Shalom All

Very happy to report that I found a treasure trove of archive records
recently translated by the Kaunas, Panevezys, and Vilnius District
Research Groups.

These records also corroborate other evidence of MAGID family Rabbis
that learned and/or accepted work in:

Poland, Latvia, Belarus, Galicia, Russia, Ukraine, Bessarabia, and Romania.

Additional Y Chromosome DNA test results are pending to confirm
relation to the following present day MAGID surname variants:

MAGDEN, MAGEDOWITZ, MAGIDA, MAGIDOVICH, MAGIDOWITZ, MAGIT, et al.

I found the death record for Meir MAGID, 1835 Snipiskis - 11/14/1913
Vilna. Meir was a son of Sholom Israel MAGID and a brother of Hillel
Noach "Steinshneider" MAGGID, author of "Ir Vilna". I previously
wondered whether Meir survived to see Hillel's son, Prof. David,
continue the MAGID family genealogical research and writing,
e.g., "Ir Vilna, vol2" (published posthumously) and "Toldos Mishpacha
Ginzburg".

Prof. David and many MAGID mishpacha died of starvation during the
siege of Leningrad. Prof. David was almost finished translating
RAMBAM's "Yud Daled" >from the original Arabic when he died. David's
library, including many personal letters >from Bialik, Sholom Aleichem,
and his friend and colleague Sakharov, remain in the collection of The
Oriental Museum in St. Petersburg.

Hillel's gf was "Maggid Tzedek", Rav Phineas MAGGID. 60+ manuscripts of
his books and speeches are also held by the Oriental Museum in St.
Petersburg. Rav Pinchas was the first son of my ancestors Rav Yehuda
Aryeh Leib and Rivka [KATZENELLENBOGEN] MAGID. Their descendants
presently live in every inhabited continent.

I'm overwhelmed with the number and quality of translations that I've
already found for relatives in my tree, in the Kaunas, Panevezys, and
Vilnius District Research Group translations ( http://goo.gl/6O33jP ).
I've also found hundreds of records for other RABBINIC families in my
tree that married with MAGID including :

LURIA, SOLOVEITCHIK, KATZENELLENBOGEN, GINZBURG, KLATZKIN, SHACH,
ROZOVSKY, RAGOLER / MAGID, RIVLIN / MAGID, POUPKO / KAGAN [Chafetz
Chaim], ORELOVICH, BISHKO, BLOCH, GORDON, GRODZENSKY, KOOK / KATZ /
MAGID, et al.

This is good news for all Litvak and Rabbinic researchers. A
recently translated death record for Malka Hinda [bas HaRav Chaim Ozer]
GRODZINSKY answers some previously unresolved questions about Malka,
and possibly raises more questions. As the daughter of the leader of
pre-Shoah Litvak Jews, this translation should have broad interest.

NONE of these records are available presently without membership in a
District Research Group. Now is a great time to join one or more
District Research Groups. Not only for exclusive access to recently
translated records, but also because there is a Dollar for Dollar
matching pledge that will expire concurrently with the 2014 calendar
year charitable deduction deadline. None of the above is tax advice.
Please consult a tax professional for advice applicable to personal
circumstances.

Thank you to all of our wonderful volunteers and donors.

Ezra Zalman MAGID
Mitzpe Ramon, Israel