periodicals are Bowie, Md.: Heritage Books, 1962–. (FHL published quarterly and focus on tracing Jewish book REF 973 B22gp.) An annual index, ancestors. These periodicals usually provide more starting in 1962, of 150 to 260 currently in-depth instruction, book reviews, record published periodicals. transcripts, and queries pertaining only to Jews. Examples include: Obtaining Periodicals

Avotaynu: The International Review of Jewish Copies of periodicals are available from the local Genealogy. Published by Avotaynu, Inc., societies that publish them. Major archives with P.O. Box 99, Bergenfield, New Jersey genealogical collections will have copies of many 07621–1742. (FHL book 296.05 Av79.) periodicals, particularly those representing the area they serve. Jewish archives will have copies Bulletin, Cercle de Généalogie Juive of many Jewish periodicals. (Bulletin, Association of Jewish Genealogy). Paris: Le Cercle, 1985–. (FHL The Family History Library subscribes to book 944 D25b.) numerous periodicals, including several Jewish genealogical and historical periodicals. Check for Misjpoge: verenigingsblad van de these periodicals in the Family History Library. Nederlandse Kring voor Joodse Genealogie (Misjpoge: Periodical of the Netherlands If there is a research outline for the country or Circle for Jewish Genealogy). Baarn: De state your ancestor lived in, see the “Periodicals” Vereniging, 1988–. (FHL book 949.2 section of the outline. Also see “Societies” in this D25mi.) outline. Most Jewish genealogical societies throughout the POPULATION world publish genealogical periodicals or news- letters. A list of Jewish genealogical societies with names and addresses of contact people and either In the late 1800s and early 1900s, governments of e-mail or web site addresses can be found at: Central Europe began keeping track of their citizens using Population Registers. Offices were http://iajgs.org/Member-Index.htm set up for people to register when they moved in http://iajgs.org/Yearbook.pdf or out of a community. In large cities cards were filled out for each person or household with notes listing the various addresses where they lived in the city at different times.

50 These registration cards and records often include Meldekartei 18.–20. Jahrhundert valuable genealogical information. Besides identi- (Registration Cards 18th–20th Centuries). fying where a person lived at various times, they Wien: Stadt und Landesarchiv, 199–. (On often list a person’s name, birth date, birthplace, 1148 FHL films, beginning with marriage date and place, military service, parent’s 1,916,011.) Household registration for names, occupations, permissions granted for work residents of greater Vienna, which included permits, trips a person made, and so forth. 26 districts (Bezirke) in 1938. Cards listed phonetically. Population Registers have been filmed for some of the large European cities where Jews lived. They Population Registers kept for Copenhagen were list all inhabitants of the city including Jewish called police censuses and were taken twice a year residents. They are listed in the Family History in May and November. The later police censuses Library Catalog under the name of the locality and referred to where the family or individuals were the topic population. Following are examples from living in the previous census. These records are Leipzig, Germany and Vienna, Austria: listed in the catalog under Copenhagen and Census. Einwohnermelderegister 1811–1893 (Inhabitant Register 1811–1893). Leipzig: Mandtaller, 1866–1881 (Census, 1866–1881). Stadtarchiv, 1985. (On 97 FHL films, København: Stadsarkivet, 1961. (On 908 beginning with number 1,417,354.) Lists FHL films, beginning with number families and includes cross-references to 322,451.) Copenhagen bi-annual police earlier and later registration records. censuses. Includes an alphabetical index by district showing names of all the people on Melderegister, 1890–1949 (Notification a given street grouped by the first letter of Register, 1890–1949). Leipzig: Zentralstelle the alphabet. Censuses do not include für Genealogie, 1991. (On 3706 FHL films, children under 10 years old. beginning with number 1,767,397.) Includes both a male and a female register of people Mandtaller, 1882–1899 (Census, 1882–1899). living in Leipzig, Germany. The male København: Stadsarkivet, 1961. (On 1613 register includes names, birth dates and FHL films, beginning with number places, and relationships for each household, 324,021.) Copenhagen bi-annual police along with marriage dates, death dates, censuses. places of residence, and other added notes. Listed alphabetically with two sets for each Mandtaller, 1900–1923 (Census, 1900–1923). letter of the alphabet: the regular set and a København: Stadsarkivet, 1961. (On 3984 supplement set (nachtrag). FHL films, beginning with number 330,507.) Copenhagen bi-annual police Meldezettel, 1850–1920 (Registration Notes, censuses. 1850–1920). Wien: Stadt und Landesarchiv, 1981–1995. (On 3060 FHL films, beginning PROBATE RECORDS with 1,277,212.) Lists heads of families, wives, children, birth dates, occupations, Probate records are court records dealing with the religions, and new and old addresses for each distribution of a person’s estate after death. household in Vienna. Cards are listed Information in the records may include the death phonetically, skipping the first vowel and date, names of heirs and guardians, relationships, grouping the consonants that sound alike residences, an inventory of the estate, and names together (for example letters D, T, Dh, and of witnesses. Usually when a person died, an Th are all filed together). account of all their debts and credits had to be made to ensure debtors were fairly compensated Meldezettel, 1910–1920 (Registration Notes, and heirs fairly represented. In most countries this 1910–1920). Wien: Stadt und Landesarchiv, created a record that can be searched for 1981–1995. (On 108 FHL films, beginning genealogical information. Where available, with 2,015,756.) Lists heads of families, probate records can be useful for Jewish wives, children, birth dates, occupations, genealogical research since they may pre-date religions, and new and old addresses for each vital or civil registration records and can help household in Vienna. Cards listed establish relationships. phonetically.

51 While probate records can be an accurate source of limited genealogical information, they can add genealogical evidence, they should be used with much when compiling the family history. caution. For example, they may not mention the names of deceased family members or those who Original records and any published versions may previously received an inheritance. A surviving be at the school or university. In some areas local spouse mentioned in a will may not be the parent of or state archives may have these records. the children mentioned. Also, probate records were not created for every person who died. Local laws Information from school records may also be and customs dictated how these records were kept. found on the Internet. For example, a searchable In countries where probates where not required, database containing information for Krakow they are more likely to be found for people who (Poland) Lyceum school children from 1874 on had real estate or personal property. Although Jews can be accessed from the following web site under in Europe generally did not own land, they were “Other Jewish Krakow documents”: often among the tradesmen and merchant classes and therefore may have owned considerable http://www.ics.uci.edu/~dan/genealogy/Krako personal property. Unfortunately, probate records w/index.html rarely exist or may be difficult to locate in the Eastern European countries many Jews come from. The Family History Library has collected some Laws concerning keeping probate records as well school records. Check for these records in the as the dates such records were kept vary from Family History Library Catalog. country to country. In some places probate records were not kept, are mixed with other types of court SOCIAL LIFE AND CUSTOMS records, or are not well organized or indexed. In other countries they are well indexed and easy to A Jew is any person whose mother was a Jew or use. any person who has gone through the formal process of conversion to Judaism. Being a Jew is You will need to learn the local customs and laws not a matter of belief. According to Jewish law, of the country or region where your ancestor lived even if a person believes everything that Orthodox to determine whether probate records exist, how Jews believe and observes every law and custom they are arranged, and where they are kept. If there of Judaism, he or she is not considered a Jew is a research outline for the country or state where unless he or she meets the requirement of a Jewish your ancestor lived, see “Probate Records” in the mother or formal conversion. A person born to a outline. See also “Notarial Records” in this outline. Jewish mother who is atheist and does not practice the Jewish religion is still a Jew. In this The Family History Library has an excellent sense, being Jewish is more like a nationality than collection of probate records for many countries a religion. and few for others. Check for probate records in the Family History Library Catalog for the place where Effective family research requires some your ancestors lived. understanding of the society your ancestor lived in. Learning about everyday life, religious SCHOOLS practices, customs, and traditions will help you appreciate your ancestor and the time he or she If your ancestor was educated in a school or lived in. This information is particularly helpful if university, he or she may have been recorded in you choose to write a history of your family. matriculation or other records of that school. Some of these records have been published. Research procedures may be affected by local customs and traditions, including marriage These records may contain valuable information customs. Jews sometimes married close relatives, about your ancestor such as name, age, residence, marriage among first cousins being legal among and date of enrollment or graduation. Sometimes the Jews. Such marriage unions were more they contain birth date and place and names of common among Sephardic Jews than among the parents. Alumni records may have names of spouse Ashkenazic. Until the 20th century Jews and children. Many universities have published commonly married early: young men between 15 lists of students who attended their schools and and 18 and young women between 14 and 18. when. Although school records may include only Marriages were often arranged by the families, even across the ocean.

52 Naming customs can also affect your research. documents of local interest, publish These varied between Sephardic and Ashkenazic periodicals, and have special projects and Jews. See “Names, Personal” in this outline for compiled indexes. specific details about naming traditions. The Federation of East European Family History The Family History Library has collected a few Societies (FEEFHS) includes individuals as well sources which discuss a variety of subjects related as genealogy societies, heritage societies, surname to Jewish social life and customs. Check for these associations, book or periodical publishers or records in the Family History Library Catalog. resellers, archives, libraries, institutions, and other Books on this topic are also available through most groups. One of their goals is to share information Jewish publishers and bookstores. about new developments and research opportunities in Eastern and Central Europe. SOCIETIES Included in their Internet site are notices of new publications put out by its member societies; Jews are members of many types of societies. You information about the services and activities of may be able to obtain help with your family history FEEFHS and their member societies; and online research from the following types of societies: databases of pertinent resources. Many of these databases include Jews while some are Jewish • Family associations specific. For membership information, contact them at: Many family organizations are gathering information about their ancestors and Federation of East European Family History descendants. Some organization are gathering Societies information about all individuals with a P.O. Box 510898 particular surname. Salt Lake City Utah 84151-0898 • Fraternal organizations Internet: http://www.feefhs.org/

These types of societies, associations, and If there is a research outline for the country or lodges include people with common interests, state where your ancestor lived, see “Societies” in religions, or ethnicities. Membership records the outline to find out more information. and other records that they generated may be useful in tracing your family history. Examples In addition to these general types of organizations, of fraternal organizations include Ancient Free many societies were formed specifically for Jews. and Accepted Masons (Freemasonry), Knights These societies are generally located in areas with of Pythias, and Order of Odd Fellows. a significant Jewish population. Some focus on Jewish genealogy and are able to help members • Lineage and hereditary societies with genealogical research. Others focus on local Jewish history or a common place of origin. Many Lineage and hereditary societies are for people publish helpful journals and newsletters. or their descendants who were associated with prominent individuals or events, for example Jewish Genealogical Societies National Society, Daughters of the American Revolution (DAR), and Grand Army of the Membership in a genealogical society can give Republic (G.A.R.). They generally are involved you access to resources and support. Most in educational, cultural, social, and other pro- genealogical societies publish periodicals, grams to preserve the documents and memories compiled genealogies and may have special of the past and often maintain libraries and indexes, collections, and projects. Many museums that can help you in your research. genealogical societies emphasize Jewish research. Most publish a periodical or newsletter. The International Association of Jewish Genealogical Societies (IAJGS) is a non-profit • Historical and genealogical societies umbrella organization for Jewish Genealogical Societies around the world. Among many These types of societies may have records and activities, there is the IAJGS Annual International services to help you with your research. Many Conference on Jewish Genealogy. Information countries throughout the world and each state about the IAJGS and the Annual Conference can and most counties in the U.S. have organized be found at: societies. They generally collect historical http://iajgs.org

53 The American Jewish Historical Society There are many Jewish genealogical societies maintains a list of local Jewish historical societies (JGSs) worldwide; they hold meetings, carry out in North America and national Jewish historical projects, produce publications including societies overseas. This list is found on their newsletters, some have websites, and all welcome Internet site at: members. They may also publish inquiries regarding Jewish ancestors or maintain a list of http://www.ajhs.org/ members’ research interests. For a list of Jewish Genealogical Societies, their contact information, The American Jewish Historical Society has web addresses, etc. see: relocated to the Jewish History Center, 15 West 16th Street, New York, NY 10011. http://iajgs.org/Member-Index.htm http://iajgs.org/Yearbook.pdf Landsmannschaften [Societies of Fellow Immigrants] Special Interest Groups A Landsmannschaft is an organization formed by Many Special Interest Groups (SIGs) have formed people from the same town, shtetl, or region in to focus on Jewish genealogy research in particular Eastern Europe for political, social, and financial localities or subjects. Examples of such groups are: activities. Originally their benefits included main- Austria-Czech SIG; Belarus SIG; Bailystok taining a cemetery and providing sick benefits, Region; Early American SIG; Glaicia SIG; interest-free loans, and life and burial insurance German-Jewish SIG; Grodno SIG; Lativia SIG; for members and their families. Sephardic SIG; Southern Africa SIG; Hungary SIG; and Rabbinic Genealogy SIG. Most SIGs have web Many Landsmannschaften published yizkor sites and E-mail list serves. For a more complete (memorial) books as a tribute to their old homes listing of SIGs, and information about them, see: and the people who died during the Holocaust. These books are some of the best sources for http://iajgs.org/orgdigest.pdf learning about Jewish communities in Eastern and Central Europe. More information about yizkor JewishGen: The Home of Jewish Genealogy books is found in “History” in this outline. A list of Landmanshaftn is found on the Internet at: JewishGen, Inc. is the primary internet source connecting researchers of Jewish genealogy http://www.shtetlinks.jewishgen.org/Belchatow/ worldwide. Its most popular components are the JewishGen Discussion Group, the JewishGen Help in finding yizkor books and translations is Family Finder (a database of 400,000 surnames and also available on the Internet at: towns), the comprehensive directory of InfoFiles, ShtetLinks for over 200 communities, Yizkor Book http://www.jewishgen.org/Yizkor/ translations, and databases such as the ShtetlSeeker and All Country Databases. JewishGen’s Family Immigrant Aid Societies Tree of the Jewish People contains data on more than three million people. The web address for The Hebrew Immigrant Aid Society [HIAS] was JewishGen is: founded in 1902 in New York as a Jewish shelter home for immigrants in New York City. It began http://www.jewishgen.org operations in Europe in 1915 to help families emigrate. Families that were assisted before this Jewish Historical Societies date may have had help from the Baron de Hirsch Institute, which operated out of Montreal, Canada, Historical societies can be valuable sources of and had offices in Paris, London, and some other information. They generally collect information large European cities. about Jewish history in particular areas. Some may have information about specific individuals. Many Records of the HIAS archives from 1903 to 1961 societies have books and manuscripts about Jews have been deposited with the YIVO Institute in that may be difficult to find in libraries and New York City. These records include archives. Most publish historical periodicals. You genealogical information and leads for finding may be interested in the services, activities, and European origins for your ancestors. The Family collections of these groups. History Library has some filmed HIAS records,

54 including shipping lists, passport records, other Not all synagogues have these types of records. immigration documents, and some indexes. See Many have been lost or destroyed or never “Emigration and Immigration” in this outline for existed. Those that did survive may be with the further information. synagogue or may have been deposited in a Jewish archive or historical society. Locating Records at the Family History Library The term Synagogue Records is not a library catalog subject heading. Synagogue records that The Family History Library has records for some are part of the Family History Library are societies, including periodicals they publish. See cataloged under the subject Jewish Records. Many “Periodicals” in this outline and in research synagogue records from the American Jewish outlines of other states and countries for further Archives in Cincinnati have been microfilmed information. Check for society records in the (see “Archives”). Examples of synagogue records Family History Library Catalog. include:

Other Online Resources Synagogue birth records, 1786–1954. Cincinnati: American Jewish Archives, There are many online resources now available for 1972. (FHL film 882,930.) Birth records Jewish genealogy researchers. Here are just two: from the Jewish congregation on St. Thomas. Jewish Records Indexing - Poland (JRI-PL). This project aimed at indexing all the Jewish St. Thomas, Virgin Islands: Records of Jews vital records in Poland and providing a means from Various Sources. Kingston, Jamaica: for individuals to obtain copies of those Genealogical Society of Utah, 1977. records. There are now more than 3 million Records of births, circumcisions, marriages, records from 450 Polish towns now indexed in and burials from St. Thomas and Jamaica. a searchable database. For more about JRI-PL, see: Check for these records in the Family History Library Catalog using the Place Search, Subject http://www.jewishgen.org/jri-pl/ Search, and Keyword Search. The Routes to Roots Foundation focuses on TAXATION tracing Jewish Roots in Poland, Ukraine, Moldova and Belarus. You can find a Governments collect taxes from the citizens of searchable database of vital records available their countries, including such taxes as poll or in these countries, and additional information head taxes, property taxes, and taxes on various about the Jewish communities that once existed commodities such as food, hearths, and windows. there at: In addition to these general taxes, Jews in some http://www.rtrfoundation.org/ countries paid special taxes. Some governments did not allow Jews to own real estate, so taxes were assessed on other items. For example, in SYNAGOGUE RECORDS Eastern Europe a tax was taken on Sabbath candles to support Jewish education. The box tax Records kept by officials of the synagogue varied was assessed on every pound of kosher meat sold from place to place. In the United States and some by a butcher and purchased by a Jew and on every other countries these records often included: slaughtered animal. Before 1827 Russia assessed a head tax on young Jewish men. Conscription • Minute books of congregational, board, and into the army for a period of 25 years took the other meetings. place of this head tax. • Account books containing lists of members. • Congregational and communal histories. Revision lists from Russia are a valuable research • Vital records including birth, circumcision, bar tool for genealogists. A taxation list similar to a and bat mitzvah (coming of age ceremony for census record, these lists date from 1795 through boys and girls), marriage, and death records. the later 19th century and often have a separate section for Jews in an area. These records include

55 names, ages, family relationships, gender, marital 2. Between 1826–1835 Poland, Russia, and status, occupations, and so on. They are listed in other Central and Eastern Europe countries the Family History Library Catalog under the required separate Jewish birth, marriage, and Russian province or the town name and the topic death records be kept in areas where several Taxation or Census. Jewish families lived. These records, along with church books for the rest of the Tax records vary in content according to the population, made up civil registration; purpose of the assessment. They usually include however, when such books have been the name and residence of the taxpayer and may list microfilmed, they have been listed in the other details such as occupation, description of real Family History Library Catalog under Jewish estate, or number of children or farm animals. Records.

Many tax records have been deposited in local, 3. Eventually most European countries set up county, state or province, or national archives. local government offices to keep track of Some Jewish web sites include databases extracted birth, marriage, and death information. These from tax records, such as the one for Kelme, offices kept records separate and distinct from Lithuania. See various Jewish databases at: records kept by religious groups. These records have been listed in the Family History http://www.jewishgen.org/databases/ Library catalog under Civil Registration.

The Family History Library has taxation records Depending on the time period and area you are for many countries. Check for these records in the researching, you may need to look for records in Family History Library Catalog. the catalog under all of the preceding headings. See each section in this outline for specific VITAL RECORDS details. The rest of this section deals mostly with vital records kept in English-speaking areas of Vital records are sources of information for names; North America. dates; and places of birth, marriage, and death. These records are called vital records because they Because these records are indexed and include refer to essential events in a person’s life. most of the population of a state or province, they are primary sources for genealogical research. Birth, marriage, and death records kept by the government in English-speaking areas of the General Historical Background United States and Canada are listed in the Family History Library Catalog under Vital Records. The practice of recording vital statistics developed These include town (mostly in New England and slowly throughout the United States and Canada. New York), county, and state or provincial records. Marriages were generally the first vital records to The same records for other parts of the world are be kept; the recording of births and deaths usually listed under Civil Registration. came later. Depending on the state or province, vital records may not exist prior to the early Although vital records for Jews in Europe and 1900s. Latin America are all forms of civil registration, they are listed in various ways in the Family The earliest vital records usually consist of brief History Library Catalog. This can be understood entries recorded in register books. Issuing certifi- historically in three steps: cates became a common practice beginning in the 20th century. Record keeping—whether by town, 1. Governments required the church books of the county, state, or Canadian province—was often country’s established religion be the official incomplete until many years after each state or record of births, marriages, and deaths. In some province created a statewide or province-wide cases transcripts of these church records had to registration system. be sent to government offices. The established religion kept track of birth, marriage, and death Information contained in vital records is similar to records of all people in their areas, including what is found in civil registration. See “Civil people who did not belong to their church (like Registration” in this outline for details. Also see Jews). Church records served the needs of the the United States Research Outline (30972), the church and the government. These records are Canada Research Outline (34545), and individual listed in the Family History Library Catalog state and province research outlines in the areas under Church Records. where your ancestors lived for specific details about vital records.

56 Locating Vital Records Library Catalog under Town Records and Vital Records. To obtain copies of birth, marriage, and death records, contact the state or province office of vital A CD-ROM index—which includes birth, records or the appropriate clerk’s office in a city or christening, and marriage information for the county courthouse. Genealogical and historical United States and Canada—is discussed in the “Genealogy” section of this outline. societies and state and provincial archives may also have copies or transcripts of these records. To The Social Security Death Index contains over protect the rights of privacy of those living, fifty million records of deaths reported to the restrictions are placed on the use or access of Social Security Administration from 1937 to records. Some offices provide information only to 1998. The bulk of the records are from 1962 and the person whose records are sought or to family later. The index provides the decedent’s names, members when the person’s proof of death is birth date, social security number, state where the furnished. social security card was issued, month and year of death, state of residence at death, zip code, and Details about how to obtain vital records can be state where the death benefit was sent. The index found on the Internet by state and province. See is available as part of FamilySearch™ at the Cyndi Howell’s web site for the area of interest: Family History Library and most family history centers. It is also on the Internet or on compact http://www.cyndislist.com/ disc from commercial companies. For details about the FamilySearch version see U.S. Social Individual state and province research outlines also Security Death Index Resource Guide (34446). have addresses of where to write. Two publications that list addresses for obtaining vital records are: VOTING REGISTERS

Where to Write for Vital Records: Births, Electoral rolls or voting registers list people who Deaths, Marriages, and Divorces (for the were eligible to vote. Information listed in these United States only). Hyattsville, Md.: U.S. records varies from place to place but generally Department of Health and Human Services, includes the name of the voter and a place of March 1993. Some addresses and fees are residence. Some registers also list an occupation, outdated. This booklet can be purchased when a person obtained citizenship, and occasion- from the Super-intendent of Documents, U.S. ally other details. The 1912 Grodno Gubernia Government Printing Office, Washington, (Russia) voters list includes the name of the voter, DC 20402-9328. his father’s given name, and the district and sometimes town where the voter lived. In Kemp, Thomas J. Vital Records Handbook. Australia and New Zealand electoral rolls usually 3rd ed. Baltimore: Genealogical Publishing, list the names of the voters, residences, and 1994. (FHL book 973 V24k 1994.) This occupations. includes samples of application forms that can be sent to government offices to request Lists of voters are sometimes published in copies of vital records. It also provides newspapers. See “Newspapers” in this outline. telephone numbers for ordering for most offices. Payment by bank card is generally Information about Jewish voters from limited voting registers can also be found on the Internet. accepted. A web site that contains some searchable databases listing Jewish voters is: For information on how to write for vital records, see “Civil Registration” in this outline. http://www.jewishgen.org/databases

Records at the Family History Library The Family History Library has some voting registers. Check for these records in the Family The Family History Library has copies of many History Library Catalog for the area where your vital records (primarily those before 1920) and ancestors lived. vital records indexes. Vital records included with town records are found in the Family History

57 OTHER RECORDS Wynne, Suzan Fishl. Finding Your Jewish Roots in Galicia: A Resource Guide. There are many other types of records not Teaneck, N.J., Avotaynu, c1998. (FHL discussed in this outline that may be useful in book 943.86 K37w.) tracing your Jewish ancestors. These records are listed in the Place Search and Subject Search of the Wynne, Suzan Fishl. The Galitzianers, The Family History Library Catalog. For example, see Jews of Galicia, 1772-1918. Wheatmark, the following topics: 2006.

BIBLIOGRAPHY Jewish genealogy researcher should check DESCRIPTION AND TRAVEL Avotaynu, Publisher of Works on Jewish FUNERAL HOMES Genealogy at its website for additional resources: HANDWRITING HERALDRY http://www.avotaynu.com/ LAND AND PROPERTY MEDICAL RECORDS COMMENTS AND SUGGESTIONS MIGRATION, INTERNAL NAMES, GEOGRAPHICAL The Family History Library welcomes additions OFFICIALS AND EMPLOYEES and corrections that will improve future editions PENSIONS of this outline. Please send your suggestions to: PUBLIC RECORDS TOWN RECORDS Publications Coordination Family History Library FOR FURTHER READING 35 N. West Temple Street Salt Lake City, UT 84150 Mokotoff, Gary and Warren Blatt. Getting USA Started in Jewish Genealogy. Bergenfield, N.J.: Avotaynu, 1999. (FHL book 973 D27.) We appreciate the archivists, librarians, and others who have reviewed this outline and shared helpful Mokotoff, Gary and Sallyann Amdur Sack. information. Avotaynu Guide to Jewish Genealogy. Bergenfield, N.J.: Avotaynu, 2000. © 2000, 2006 by Intellectual Reserve, Inc. All rights reserved. Printed in the USA. English approval: 4/06 Mokotoff, Gary and Sallyann Amdur Sack with Alexander Sharon. Where Once We No part of this document may be reprinted, posted online, or Walked: A Guide to the Jewish Communities reproduced in any form for any purpose without the prior written permission of the publisher. Send all requests for such Destroyed in the Holocaust. Rev. ed. permission to: Bergenfield, New Jersey: Avotaynu, 2002 (FHL book 940 E5 2002.) Copyrights and Permissions Coordinator Family and Church History Department 50 E. North Temple Street, Rm 599 Sack, Sallyann Amdur. A Guide to Jewish Salt Lake City, Utah 84150-3400 Genealogical Research in Israel. Baltimore: USA Genealogical Publishing Co., 1987. (FHL Fax: 1-801-240-2494 956.94 D27s.) FamilySearch is a trademark of Intellectual Reserve, Inc. Schleifer, Jay. A Student’s Guide to Jewish American Genealogy. Phoenix, Ariz.: Oryx Press, c1996. (FHL book 973 D27oje.)

Wenzural, Rosemary. A Beginners Guide to Jewish Genealogy in Great Britain. London: The Jewish Genealogical Society of Great Britain, 2000.

58 Glossary

Ashkenazi – Yiddish-speaking Jews who Converso – A Spanish Jew converted to originated in Central and Eastern Europe. One of Christianity, usually by force; also a descendent of the two divisions of Jews. a converted Jew.

Bar mitzvah – A ceremony for Jewish boys at Diaspora – Greek word meaning “dispersion.” about 13 years of age. Literally means “Son of the Refers to the Jewish settlement outside Israel. Can covenant.” A bat mitzvah in the ceremony for be applied to the dispersion of any race or people. girls. Eastern Jews (Oriental Jews) – Jews descended Bris – Ritual circumcision. from ancient communities in Islamic lands, North Africa, Persia, Arabia, Yemen, and Turkey. This term is often applied to Jews who do not fit into Cantor (chazzan) – The person who leads a the Ashkenazic or Sephardic distinction. These Jewish congregation in prayer. The cantor usually groups are relatively small and not many of them has a trained and pleasing singing voice because have emigrated to North America. much of the Jewish religious service is sung. Holocaust, Jewish – The genocidal murder of Chasidic (Hasidic) – A branch of Orthodox European Jews by the Nazis during World War II, Judaism that maintains a lifestyle separate from 1939–1945. the non-Jewish world and emphasizes personal experiences and mysticism as well as a strict International Tracing Service – An organization rabbinic interpretation of Jewish law. founded in 1946 and operated since 1955 by the International Red Cross. The aim of the ITS is to Circumcision – A Jewish rite performed on male collect information on those who were missing, infants as a sign of inclusion in the Jewish deported, or incarcerated in concentration camps. religious community. Karaites – A minority branch of Judaism that Civil registration – The official government believes in strict interpretation of scriptures recording of births, marriages, and deaths. In some without rabbinic interpretation. cases church records were the primary registration of a locality (see “Civil transcripts”). Ketubot – A marriage contract, often handed down from one generation to another within a family. Civil transcripts – Government mandated copies of birth, marriage, and death records made by Kohen (kohan, cohen) – a descendant of Aaron, a church officials or appointed Jewish officials. priest charged with performing various rites in the Temple in connection with religious rituals and Concentration camp – Places of incarceration animal sacrifices. (Recent DNA research found where those detained had no due process and that Jews in three different countries identified as where the regular laws of the land were not kohens have common elements in the y recognized. chromosome, indicating that they have a common male ancestor.) Confirmation – A ceremony performed in some Reform and Conservative synagogues to replace or Kosher – Fit for use according to Jewish law. supplement the bar mitzvah. Ladino – A Romance language, usually written in Conservative – A traditional movement of Hebrew characters, used by Sephardic Jews, rabbinic Judaism whose adherents observe Jewish especially in the Balkans. law but believe the law should adapt to modern culture while retaining the values and ethics of Landsmanshaftn – Organization of Jews from the Judaism. same town or region.

59 Levite – A descendant of the tribe of Levi. They “Grand Rabbi,” but literally it means “my rabbi.” performed certain duties in connection with the A Chasidic rebbe is considered to be a tzaddik Temple. (righteous one). The position is usually hereditary. Outside the Chasidic community the term is some- Marrano – A Jewish convert to Catholicism in times used to refer to any rabbi a person has a medieval Spain or a descendent of a convert. This close relationship with. derogatory term is derived from the Spanish word for swine and implies that the conversion was not Reform – A modern rabbinical movement of complete. Judaism believing in a liberal interpretation of Jewish law but retaining the values and ethics of Mitzvah – A commandment. It can also refer to Judaism along with some of the practices and the any Jewish religious obligation, or more generally culture. to any good deed. Rosh Hashanah – Solemn festival that marks the Mohel – A Jew who performs the ritual of beginning of the month of Tishrei, the beginning circumcision. of the Hebrew Year.

Orthodox – A major movement within Judaism Sephardic – Descendants of the Jews who lived in that follows a strict interpretation and observance Spain or Portugal before 1492. The term is now of Jewish law from both the Torah and Talmud often applied to Jews of Arabic and Middle commentaries. Orthodoxy includes modern Eastern background who are more accurately Orthodox Jews who integrate into modern society called Eastern Jews. and the Chasidic Jews who live separately and dress distinctively. Shtetl – A Jewish town or community, especially in Eastern Europe. Pages of Testimony – A preprinted form available from Yad Vashem that documents a Jewish person Synagogue – A Jewish house of worship and who died in the Holocaust. The forms are filled out study. by people who are able to provide information on the fate of Holocaust victims. Talmud – The collection of the Jewish oral tradition and rabbinical commentary interpreting Pale of Settlement (Pale of Jewish Settlement) – the Torah. Western area of the Russian Empire where Jews were legally allowed to live. It began with the first Torah – The biblical books of Moses: Genesis, partition of Poland in 1772 and existed until WWI. Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy.

Pinkas – A register of a Jewish community in Yeshiva – An academy of Jewish learning and which the proceedings of and events related to the scholarship. community are recorded. Yiddish – A language very similar to German, Pogrom – Russian for destruction. An organized usually written in Hebrew characters, that was attack against helpless people, usually with spoken chiefly by Ashkenazi Jews in Eastern government help, often directed against Jews. Europe and the areas where those Jews migrated to. Rabbi – A Jew educated in Jewish law and tradition and qualified to instruct the community, Yizkor books – Memorial books published by answer questions, and resolve disputes regarding Holocaust survivors from a particular town or the law; the leader of a Jewish congregation. region.

Rabbinic – Pertaining to a rabbi. Rabbinic ancestry means having rabbis among your ancestors; “Rabbinic Judaism” is a branch of Judaism that follows the teachings and interpretation of a rabbi.

Rebbe – The spiritual master and guide of a Chasidic community; sometimes translated as

60 NOTES

61 NOTES

62 NOTES

63

WORLD CONFERENCE ON RECORDS PRESERVING OUR HERITAGE August 12-15, 1980

American Jewish Family History Malcolm H, Stern Series 355 AHl!RICAN JEI/lSH FAMILY HISTORY

Malcolm H. Stern

Born in Pennsylvania. Resides in New York City. New York. Director, Rabbinic Placement for Reform. Judiasm (retired). D.H.L., Hebrew Union College. honorary degree. Author, genealogist, lecturer.

One of the major, long-standing arguments that the child of a Jewish father, even among Jews is: How do we define a Jew? with a non-Jewish mother, has the right Are we a religion, race. or nationality? to be considered a Jew, if parents and A high percentage of Jews have no affil­ child so choose. This has raised its own iation with a synagogue and do not con­ storm of protest among more tradition­ sider themselvee religious. While the all~inded Jews. The English language majority of Jews belong to the white has found the term "ethnic" convenient race. there are black Jews in Ethiopia for classifying all groups which are and in the Caribbean. brown Jews in outside the white Christian majority. India; historically, there were yellow Jews in China, and a long held theory I have a simple answer to the question makes the red Indians descendants of the "wn:. is a Jew?" My definition, under­ ten lost tribes of Israel. So, despite standably, ia genealogical. I believe Hitler's attempt to identify us as a that anyone claiming descent from race, we do not fit that definition. Abraham, wlxm the Bible calls the first With the destruction of Jerusalem's Hebrew, can be considered a Jew. When a Temple by the Ranans in the year 70 of person cowerta to Judaism, he or she is the Christian Era, the Jewish state came known in Jewish tradition as "son or to an end to be reborn in 1948 as the daughter of Abraham." Even George State of Israel. But the majority of the Washington, replying to a letter of world I s Jews live outside Israel and con­ salutation from the Jewish congregation sider ourselves nationals of the lands in of Newport, Rhode Island, in 1790, re­ which we reside. ferred to us as "children of the stock of Abraham." I am saying that the Jews are In the early Middle Ages when all life literally a family. We have family tra­ was precarious and Jews were often ex­ ditions and customs, even family jokes. posed to extra dangers, the rabbis solved the problem of paternity by answering the The concept of family has been central to question ''Who is a Jew?" by stating "The Jewish life since Bible times. A number son of a Jewish mother." This remains of our rituals involve the family, and the answer for religiously Orthodox Jews even non-observant Jews may often pre­ today, but it is a designation that is serve the traditional rites of the Friday equally unsatisfactory to the government evening Sabbath family dinner or the Pas­ of Israel and to contemporary Reform sover banquet we call "Seder." (It was Jews. The Reform Jewish group, to which the seder which Jesus and the Ap:>stles I belong, has long held that a child's were observing at the Last Supper.) Jewish identity is determined by the religion in which he or she is reared. In my own family, during all my grow­ Recently, Rabbi Alexander Schindler, ing-up years until I went off to a theo­ President of our Union of American Hebrew logical seminary, we gathered every Fri­ Congregations, the national lay body of day evening at my maternal grandmother I s Reform Judaism, enunciated the principle heme, where three generations joined in 355/Stern 2 blessilll the candles, the cup of wine, meals or lodging, for such has always and the bread, as part of the grace be­ been the family pattem. This personal fore the meal and a special grace after­ picture is not at all unusual among wards. Rather unique to our family has Jewish families. been the Passover celebratioo. More than fifty years ago, my two grandmothers With such a strong sense of family, you united their families for the Seder might expect Jewish family histories to feast, and since no luDe could mId forty be abundantly available, but such is not of us, we rented a COWltry club. As my the case. Until fairly recently no own generation grew and produced children Jewish family histories--in the true and grandchildren, 8aDe of the branches sense-have been published in America. held their own Seders. Invariably And even in Europe, during the two mil­ others, fran both sides of my family, lenia that Jews have dwelled there, join together at the same country club family history ~ .!!. was rarely re­ each year. In todaY's mobile existence, corded. Why? Because a people on the a number of my cousins and I have wan­ move, often munded from one country to dered far fraa our Philadelphia roots, another, do not have the time or the in­ but some of us make it a point to return clination to write a history of their own each year for Seder. doings. Furthermore, in Jewish tradition there has always been such respect for the printed word that Jews would have Jewish parents in every age have demon­ considered it chutzpah (presumption) for strated great concem about the mates any individual to publish his family's chosen for or by their children. !be record unless the family could trace to family into which a son or daughter BaDe distinguished rabbi or other his­ marries often becomes extended family. toric personage. In that case, the English has no word equivalent to the family might produce a yichus brief, a Hebrew mechutan or its plural, mechu­ genealogy, although the claims on a par­ tanim, which Yiddi~h twisted into ticular ancestor--such as King David of machatanim, meaning "child's in-laws." the Bible--might be impossible to verify. There is even a special word for a child's mother-in-law, machatenesta. It is only as Jews have found security in Thus for many Jews, marriage brought new America that they have begun to set down relatives not only to the bride and what might pass for family history, or at groan, but to their parents as well. least provide some of the materials from Until very recent times it was not which family history can be written. unusual for the generations to live under Much of this material remains in man~ one roof. When my grandfather died, script form in the growing archives that leaving my grandmother a widow at age are currently proliferating around fifty, despite the fact that she had four America. Let me point out what is avail­ grown children still at h had to cOlllllute to New York Family, 1733-1748. This is the earliest and Philadelphia), their children, and collection of data about an American assorted other grandchildren joined the family. It consists of correspondence household. The ramifications of my between Naphtali Franks, an American sent fally DOW spread fran coast to coast, to London to work with relatives, and his but all of us take it for granted that we parents in New York and brother David in are welcClle in ODe another's homes for Philadelphia. Most of the letters were 355/Stern 3 written by the mother, Abigail Franks, German-born successful whiskey distiller and they provide a remarkable view of and generous philanthropist. His book colonial social life and custans in a places him in the category of what one wealthy Jewish family. person called "a self-made man in love with his maker." I am not belittling For the rest of the eighteenth century Bernheim's benefactions, since I _ a and all of the nineteenth century we have direct beneficiary. He contributed the only bits and pieces. In the genre of funds which built two successive library letters we have Leiters of Rebecca Gratz, buildings on the campus of the Hebrew published in 1929. Rebecca Gratz (1781­ Union College of Cincinnati. '!be older 1869) was the daughter of a Philadelphia of the two buildings now houses the Amer­ merchant and the grandaughter of the ican Jewish Archives, where I serve as pioneer Jew of Lancaster, Pennsylvania. volunteer genealogist. Bernheim's book Her letters addressed to the first and does allude to ancestry and to other second wives of her brother Benjamin, in members of his family, but it is chiefly Lexington, Kentucky, provide much detail autobiographical. for a family history as well as cCllllllents on life and letters of her day. A tradi­ In 1912, Lippincott and Company of Phila­ tion states that Rebecca was the model delphia, printed a limited edition of one for her namesake in Sir Walter Scott's hundred copies of Records of the Samuel Ivanhoe. Family, by one of its descendants, J. Blmford samuel. The autoor was the long­ Dr. Jacob Rader Marcus, teacher and the time librarian of the Library Company of founder of scientific American Jewish Philadelphia (founded by Benjamin History and of the American Jewish Franklin) • He was primarily interested Archives of Cincinnati, has put together in a sixteenth-century ancestor, Saul for us three volumes entigled, Memoirs of Wahl. A family tradition states that .American Jews, 1775-1865, bringing to­ Saul Wahl was King of Poland for one day, gether the writings of some fifty-nine when the electors were unable to make a individuals. Many are reminiscences cooice, and the then Count Radziwill gave written for the benefit of children and the royal regalia to Wahl for safekeep­ grandchildren. Some are diaries or ing. This volume has nothing of the letters. ~st are excerpts from manu­ American history of the Samuel family, scripts in the American Jewish Archives although the author's grandfather had or other sources indicated in the book. arrived here in the l820s. Only a few are derived from printed sources. Individually and collectively A more authentically American docUllent is they provide us with a picture of Jewish Records of the Myers, Hays, and ~rdecai experiences in early America, family Families, privately printed for the c0m­ life, and America's wars--the Revolution, piler, a descendant, Caroline Cohen, in War of 1812, and the Civil War--as seen Washington, D.C. in 1913. This slim through Jewish participants. volume is primarily a genealogy of three families of colonial Jews all of which Biographies of some important Jews are produced patriots in the Revolution. available, and these, of course, provide There is little biographical detail. some family background information, but Mrs. Cohen points out that she is one of none of these is a contemporary creation, two remaining descendants still consider­ all haling been published in this ing themselves Jews, since the majority century. Autobiographies, also, are a of others had married out and left twentieth-century development. One such Judaism. may well be the first attempt at an American Jewish family history, The Twenty-two years intervened between Mrs. Bernheim Family, privately printed in Cohen's book and the next attempt at Louisville, Kentucky in 1910. The American Jewish family history. In 1935 author, Isaac Wolfe Bernheim, was a appeared The Touro Family in Newport, by 355/Stern 4

5 Rabbi Morris A. Gutstein. The author incidents in their 11ves. Henry was then serving Newport's historic Aaron Alexander's Notes on the Jewish congregation, and later produced Alexander Faaily of South Carolina several works on the history of that and Georgia and Their Connections Rhode Island Jewish cOlllllUIlity. This book was privately published in Atlanta deals with two generations of the Touro in 1954. The author is the first family: the father, Rev. Isaac Touro, one I have mentioned who actually functioned for the local congregation offers doc\llellted evidence on his when it erected in 1763 what is now the ancestry, which is traceable in oldest surviving synagogue building in this country to 1698. North America. Rev. Touro was a Tory sympathizer when the Revolution broke out Let me add, parenthetically, that because and left Newport for British-occupied New Mr. Alexander was so careful, he led me York, then went to Jamaica and died. His astray in my first genealogi§81 book, widow and four young children moved into Americans of Jewish Descent, when I the Boston home of her brother. Two of copied his genealogy verbatim and dis­ her sons, Abraham. and Judah, became covered, through later research that a prosperous merchants, Abraham. in certain ancestor of his, !t>ses Michael of Massachusetts and Judah in New Orleans. New York and Curacao, was not the son of Both died UlD8I'ried and left remarkable another10 colonial merchant, Asher philanthropic wills. Abraham left money Michael. Alexander does recount what­ to preserve Newport's synagogue and ever is known about each of his ancestors Jewish cemetery; Judah left funds not and many of their descendants, and he ap­ only for the support of the synagogue's pends a very useful list of all known clergy, but also for every Jewish descendants with their addresses at the institution established in America as time he went to press, indicating by a well as for aid to Christian system of nl~rs from which progenitor inst itutions • As a resu1t of these each descends. bequests, the Newport synagogue and cemetery, as well as the street that It was 1960 before a professional writer connects the two, bear the name of Touro. attempted an American Jewish family his­ tory. Alexandra Lee Levin, a member of The next four publications are, again, the Lee clan of Virginia fame married primarily genealogies rather than family into a Jewish family noted for its rabbis histories, although all of them begin and scholars and especially for an aunt with some recounting of the family's of her husband's, Henrietta Szold. Miss origins. They include: Szold, a woman of great personal dynamiam and energy, was the founder of Hadassah, Cecilia Fe1sentha~ Fe1sentha1's The the Zionist wanen' s organization, which Fe1sentha1 Family is the record of played an important role in creating and a German-American family located building the State of Israel. Hadassah primarily in Chicago and Memphis. continues to support oospita1s, health The author's double name is the projects, and youth activities in Israel. resu1t of her having married a Alexandra Levin's book, The Szolds of Fe1sentha1 cousin. Chester J. Lombard Street: A Baltimore Fam11Y' Teller's The TeMer Family in Amer­ 1859-1909, is truly a family history. ica, 1842-1942 celebrated the centennial of the arrival in Amer­ Jewish families in the South have long ica of a family prarlnent in Phil­ been proud of their history and of their adelphia a generation ago. Family contributions to the region. One of the Facts and Fai~ Tales, by Evelina most widespread of Southern Jewish clans Gleaves Cohen, has only one cha~ in the family descended from Abraham ter out of five that deals with !t>ise, a French Jew, who in 1791 fled the Jews--her husband's Cohen ances­ black uprisings in Haiti to find refuge tors, and she does give details of in Charleston, South Carolina. From 355/Stern 5 there his descendants have spread all Record of the ,-111e8 Bernstein,-Loyev/ over the United States. Details of the Lewis-Mazur.15 lives of many of them, together with an extensive genealogy, was published in lade (rhymes with maida) is the Yiddish 1961 by Harold Moise of SlJDter, South word for grandfather. Mrs. Drunin shows Carolina under the title, The Moise how it is possible to penetrate· the Iron Family ofllouth Carolina and Their De­ Curtain that exists for most Jewish faur scendants. ilies of Russian origin when they seek. their roots. No registers of any sort A more modest publication, dealing with were created in Russia before 1900. The the first Jewish family settled in Los Jews, frequently the victims of massa­ Angeles, was the creation of one of the cres, tortures, or, at the very least, descendants, Leo Newmark, who wrote subject to draft for the worst positions CalifornH Family Newmark, An Intimate in the Czar's army, avoided any lists of History. names that might have fallen into offic­ ial hands. And for many Jews even their An lUlUsual family history is Copper for own birth-dates were forgotton or falsi­ America: The Hendricks Family and a fied or pegged to the Hebrew calendar National ~dustry, 1755-1939, by Maxwell which bears no relationship to the Whiteman. The Hendricks family traces calendar we follow. As a consequence, to Uriah Hendricks, who arrived from Mrs. Draznin was compelled to rely on England in 1755, and began trading with checking oral reminiscences and tradi­ English and American merchants in metals. tions of many relatives against one an­ This eventually led his son Harmon to other, aided only slightly by clues fran purchase an abandoned copper rolling mill a journal kept by her grandfather, Nuchem in Belleville, New Jersey, where he be­ or Nathan Bernstein, who came to America came one of America's leading processors in 1902. The Zade or Grandfather Usher of copper, especially for the use of our of her title was this grandfather's expanding U.S. Navy. In so doing, Harmon grandfather and the earliest ancestor founded a fortune ani a family, both of alluded to in the journal. As Mrs. which still survive. The author had ac­ Draznin points out, her family were cess to many accumulated family records unkown and ordinary people. Out of her and tells the family's history in great experience in canpiling this genealogical detail. history, the author subsequently pU~6 lished The Family Historian's Handbook, So far I have told you about families a handy paperback designed to help anyone that were well established on the Ameri­ canpile his or her family record. can scene, sane going back to colonial times, others of the pre-Civil War German Israel's surprising victory over her migration. With few exceptions, every massed neighbors in the Six-Day War of one of these families contained individ­ 1967 coincided with the publication of a uals who left their mark on America and new genre of collective American Jewish consequently are considered important in family histories, Stephen Birmingham's American Jewish history. Our Crowij The Great Jewish Families of New York, which became a best-seller. In 1972 there appeared a work, unusual in It dealt with the prominent Wall Street many respects: It is written by the banking families and leading money-makers child of imDigrants, and those iDmigrants like the Seligmans, Schiffs, Warburgs, were among the largest migration of Jews Lehmans, etc. All these families origi­ to America-that which came between 1880 nated in Germany and developed a sense of and the outbreak of World War I fran the exclusiveness patterned after New York's Russian Empire. The author is a Los socialite 400. In response to Birming­ Angeles-based professional writer, Yaffa ham' s success came the Russian iDmigra­ Draznin, and she called her work, It tion's answer under thta title Poor Began with zade Usher: The History ancr Cousins, by Ande Manners, whose book 355/Stern 6

jacket reads "The three million ' other am the second president) has been formed Jews' from beyond the Pale (the Pale of in the New York metropolitan area with a the Settlement was the section of Russian growing national membership, and several to which most Jews were relegated by the other Jewish communities have started Czars)-and b>w the elite of 'Our Crowd' their own societies. Oral history pro­ tried to Americanize them." jects, taping the reminiscences of older citizens, especially iDlnigrants, are 22n Southern Jewry found its spokesman in Eli the increase, and 90 are how-to books. N. Evans, the son of the long-time Jewish mayor of Durham, North Carolina, who com­ Jewish researchers are rediscovering such bined the story of his own family with a institutions as the fraternal organiza­ journalist's tale of other revealing tions which proliferated at the end of incidents of Southern Jewish life in The the last2fentury and the beginning of provincia1s:l:9A Personal History of Jews this one. Many of these were so-called in the South. Mr. Evans brought his Landsmann-schaften, i.e., associations of completed manuscript to me for sugges­ people from the same town. These groups tions and corrections. I pleaded with banded together out of their caJll10n back­ him to change his title to Growing Up ground not only for socializing, but also Jewish in the South, but his editor was for mutual aid, for the purchase of ceme­ eager to capitalize on the popularity of tery lots, and to assist newer arrivals Stephen Birmingham's books about Jews, with loans to help them get started in for a second successful one had appeared business. from the latter's pen. Entitled ~ Grandees: America's Sephardic Elite, One phenomenon of the great migration it was, I discovered when I was asked to from Russia has been the organized devel­ review it, based on my aforementioned opment of Family Circles and Cousins Americans of Jewish Descent. Birmingham, Clubs. Professor William E. MitChell, an with the investigative reporter's love of anthropologist, made a study which he finding skeletons in people's closets, published using the Yiddish word for had taken the genealogies in my book, "family" as his title: Mishpokhe: A told the family tales of many of them Study of New York City Family Clubs. In after interviewing some of their descen­ it, Mitchell points out that while many dants, and took special delight in point­ groups, Jewish and non-Jewish, hold ing out to socialites that they have family reunions, and even have organized Jewish blood in their veins. gatherings on a regular basis, the Russian-Jewish inmigrants and their de­ The newest publication, and one of the scendants are the only people to organize best, in this array of professionally to t~ extent of having officers and written collections of American Jewish dues. family histories is Leon Harris's Mer­ chant Princes: An Intimate History-oI The tools for researching family history Jewish Fami1~fs Who Built Great Depart­ are available. How-to books can point ment Stores. directions. All of us are intensely ob­ ligated to the Latter-day Saints for the As I have demonstrated, there are now a superb job they have done in collecting number of books in print dealing with the world's vital records on microfilm American Jewish families, written from a and in generously making these records variety of approaches. The interest in available at local church libraries. For family history and genealogy was just Jewish researchers there is a valuable beginning to reach the masses of American finding aid to the Mormon microfilms of Jews when Alex Haley's Roots made genea­ Hungary, Poland, and Germany. This is in logy into America's leading indoor hobby. the splendid periodical Toledot: The As a consequence, more family histories Journal of Jewish Genealogy, published and genealogies are turning up each day. quarterly in New York gy Steven Siegel 2 A Jewish Genealogical Society (of which I and Arthur Kurzweil. There is no 355/Stern 7 better place for me to stop than here, researcher can find useful guides to for in this magazine any would-be family where to search.

NOTES

~o Hershkowitz and Isidore S. Meyer, editors, The Lee Max Friedman Collec­ tion of American Jewish Colonial Corres ondence: Letters of the Franks Famil (17 3-1 48) ('Waltham, Mass.: American Jewish Historical Society, 1968).

~bbi David Philipson, ed., Letters of Rebecca Gratz (Philadelphia: The Jewish Publication Society of America, 1929).

3Jacob Rader Marcus, Memoirs of American Jews, 1775-1865, 3 vols. (Phila­ delphia: The Jewish Publication Society of America, 1955-56).

4Examples of biographies of prominent American Jews are:

a) Donovan Fitzpatrick and Saul Sapphire, Navy Maverick: Uriah Phillips ~ (Garden City, N.Y.: Doubleday & Co., Inc., 1963).

b) Isaac Goldberg, Major Noah: American-Jewish Pioneer (Philadelphia: The Jewish Publication Society of America, 1936).

c) Charles Edward Russell, Haym Salomon and the Revolution (New York: Cos­ mopolitan Book Corporation, 1930). 5 Morris A. Gutstein, The Touro Family in Newport (Newport, R.I.: Newport His- torical Society, 1935).

6Cecilia Felsenthal Fe1senthal, The Felsenthal Family (Memphis, Tenn.: Gold­ berger Printing and Publishing Co., 1939).

7Chester Jacob Teller, Teller Family in America: Record of a Hundred Years (Philadelphia: Cousins' Publishing Comnittee, 1944; Supplement, 1948); and New Teller Generations (1953).

8Evelina Gleaves Cohen, Family Facts and Fairy Tales (Wynnewood, Perm.: privately printed, 1953).

9Malcolm H. Stern, Americans of Jewish Descent: A Compendium of Genealogy (Cincinnati: Hebrew Union College Press, 1960), 2nd printing, New York: Ktav Publishing House, Inc., 1971 and (revised and enlarged as) First American Jewish Families: 600 Genealogies, 1654-1977 (Cincinnati: American Jewish Archives; Waltham, Mass.: American Jewish Historical Society, 1978). 10 German and Polish Jews of the Colonial Era did not have family names in the lands of their birth, but were usually designated by patronymics. Thus M:>ses Michael would have been born, Moses, son of Michael; whereas Asher Michael's children, in the lands of emancipation for Jews like Holland, England, and America, had the family name of Asher. 355/Stern 8

11 Alexandra Lee Levin, The Szolds of Lombard Street: A Baltimore Family, 1859-1909 (Philadelphia: The Jewish Publication Society of America, 1960).

~ro1d Moise, The Moise Family of South Carolina: An Account of the Life and Descendants of Abraham and Sarah Moise Who Settled in Charleston, South Carolina! in the year 1791 A.D. (Columbia, S.C.: R. L. Bryan Company, 1961).

l3r.eo Ne'Wlll&rk, California Family Newmark: An Intimate History (Santa Monica, Calif.: Norton B. Stern, 1970).

l~ell Whiteman, Copper for America: The Hendricks Family and a National Industry, 1755-1939 (New Brunswick, N.J.: Rutgers University Press, 1971). 15 Yaffa Draznin, It Be with lade Usher: The Histo and Record of the Families Bernstein-Loyev/Lewis-Mazur (Los Angeles: Jamy Publications, 19 2 • 16 Yaffa Draznin, The Family Historian's Handbook (New York: Jove/HBJ, 1978). 17 Stephen Birmingham, "Our Crowd": The Great Jewish Families of New York (New York: Harper &Row, 1967).

18Ande Manners, Poor Cousins (New York: Coward, McCann and Geoghegan, Inc., 1972) • 19 Eli N. Evans, The Provincials: A Personal History of the Jews in the South (New York: Atheneum, 1973). 20 Stephen Birmingham, The Grandees: America's Sephardic Elite (New York: Harper & Row, 1971).

2~on Harris, Merchant Princes: An Intimate History of Jewish Families Who Built Great Department Stores (New York: Harper & Row, 1979). 22 Among the how-to books on Jewish genealogy that have appeared are:

a) Dan Rottenberg, Finding Our Fathers: A Guidebook to Jewish Genealogy (New York: Random House, 1977).

b) David Kranzler, My Jewish Roots: A Practical Guide to Tracing and Recording Your Genealogy and Family History (New York: Sepher-Hermon Press, 1979).

c) Arthur Kurzweil, From Generation to Generation: How to Trace Your Jewish Genealogy and Personal History (New York: William. Morrow and Co., 1980).

23National Jewish organizations are listed armually in American Jewish Year Book, published annually since 1899. Fraternal ··orders" are abundant in the earlier volumes. Local organizations are also listed in these volumes: 1899-1900; 1900-1901; 1907-8; and 1919-20.

24William E. Mitchell, Mishpokhe: A Study of New York City Family Clubs (London: Mouton Publishers, 1978). 355/Stern 9

25Toledot: 'nle Journal of Jewish Genealogy, published quarterly at 155 East 93rd Street, New York, N.Y. 10028. BIBLIOGRAPHY

GUIDEBOOKS Finding our Fathers: A Guidebook to Jewish Genealogy, by Dan Rottenberg (New York: Random House, 1977) 401pp. (BYU CS 21 .R58)

ENCYCLOPEDIAS Jewish Encyclopedia, 12 Vols. (New York and London: Funk, 1901-1906). Still the best single source of Jewish genealogical information. Contains family trees and/or articles on some 575 Jewish families. (BYU Hist/Rel Ref OS 102.8 .J6) Universal Jewish Encyclopedia, 10 Vols. (New York, 1939, 1943, and 1948). (BYU Hist/Rel Ref. OS 102.8 .U5) Encyclopedia Judaica, 16 Vols. (Jerusalem and New York: Keter, 1971 and 197~) The best encyclopedia produced. (BYU Hist/Rel Ref OS 102.8 .E 496) Standard Jewish Encyclopedia, ed. by Cecil Roth (New York: Doubleday, 1959). A valuable single-volume reference work. (BYU 956.93 St24)

NAMES "German-Jewish Names in America," by Rudold Glanz, in Jewish Social Studies (July 1961), pp. 143-167. (BYU 301.45205 J55) IIJewish First Names Through the Ages,1I by Benzion Kaganoff, in Corrmentary, Vol. 20 (November 1955), pp. 447-452. (BYU 301.45205 C73) "Jewish Names," by Edgar Samuel, in Genealogist1s Magazine, (l961) (BYU 929.05 G286) IIJewish Surnames Through the Ages," by Benzion Kaganoff, in Corrmentary, Vol. 22 (September 1956), pp. 249-259. (BYU 301.45205 C73) The Name Dictionary: Modern English and Hebrew Names, by Alfred Kolatch (New York: J. David, 1967). (BYU CS 2367 .K65 1967) IINotes on Transformation of Place Names by European Jews,1I by Max Markreich, in Jewish Social Studies (Oct 1961), pp. 265-284. (BYU 301.45205 J55) Russian Surnames, by B.O. Ungebaum (Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1972). (BYU PG 2576 .U5) These Are the Names, by Alfred Kolatch (New York: J. David, 1948). (BYU CS 2367 .K65) GENERAL JUDAICA Index of Articles Relative to Jewish History and Literature Published in Periodicals from 1665 to 1900, by Moise Schwab (New York: Ktav, 1971). (BYU HistfRel Ref. OS 102 .X1 S413). The Jewish Communities of the World, by Roberta Cohen (New York: Crown, 1971). (BYU 301.452 in 7je). Jewish History Atlas, by Martin Gilbert (New York: Macmillan, 1969). 112 maps dealing with Jewish history from Biblical times to the present. (BYU Map Coll. 912.5694 G374j). Jewish Immigration to the U.S., 1881-1910, by Samuel Joseph (New York Columbia, 1914). (BYU 320.C72 Vol 145). Jewish News a ers and Periodicals on Microfilm Available at the American Jewish Perlodical Center, Cincinnati, 1957. BYU 320.016 H35J . (Supplement 320.016 H35j supp.) The Thirteenth Tribe, by Arthus Koestler (New York: Random House, 1976). The author explores the history of the Khazar Jewish Kingdom and argues that it is the source of most modern Jewry. (BYU OK 34 .K45 K59 1976b) To Dwell in Safety: The Story of Jewish Migration Since 1800, by Mark Wischnitzer (1949). (BYU 325.256 W753t). Who's Who in the Old Testament, To ether with the A ocr ha, by Joan Comay. BYU as 570 .C64 .

Who's Who in World Jewry, (1938, 1955, 1965). (BYU Ref. 922.96 W62s).

MULTIPLE FAMILY HISTORIES AND GENEALOGIES

INDIVIDUAL FAMILY HISTORIES AND GENEALOGIES Findin our Fathers: A Guidebook to Jewish Genealo ,(New York: Random House, 1977. Over 8,000 surnames have been gathered from many Jewish sources. (BY~ Hist/Rel Ref. CS 21 .R58). JEWISH GENEALOGICAL SOURCES AT BYU

Jewish Encyclopedia (H/R Ref. OS 102.8 .J6) Jewish Genealogy Worldwide, Janice Mendenhall Regenstein (H/R Ref. OS 102 .Xl p44) Jews in America, 1621-1970, Irving J. Sloan (H/R Ref. E 184 .J5 S572, 1978) Encyclopedia of German American Genealogical Research, Clifford Neal Smith, (H/R Ref. E 184 .G3 S66, See page 160) American Jewish Genealogy, Janice Mendenhall Regenstein (E 184 .J5 X44) Jewish Genealogy the Unbroken Chain, Neil Rosenstein, (CS 432 .J4 R67) Tracing Your Jewish Roots, Malcom Stern (CS 21 .S73) My Jewish Roots, David Kranzler (CS 21 .K69) Russian Jews in the U.S., Charles Seligmann Bernheimer (301.45 B457r) The Russian Jews, Leo Abram Errea (301.452 Er78r) The Russian Jews under Tsars and Soviets, Salo Wittmayer Baron (323.1192407 B268r) Jewish Synagogue Records in the U.S., Malcolm Stern (929.1 W893, Vol. 9 Area 1-6 &7a, page 12 appendix) World Conference on Records. Jews in Drefeld, Germany, (943.55 B497e) Finding Our Fathers: A Guidebook to Jewish Genealogy, Dan Rottenberg (CS 21 .R58)

There is a wealth of material in the BYU Library. Look in the card catalog on the third level under the subjects: JEWISH JEWS JEWS IN ... (name of locality) Genealogies in the Library of Congress: A Bibliography, by Marion Kaminkow, Vols. I and II, plus a Supplement 1972-1976, (Baltimore: Magna Carta Book Company, 1972). {BYU CS 69 .x1 K35 1981; CS 69 .x1 K35 1977 supp.)

BRIEF HISTORY AND MIGRATION Mi ration, Emi ration, Immi ration: Princi all to the United States and in the United States, by Olga Mlller, Logan, Utah: The Everton Publishers Inc.}, 1974. (BYU Hist/Rel Ref. CS 47 .X1 M54). Americans of Jewish Descent, by Malcolm H. Stern. (Special Publications of the National Genealogical Society, Number 20, Washington, D.C., 1958) (BYU CS 42. N43 #20) The Jews in America 1621-1970, by Irving Sloan, selected civil documents related to the Jews, Jewish Chronology, Civil Organizations. (BYU Hist/Rel Ref. E 184 .J5 5573 1978). Deportation From Frankfurt Am Main in the Years 1941 to 1944 . By Diamant, Adolf. (Quarto OS 135 .G4 F625 1984)

This work is an indexed list of Jewish people from Frankfurt Am Main. It gives their place of birth, maiden name, residence, death date and destination of deportation, (prison camp). JEWISH ROOTS AND SHOOTS Documents Released from Soviet Archives Now Available for Inquiry

By Miriam Weiner million individuals already on file in Arolsen. For thousands of family history On September 24, 1990 the Central "buffs" with Russian roots, a great frus­ Maryland Chapter of the American Red tration has been the lack of access to Cross announced the opening of the Ho­ Soviet archives where we hope to find locaust and War Victims Tracing and in­ such documents as birth, marriage and formation Service. Individuals can death records for our ancesta'S. Although contact their local chapter of the Ameri­ we assumed there was much more, we can Red Cross where the appropriate in­ never anticipated awealth ofmaterial for .quiry fonns may be completed. All the Holocaust period which is now acces­ requests will then be sent to the Baltimore sible by inquiry. Center, where they will be translated into German and forwarded to the ITS in West In a gesture of' Germany. There is no charge for the cooperation search request. War, and search requests from throughout At the press conference, Holocaust the world-whichcontinue to arrive atthe unprecedented in the 45 survivor Emmy Mogilensky spoke about rate of close to 100,000 per year. years since World War ll, her experiences with the Red Cross in As the years pass, the likelihood of "tbe Soviet Union opened which she described leaving Germany on matching a search with a living relative achildren's transportin 1939, never to see becomes less and less. Therefore, the its archives. her. parents again. Finally, in late 1942, probable result ofa successful mateh be­ the message sent to her parents through tween a search request and International 'the Red Cross came back "addressee un­ Tracing Service files will be a reply indi­ known." Later, in 1946, the Red Cross In a gesture of cooperation unprece­ cating the individual's date and place of confirmed that Emmy's parents had per­ "dented in the 45 years since World War II, death. However, in my genealogy re­ ished in the Piaski ghetto, outside Lublin, the Soviet Union opened its archives and search, I have had occasion to research Poland. Emmy described her feelings: shared with the Red Cross material recov­ the ITS files and it is clear to me from ered by the Soviet Army during the liber­ "The pain of not knowing where they what I found and responses received by ation of the camps at the close of World were, where they had been sent and what others that there is some hope, small Warn. though it may be. The recently microfilmed material in­ The pain of not knowing If you can picture in your mind 46 million file cards, you can understand cludes 46 Sterbebucher (Death Books) haunts you, it is with you containing nearly 70,000 death certifi­ why it is important that as much detailed cates from Auschwitz. These death books constantly. information as possible be provided in a represent deaths from "natural causes" as search request It is not possible to process opposed to those who perished in the gas a request for information about "all the chambers. In addition, there are lists of happened to them-it haunts you, it does people named Goldberg from Minsk" or names for 130,000 prisoners used for not let you rest, it is with you constantly. "Abraham Shapiro" from Warsaw. Many forced labor in various German firms and Can anyone doubt the value of these more details are necessary, such as date 200,000 names ofvictims in other camps, 409,000 records now released by Russia and place of birth, names of parents, last including Sachsenhausen, Gross Rosen and available for research through the Red known address and your relationship to ~ and Buchenwald. Cross." the person sought. JJ Thedocuments are being housed at the The ITS records include names ofpe0­ The records of the ITS are not com­ ~ \ International Tracing Sezvice (ITS) in ple in displaced person camps, survivors plete. Many documents were destroyed and victims of concentration camps, de­ by the SS before liberation or during the .L .~, West Germany, which is work­ .1 conjunction with the International portation lists, name lists ofchildren who evacuation of the camps, or were lost ~mmittee of the Red Cross. There are were separated from their parents orclose because of wartime conditions. 46 million documents pertaining to 13 relatives during or immediately after.the

34 Heritage Quest #32 UTAH VALLEY FHC 044-001 JEWISH ROOTS AND SHOOTS

As the 400,000 newly-released names with the millions ofdocuments already on are incorporated into the 46 million doc­ file at the ITS is an unprecedented oppor­ uments currently on file, attempts to tunity for Jews all over the world to learn match these names with outstanding the fate of family members. • search requests will be made and, we can hope, will in some answers for those who have waited so long. Miriam Weiner is a columnist and lecturer on Jewish genealogy. For Should the ITS receive new or addi­ more information on this subject, tional information long after an inquiry send a self-addressed stamped enve­ has been made, it will-even years lope to Weiner at 136 Sandpiper Key, later-inform the inquirer. In May, 1990, Secaucus, NJ 07094. the American Red Cross announced the recent reunification of a woman in Mos­ cow with adaughternow living in Illinois. Ifyou made an inquiry in the pastand have since moved, it is recommended that you submit a new inquiry. In addition to the tracing service, the Trace Your Irish Ancestors ITS processes requests for proofofintern­ Joan Phillipson, B.A. (Hons) ment in labor camps, to determine eligi­ Jennifer Irwin, B.A. (Hons) bility for payments. It will issue a HISfORICAL RESEARCH ASSOCIATES 7 Lancasterian St., Carrickfergus B1'38 7AB, certificate to the inquirer documenting the Co. Antrim, N. Ireland dates and location of incarceration. Asearch of.these newly-released doc­ umeius frqm the Soviet Archives along

~ BOOKS, SUPPLIES, AND EUROPEAN MAPS

#32 Heritage Quest 35 120 FOREIGN LANGUAGES

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1L .1· iJ~y-p ~t I· i1~P-1 III. ,~t tl~'5i!i 30 nm~ ,n~ 1 · : T .~ C":J::1i~ 40 ("ntd) o"nw (")l1J) O'l)~ 2 •T :- . : .- : -:, .-: C~7?q w'5'Ui 50 T C"tTM 60 j'J3'::liN 4 T T ;- C"3.i:JW 70 Vfun ;,ttJ?Jn 4 · : . -T T• -: tl".1bW 80 Wui ;,Wt; 6 . : .... C":i7ttin 90 S7:JV ;'l1:n~ 1 · ; .. T:• i1~?J 100 mblti mbtt-i 8 T- ';' I T , 1}t!fn il!Jtir-l ~ T :•

iW17... --: ;'itrr~ nnN itt;:g ,nN 11 -: ... -- TT iliW o"nlti iWl) u'l)tV 12 -:';'., TT "1 (tJ'ln~o) n~ "n~ 200 .- T - -: . n;1(1.3 t!J'5tri 300 ilituy S7::li~ iW ;'3'::liN 14 .- I -:-: -:- .,.T TT:- n;~?J 17:Ji~ 400 nitrJ'J Vfun ifZ]:g ;,rff?Jn 15 - -:- -.;.~ •• -; TT T'-; ni~?J tti?Jn 500 nifli17 'aW itv17 ;,wt1i 16 - .. -; -: -: - T'I''' • ni~~ vit;! 600 ni~1J 17:JW 700 ilitt1:s.7 ;,Jbtti ,tti:1 mow 18 - -: -: -; ~: T TTl niN1J mbW800 nilvY Win ifv:g ;'3'wn 19 - ... t -: -,: - : TT T:· ni~~ 17~~ 900 O"1tr;7 C"1~~ 20 ~1~ 1000 nJ]~1 O"1V-:J 'lJ~ n'l1~¥ 21 [354] 2. ORDINAL NUMBERS

first il3;WN'T• liwR1 i second n"~~ ~~t{ '­ n"W'7tV "'i1J"7:D 3 · .: •• & fourth n"3rt:l' "~"l:l' 4 ·. : •• I n"t!T'1Jn ~ ~!:! · .-: .. 5 sixth n"wtti --"C!tJ! 6 seventh n";s7'l:ltli "I1'l:lt!:1 7 •I · .;' eighth ")"1Jtj 8 .. : ninth n";s7'ltr}n "'S1.,t1~ 9 tenth n"i"~~ .. -: "1"t?~ 10 eleventh 1 ifzJ~ in~il 11 Y T--T

• Beginning with number 11 and above. the ordinal numbers are the same 3110. cardinal numbers. with the definite article added.

(355] FOREIGN LANGUAGE6 ]23

The calendar The Hebrew cnlendar was ftiven ita present fixed form by Hillel II about 360 A.D. It is bs.aed on a year of 12 montha, alternating 30 and 29 days, v.ith an intercalary month of 29 days in an embolismic or leap year. Thl'se months, with their corresponding periods in tile Gregorian calendar, are as follows: l1shri ~n September-October Heshvan J1='I'l October-No\·ember Rislev ,"0:) November-December Tebet ~D December-January

Shebat b~~ Januaror-February

Jldar ~~~ Februaror-~areh

lfeadar ~~K1 Intercalarymo~th

NUKul lD~ ~farch-April

lyar "Vx April-~ay

SivaD fro Afay~une

T~mua nnn June-July Ab July-August E1ul 'I,"x:lK.------August-September The ycar bl'gins on the lint day of the month of Tisbri, which is the day of the ~rolst1, or appearance of the new moon, nearest the autumnal equinox. The sdUi\l date is, howe,"er, sometimcs shifted one or two days, II.Ccorrfing to Epcl"i.fic- T't'gu!11tions; thus, New Year may not fall on either Friday or Sunday, since t~t l\"l'uld conflict v.ith the observance of the Sabbath; nor, for a like re.a::':':l. :::::lllV it come on Wednesday, since that would cause Atonement Day tG corae C'~ a Frina\"" To convar.; 11 -gh.-en ypar (Anno Domini) into its corresponding Hebrew )"car (,',.::::0 ;\!J;r:dij, !\del 3,i61 to the former, b-~llring in mind, however, that the ~·es;- ~·:ti:lS in September" A;I the HelJrew calendar omits the thou5an.-\s, the ye:k Snit"', corn-!'- _ ;m:l t'K, Tsom C'J1!daliah (Fast of Gedaliah, Tishri 3) _ :r"'l o,~ Yom Kipt>ur (Day of Atonement, Tishri 10) _ "ll!Ij Dl' Sukkoth (Tabernacles, Tishri 15-22) _ 1\,:10 Simhath Torah (Rejoicing over the Law, Tishri 23) :t"M lint:> Hanukkah (Feast of Dedication, Kislev 25) _ ;'I:lI1I1 Asereth B'tcbet, Fast of (Tebet 10) _ ~tl::1 11'Z'Y Purim (Feast of Lots, Adar 14) _ D"19 Pe!'ach (Passover, Nisan 1&-21) _ nOli Shnbuoth (Feast of Weeks, Sinn 6) _ 111}'nl:1 TIshah B'ab (Fast of Ab, Ab 9) _ :lJO =tYcm Abbreyiations In Hebrew, abbreviations are set as follows: If of one character, but one prime ma:k (') is u.o;cd after the character; if of more than one char-.cter, no double prime (") is lIsed just before the last character. Masoretic points arc always omitted. The abbreviations most frequentl)· used are as follows: Sir, Ml\St~r, Mr.; thouS3nd______'1"K iJ'~K 'K Aleph Beth (thealpllabet) ~------11'::1'} ~t,:J·K Said our learned ones of blessed memory 'IM);)n "'PH ,711m ;o~~7 Dn';)1 The land of Israel (Palestine) _ 'Ix,r T'K ."K God willing ------1r.':J :l)t" DX ,;1"1( Synago~ue------.- 1lDl:l:l m ,r:l:'t::l Sons of Israel, the Jews _ • 'lR"l:1' ~ ,":1 In these 'words, viz _ F;;"I in:1 ,;·;'10 The Author ------~:1ntl '1}'3 ,D"Y:S Gaon (title of Je'l\"ish princes in the Babylonian )WI! exile). His Highness. Majesty" F01l)O~IGN LANGUAOE5

Abhre.l1\ti..n~ --- (:nlltiIIlied The Inw>, of J~r:u'L" ~ __ __ 'JK~ '1" ,'" '"he lInly Om', H1c,,~ecl he He (the Lord) M\'l',::I:n,t':'l.;'::lY;' )It'l'frllC'tinli nf Ule Firllt Temple JI'DK"l n'::1 p,n ,,'fJ" Ilt',,1nlclinll or Ute Second Temple '1):7 1'1'::1 p.,n ,tt:m }:,ndllll frllm 1':~Yl't______a-"lxn nK':t' ,n'x' 11'3 it was ":~iIL "1lJKl~ll:l::l,ttl:l::l As it ",'as written ~?n::l;1 'l!l::l 11.1\1. (Anno Mundi)______D7'7 nK"::l7 ,Y"::I' The Holy Language (Hehrew) - I71P;"ll':7' ,p":l7 Good lurk; I congratulate you ::110 7m ,1:I'm The 8:ll'rt!11 Books D'l"nP:1 O'lno ,p';ro The Holy RcroIL______~'" ,no .n'D M:lv he TC'lIt in peace__ -- Dl.,;, "" ,;'1'1 In the hcreo.f!l:'r ______10:1 C'lY ,::I';r11 lIOew Y(,:lr's Eve______ilJr.I t'K"l :J"ly ,;'"')/ Snbho.th E\'c • _. ______n::l!.? ::I'Y ,tt)/ Ve~, chapter . p~ .p1On:'1> The iud~mentof the court- 1'"' t1':i1 PC!) ,,·:ID f;o.int (St.). Zion Jl'X ,p~n:x RCl'ognition of God's justice .______1'"';' pn~ ,,';,\x The rending of the Scro!1. :n'lll:lllK'ip.n·;'Ip Fim of aiL -'------l- "1:1' '7;) D'P ,,'::lp OU1" Rabbis of Blessed Memon' ___ n:l"l::l7 on':l, 'i1'no,,;"" Rsbbi ~to!'ea 60n of Maimvn· (Maimonides) l'D'73p j1~l:l'" ,0")73" Cat3.log. ~ D'"lIlO nl3"C7"l,o"o, i-e-s:-.!:ne. hour . ~______:1Yll7 .;';'\::7 ,:Tn','O ~;..b:":1.th daysand holidays.. . _____ D'::nl) 0'13'1 nl."l:J':7 ,1:1"''1':7 A.• s:e.tcd. t...- "lJ:l{;:7,',., Baby:,:mi311 Talmud .___ '7:13 'nl:l?n .::1"1'1 The .Books of the Law, the Prophets, and Hngiographa D'::I'ln::l,O'x·:u,;'''l."l,,"m (Old Testament). C~n!l.l numbers one MK "n)( twenty D":7)1 t,,·o D'n:7 ,0":7 thirty 1:1'''''' three 0'7;;0 ,m?71:? forty D')I::l'X four '3')( ,;')/::1'1( fifty D':nm fi ve C7tln .;"l"l:ln 6i.xty D';:r.1 lOix C7!.? ,;r"", seventy D'Y::l:7 6e\"en Y::II:' ,;')1::3:7 eighty 0')0:7 eight ;Utl:7 ninety D"Y:i7n nine ,;on ,;'j/:i7l'l hundred :-tKtl ten ~Y, :1"'WY thOllsand '17K In forming the numbers from 11 to 19, the terms n.,:'Y in the feminine, and ll:'Y in the mMculine are used, preceded by the proper unit number. For 21 and upward, the term corresponding to the proper tenth digit is followed by the proper unit term preceded by the conjunction' and: twelve ...", D"X'. twenty­ four ':1'10 O'T.7Y, etc. Ordinal numb~r8 first~"l 6ixth "" second "l:1 seventh 'j/':1~ third "1:7'0 eighth "'tl:7 f(J\ll'th "Y':::I, ninth "Y'"n fifth ~ tenth '-n-y After tcn the ordinals are similar in fonn to the cardinals with the addition of the definite articlc n. thus. D~;r the twentieth. Season" spring autumn summer winter Time hour month day seaeOD week year Hebrew Numbers Simplified

WORLD CONFERENCE ON RECORDS PRESERVING OUR HERITAGE August 12-15, 1980

Jewish Families: Their Assimilation into North American Culture Malcolm H, Stern Series 327 JEWISH FAMILIES: '!'HEIR ASSIMILATION IN1'O lI>RTH AMERICAN aJL'l1JRE

Malcolm H. Stern

Born in Pennsylvania. Resides in New York city. New York. Director. Rabbinic Placement for Reform Judaism (retired). D.H.L •• Hebrew Union College. One honorary degree. Author. genealogist, lecturer •

.Two forces have played almost equal roles General Edward Gibbons of the Boston in the survival of the Jewish people: militia • There seems to have been some tradition an:!. assimilation. To have moved question as to who was responsible for from Abraham's Ur of the Chaldees. four paying Franco, and while the argument went thousand years ago. to present-day America. on, the ship which brought Franco sailed required an edaptability, an ability to away and the Puritan city fathers were left absorb fran the cuIture of others and to with a Jew on their han:l.s-the first that give what has been absorbed a Jewish any of them had ever seen. (The Jews had flavor. I described this process at the been driven out of England by Edward I in 1979 Annual Meeting of the American Jewish 1290 and were not readmitted until 1655, Historical Society this way: six years after Franco's arrival in Boston.) In this connection you should I see the history of the Jews as know that the Puritans considered them­ resembli~ a great warm Gulf Stream selves latter-day Children of Israel. They in the sea of other peoples' history. studied Hebrew-even inscribed it on their Individual Jews are like so many tombstones. They spoke of themselves as creatures and Jewish communities like fleei~ from Pharaoh, King James I, across so many islan:!.s in that Gulf Stream. the Red Sea of the Atlantic Ocean to the From time to time there have been Pranised Land of the New World. But a live attempts to dam up the Gulf Stream son of Israel they could not absorb, so and thousands-even millions-of Jews they voted to keep him at public expense up have been lost. but the Gulf Stream to ten weeks wit~ the proviso fhat he has persevered. At other times Jews depart by the first available ship. have foun:!. the colder waters of the larger ocean rore appealing and have A more lasting settlement of Jews occurred left the warm influences of native in Dutch New Amsterdam in 1654 with the habitat. Ocean currents and tides arrival of twenty-three refugees from Dutch have influenced the Jewish Gulf Brazil who were met not only by Peter Stream, and other cultures have been Stuyvesant's prejudice but by two other warmed by the Jewish current. And Jews whose arrival hed preceded them. Even within the Gulf Stream we have though this group was enlarged a year later developed customs and traditions. by Jewish traders from Amsterdam, the values and ideas. majority were gone by the time the British took over in 1664 and renamed the Colony This paper will attempt to describe the ebb New York. Indeed, only one Jew was left to and flow as it affected the Jews settling sign the oath of allegiance to the British in /merica. crown which was required of all residents. This was Asser Levy, a refugee from Brazil The first Jew of record literally could not of German origin, who not only can be be assimilated. He was Salanon Franco. who called America's first permanent Jewish came from Amsterdam to Puritan Boston in settler, but also the first to assimilate 1649 with a consigrment of goods fran a into America. Jewish merchant in Amsterdam to Major 327/Stern 2

This was Asser Levy, a refugee frcma Brazil forcibly converted to CatholiciSlll in Spain of German origin, tIho not ooly can be before 1492 and in Portugal in 1497, so called America's first pemanent Jewish that their descendants became highly settler, but also the first to assimilate assimilated to Christian patterns of living into America. before they ever cane to America. The Getman-Polish Ashkenazic Jews were far more As early as 1655, he and Jacob bar Simson, strict in their adherence to ancient laws a fellow--Jew, insisted em their right to and customs which they were able to join the guard em the town lIlB1l rather than preseIVe because their European hanes were pay the tax to support the guard. Two in segregated ghettos of German and Eastern years later, ~vy deJumded his so-called European towns. Thus the Sephardic group "burgher" right-the right of citizen­ looked down on the Ashkenazic as social and ship-and got it. In 1660 he llIlS licensed cultural inferiors, while the Ashkenazic as a butcher, and by 1662 succeeded in group looked down on the Sephardic as overruling the law against Jews owning religiously inferior. property when he purchased the first of three muses he 'BS eventually to own. In the growing New York canmunity both these groups were represented. Asser His status as a citizED, business man, and Levy's successes had attracted his man of repute grew so that he was used by Ashkenazic family from Europe. Joseph the courts to administer estates, by Bueno de Mesquita, a West Indian Sephardi, fellow-citizens as witness to wills. In must have decided, when Asser Levy was 1671, his reputation was invoked by a buried in the small cemetery which Jewish pedlar in a Hartford court, Jacob Stuyvesant had reluctantly granted the Lucena, who was on trial for "wanton Jews, that he 'WOuld not wish to be buried dalliance with a lady." The fine was 1120. next to Ashkenazim. So de Mesquita LucE!18 pleaded incapable of paying, so the purchased a new plot in -nich he buried his judge "because the defendant lI1S a Hebrew" father the following year. This plot , cut the fine to 1110, which Lucena was still incidentally, is not only the oldest mabIe to pay, so he invoked the name of sUIViving Jewish cemetery in North America, Asser Levy and the fine became 115. By it is also the oldest man-made relic in New 1678, ~vy had built a slaughterhouse and York City. entered into partnership with a non-Jew. While DJCh of mat I have described about By the 1720s the Ashkenazic Jews in New Asser Levy concerns the winning of rights, York outnumbered the Sephardic, but it does demonstrate a gradual adjustment to econanic necessity forced the Ashkenazic to contemporary American life. assimilate into the Sephardic when they dedicated their first ~agogue building in Asser Levy's death em 1 February 1682, and 1730. To secure the funis needed for the burial point up another area of internal building, appeals went to the well-estab­ tension among Jews which led to lished Sephardic congregations of accomnodatiem and assimilatiem of a kind. Amsterdam, London, and the Caribbean· The colonial Jewish :flIInigrants were of two (Curacao, Barbados, Jamaica, and Surinam backgrounds and cultures. One group, had larger Jewish communities than New labelled "Sephardic" (fraa the Hebrew 'WOrd York) • Furthetmore, surrounded as they for Spain) originated in Spain and Portugal were by non-Jews, the New Yorkers and reached the New World by migration recognized that the Sephardic forms of through Holland, England, the Caribbean, or 'WOrship-more orderely and dignified than Latin America. .The second group were the Ashkenazic-would be more appropriate called "Ashkenazic" and originated in for the New World. So until 1825, -nen the Germany and Poland, lIhence they migrated to first Ashkenazic congregation was the New World, also, via Holland and established by new immigrants fraa Holland, England. The Sephardic Jews had been Gennany, and England, the so-called Spanish 327/Stern 3

and Portuguese Congregation "Shetrith On arrival the DIlle had been BertmaD, but Israel" was the only ooe in New York. the school registrar wrote it down as "Berpan... The children reported to their By 1700 a fonn of assimilatioo which was to parents that this was their ·"America~" becane very prevalent anong later Jewish DIlle, am it has been Berpan ever since. arrivals was alrea:ly in evidence. I refer to the pattern of changing names. The One of the early differences between the first instance I can find for an Merican Spanish-Portuguese am the Ashkenazic Jews Jew occurred with the first known Minister was in u.ing CU8t~S. 'l'he Sephardic Jews, of the above-mentioned New York having lived among Christians-and as congregation. Catholics--had received baptismal u.es. When they reverted to Judaism in lams of Let me state parenthetically, that the freedan, they took Biblical first names and early congregations in Merica did not have either kept their Spanish or Protuguese- rabbis. They were too small to support sounding f_ily u.e or chose SOOle ances-• full-time clergy, and therefore developed a tral family DIlle. The Jew of Gennany and pattern of using anyone .no could chant the Eastern Europe did not have hereditary traditional prayers in a manner that suited family u.es. OCcasional descendants of a the congregation. Most of these officiants famous rabbi might preserve his name as were part-time, earning the bulk of their their family name; or the rare Jew who livelihoods as pedlars or shopkeepers. achieved a position at the court of the Their tit1e in the sYnagogue was chazan , local ruler might have a surnane bestowed meaning "cantor." Protestant influence led on him. But the masses were merely known to calling them Reader or Minister, and by by their given name as soo or daughter of 1840, men the first ordained rabbi settled their father. Upon arrival in Holland, in the United States, these earlier clergy England, or America, these Jews would had totally changed the role fran that of usually take their patronymic and make it scholar and teacher of rabbis to pastor3and into a last name; e.g., Jacob sen of Isaac preacher--another forln of assimilation. became Jacob Isaacs. But this change evolved at the beginning of the eighteenth New York's first Minister of record came century. Earlier we have the situation of from a family named Pardo, which had Asser Levy's nephew-by-marriage, Asher supplied rabbis to the Sephardic Michael, litose son ms known as Michael congregations of lInsterdsm, Rotterdam, and Asher, a fFIDing pattem typical of Dutch Curacao. One of their number, Saul Pardo, influence. arrived in Newport, Rhode Island by 1677, but moved to the New York by 1685. Alrea:ly Not only last names were subject to in Newport, he had anglicized his DfDe assimilation, but given u.es as well. The Pardo to its English translatioo, Brown. Revolution may have sparked a bit of this. We can see the transition from the In later American history, changes of characteristically Biblical first name to surname became even more a coumonplace • more contElllporary ones in the family of The more mpronounceable the name, the more Baruch Judah, lito was in New York by 1700. likely it was to be changed. In the years His children all bore Biblical names. His when Ellis Island was the immigrants' grandchildren seEIIl to have also been given gateway to lInerica and the great masses of Biblical names at birth, starting with Jews were pouring in fran the old Czarist Benjamin, born in 1760. As they grew up, Empire, it was not unusual for the Benjamin's sibl1~s, Jekuthiel and Falk, registering agent to bestow an "American" replaced their given names with Cary and name 00 the iumigrating family. My in-laws Wal ter, while other brothers and sisters derived their family name men settling in retained their Biblical sarah, Rebecca, Buffalo in the late 18608, my father-in-law Jacob, Aarm, etc. The next generatien, and his siblings enrolled in p.Jblic school. born in the opening ,ears of the nineteenth 327/Stern 4 century, went even farther afield with burial. Henrietta, Celestine, and De Witt Cl~on, scattered among the mOle Biblical ones. Traditional observance requires the adult male to pray in the synagosue twice each The l840s saw a large migration from day, morning and evening. In the ghettos Germany which continued unabated until the of Europe this observance was easily Civi! war closed America's ports. That war fulfilled as the entire community lived had its own Americanizing effect. Patrio­ within walking distance of the synagogue. tic American names were already appearing Easy access to the synagogue was also made when the Hofheimer brothers, five imi­ necessary by the prohibition against riding grants fran Germany, settled in Virginia. on the Sabbath. In America, where most of The youngest of the brothers dropped his the Jews for the first two hundred years Biblical given names of Abraham Isaac in made their livelioood as itinerant pedlars favor of Andrew Jackson, and the next or traders, these observances were generation saw Herman becane Willian Henry impossible. Even when they settled in SOlIe Harrism, while others of that generation growing coumunity, most Jews found it were dubbed Henry Clay, Benjamin Franklin, necessary to wait a lUDber of years for a and Jeffersoo Davis, plus such hist~rical sufficient group of fellow-Jew to join names as Julius Caesar and Alexander. them to create a congregation. So mless fanily pressure in the city they cane fran Another difference worth noting between prevailed on them to maintain a tenuous Sephardic and Ashkenazic naming custans is affiliation with the city's congregatioo, the fact that the Sephardim, like the many became totally lost to Judaism. Dutch, had a tradition of naming the oldest sen after his paternal gramfather; the Kosher food was an important part of Jewish oldest daughter after the paternal religious observance. This required that grandmother; the next children after cattle be slaughtered by a specially maternal grandparents, and fran then on trained functionary, that meat be drained after other relatives, living· or dead. The of blood, that meat am dairy products not Ashkenazim had a superstition about naming be consumed at the same meal. The week of after living people am a canpulsioo to the passover required the preparatioo of name after deceased grandparents. The matzos, the removal of all leaven fran the twentieth century has seen third, fourth , hane, separate dishes and cooking utensils. and fifth generation American Jews copying ObViously, for a Jew away from the the British social tradition of naming organized Jewish coumunities, this too people after parents, grandparents, and became a difficulty. Kosher laws do permit great-grandparents. Thus, in my Stern the eating of sane foods such as dark family, with the third American-born bread, eggs, fish (but not shellfish), and generatim, my father's two brothers and vegetables witoout ritual supervision, and two sisters each named a sm, Junior, and many an itinerant Jew of yesteryear one branch has a III. survived on these in his effort to be observant. Others found the requirements Religiously the majority of the early too burdensane and gave up "keeping Jewish arrivals in America were strictly kosher." Ortoodox. In Europe this meant that the synag~ue ruled their lives. Toose who One of the cornerstones of Jewish survival came to these shores found few synagogues, has been the aid Jews give one another. except in the better established cities. The State of Israel exists because Jews all It took at least ten adult males to carry over the world contribute heavily to its 00 Orthodox worslrlp. Toose Jew who left support. Similarly, almost every impover­ the city for the hinterland had to make ished Jewish imigrant arriving in anerica adjustments and canpranises, especially in has relied 00 fellow-Jews to help him or the areas of worship, diet, marriage, and her get established in /tnerica. This inter- 327/Stem 5 dependence, bom, not out of either rela­ was no civil marriage in colonial Mlerica. tionship or even acquaintance, but mly All marriages were performed by the clergy, frem a CODlllCl1 histcry of suffering, has and in the case of interfaith marriages the made Jews very sensitive to whatever couple usually lived in common law threatens Jewish survival. To most Jews relationship without benefit· of clergy. nothing does this so much as marriage with CamDon law marriages were recognized mder a non-Jew, for implicit in interfaith mar­ English law, but we have mzy wills of riages is the probability that the children colonial Jews recognizing their offspring of such a marriage may not be reared as by so-and-so, a CODDlOn-law wife. Jews and the strength of the Jewish people will be consequently diminished. In perfoming the Pett!grew-Hart marriage, Mordecai seems to have secured an agreenent Until the end of the nineteenth century that any male offspring would be reared in Jews constituted less than one-tenth of 1 the father's faith as Presbyteriam, any percent of lmerica' s population; even today female children would be reared in their we are less than 3 percent. Therefore, it mother's Jewish faith. This eventually is not surprising to find that probably me happened, for the three Pettigrew sons out of every four marriages of a Jew is became Christians (one of them, Samuel, with a non-Jew. And lihile some of the became a mayor of Pittsburgh) , and the non-Jewish partners do convert to JudaiSID, three daughters married JellS. The marriage or even without conversion agree to rear ceremony required the signature of a their children as Jew, the loss of Jews witness, so another brother-in-law, Ber through intermarriag~is a serious concern Levy, was imported frem Philadelphia. When to the Jewish people. Levy returned to Philadelphia he reported the tale to the elders of the congregation The effect of America on this mixed am Mordecai M. Mordecai was imnediately marriage situation and other aspects non grata with the synagogue leadership. of traditional observance is illustrated by the story of Mordecai Moses Mordecai Two years later, an elderly blind Jew, who (1727-1809). He was a native of Tels, a had been living in camnon law relationship Lithuanian town noted for its rabbinical with his Christian spouse, died. His school, Wiere he evidently received some desire was to be buried in the Jewish groUlding in ritual law, altoough there is cemetery of Philadelphia. The· synagogue, no evidence that he ccmpleted the course. lacking a rabbi, was dependent on the He migrated to America about 1761, married opinions of its elected leaders who a Jewish girl in Easton, Pennsylvania, endeavored to maintain as strict an wandered through Pennsylvania in a sanewhat orthodoxy as they could. They ruled that unsuccessful attempt to earn a living. The the deceased could be buried in a corner of Revolutim foUld him in Philadelphia where the cemetery, but witoout the traditional he was a ~rt-time functionary in the local ritual bathing and shrouding and without synag~ue. His wife's niece, Judith Hart ceremony. When the preSident of the of Easton, eloped with a Scottish-born congregation went to check 00 the burial, resident of Easton, Presbyterian James he was horrified to find Mordecai M. Pettigrew, a Lieutenant in Washington's Mordecai, in defiance of the ruling, amy. The girl's Jewish father prcmptly performing full rites for the deceased. disowned her, but lihen the young couple's This precipitated a letter frem the leaders first baby was m the way, the girl's of the synagogue to the Ashkenazic. Chief mother prevailed on her Philadelphia Rabbi of Mlsterdam, recounting Mordecai's brother-in-law, Mordecai Moses Mordecai, to violations of tradition. They end the come to Easton and perform a Jewish letter with this plea, which sumnarizes marriage ceremmy. what I have been trying to convey about America's assimilative erosions: Let me state, parenthetically, that there 327/Stern 6

We are expectantly looking forwam to synagogue, but a financial depression in your reply, for the matter touches the Charleston and the subsequent departure of very roots of our faith, particularly sane of their chief leaders led the re­ in this country \here each acts ae­ mainder to rejoin the o~d synagogue by coming to his own desire; unfortu­ 1837. Two years later the synagogue burned nately, many marry Gentile lllCIIlen ••• in one of the conflagrations to which (others are) canpletely irreligious Charlestoo was prone. In the process of people lilo profane the name of God rebuilding, the Reform element sought to publicly; all this has to be seen to introduce an organ and a bitter battle be believed. The congregation has no ensued that eventually landed in the power to discipline or punish anyone, courts. When the Refonners won their right except for the minor pmistment of to have an organ, another secession iyok excluding them fran the privileges of place to form an orthodox congregatioo. the synagogue and not counting them for a minyan (the quorun of ten needed By the end of the 1840s other Reform groups for worship). Nevertheless these evil had been established in Baltimore (1843), people ISY no heed and cane to the New York (1845), and Philadelphia (1847). synagogue, since it is impossible to These were established largely by new restrain them fran so doing because of immigrants from Germany, where Reform the usage of the land. Judaism had its birth in 1809. Tre Civil War hastened the Reforming process and so Tre Amsterdam rabbi seems to have had no did the rise of anti-Semitism which answer to ~erica's assimilativ~Oeffect, followed the Panic of 1873. For the because no answer was forthcaning. non-daninant Gennan-bom Jews and their children-many of ltlom had fought on both Attempts to modify orthodoxy to meet sides in tre Civil War-the solution lay in American Jews' needs became fonnal in 1824 beceming as Americanized as possible. They in Charleston, South Carolina, at that time greeted with enthusiasm the proclamation of the largest Jewish coomunit}r in the United a platform issued by a group of Reform States with about six luldred identifiable Rabbis out of a meeting held in Pittsburgh men, wanen, and children. In that year, in 1885. The platform stated that any forty-seven heads of family petitioned the externals which separated the Jew frem his leadership of the synagogue to modify the non-Jewish neighbor, such as dress, food, rituals by introducing English translations and most ceremonials, were outmoded, as was of the Hebrew p'ayers,curtailing the length the influence of ancient rabbinic law. of the services, and the introduction of They denied the need for any Jewish natioo, regular sermons in English "like all identifying themselves purely as a other ministers." The leadership debated religious group. Trey also denied the the petition and tabled it. Recognizing belief in an individual Messiah yet to that they could not get a satisfactory cane, but looked towam a Messianic Age of response, a group organized what they peace and brotherhood for all. This called "The Reformed Society of platform so captured the sentiments of the Israelites." majority of !merica's established Jews that it daninated Jewish thinking, especially The members of the society 'Were largely among Reform Jews, \ntil World War II, English-speaking by birth, sane of them when Hitler's Holocaust, destroying six second and third generation Americans. million Jews, and the birth of Israel out They began with approximately a dozen of the ashes of European Jewry, led to a members, but eventually rose to fifty. strong rY2hinking of many of these Trey wrote their own prayerbook, trans­ attitudes • lating the traditional prayers into English as well as several of the traditional One of the motivating factors of the Reform hymns. They even raised funds to build a revolt against Orthodoxy, manifested in the 327/Stem 7

Pittsburgh PlatfonD, was the arrival of a ship boatloads into the (hlf of Mexico thru growing group of refugees from Czarist the port of Galvestm,Texas ,and many Jews Russia, which included all or part of who landed there spread out through the present-day Poland, Latvia, Czechoslovakia, southwest and western ccmnunities ~ and Rumania. The majority of these immigrants lived in medieval conditions in The First and Second World Wars had strong segregated areas of towns and villages. Americanizing effects 00 the Russian Jewish They had had none of the civilizing effects young men in mifonD, who, for the first of exposure to Western culture which the time in their lives, found themselves in earlier arrivals fran GenDany and other totally non-Jewish envirorments and learned parts of western Europe had experienced. that they could live successfully among non-Jews, but often at a sacrifice of Jew­ As nearly two million of these Russian­ ish traditions..:rhe 19508 saw America's Jewish imnigrants raised the Jewish popula­ great moves to suburbia as the returning tion ten-fold, the mre established Jewish veterans demanded new sites for hanes. The settlers found thEmselves hartt-pressed to patterns Which earlier Jewish settlers went absorb or even relate to these newcaners. through of adjustment to American mores be­ In self-protectim, the daninant Getman came the f~ute the new Jewish suburbanites Jews (as they call themselves, to disting­ followed. uish them from the Russian newcaners) created institutions to Americanize the The empathy of many Americans for the imnigrants as rapidly as possible. A growing state of Israel, and especially, floundering rabbinical school, the Jewish Israel's remarkable victory in its Six-day Theological Seminary of America, was given War against its Arab neighbors, led many infusions of funds to train rabbis llJho gentile Americans to a new curiosity about could converse in Yiddish, the language of Jews and Judaism. This, in tum, led Jews the Russian newcaners. Settlement rouses to be mre assertive of Jewish distinctive and educational centers were established to custans,so that through the 19608 and 1970s teach skills, English language, and even our young people, notably, have been inten­ American manners and custans. sifying their own interest in things Jew­ ish. Many of them spend time in Israel or As the newcomers and/or their children at youth canps in America, absorbing Jewish prospered, they moved out of the crowded music and folkways, leaving their more tenements of East Coast cities into better assimilated American parents a bit bewil­ housing or newer comnunities. dered by What they view as a return to tradition. Thus, the age-old tension Attempts to relieve the overflowing tenem­ between tradition and assimilation goes on ent areas also included the developnent of daily in American Jewish life, with sane agricultural colonies in various parts of Jews opting for one side against the other. the United States,none of them too success­ And for the foreseeable future both forces ful. To stem the tide of 1mmigration to the will continue to influence American Jewish Eastern seaboard a plan was developed to life, with neither daninating the other. 327/Stern 8

NOTES 1 Abram Vossen Goodman, American Overture: Jewish Rights in Colonial Times (Philadelphia: The Jewish Publ1catioo Society of ltnerica, 1947), Chapter 2; and Jacob Rader Marcus, The Colonial American Jew, 1492-1776, 3 vols. (Detroit: Wayne State University Press, 1970), p. 300f. 2 For early New York Jewish history and the record of its first congregation, see David and Tamar de Sola Pool, An Old Faith in the New World: Portrait of Shearith Israel, 1654-1954 (New York: Colunbia University Press, 1955); David de Sola Pool, Portraits Etched in Stone: Early Jewish Settlers, 1682-1831 (New York: Columbia University Press 1952) ana Halcolm H. Stern, ..Asser Levy--A New Look at Our Jewish Founding Father," American Jewish Archives 26 (April 1974), w. 6&-77. 3 Pool, An Old Faith, Chapter 5. 4 Ibid., p.159f.; Pool, Portraits, p. 443ff. 5 For a full description of Jewish naIling patterns, see Arthur I

6I

~colm H. Stern, The Descendants of Moses son of Naphtali of Hofheim or Moses Hofheimer (''Moshe Hoffer") (1781-1862) (Norfolk, Va: privately printed), May 1964.

9Malcolm H. Stern, '·The F\mction of Genealogy in ltnerican Jewish History," Essays in American Jewish History: To Commemorate the Tenth Anniversary of the Founding of the American Jewish Archives under the Direction of Jacob Rader Marcus (Cincinnati: The ltnerican Jewish Archives, 1958), Part 2, Exogamy: Jews Absorbed by Intennarriage with non-Jews, pp. 82-97; Rabbi Sheldon Zimmennan, and Barbara S. Trainin, editors, The Threat of Mixed Marriage: A Response, ProceediI8s of a Conference, 1976 (New York: Comnission on Synagogue Belations, Federation of Jewish Philanthropies of New York, 1978); Rabbi David Max Eichhorn, Jewish Intermarriages: Fact and Fiction (Satellite Beach, Fl: Satellite Books, 1974); "Explorations in Intermarriage," American Jewish Year Book, 1973 (New York: The 1tnerican Jewish COIIID.1ttee, and Philadelphia: The Jewish Publication Society of ltnerica, 1973), v. 74, pp. 292-306. 10 Malcolm H. Stern, "Two Jewish Colonial F\mctionaries in Pennsylvania;' American Jewish Historical Quarterly 57 (Sept. 1967), No.1, part II: Mordecai Moses Mordecai (1727-1~09), pp. 35-48. 11 Barnett A. Elzas, The Reformed Society of Israelites, of Charleston, S.c. (New York: Bloch Publishing Co., 1916.) 12 David Philipson, The Reform Movement in Judaism (New York: The Macmillan Co., 1931); Malcolm H. Stem, ·'Refomi~ of Reform Judai~Past, Presellt, and Future," American Jewish Historical Quarterly 63 (Dec. 1973), No.2, pp. 111-37. 327/Stem 9

13 Irving Howe, World of Our Fathers: The Joume of the East Euro n Jews to America and the Life They Found and Made (New York: Harcourt, Brace, Jovanovich, 1 6 • V I:.. f..: T 'f., i /.. f ~(A.,\,u. ;lj,,,./) U

NEHGS NEXUS, Vol. IV, No.5 233

Latvia, Galicia, and BUkovina, with names of resi­ dents. Mention is also made in the town entries of additional references in the Encyclopedia Judaica, Bed Kagan's book on Hebrew Subscription Lists, and Wooden Synagogues by Maria Kazimierz Pie­ chotka. At the end of Cohen's book is a listing of obituaries which appeared in the Hebrew newspa­ per Hatzejira in Warsaw from 1875 to 1896. The history of Sephardi Jewry is told in The Road from Babylon: The Story of Sephardi and Oriental Jews by Chaim Raphael. Numerous illus­ trations and several maps, along with a survey of the life and culture of the Jews of Spain under Is­ lam and Christianity, make this ambitious volume a Miriam Weiner valuable source for those with Sephardic roots. Rabbi Marc D. Angel, rabbi of the Spanish­ Portuguese synagogue in New York, writes about Jewish Genealogy the Sephardic experience in America in his book La America. In 1971, Stephen Birmingham wrote The By Miriam Weiner, G. C. Grandees: America's Sephardic Elite,• based largely JEWISH GENEALOGY 'BY THE BOOK' on the genealogies available in Rabbi Malcolm H. Stern's Americans ofJewish Descent. Birmingham "Where do I start?" That is the question asked tracked down many of the present-day descendants most frequently of genealogists. of early Jewish Americans and retold their stories. Fortunately for the family historian and those In 1984, David S. Zubatsky and Irwin M. Berent learning about their Jewish roots, the number of published Jewish Genealogy: A Sourcebook of books on this fascinating subject is increasing as in­ Family Histories and Genealogies, a comprehensive terest in this field grows. The first major publica­ compilation of Jewish families that have already tion was Dan Rottenberg's Finding OurFathers·. It been researched. The listings refer the reader to ar­ includes a country-by-country guide to tracing Jew­ chival repositories and libraries where one can find ish ancestors abroad; a guide to Jewish sources and Jewish genealogies, both published and unpub­ public records in the United States; and a descrip­ lished, family histories, and individual family tion of archives in Israel ::'.long with their holdings. names. The introduction contains a list of genea­ Also included is a list of 8,000 Jewish family logical sources and valuable hints for the beginning names, giving their origins, sources of information and experienced researcher. about each family, and the names of related fami­ A work which has been described as the defini­ lies whose histories have already been recorded. tive guide for Jewish genealogists is Arthur Kurz­ The one person who has perhaps the most influ­ weil'; From Generation to Generation.· Published ence on the growing field of Jewish genealogy is in 1980, it helped spark the growing interest today's Rabbi Malcolm Stern, the genealogist ofthe Ameri­ generation has in our past and in the Jewish lives of can Jewish Archives and an expert in early Ameri­ our ancestors. In addition to the detailed descrip­ can Jewish history. His Americans of Jewish De­ tion of archival sources and procedures for begin­ scent is a collection and compilation of genealogies ning research, the reader is treated to the author's of Jewish families who were in North America warm and personal account of his own experience prior to 1840. The book traces these early American in discovering the links to his past and the richness Jewish families from their arrival in America to the of his heritage. present. In My Generations: A Course in Jewish Family An updated version of Rabbi Stern's book has History, Kurzweil has produced a book written es­ been published under the title First American Jew­ pecially for children which contains both things to ish Families,· which consists of 600 genealogies read and things to do. There are spaces for photo­ from 1654 to 1977. The index contains more than graphs, documents, family recipes, yahrzeit (memo­ 40,000 names. Unfortunately, both of these books rial) records, and family trees. This unique book, are out of print and can only be found in libraries. which has been used by Jewish groups of all ages as For those trying to locate their ancestral homes in a tool for the exploration of our Jewish past, pre­ eastern Europe, the Shtetl Finder by Chester G. sents a wonderful opportunity for parents and chil­ Cohen is a good place to start. This gazetteer (145 dren to share a project together. pages) includes a listing of Jewish communities in In 1984 the first International Seminar on Jewish the 19th and early 20th centuries in the Pale of Set­ Genealogy was held in Jerusalem. The chairwoman tlement of Russia and Poland, and in Lithuania, for that event was Dr. Sallyann Amdur Sack, the 234

founding president of the Jewish Genealogy Society of Greater Washington. Her outstanding guide to research in Israel, which was researched and pre­ pared for the conference, resulted in That We May Remember. Now Dr. Sack has updated her work and has recently published A Guide to Jewish Ge­ nealogical Research in Israel. • In her book, Sack includes sections on Yad Vashem, the Central Archives for the History of the Jewish People, the Jewish National and Univer­ sity Library, the Israel State Archives, the Jewish Agency's Search Bureau for Missing Relatives, the Central Zionist Archives, the Jerusalem Municipal­ ity Historical Archives, and chevrot kadisha (burial societies), as well as sources outside of Jerusalem and valuable appendices of Yizkor books, Land­ manshaftn societies and location maps for the vari­ ous archives. According to Kurzweil, "Sallyann Sack has not only written what is surely the most thorough guide to genealogical sources in Israel. She has also of­ fered an absolutely convincing case that a trip to Israel will serve the Jewish family historian well. And, at the same time, she has transformed the ge­ nealogical quest from a pastime into a pilgrimage." Now that her book exists, many Jewish genealogists will wonder how we got along without it. • • • • • For an e.y:tensive bibliography on Jewish genealogy, Jewish history, and genealogy in general, send a self-addressed stamped envelope and $2.50 to Miriam Weiner, 136 Sandpiper Key, Secaucus, NJ 07094. Ms. Weiner spoke at the Society last May 31 on researching easter European families.

*Books so marked are currently in the NEHGS col­ lections.

UTAH VALLEV FHC JEWISH GENEALOGY

GENERAL CONSIDERATIONS

1. As recently as 1900, 81 percent of the world's Jews lived in Europe. Now over 50 percent of all Jews live in English-speaking lands, particularly in North and South America.

2. The great a-.ajority of Jews as a group have come from Poland. lithuania and Poland were among the last countries that were Christianized. '~ile the land of Israel may be the ancient ancestral homeland of the Jewish people, Poland is the more immediate ancestral homeland of most of today's world Jewish population. 1t (Finding Our Fathers: A GuidebooR to jewish Genea 109Y, by Dan Rottenberg, p. 44). ' - . -, ,

3· Most of the older Jewish documents and manuscripts are in Hebrew. However. the dominant spoken language of the Jews today is English.

4. The beginning steps in searching for your American Jewish ancestors are basically the same as,if you were searching for genttle ancestry in America, i.e., consulting: relatives, cemeteries, vital records of the county, state and church, Federal census records, probate records, National Archives collections, immigration and naturalization records, obituaries, etc.

5. Two major problems encountered in Jewish research are those associated with 1) names and naming customs, and 2) group and individual migrations. The Genealogical Society in Salt Lake City recently microfilmed the material in the American Jewish Archives in Cincinnati, Ohio, which is .one of the great libraries in the western hemisphere for Jewish manuscripts of many sorts. The Genealogical Society has on microfi 1m an excellent ,collection of Jewish records from Poland, Hungary, France, and Germany • ..... 7. Arthur Kurzweil offers a consulting service for Jew; sh research by correspondence. The address is JHnSH GENEALOGY RESEARCH SERVICE,'P-;-&: , .Sex 126, Flushing, New 'fOlk J1361-.C\"u\:! "T't>L.o()o",:~ J" ...... ,., ... l "'~ .\c.\,oVj~" G-c."4,,t .. ~ 8.

9. A suggested general approach to American Jewish research would include 'the following:

a. Learn the normal research strategies associated with locating record sources in America. b. Study the history and culture of Jewry and note particularly Jewish naming customs and migrations as they might relate to your own ethnic background.

c. learn of the ava i1 able reference sources peculiar to Jewish research, such as ,guidebooks, encyclopedias, periodicals, family histories and special bibliographies.

d. Acquire knowledge of the major Jewish libraries in the country, 1.e•• the matn subject holdings, size of collection, accessibility of materials. access tools for locati~g genealogical information, special services, their address, and determine whether or not the Genealogical Society has similar materials on microfilm. JEVISH GENEALOGY GENERAL CONSIDERATIONS (cont 1 d)

e. Consul t with profess Jonals when necessary.

f. If applicable, learn Hebrew. g. Subscribe to Toledot.

HISTORICAL BACKGROUND

1. The DIASPORA - Disaspora is a Greek word meaning "dispe.rsion", which has been applied since classical times to the Jewish settlements outside of Palestine. The existence of such Jewish groups goes back to the close of the First Temple period. The Jews were scattered at the time of the overthrow of the Kingdom of Judah into approximately 127 provinces of the Persian Empire. (The Standard Jewish Encyclopedia, 1959 ed.~ p. 556) 2. Two Major Ethnic Groups:

a. SEPHARDI C- These are the Span ish-Portugese Jews who \'1ere named after the Asiatic region of Sepharad which was located north of Palestine where they initially settled. This group moved into Spain and in the Middle Ages was given the name of Sephardi. Those that were expelled from Spain in 1492 during the Inquisition were officially known as Sephardi.

They then settled on the coasts of North Africa (Marrocco), some in Egypt, Palestine, Syria, the Balkans, Salonica, and Constaninop1e (Northern and Eastern Europe) • Many refugees a 1so went to England· and Holland from Portugal.

The so-called Oriental Jews are usually grouped with the Sephardic because of the similar characteristics. The Sephardim have darker complexions than the Ashkenazim. They speak Judeo-Spanish known as ladino. They use the pronunciations of ancient Judea, ~ich is the official dialect of modern Israel.

The earlier traditions of the middle ages have dwindled considerably so as to minimize the relative importance of the ethnic group. The earl iest Jewish settlements in America were made by the Sephardim in I 65lt.

It is estimated that there are approximately 1,000,000 Sephardic Jews in the world today. Characteristically, this group of Jews generally mark their graves with flat horizontal stones rather than, vertical or upright stones as do the Ashkenazim.

b. ASHKEAAZI C- These are the German-Pol ish Jews who came from Babylonia and Mesopotamia by way of Southern Russia and settled in Germany, Poland and other parts of eastern Europe during the Middle Ages. The Ashkenazic generally include all Jews of European origin and customs and hence Western Jewry with the exce'ption of the small Spanish­ Portugese Sephardic groups. JEWISH GENEALOGY HISTORICAL BACKGROUND (cont'd)

'~hese two main divisiOns of world Jewry have persisted to the present. Despite the generally successful attempt to weld the State of Israel into one cohesive national entity, the present population is still divided into these two well-defined groups, the ASHKENAZIM from Europe and the countries of Western civilization' and the SEPHARDIM from the countries of the Orient and Northern Africa, and the difference is marked in such spheres as religious customs, Hebrew pronunciation, and synagogal cantillation." (The Enc clo dia of the Jewish Reli ion, 1966, by Dr. R. J. Zwi Werblowsky and Dr. Geoffrey Wigoder, p. 5. Before 1933 the Ashkenazic constituted approximately nine-tenths of the Jewish population (15,000,000 out of 16,500,000). The Holocaust of lq~q-~; lowered it to Q.500.000 out of 11,500,000.

THE HEBRE\-1 CALENDAR

"The Hebrew calendar was probably designed by the patriarch Hi llel 11 in the fourth century C.E. He calculated the age of the ~rld by computing literal ages of Biblical characters and other chronological references in the Scriptures and came up with a calendar that began 3,760 years before the Christian calendar.

'~hus, to translate Hebrew dates to Christian-era dates, subtract 3,760 from the Hebrew date. To translate Christian to Hebrew, add 3,760. The Christian year 1.977, for example is the Hebrew year 5737. Since the Hebrew year begins in ~he preceding September or October, the dates 1isted for the mqnths of Tishri, Heshvan, Kislev and sometimes Tebet must be read in the Christian calendar as applying to the preceding year. In other words, for those months, subtract 3,761 from the Hebrew year to arrive at the Christian year. (The terms B.C.E. and C.E. are the Jewish variations of B.C. and A.D. respectively. B.C.E. stands for ''before Conmon Era," and C.E. stands for "CommonEra." They are simply the form Jews use for referring to dates in the Christian calendar without using the name of Christ.) ~\~'~~. ~~. '~he Universal Jewish Encyclopedia has a perpetual Hebrew-Christian calendar covering the Christian years 1800-2000. The Encyclopedia Judiaca has a perpetual calendar covering 1900 to 2000. These enable you to translate precise Hebrew dates into precise Christian dates. The Jewish Encyclopedia provides a formula for coverting any precise Hebrew date into a precise Chr"istian date; see its article onCalendars." (from Dan Rottenberg's Finding Our Fathers: A Guidebook to Jewish Genealogy, p. 46). .f<.e...F- t1lfO .))~S)-'

FAMILY RELATIONSHIPS AND CUSTOMS C~l turally, and partly out ~fnecessity, Jews have married close relatives. fl rst -Cous in marriages were corrmon and legal among the Jews. In the past, marriages were also convnon between uncles and nieces, and aunts and nephews. Such marriage unions were more common among Sephardic Jews than among the A5hkenazic. These types of marriages simplify genealogical research to some degree in that fewer direct lines need to be traced. However, calculating unsuspecting. relationships may prove to be perplexing. JEWISH GENEALOGY FAMILY RELATIONSHIPS AND CUSTOMS (cont'd)

Up to about 1900 it was common for Jews to marry early. Although not customary, marriages of young men occurred between the ages of 15 and 13 and young women between 14 and 18. Some marriages occurred at an earlier age but the newlyweds did not live together until the middle or late teens.

The Jews believe tn the divine injuncticm to "Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth." Birth control practices were shunned. Because their culture espoused words of wisdom regarding good personal hygiene and the eating of certain foods, the infant mortality rates have been relatively low. However, the mortality rate from persecutions has impeded the normal expected growth rate of Jewish populations.

JE\/ISH ON011ATOlOGY (Naming Customs)

1. Prefixes - The term "Ben" in Hebrew means "son of" which is a 1iteral reference to the blood father. The term "Bat" means "daughter of" which is a literal reference to the blood father. Example: Isaiah Ben Elijah is translated as Isaiah the son of Elijah.

ll In Arabic the term "Ibn" or "aben means IIson of" and is often· associated with the name of some early ancestor. Example: The Ibn Ezra Family, theoretically can trace its genealogy to the Bibl icalEzra, the scribe. 2. Name of Children - The Ashkenazic and Sephardic, as with many cultural groups, name their children after their ancestors. Historically, the Jews have 9 i Yen their children two names, a re1igious name whi ch is used in the synagogue and a secular name (non-Jewish) which is used in everyday life. The non-Jewish names were generally Christian names \ihich conformed ~~ the naming traditions of the Gentile community. 3. Family Surnames - For many centuries back through time it was optional­ among the Jews whether or not to assume a family surname. It was not until the early 1800'5 that most Jewish families were encouraged and in some instances forced by the civic governments to be identified with a family surname. .

Under the Edict of Toleration in 1731, Emperor Joseph II of Austria was the first to require Jews to have family surnames. Many emperors followed suit shortly thereafter, Napoleon in 1808, Prussia in 1812, Russia 1804 and 1835. Depending on the emperor and location, some Jews were forced to give up so-ca11 ed Chr is t i an names, and others cou1d not use names of . locstions or names of famous fami 1ies, whi le on the other hand, some were permitted to use place names and Christian names. As with most popular surnames today, Jewish names can also be traced to occupations, descri pt ions of family characteristics, local place names, patronymics, and family symbols. Some unusual sources for Jewish names have come from animals and acronyms. JEWISH GENEALOGY JEWI SH ONOMATOLOGY (cont'd)

4. Onomatology - The study of the origin of names (forenames and surnames) is known as onomatology. With respect to Jewish onomatology the following interesting naming customs can be studied for background and pleasure: naming after ancestors, peculiar naming customs of the Sephardic and Ashkenazic, use of Biblical names, modern naming customs, translations of names, sources of names i.e., patronymics, place names, vocation or occupational, etc., telescoped names, apheresis, apocopation and dimunitives, agglutinations, double names, unusual spellings, invented names, etc.

JEWI.SH LIBRARIES for GENEALOGICAL RESEARCH

JUDAICA LIBRARIES (Top Ten) Judaica volumes* YIVO Institute for Jewish 'Research, 1048 Fifth Avenue, New York, New York 10028 . •• 300,000 Klau Library, Hebrew Union College, 3101 Clifton Avenue, -Cincinnati, Ohio 45220•••••••••••••• ••• 250,000 Jewish Theological Seminary, 3080 Broadway, New York, New York 10027 . • 200,000 Harvard University, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02138 ••• • 150,000 Library of Congress, Washington, D.C. 20540 •••••• 150,000 Jewish Division, New York Public library, Fifth Avenue and . 42nd Street, New York, New.York 10018 ••••••••• .135,000 Yeshiva University, Hendel Gottesman Library of Judaica and Hebraica and Archives, Amsterdam Avenue and 185th Street, New York, New York 10033. •••••••••• 100,000 University of California at Los Angeles, 405 Hilgard Avenue, los Angeles, Ca 1i forn ia 90024 ••••••••• 90,000 Hebrew Union College, Jewish Institute of Religion, 40 West 68th Street, New York, New York 10023. •••• .. •• 90,000 Brandeis University, Waltham, Massachusetts 02154 • 78,000 * Estimates are from the American Jewish Yearbook ************ PUBLIC AND PRIVATE LIBRARIES (Top Ten) The Genealogical Department Library of the Church of Jesus Christ of latter­ day.. Saints, 50 East North Temple, salt Lake City, Utah 84150 Local History and Genealogy Division of the New York Public library, Fifth Avenue and 42nd Street, New York, New York 10018 The Genealogy Room of the Library of Congress, Washington, D.C. 205'.0 Boston Public library, Copley Square, 8oston,'Kassachusetts 02117 JEWISH GENEALOGY PUBLIC AND PRIVATE LIBRARIES (conttd)

Th~ N~w England Historic Genealogical Society Library, 101 Newbury Street, Boston, Massachusetts 02116 The Newberry Library, 60 West walton, Chicago, Illinois 60610 . The Los Angeles Public Library, 320 West Temple Street (mailing address Box 111), los Angeles, California 90053

The Virginia State library, Capitol Street, Richmond, Virginia 23219 The Indiana State library, 140 Senate Avenue, Indianapolis, Indiana- 46204

The Pennsylvania State library, Walnut Street and Commonwealth Avenue, (mailing address is Box 1601), Harrisburg, Pennsylvania 17126

JEWISH HISTORICAL SOCIETIES Jewish Historical Society of Southern lewish Historical Society of New Cal i fornia York 6505 Wilshire Blvd. l West 70th Street Los Angeles, California 90048 lew York, New York 10023 Jewish Historical Society of New :olumbus Jewish History Project Haven )hio Historical Society 1156 Chapel Street 1-71 and 17th Avenue Ne~'Haven, Connecticut 06511 ~lumbus, Ohio ~3211

Jewish Historical Society of Greater' ~regon Jewish Historical Society Hartford c/o Oregon Jewish Oral History 335 Bloomfield Avenue and Archives Project West Hartford, Connecticut 06117 6651 S.W. Capitol Highway Portland, Oregon 97219 Jewish Historical Society of Delaware Rhode Island Jewish Historical 204 Hitching Post Drive Assn. Wilmington, Delaware 19803 130 Sessions Street Providence, Rhode Island 02906 Jewish Historical Association of Southern Florida Jewish Historical Society of Greater 4200 Biscayne Blvd. Washington Miami, Florida 33137 4501 Connecticut Avenue N.W., Apt. 807 Washington, D.C. 20005 Jewish Historical Society of Indiana Southern Jewish Historical Society 215 E. Berry Street c/o Congregation Beth Ahadah Ft. Wayne, Indiana 46892 1111 W. Franklin Avenue Richmond, Virginia 23220 Jewish Hi,storical Society of Annapol is Jewish Archives Project 2!J Romar Street University of washington libraries Annapolis, Maryland 21403 Manuscript Collection Seattle, \lashington 98195 JEWISH GENEAlOGY JEWISH HISTORICAL SOCIETIES (con~'d)

Jewish Historical Society of Wisconsin Jewish Archives Maryl and State Historical Society of 5800 Park Heights Avenue Wisconsin Baltimore, Maryland 21215 816 State Street Madison, Wisconsin 53706 Jewish Historical Society of .Michigan Jewi sh Hi storicaI Society of 163 Madison Avenue Trenton Det roit, tH ch igan 1+8226 999 Lower Ferry Road Box 7249 Trenton, New Jersey 08628

JEWISH AGENCIES AND INFORMATION

1. For early American Jewry consult Malcolm H. Stern, author of Americans of Jewish Descent. Rabbi Malcolm H. Stern, Central Conference of American Rabbis, 790 Madison Avenue, New York, New York 10021. 2. Jewish Genealogical Newsletters: Toledot: The Journal of Jewish Genealogy Published by Toledot Press, 808 West End Avenue, Suite 1006, New York, New York 10025. $8.00/year Vol. 1 began in 1977. Publishes book reviews, art.icles on naturalization records, Je\'1ish names and source material and acquisitions of the Genealogical Society in Salt Lake City, Utah. Low­ level,. informative and a must for the would-be Jewish researcher.

J~'1ish Historical Society of Canada Journal Published by the Jewish Historical Society of Canada. Subscriptions should be sent to Canadian Jewish Congress, c/o Congregation Beth El, 2525 Hark Avenue, Windson, Ontario N9E 2W2. $6.00/year Vol 1 began in 1977. This is a scholarly publication which contains extracts and articles from professionals delivered at Laval University. G.ood references are noted plus excellent illustrations.

3· For Czechoslovakian Jews, consult the Society for the History of Czechoslovakian Jews, 25 Mayhew Avenue, Larchmont, New York 10538.

1+. for Hungarian Jews, consult the Work federation of Hungarian Jews, 136 East 39th Street, New York, New York 10016. 5. For locating Jewish communities, which are known as LANDMANSHAFTEN societies, consult local telephone directories. The YIVO Institute for Jewish Research (101+8 Fifth Avenue, New York, New York 10028) also serves as a good source of information. 6. For immigrat ions after 1911, consul t \/ith HIAS (Hebrew Immi grant Aid Society) 200 Park Avenue South, New York, New York 10003. 7. For tracing missing Jews, consult the following: * a. "Search and Location Department" United HIAS Service, 200 Park Avenue South, New York, New York 10003. -8-

JE~ISH GENEALOGY JEWISH AGENCIES AND INFORMATION (cont'd)

b. Yad Vashem, the Holocaust Memorial in Israel (Har Hazikaron, P.O. Box 84, Jerusalem), provides a service that registers Holocaust victims who were either killed during World War II or are thought to be living somewhere in the world. It has lists of people who came from Europe to Israel . after the war, and in some cases addresses.

c. The International Tracing Service in Arolsen, West Germany, specializes in tracing Holocaust survivors. It is the best of such tracing organizations, and has millions of names on file. Host of its records are also available at Yad Vashem in Israel. d. The Jewish Agency has a section that traces missing relatives in Israel. Its address: Missing Relatives Department, P.O. Box 92, Jerusalem. e. Americans and Canadians Aliyah (53A Hayarkon Street, Tel Aviv, Israel) ~lso traces missing relatives in Israel. * Dan Rottenberg's Finding Our Fathers, p. 82-83 Genealogical Journal, Volume 7, Number 4, December 1978 Genealogical Journal, Volume 7, Number 4, December 1978 Farming was not a natural ability for them, though there were a few Jewish plantation owners in the South, but by and large they were urban people" who "typically hugged the fringes of the tidewater.'" It should be noted here that because of their commercial activities they moved about frequently during the colonial period-not by choice, but rather by the very nature of JEWISH MIGRATION AND SETILEMENT their daily work. Also for those who desired to maintain their religious interests, it was necessary to remain as near a Jewish IN THE UNITED STATES, 1654-1860 community as possible." Colleen Gwynn* There were some defections, especially those isolated in the Jews in the New World go back to the days of the man who inland posts. Those who married Christian wives lost their chil­ proved the world was round-Christopher Columbus. Though dren to the faith of the mother--their children were raised as some people have set aside the theory that he was of Spanish­ Christians not as Jews." Jewish origin, it is known that Luis de Santangel who helped Unlike other immigrants, Jewish people came with several finance Columbus' first voyage was a Jew and so were members languages: Portuguese, Spanish, German, and Yiddish. Hebrew of that crew.1 Thus was their beginning-it had occurred! Some was never a language they used in common, it was for sacred years would pass before there would be others. purposes. Those who arrived in the seventeenth and eighteenth Mass mIgrations of Jewish people in the Colonial period are centuries struggled to acquire the dominant tongue, but in their not heard of, and for good reason; few came with a family-most homes and among themselves, they used the mother tongue.10 were young and unmarried. During this time period only two It has been said that in counting Jews among the total pop­ landings are considered as having a significant number of people. ulation studies, the good Jewish names could not always be deter­ The first was to New Amsterdam in 1654 with twenty-three mined without some difficulty. The whole business of Jewish people aboard, and the other not until 1733 when less than 100 names is quite confusing since there was a definite tendency on arrived in Savannah, Georgia. It would not be until the 1880s 2 the part of the immigrants to drop their Spanish and their Ger­ that real mass movements of Jewish people would begin. man Jewish names while in England thus appropriating English Most Jews coming to America prior to 1720 were of Spanish­ names. Thus in the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries, we Portuguese stock-the European Sephardim-from Holland, find them using "Phillips, Brown, Rice, Hays, Henry, Laney, England, and their Caribbean extensions, and also Italy. There Simpson, Jones.... "ll Also as was common among all people at were very few who came directly from the Iberian Peninsula. that time, a man in writing a document might spell his name sev­ Ethnically and ritually those immigrants afterward were of Ash­ eral different ways.12 kenazic "stock" meaning that their ancestors were originally from Central and Eastern Europe, and that "they or their "Almost always the acquisition of a graveyard has been the parents spoke Yiddish, a German dialect.":! first step in the founding of a new Jewish community ... [in] Most Jews who came to British North America sailed from Newport the cemetery deed furnishes ... evidence--the names British ports, usually London. Therefore, England outstripped of the two Jews who acquired a tract of land for burial pur­ any other land in providing Jewish immigrants. Though sailing poses.... "13 Goodman goes on to say, "The cemetery, by the way, from England, it must be realized that Jews from Eastern has become a famous landmark of Newport, and its dead have Europe had been migrating into England for some years prior to been immortalized in a poem by Longfellow."H The cemetery was mig-ration to the New World, so not all who came were "native" first but the synagogue came later, sometimes many years later. to England! For the genealogist, this is a key point to remember. Whether or not their tradition of "burying their dead within A prominent author of Jewish history, Jacob R. Marcus, twenty-four hours"16 of their death had anything to do with it, I stated, "The motivation that determined Jewish settlement was have not determined. not a greater or lesser degree of religious tolerance or freedom, These "unsung, unremembered"'" people "survived as Jews but r~ther economic advantage. Weak in capital, but strong in and became Americans, ceasing to be German, Spaniards, Poles ambItIon.. " the largest number of Jewish immigrants who sailed and Britons."17 As our" 'America, the Melting Pot' ... implies ~A~erica were "economically venturesome businessmen."6 ....w.e are a nation of many nationalities, from each other in " *A.S. degree in genealogy from Brigham Young University. Address: tradItIon, background, customs and in some instances in outward 323 Bevan Way, Tooele, UT 84074. appearance."I" Though minor in numbers in those formative 214 215 Genealogical.!ountal, Volume 7, Number 4, December 1978 Gel1J'a/ogical.J{)urnal, Volume 7, Number 4, December 1978 years, if one is interested in the imprint of the Jew of that time, It is important for the genealogist to know that the Revolu­ he needs only to be diligent in the pursuit. tionary War disrupted the community in New York.30 Also "most Settlements of the Jewish businessmen who settled in the villages of Long New Amsterdarn,...--New York: The Hudson River September Island and Connecticut had originally come from the Jewish 1654-Brazilian-Dutch-Jewish refugees landed in New Amster­ metropolis on the Hudson."'" dam and held religious services there long before the majority of Georgia: Though not presented in its time sequence of settle­ Protestant sects had established themselves in this country.'" ment, Georgia was the area which received in 1733 the other There were twenty-three in this group, and "whether the com­ migration group noted as largest in number prior to the 1880s. ing of these men was carefully planned or was accidental" is not Though Georgia originally hoped to maintain a Protestant Col­ known, but it was "one phase of the steady movement of Jewish ony, the Jews were, in the beginning, only "grudgingly tol­ emigration from the East toward the West."20 These new arrivals erated."n But by 1735 there were more foreigners than British­ were described as "healthy but poor"~I-so poor that they could a "motley colony"-a Noah's Ark of English, Germans, Irish, not pay their passage and were taken to court by the Ship's Cap­ Salzburgers, Moravians, Scotch Highlanders, and Catholics. So tain. The court ruled that their possessions should be taken for Jews were not noticed too much, and Georgia's governor had payment, but even that did not satisfy the bill, so two were to be welcomed them. They had all started out as farmers, but within held in jail as sureties until the bill was paid.2z It can be said: a year or two of their arrival, a number of the Jews had switched the Jews were not welcomed. to shopkeeping and the coastal trade. In Georgia, they were Peter Stuyvesant's solution was that they must go. And accorded civil rights and served in the militia."" But in 1740, dif­ though the order was out, no note is found that it was carried ficulties in Georgia caused the early settlers to leave. Of those out. Soon another group came from Holland-the Municipal who left, South Carolina, New York, and Pennsylvania were the Court declared they must go. However aggravating it was to the states they generally departed to. Then again in 1750, the Jews community, the Jews were still not expelled. There were those were returning to Georgia.:l4 who maintained the Jew's greed and religion would damage The genealogist should be aware that the majority of Jews others of the community spiritually and economically.z3 Though who came into Georgia were of the "Spanish Portuguese" stock. they were not granted the right to establish a synagogue, a "spe­ Newport, Rhode Island: It was the "largest and busiest cial burial ground was set aside for their dead."z~ harbor" in the country; a natural for the Jews. Tradition has them there in the 1650s and it is known that in 1677 they had In New Amsterdam the Jews were forbidden to purchase purchased land for a cemetery. Their origin, probably, Bar­ homes, practice a craft, sell retail or trade with outlying settle­ badians. When Newport Jewry disbanded in 1685, some went to ments and the Indians. They were also not to stand guard in the New York.35 It did, however, grow again. militia, hold public religious meetings, hold public office nor to 25 Without taking the oath of allegiance, they could not vote vote. The reader might well ask, "What was there left to do?" or hold office, though they did enjoy "equal economic opportun­ There is, however, in court records evidence of active commercial 26 ity and freedom of worship." Naturalization of two Jews was domestic trade. refused to 1762 so one went to Massachusetts and the other to As indicated above, though they were not allowed or called New York for a period oftime."6 on for military duty in 1655, males ages 16-60 exempted from In 1776 Newport was captured by the British which caused such duty were taxed, which the poor could not afford.27 The last the community of Jews to go into exile--many of the refugees of what might be called "medieval restrictions"28 was that the went to Leicester, Massachusetts. Some returned after the war, Jews were denied citizenship. but many of the merchants had settled in New York with others 37 In 1685 they were still refused the right to public worship going to Philadelphia, Charlestolll and Savannah. It has been and without a synagogue they continued to worship in their suggested by Marcus, perhaps the creation of a congregation was homes as they had from the time of their arrival in New Amster­ what attracted other Jews to settle in Newport-some who might dam. The year 1695 did bring a change for them-a synagogue, otherwise have settled in Boston."" one of the first in the English Colonies. Though they had been It is interesting to note here that "Sentiment caused the under English rule since Hi64, New Amsterdam at that time descendants of many of the original families to direct that their became New York, their overall situation had not changed that remains should be buried in the old cemetery, where entombments much. It was not until 1784 that the congregation was permitted show interments during the entire period down to 1855."30 2 Pennsylvania: Jewish traders arrived and settled in South­ to incorporate. " eastern Pennsylvania before Penn's arrival in 1682,40 Geograph- 216 217 (;enralogiral.Jol/rnnl, Volume 7, Numher 4, December 1978 Genenlogicnl.Jo1l1'nn1, Volume 7, Numher 4, December 1978 ically, Jewish groups established settlements in Easton Lan­ lowing: "A resident of New York ... about to set out to sea, caster, Reading, and Philadelphia. A survey conducted in Easton makes his will in South Carolina."" revealed the following occupations: "Clerk of Court Lawyer, South Carolina: Individual Jews came to Charleston as early Carpenter, Smith, Ferryman, two Tavern Keeper;, Baker, as 1695. But it was not until 1730-1740 that Jewish settlers of Butcher, Mason, and Shopkeeper."·' Heidelburg and other vil­ any number began to arrive. It was not an area of rapid growth lages and townships by 1750 were also residences for "isolated and expansion.·' "Although German or Ashkenazic Jews were in families, or groups." They could be found as far west as the foot­ the minority in Charleston, they were by no means less im­ hills of the Blue Ridge Mountains. Lancaster had a little com­ portant ... "40 Many years later history would indicate that in munity and a cemetery.42 the South, Charleston had "sheltered the largest Jewish Com­ Goodman relates the following: munity."50 "An old newspaper account describes the celebration of Virginia: Though individual Jews moved in and out, the old­ Independence Day in Philadelphia when the Constitu­ est and most populous colony, Virginia, was the last to establish tional Convention was gathered there in 1787. Because an organized Jewish community, the first being at Richmond of the import of the day and the prominence of the del­ after the Revolutionary War.51 Many years later, the Germans egates assembled, a special observance was in order. would establish another in 1839 and those from Poland another Accordingly, a great parade was organized, and the in 1856.52 committee on arrangements noted that this was the first Other places to note: " ... new centers of Jewish life ... by time Philadelphia had seen "the Clergy of different 1860 had sprung up across the continent." New York being the Christian demoninations with the Rabbi of the Jews port of entry, accounted for 40,000 and Philadelphia 20,000. The walking arm in arm."·" ' communities of Charleston and Savannah showed no such Ma:uland: Historically each colony determined its policies growth. Boston, Massachusetts 1842; in New York-Albany, con~ermng ~he Non-Conformist and alien. Therefore, during this Syracuse, Rochester, and Buffalo; New Haven and Hartford in perIOd of hIstory, the Jews' legal status varied from colony to Connecticut in 1840s; New Jersey-Paterson late 1840s and colony. Briefly, according to law, Jewish residents in Maryland Elizabeth 1857; Pennsylvania-Easton 1839, Pittsburgh 1846, were without civil rights, though in practice they were allowed Wilkes-Barre, Harrisburg, and the pre-revolutionary community a number of undefined privileges. Because of this many Jews of Lancaster had gone out of existence, but new area opened tended to avoid Maryland as a place of settlement. Though al­ again in 1856; Maryland-Baltimore had two congregations in ~o~ed free~om of worship in North Carolina, they were disqual­ 1838 and others by 1853; North Carolina had a burial plot in IfIed as offICe holders. Because of religious freedom in New Jer­ 1852; South Carolina in addition to older settlement-Columbia sey, freedom was granted to all except papists, few Jews settled in 1860; Georgia-in addition to older settlement, Augusta 1850, there." Columbus 1854, Macon 1859; Ohio Valley-Cincinnati in 1824, in 1839 Cleveland, and in 1840s arriving Germans formed another Thoug~ previously defeated in 1819, the Jew Bill did pass in in Cincinnati, in 1860s Columbus, Dayton, and Akron; St. Louis 1.826--bl?ttmg out "forever the stain upon Maryland's Constitu­ in 1836 but these were not the first Jews to the area, earlier ones ~Ion." .PrIor to that time Jews had been denied the rights of cit­ Izenshlp!5 were so isolated that they had intermarried and were "lost to the faith"; Kentucky-Louisville in 1842 and those from Poland It?orth .Carolina: Though Colonial and Revolutionary North established another in 1856; Alabama-as early as 1785, but the Caroh~a dId not give "political and religious liberties" to the first congregation was at Mobile in 1844 and Montgomery !ews, It really was not the total reason for their lack of interest in 1852; Illinois as early as 1818, 1845 German immigrants have m the.area. A better evaluation would be that the "coast was bad, burial plot; Indiana-Fort Wayne, LaFayette, Evansville, in p~oprIetors were negligent, the government inadequate, and 1856 the first congregation in Indianapolis; Iowa: reported Buf­ pIrates abounded ... problems of land holding ... few markets fering an invasion in the first decade of statehood, those from a~d towns ... " but "by middle of the eighteenth century indi­ Eastern Europe established one center and those from Germany VIdual Jews were found scattered in the principal townS."40 another; Wisconsin-in Milwaukee "Forty eighters" arrived 1665 was the earliest date for Jews in North Carolina. Some soon after 1848; Michigan-Detroit in 1850 and in the 1860s di­ Piople came as refugees from Barbados. In the very early days vided and formed another; California-San Francisco with ten o .the ~olony Jews found or had business connections with rel­ congregations prior to Civil War, Sacramento one, and in the atIves In the Carolinas which perhaps is the reason for the fol- mining areas, a dozen appeared and vanished; Oregon-Portland 218 219 (;enenlofI1:cnl.}ournnl, VoJunw 7, Numner 4, Decemher 1978 Genealogical Journal, Volume 7, Number 4, December 1978 in 1858; and Texas-Houston, San Antonio, Galveston all prior individuals everywhere who have been so dedicated and selfless to the Civil War, with individuals coming much earlier.tiS that I share the story which generated Simon Wolf's book. Summary: A quick glance for the genealogist will somewhat A printed letter in 1891 in the North American Review re­ summarize some of the above areas, "Though by 1820 eleven new garding the services of American Jewish citizens as soldiers in states had been admitted, Vermont, Kentucky, Tennessee, Ohio, the Civil War caught his attention: Louisiana, Indiana, Missouri, Illinois, Alabama, Maine, and Mis­ ... I cannot remember meeting one Jew in uniform, or souri no Jews were known to have been living there at that time.5< hearing of any Jewish soldier and after ... twenty- Individuals might have, but not groups. five years ... (of) traveling among old soldiers ... An additional step back in time: 1790 following the Revolu­ I have never found any who remembered serving with tion, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, and Connecticut had only Jews.... If so many Jews fought so bravely for their scattered families, and Delaware, New Jersey, Maryland, and adopted country, surely their champion ought to be able North Carolina also did not have Jewish communities-each had to give names of the regiments they condescended to only a "very few," a "handful" or "scattered families."65 accept service in....60 Jewish migration effects upon populations summarized Upon reading the above letter, Wolf states, " ... I deter­ below: mined to give to the world, as complete as I might find possible, 1820 estimated 4,000 Jews in country a list of American citizens of Jewish faith who had 'stood 1850 50,000 """ shoulder to shoulder on the field of battle."61 He originally 1860 150,000 "" started with the intent that it would take "no more than six It is estimated that between 1850-1860 two million migrants months" to compile the material-but the project took four years flowed into the United States and that the Jewish people repre­ of continuous work to complete. In conclusion, he states of his sented only 5 percent of that total.M Their movement within the work, "It is now conclusively shown that the enlistment of United States was reflected in the various places noted under Jewish soldiers, north and south, reached proportions consider­ that paragraph heading. ably in excess of their ratio to the general population."62 Source Materials: The genealogist should be aware that If we only had more in the world so interested in preserving though the records are "not complete"-those available indicate some portion of the heritage that is theirs. I am grateful for Jews were naturalized in the following colonies: Massachusetts, Simon Wolf and others past and present for contributions that New York, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, and possibly Mary­ continue to live so many years after, opening doors which other­ land.51 wise would not have opened to us. Marcus states, "Printed sources dealing with Jews of the The following thoughts expressed by Peter Wiemik in his colonial and early national days are by no means plentiful. preface appropriately summarizes a fact not thoroughly under­ Letters ... supplement the printed documentary data ... and stood by many: are a prime source of information." Though not always avail­ Where we thrive we take root.... The earliest prob­ able because they" ... no longer exist-or we cannot find them. lems of Jews in a new country is not how to make a Furthermore, few have been published, and there is no union list living, but how to escape being completely absorbed by of manuscripts."6H the native population. The history of the Jews in a local­ Recent strides continue to be made in this area, Dan Rot­ ity therefore begins with the effort to strengthen tenberg's book, F'inding Our Fathers: A Guidebook to Jewish Judaism to organize communal life to achieve a lasting Genealogy is an excellent reference tool for how-to-do and where­ adjustment as Jews.... The continuity of our identity to-find. He has noted libraries and historical societies in the as a religious community. Local history really begins United States and Abroad. He also indicates, Malcom H. Stem's with the formation of a congregation.63 book, Americans of Jewish Descent is being updated and cor­ If the genealogist can grasp this concept, especially as it relates rected.59 It should not be overlooked, as it is a very valuable to Jewish migration and settlement in the United States, tracing source. the whereabouts of the Jewish family might be somewhat easier. Another excellent source which should be included and has CITIES IN 1860 WITH JEWISH COMMUNITIES6. a background to its compilation and printing is Simon Wolf's Akron, Ohio LaFayette, Illinois book, The American Jew as Patriot, Soldier, and Citizen. As gen­ Albany, New York Lancaster, Pennsylvania ealogists we need to be aware of the effort and dedication of Augusta, Georgia Louisville, Kentucky others who made and continue to make available records which Baltimore, Maryland Macon, Georgia would otherwise be lost or destroyed. It is in appreciation for Boston, Massachusetts Milwaukee, Wisconsin 220 221 Genealogical Journal, Volume 7, Number 4, December 1978 Genealogical Journal, Volume 7, Number 4, December 1978 Buffalo, New York Mobile, Alabama 27Ibid., p. 87. 2sMarcus, Early, Vol. 2, p. 42. Chicago, Illinois New Haven, Connecticut 29Goodman, American, pp. 96, 102, 104, 105. Cincinnati, Ohio New Orleans, Louisiana 30Learsi, The Jews, p. 42. Cleveland, Ohio New York City, New York 81 Marcus, Colonial, Vol. 2, p. 578. Columbia, South Carolina Paterson, New Jersey 32Marcus, Early, Vol. 2, p. 387. Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 83Ibid., pp. 285, 287. Columbus, Georgia 34Lebeson, pp. 107-9. Columbus, Ohio Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 35Marcus, Early, Vol. 2, p. 386 and Colonial, Vol. 1, p. 307. Dayton, Ohio Portland, Oregon 36Goodman, pp. 54-58. Elizabeth, New Jersey Richmond, Virginia 37Learsi, p. 32. Evansville, Indiana Rochester, New York 3sMarcus, Early, Vol. 1, p. 117. 3"Peter Wiernik, History of the Jews in America (New York: Jewish Fort Wayne, Indiana St. Louis, Missouri History Publishing Company, 1931), p. 101. Galveston, Texas Sacramento, California 4°Learsi, p. 33. Harrisburg, Pennsylvania San Antonio, Texas 41 Lebeson, p. 94. Hartford, Connecticut San Francisco, California 42Marcus, Early, Vol. 2, p. 5. Savannah, Georgia 43Goodman, p. 203. Houston, Texas "Lebeson, PP. 119-20. Indianapolis, Indiana Syracuse, New York 45Joseph L. Blau and Salo W. Baron, The Jews of the United States, Keokuk, Iowa Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania 1790-1840: A Documentary History (New York: Columbia University Press, 1963) pp. 45-55, 64. 46Marcus, Ellrly, Vol. 2, pp. 271-72. HLebeson, p. 103. 4sMarcus, Early, Vol. 2, p. 386. FOOTNOTES 41'Lebeson, p. 107. IJacob R. Marcus, Early American Jewry (Philadelphia: Jewish Pub­ 50Marcus, Early, Vol. 2, p. 272. lication Society of America, 1951), Vol. 1, p. ix. 5'lbid., pp. 165, 188. 2Ibid., pp. 380, 392. 52Learsi, p. 68. 3Jacob R. Marcus, Early American Jewry (Philadelphia: Jewish Pub­ 68Ibid., pp. 66-75. lication Society of America, 1955), Vol. 2, pp. 256, 258, 390-91. See also 54Ibid., p. 53. Vol. 1. 56 Marcus, Early, Vol. 2, pp. 519-20. 4Ibid., p. 261. 56Learsi, pp. 64-65. 6Ibid., pp. 388, 391. 57 Marcus, Early, Vol. 2, p. 516. "Rufus Learsi, The Jews in America: A History (New York: KTAV 5sMarcus, Early, Vols. 1, 14, 15. Publishing House, 1972), pp. 34-35. 59Dan Rottenberg, Finding Our Fathers: A Guidebook to Jewish Gen­ 7Jacob R. Marcus, The Colonial American Jew, 1492-1776 (Detroit: ealogy (New York: Random House, 1977). Wayne State University Press, 1970), Vol. 1, p. 292. 60 Simon Wolf, The American Jew lUI Patriot, Soldier and Citizen sMarcus, Early, Vol. 2, pp. 393,396. (Philadelphia: Levytype Co., 1895), p. 1. ' "Learsi, The Jews, p. 38. 61 Ibid., p. 8. IOIbid., p. 37. 62Ibid., p. 10. IlMarcus, Early, Vol. 2, pp. 249, 392. 68Wiernik, pp. ix, x, xi. 12Ibid., p. xv. 64Learsi, pp. 70-71. 13Abram Vossen Goodman, American Overture (Philadelphia: Jewish Publication Society of America, 1947), p. 38. Hlbid. 16Marcus, Colonial, Vol. 1,292. 16Anita Libman Lebeson, Pilgrim People (New York: Harper and Brothers, 1950), p. xii. 17Marcus, Early, Vol. 2, p. 508. lsThe Jews in American Life, Edited by Rachel Davis-Dubois and Emma Schweppe (New York: Thomas Nelson and Sons, 1935), p. 1::1. 19Marcus, EJarly, Vol. 1, p. ix. 2°Ibid., p. 22. 2lGoodman, American, pp. 74,76. 22Ibid. 23Ibid., pp. 77, 79-80. 24Ibid., p. 85. 26Marcus, Early, Vol. 2, pp. 34-42. 26Goodman, American, p. 90. 222 223 JEWISH SYNAGOGUE RECORDS

Minute Books Some European synagogues and most American ones kept minutes of either congregational meetings or meetings of the board of trustees. These rarely

date from the founding of the congregation, but only from the period when

the commu~ity erected its synagogue. But synagogue fires often occurred or the secretaries frequently kept the records at home, so many of th~e

are lost.

Account Books These share the history of the minute books. They may often be included among the minutes. The accounts are, of course. valuable for the lists of

names they p.rovide. They also may indicate how long a speci fie individual resided in that community, although the individual may not have been identified

with the synagogue for the entir-e duration of his sojourn. A-special type

of account book is often keJX in the Orthodox synagogue to conform to those

traditions which prohibit the carrying of money on the Sabbath yet require the auctioning of ritual privileges in the synagogue during the Sabbath

services. A book listing the entire membership of the congregation-is

provided with a series of tabs which can be bent or folded to indicate the amount of that individual's pledge.

Communal or Congregational Histories

Host congregations on the occasion of a significant anniversary publish a history of the congregation or Jewish community. The majority of these are products of the last seventy-five years and they vary in value with

the ability of the author to research the available source material and to create a scientific record. - Page Two ,-

Birth and Circumcision Records A few synagogues have maintained birth records. Our chief knowledge of births is derived from records kept by the ritual circumciser (Hebrew Mohel) who performed this "covenant of Abraham'" on all Jewi sh males. Traditionally the operation is perfonmed on the eighth day after birth unless the'health of the child or the family's medical history -indicated a delay. The infant's Hebrew name is given to him at this time and the record indicates also his father's Hebrew name. If one is fortunate,

the record may also indicate the family name.

Bar Mit~h and Confirmation

Traditionally, at age thirteen the Jewish male is considered sufficiently

adu1t to assume his ri tua1 respons i bi I ities in the synagogue. On the'Sabbath nearest his thirteenth birthday, he demonstrates this by the ceremony of Bar Mitz.-eh (Hebrew Son of the Covenant) during which he reads a scriptural

passage in Hebrew in the synagogue. In contemporary America, this ceremony

has taken on much significance because of the social trappings which attend it and the periodic synagogue bulletin will list the name of the boys parents. In the mid-nineteenth century Reform Judaism introduced confirmation-for-both

boys and girls, and conservative and Orthodox Judaism have adopted the custom for girls. This is a class ceremonial with the individual participants

listed with their parents' names on a printed program. as well as in the synagOgue bulletin announcing the confinnation. Unfortunately, little has been done about preserving either the synagogue bulletins or the confirmation programs at the local synagogue or in a national archive.

Ma r' r iage Records

Some congregations have these. Sometimes, the officiating rabbi kept his - Page Three - own record, but the preservation hc:s been sporadic.

Death Records

A few congregations have kept death records. Those congregations which owned cemetaries often kept mortuary records. Host frequently, lists of dates of death are kept so that descendants can be reminded of the traditional obligation to recite the prayer for the dead on the anniversary of the death. In the more traditional synagogues, these memorial dates are kept according to the Hebrew calendar listing the day and the month, but not the year of the death. Unless the year can be ascertained from some other source, it is impossible to ascertain the Gregorian calendar equivalent of the date of death. Many synagogues have memorial tablets on the walls of the synagogue; on these interested relatives can upon payment of a donation or fee, have the name of the deceased inscribed. Sometimes the date of death also appears. In a few instances, history~minded individuals have made complete records of some of the older Jewish cemeteries. Memorial Books

A Memorial Book is a volume issued by the survivors of European towns from

the sma llest to the biggest, all about thei r home. There are well O\ler 500

Memori a I Books wh ich have been pubIished, representing over 600 towns. and

in most cases they have been written and publ ished by Landsmanschaften.

which are organizations consisting of people from the same towns. For ~ample,

the book on Dobromil was published by the Dobromiler Society in New York

and the Dobromiler Organization in Israel •.

The Memorial Books, which are also known as YizkorBooks, deal with the

history of the towns, the people who lived there, the fate of the town and

its residents during 'the Holocaust, as well as other topics relating to the

town. Often Hemorial80oks have a list of Holocaust victims from the town.

Has t of the Hemod a1 Books are listed in Yad Vashem Stud i es 2!!. the European

Jewish Catastrophe and Resistance, .!!., Jerusalem 1973. Host of the Books may be found at the Ylvo Institute for Jewish Research, 86th Street and 5th

Avenue, New York City; the New York Public library Jewish Division and the

Jewish Theological Seminary Library, 3080 Broadway, New York City. In the period when surnames were adopted, popular Jewish names were chosen

by many unrelated families. Thus, the more common a name, the less likely

that those bearing it are related. To complicate matters, there are many

cases in which brothers are known to have taken totally different last names.

In other cases people adopted prestige names like Rothschild or Mendelssohn.

Because most Jewish names are derived from the spoken language of the area

from which the families come it is often difffcult to distinguish between

Jewish and non-Jewish names. Many names are shared by Jews and German

Christians (Mayer and Krauss) or by Jews and Poles (Kozlowski and Lewandowski).

Sometimes the names, though sounding alike derive from different sources.

Christian Meyers derive their name from an old word for dairy farmer or

steward o~an estate while Jewish Meyers derive their name from a Hebrew

first name meaning bringer of light. The Jewish Cohen and Irish Cohan

sound alike but are totally unrelated. Jacobson or Davidson may sound

Jewish but are in fact common Scandinavian names, while the Jewish sounding

name Alfred Rosenberg belonged to a leading Nazi war criminal.

The fact that Jewish and non-Jewish names were so hard to distinguish raised

difficulties for the Nazis. In order to insure that they could tell the difference, they issued a law in 1938 requiring all Jews whose first name was

not on their list of typically Jewish names to take the middle name of Israel

or Sara. -JIpt-Od 1981 THE GENEALOGICAL HELPER, Declkated to "belpinl more people find more leaealop" Paae7 Jews In Early America by Janice Mendenhall Regenstein 3303 Cleveland Ave. Washington, D.C. 20008

Many Americans have assumed Christopher Columbus set sail for ness. Included in the exhibit was that it is difficult if not impossible the new world, King Ferdinand and a 1783 Philadelphia newspaper to trace their ancestry because Queen Isabelta expelled Jews who wherein he advertised his services. their ancestors came over in the would not convert to Christianity, At various times he personally tast century, and most of the 150,000 in number. Many of them loaned large sums of money, Jewish records were destroyed went to Portugal, then on to Hoi­ totaling over $700,000, to the when the European synagogues land, England, and Recife, Brazil. American government, and his per­ were burned during World War II. In 1654, when the Dutch lost con­ sonal reputation did much to main­ While many records were indeed trol of Brazil to the Portuguese, tain the credit of the early revolu­ destroyed, there are still vast hold­ many Jews left Recife to go to tionary government. However, these ings of Jewish genealogical mate­ Holland. One of the ships eventually loans were never repaid. Salomon's rials in existence. Some Jews, up­ landed at New Amsterdam (now personal fortune and health de­ on researching their genealogy, New York City). clined, and he eventually died al­ will be surprised to find that their One of the original 23 Jewish most penniless in 1785. A portrait ancestors helped to found America. arrivals in America, Asser Levy of his wife's great-uncle, Moses There were Sephardic Jews (of was the only Jew in America to Levy (1665-1728), hangs in the ex­ Spanish-Portuguese descent) in sign the oath of allegiance to the hibit. Another ancestor of my hus­ North America as early as 1654. Crown of England when Britain band's, Levy had the honor of From then until about 1825 the first gained control of New Amsterdam being the first Jew elected to large wave of Jewish immigration from the Dutch in 1664. He re­ public office, a judgeship. took place, with increasing num­ quested burgher rights (citizen­ One especially striking portrait bers of German Jews coming over. ship), which were granted. The in­ on display was the full-length A still larger influx of European, ventory of his estate at the time figure of the handsome Capt. Uriah especially German, Jews followed of his death in 1682 forms an Phillips Levy (1792-1862) in naval this until, in 1880, there were interesting record of the furnish­ uniform on board a ship. He joined 280,000 Jews in the U. S. By 1925, ings in a prosperous household the U. S. Navy in 1806, against the vast immigration from Eastern of that day. his parents' wishes. He became Europe, inspired by economic In July of 1655, the Jews in New one of the first naval officers to hardship and religious persecu­ York petitioned for a community advocate promotion based on abil­ tion, had increased the American burial ground. The request was not ity rather than social standing, and Jewish population to four and a granted until Feb. 1656, when they he put an end to the disciplinary half million. were given "a little hook of land practice of flogging. A great ad­ A fascinating exhibit on the im­ situate (sic) outside of this city." mirer of Thomas Jefferson, Levy portant role that Jews played in Records of the location of this donated the statue of our third the early days of America - shap­ first cemetery have been lost, but President which now stands in the ing colonial society, fighting for the second cemetery still stands Capitol. He later purchased Monti­ the American Revolution, and help­ on St. James Place off Chatham cello, Jefferson's home, and ing to build our new nation - was Square. The first reported burial restored it as a memorial. on display last year at the Daugh­ there was of Benjamin Bueno de The oldest portrait (ca 1750) in ters of the American Revolution Mesquita in 1683, whose tomb­ the exhibit was of Rachel Levy (DAR) Museum in Washington, stone still stands today and was Seixas, daughter of Moses Levy. D.C. Former President Gerald R. pictured in the exhibit. Among her and Isaac Mendes Ford dedicated the exhibit, en­ The DAR Patriot Index of Revolu­ Seixas' children was Gershom titled "The Jewish Community in tionary heroes and heroines lists Mendes Seixas (1745-1816), who Early America: 1654-1830." over a dozen Jewish American was chosen to serve as cantor Cartographer John Speed's Revolutionary soldiers. For in­ and rabbi for the Shearith Israel "Map of the World, 1651" ac­ stance, over 75 DAR members Synagogue in New York City, the companied a description tracing have joined by tracing their ances­ oldest synagogue in America. In the migrations of large numbers try directly back to Marks Lazarus 1776, when the British attacked of Jews in the 15th to the 17th (1756-1835) of Charleston, South New York, he fled to Philadelphia centuries. In the Middle Ages, the Carolina, a Private and a Sergeant where he helped to found Mikveh Catholic Church had forced the Major at the sieges of Charleston Isreal Synagogue. He was the first conversion of many non-Christians. and Savannah (and my husband's American rabbi to preach sermons This became a particular problem great . great - great grandfather). in English and was one of the in Iberia (Spain), which had a large Another patriot, Haym Salomon, trustees of King's College, now pOpulation of Moors and Jews. Polish by birth, opened a brokerage Columbia University in New York In 1492, the same year that and commission merchant's busi- City. PqeS THE GENEALOGICAL HELPER, Dedicaled 10 "belping more people find more genealogy" Sept-Oct UII...

A spectacular Thomas Sully por­ museums and private collections even uncle-niece marriages. And trait of the legendary Rebecca involved many DAR staff members. in contrast to modern times, Jews Gratz of Philadelphia showed her This, our first major loan exhibit, tended to have large families. in a yellow turban. On a visit marks a turning point in the DAR Since the 12th century, it has to Sir Walter Scott, author Wash­ Museum exhibits." been a tradition among Sephardic ington Irving described how she For interested persons who were Jews to give children both, had nursed Irving's dying fiancee. unable to attend the exhibit, which religious and a secular name. They Scott was so impressed by the ran from December 1980 through began using family names as early story that when he wrote Ivanhoe, March 1981, there are several re­ as the 11th century, many of the he modeled the heroine Rebecca, lated items for sale. Upon request, names taken from local place "the beautiful Jewess", after the DAR will send free of charge names. The common practice Rebecca Gratz. a 23-page description of all of the among many Eastern European In addition to the portraits, one objects on display (send a 9% "x12" Jews (AshkenaZi) of naming a child of the most useful areas of the stamped self-addressed envelope after a deceased instead of a exhibit was the section on docu­ (SASE) to the DAR Museum, 1776 living relative is a great help in ments, most of which are on loan o Street, NW, Washington, DC tracing the death dates of ances­ from the private Judaica collec­ 20006.) The DAR is also selling for tors. tion of E. Norman Flayderman. $10 Portraits of Jews by Gilbert Before Jews used family names, Several letters chronicle signifi­ Stuart and Other Early American a man would be known as tne son cant events in Jewish and Ameri­ Artists by Hannah London. It con­ of his father, e.g., Aaron bell can history. Included is the in­ tains biographical data and prints Moshe (Aaron, son of Moshe). corporation Document for the of 58 portraits, covering many "Ben" and "bar" were used to United Illinois and Ouabache Land members of the Gratz, Seixas, denote "son of", as well as "ibn" Companies, 1780, one of the Franks, Etting, Levy and other early borrowed from the Arabic; "bas" earliest business groups to operate Jewish American families. and "bat" were used for "daughter in the American frontier. Among Cachets (envelope with an en­ of." When populations in an area the 45 partners in the company graved likeness and brief biography) were small, this was a sufficient were five signers of the Declara­ are available on some Jews covered form of identification. tion of Independence: James Wil­ in the exhibit: Uriah P. Levy and In 1785 Holy Roman Emperor son, Robert Morris, William Paca, Rebecca Gratz, described above; Joseph II of Austria first required Samuel Chase and Charles Car­ Abigail Levy Franks (1696-1856), that Jews take family names, and roll; and five Jews: Michael Gratz, the first well-known American this practice was followed through­ Barnard Gratz, Aaron Levy, O. W. Jewish woman; and Mordecai out Europe, with Switzerland in Pollock, and David Franks. SheftaH (1735-1797), a patriot 1863 being the last country to im­ The portraits, miniatures, silver leader of Georgia. (Send $1.25 and pose such a requirement. The as­ pieces, documents and letters re­ a legal-sized SASE to B'hai B'rith signment of surnames by the civil late to early Jewish communities Philatelic Service, 906 Playford authorities had three aims: to in Newport, New York, Philadel­ Lane, Silver Spring, MD 20901. facilitate tax collection, conscrip­ phia, Baltimore, Richmond, Nor­ night phone 301-593-2798.) tion of eligible males, and assimi­ folk, Charleston, and Savannah. The DAR exhibit thus provides lation of the Jews. This exhibit is the first major loan a rich and fascinating account Choosing a name to be used by exhibition that the DAR Museum of the role of early Jewish patriots, one's family for generations was has sponsored. Part of the exhibit and the valuable contribution quite a challenge, and some fami­ is in permanent display at the many of them made to early lies took months to decide. In Fraunces Tavern at Pearl and colonial life and in helping the some places, Jews who were un­ Broad Streets in New York City. American Revolution to succeed willing or unable to pay the r& In 1975, John L. Loeb, Jr., a and prosper. The exhibit should quired fee for a more prestigious New York investment banker and also help inspire those of us with name were given undesirable philanthropist, initiated this project Jewish ancestors in early America ones, e. g., Fresser (glutton) or with the Fraunces Tavern Museum, to learn more about our historic Lumpe (hoodlum). Jews who could the house where George bade fare­ forebears - a task that is much afford the "fee" got more expen­ well to his officers after the Amer­ easier than is commonly believed. sive names, such as Rosenthal ican Revolution. "The exhibit If one's Jewish ancestors are or Goldstein. Under this arrange­ provides a very positive story of more recent arrivals, as is more ment, Jewish family names were Jewish life in this country before, likely, there are still vast amounts derived from eight main sources, during, and after the Revolution," of information available. as discussed in detail in the Kurz­ Loeb says, pointing out that in Names weil and Rottenberg books. contrast to other countries where In tracing Jewish ancestry, 1) Patronymics (derived from "Jews were relegated to trade or some familiarity with customs and father's name) - Benelisha (son of money lending," those of Revolu­ the development of names is es­ Elisha), Abramowitz (son of Abra­ tionary days "did everything. They sential. Early marriages were com­ ham), Jacobsohn (son of Jacob); were craftsmen, soldiers, farmers, mon among Jews; with brides 2) Local places -Berliner, Leon, and business people." sometimes as young as 14 and Hollander, Sulzberger, Oppen­ According to Jean Taylor Federi­ grooms 16. Since the Jewish pop­ heimer, Cardozo; 3) Vocations • co, Curator of the DAR Museum, ulation in a town might be small, Cantor (canter), Metzger (butcher), "Borrowing exhibit items from family intermarriage was common, Kaufmann (merchant),' Levi and Sept-Oct 1911 THE GENEALOGICAL HELPER, Dedicated to "helping more people find more genealogy" Page 9

Cohen (priest), Schneider (tailor); described the town and the people Locating Places 4) Family symbols - Rothschild who lived there. Most of these The history of the 19th and 20th (red shield), Kahn (boat), Eisen are local histories of small Jewish centuries in Europe has been a (iron), Blum (flower), Baer (bear); communities, mainly in Poland turbulent one, full of constant 5) Animals - Lowe (lion), Lopez and usually written in Yiddish. change, instability, and upheavals. and Wolff (Wolf), Hirsch and Cerf They are especially valuable for The revolutions, war, and conflicts (stag), Adler (eagle), Hahn (cock); researching the period prior to of the last 150 years, the period 6) Characteristics of the family World War II. Zachary Baker re­ with which the genealogical re­ members - Selig (happy), Klein, ports that these books typically searcher is first concerned, have (small), Jaffa (beautiful), Schwartz contain the following sections: 1) resulted in many changes to the (dark), Weiss (white); 7) Matronymics early history of the town; 2) des­ names, locations, and borders of (derived from the mother's name) ­ cription of the town before World countries and cities. Arthur Kurz­ Perls (Pearl), Rose; 8) Acronyms ­ War I; 3) the period between WWI weil gives the pertinent example Katz ("Kohen tzeddek", priest of and WWII, including communal of his father's birthplace, Dobro­ righteousness), Segal ("segan institutions; social, religious, and mil, which during his grandfather's leviyyah", assistant to the priest), political movements; prominent time was in Austria, during his Rokeah (from the literary work personalities and rabbis; 4) the father's time was in Poland, and "Roke'ah" by R. Eliazer b. JUdah). nearby towns and villages; 5) is now in Russia. Research Ideas first-hand accounts of the Holo­ Because of all of this, it is es­ One of the most complete caust; and 6) perhaps a transla­ sential that the researcher first sources of original records on Jews tion into English. become familiar with the general is the collection of the Mormon history of the area or region in church. Mormon historians have The Holocaust which he or she is interested. It been allowed into some of the A major - and understandable ­ is important to consult maps Communist countries of Eastern emotional barrier to Jews' tracing printed during the period you are Europe to microfilm documents their ancestry stems from the mur­ tracing to ascertain which country that other researchers have been der of their relatives in the Holo­ the town was in at that time. denied access to. For instance, caust, as well as the assumption Two definitive articles on this sub­ only the Mormons have records for that all records were destroyed. ject, "Eastern European 'Jewish births) deaths, and marriages in However, the Memorial Books (see Geography': Some Problems and Hungary before 1895. Some David Bass' compilation) often Suggestions" by Zachary M. Baker records for Eastern European carefully list all of the persons appeared in the Winter 1978-79 and countries go as far back as the from their town who perished in Spring 1979 issues of Toledot, in­ late 1700's and note religion in the Holocaust. The National Trac­ cluding a helpful bibliography. the record. The Mormons plan ing Bureau, established in 1943 One of the most important as­ eventually to microfilm records in to help World War 11 refugees pects of tracing your Jewish an­ all Eastern European nations, but locate their missing relatives, has cestors back to Eastern Europe this project has not yet been com­ evolved into the International Trac­ is getting the correct names of the pleted. Toledot. the magazine of ing Service (ITS) which has copies towns from which your ancestors Jewish genealogy, is publishing of many death records and other came. A person might think his an inventory country-by-country, vital data. Administered by the grandmother came from Indura, town-by-town of all of the Jewish International Committee of the which is actually Amdur, or from records held by the Mormon li­ Red Cross, the ITS has a phoenetic Kazimierz, which is Kuzmir. The brary. (Toledot, 155 E. 93rd St., master index on some 40 million town name might have changed Suite 3c, New York, NY 10028; cards. The ITS will send a copy when the ruling country changed, back issues are available. of any records that they have for have been misspelled in official If you know which synagogue an individual, but will not trace records or in family correspon­ your ancestors belonged to, it is surnames. (International Tracing dence, have been transmitted oral­ worth checking its records for 1) Service. 0-3548 Arolsen, Federal ly resulting in misspelling, be minutes of congregational meet­ Republic of Germany). known only in Yiddish and not in ings; 2) account books with lists After the end of World War II, the local language, or be one of of members; 3) congregational and many survivors were encouraged several towns with the same name. communal histories; and 4) vital to write down remembrances about Memorial Books for many towns records of births, deaths, marriages, people they knew before the war in Eastern Europe have been com­ and bar and bas mitzvahs. Per­ and who perished in the Holo­ piled. David Bass' 1971 biblio­ sonal visits to Jewish cemeteries caust. Information about this is graphy is quite helpful, and it has can also be useful since Jewish available from the Pages of Testi­ been updated by Zachary M. Baker tombstones traditionally give the mony Dept., Yad Vashem, P.O. Box in the Winter 1980 issue of Tole­ father's name. 3477, Jerusalem, Israel. The Na­ dot. Copies of many of the Memor­ People from the same European tional Archives has war records ial Books can be found at the town often gathered together in captured by American soldiers New York City Library or the li­ the U.S. to start a "landsman­ when they overran Germany in brary of Congress. schaft", a group that carried on the 1945, such as an unindexed list­ Two comprehensive publica· traditions and memory of their ing of the 100,000 persons who tions on Jewish genealogy are thE home village. Sometimes they pub­ died at the Mauthausen concentra­ annotated bibliographies Jewist lished a Memorial Book, which tion camp, listed by date of death. Genealogy Worldwide ($8.00) anc Paae10 THE GENEALOGICAL HELPER, Dedk:ated to "belpinl more people find more lenealOlY" Sept.()d 1981

American Jewish Genealogy Newberry Library, 60 W. Walton, Family Heritage Institute American­ ($4.00) available from the Family Chicago, m. 60610 Jewish Genealogy and Jewish Heritage Institute, 2751 Rivera, Indiana State Library, 140 N. Genealogy Worldwide, 2751 Rivera, Wichita, Kansas 67211. They list Senate, Indianapolis, Ind 46204 Wichita, KS 67211, 1981, 27 pp. over 750 books and 300 books, and 79 pp. - two annotated bib­ respectively, on subjects and local West liographies of books on Jewish place histories of interest to University Research Library, local history and related subjects. Jewish genealogists. Jewish Studies Collection, Uni­ Friedman, Lee M., Jewish Pioneers versity of Southern California and Patriots, Jewish Publication Research Facilities at Los Angeles, 405 Hilgard Society, Philadelphia, 1942; Dozens of libraries and archives Ave., Los Angeles, Calif. 90024 Books for Libraries Press, Plain­ of Jewish materials exist in the University of Judaism, 15600 view, N.Y., 1974, 430pp. United States, the largest of which Mulholland Dr., Los Angeles, are: Kaganoff, Benzion C., A Dictionary Calif. 90024 of Jewish Names and Their His­ Los Angeles Public Library, 630 tory, Schocken Books, New York, East W. 5th St., Los Angeles, Calif. 1977,250 pp. Boston Public Library, Copley 90071 Square, 666 Boylston St., Bos­ Main Library, University of Calif­ Kranzler, David, My Jewish Roots, ton (mailing address: P.O. Box ornia, Berkeley, Calif. 94720 Sepher-Hermon Press, New York, 286, Boston, Mass. 02117) Western Jewish History Center, 1979,88 pp. Wydener Library, Harvard Univer­ Magnes Museum, 2911 Russell Kurzweil, Arthur, From Generation sity, Cambridge, Mass. 02138 St., Berkeley, Calif. 94705 to Generation: How to Trace Your Sterling Library, Yale University, Genealogical Society of Utah, Jewish Genealogy and Personal 120 High St., New Haven, Conn. 50 E. N. Temple St., Salt Lake History, Wm. Morrow and Co., 06520 City, Utah 84150 New York, 1980, 353 pp. Brandeis University, South, Rosenbloom, Joseph R., A Bio­ Street, Waltham, Mass. 02254 Overseas graphical Dictionary of Early American Jewish Historical So­ Yad Vashem, P.O. Box 3477, American Jews, Colonial Times ciety, 2 Thornton Rd., Waltham, Jerusalem, Israel through 1800, University of Ken· Mass. 02154 Central Archives for the History tucky Press, Lexington, Ky., 1960, YIVO Institute for Jewish Re­ of the Jewish People, Hebrew 175 pp. search, 1048 Fifth Avenue, New, University Campus, Sprinzak Rosenstein, Neil, The Unbroken York, N.Y. 10028 Building, P.O. Box 1149, Jeru­ Chain: Biographical Sketches Jewish Theological Seminary, salem, Israel and the Genealogy of Illustrious 3080 Broadway, New York, N.Y. Jewish Families from the 15th ­ 10027 20th Century, Shergold Publishers, Jewish Division, New York City Following is a short bibliography Public Library, 42nd St. at Fifth of related books. The Kranzler New York, 1976, 716 pp. Ave., New York, N.Y. 10018 Kurzweil, and Rottenburg books Roth, Cecil, A History of the Jews Leo Baeck Institute, 129 E. 73rd are detailed and informative books in England, Clarendon Press, Ox­ St., New York, N.Y. 10021 on tracing one's Jewish ancestry. ford, 1941, 1964,306 pp. Zionist Archives and Library, 515 If you want to trace your Jewish Rottenburg, Dan, Finding Our Park Avenue, New York, N.Y. "roots", give it a try! There is a Fathers: A Guidebook to Jewish 10022 wealth of material available that Genealogy, Random House, New Yeshiva University Library, Yesh­ may be of immense help to you, York, 1977,401 pp. iva University, 500 W. 185th St., and you might be happily surprised at what you are able to turn up. Rubin, Eli, 700 Years of Jewish New York, N. Y. 10033 Life in Poland, W. & G. Foyle Hebrew Union College, Jewish Ltd., London, 1944 Institute of Religion, One W. Bass, David, "Biographical List of 4th St., New York, N.Y. 10012 Memorial Books Published in the Stern, Malcolm H., First American Library of Congress, 2nd and Years 1943-1972," Yad Vashem Jewish Families: 600 Genealogies Independence Sts., SE, Wash­ Studies on the European Jewish 1654-1977, American Jewish Ar­ ington, DC 20540 Catastrophe and Resistance, IX chives, Cincinnati, Ohio, and Dropsie University, Broad and Jerusalem, 1973. American Jewish Historical So­ York Sts., Philadelphia, Penn. Blau, Joseph L. and Baron, Salo ciety, Waltham, Mass., 1977, 419 19132 W., The Jews of the United States, pp. Virginia State Library, 11 th and 1790-1840: A Documentary His­ Capitol Sts., Richmond, Va. tory, Columbia University Press, 23219 New York, 1963, 1034 pp. Dubnov, Semen M., History of the Midwest Jews in Russia and Poland, KTAV Klau Library, Hebrew Union Col­ Pub. House, New York, 1975; Jew­ lege, 3101 Clifton Ave., Cin­ ish Publication Society, Philadel­ cinnati, Ohio 45220 phia, 1916-20,3 vol. vF:IQT F"' LE ~/JJ."( .....P \(.Q",~Cti( t

Outline for Jewish Research

Tracing Jewish Roots with an Emphasis on Collections at the Genealogical Library of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints

For centuries Jews were persecuted and the ancestors of most American Jews came forced to flee from country to country. to the United States in the late nineteenth Their records -vere often destroyed, their or early twentieth century. synagogues burned, and their cemeteries desecrated. 7~ese factors combine to This paper includes suggestions on make Jewisr genealogical research genealogical research for jewish difficult. It is further complicated by the Americans with emphasis on those of fact that mcst Jews did not adopt European descent. A special effort has surnames until compelled to do so in the been made to point out those resources late eiqhteencn century. Despite such available utilizing the facilities of the problems, Jewish research can be a Genealogical Library. The Genealogical meaningful. ioterestrnq, and successful Library, among its other genealogical experience. material. has an excellent collection of records pertaining to both American and There are three major divisions of the European Jews. The majority of the Jewish people. The Ashkenazim [from library's holdings are available on Ashkenaz, mecieval Hebrew for Germany] microfilm and can be used at the main are descendents of Yiddish speaking Jews library in Salt Lake City or ordered at one who spread throuqhout Germany and into of its branch libraries. The address of the Eastern Europe. especially into Poland and branch library closest to you can be Russia. Most American Jews descend from obtained by writing: this lineage. 7he Sephardim are the Jews whose ancestors in the middle ages lived in The Correspondence Section Spain [Sepharad in medieval Hebrew]. Genealogical Library After their expulsion from Spain (1492), SO East North Temple Street they settled in Portugal, Italy, France. Salt Lake City, Utah 84150 Greece, anc other Mediterranean countries. Scme Portuguese Sephardim later migrated to England and the BEGINNING RESEARCH Netherlands. Many of the Sephardim who were forcefully converted to Christianity Home Sources. Your genealogical research in Spain reconverted to Judaism in the should begin at home. Search for family Netherlands. 7he third division is Oriental records. old letters. journals. scrapbooks. Jewry, descendants of Arabic speaking diaries, biographies. photographs. pass­ Jews of the Middle East and North Africa. ports. certificates of birth or death, These are clcsely related to and often newspaper clippings. memorial or funeral categorized wi:n the Sephardim. cards. prayer books. obituaries. military and school records. and marriage Although ther-e were Jews who came to documents. America durinq tne colonial period, Locating Relatives. Older family members Superintendent of Documents can be a valuable source of information. U.S. Government Printing Office Write to all known relatives. To help you Washington, D.C. 20402 locate others with a similar surname, tele­ phone directories are often available in Vital Records--Synagogue. A few Amer­ local libraries. When you contact someone, ican synagogues kept account books, birth supply them with the basic information you and circumcision records, Bar Mitzvah and have: names, dates (approximate dates, at Bar Mitzvah records, marriage, and burial least), places, and relationships. State ex­ records. On the occasion of a significant actly what information or documents you anniversary, many congregations publish a would like to obtain. history of the local Jewish community. To obtain information, write to the synagogue your ancestors attended. RESEARCH IN THE UNITED STATES Census Records. The United States has A fter locating your family records and conducted censuses every ten years since interviewing relatives, you will want to 1790. Early censuses listed heads of expand your research into other records of households. Since 1850 the censuses list genealogical value to determine when your the name, age, and birthplace (state or immigrant ancestor came to this country country only) of each member of a and from where. Historians estimate that household. More recent censuses give during the nineteenth century more than more information. For example, the 1900 eighty-five percent of the world's Jews' census lists name, month and year of birth, lived in Europe. The majority of these state or country of birth, birthplace of resided in Poland and Russia. Thus, most parents. occupation. year of immigration, Jewish family trees can be traced to and whether naturalized. The 1790-1850, Europe within a few generations. 1880, 1900, and much of the 1910 censuses are indexed by state. Census records are To begin genealogical research in European on film in the National Archives, National records, you will need the exact locality or Archives branches, the Genealogical congregation from which your ancestor Library, and other genealogical libraries. came. You must search all available rec­ They may also be found in state archives ords where your ancestors lived in the and in public and university libraries. United States to determine their place of Census information beginning with 1no is origin. The following records may list an confidential: however, the government will exact place of birth or residence as well as release information on parents and enhance your knowledge of your ancestors. direct-line ancestors. Write for Form BC-600. Application for Search of Census Vital Records--Civil. In the United States, Records. available from: marriages and divorces were usually recorded by a county officer. Write to the Bureau of the Census county courthouse for information. Births Pittsburg. Kansas 66762 and deaths were sometimes recorded by a county officer, but the State Department Naturalization Records. Although immi­ of Heal th has custody of the records. grants were not required to become U.S. Addresses are in ·Where to Write for Vital citizens, many filed a declaration of Records: Births, deaths, marriages, and intention and a petition to become a divorce,II which is available in many naturalized citizen. These records may libraries or by writing: give the place and date of birth, date of

-2- emigration. port of entry. and date of The most valuable genealogical sources are arrival. For records before September vital records; such as registers of birth. 1906. write to the county or district court circumcision, marriage. and death or burial where your ancestor lived. Naturalization kept by congregations or civil authorities. records of some counties are found in the A few towns and congregations started collection of the Genealogical Library. In keeping records as early as the eighteenth 1906. the U.S. government established the century I but others did not keep records Bureau of Immigration and Naturalization. until the early twentieth century. The quality and preservation of Jewish records Office of Immigration varies from country to country. Wars, and Naturalization anti-Semitism, and inconsistent 425 I Street, N.W. preservation over the years make it Washington D.C. 20530 difficult to locate Jewish records in some areas, especially in Romania and the Soviet U.S. Passenger Lists. These generally show Union. The Genealogical Library has names, ages. and countries of origin. acquired extensive Jewish records of birth. Relatively few United States lists prior to marriage, and death from Poland. the 1890s show the town or city of origin. Germany, and Hungary. Once you have The Genealogical Library has microfilmed determined the specific place of your copies of passenger records for major ports ancestor's origin. you can check the prior to 1900. Records for New York City catalogs in Salt Lake City or at any branch are available through 1919. The National genealogical library to determine what Archives in Washington, D.C. has the most records are available for that particular complete set of passenger lists and locality. indexes. They will send a copy of a passenger list entry providing it is older Austria. Before the First World War the than fifty years. Write to: Austrian Empire included areas now in the Republic of Austria. Czechoslovakia, Italy, Reference Services Branch (NNIR) Poland, Yugoslavia. and the Soviet Union. National Archives & Records Service Austrian Jews were required to keep vital Eighth & Pennsylvania Avenue NW records after 1788 but the Jews rarely Washington, D.C. 20408 complied with this requirement until the mid-nineteenth century. For Austria, the Hamburg Passenger Lists. Many Jews from Genealogical Library has only a few Jewish Central and Eastern Europe came through records from the area of Galicia. This the port of Hamburg, Germany. on their area is now part of Poland. However, the way to America. The Hamburg Passenger Library has microfilmed detailed maps and Lists, available on microfilm from 1850 to gazetteers of the Austro-Hungarian 1934, are indexed and may help you in Empire which can help you locate the finding your ancestor's place of origin. exact place in Austria from which your These lists are available at the ancestors came and determine what Genealogical Library and any of its branch country the place is in now. Some JewiSh libraries. records and documents from Austria may have been deposited in institutions in IsraeL

RESEARCH IN EUROPE Britain. The modem JewiSh community in England dates from 1656. London had Genealogical research sources in Europe congregations of both Sephardic' and include printed local histories and Ashkenazic Jews. but Portuguese Sephardic memorial books,. family histories. city Jews predominated until the nineteenth documents. synagogue records, and civil century. Synagogue records date from the vital records. end of the seventeenth century. These

-3- were written in Portuguese and Yiddish. The Summer 1978 issue of Toledot Marriage records seem to be complete. but magazine included a listing of the Library's many births were not recorded. Civil Jewish collection for Germany. Many registration of all births. deaths. and records have been added since. The marriages was introduced in 1837. The Genealogical Library's collection also Genealogical Library has some synagogue includes maps and gazetteers that can be records and the index to civil registration. quite helpful to researchers. Jewish The actual civil registers are available only documents and congregational records in England. from Germany are available in some institutions in Israel and the U.S.• some of Czechoslovakia. During the Second World which are noted in this article. War. Jewish records from throughout the Czech lands were centralized in Prague. Hungary. The former Kingdom of Hungary Records from the formerly Hungarian area included areas now in Czechoslovakia. the of Slovakia were gathered to Bratislava. Soviet Union. Romania. Yugoslavia. and These records have not been microfilmed Austria. The Genealogical Library has by the Genealogical Library. but are filmed all available Jewish records in readily accessible through research possession of modern Hungary up to 1895, services in Czechoslovakia. To obtain including the 1848 Jewish Census for genealogical information from Czecho­ several old Hungarian counties, some of slovak archives write to: which are now in Czechoslovakia and the USSR. A listing of the Hungarian Jewish Embassy of the collection at the Genealogical Library is Czechoslovak Socialist Republic. found in the Winter 1977-78 issue of Consular Division Toledot magazine. 3900 Linnean Avenue. N.W. Washington. D.C. 20008 Netherlands. Many Christian Sephardim, including numerous wealthy and prominent France. Napoleon began civil registration merchants. settled in the Netherlands as of all births. marriages. and deaths in refugees of the Spanish inquisition and France. including Jews. in 1792. French reconverted to Judaism. These Spanish and civil registration records of births. deaths. Portuguese Jews were later joined by and marriages have been microfilmed by Ashkenazim fleeing anti-Semitism in less. the Genealogical Library for some tolerant nations of Europe. departments (counties). Eventually records of all departments will be microfilmed. ~enealogies have been compiled for many For those areas not yet microfilmed. you Jewish families in Holland. The following may write to the local departmental organizations have many such genealogies archive and hire a researcher. and will answer correspondence:

Germany. The German Empire is now Netherlands Joods Familienarchief divided between two German Republics. Amsteldijk 67 Poland. France. and the Soviet Union. Amsterdam. Civil registration of Jewish births. deaths. THE NETHERLANDS and marriages began at various times in different parts of the empire. Some places Centraal Bureau vaor Genealogie began keeping records on Jews in the early Postbus 11755 and mid-nineteenth century. Civil 2502 AT 's-Gravenhage. registration was not consistent throughout THE NETHERLANDS Germany until 1875. Many of these records are now in Israel. The Genealogical Valuable historical and genealogical Library has microfilmed many German articles are published in Studia Jewish records in Germany and in Poland. Rosenthaliana: Journal for Jewist1 and is continually' adding to the collection. Literature and History in the Netherlands, published by the University Library of Romania. Civil registration was intro­ Amsterdam. It is indexed in the duced in the Romanian principalities in the International Index of Periodicals found in 1830s but it is not clear when Jewish most libraries. communities began records. In the former Hungarian area of Transylvania, Jewish After 1811, Jewish births, marriages, and registers began in the 1830s and 1840s. deaths in the Netherlands were included The Genealogical Library has no Jewish with other religious groups in local civil records from Romania. If preserved, such registers. Prior to this, each congregation records may now be in the Romanian State was responsible for its own records. The Archives. You should write to the archives Genealogical Library has filmed all civil in Romanian or French. It is possible some registers up to 1882 and some as late as records could be in Israel or some other 1912. Many early congregational records Jewish collection outside Romania. have also been filmed. Archivelor Statului din Poland. The earliest registration of Polish Republica Socialista Romania Jews was in the former Austrian territory Bucuresti, Sect. VI of Galicia in 1787; however. it was not Bdul Gh. Gheorgiu-Dej nr. 29 enforced until the mid-nineteenth ROMANIA century. The Duchy of Warsaw. which later constituted the Russian territory of Soviet Union. Many Jews trace some Poland, began civil registration in 1808, ancestral lines to areas now in the Soviet including Jews in Catholic registers. After Union. The Genealogical Library has not 1826 separate civil registers were kept for microfilmed records from any Soviet Jews. In areas under German rule, Jews archives. Since the 1918 Revolution, were required to prepare transcripts of births, deaths, and marriages have been vital records beginning in the early 1800s. registered in local offices of the USSR The Genealogical Library has an extensive Ministry of Internal Affairs. Prior to 1918, microfilm collection of Jewish vital the Russian Empire had no government records from the former Russian and offices to keep vital records. It is possible German areas of Poland. making it a that the Czarist government kept some significant resource for Jews with ancestry lists of Jews, but this has not been in these areas. Very few Jewish records substantiated. In some cases, Jewish are microfilmed yet from the Austrian communities kept circumcision books, area. registers of marriages, and deaths, or cemetery lists. In most cases, however. The Polish State Archives have many Jews carefully avoided keeping records records that are not yet microfilmed. that might later be used against them. Also, in most cases Polish records that Some city governments also kept vital have been filmed are available only up to records of Jews beginning in the late about 1870. Records not filmed may be nineteenth century. For Jewish research in available by writing to the headquarters of the Soviet Union we can only hope that the Polish State Archives. some of these few records that were kept have been preserved in Soviet archives. Naczelna Dyrekc ja Research in Soviet archives. however. is Archiwow Panstwowych strictly limited and no provisions are made ul. Dluga 6 s.p. 1005 for searching Jewish records nor even to POLAND determine what records the archives do or do not have. Eventually this may change, A listing of the Genealogical Library's but for now researchers must depend on Polish collection was published in the alternate sources. Among these are Spring 1978 issue of Tcledct magazine. limited synagogue and vital , records Many records have been added since. presently in Israel, Western Europe. or the U.S.; memorial books; and family traditions.

-)- Vital records for official purposes can Western Jewish History Center sometimes be obtained by writing to: Judah L. Magnes Memorial Museum 2911 Russell Street Embassy of the United States Berkeley, California 94705 in Moscow c/o Department of State • Organizations Pertaining to Washington, D.C. 20521 European Jewry

If you are not a United States citizen, Central Archive for the History contact the Soviet Embassy in your of the Jewish People country. Unfortunately, they will not P.D.B. 1149 answer genealogical inquiries. 91010 Jerusalem, ISRAEL

Other Countries. The book. Finding Our Yeshiva University Library Fathers. listed in the bibliography of this Yeshiva University paper, includes suggestions for research in 500 West 185th Street countries not ccv ered here. The New York. New York 10033 Genealogical library has Jewish vital records from some localities in Western YIVO Institute for Jewish Research Europe not noted above. Catalogs of l048 Fifth Avenue specific holdings are available at the New York. New York 10028 Genealogical library and at branch (concentrates on East European Jews) libraries. Leo Baeck Institute 129 East 73rd Street ORGANIZA nONS New York. New York 10021 (concentrates on German The following organizations preserve and Austrian Jews) documents, letters. memorial books. and local histories. manuscripts. family These are only a few of the larger histories. and genealogies about Jews. institutions. Consult the books on Jewish These sources can be of great value research noted in the bibliography of this especially when vital records are not paper for a discussion of addi tional available or accessible. They cannot do . organizations. research for you but can tell you whether they have records for the locality or family you want. MEMORIAL BOOKS

• Organizations Pertaining to A memorial book is a history of a American Jewry particular Jewish community in Europe. Many interesting details are often given, American Jewish Archives including maps. photographs, local history, 3101 Clifton Avenue the fate of the town and its residents Cincinnati, Ohio 45220 during the Holocaust. and often a list of those who perished in the Holocaust. The Hebrew Union College library books are written primarily in Yiddish and Hebrew Union College Hebrew. Cincinnati, Ohio 45220 Hundreds of memorial books have been The American Jewish written. especially for Eastern European Historical Society communities. The Genealogical Library 2 Thornton Road has not collected these works. The New Waltham, Massachusetts 02154 York Public Library has an excellent

-6- collection, as do VIVO Institute, Yad JEWISH GENEALOGICAL SOCIETIES Vashem, University of California at Los Angeles, and the Jewish Theological You may benefit from membership and Seminary in New York City. association with one of the Jewish genealogical societies. Many of these groups provide help sessions and seminars TRACING VICTIMS AND SURVIVORS that allow members to share problems and OF THE HOLOCAUST solutions. Many publish interesting and helpful newsletters. For information about Yad Vashem is a national institution a Jewish genealogical society near you dedicated to perpetuating the memory of write to the following: victims of the Holocaust. They will not do research for individuals but will let you Jewish Genealogical Society, Inc. know if a particular name is on file as 300 East 71st Street, Apt. 5R having perished. Their "Pages of New York City, NY 10021 1 estimony" department may be able to help you learn the fate of individuals missing in the Nazi Holocaust if you can PRESERVING YOUR HERITAGE provide sufficient information. Write to: In some cases, adequate records were not Yad Vashem kept or are presently unavailable to trace P.O. Box 3477 some ancestral lines more than a few Jerusalem, Israel generations. You may want to record the things you know and learn about your After the Second World War, the family in the form of a family history. It International Tracing Service (ITS) was might include biographical sketches of established to help Jewish people locate yourself and of your ancestors, places of family members displaced in the birth and birth dates, the story of how your Holocaust. They have gathered all family came to this country, and other available concentration camp records as interesting historical events. This will well as other documents relating to the preserve the family traditions and stories fate of individuals during the war. The ITS that have been handed down from is under the direction of the International gp.np.ration to generation. Such a record Red Cross. Please note that service can be will be appreciated by your descendants provided only if you can give full names and will provide a basis for further and, if possible, place and date of birth. research should additional records become Write to: available in the future. If you would like to share your family history with others we International Tracing Service suggest you type the material, list your . 3548 Arolsen sources of information, and include a name Federal Republic of GERMANY index. Then submit a copy to the American Jewish Archives (address on page In order to find persons living in Israel you 6) or: may contact one of the following: Acquisitions Department The Computer Department Genealogical Library Minister of the Interior 50 East North Temple Street HaKiriah Romena Salt Lake City, Utah 841 SO Jerusalem, ISRAEL

Bureau for Missing Relatives Yisheyahu Press Street 6 Jerusalem, ISRAEL

-7- BIBLIOGRAPHY

Cohen, Chester G. Shtetl Finder. Los Regenstein, Janice Mendenhall. Jew- Angeles: Pericay, 1980. (Eu­ ish Genealoay Worldwide: An ropean Collection 947 F24s /film annotated bibliography of books no. 1206428 item 4) on Jewish local history and other sub jects of use to genealogists. Dubnow, S. M. History of the Jews in Wichita. Kansas: Family Hen­ Russia and Poland. Translated tage Institute, 1981. (General from Russian by 1. Friedlander. Collection 016.90904 R262j; not Philadelphia: The Jewish Pub­ microfilmed) lication Society of America, 1916. (European Collection Rottenberg, Dan. Finding Our Fathers:' 940 F2d /film no. 1183537 item 2) A Guidebook to Jewish Genea­ !Qgy. New, York: Random Gilbert, Martin. Jewish History House, 1977. (European Col­ Atlas. New York: MacMillan. lection and General Collection 1969. (General Collection 911 929.1 R747f; not microfilmed) G374j; not microfilmed) Stern. Malcolm H. First American' Goldstein, Margaret F., ed. American Jewish Families. Cincinnati: Jewish Organization Direc- American Jewish Archives, 1978. tory. New York: Frenkel (U.S. Collection 973 F2frs; not Mailing Service, 1973. (U.S. Ref. microfilmed) Counter 970 K22a; not microfilmed) Toledot: The Journal of Jewish Gen­ ealogy. Published irregularly by Kaganoff, Benzion. A Dictionary of Toledot Press, 155 East 93rd Jewish Names and Their History. Street. Suite 3C. New York, New New York: Schocken Books. York 10028. (U.S. Collection 1977. (U.S. Collection 973 D46k; 973 B2to; not microfilmed) not microfilmed) Zubatsky, David and Berent. Irwin M. Kranzler, David. My Jewish Roots. New Jewish Genealogy: A Source­ York: Sepher-Hermon Press. book of Family Histories. and New York. 1979 (General Genealogies. New York: Collection 929.1 K863j; not Garland. 1984. (General Col­ microfilmed) lection 929.1 Z81j.; not micro­ filmed) Kurzweil, Arthur. From Generation to Generation. New York: Wil­ liam Morrow Press. 1980. Also in paperback. New York: Schocken Press. 1982 (European Collection and General Col­ lection 929.1 K967f; not micro­ filmed) Copyright e 1985 by Corporation of the Patak, Chaim. Wanderings: History President of The Church of Jesus Christ of the Jews. New York: Al­ of Latter-day Saints. . All Rights fred A. Knopf, 1978. Also in Reserved. Printed in USA. paperback, New York: Fawcett Crest, 1980. (European Col­ The Genealogical Library. Patron Aid. lection 909.04 P849w; not series L, no. 400 Feb85/DMSch/MJD microfilmed) Utah Valley Regionai -8- Genealogical library 4386 HBLL BVU Provo. Utah 84602­ 801/378-6200 The Evolution of Jewish Names

In the days of the Bible or Talmud, family names were unknown. Moses,

Hillel, Jeremiah, or Deborah, for example, did not have last names. If a single name was not enough, the father's name would be mentioned, for instance, Moses ben (son of) Amram, Esther bat (daughter of) Avihail.

Sometimes the name of the tribe to which the person belonged was added. In the Ashkenazic tradition this system of naming is still used in calling

·persons to the reading of the Torah. The Sephardic tradition,.on the other hand, uses family names.

A community with more than one individual with the same first name usually used one of four chief methods to distinguish between them--use of a parent's name, the town from which one came, one's profession, or a nickname. Many of the names so derived resemble true family names, but they were not yet fixed and could be changed from one generation to the next.

By the 17th and 18th centuries use of ben was usually skipped in common speech and sometimes replaced by the word meaning son in the local Jewish or non-Jewish language. So Jacob son of Abraham was no longer called Jacob be~ Abraham; he became Abramsohn (in Germany), Abramovitch or Abramowicz (in

Eastern Europe), and Abrami (in Italy). Often such forms as Jacob Abraham or Jacob Abrahams were used. The mother's name was sometimes substituted

for the father's and made into a surname (for example, Sirkes from Sarah and Chaneles from Chana).

Very often the regular Hebrew form was translated into the vernacular. If

for example the father's name in Hebrew was Ze'ev (wolf), the child might

be called Jacob Wolf. Here are some examples of Ashkenazic names based on the father's name: Jacobowitz (son of Jacob), Beilis (son of Bella),

Moskowitz (son of little Moses), Berkowitz (son of little bear), and Smulovic

(son of Samuel). Sephardic first names commonly derived from last names

include Saadia, Nahmias~ Ben Soussan and Vital.

Place names are especially common among Jews. Since Jews moved around more

than non-Jews, it was not uncommon for them to take town names from past residence. German cities have given rise to such common names as Berliner,

Shapiro, Frankfurter, and Kissinger. Horowitz, Pressburger, and Lipnick come from the names of towns in Czechoslovakia. Polish and Russian towns yield the names Warschauer, Wilner, and Rieger. Names of countries or regions have been the source of such family names as Deutsch (German), Unger

(Hungarian), and Pollock (Polish). Italian Jewish names also stem from specific locales, but they sound very different from the ones to which most of us are accustomed. They include Treves, Lattes, Terracini, Tedesco,

Pollacca, and Luzzatti. Similarly Sephardic names like Toledano, Muriciano,

Bagdadi, and Romani come from place names.

Common names derived from occupations include Schneider (tailor), l~tzger or

Reznick (butcher) Schlachter (ritual slauQhterer), Goldschmidt (goldsmith),

K~1alsky (blacksmith), Handelsmann or Kaufmann (businessman or merchant), Weber (weaver), Schreiber (scribe), Rossman (horse dealer), Schermann (cloth cutter). Many Jewish names began as nicknames based on personal traits. Some common examples are: Gross (big), Lang (tall), Klein (small), Kurz (short), Krummbein

(cripple,), Rothbart (red-beard), Schwarz (black), Geller (blond), Weiss (white).

Sephardic Jews and Jews in Italian-speaking and some Arabic-speaking countries adopted fixed family names fairly early. The largest branch of Jewry--the

Ashkenazic branch--did not generally have fixed last names until the beginning of the 19th century when governments, finding it difficult to keep track of Jews, ordered them to choose family names. In some countries, taking last names was made a condition for acquiring increased civil rights. The first

Jaw requiring family names, issued by the emperor of Austria in 1787, limited

Jews to biblical first names. It was followed by laws in France (1808), various parts' of Germany (1806-1B13) and Russia and Poland (1804, reissued in 1835).

In many countries the Jews were given a time limit to choose a family name.

Where the government assigned names such as Galicia officials often dispensed f~~ny or insulting names unless they were paid a suitable bribe. In most

German states the government compiled lists of Jews with both their old and new names.

In choosing final family names, many European Jews picked one that,seemed stylish or beautiful by the standards of their time. "Stylish names" of the early 19th century used such prefixes as Rosen-(rose), 8lumen-{flowed,

Loewen-(lion), and Stern-(star); -stein (stone), -feld (field), -berg (hill),

-th~l (valley), -baum (tree), and -blatt (leaf) were popular name endings.

Names of animals were also very desirable--Falk (falcon), Adler (eagle),

E1efant (elephant), Fisch (fish), Soloveichik (nightingale). A few names are found almost exclusively among Jews. One type is derived

from the old priestly and tribal names Cohen (priest) and levy (Levite).

These names have many variants. For Cohen there is Kohn. Cohn. Kahana,

Kahn, Kagan, Ka~anovitch, Cowen. and Sacerdote (Italian for priest). For

levy there is levi, levin, Levitt, Levinson. Loewy, and Lowenstamm.

Another type of Jewish name was originally derived from Hebrew abbreviations

such as Katz (abbreviation of Kohen Tsedek. II r ighteous priest"), Shatz (from

ll Shaliach Tzibur, "cantor ) and Shalit (from Sheyichyeh Leorech Yamin Tovim,

"may he 1i ve many good yearsII).

In America we consider Ashkenazic Jewish names based on German, Yiddish. or

Russian (like Rosenberg, Horowitz, Shapiro) are typical. In other countries

this would not be the case. In Italy common Jewish names are Fano, Finzi,

Luzzatti, Lattes, Pacifici, Ascoli, and Cassuto. In North Africa one finds

names like Kalifa, Atlan, Ben Soussan. Toledano. Abitbol, and Benamosegh to

be typically Jewish. In Greece and Turkey names like Arditti, Najjari,

Fortas, Sedaca or Alkalay are borne only by Jews. In Holland, where many

Sephardic Jews came from Portugal ~nd Spain, such names as Castro, Nunez, and Sanchez are not uncommon among Jews.

American immigration officials were often unable to spell or pro.nounce

difficult Jewish names like Shepselowitch, Katzenellenbogen, or Mlotek,

so they ass'igned either what they thought were typical Jewish names 1ike

Greenberg, Silverstein, or Cohen or American names like Morris, Smith, or

Brown. "any families changed their names for easier spelling or to sound less Jewish by shortening them (for example. Braunschweiger to Brown or Katzenellenbogen to Katz) or by translating them into English (for example

Steinberg to Stonehill and Blaustein to Bluestone). WORLD CONFERENCE ON RECORDS PRESERVING OUR HERITAGE August 12-15,1980

The Holocaust and Family History Arthur Kurzwei I Series 514 THE II>LOCAIJST AND FAMILY HISTORY

Arthur Kurzweil

Born in New York. Resides in New York City. Author and lecturer. M.A. (library science), Florida State University. Editor.

Editor's Note" This paper was originally the loss, the tragedy, the meaning of plblished by Morrwo Press in 1980 as what happened. We speak the word chapter 3 (pp. 128-53) of a comprehensive "Holocaust: often, but sane things should volune. Fran Generation to Generation: remain nameless, since no name or word How to Trace Your Jewish Genealogy and will do. No label, no phrase, no Personal History, authored by Mr. sentence, can measure the unmeasurable. Kurzweil. The original title of the Chapter is "Six Million Jewish People Is When sanething is named or defined, it is One Jewish Person-Six Million Times •" imprisoned by the very limitations of the It is plblished here and was presented at canbination of letters tacked on to it. the World Conference on Records, with the As if if can now be filed away, dealt consent of the copyright. holder, Morrow with, tmderstood, grasped. Press. Minor editorial changes have been made. Six million Jews were murdered in the Holocaust. Six million Jews were murdered in the Holocaust. Yes. But, no-it was more than that. So much more that to say just this is to That phrase, "six million," slips out of perhaps betray the lives of the victims. our lOOuths 90 quickly 90 easily, too There are no graves for the victims. No often even thoughtlessly. Six million. markers stand as their memorials. Yes, we speak the number as if ••• as if we throughout the world there are monunents, know what six million human beings means. museuns, posters, plaques, statues, and As if we can understand such proportions sculptures ccmnenorating their lives and of death through murder. paying tribute to them. But who were they? Who were six million murdered in Six million. The number is unfathamable. the &locaust"?

Six million Jews were murdered in the Some names ought to be given, some ought Holocasut. not.

That word, "murdered," is spoken without Perhaps the deaths in total of six difficulty, as if we can grasp those million Jews should remain nameless. murders, as if they are calculable. We say "murdered" but we do not mean simply But the people should not remain murdered. Not like the killings we see nameless. 90 often m our televisions where life is taken every few manents without pause. Have we made a mistake by naming the Event but not naming the murdered? At¥i "Holocaust." Its nine letters are supposed to add up to the six million We have labeled the murders, added them murdered, as if ••• as if a word, any up, written about them as if they were a word, can grasp, can include, can measure pbenanenon, but do most of us know the 514/kunweil 2

naBes of those in our families wOO were Wiesel went on. "In my books. I don't stolen from us and killed? like to repeat stories. Baal Shem Tov, about the Holocaust as a subject, as a the Master of the Good Name. It seems phenanenon, as an historical event with that when there was a disaster about to causes and results. strike, the Baal Shem went into a certain spot in the woods, lit a candle and said What shall we tell our children? How a prayer-and the disaster was prevented. shall we explain to those wh> do not Then, a disciple of his was faced with a remember the event, or, as time goes by, disaster. He knew where the special spot are farther am farther removed fran it? in the woods was loated, he knew row to In what way shall we keept the memory light the candle, but he did not know the alive? prayer. But the disaster was averted. Then another disciple was faced with Elie Wiesel, survivor of the Death Camps, calamity. He knew where the spot in the taught a course at City College in New woods was located, but he did not know York on the Holocaust. One day, a haw to light the candle, and he did not student asked, "What shall we tell our know the prayer. But the disaster was children?" prevented. Then a final disciple was faced with a disaster. He did not know "And lobat if they don't believe us?" a how to light the candle, he did not know girl in the class added. how to say the prayer, and he did not kmw where the spot in the woods was "'1lley won't," a third student answered • located. All he knew was how to tell the "I'm convinced that in a few years, a few story. Am then, too, was the disaster generations, it will all be forgotten:' avoided.

"I am not sure I can agree," Wiesel said. The Chassidic tale was instructive to the "I have heard a theory, a fascinating, class, but Uie Wiesel wanted to be even intriguing theory. Irving Greenberg told more explicit in response to the ques­ me this. He said that when one considers tion. So, when a student said, "What is the Exodus of the Hebrews from Egypt, to the story we should tell?" those Hebrews, their exodus did not have much of an impact. But consider the Wiesel responded: "In a few years, a impact it has had since. Consider the very few years, there will not be one impact of the Exodus on Jews today. This surivivor left. Not a single survivor observation might be applied to the will be alive. Their numbers are Holocaust. Wb:> can know? It may be the decreasing at a very fast rate. Soon. same." there will be no one who was there.

"But, since we weren't there, what should "What can you tell your children? Tell we say to the next generation?" A young them that you knew the last survivors. man asked. "You have said that we will As the survivors were alive when it never understani what happened. If so, happened, you were alive to hear their how can we tell people about it?" story. Tell them that: You knew the last survivors. ''Yes," Wiesel said. ''You will never know. But you will know that there was "They will listen. And they will ask the sanething. You will kmw one incident. same question: What shall we tell our One tear. '1llat will be yours to tell." children? They will tell them: We knew 514/Kurzweil 4 did not?" will surely have passed through persons as well as persons incarcerated many minds. Remember to tape or write in concentration camps. This effort was down the names of the Holocaust victims aided by the United National Relief and in your family, and to determine what Rehabilitation Administration (UNRRA) and their relationship to you is. It is best was located in Versailles. Together, to do this in the form of a family tree. however, UNRRA and SHAEF relocated to Not only will this permit you to see the Frankfort on Main. relationships among relatives better, but the family tree will also becane the In July of 1945, SHAEF was dissolved and memorial to these people. the Combined Displaced Persons Executive, known as CDPX, established a collecting Not only survivors, but also other family center for docunents as well as a tracing members as well will remember people in bureau. This Central Tracing Bureau had your family wb:> were killed. Often after as its goals to trace missing persons­ the War, families in the United States military and civilian-of countries which made inquiries to try to locate family were members of the United Nations, as members. It was at this time that people well as to collect and preserve all began to discover wb:> did not survive. documents concerning non Germans and Try to locate the people in your family displaced persons in Germany. It was wb:> were involved with these inquiries. also given the task of assisting in the They will be your best resources for reuniting of families that had been discovering the answer to your questions. separated by the War. You will watch the branches of your family tree grow when you are doing this In 1946, the Central Tracing Bureau moved research. But never forget that if not from Frankfort on Main to Arolsen. It for your inquiries and your research, the was renamed the International Tracing names which you are gathering will be Service, as it is still called today. lost in another generation. You are making an effort to keep the memory of At present, and since 1955, the these deaths and the Holocaust alive. It International Tracing Service has been is one thing to know about .. the six directed and administered by the million" and quite another to have the International Committee of the Red Cross. names of the people in your family who were there and wOO were murdered. In its beginning, this organization was involved mainly with displaced persons • The Search for Victims and Survivors however, when the International Tracing Service (ITS) came into possession of In 1943, the C01llDit tee on Displaced concentration camp documents, the Populations of the Allied Post-War function of the organization changed. Requirement Bureau, located in London, Suddenly, ITS became involved with observed the obvious: As a result of the furnishing proofs of death that occurred war and particularly because of persecu­ in the Death Camps. It is mainly this tion, there was extensive displacement of function of ITS that concerns us here. populations. They decided, therefore, to establish the National Tracing Bureau in The historical background of the different countries with the aim of International Tracing Service has the locating people who were missing or who most acceptable information of concen­ ha:l been deported. In 1944, the Supreme tration camp victims and displaced Headquarters of the Allied Expeditionary persons in the world. While it is true Forces, known as SHAEF, gave orders to that Yad Vashem Archives in Jerusalem has register all displaced persons on index a canplete duplicate collection provided cards, to aid in the location process. by ITS, Yad Vashem is not set up to do By 1945, SHAEF established a tracing the kind of research for people that ITS bureau which was given the task of is financed to do. In fact, Yad Vashem collecting name lists of displaced directs many inquiries to ITS. To be 514/Kurzweil 5 clear, ITS will, under the right cireum­ children who had been separated from stances which we will explain. Provide their parents or close relatives during infonnation for you free of charge. the War or iDmediately after the War.

The International Tracing Service has, as While the ooldings of ITS archives are perhaps the most :Important feature in its vast, one should not think that the archives, a Master Index. This index is material is canplete. For example, while a file, by name of individual, of all the concentration csmp material in the names appearing on all the documents in archives is the largest, it is not a the archives. The reference cards collection of all concentration camp include the name, personal data avail­ material that existed. ITS rates the able, and the description of the docunent counpleteness of its concentration camp in llhich the name is mentioned. At collection as follows: present, this Master Index contains 39,700,000 cards. It is interesting to Buchenwald almost canplete note that the index is not filed Dachau almost canplete alphabetically but rather phonetic­ Flossenburg imcomplete but quite alphabetical in order to account for nunerous different spellings of the same surnames. Mauthausen trivial gaps Another rather remarkable resource used Mittelbau trivial gaps by ITS in this regard is a two-vollllle set Natzweiler not complete but quite of books listi~ first names and their nlll1erous many variations. This is obviously Stutthof not complete but quite useful for location of individuals. The numerous list of first names contains 48,096 fonns Niederhagen- not canplete but quite of names. Wewelsburg numerous Ravensbruck incanplete The Master Index is, oowever, just the Auschwitz very incanplete axle about which the collections within Gross-Rosen very incanplete the archives revolve. A closer look at Sachsenhausen very incomplete the contents of the archives will soow Neue~amne very incanplete how useful ITS can be. Lublin very incomplete Krakow-Plaszow very incanplete In the International Tracing Service Archives the following are contained: According to ITS , there are 3,735,000 Indexes and name lists of concentration individual docunents in the collection camps. just described.

Indexes and name lists of Gestapo and Another collection of ITS is the Post-War Sipo Offices. Docunents which generally concern dis­ placed persons who were registered from Name lists of persons. 1945 to 1951. Included in these docu­ ments are lists of the inhabitants of the Deportation lists of Jews. DP camps.

Index Cards and name lists of towns and The Historical Section of ITS archives is communities, district magistrate offices, also of great value. Here are contained labor offices, health insurance firms, documents of a more general nature etc., concerning foreigners who were including concentration camps, Jewish registered during the War in Germany, towns, Nuremberg trial records, and mainly in the area that is mw West infonnation of the persecution of Jews in Germany. different countries. If you are inter­ ested in certain Jewish communities in Index cards and name lists concerning Europe during the &locaust, you will 514/Kurzweil 6 find these archives at ITS to be I didn't think much about the other excellent. people in the photograph when I first found it. After all, my grandmother and The International Tracing Service is her three children were in it, and I knew currently in the process of establishing all of them. Perhaps I was· also pre­ a subject index to its concentration camp occupied with the fact that my grand­ material for use by researchers. They father was not in the picture. He was are also publishing a volune on concen­ already in America at the time, earning tration camps detaili~ the inner work­ enough money to send for the rest of the ings of each of the camps. family.

One might think that the "tracing" Yes, "the rest of the family." Since my function of the International Tracing grandmother and her three children were Service has outlived its usefulness, but finally sent for five years after my ITS reports that during the last five grandfather cane to America, I always years the average munher of inquiries per thought, as I said, that we "missed it." year has been 8,000. After more than thirty years, people are still looking Today, I know the truth: In addition to for lost relatives-and are sometimes the six people whom I recognized in the findi~ them. It is sad to note, of photograph, only one other person course, that often ITS offers verifi­ survived the Holocaust. The other four­ cation regarding the concentration camp teen people were murdered. Out of deaths of individuals. twenty-one family members, two thirds were killed. Finally, the International Tracing Service has a staff of personnel who can When I asked my great-uncle Sam who the answer inquiries in the following lan­ other people in the picture were he said, guages: Czech, Dutch, Estonian, Finnish, "This is my brother Elya, his wife Greek, Hungarian, Italian, Lithuanian, Dobroh, am their two children. This is Polish, Russian, Serbocroation, my brother Hersh, his wife Anna, and SlOlTakian, Spanish, English, French, and their five children. And this is my German. Inquiries in Hebrew and sister ReisI, her husband Shimon, and Azerbaijan can also be answered with the their two children. Only Mechel, the aid of other organizations, reports ITS. oldest son of Hersh and Anna, survived. You know him. The others were all killed." I once naively tmught that my family had escaped the Iblocaust. It was my belief As I looked at the photograph, I tmught that since I was born in the United again of my grandfather in America, States and since my parents were in the working to earn the money which would United States, ani since even my grand­ bring his wife and three children, one of parents were not in Europe during the whom was my father, to this country. Had War, our family "got out in t:lme." may grandfather stayed, had he continued his life with his brothers and sisters in It was not until I found an old family the town in which they were born and photograph ani asked by great-uncle to raised, his family, like the others, identify people in the picture· that I would have probably been killed. realized mw wrong I was. The photograph contained twenty-one people and included my great-granifather, who also came to In all, at least 103 people in the America, as well as my father, aunt, Kurzweil family alone were murdered in uncle, great-uncle, and grandmother. the Holocaust. That's just one branch of That added up to six people of the my family. twenty-one whom I could recognize from the photograph. WOO were the others? And I thought we escaped it. 5l4/Kurzweil 7

HOLOCAUST RESEAROi As we have mentioned, ITS also has infonnation concerning the fate of towns The International Tracing Service during the lblocaust. Along with your inquiry pertaining to individuals, you As has been described, the International might want to ask about certain Tracing Service is the best source for localities• locating information about Holocaust victims. While Yad Vashem has a duplicate collection of the International When you write to ITS, simply state that Tracing Service's lx>ldings, it is ITS you are interested in kmwing whatever which will be more helpful. This is they have in their files on your family because ITS has , as its function, the members aId then list those individuals role of doing research for individuals along with additional information as for free, while Yad Vashem does not do explained earlier. Again, ITS, which is research for persom. If you write to under the auspices of the International Yad Vashem, they will suggest you contact Red Cross, does not charge for its ITS. research-nor should it.

If you know the name of a relative and you want to fiId out his or her fate Write to: during the lblocaust, write to ITS and give them as much infonnation about the International Tracing Service person as you can. They require more D-3548 Arolsen than just a name since their files Federal Republic of Germany contain so many duplicate names. ITS usually asks for a person's name and The one million Jewish children birthdate, but if you do not know that murdered in the Nazi lx>locaust died (even an approximate da~e will help) then not because of their faith, nor in try to supply any other infonnation which spite of their faith, nor for will narrow the field for the researcher. reasons unrelated to faith. They were murdered because of the faith What ITS will not do is send you informa­ of their great-grandparents. Had tion on everyone in their files with a these great-grandparents abandoned certain surname. Remember: it is a their Jewish faith, and failed to tracing service of iIdividuals. bring up Jewish children, then their fourth-generation descendants might have been among the Nazi The ITS has all the available records executioners, but not among their kept by the nazis at the concentration Jewish victims. Like Abraham of camps but, as noted, its collection is old, European Jews sanetime in the not canplete. It also has a great number mid-nineteenth century offered a of other types of records. This means human sacrifice, by the mere that its files include not only Holocaust minimal CCIIIDlitment to the Jewish victims who were killed, but also others faith of bringing up Jewish wOO survived. children. But unlike Abraham they did not k.mw what they were doing, It usually takes a few months for ITS to and there was no reprieve. This is fill your request, but it is their policy the brute fact which makes all to send you a note telling you that they canparisons odious or irrelevant. have received your inquiry. However, This is the scandal of the partic­ even this note takes several weeks to ularity of Auschiwiz which, once arrive. Nevertheless, when you do faced by the Jewish believer, receive their final reply, it might threatens total despair. include sane extremely meaningful infor­ mation. Emil L. Fackenheim 514/Kurzweil 8

Mauthausen Death Books Vashem also aids in bringing Nazi war criminals to trial through the The National Archives in Washington, information which it provides to legal D•C. , has two rolls of microfilm which authorities throughout the world. contain seven volumes known as the Mauthausen Death Books. These books While Yad Vashem will not endeavor to do recorded the deaths of about 100,000 research for individuals with general victims at that Nazi death camp. The requests, one department of Yad Vashen is volumes are chronological-by death of great interest to those who wish to (l)-and include such personal data as locate information about Holocaust name, date of birth, date of death, and victims. This is the Pages of Testimony other comnents. Department. Yad Vashen has thousands of pages of testimony, written by indi­ These volumes were introduced by the U.S. viduals, regarding Holocaust victims. prosecution staff before the Inter­ The testimony is arranged by name, and if national Military Tribunal, commonly you can supply the names of persons whom krown as the Nuremberg Trials. you believe were murdered by the Nazis, or if you do not know the fate of There is ro index to these death books, individuals Who were in Europe during the so it is quite difficult to find specific Holocaust, the Pages of Testimony names • However, if you have reason to Department might have information on believe that family members were killed these persons. in Mauthausen, and you care to do the research, these rolls of microfilm are A useful aspect of the pages of testimony available. You can also view these rolls is the fact that not only is the name of of microfilm if you want to witness a the Holocaust victim on file, but so is frightening example of Nazi sickness. the name of the individual who made the testimony-(Le., the person who filled These and other National Archives out the form). If you find the name of a holdings are available to you on victim who was in your family, you can interlibrary loan. The code number for also find the name, possibly, of a living the death books is (T 990). Ask your person Who knew the victim. Relatives local library for details concerning the wOO lost contact with each other have interlibrary loan of these materials. found one another through the written recording of a Holocaust victim! Yad Vashen To make a request for pages of testimony, Yad Vashen is a national institution in write to: Israel dedicated to perpetuating the Yad Vashem memory of the victims of the Holocaust. Pages of Testimony Department Their stated goal is "to gather in P.O.B. 3477 material regarding all those Jewish Jerusalem, Israel people wOO laid down their lives, who fought and rebelled against the Nazi Note that the Pages of Testimony Depart­ enemy and their collaborators, and to ment works both ways- giving information perpetuate their menory and that of the and receiving information. If you comnunities, organizations, and insti­ already have names and other facts about tutions Which were destroyed because they people who were murdered during the were Jewish. •" Holocaust, you will want to ask Yad Vashen for blank pages in order to send In addition to administering a museum then your testimony. devoted to the Holocaust, Yad Vashem is a research institution which collects Everything new must have its roots material and published books and in what was before. periodicals in Hebrew and English. Yad -Sigmund Freud 514/Kurzweil 9

Memorial Books as Sources for Learning to bring on greater disappointment ~en about Holocaust Victims they are not found.

If you can fim a memorial book devoted So, I ask the reader to understand the to a town fran ~ich your family has situation: hope of finding a list come, you might find a listing of relative is very slight. yet, if the Holocaust victims from that town. Often possibilility exists and if you have the memorial books plblish lists of imi­ strength to plrsue the question, you may viduals murdered during the lblocaust, in want to attempt the research. Finally, order to keep their memory alive. Even before I describe this next source, you if you think your family left its should understand that the odds are ancestral home before the Holocaust, greatest, sadly, that your missing these listings might provide names of relative is not alive and was murdered. family members wi¥> stayed. While you cannot assume that people with the same After the lblocaust, a major activity of surname as yours appeari~ on these lists Jews arourd the world was searching for are related, there is a good chance that missing relatives. The question in they are-especially if it was a small everyone's mini was, "WOO was killed and town. If you find names in memorial who survived?" Inunediately after the books which are familiar, you srould ask War, Jews were asked to return to their your relatives, particularly your older hometowns. This was, perhaps, the best relatives, if they remember them. way to find out the fate of one's family and friends. If everyone returned Landsmannschaften can also be a good "home," even for a short time, the source for learni~ about the fate of survivors could learn the fate of their your family and your ancestral towns loved ones. In addition, if any of the duri~ the Holocaust. Often the members family's personal effects were still of landsmannschaften are survivors and there, this would be an opportunity to have much to share regardi~ this part of claim them. your family experience. There are an enormous 1UJI11ber of post-War horror stories relating to this very Locating Survivors subject. How often a surviving Jew returned to his or her village only to be I write this section of this book with murdered-after the Wart-by anti-semites great hestitation. While it is nearly in the town. In my family, there are thirty-five years after the lblocuast, I eye-witness accounts by many people of have met many people wOO still have ropes just this situation. A cousin of mine that one day they will find their returned to our shtetl only searching for relatives wi¥> have been missi~ since the his missing relatives and was killed by War. Every once in a ~ile a news item the local people. will stimulate more of this rope. "A brother and sister, separated by the For the Jews who returned to their homes, Holocaust, find each other decades their experience was mixed with joy and later." While these stories are true , sadness. In many cases a survivor's they are few and far between. Nonethe­ wildest dreams were fulfilled-others in less, if the rope is there, a distant his family survived. But in most cases, dream might one day be fulfilled. perhaps every case, the death of many loved ones was discovered. Yet, I write this section with hesitation because I do not want to raise false But not everyone returned hane. Some hopes. I do not want to give the refused ever to go back to the towns they impression that one can easily f im lost were originally from-not even for a day. relatives. I do rot want to add to the Others were physically unable to travel trought that "they might be alive" only great distances to return hane. Still 514/Kurzweil 10 others were too ill to make the journey. Jews Liberated From German Other circunstances also prevented many Concentration Camps Arrived in Jews from going "home." In addition, Sweden 1945-6 usually a person had family in several different tOWlE. A survivor could not be Surviving Jews in Jugoslavia as of in all places at once. Yet the survivor June, 1945 was desperately anxious to leam news about his family. A List of Lithuanian Jews Who Survived the Nazi Tyramy and Because of this situation, various Are Now in Lithuania , France, agencies attempted to aid in the search Italy, Sweden, Palestine, 1946 for missing relatives. The Jewish Agency for Palestine in 1945 established the Jews Registered in Czestochowa Search Bureau for Missing Relatives. The World Jewish Congress established the An Extensive List of Survivors of Division for Displaced Persons. Other Nazi Tyranny Published So That organizations, such as the Czechoslovak the Lost May Be Found and the Jewish Committee, the Relief committee of Dead Brought Back to Life Jews from Czechoslovakia, the American Federation for Lithuanian Jews, Inc., and These are just some of the lists which many others, also joined in to help Jews were published. The titles of many of find survivors. the lists are, in themselves, quite moving. The major effort of these organizations was to gather and publish infomation Where are these lists? At the present about survivors in the form of alpha­ time I am aware of only one place where a betical lists of names. The Jewish large collection of these books is Agency for Palentine's Search Bureau for gathered and that is at YIVO Institute Missing Relatives published" a 30o-page for Jewish Research, 1048 5th Avenue, New book in 1945 called Register of Jewish York, N.Y. 10028. Be aware that the YIVO Survivors. It was a list of 58,000 Jews staff cannot do research for you. They in Poland in June of that year. cannot look in these books in search of names • However important this search might be to you, the YIVO does not have But this was just one of many such the staff to do searches. published lists. Here is a list of titles of some of the published lists: How can these lists serve you? While the Surviving Jews in Warsaw as of International Tracing Service has all June 5th 1945 available data on Holocaust victims and survivors, I have already explained that Surviving Jews in Lublin ITS is a tracing service. In other words, if you give it a name of a person List of Persons Liberated at (and additional identification) it will Terezin in Early May 1945 check to see if it has infomation on the person. However, what if I am looking, List of Children at Terezin for example, for information about people with the name Kurzweil? The Inter­ Displaced Jews Resident in the national Tracing Service cannot and will Czechoslovak Republic 1948 not supply me with information on every Kurzweil in its files. As they have told List of Jews Residing in Riga me through correspondence, their files have information about more than two Jewish Refugees in Italy hundred Kurzweils! They cannot send me all of that information, but they can 514/Kurzweil 11

check their files if I ask then about written and canpiled by Serge Klarsfeld, certain specific names. ~ain, they are this book lists all of the Jews deported a traci~ service of individuals. fran France during World War II. The book contains the names, birthdates, and This is where the lists cane in. If I birthplaces of nearly eighty thousand check the survivors lists for the Jews llilO were deported. surnames which I am interested in, I might find people with the same surnames. This large volune costs thirty dollars The names of the towns are also listed. and is available fran the Beate Klarsfeld These towns are the ones where the people Foundation, 515 Madison Avenue, New York, were at the time the lists was canpiled. New York 10022. Since most Jews registered in their hometowns, this is often the town where Death Books they lived before the Holocaust. If the town matches one in your family history, At YIVO Institute for Jewish Research :in you may be on the right track :in locating New York, alo~ with their collection of a relative. Once you find a listing of lists of survivors, are a few examples of interest, you can photocopy the page and lists of murdered Jews. There are not ask family members if they recall this gravestones for the millions murdered. person. Then you can send it to the These lists, in effect, become their International Tracing Service. They will memorials. check their files for the name. Finally, you can check phone books and you might Examples of such books are two volunes match the name on the list with a listing published by the Jewish Labor Coumittee in the Israeli phone books, for example, in 1947. The titles of the two books or other phone directories as well. are: Memorial Dates of the Martyred Jews and Dachau-Jews Born in Lithuania, Once again, these lists are a way to Latvia, Estonia and White Russia, and possibly locate missing people. While Memorial Dates of the Martyred Jews of the lists were published more than three Dachau-Jews born in Poland. Both books decades ago, they might be an aid in were canpiled by Jesef Lindenberger and discovering some valuable information. Jacob Silberstin, themselves Dachan On the other hand, I must repeat that the survivors. chances are still slight, and your hopes must not be raised too high. These kinds of lists, while being possible sources for reserach also serve Missing Relatives in Israel as a further inspiration. We must try our best to learn about those members of If you are looking for a missing relative our families who perished during the in Israel, the following organization Holocaust. We ought to know their names would be of help: and to write them down on our family trees. We ought to print these family The Jewish Agency trees and distribute them to our family Missing Relative Department members so that everyone knows who P.O. Box 92 perished and how we are connected to Jerusalem, Israel them. Their memories must live. "Who­ ever teaches his son teaches not only his Deportations from France during the son but also his son's son-and so on to Holocaust end of generations." Talmud: Kiddushin, 30a A remarkable book was published in 1978 that should be of great interest to Holocaust Calendar of Polish Jewry anyone researching Holocaust victims in France. Titled Le Memorial de la According to Jewish tradition, the departation des Juifs de France, and anniversary of the death of a family 514/Kurzweil 12 member is to be observed. On that day, the histories of your European CaJlllun­ each year, a candle is 11t in memory of ities, you will find these dates and the individual wOO has departed. other information about your towns during the Holocaust. The day that the Nazis The Holocaust, W1ch stole six million destroyed your town is an important date Jew fran our families, caused most of for you to remember and to keep as a part our families to observe these death of your family history. anniversaries. The problem, of course, is that in most cases we do not know the Mid-nineteenth century European exact date of death. Whole towns were Jews did not know the effects of often destroyed at once with nobody to their actions upon their remote recall the date. Many Jews were marched descendants when they remained or taken to concentration camps. The faithful to Judaism and raised precise date an individual Jew died is Jewish children. What if they had nearly impossible to determine. known? Could they have remained faithful? Should they? And what Desiri~ to fulfill the religious obliga­ of us who know, when we consider tion to observe the anniversary of the the possibility of a second death, many Jew wOO have family members Auschwitz three generations hence. who were killed during the Ho locaust will (Which would we rather have our use the date that the town was attached great-grandchildren be-victims, or or evacuated as the day to remember. bystanders and executioners?) Yet for us to cease to be Jews (and to In 1974, Rabbi Israel Schepansky pub­ cease to bring up Jewish Children) lished an e1ghty-eight page book called would be to abandon our millennial Holocaust Calendar of Polish Jewry. The post as witnesses to the God of Holocaust Calendar is essentially a History. town-by-town list of cODmlunities in Poland. The book provides the name of -Emil L. Fackenheim the town, the population, the dates and ways of "liquidation," as the author puts it, and in many cases other information Pre-Holocaust European Phone Books about the town. Rabbi Schepansky is a well-respected scholar, the editor of the The New York Public Library Research Jewish magazine Or Hamizrach, and on the Division attempts each year to obtain editorial board of the Talmudic Ereyclo­ current phone books from allover the pedia. world. They also save their old phone books. The Holocaust Calendar is available for $3.50 from Rabbi Israel Schepansky, 2220 One day I wndered how far back the Avenue L, Brooklyn, N.Y. 11210. Be aware oldest Polish phone book went in the that the book is in Hebrew. Nonetheless, library's collection. The New York you can surely find someone who can Public Library Annex on 43rd Street keeps translate for you, if it is Polish Jewry these books. At the annex I found two that is your interest. volumes of the 1936 Polish telephone directories. Unfortunately, there is no single reference source for the dates of other Since most of my family who came to Jewish cODmlunities in Eastern Europe. America arrived in the early part of the Some dedicated scholar ought to do the 1900s, and since even those who came same thing for Hungary, Czechoslovakia, later arrived before the Holocaust, one etc., that Rabbi Schepansky has done for might wnder why these phone books would Poland. be of use to me. In addition, you might ask, "What Jews had telephones in Poland On the other hand, as you do reserach on in 1936?1" 514/Kurzweil 13

In answer to the second question, the Tirol fact of the matter is that many Jews in Vorarlberg Poland in 1936 had phones. The myth is that every Eastern European Jew was as Czechoslovakia: poor as Tevye the Dairyman. As for my Prague, 1932-38, 1940 family being in the U.S. before 1936, the Bohemia, 1934/35, 1935/36, 1936/37, truth is that many cousins did not cane 1938/39 to America-and were murdered in the Moravia and Silesia, 1932, 1933, 1936 Holocaust. Slovakia and Russian Lower Carpathia, 1934, 1935 Upon examining the 1936 Polish phone books, I discovered that the books were Gennany: arranged by town. Some towns had only Berlin, 1913, 1926-38 two phones. Others had more. In one of Dusseldorf, 1931-36 the towns in my family history there was Frankfurt, 1928-37 a listi~ of about twenty phones. Two of Hamburg, 1927, 1930-35 the names, to my great surprise, were Munchen, 1932-37 slightly familiar to me. I photocopied Stuttgart, 1936 the page and brought it to a man in the family wro was fran the same town aId who (It is interesting to rote that many in fact had the same last name as the people wro do research to claim war people listed. When I asked him if he reparations as well as to hunt Nazis knew who the two people listed were, he use these rare pre-Holocaust German said, "Of course. One is my uncle and phone directories.) the other is my father." Hungary: They were both killed during the Budapest, 1913, 1928-34, 1936-38, 1940 Holocust, but in 1936 both had tele­ phones. My cousin was· then able to tell Poland: me about some of the other people -no Warwaw, 1931-35, 1936/37 were listed as havi~ phones in the same All districts except Warsaw, 1936 town. It was an excellent way to discover new people as well as to Yugoslavia: stimulate a memory to recall stories Belgrade, 1934 about people wro had not been seen for thirty-five or more years. This is an incanplete list of cities and countries, of course. The following is a listing of pre­ Holocaust telephone books in the New York The New York Public Library also has Public Library Annex: post-Holocaust phone books which may aid in tracking down missing relatives. Austria: Vienna, 1928-30, 1932-34, 1936-38 Niederosterreich All our ancestors are in us. Who Burgenland can feel himself alone? Oberosterre1ch Salzburg -Richard Beer-Hofmann, Steiermark Schalf1ed fur Miriam, Karnten 1898 BACK ACROSS THE OCEAN ...

O'-----'-----J~~ I Miles .

Black Sea

In 1882.500.000 Jews living in rural areas of the The Pale of Settlement. Russian Pate were forced to leave their homes and live in [] Jews confined to this area by laws towns or townlets Lshtetfsi in the Pale. 2S0.onn of 1795 and 1835. By 1885 there Jews li'-ing along the weslern frortier of Russia were Over 4 million Jews living in were also moved into the PJ1e. "on,OOo Jews the Pale. living east of the Pale were driven into the Pale @ Towns within the Pale barred to if' by 1891. Jews without special residence permits.

II9

Copied from Finding Our Fathers: A Guidebook to Jewish Genealogy by Dan Rottenberg. New York: Random House, 1977. Other Resources Jewish Research Cyndi’s List Jewish Resources http://www.cyndislist.com/jewish.htm

Jewish Genealogy Research on Family Search including Research Guides and Helpful Links http://www.familysearch.org/eng/default.asp?page=home/welcome/site_resources.asp%3Fwhi chResourcePage=Jewish

Guide to Israel’s Archives http://www.research.co.il/israeli.html

Beginners Guide to Austrian Jewish Genealogy http://www.jewishgen.org/databases/AustriaCzech/

JewishGen France Database http://www.jewishgen.org/French/

German Jewish Special Interest Group http://www.jewishgen.org/GerSIG/resources.htm

JewishGen UK Database http://www.jewishgen.org/databases/UK/

JewishGen Hungary Database http://www.jewishgen.org/databases/Hungary/

Israel Genealogical Society http://www.isragen.org.il/

Genealogy Resources-Jewish Latvia http://www.rumbula.org/genealogy_resources_jewish_latvia.shtml

Jewish Genealogical Data for Courland (Mainly Jewish Province in Latvia) http://www.jewishgen.org/Courland/data_by_sources.htm

Jewishgen.org Jews in Estonia page http://www.jewishgen.org/Latvia/estonia.html

LitvakSIG (Lithuanian Jewish) Database http://www.jewishgen.org/litvak/

Polish Jews.org-History and Research Resources http://polishjews.org/