Jourcnahl orf thoe Jenwisihc Gelneealos gical Society of Greater Philadelphia דברי הימים Table of Contents Reflections from Your Chronicles Team Commentary 1 Reflections from Your Chronicles Team 2 JGSGP Contact Information Readers of Chronicles may recognize my name along with 3 President’s Message 3 New Members’ Welcome that of my husband, Jack, as co-authors of recent articles Techniques, Tools, & Tips about “acts of genealogical kindness”. When I accepted 4 In the Beginning our editor’s invitation to join the “Chronicles” editing Steve Schecter 4 A Brief Look at Computer Data Backup team, I did not anticipate being immediately asked to pen James Gross this column. I hope in a future issue to give an account of Discoveries the longest and most far reaching journey that Jack and I 5 Brucha Bobrow Neidich During World War I Susan Neidich have taken along with a family whose “kindness” request 8 The 1940 Census and an Unaswered Question appeared in these pages in 2011. However, that story is About My Hometown still unfolding. Shelda Carol Bachin Sandler 9 Aunt Betty Martha Goodman What initially was to be a way for us to pass along the Where Once We Walked kindness shown to us by JGSGP members and others as 11 Partners in History My Journey to Poland Mark Halpern we conducted our personal research has become rewarding 14 Walking in the Footsteps of My Great Great Great in its own right. We have also branched beyond the re - Grandparents: A Postscript quests that appear in other newsletters and on JewishGen. Joan F. Pollak Random Acts of Genealogical Kindness In some cases, we have found information leading the re - 15 U.K. Researcher Looking for Philadelphia Relatives searcher to conclude that while the names may be the Evan Fishman same, they need to continue their search in a different ge - Brick Wall Queries 17 Brick Wall Queries ographic area. Although we have not always found the in - Scrapbooking / Photography formation or hoped for connections sought, our searches 19 How to Enjoy Your Family Photos Now have given researchers access to local sources not yet Marge Farbman Meeting Summaries & Updates available online and have saved them valuable time. 19 February Meeting - “ Misa’s Fugue” Felicia Mode Alexander Jack and I have wrestled with privacy and ethical concerns. 20 A Message from JewishGen Warren Blatt & Avraham Groll We decided that if we identify what we believe to be a local FYI connection to a living person, we would then send a letter 21 Family Faces in Unexpected Places to that person, describing the original request and why we 21 Suggestions When You (Think You) Can’t Find Any Records Carol Rombro Rider believe they may be connected. We always provide our JGSGP Outreach return address and a phone number to give them the option 22 JGSGP Speakers Bureau Update of responding. Of course, positive connections are highly 22 Jewish Genealogy Fair 23 2013 Membership & Renewal Form reinforcing for us. 24 JGSGP Calendar & Reminders (Continued on Page 3) Chronicles - Volume 30-1, Spring 2013 1 Journal of the Jewicsh Ghenrealogicnal iSoccieltye ofs Greater Philadelphia JGSGP Membership Editorial Board Membership dues and contributions are tax-deductible Editor - Evan Fishman - [email protected] to the full extent of the law. Please make checks Graphics & Design - Ed Flax - [email protected] payable to JGSGP and mail to the address below. Associate Editors: Please include your email address and zip+4 code. Felicia Mode Alexander - [email protected] Annual Dues (January 1 - Dec. 31) Elaine Ellison - [email protected] Individual............................................................. $25 Family of two, per household...............................$35 Marge Farbman - [email protected] Sponsor.................................................................$50 Ann Kauffman - [email protected] Patron.............................................................. ..$100 Cindy Meyer - [email protected] Non-resident (beyond 90 miles)...........................$15 Non-resident (with local mailings).......................$25 Officers Overseas...............................................................$21 President: Fred Blum [email protected] Membership Applications / Renewals and Payments Vice President - Programs: to: JGSGP • 1657 The Fairway, #145 Jenkintown, PA 19046 Steve Schecter - [email protected] Questions about membership status should be Vice President - Membership: directed to [email protected] Susan Neidich - [email protected] Editorial Contributions Treasurer: Submission of articles on genealogy for publication in Barry Wagner - [email protected] chronicles is enthusiastically encouraged. The Recording Secretary: editorial board reserves the right to decide whether to Joan Rosen - [email protected] publish an article and to edit all submissions. Please keep a copy of your material. Anything you want re - Immediate Past President: turned should be accompanied by a self-addressed Mark Halpern - [email protected] stamped envelope. Trustee: Joel Spector - [email protected] While email and other electronic files are highly pre - Trustee: Harry D. Boonin - [email protected] ferred, the editors will be happy to work with you and your material in any form. If you have an idea, please Committee Chairs contact Evan Fishman of the Editorial Board by email: [email protected] or by phone at 856-667-2077. Hospitality: Judy Becker - [email protected] New Member Orientation Subscriptions - Address Change Lois Sernoff - [email protected] chronicles (ISSN 0893-2921) is the quarterly Publicity: Jack Weinstein - [email protected] publication of the Jewish Genealogical Society of Greater Philadelphia. It is free to JGSGP members and Russian Special Interest Group to JGS’s in the newsletter courtesy-exchange program. David Brill - [email protected] Printed and mailed back issues are available at $4.00 South Jersey Affiliate: each in the US and $7.00 outside the US. Chronicles is Bernard Cedar - [email protected] published quarterly and distrubuted electronically in Speakers Bureau: PDF format. Please supply the editor with your updated Shelda & Stan Sandler - [email protected] email address to ensure on-time delivery. Webmaster: Copyright © 2013 All Rights Reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or trans - Jim Meyer - [email protected] mitted in any form or by any means, electronic, photocopying, recording or oth - erwise without the prior written permission of The Jewish Genealogical Society of Greater Philadelphia. http://www.jgsp.org/ 2 Chronicles - Volume 30-1, Spring 2013 (“Reflections” from page 1) President’s Message Nevertheless, the number of people who turn out to not be connected to a specific query but who have still Why we do what we do? made the effort to reply to us with a phone call, has also been gratifying. Almost invariably they say they s genealogists we are on the hunt to uncover our are pleased that informal networks exist to help con - family histories. For many of us we learn many nect people researching families. In a few cases we tantalizing facts and clues about our ancestors. have been able to give them tips about sources for their AWe learn if they were famous movie actors or horse own family research. thieves, politicians or tailors, rabbis or junk peddlers. As we have related the outcomes of some “kindness” sto - As members of our society we all try to help one another ries to our own families, extended family members have to overcome brick walls in our research. Our society has later approached us about helping them with their own a Speakers Bureau. Steve Schecter, Mark Halpern, my - research. Their reasons are as varied as those sent to this self as well as others are available to speak at different journal or that appear in online forums. groups and venues to help individuals get started or help overcome challenges in their research. In the past few Parents should be prepared the next time their child months I have spoken at the Klein Branch of the JCC in comes home from school with an assignment to “de - Northeast Philadelphia, several synagogues and the His - scribe your family’s heritage” or if one wants help or - torical Society of Pennsylvania. Steve Schecter will be ganizing the documents and boxes of pictures that s/he giving his beginner workshops to several groups. has now inherited from his/her parents and grandparents. No matter the stated reason, the desire to discover and Speaking for myself, I come away with a satisfying feel - preserve family information for the current and future ing that I have helped people to uncover their family his - generations is at the core of each request. ❖ tory. I am usually asked great questions from the audience and I realize that I am making a difference. Ann Kauffman - Associate Editor If your group needs a speaker, do not hesitate to reach Ann Kauffman is retired from a career in education. She out to our society's Speakers Bureau. ❖ and her husband, Jack, have been JGSGP members since the 2011 Genealogy Fair. Fred Blum We extend a warm welcome to our newest members Sydney Cruice Dixon Berwyn, PA Joel Portnoff Langhorne, PA Carol Heller Havertown, PA Mike & Fran Radel E. Norriton, PA Gail Ikler Conshohocken, PA Joseph & Rochelle Rosenberg Beverly Hills, NJ Steven Marc Jaron Pittsburgh, PA Harold Sheinbach Malvern, PA Elizabeth Lourie Washington, DC Jay Ira Weissman Wynnewood, PA Members: Please send any changes in your contact information to Susan Neidich, Membership Vice President: [email protected] The deadline for submissions for the summer issue of Chronicles is Monday, June 10, 2013. Please send your material to [email protected]. Chronicles - Volume 30-1, Spring 2013 3 In the beginning A brief look at computer by Steve Schecter data backup by James Gross hy attend an International Association of Jewish Genealogical Societies (IAJGS) annual confer - osing such items as data files, video files, or digital ence, especially if you are a beginner? The fact photos will give us genealogists severe aggravation Wthat you are a beginner is exactly the reason to go to a con - and anxiety.