Chaverim,
Let's not overdo this thing about names and such. My vote is to keep it as
same name and broad description, and people will use as it as they wish. My
clan has traveled all over the map of the Austrian-Hungarian Empire, and then
some. I go where ever the information is. Let us not become exclusionary. My
grandmother told me she was Hungarian, although now she'd be in SLovakia and
she spoke German as well as Hungarian.

This group cannot be all things to all people nor should it limit itself.
Perhaps when there is a special subgroup searching an area like Vienna, which
was full of wandering Jews who travelled in >from other parts of the empire,
we should attempt to make ourselves known to each other for individual
contact and indepth exchanges of information.

I am getting the impression that some areas of Burgenland, Bohemia, and
Moravia are not welcome in the H-Sig...which is too bad. Because I sense that
families may have spread out into those areas >from Hungarian based origins
and it seems foolish to eliminate portions of the "trail" >from our sharing of
resources.

Frankly, I am less concerned about including Austria and what that might mean
for the group than I am about us wasting time and space on pedantic
arguments.
"Come, let us reason together.."

Linda Rakoff
Newton, MA


mod.- I would like to remind everyone that the only issue in our discussion regarding our Austrian "relatives" is whether or not to change the h-sig's name to acknowledge and publicize the inclusion of Austrian Jewish genealogists/researchers. We have always welcomed ANYONE and EVERYONE as subscribers/members of the h-sig: Jews and non-Jews, Hungarians and Litvaks, etc. There are no requirements for participation in h-sig except for a legitimate and positive desire to learn more about Hungarian Jewish genealogy and history. I am sorry for intervening at this time, but we have received a number of messages that give the impression that we were trying to exclude descendants of Austrian or Czech Jews. Just the opposite. We are happy to include every constituency as equal members, especially those who are able and willing to contribute the suggested ten dollar affiliation fee to h-sig. LS