Several years ago the Shtetlinks site "Jewish Agricultural Colonies
in the Ukraine" http://www.shtetlinks.jewishgen.org/Colonies_of_Ukraine/
was launched by veteran genealogist Nancy Holden whose many endeavours
appear on genealogy sites, societies and journals.

Recently Nancy handed over the mantle of webmaster to Pavel Bernshtam
who has roots in the colonies and adjacent towns.

Pavel and I have been working over the last few weeks to redesign the
site. My function is site researcher.

The site has now reached the stage when its prototype can be released.

The changes are many in presentation rather than in content, although
one new addition is the 1858 Grafskoy Revision List. Considerable
material waits to be worked on and can be seen on the "Current Projects"
link.

We are desperately in need of translators, but in the meanwhile will
scan and put up material in the original language.

A major project will be the development of a names database taken >from
all the sources. Meanwhile the old database remains.

Over the coming weeks we will edit each individual page and add more
material. The material as presented on the old site will have it's
links rationalised with the aim to establish a fully interlinked site.
Some colonies and towns have extensive information and other none at
all. We hope to balance this. Some of the maps are of poor quality
and we intend to remove and replace them.

While the site is called "Jewish Agricultural Colonies in the Ukraine",
it includes material >from other areas. We are considering whether to
restrict it to the Ukraine or to widen its content to colonies throughout
pre-Revolutionary Russia.

I would appreciate comments on the new site and additional material.

I would like to take the opportunity of thanking all those who have
contributed to the site in the past and look forward to their continued
active involvement with the site.

Chaim Freedman
Petah Tikvah, Israel
chaimjan@zahav.net.il