[MODERATOR NOTE: The following message is reproduced >from the JewishGen
Discussion Group. Congratulations to Roni Seibel Liebowitz and all the
wonderful volunteers who are making this project possible! Let us know if
you find your relatives in the online directory.]

I am very happy, and relieved, to announce that Phase 1 of the huge
Jewish Records Indexing - Poland / JewishGen "1929 Polish Business
Directory Project" is complete: the indexing of all of the towns in the
Directory is finished. JRI-Poland volunteers completed the data entry
of the town index in early December and I have spent the last several
weeks editing the data.

The file of the index of towns, identified with "wojewojdztwo" (province)
and "powiat" (district), is larger than almost any of the individual
town vital records databases in the JRI-Poland database. The Business
Directory Town Index identifies over 34,000 localities. This in itself
provides an exciting new resource, similar to ShtetlSeeker (only with
pre-war Polish placenames).

To appreciate the enormous scope of this project, consider that the
current number of indices for all towns in the JRI-Poland database of
primarily 19th-century records recently leapt to one and a half million.
It is estimated that the completed Business Directory database will
include three quarters of a million 20th-century entries.

Now for the truly exciting news: even before the searchable names
database is completed, you can have immediate access to the data for
your town right now. The 3000 directory pages have been scanned and
converted into Adobe PDF files. Thanks to rapid development efforts by
Michael Tobias (doesn't it seem like there must be at least ten of him
working on projects?), you can now search by town name and then click
on the resulting link to see high resolution images of the actual
directory page(s).

The URL is: < <A HREF=3D"http://www.jewishgen.org/jri-pl/bizdir/start.htm">
http://www.jewishgen.org/jri-pl/bizdir/start.htm</A> >.

Think of the amazement you felt the first time you viewed an original
manifest via the Ellis Island web site. A similar experience is waiting
for you when you search within the Polish 1929 Business Directory.
Searching for the correct town name is made easy because there is
built-in support for matches via the Daitch-Mokotoff Soundex system.

As with most JRI-Poland managed projects, this has been a truly
international effort. Town index data entry volunteers are from
Australia, Canada, Israel, Japan, Poland, Sweden and the United States,
all working under the coordination and direction of JRI-Poland Board
Member, Roni Seibel Liebowitz.

Indexing the towns was only the first phase of this huge project.
Phase 2 will be launched shortly. We will be entering all of the
business names (typically named after the owner), and other available
details into an online searchable database.

Here is more information about Phase 2.

Phase 2:
A detailed set of instructions has been written for interpretation of
the directory entries, along with many examples. Entry of this data will
be quite different >from entering data >from vital record indices. Since
all the entries are printed rather than handwritten, the work should
flow smoothly.

Some volunteers are now testing the Phase 2 data entry protocol.

We hope many more people will volunteer to help enter the business and
name data needed to create the final database. There are about 2500
pages in the Phase 2 effort. Details for Phase 2 will be announced
shortly. As you enjoy the current offering of this new resource,
imagine how much more useful it will be when it is possible to search
this database by name.

Please help us complete this amazing effort by volunteering when we
announce that we are ready for additional work on Phase 2.

To enable both Jewish Records Indexing - Poland, Inc. and JewishGen,
Inc. to continue work on such special initiatives and to cover the
costs incurred to date, we invite researchers to make a voluntary
contribution to the Business Directory project.

Please send your tax-deductible (in the U.S.) contributions to
Jewish Records Indexing - Poland,
c/o Sheila Salo, Treasurer,
5607 Greenleaf Rd.,
Cheverly, MD 20785,
USA.

You can also contribute by credit card by going to:
<A HREF=3D"http://www.jewishgen.org/jri-pl/visa.htm">
http://www.jewishgen.org/jri-pl/visa.htm</A>

You can also telephone Sheila Salo to make your VISA or MasterCard
contribution between 8 a.m. and 8 p.m. Eastern time, at (301) 341-1261.
The fax number is (301) 341-1261.

Your contributions should be clearly marked: "For the 1929 Business
Directory Project." All contributions for this project will be shared
equally with JewishGen.

For more details about this project, please refer to the following URL:
< <A HREF=3D"http://www.jewishgen.org/jri-pl/bizdir/start.htm">
http://www.jewishgen.org/jri-pl/bizdir/start.htm</A> >.

As with any large data entry project, mistakes may be found.
Please send details of any errors you notice to me at
know_How@speakeasy.net.

I am taking this opportunity to thank the volunteers who were
instrumental in the creation of the Town Index. Roni Seibel Liebowitz
did the outreach and coordinated the efforts of a group of extremely
conscientious data entry volunteers, who are too numerous to mention
here. A hearty thank you goes to Deborah Baseman who did some key
groundwork when the project was initially conceived. My appreciation
goes to web master Steve Zedeck for putting together the complex
Business Directory web pages and the continuous updating of the
project web pages. I have already thanked Michael Tobias for so
efficiently and quickly converting the completed file into Internet-
ready format. He is also responsible for loading the thousands of PDF
pages on the JewishGen server as well as the viewing access for it.
And finally, thanks go to Michael and Warren Blatt for their efforts
over the last few days to refine the way in which the search data is
presented, and thus make it most useful to researchers.

Howard Fink
Database Manager
1929 Polish Business Directory Project
JRI-Poland in association with JewishGen

Jewish Records Indexing - Poland, Inc. is an independent
non-profit 501(c)3 U.S. tax-exempt organization and is
hosted by JewishGen.

[MODERATOR NOTE: The following message is reproduced >from the JewishGen
Discussion Group. Congratulations to Roni Seibel Liebowitz and all the
wonderful volunteers who are making this project possible! Let us know if
you find your relatives in the online directory.]

I am very happy, and relieved, to announce that Phase 1 of the huge
Jewish Records Indexing - Poland / JewishGen "1929 Polish Business
Directory Project" is complete: the indexing of all of the towns in the
Directory is finished. JRI-Poland volunteers completed the data entry
of the town index in early December and I have spent the last several
weeks editing the data.

The file of the index of towns, identified with "wojewojdztwo" (province)
and "powiat" (district), is larger than almost any of the individual
town vital records databases in the JRI-Poland database. The Business
Directory Town Index identifies over 34,000 localities. This in itself
provides an exciting new resource, similar to ShtetlSeeker (only with
pre-war Polish placenames).

To appreciate the enormous scope of this project, consider that the
current number of indices for all towns in the JRI-Poland database of
primarily 19th-century records recently leapt to one and a half million.
It is estimated that the completed Business Directory database will
include three quarters of a million 20th-century entries.

Now for the truly exciting news: even before the searchable names
database is completed, you can have immediate access to the data for
your town right now. The 3000 directory pages have been scanned and
converted into Adobe PDF files. Thanks to rapid development efforts by
Michael Tobias (doesn't it seem like there must be at least ten of him
working on projects?), you can now search by town name and then click
on the resulting link to see high resolution images of the actual
directory page(s).

The URL is: < <A HREF=3D"http://www.jewishgen.org/jri-pl/bizdir/start.htm">
http://www.jewishgen.org/jri-pl/bizdir/start.htm</A> >.

Think of the amazement you felt the first time you viewed an original
manifest via the Ellis Island web site. A similar experience is waiting
for you when you search within the Polish 1929 Business Directory.
Searching for the correct town name is made easy because there is
built-in support for matches via the Daitch-Mokotoff Soundex system.

As with most JRI-Poland managed projects, this has been a truly
international effort. Town index data entry volunteers are from
Australia, Canada, Israel, Japan, Poland, Sweden and the United States,
all working under the coordination and direction of JRI-Poland Board
Member, Roni Seibel Liebowitz.

Indexing the towns was only the first phase of this huge project.
Phase 2 will be launched shortly. We will be entering all of the
business names (typically named after the owner), and other available
details into an online searchable database.

Here is more information about Phase 2.

Phase 2:
A detailed set of instructions has been written for interpretation of
the directory entries, along with many examples. Entry of this data will
be quite different >from entering data >from vital record indices. Since
all the entries are printed rather than handwritten, the work should
flow smoothly.

Some volunteers are now testing the Phase 2 data entry protocol.

We hope many more people will volunteer to help enter the business and
name data needed to create the final database. There are about 2500
pages in the Phase 2 effort. Details for Phase 2 will be announced
shortly. As you enjoy the current offering of this new resource,
imagine how much more useful it will be when it is possible to search
this database by name.

Please help us complete this amazing effort by volunteering when we
announce that we are ready for additional work on Phase 2.

To enable both Jewish Records Indexing - Poland, Inc. and JewishGen,
Inc. to continue work on such special initiatives and to cover the
costs incurred to date, we invite researchers to make a voluntary
contribution to the Business Directory project.

Please send your tax-deductible (in the U.S.) contributions to
Jewish Records Indexing - Poland,
c/o Sheila Salo, Treasurer,
5607 Greenleaf Rd.,
Cheverly, MD 20785,
USA.

You can also contribute by credit card by going to:
<A HREF=3D"http://www.jewishgen.org/jri-pl/visa.htm">
http://www.jewishgen.org/jri-pl/visa.htm</A>

You can also telephone Sheila Salo to make your VISA or MasterCard
contribution between 8 a.m. and 8 p.m. Eastern time, at (301) 341-1261.
The fax number is (301) 341-1261.

Your contributions should be clearly marked: "For the 1929 Business
Directory Project." All contributions for this project will be shared
equally with JewishGen.

For more details about this project, please refer to the following URL:
< <A HREF=3D"http://www.jewishgen.org/jri-pl/bizdir/start.htm">
http://www.jewishgen.org/jri-pl/bizdir/start.htm</A> >.

As with any large data entry project, mistakes may be found.
Please send details of any errors you notice to me at
know_How@speakeasy.net.

I am taking this opportunity to thank the volunteers who were
instrumental in the creation of the Town Index. Roni Seibel Liebowitz
did the outreach and coordinated the efforts of a group of extremely
conscientious data entry volunteers, who are too numerous to mention
here. A hearty thank you goes to Deborah Baseman who did some key
groundwork when the project was initially conceived. My appreciation
goes to web master Steve Zedeck for putting together the complex
Business Directory web pages and the continuous updating of the
project web pages. I have already thanked Michael Tobias for so
efficiently and quickly converting the completed file into Internet-
ready format. He is also responsible for loading the thousands of PDF
pages on the JewishGen server as well as the viewing access for it.
And finally, thanks go to Michael and Warren Blatt for their efforts
over the last few days to refine the way in which the search data is
presented, and thus make it most useful to researchers.

Howard Fink
Database Manager
1929 Polish Business Directory Project
JRI-Poland in association with JewishGen

Jewish Records Indexing - Poland, Inc. is an independent
non-profit 501(c)3 U.S. tax-exempt organization and is
hosted by JewishGen.

Shel Brucker and Michael Bernat have addressed the problem of the names
Layzer and Leiser ie. could they be the same name?

For a full discussion of the problem, please see my article in Avotaynu,
Spring 1995, Vol XI, Number 1, p.19, under the title: Luzer Isn't Layzer.

To summarize briefly, Lawzer or Layzer is a diminutive form of Elazar
(sometimes spelled in English as Eleazar) and Liayzer or Layser is a
diminutive form for Eliezer. Both these diminutives can be pronounced in a
variety of ways, depending on what dialect of Yiddish one is speaking. In
the Galician dialect, Lawzer becomes Luzer and Layzer becomes Leiser.

I would guess that both of Shel Brucker's relatives had different names,
since their diminutives were pronounced differently and they probably came

from the same region and hence spoke the same dialect of Yiddish.

Asher Bar-Zev

Hello everyone...

I am trying to find information about something I only heard about in
passing. Does anyone have any information or are able to verify the
story I heard that in shtetls and/ or towns with large Jewish
populations that there was only a certian number of marriages
allowed, by the overarching powers, in a given time period. Does
anyone know if this is true, and if so, the specific details, such as
if it was all over Eastern Europe, the years this kind of thing took
place, how Jews responded to it, how the mandate was decreed, etc.

Thank you.

Peter Bebergal

The second law of genealogy (as I tell students) is that spelling doesn't
count. Laizer and Leiser could be 2 different men, but not because of the
spelling of their names. Anything that approximates the sound of the name
(and you have to take into account different languages and dialects and
alphabets) could be the same thing.

Especially in America, but also in Russia and elsewhere, when someone said
to a clerk, "My name is Lezer/Laizer/Leiser", the clerk wrote what he
thought represented that sound. Many of the clerks were not the best
spellers either (that is the kindest I can put it).

Indexes compound the problem. If you see the email about EIDB, you see what
the extractors do with the scribbles some clerk on a ship made of a
emigrant's name.

So Leiser and Laizer could be the same person-let's hope that you have an
odd last name to help you.

Sally Bruckheimer
Albany, NY

For the person looking for Robinowitz in NY, here
is something you may be interested in.

Diane Jacobs
New York

Hello,

Does anyone know where on the Internet I can find the Census records of
Canada?

Please post this answer to the list.

Thanks,
Kevin Hanit
Concord, ON Canada

Searching for: ABELOVICH, STOLAR, KLETSKIN, LEVITT, HOROWITZ

A big thanks to all who responded to my question to finding out how to
discover whether these Jewish last names in my genealogy are truly >from
Jews. I'm sorry that I didn't think to list them. When the Jewish names in
question begin to include goyish surnames, began in the early 1900's. Most
of my family immigrated >from Prussia and Germany between 1880's and 1910's.
I have only stories I remember my great-grandparents telling me of
disillusionment, anger, and burning documents and pictures so they could
start a new life. I have horror stories of family who couldn't leave,
starving and finally letters suddenly stop arriving. One of my closest
grandmother's, before marriage, worked for a Jewish baker and the only
curious book she had was "How To Be A Yiddish Momma" (Or the likes). Then
of course an unquenchable desire to understand and learn Jewish ways.
But all that doesn't answer the names. I have only so many because of burnt
documents. They are: my surname, Lowitz, Strumpf, Hirsh, Schimkat, Berkner,
and there are some others, but I'm not sure if they are of Jewish origin.

Shel Brucker and Michael Bernat have addressed the problem of the names
Layzer and Leiser ie. could they be the same name?

For a full discussion of the problem, please see my article in Avotaynu,
Spring 1995, Vol XI, Number 1, p.19, under the title: Luzer Isn't Layzer.

To summarize briefly, Lawzer or Layzer is a diminutive form of Elazar
(sometimes spelled in English as Eleazar) and Liayzer or Layser is a
diminutive form for Eliezer. Both these diminutives can be pronounced in a
variety of ways, depending on what dialect of Yiddish one is speaking. In
the Galician dialect, Lawzer becomes Luzer and Layzer becomes Leiser.

I would guess that both of Shel Brucker's relatives had different names,
since their diminutives were pronounced differently and they probably came

from the same region and hence spoke the same dialect of Yiddish.

Asher Bar-Zev

Hello everyone...

I am trying to find information about something I only heard about in
passing. Does anyone have any information or are able to verify the
story I heard that in shtetls and/ or towns with large Jewish
populations that there was only a certian number of marriages
allowed, by the overarching powers, in a given time period. Does
anyone know if this is true, and if so, the specific details, such as
if it was all over Eastern Europe, the years this kind of thing took
place, how Jews responded to it, how the mandate was decreed, etc.

Thank you.

Peter Bebergal

The second law of genealogy (as I tell students) is that spelling doesn't
count. Laizer and Leiser could be 2 different men, but not because of the
spelling of their names. Anything that approximates the sound of the name
(and you have to take into account different languages and dialects and
alphabets) could be the same thing.

Especially in America, but also in Russia and elsewhere, when someone said
to a clerk, "My name is Lezer/Laizer/Leiser", the clerk wrote what he
thought represented that sound. Many of the clerks were not the best
spellers either (that is the kindest I can put it).

Indexes compound the problem. If you see the email about EIDB, you see what
the extractors do with the scribbles some clerk on a ship made of a
emigrant's name.

So Leiser and Laizer could be the same person-let's hope that you have an
odd last name to help you.

Sally Bruckheimer
Albany, NY

For the person looking for Robinowitz in NY, here
is something you may be interested in.

Diane Jacobs
New York

Hello,

Does anyone know where on the Internet I can find the Census records of
Canada?

Please post this answer to the list.

Thanks,
Kevin Hanit
Concord, ON Canada

Searching for: ABELOVICH, STOLAR, KLETSKIN, LEVITT, HOROWITZ

A big thanks to all who responded to my question to finding out how to
discover whether these Jewish last names in my genealogy are truly >from
Jews. I'm sorry that I didn't think to list them. When the Jewish names in
question begin to include goyish surnames, began in the early 1900's. Most
of my family immigrated >from Prussia and Germany between 1880's and 1910's.
I have only stories I remember my great-grandparents telling me of
disillusionment, anger, and burning documents and pictures so they could
start a new life. I have horror stories of family who couldn't leave,
starving and finally letters suddenly stop arriving. One of my closest
grandmother's, before marriage, worked for a Jewish baker and the only
curious book she had was "How To Be A Yiddish Momma" (Or the likes). Then
of course an unquenchable desire to understand and learn Jewish ways.
But all that doesn't answer the names. I have only so many because of burnt
documents. They are: my surname, Lowitz, Strumpf, Hirsh, Schimkat, Berkner,
and there are some others, but I'm not sure if they are of Jewish origin.

In a Danish book I found a bit of information about a family >from the 18th
century that might be of interest:

Ruben/Reuben (surname/patronymic unknown)

had at least two sons:
1. Noah ben Ruben
2. Abraham ben Ruben

Noah was married to Taube (surname/patronymic unknown)
they had at least one son:

Ruben/Reuben born about 1733 in Juelich

Noah died about 1742, the mother went to live with her brother Solomon in
Koblenz.

Ruben (about 9 years old) was sent to live with Noah's brother Abraham in
Bonn, where he lived and went to school for three years.
In 1747 Ruben got a job with some "Jewish actors/artists/street performers"
(Philip and Israel) in Fredericia, Denmark, he worked for them in four
years. After that he earned a living as an actor/street performer on his
own.

In 1754 he contacted the bishop in Aalborg because he wanted to convert to
Christianity and in 1756 he was christened with his Christian name: Friedrich.

It is not known for sure what the surname is/was.

From:
"De Fromme og Joderne" by Martin Schwarz Lausten, Akademisk Forlag,=20
Copenhagen, 2000. ISBN 7-500-3029-9.

Best wishes

-------------------------------------------------
Elsebeth Paikin, Copenhagen, Denmark
Coordinator & Webmaster of JewishGen Denmark SIG=20
http://www.jewishgen.org/denmark
http://home.worldonline.dk/~epaikin/
mailto:elsebeth@paikin.dk
---------------------------------------------------

On 12/22/01, Shawn Potter (shpxlcp@home.com) asked about the names Joachim
and Goetz, among others. MBernet responded:

"The name Goetz is a common contraction of the German name Gottfried and
Gottschalk. Among Jews, it is generally used as a byname with the Hebrew
name Elyakim, sometimes Shaltiel. Sometimes it's rendered Getz, Getzl."

I have a few comments/questions.

1. MBernet: Can you please elaborate on the relationship between the names
Gottfried and Elyakim?

2. Shawn: I believe the name Jochem was used as nickname for Elyakim, and
it certainly isn't a stretch to get >from Jochem to Joachim. Is your Joachim
related to your Goetz? Maybe one was named after the other.

3. General question for the group: How common was the combination of the
Hebrew names Elyakim (or Jochem) and the civil name Gottfried? Does anyone
else out there (besides me) have a relative with this combination? Of
particular interest would be individuals >from Hessen or Saarland.

Thanks,
Gary Wolf

Researching WOLF (Langenscheidt, Limburg/Lahn, or Trier?, Germany); WEIS
(Wiesbaden-Erbenheim or Nordenstadt, Germany); FRIED (vic. of Limburg/Lahn
or Diez, Germany); DAUER, LEBENSTEIN, BRETTLER, sKOLNIK/SKOLNICK/SZKOLNIK
(vic. of Buczacz, Ukraine).

I just want to thank all of you who are always so eager to help. This
si such a great group of people. Thanks again,
Susan Stock
Agoura Hills, Calif

aaronslotnik@hotmail.com (Aaron Slotnik) wrote in message

I'm seeking information about a Rabbi SHAPIRA,
who I think was the last head of the Rabbincal court in Gorodenka, Ukraine
(formerly Horodenka, Galicia). He was promoted after the death of Rabbi
Ashkenazi but first had the title of Dayan u-Moreh Tzedek (Judge and
Righteous Teacher). I don't know his first name, but his son was named
Yitzchak SHAPIRA (whom I am also seeking). All of this information comes

from the "A Sad Walk Around Our Town" section of

Sefer Horodenka.

There is a Horodenka shtiebel in Northumberland Street, Manchester, England.
not too sure of the exact address.

Murray Freedman
Leeds UK

Hello,

Some time ago (end of 1999) I was in correspondence with someone and we
discussed furriers as an occupation in London. This kind person sent me
something relating to this (a few pages >from a book called *Flutter Duck*-or
maybe just the chapter was called that). On it he (I am pretty sure it was a
man) had written "Abraham Hyman 1822-1891 was a master furrier".

I have searched the archives and can find my original posting on the subject
but not a reply. The reply must have been sent privately. Of course, I have
lost this kind person's details and want to contact him again.

If this unusual title rings a bell with anyone please let me know (off
list).

Thanks for your help.

Best Wishes,
Sherry Landa (in Salford, Lancs)
sherry.landa@virgin.net
Always searching for: BAIM, BESSER, BLOWMAN (BLAUMAN), GORDON, KRAEWSKI
(GOULD), LANDA(U), NEURICK (NEWTON), PULVER.

The column headings for this and all previous US Censuses can be found at
http://www.genealogy.com/genealogy/00000061.html?Welcome=1011209015

Best wishes,
Lisa Dashman
Croton-on-Hudson, NY