20th U of U Remembrance Day: In 1942, the Dutch underground produced 300,000 yellow cloth stars like those imposed on Jews, inscribed, “Jews and non-Jews stand united in their struggle.” The cloth stars distributed on campus carry a similar message. Page 2

ATSMI UVSARI “My Bone and My Flesh” *9:"& */73

Number 6 Summer, 2004

Origins of common Jewish An ex-priest looks at the surnames may surprise and history of official Catholic delight you. Dan Shlyter’s March antisemitism Robert Neu book workshop. Page 4 review. Page 14

Mixing DNA and traditional Plus: genealogy Robert Neu reviews Mark Twain Dr. Scott Woodward’s Salt Lake Leo Tolstoy City Library lecture. Page 7 Winston churchill and other luminaries Page 9 Refuge In Hell: How did 800 Jews openly maintain a fully- functioning Jewish hospital in the Regular features: heart of Nazi Berlin? Page 5 Book Reviews – pages 5, 14 Contact information – page 6 Editorial – page 16 Submitting newsletter Genealogy story – page 3 articles for publication: a History Page – page 5 Minutes – page 12 guide to the basics. Page 10 Mail – page 8 News of Utah – page 2 Do you READ obituaries? Writing for publication – page 15 Zip Tips – page 3 You can learn a lot! Page 11 U of U hosts 20th Days of Remembrance by Wilma Odell

The University of Utah remembered the millions of victims of the Holocaust during its 20th anniversary of Days of Remembrance activities in April 2004, coinciding with the national Holocaust Remembrance Day on April 18, and included a keynote address, lecture, reading, workshop, and film screenings. All events (except the workshop taken for credit) were free.

Jewish Stars O n campus, yellow cloth stars were distributed to faculty, staff, and students to commemorate the identity badges that have been imposed on Jews throughout history. In Nazi- occupied Denmark, the yellow, six- pointed star was never introduced because King Christian X University of Utah campus, courtesy of University of Utah threatened to wear it himself. In 1942, the Dutch underground Postwar Germany,” as well as a reading produced 300,000 replicas of the badge from her internationally best-selling and inscribed with the motto, “Jews and non-Jews award-winning autobiographical memoir, stand united in their struggle.” Many Dutch STILL ALIVE: A HOLOCAUST GIRLHOOD citizens wore these in solidarity with the REMEMBERED. A coming-of-age story that victims and in defiance of the Nazis. The constantly delves into the blunt, cloth stars distributed on campus carry a unsentimental observations of childhood, similar message. STILL ALIVE rejects all easy assumptions Films, lectures, readings, etc about history, both political and personal. Kluger sees and names an unexpected reality Films shown over a three-day period, which has little to do with conventional April 12 - 14, were: JUDGMENT AT wisdom or morality tales. From the NUREMBERG, DIVIDED WE FALL , THE experiences of her youth she builds a PAWNBROKER, EUROPA EUROPA. and others. philosophical argument for the right to live There was also a lecture by Holocaust and the right to self-determination. survivor Ruth Kluger, “Jewish Ghosts in [Continued on page 3]

Page 2 Remembrance [cont’d from page5] “Managing Genocide: Reinhard Heydrich & the SS Culture of Murder” came on The University also offered a workshop with Thursday, April 15. Sydnor has prepared lecture, discussion, and film clips on the materials and testified in more than two Holocaust by Ronald M. Smelser, Professor dozen cases brought by the US government of History. This workshop was only against former SS guards in German available for those registering for university concentration camps and Nazi war credit through Academic Outreach and criminals. He is recognized internationally Continuing Education. as an authority on the policies of persecution, the crimes of the Nazi Regime, Keynote address and the history of the Holocaust. His lecture Charles Sydnor’s keynote address, focused on the life [Continued on page 18]

Zip tips Check Ancestry.com for pre-Ellis Island NY arrivals by Marilyn Zipser

Ancestry.com has added New York arrivals for 1851-1891, preceding Ellis Island. They also have early New York City naturalizations available. You may get lucky and find your people immediately, but you may have to try other strategies. I was looking for Moritz Zipser. Initial attempt at arrival (using Morris and variations on Zipser) was unsuccessful, BUT he was listed in naturalization, stating he had come 13 Nov 1879. I finally entered “Moritz” with no surname, year “1879” and “Hungary.” There were nine records, but one Moritz FRIEBSER arrived on 14 Nov 1879. I linked to the original manifest which was almost black. I saw Moritz Ziebser, and above him a Salamon Ziebser (his brother). Fortunately, the manifest was clear on the microfilm I found at the LDS Church’s Family History Library. His brother was indexed as “Liebser!” The European “Z” may have been the problem if the records The Family History Library of The Church of Jesus Christ of were electronically transcribed.b Latter-Day Saints. Photo courtesy LDS Church

Page 3 Dan Schlyter’s March workshop Origins of common European-Jewish Surnames reported by Rochelle Kaplan

Jeremy Taylor’s surname, for example, might have been Morris, Maurice, Moses, might become Szabo in Hungarian, Meyer. Meier means farmer in German and Schneider in German, Portnoy in Russian. has variants Mayer, Mehr, Meir. Pinski or (All words for tailor.) He also wrote the Pinsky might indicate a person from Pinsk. equivalents in Russian and Hebrew. Polish Other names derived from places are Irving records before 1868 were written in Polish Berlin, Guggenheim, Posnik (a person from so Shnaider might be Sznajder or Szneider Posna), Bayer (from Bavaria), Unger (from or Zsznajdrowych. After 1868, the records Hungary), Anne Frank (from France), were written in Russian. Halperin (from Heilbronn), Spiro (from In 1835, Russia required Jews to take Spier). Dreyfus, from Trier, a German town. fixed surnames. The Duchy of Warsaw Surnames were also derived from required fixed surnames but Jews were not occupations. A butcher might become allowed to take Christian-sounding Metzger, Schlachter, Resnick (from the surnames. In other places and times, Jews Polish or Slavic word for butcher). A couldn’t take Jewish-sounding surnames. shochet might take the surname Chocquette Dan noted that the Dutch and French kept in France. Kaufman means merchant. meticulous records. Sherman means cloth-cutter. Zlote from Another example of a surname was gold in Polish, or Golda. Skulnick means Hirsch. Hirsch means deer. So if Hirsch town crier. Klopman or Koppelman or didn’t like this name, he might have changed Kaplan means prayer caller. it to Hart, which is German for deer, or Jelinek, which is Polish for deer. Cerf is Sometimes names came from nature. French for deer. Other equivalents are Hertz Rosensweig means rose branch. Fink means or Herz. finch. Finkelstein means glittering stone or Tsvi equals Levy. Levite is associated diamond. So does Diamant. Sometimes with Levi, and variants might be Levinsky, folks paid to get a better name. Levin, Lewin, Levine. Sometimes names were rearranged. So There are names associated with fish: Weil might be Levi or Lewi rearranged. Efroyim, Efrem, for example. Also Hecht, Katz came from conflating Cohen which is German for pike. Or Rybok, Rybak, Tzadek, or righteous priest. Segal or Siegel which equals Fisher, Fischer, Fiszer. A comes from Segan Leviah or member of the Kinnui is a Jewish tradition of names Levites. associated with qualities of objects. Judah, Recall that Russian has no H, instead for example, is associated with the lion. The using G. So Hirsh became Girsh. Kogin Slavic word for lion is Lev or Lew. From might be Cohen or Cogin or Kohen. this we might get Lowenstein or Lowen or Novak in Slovak is the equivalent of Neu Lowenbrau. or Noye or New. Names derived from other People selected surnames after places. adjectives such as Klein, Gross, Weis. Harry Hence, we have Morey Amsterdam. Morey Houdini’s real surname was Weiss. b

Page 4 History Page & Book Review REFUGE IN HELL: how Berlin’s Jewish Hospital outlasted the Nazis by Daniel B. Silver. Houghton Mifflin Co. 2003. ISBN 0-618-25144-8

When Russian soldiers liberated Berlin’s Daniel Silver has unearthed documents, Jewish Community Hospital, they were memoirs, and even photographs of many of amazed to discover a fully functioning the hospital’s personnel. But of the medical facility with eight hundred Jews still enigmatic Dr. Lustig, practically nothing living there openly. remains: no photographs, no documents. Daniel Silver served as General Counsel We don’t even know his fate. Months after to both the NSA and the the war had ended, he CIA, but revealing the climbed into a Russian secrets of Berlin’s Jewish limo and vanished hospital may be his most without a trace. All that astounding feat of is left are the research. As he takes us contradictory through the labyrinthine testimonies of his staff tangles of history, and subordinates. mysteries pile upon From these enigmas. testimonies and How did they survive memoirs emerges an the entire Nazi Holocaust, unusual portrait of in the very heart of the Berlin under the Nazis. Reich? Why did the Nazis Silver devotes most of a allow this one Jewish chapter to the amazing institution survive, staffed Frauenprotest, which entirely by Jewish doctors saved many of the and nurses, for the benefit hospital’s personnel. In of Jewish patients? Why 1943, thousands of did the Gestapo fund the “Aryan” Berliners The Jewish Hospital’s synagogue, closed hospital with five million demonstrated publicly by the Nazis, adorns the book’s jacket. reichsmarks? against the deportation Photo courtesy Houghton Mifflin Co. And what became of of their Jewish husbands the hospital’s Jewish director, “Dr. - Dr.” and children. The protest lasted a week, Walter Lustig? Was he a venal coward who right through a major air raid. Using the sacrificed half his medical staff to keep his Nazis’ own bizarre racial laws, the women job, or a hero who negotiated successfully forced Goebbels, as mayor of Berlin, to with Adolf Eichmann? Or both? Should he recall more than five thousand Jews from the be remembered as the aptly-named lecher camps, most of whom survived the war. who forced nurses to strip naked for his Such was the power of public outrage, even pleasure, or the genius with both an MD and in Nazi Berlin. What could they have a Ph.D.,who kept the Jewish Hospital accomplished, if they’d only had the courage functioning, with all of Germany in ruins? to protest sooner! [Continued on page 6]

Page 5 Refuge [continued from page5] With the benefit of hindsight, one can see that, instead of alleviating Jewish suffering, such Some facets of the Shoah are so strange cooperation enabled more Jews to be killed faster as to totally defy common sense. For than otherwise would have occurred, and at less example, the Nazis sometimes refused to cost to the Germans. [Note #61.] transport sick prisoners to the death camps. Silver’s end notes are far more than mere Though medical resources were desperately citations of quotes and sources. They tell needed throughout Germany, so many sick lengthy stories of historical or even romantic prisoners were sent to the Jewish Hospital interest, give that they were “second opinions,” forced to open a and comment on “police ward” for “How is it that eight hundred Jews, the reliability of sick transportees. directly under Eichmann’s personal witnesses. Many of The prisoners control, managed to evade Nazi genocide the notes are as knew that after fascinating to read they were cured, for twelve years?” as the book itself. they would be REFUGE IN HELL sent to the camps is not a blood-and-guts horror book; nor is it to be murdered. Meanwhile, there was a revisionist puff piece. Pulling no punches, always a chance the war might end first. Silver presents the facts of daily Jewish life Over a hundred such prisoners did in fact at the center of the Nazi hell, through the survive the war this way. stories of those who managed, astoundingly, The hospital’s survival also gives to survive. b damning testimony about Eichmann’s role in the Shoah. Silver’s evidence contradicts the picture of Eichmann which emerged at his Who are we? trial, as an aloof, impersonal bureaucrat. Utah Jewish Genealogical Eichmann visited the hospital frequently, to Society is a non-profit organization, personally select individuals for deportation. organized to bring together all Utah people One survivor noticed that he seemed to interested in pursuing Jewish genealogy, prefer fat women with glasses. regardless of faith. UJGS Meets Bi-Monthly This evidence of his very personal at 7:00 PM on the third Tuesday of the involvement may have been unknown to his month at Congregation Kol Ami synagogue prosecutors, but it also begs the question: in Salt Lake City, Utah. b why did Eichmann allow eight hundred Jews, living openly under his direct, personal control, to evade genocide for Contact us: twelve years? UJGS website: Eichmann, of course, was a master at www.rootsweb.com/~utjgs/ persuading Jews to cooperate in their own President: Robert Neu destruction. Silver notes: The instinct of Jewish communal leaders to Program Chair: Rochelle Kaplan cooperate with the oppressor in mitigating the Editor: Don Fallick [email protected] severity of the attacks proved fatally misguided....

Page 6 DNA Genealogy THE POWER OF DNA: DISCOVERING LOST AND HIDDEN RELATIONSHIPS Dr Scott Woodward is Chief Scientific Officer of The Sorenson Molecular Genealogy Foundation by Robert Neu

In a presentation at the Salt the earth by linking them using Lake City Main Library on May DNA genealogy. The rest will 1, 2004, Doctor Woodward hopefully be history. started by explaining the start of The fascinating thing about his passion for genealogy, and DNA is that it can be used to more specifically DNA show how each human being that genealogy. has ever lived or will ever live It all started with the BYU has a unique DNA, and on the archeology project in Egypt a other hand how each person has dozen or so years ago. He in his DNA the history of his indicated that the mention of this ancestry that he shares with all in the announcement for this humanity. lecture was in part due to the fact It is amazing to think that in each that it draws more interest than of our three to four trillion cells simply a presentation about has DNA that consists of three “genealogy.” billion characters. In any case as all the Dr Woodward took us back in uncovered mummies were being history, mentioning earlier contemplated, the researchers got attempts to both and separate to wonder as to who all these people by what we call “race.” people were. There was no Carolus Linnaeus in 1758 documentation of any kind, just considered that there were four the mummies. Everyone seemed races – white, black, yellow, and to agree that somehow they had to red. Charles Darwin in 1856 said be related to each other. The there could be six to sixty races. question was how could one A look at US Census forms links know? Could DNA provide the not quite sixty, but many more answer? than four or six. The next step was a 2:00 a.m. Dr. Woodward used his own phone call from James Sorenson ancestry as an example. His own from the Sorenson Medical Actual chick embryo genes. DNA, as most Americans’, Companies. He wanted to have Credit: Teri Mauch, includes people from England, Dr. Woodward head a project to University of Utah.. Scotland, Switzerland, Sweden, bring together all the people of [Continued on page 8]

Page 7 DNA Genealogy [cont’d from page7] As a result, when a person checks whether their own DNA profile is the same G ermany, and other mixtures. This shows as any of the DNA profiles in the database, his relation-ship to people from each of and they get any match (meaning of almost these countries.The DNA equivalent of a all of their DNA markers ) they will be able family name is a “haplotype,” which we to look at the genealogy of the person they share with specific ancestral groups. These have matched, and see if they can link up are shared with more and more common with that person genealogically. ancestors as we go back in time. Using a sample of about six hundred The theoretical doubling of ancestors at natives from the South Pacific islands, they each generation before too long leads to an could divide the people into eight linked astronomical number of ancestors that would clusters with ancestors from Japan, Korea, exceed the number of people alive at the the Philippines, Tonga etc. time, let us say by the year 1300 C.E. or so. So far the database has about forty So, yes, we are all cousins. The term used is thousand records, each consisting of one coalesce. individual’s DNA and genealogy going back So far, the use of DNA in genealogy has at least four generations. They are working been done using the Y chromosome which on expanding it to at least one hundred enables to trace the paternal line and the thousand or two hundred thousand records. mitochondrial DNA for the maternal line. It As another example, they were able to is easy to do, as they are DNA which is prove the relationship of over a hundred passed on unchanged from father to son and people to one specific person (in this case mother to both sons and daughters, except Lorenzo Snow 1814-1901, who was for mutation (yes, we are all mutants.) This President of the LDS Church.) however is the study To send in your DNA and traditional of 0 .51 percent of the total DNA we have genealogy, or get more information, go to for the Y chromosome and 0.08 percent for their web site: www.smgf.org. b the mitochondrial. So what about the rest of the over 99 percent, which are referred to as In our mailbox: autosomal?

“Autosomal DNA” means that the rest Hi Don, (the over 99 per cent) of the DNA we inherit, is merged. For each chromosome, it Thanks for sending this issue to me is a combination of the corresponding directly. I had already downloaded your chromosomes of father and mother, hence back issues (direct access is much quicker!) the diversity between human beings. and have enjoyed reading through them. I'm This is where the Sorenson Molecular sure that our members and other attendees Genealogy Foundation has a unique will enjoy them as well. approach. They will link DNA genealogy Hazel Boon and traditional genealogy, and their database for JGS - Hamilton [Canada] & Area will include autosomal markers and not only the Y and mitochondrial ones, which will Does anyone else notice a speed enable one to link up with all ancestors, not difference between direct mailings and only the paternal and maternal lines. downloads from the Web site? – editor

Page 8 MARK TWAIN Other famous writers’ opinions: “No thoughtful man can deny the fact that ON “ THE JEWS” [the Jews] are, beyond any question, the by Robert Neu most formidable and the most remarkable race which has appeared in the world.” Today, when anti-Semitism is on the rise, – Winston Churchill Mark Twain’s comments about us provide some comfort. When this essay appeared in “The Jew is that sacred being who has 1889, large companies did not hire Jews. brought down from heaven the everlasting Universities had strict quotas. Ford and fire, and has illumined with it the entire Edison expressed their anti-Jewish feelings world. He is the religious source, spring, and openly. Mark Twain answered them: fountain out of which all the rest of the If the statistics are right, the Jews constitute peoples have drawn their beliefs and their but one percent of the human race. It suggests religions.” – Leo Tolstoy a nebulous dim puff of star dust lost in the blaze of the Milky Way. “It was in vain that we locked them up for Properly, the Jew ought hardly be heard of; several hundred years behind the walls of but he is heard of, has always been heard of. the Ghetto. No sooner were their prison He is as prominent on the planet as any other gates unbarred than they easily caught up people, and his commercial importance is with us, even on those paths which we extravagantly out of proportion to the smallness opened up without their aid.” of his bulk. – A. A. Leroy Beaulieu His contributions to the world's list of great names in literature, science, art, music, finance, “... any modern man who has not learned to medicine and obtuse learning are also way out think as though he were a Jew can hardly be of proportion to the weakness of his numbers. said to have learned to think at all.” He has made a marvelous fight in this world in – William Rees-Mogg all the ages, and has done it with his hands tied behind him. “As long as the world lasts, all who want to He could be vain of himself and be excused make progress in righteousness will come to for it. The Egyptians, the Babylonians, and the Israel for inspiration.” – Matthew Arnold Persians rose, filled the planet with sound and splendor, and faded to dream stuff and passed “The study of history of Europe during the away. The Greeks and the Romans followed and past centuries teaches us one uniform lesson: made a vast noise and they are gone. Other That the nations which received and in any peoples have sprung up and held their torch high for a time. But it burned out, and they sit in way dealt fairly and mercifully with the Jew twilight now, or have vanished. The Jew saw have prospered; and that the nations that them all. Beat them all, and is now what he have tortured and oppressed him have always was, exhibiting no decadence, no written out their own curse.” infirmities of age, no weakening of his parts, no – Olive Schreiner slowing of his energies, no dulling of his alert and aggressive mind. “If there is any honour in all the world that I All things are mortal but the Jew. All other should like, it would be to be an honorary forces pass, but he remains. b – Mark Twain Jewish citizen.” – A.L. Rowse

Page 9 Writing for publication Submitting newsletter articles by Don Fallick

It’s not hard to get published, if you have ‘ Always spell-check everything! If you information that other genealogists need or can’t spell common English, how can want. Newsletter editors are always alert for the editor trust you to get Hungarian interesting articles and stories that they don’t surnames right? have to research and write themselves. ‘ Watch out for homonyms like to, two, Contrary to popular opinion, you need not and too. Use a grammar-checker if be a wonderful writer to qualify. The main necessary, but get them right. reasons for rejection are: ‘ Have a friend help you look for ‘ The subject does not fit the problems, errors and ambiguities. publication’s needs. ‘ Re-write for conciseness. Every word ‘ Duplication of a recent subject. you can eliminate is golden. If it’s too ‘ Failure to self-edit. short, add more information. Most rejections occur because the writer It is best to submit articles by e-mail. For has not read the publication. Atsmi Uvsari short ones, paste the text into the body of the does not need recipes for Jewish cooking or e-mail, rather than attaching it, unless you essays on Israeli politics. We are devoted to know what format the publication wants. Utah Jewish Genealogy and issues affecting Atsmi Uvsari is edited in WordPerfect, it. We also publish articles of wider interest, which will not open Microsoft Word written by Utah Jewish genealogists. documents. When I receive a submission in Other newsletters may differ; the only Word, I have to open it, copy it, and paste it way to know is to read the publication, into Word Perfect anyway, so sending it as a then ask the editor. Include the topic, genre, Word attachment is not helpful. Of course, if and length in your query: “Would you be an attachment is in Word Perfect, I can edit interested in a five-hundred-word editorial it directly, which does save time. about the plight of Hungarian Jews?” Also You may not be able to paste longer include any relevant personal qualifications, articles into the email body without violating such as fluency in Hungarian. Editors the size limits of your email program. If you sometimes reject a perfectly good must send a long article as an attachment, submission if it duplicates something attach it to a brief cover note, put the word, they’ve recently published or have already “Submission” in the subject line, and give accepted from another writer. A query note the attachment a descriptive filename, such can save you from writing and submitting an as, “hungary.doc.” article which is going to be rejected anyway. If you’ve already queried the editor and Most newsletter editors will correct been accepted, a cover note can be as simple minor errors, but they are unpaid volunteers. as, “Here’s my editorial on Hungary.” If you If your piece needs complete rewriting, the have not previously contacted the editor... editor may simply reject it. shame on you! b

Page 10 Obituaries: More Than Meets the Eye by Kory Meyerink, AG

years. Perhaps you even helped write Quickie Quiz: the obituary for a parent, grandparent, ‘ or other loved one. But obituaries are What original source usually like several other records we encounter provides more information about in our everyday, modern life; ones we its subject than any other original often fail to consider when researching record? our ancestors and other relatives. In this ‘ What source may provide cause way, they are like tax records, voter of death before death certificates registration, and telephone books. Our were required? own names, as well as our spouse and ‘ What source tells you what children, are on these “modern” records, became of Aunt Jenny’s but we often don’t make them a regular children? part of our family research. ‘ Besides church records, what There are several reasons why we source can tell you which specific church (congregation) a person overlook obituaries so often. First, we belonged to? don’t teach enough about them in our ‘ What is the best source for books and genealogy classes, either in learning about the lives of female formal settings, or online. Second, we ancestors? don’t understand the scope and ‘ What is the one “biographical coverage of obituaries. Third, we believe sketch” they are more difficult to access. Well, most available for the common man? this article is an effort to overcome (in ‘ What source provides part) the first problem while specifically occupational details, such as the addressing the second and third issues. company an ancestor worked for? See: Research Tip of the Month ‘ What source do family historians This tip was excerpted from a often ignore in their research? passenger list research tip. The entire article, which is very good, is available If you answered “Obituaries” to each in the Genealogy.com Learning Center. of the above questions, then you have at least read the title of this article. But, Learn more: ‘ more than that, you are beginning to get Wills and Testaments an under-standing (if you didn’t already ‘ Finding the Minimum Information for have one) of the great value that this ‘ Probate Records under-appreciated source has for family ‘ Obtaining Canadian Probate historians. Records ‘ Yes, of course, you know about Social Security Sleuthing obituaries. After all, you have been b reading them in the newspaper for Submitted by Robert Neu.

Page 11 March / May Minutes Digest by Rochelle Kaplan

March meeting: Rochelle told of an article by Leonid Smilovitsky, researcher at the Diaspora Rochelle raised concern about declining Research Institute of Tel Aviv University, attendance. Suggestions were: “Origins of Jewish Last Names in Turov.” (1) email members to find out (a) what (in Belarus). activities they’d like to see at future The article contains much interesting info meetings (b) what weekdays members can and is available on the Belarus SIG come and what weekdays they can’t come newsletter link of Jewish Gen. Dr. (2) advertise or send out news releases to Smilovitsky is compiling a book about the local organizations. Jews of Turov and it will include an entry about a relative of Rochelle’s. An abridged Rochelle told group of useful website: version of her research trip to Latvia was http://www.celebrate350.org It is about the published in the Latvia SIG spring 350 years of Jewish life in America, from newsletter of Jewish Gen. 1654-2004, and includes a calendar, resource center, photos and a wonderful time Robert showed the report of his Y line. The contact info is Celebrate 350: chromosome report from Sorensen Labs. Jewish Life in America 1654-2004, 330 Seventh Avenue, 21st Floor, New York, NY Marelynn announced that Ancestry.com 10001. now has pre-Ellis Island records of immigrant entries to the Port of NY, for the Another good organization and website period 1850-1891. [See Zip Tips on page 3.] Rochelle discovered is the Jewish Family History Foundation. Its goal is to obtain Dan Schlyter demonstrated the new and translate records and other useful info UJGS website, which he designed. He on the Grand Duchy (now mostly Lithuania). suggested we might have our own URL, They need contributions rather than link through IAJGS. He further demonstrated new features of IAJGS Marelynn shared info about new Google website, with amazing maps. Dan also tools. Google search engine can be used to presented a workshop on Eastern European locate photos of ancestors, bring back dead Jewish surnames [reported on page 4]. sites, track down missing relatives, and search within websites. Google search tips Robert stated that the IAJGS convention for genealogists are recommended on locales are Jerusalem for 2004, Las Vegas http://genealogy.about.com/library/weekly/a for 2005 and NYC for 2006. Las Vegas a052902a.htm Or see Mishpochology, the group is asking for volunteers to help them Newsletter of the JGS of SW Florida, Vol. with convention plans there. 9, #1, March 2004. [Continued on page 13]

Page 12 Minutes [continued from page12] May Meeting: Remember the July IAJGS Conference Yizkor books are some of the best in Jerusalem. Of our members, only Robert sources for learning about Jewish is going. He will present at our July meeting. communities in Eastern and Central Europe. We ask that he make copies of worthy Groups of former residents, or handouts and summarize key highlights or landsmanshaftn, have published these books points learned and make copies for the as a tribute to their former homes and the members. Additionally, Rochelle will ask people who were murdered during the him to purchase audiocassettes of lectures Holocaust. The majority were written in useful for our members, and she will Hebrew or Yiddish. Some have been reimburse him for these. translated into English. Rochelle heard from Rachael Diment at MyFamily.com has two Jewish http://www.celebrate350.org/ regarding our Genealogy online courses. One began in entry. Our contact info states the following: early May and the other will start in August. Utah Jewish Genealogical Society (UJGS) Rochelle has signed up for both. Instructors Address: 160 E. Southgate Avenue, South are Schelly Talalay Dardashti and Misha Salt Lake, UT 84115 Reisel, both in Israel. Tel: 801-484-0772 Fax: 888-305-2051 Rochelle announced the current Jewish General mailing address: Same as above Film Festival (May 15-20) in Salt Lake Website: www.rootsweb.com/~utjgs City. Ralph, Rochelle and Wilma attended and Rochelle has a copy of the program: President’s report:

SHMELVIS: SEARCHING FOR THE KING’S Robert passed out copies of the sample JEWISH ROOTS. UJGS folder. Robert was complimented on KINKY FRIEDMAN: PROUD TO BE AN the job he did, and the UJGS folder will be ASSHOLE FROM EL PASO distributed. The folder was unanimously STRANGE FRUIT approved. KEDMA ALLRED FISHBEIN’S IN LOVE Robert distributed copies of the by-laws. MISS ENTEBBE Members read same and noted typos to be FIDDLER ON THE ROOF corrected and suggested other slight THE HEBREW HAMMER changes. The changes were accepted and the NINA’S TRAGEDIES by-laws, as amended were approved. ADVICE AND DISSENT TIMBRELS AND TORAHS (about a new Jewish Robert summarized the Dewey Lecture tradition of a ceremony marking a at the SLC Library by Dr. Scott woman’s 60th birthday and a new, final, Woodward of BYU about DNA and its part of her life), and usefulness in genealogy. See Robert’s article GOD @HEAVEN. on page 7. [Continued on page 14]

Page 13 Minutes [continued from page13] ancestors; use resources like public libraries and the FHL for items like ship Video shown: HOW TO TRACE YOUR manifest pages, census records, vital JEWISH ROOTS – A JOURNEY WITH ARTHUR records, Yizkor books, maps, rabbinical KURZWEIL. This 33 minute video presents histories, and special collections. a step-by-step process for budding genealo- ‘ gists, using Kurzweil’s search for his Consult resources like YIVO in NYC family as examples. Key points: and Yad Vashem in Israel for items like benevolent associations, Yizkor books ‘ Interview your relatives - especially and survivor lists. aging ones and have them identify folks ‘ in photos or significance of family Visit cemeteries where your ancestors heirlooms. are buried; share your family tree with others. Many libraries have interlibrary ‘ Determine the towns your ancestors loans. came from; consult NARA and INS for

information about your immigrant The film is available through Avotaynu.b

BOOK REVIEW b BY ROBERT NEU CONSTANTINE’S SWORD – THE CHURCH AND THE JEWS – A HISTORY By James Carroll ã2001

First Mariner Books Edition of deserved consideration of Jewish Houghton Mifflin Co, New York outrage to the keeping of the huge cross that ISBN 0-618-21908-0 (paperback.) overlooks the extermination camp. Before going much further it is Review by Robert Neu appropriate to mention that the author is a

A work that proposes to review the scholar and former Catholic priest of Irish relationship between the Roman Catholic descent. This explains his deep Church and the Jews, from the beginning commitment, well-documented work, and of Christianity to the present, should be of personal involvement in the cause he interest to both Jews and non-Jews, presents. especially as we are often referred to as He clearly presents the long history of “Western Society” and “Judeo- persecution, a plausible cause to modern Christianity.” readers of antisemitism, and unfortunately The opening chapter deals with the even today the far-from-expiating position circumstances and contradiction presented of the Catholic Church towards Jews, by the setting up of the cross and Carmelite notwithstanding the improvement of convent in Auschwitz. I do not wish to relationship between the Catholic Church, describe all the details and the opposing Jews in general, Vatican II texts, and emotions brought out by this situation, other diplomatic recognition of the State of Israel. than to say that the author bemoans the lack [Continued on page 15]

Page 14 Constanine [cont’d from page14]

.In the next chapter he recalls the emotional I will not attempt to cover the over six impact of the cross on the makeup of his hundred dense pages of the book, but just Catholic Christian education that led to his indicate that it covers the Constantine becoming a priest, creating the background conversion, the Diocletian persecution, the for antisemitism, and his analysis of it. massacres linked to the Crusades, the Black James Carroll considers the Shoah [Heb.-- Plague, the role of the Spanish Jews in the late “catastrophe”] the natural consequence of Middle Ages in bringing about the millennia of Christian antisemitic persecution Renaissance, the Ghettos, the Reformation in a similar way as the King is responsible for and Counter Reformation, the Inquisition, the the murders in Sophocles’ OEDIPUS REX. complicity between German Nazism and the This year, the book may have an added Catholic Church, just to mention a few. meaning as the movie THE PASSION OF CHRIST There is also some mysticism with the role brings to the forefront the passage in Matthew of Trier, Germany as the starting point of where the Jews say “Crucify him!,” as if Jews Constantine, to its link to Karl Marx and other are forever to be considered responsible for German Jewish philosophers, musicians and the death of Jesus. It is to be noted that this poets, as well as indirectly to the “Dreyfus” New Testament passage is found only in Matthew and not in the other three so-called affair, and other persecutions. Gospels. Finally he discusses various more modern Carroll presents the following reasoning Catholic philosophers and the need of a for its presence: could we imagine a book Vatican III for the Catholic Church to more blaming the Romans, the reviled occupiers of completely acknowledge its responsibility in the country, to be blamed for the death of the treatment of the Jews and the hope for a Jesus? Wouldn’t that in essence risk the better future. b writers and supporters lives as rebels themselves? He also remarks that up to the death of My Bone & My Flesh Jesus his quarrel is only with a certain group, Atsmi Uvsari is published quarterly by “the Pharisees,” and not the Jews at large. the Utah Jewish Genealogical Society . We Finally he raises the issue as to whether the reserve first electronic and print messianic references from the Old Testament publication rights. All other rights are are not after-the-fact reconstruction and retained by the authors where named, or justification rather than historical by the UJGS. We strive for accuracy, but accomplishment of prophecies. cannot be responsible for unintentional [Biblical commentators of the Old errors. We welcome comments, Testament have similarly doubted whether the submissions, and questions. Please send writings of Isaiah and Jeremiah in particular them to the editor, Don Fallick, via e-mail came before or after the exile to Babylon — at: [email protected]. R.obert Neu.]

Page 15 U of U Days [continued from page 2] Holocaust Remembrance Day and career of SS General Reinhard Heydrich (1904-1942), the major perpetrator April 16, Holocaust Remembrance Day, responsible for the planning, preparation, was marked by activities, including the organizational development and design, and governor’s proclamation and the lighting of daily management and operation of the Nazi a candle by a survivor. A Special Address by program to exterminate the European Jews Charles Sydnor, NAZI PERPETRATORS, until his assassination by Czechs in 1942. AMERICAN COURTS & THE LEGACY OF THE Focusing on Heydrich over this period of HOLOCAUST: THE VIEW FROM THE WITNESS time reveals how pre-war Nazi anti-Jewish STAND explored his preparation of materials policies and actions were consolidated into a and testimony in more than two dozen cases comprehensive wartime program designed to former SS guards in German concentration murder every Jew of any age living on the camps and Nazi war criminals. b European continent.

Editorial: Can we do any less? This past month, Internet users around form of egalitarianism our people have the world saw the gruesome video of an fought long and hard for, over centuries. American Jew being brutally beheaded by Antisemitism, like all forms of hate, will Islamist terrorists. Significantly, national and never die. But the war against hate and international media did not play this as an genocide requires us to accept others the attack on Jews, but on Americans. Even the way we would be accepted – as true equals. Arab media were silent about his ethnicity. UJGS is in its second year, now. We have Though antisemitism is rising in Europe, lasted and prospered, as a society that here it is being swallowed up in nationalism. accepts all with the same interest, regardless Four years ago, a Jew ran for the office of of religion or ethnic background. For twenty Vice-President, and much was made of his years, the University of Utah has been religion. Today, a Catholic of 100 percent fighting hate and prejudice by remembering Jewish ancestry is running for President [see our ancestors. In this time of trial, can we do our lead article last issue], and nothing is any less? — Don Fallick b made of his background. NOTES: Prejudice and hate are not dead yet, but The high-resolution photo of chick genes differences are being down-played in light of on page 7 is downloadable from the the larger conflict between what Robert Neu University Of Utah website. See their press calls “Western Society and Judeo- release for April, 2004 the complete Christianity,” [See his book review page 14] explanation and color codes. and brutal terrorist regimes. Once again, The subliminal “cross” caused by the Jews are in the thick of it. This time, we are formatting of the text on page 14 was not the victims. deliberate — it’s intended to represent the Rather, we are being treated as simply kinds of Jew-baiting mentioned in the book. b another ethnic group in a diverse society, a Did anyone notice? — editor

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