IN THIS ISSUE... •gj&e OSTROWIEC: A VISIT STORY by Harry Stein 3 iclcc A PERSONAL RESEARCH BREAKTHROUGH by Warren Blatt. 9 THE JEWISH SETTLEMENT IN JÇDRZEJÔW BEFORE 1914 by Stanislaw Weich translated by Gordon McDaniel 1 3 THE QUIET TIMES: JEWS IN ZWOLEN • II from the Zwolen Yizkor Book edited by Berl Kagan 2 3 Special interest BIBLIOGRAPHY: POLISH-JEWISH GENEALOGICAL RESEARCH by Warren Blatt 2 8 cjournaf IAJGS SEMINAR FLYER 3 0 NEWS AND NOTES 3 1 EXTRACT DATA IN THIS ISSUE 3 2 4, 4 DALESZYC E Births , Marriages & Deaths 1810-1825,1847-1870 by Dolores Lee Ring 3 3 • SZCZEKOCIN Y BIRTHS 1847-186 6 by Leah Jordan Bisel 4 7 pu6Cishccf quarterly, • PRZEDBÔR Z MARRIAGES 1847-185 4 covering tfie (5u6crnias of by Dolores Lee Ring 6 3 ancf GLOSSARY, PRONUNCIATION GUIDE ... 72 ojtfie ...but first a word from your editor 2 as defined by the boundaries as they existed 1867-1917 Kielce-Radom SIG Journal Volum e 4, Number 2 Spring 2000 ... but first a word from our editor In this issue we again have an assortment of articles which should be of interest to our readers: The travelogue o f a recent 3peciaf interest Group visit to Ostrowiec, Kunôw, and Ozarôw, with information o n personal contacts and archival research; M y experience of a recent research breakthrough on an 'impossible' famil y line , journal discovered in the extracts published i n this issue of the Journal; ISSN No. 1092-800 6 Part II of a translation fro m the Zwoleri yizkor book (in eastern ©2000, all material this issue Radom gubernia), continued from th e last issue, containing som e personal reminiscences and lots of individual names; Th e published quarterly by the translation of a well-researched articl e on the history o f the KIELCE-RADOM Jewish settlement in Jedrzejow ("Yendjev") , wit h fascinatin g Special Interest Group (SIG) details on the reasons for the local migrations of the Jews i n this region; an d there's a bibliography on Polish-Jewish genealogica l a non-profit, informa l world-wid e research - thi s list of books should be a handy reference t o all body of individuals interested in Jewish the basic resources needed for your research. genealogical research from Kielc e and The extracts of Jewish vital records from LDS microfilm s Radom, two gubernias in the Kingdom in this issue are: birth records from the town of Szczekocin y of Poland as defined by the boundaries (western Kielce gubernia); more marriage records from as they existed from 1867-1917 . Przedborz (western Radom gubernia); and the completion of all microfilmed birth , marriag e and death records from Daleszyce ADVISORY GROUP: (eastern Kielce gubernia). Warren Blatt, Editor Mark Froimowitz, Coordinato r I would like to remind readers that the journals are put out entirely on a volunteer basis and that it is crucial that members VISIT OUR WEB PAGE continue to participate i n this. W e actively encourage the www.jewishgen.org/krsig submission of articles for publication in the Journal, whethe r original material or translations of material. O f course, we also Subscriptions and all administrative need members to continue to perform extraction s of the Polish correspondence should be directed to: and Russian records that we publish in the journal. KIELCE-RADOM SIG , The upcoming 20th International Conference o n Jewish Mark Froimowitz, Coordinato r Genealogy in Slat Lake City this July would be a splendid 90 Eastbourne Rd. opportunity fo r members to learn how to perform extraction s on Newton, MA 0245 9 the specific towns that interest them the most. W e hope to set up e-mail: [email protected] some informal tutoria l sessions, where more experience d Phone:(617)5274036 members would be available for advisin g novices on the reading and extraction o f the Polish and Russian records, using the microfilms a t the LDS Family History Library . All matters relating to research and editorial articles should be directed to: I'd also like to take this opportunity to remind people of Jewish Records Indexing-Poland's "Polis h State Archives" Warren Blatt, Editor project, t o obtain indexes of non-microfilmed Jewis h vital 8 Bishops Forest Drive records of the late 19t h century. Ther e are still no Archive Waltham,MA 02452-880 1 Coordinators fo r the seven archives holding the Jewish vital e-mail: [email protected] records fo r towns in Kielce and Radom gubernias. N o work will be done at an archive until someone volunteers to be the Dues (U.S. funds) are : "Archive Coordinator" fo r that archive. Se e page 26 of the $26.00 for U.S., Canada and Mexico previous issue, and get in touch with JRI-PL to participate in this $32.00 for all others important endeavor . [add $6.00 for overseas airmail delivery instead of surface mail delivery] We'd like to run another "Famil y Finder" i n the last issue of this year. Pleas e see page 31, an d send the names of your ancestral surnames and associated towns to Mark Froimowitz . Spring 2000 Kielce-Radom SIG, Journal Volume 4, Number 2 ** Ôstrowië c •$$ " The Witches Survived, the Jews Are Dead by Harry Stein In Ma y o f 1999 , m y wif e an d I visite d Ostrowiec (customize d t o m y researc h Poland. Th e visit was for the primary purpose of requirements), and three days in Warsaw, in that finding genealogy information abou t my family . sequence. I also wanted an appreciation of the environment in which my people lived . In Krakow , I wante d t o lear n abou t basi c Polish culture , whic h I did . I n th e Ostrowie c My mothe r an d fathe r wer e first cousins . area, I wanted to learn about my people, whic h My wife's Sephardic family was from Greece, so I did. I n Warsaw, I wanted to get the big picture I wa s abl e t o focu s o n onl y m y family , th e of Jewis h histor y i n Poland , pas t an d present , Brochsztajn family . which I did. I t was a good plan. The cente r o f th e searc h wa s Ostrowie c In Krakôw, w e stayed at the Forum Hotel, Swietokrzyski. S o yo u d o no t ge t tongue-tiè d adjacent t o th e Vistul a River . Fro m ou r roo m trying t o pronounce th e nam e o f th e city , th e and breakfast dinning room we had a panoramic town i s phoneticall y recognizabl e currentl y view o f th e rive r an d th e city . Throughou t throughout Poland as "Ostrovya" , which is what Poland, the food was good and very inexpensive. my parent s calle d i t many , man y year s ago . We researche d prio r t o ensur e ou r al l hote l Ostrowiec is located 8 4 kilometers southwest o f accommodations were good and they were. Th e Radom, abou t 18 0 kilometers south of Warsaw, search wa s emotionall y exhausting . Saf e an d on Highway 9 . I als o researche d i n two othe r clean accommodations were a necessity. towns i n the vicinit y o f Ostrowiec . Ozarôw , a small town about 22 kilometers t o the southeas t Krakôw wa s th e ol d capito l o f Poland , s o of Ostrowiec, and Kunôw, an even smaller town, we visite d th e obligator y castl e an d th e less tha n 1 5 kilometer s t o th e northwes t o f University o f Krakôw , th e oldes t universit y i n Ostrowiec. Thi s ver y narro w geographi c an d Poland. I went to th e Polis h Stat e Archives i n family focu s helpe d i n the research. Krakôw. Whe n I showed the clerk my lette r o f authorization from the headquarters of the Polish I will provide you with my itinerary. I will State Archives in Warsaw, I was ushered i n and also provid e yo u wit h th e name s o f helpfu l well treated . I f yo u pla n t o visi t a regiona l organizations, hotels , an d peopl e wh o assiste d archive, write to Warsaw in advance, and ask for me, not as an advertisement ploy, but simply as a letter of authorization. Th e regional archive in fact fo r thos e wh o ma y hav e a Polis h visi t o n Krakôw ha d a larg e readin g roo m an d a t leas t their agenda. one clerk who spoke English. I had no problem being understood. I contracted for the trip in the United States with ISRA M whic h ha s prepackage d Jewis h Our next visit was to a salt mine in the town heritage tour s an d als o ha s th e capabilit y t o of Wieliczka, abou t 3 0 minutes ou t of Krakôw . customize a tour to one's specifications. W e took The mine employed Jewish workers, and during a combination of both options. B y far, th e most the concentratio n cam p er a worker s wer e sen t important elemen t o f di e trip , i f you r hav e a from nearby Auschwitz to work the mine.