IN THIS ISSUE... THIS WAS ONCE MY FAMILY'S HOME: AVISITTOSTOPNICA by Edward Yutkowitz 3 FROM THE RADOM ARCHIVES CATALOG: Preface, Introduction, History, Holdings by Helena Kisiel translated by Gwido Zlatkes 9 FROM THE KIELCE YIZKOR BOOK: Sefer Kielce. Toldot Kehilat Kielce. Miyom Hivsuduh V'ad Churbanah, edited by Pinchas Cytron translated from the Yiddish by Fred Cutter and Mark Froimowitz 2 1 rou OZROWER MUTUAL BENEFIT SOCIETY Qpccial interest G P CEMETERY, TORONTO Burials and Holocaust Memorial Transcript by Sheldon Weiser, Lucy Shiftman Sadowski and Warren Blatt 2 4 ^journal Book Notes: In Their Words: A Genealogist's Translation Guide to Polish, German, Latin and Russian Documents. Volume I: Polish. by Jonathan Shea & William Hoffman .. 28 (Qolume 4, ^I^mBer 4 NEWS AND NOTES 2 9 200Q • Contributors for 2000 • Polish Vital Records chart EXTRACT DATA IN THIS ISSUE 3 0 of cfewislt • KSIAZWIELK I DEATHS 1826-186 7 pu6Cisfiecf (juartcrf y by Robert Heyman 3 1 cohering tfie Gu6crnias oj • CHECIN Y MARRIAGES 1850-186 7 by Dolores Lee Ring 4 4 INDEX OF PLACES FEATURED IN THE KIELCE-RADOM SIG JOURNAL (Vol . I-IV) by Warren Blatt 7 0 as defined 6^ tfie 6ouncfarics GLOSSARY, PRONUNCIATION GUIDE ... 72 as tfie^ existed 1867-1917 ...but first a word from your editor 2 Kielce-Radom SIG Journal Volum e 4, Number 4 Autumn 200 0 ... but first a word from our editor As we complete our fourth year, I am very proud to say that our journal has published just shy of 1,00 0 pages — 988 pages, 3peciaf interest including 486 pages of extracts representing over 25,000 events with the names of well over 100,000 persons, and a host of many ^journal other useful articles. ISSN No. 1092-8006 In this issue, we have an article by Ed Yutkowitz detailing his ©2000, all material this issue trip to his ancestral town of Stopnica ("Stopnitz"), which includes some useful tips for travelers in Poland; a translation o f the introductory material from the published catalog of the holdings of published quarterly by the the Polish State Archives in Radom; a translation from one of the KIELCE-RADOM Kielce Yizkor Books; notes on a new Polish translation guidebook Special Interest Group (SIG) by Hoffman an d Shea; and a transcript of all the burials in the Ozrower Mutual Benefit Society Cemetery in Toronto, including a non-profit, informa l world-wid e all of the names on the Ozarôw Holocaust Monument. body of individuals interested in Jewish genealogical research from Kielc e and The extracts of Jewish vital records from LDS microfilms Radom, two gubernias in the Kingdom in this issue once again include a "new" town — a town for which of Poland as defined by the boundaries we have never previously published records: Ksrçz Wielki. Th e as they existed from 1867-1917 . Ksiaz Wielki Jewish vital records were "discovered" by our reader Martin Brandon last year (see 111:2,16-17), and Robert Heyman ADVISORY GROUP: and Shabsa Lis have taken up the challenge of extracting these records. Thei r first installment, deaths 1826-1867, appears in this Warren Blatt, Editor issue. Th e Ksiaz Wielki records also include registrations for Mark Froimowitz, Coordinato r Jewish residents of Miechôw and Slomniki. VISIT OUR WEB PAGE Also a huge set of extracts from Checiny is once again www.jewishgen.org/krsig provided by Dolores Lee Ring — over 900 marriages, covering 1850-1867. Thes e records include marriage partners from many Subscriptions and all administrative surrounding towns, such as Chmielnik, Kielce, Koriskie, Nowy correspondence should be directed to: Korczyn, Lopuszno, Piiiczôw, Przedbôrz, Radoszyce, Sobkow, Staszôw, Szczekociny, Szydlôw, Wloszczowa, Wodzislaw, and KIELCE-RADOM SIG, dozens of other towns and villages in the region. Mark Froimowitz, Coordinato r 90 Eastbourne Rd. The Kielce-Radom SI G Family Finder which was targeted fo r Newton, MA 02459-120 6 this issue has been postponed, due to very few responses. Mayb e e-mail: [email protected] we'll try again next year. A s always, be sure to list your family Phone: (617) 527-4036 surnames and ancestral towns in the JewishGen Family Finder (JGFF) at <http://www.jewishgen.org/jgff> . All matters relating to research and editorial articles should be directed to: I'd like to thank Mark Froimowitz for completing his first year as coordinator of the SIG. H e has done a fabulous job at this Warren Blatt, Editor tireless task, handling all of the SIG's financial, subscription , 8 Bishops Forest Drive printing, and mailing issues. An d he's even found time to write a Waltham,MA 02452-880 1 few book reviews and Yiddish translations for us! e-mail: [email protected] g Don't forget to renew your subscription fo r 2001, using the Dues (U.S. funds) are: enclosed subscription form. Th e rates are the same as last year, U.S. and Canada: $26.00 and we've even lowered the rate for overseas surface mail. Elsewhere: $30.00 surface mail $38.00 airmail Best wishes for a Happy and Healthy 5761. — Warren Blatt Autumn 200 0 Kielce-Radom SIG Journal Volum e 4, Number 4 This Was Once My Family's Home A Visit To Stopnica by Edward Yutkowitz Poland ha d neve r bee n hig h o n m y lis t o f The Interne t proved , invaluabl e t o th e places to visit. I n my mind's eye, it was a bleak preparation fo r m y trip. Simpl e searche s turne d and barre n lan d o f peasan t farmer s ekin g ou t a up a numbe r o f site s dedicate d t o Jewis h subsistence living in a country whose past — and genealogy an d history. Som e of these, includin g possibly present — was filled with anti-Semitism the Simo n Weisentha l Cente r and th e unceasin g hostilit y o f foreig n invasion . (http://motlc.wiesenthal.org), provide d My grandfathe r ha d com e fro m th e tow n o f information on Stopnica, including its history and Stopnica, but the only thing I knew about i t was various spellings of its name. that i t wa s locate d nea r Krakôw . O n thos e occasions when I gave Stopnica — or Stopnitz, as From a variet y o f we b sites , I obtaine d I learned i t was called i n Yiddish — any thought, information o n hotel s an d Jewis h histor y an d I envisioned a town from "Fiddle r on the Roof," a culture i n Warsaw , Krakôw , an d Kielce . town o f muddy , rutte d roads , o f house s wit h Information on the Jewish cemeteries in the town thatched roofs , o f poo r Jew s terrorize d b y is available on the IAJGS Cemetery Project pages Cossacks. Besides , everyon e i n m y famil y ha d on the JewishGen website (www.jewishgen.org). left Stopnic a nearly 10 0 years ago. I knew that family member s had belonged to Or s o I thought . Throug h rudimentar y a landsmanschaft , th e Stopnitze r Youn g Men' s genealogical research, I found my family name on Benevolent Society , i n New York City, but I did several 19t h centur y document s fro m Stopnica . not kno w i f i t stil l existed . A n Interne t searc h But i t was m y discovery , i n recen t months , that turned u p th e nam e o f a Stopnitze r societ y i n relatives lived in the town until the Holocaust, that Toronto. Member s of that organization put me in really inspire d m e t o visi t th e lan d o f m y touch with members in New York City. ancestors. The members o f the New York organizatio n I did a great deal of research, and learned that were Holocaust survivor s wh o knew littl e abou t prior t o Worl d Wa r II , Stopnic a wa s a town o f my grandfather's generation , but they did give me about 3,000 , o f who m abou t 75 % were Jewish . personal account s o f the wa r years. Moreover , Some wer e kille d i n th e earl y 1940s . I n they told me of two women with my family name November 1942 , the Nazis transported the rest of who survived the war. Throug h the Internet, I was Stopnica's Jews — my relatives among them? — able t o confir m thi s informatio n wit h th e to concentration camps. Mos t did not survive the Holocaust museum in Washington, D.C. war. I determine d tha t on e woman , Rose , wa s a Friends an d acquaintance s — Jew s an d second cousin. W e chatted on the phone, but she gentiles alik e — wer e apprehensiv e abou t m y was skeptical of our relationship; just as I did not journey. The y assume d tha t a smal l tow n lik e know tha t m y grandfathe r ha d lef t famil y i n Stopnica woul d no t hav e misse d it s Jewis h Stopnica, sh e di d no t kno w that he r grandfathe r residents, an d woul d no t welcom e thei r had five brothers — including my grandfather — descendants comin g bac k an d askin g questions .