JewishGen.org Discussion Group FAQs
What is the JewishGen.org Discussion Group?
The JewishGen.org Discussion Group unites thousands of Jewish genealogical researchers worldwide as they research their family history, search for relatives, and share information, ideas, methods, tips, techniques, and resources. The JewishGen.org Discussion Group makes it easy, quick, and fun, to connect with others around the world.
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How is the New JewishGen.org Discussion Group better than the old one?
Our old Discussion List platform was woefully antiquated. Among its many challenges: it was not secure, it required messages to be sent in Plain Text, did not support accented characters or languages other than English, could not display links or images, and had archives that were not mobile-friendly.
This new platform that JewishGen is using is a scalable, and sustainable solution, and allows us to engage with JewishGen members throughout the world. It offers a simple and intuitive interface for both members and moderators, more powerful tools, and more secure archives (which are easily accessible on mobile devices, and which also block out personal email addresses to the public).
I am a JewishGen member, why do I have to create a separate account for the Discussion Group?
As we continue to modernize our platform, we are trying to ensure that everything meets contemporary security standards. In the future, we plan hope to have one single sign-in page.
I like how the current lists work. Will I still be able to send/receive emails of posts (and/or digests)?
Yes. In terms of functionality, the group will operate the same for people who like to participate with email. People can still send a message to an email address (in this case, main@groups.JewishGen.org), and receive a daily digest of postings, or individual emails. In addition, Members can also receive a daily summary of topics, and then choose which topics they would like to read about it. However, in addition to email, there is the additional functionality of being able to read/post messages utilizing our online forum (https://groups.jewishgen.org).
Does this new system require plain-text?
No.
Can I post images, accented characters, different colors/font sizes, non-latin characters?
Yes.
Can I categorize a message? For example, if my message is related to Polish, or Ukraine research, can I indicate as such?
Yes! Our new platform allows members to use “Hashtags.” Messages can then be sorted, and searched, based upon how they are categorized. Another advantage is that members can “mute” any conversations they are not interested in, by simply indicating they are not interested in a particular “hashtag.”
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Yes.
Can I still search though old messages?
Yes. All the messages are accessible and searchable going back to 1998.
What if I have questions or need assistance using the new Group?
Send your questions to: support@JewishGen.org
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Follow this link: https://groups.jewishgen.org/g/main
So just to be sure - this new group will allow us to post from our mobile phones, includes images, accented characters, and non-latin characters, and does not require plain text?
Correct!
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No.
Will the current guidelines change?
Yes. While posts will be moderated to ensure civility, and that there is nothing posted that is inappropriate (or completely unrelated to genealogy), we will be trying to create an online community of people who regulate themselves, much as they do (very successfully) on Jewish Genealogy Portal on Facebook.
What are the new guidelines?
There are just a few simple rules & guidelines to follow, which you can read here:https://groups.jewishgen.org/g/main/guidelines
Thank you in advance for contributing to this amazing online community!
If you have any questions, or suggestions, please email support@JewishGen.org.
Sincerely,
The JewishGen.org Team
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Lova SENDLER
#general
Vangheluwe Daniel <vangheluwe.smietan@...>
I am searching additional informations about Lova SENDLER, submitter of
testimony on Yad Vashem, 1957 Daniel VANGHELUWE
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Re: Some tips on searching...
#general
Lancy
I have a Fankel (for Jankel) and a Limshe (for Simche).
Lancy Spalter Kfar Tavor, Israel
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JewishGen Discussion Group #JewishGen Lova SENDLER
#general
Vangheluwe Daniel <vangheluwe.smietan@...>
I am searching additional informations about Lova SENDLER, submitter of
testimony on Yad Vashem, 1957 Daniel VANGHELUWE
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JewishGen Discussion Group #JewishGen Re: Some tips on searching...
#general
Lancy
I have a Fankel (for Jankel) and a Limshe (for Simche).
Lancy Spalter Kfar Tavor, Israel
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West Virginia
#ukraine
Shelly Crane
Hello,
I am very fortunate to have a 95 year old great aunt to talk to on a regular basis. She always remembers something new when we speak, but sometimes the information is incomplete. However, there is always an element of truth that takes me on a new path of genealogy adventure and discovery! The latest bit of information is that we had cousins who lived in West Virginia, possibly near the Pennsylvania border. Unfortunately, they may have had a different last names. My aunt recalls some of these relatives owned a big department store and were quite well off. I imagine the time they lived there could have been as early as 1915 and beyond. If anyone out there knows a bit about the West Virginian Jewish community and/or had relatives immigrate there >from the Ukraine, please email me privately. The towns they might have come >from include: Belilovka, Berdychiv, Lipovets, Pliskov, Priluki, Samgorodok, Skvira, Vakhnovka, Zhytomyr or surrounding areas. I sent emails out privately, but in case someone was missed, a big thank you to all who helped me find a missing Ellis Island manifest. Very much appreciate everyone's generous spirit! Happy New Year, Shelly Crane crzprncess@aol.com USA Paris, France: LEFELMAN, LIPOVETSKY Ukraine: BERMAN, BLAS, BLEKHMAN, CHESSIN, CHOLODENKO, DICKTER, FELDMAN, FISCHER, GITERMAN, GLASS, KVACHINSKIJ, KWAIT, LEFELMAN, LIPOVETSKY, MEZHERITZKY, MORITZ, OSCHERANKO, PETROVSKI, SELDMAN, SHAPIRA, SHIFFMAN, WEXLER, ZEISLER Vilnius, Lithuania, FELMAN
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Ukraine SIG #Ukraine West Virginia
#ukraine
Shelly Crane
Hello,
I am very fortunate to have a 95 year old great aunt to talk to on a regular basis. She always remembers something new when we speak, but sometimes the information is incomplete. However, there is always an element of truth that takes me on a new path of genealogy adventure and discovery! The latest bit of information is that we had cousins who lived in West Virginia, possibly near the Pennsylvania border. Unfortunately, they may have had a different last names. My aunt recalls some of these relatives owned a big department store and were quite well off. I imagine the time they lived there could have been as early as 1915 and beyond. If anyone out there knows a bit about the West Virginian Jewish community and/or had relatives immigrate there >from the Ukraine, please email me privately. The towns they might have come >from include: Belilovka, Berdychiv, Lipovets, Pliskov, Priluki, Samgorodok, Skvira, Vakhnovka, Zhytomyr or surrounding areas. I sent emails out privately, but in case someone was missed, a big thank you to all who helped me find a missing Ellis Island manifest. Very much appreciate everyone's generous spirit! Happy New Year, Shelly Crane crzprncess@aol.com USA Paris, France: LEFELMAN, LIPOVETSKY Ukraine: BERMAN, BLAS, BLEKHMAN, CHESSIN, CHOLODENKO, DICKTER, FELDMAN, FISCHER, GITERMAN, GLASS, KVACHINSKIJ, KWAIT, LEFELMAN, LIPOVETSKY, MEZHERITZKY, MORITZ, OSCHERANKO, PETROVSKI, SELDMAN, SHAPIRA, SHIFFMAN, WEXLER, ZEISLER Vilnius, Lithuania, FELMAN
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Re: Searching for Shtetl
#ukraine
Doug Cohen
Where Once We Walked lists two:
Ignatovka, Belarus -- Described in Shtetl Finder as an agricultureal community 30 km northeast of Lutsk, this town does not appear in current gazatteers. Ignatovka (near Silnoye), Ukr.; Jewish prewar pop. 900. 45 km NW of Rivne at 50o54'/25o48'. Since Malin, Ukr is given at 50o46'/29o14', it's not very close; (a minute of longitude is approx. 0.4 miles - 3.5 degrees is therefore 3.5 x 60 x .4 miles = 85 miles away). I don't know if this is the one you're seeking or not. Good luck. Doug Cohen Lexington, MA dmc@dmcohen.com Les Shipnuck <lshipnuck@tamassociates.com> wrote: Searching for family shtetl: Ignatevka (variant: Ignatevska) thought to be located in the vicinity of Malin Station, a rail stop approximately 40 miles West of Kiev. I cannot find this village on any map that I have seen so far although Malin is easily found.
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Ukraine SIG #Ukraine Re: Searching for Shtetl
#ukraine
Doug Cohen
Where Once We Walked lists two:
Ignatovka, Belarus -- Described in Shtetl Finder as an agricultureal community 30 km northeast of Lutsk, this town does not appear in current gazatteers. Ignatovka (near Silnoye), Ukr.; Jewish prewar pop. 900. 45 km NW of Rivne at 50o54'/25o48'. Since Malin, Ukr is given at 50o46'/29o14', it's not very close; (a minute of longitude is approx. 0.4 miles - 3.5 degrees is therefore 3.5 x 60 x .4 miles = 85 miles away). I don't know if this is the one you're seeking or not. Good luck. Doug Cohen Lexington, MA dmc@dmcohen.com Les Shipnuck <lshipnuck@tamassociates.com> wrote: Searching for family shtetl: Ignatevka (variant: Ignatevska) thought to be located in the vicinity of Malin Station, a rail stop approximately 40 miles West of Kiev. I cannot find this village on any map that I have seen so far although Malin is easily found.
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Anyone heard of town 'Vikny' Russia? 1880's??
#general
Celia Male <celiamale@...>
My answer is *No* - but I think it could be Wilna -
see the last two paragraphs, if you do not wish to read the preamble. When Michelle Sint wrote "has anyone heard of town 'Vikny' Russia" I decided to look at the images of the UK census itself. I found that if you entered *Vikny* as keyword and enter *no name* into a census search, on a well known genealogical website, only one family appeared in the whole of England & Wales in 1901, namely the SINT family of Mile End, who had obviously arrived in London ca 1895. This family was headed by Mark, a boot finisher and Fanny. Their first English-born child was Barnett born in 1896. Please note here that their 15 yr old son Nathan is a *cabinet-maker*. However, another search with the name SINT reveals 18 SINT and another Jewish family in Bethnal Green, headed by *cabinet-maker* Nathan and his family of craftsmen and women! Sadly, all it says about their origins is "Russia". They arrived in ca 1894. Their first English-born child was Louis, was also born in 1896. So could the two families be related? Could Nathan Jnr, the teenage cabinet-maker, be working with Nathan Snr? Could they have arrived together? The National Archives, Kew may have more leads re their place of origin. No SINT [even the apparently English SINT from Norfolk] appear in the 1891 or 1881 censuses so perhaps there are more transcription errors or perhaps the 1901 Bernard P SINT living in Sheffield with Samuel WIATER & family [another transcription error*] is an immigrant really born in ?. It is important to look at the images as they often reveal mistakes. In the large Bethnal Green SINT family there is a transcription error as Rebecca SINT is aged 10 years in the transcription but on the census form she is clearly seen as 10 months old! Furthermore, she is transcribed as having been born in England *before* the family arrived on these shores. So, please be careful when taking the UK census literally - it needs much interpretation. This leads me nowhere regarding to the location of *Vikny* but the Jri-pl site: http://www.jewishgen.org/jri-pl/ offered various Soundex alternatives: Wiekenie, Wguny, Wykna [Bukowina]; Wieleke [Tarnow]; Wicyn [Ukraine] etc, etc. If you enter Vikny into Yad vashem you get no victims, but with SINT, you find only one tragic victim, we remember here today: Dora ZOUMERFIELD nee SINT was born in Wilna, Poland in 1890 to Max SINT and Sara Jakob; dob 29/12/1890; married to Benjamin; living in Paris during wartime; place of death: Auschwitz; date of death 29/08/1942. So could the census enumerator have mistaken Wilna/Vilna for Vikny - is that how it might have been prounounced in Yiddish? I am sure there will be many other replies about this, but it did lead me to another interesting observation, I will write about next. Celia Male [U.K.] * Samuel Gambles WINTER, can clearly be seen as WINTER in the 1891 census [teapot handle maker] and also in 1881. This shows that whenever possible, one must compare data in various years. With Jewish immigrants that may not always be feasible.
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JewishGen Discussion Group #JewishGen Anyone heard of town 'Vikny' Russia? 1880's??
#general
Celia Male <celiamale@...>
My answer is *No* - but I think it could be Wilna -
see the last two paragraphs, if you do not wish to read the preamble. When Michelle Sint wrote "has anyone heard of town 'Vikny' Russia" I decided to look at the images of the UK census itself. I found that if you entered *Vikny* as keyword and enter *no name* into a census search, on a well known genealogical website, only one family appeared in the whole of England & Wales in 1901, namely the SINT family of Mile End, who had obviously arrived in London ca 1895. This family was headed by Mark, a boot finisher and Fanny. Their first English-born child was Barnett born in 1896. Please note here that their 15 yr old son Nathan is a *cabinet-maker*. However, another search with the name SINT reveals 18 SINT and another Jewish family in Bethnal Green, headed by *cabinet-maker* Nathan and his family of craftsmen and women! Sadly, all it says about their origins is "Russia". They arrived in ca 1894. Their first English-born child was Louis, was also born in 1896. So could the two families be related? Could Nathan Jnr, the teenage cabinet-maker, be working with Nathan Snr? Could they have arrived together? The National Archives, Kew may have more leads re their place of origin. No SINT [even the apparently English SINT from Norfolk] appear in the 1891 or 1881 censuses so perhaps there are more transcription errors or perhaps the 1901 Bernard P SINT living in Sheffield with Samuel WIATER & family [another transcription error*] is an immigrant really born in ?. It is important to look at the images as they often reveal mistakes. In the large Bethnal Green SINT family there is a transcription error as Rebecca SINT is aged 10 years in the transcription but on the census form she is clearly seen as 10 months old! Furthermore, she is transcribed as having been born in England *before* the family arrived on these shores. So, please be careful when taking the UK census literally - it needs much interpretation. This leads me nowhere regarding to the location of *Vikny* but the Jri-pl site: http://www.jewishgen.org/jri-pl/ offered various Soundex alternatives: Wiekenie, Wguny, Wykna [Bukowina]; Wieleke [Tarnow]; Wicyn [Ukraine] etc, etc. If you enter Vikny into Yad vashem you get no victims, but with SINT, you find only one tragic victim, we remember here today: Dora ZOUMERFIELD nee SINT was born in Wilna, Poland in 1890 to Max SINT and Sara Jakob; dob 29/12/1890; married to Benjamin; living in Paris during wartime; place of death: Auschwitz; date of death 29/08/1942. So could the census enumerator have mistaken Wilna/Vilna for Vikny - is that how it might have been prounounced in Yiddish? I am sure there will be many other replies about this, but it did lead me to another interesting observation, I will write about next. Celia Male [U.K.] * Samuel Gambles WINTER, can clearly be seen as WINTER in the 1891 census [teapot handle maker] and also in 1881. This shows that whenever possible, one must compare data in various years. With Jewish immigrants that may not always be feasible.
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Re: Steamships and Using JewishGen
#general
phylliskramer1@...
Chaim Luria asked:>> If you have a picture of the steamship Ambria which served
the Glasgow- New York route for Hamburg America Lines in the 1890's, please contact me directly. I have searched all of the resources on the internet and have not been successful. But Chaim, you didnt look on JewishGen. How very often we look all over the web but not on our "home base". Here's what I did: I went onto JewishGen's home page and clicked on Ellis Island. Steve Morse has written some wonderful queries for all types of research connected to Ellis Island. I then clicked on "additional search tools", which took me to his wonderful list of queries. There is one for ship's pictures. The second option, Ellis Island, had a photo of your Ambria Happy Chanukah and happy hunting! -- Phyllis phylliskramer1@att.net of Wilton Ct and Palm Beach Gardens,Fla VP, Education, JewishGen, Inc. Chair, PC Lab, 2006 NYC Jewish Genealogy Conference Researching STECHER, TRACHMAN, LINDNER, KANDEL, SCHEINER, KRAMER >from Galicia
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JewishGen Discussion Group #JewishGen Re: Steamships and Using JewishGen
#general
phylliskramer1@...
Chaim Luria asked:>> If you have a picture of the steamship Ambria which served
the Glasgow- New York route for Hamburg America Lines in the 1890's, please contact me directly. I have searched all of the resources on the internet and have not been successful. But Chaim, you didnt look on JewishGen. How very often we look all over the web but not on our "home base". Here's what I did: I went onto JewishGen's home page and clicked on Ellis Island. Steve Morse has written some wonderful queries for all types of research connected to Ellis Island. I then clicked on "additional search tools", which took me to his wonderful list of queries. There is one for ship's pictures. The second option, Ellis Island, had a photo of your Ambria Happy Chanukah and happy hunting! -- Phyllis phylliskramer1@att.net of Wilton Ct and Palm Beach Gardens,Fla VP, Education, JewishGen, Inc. Chair, PC Lab, 2006 NYC Jewish Genealogy Conference Researching STECHER, TRACHMAN, LINDNER, KANDEL, SCHEINER, KRAMER >from Galicia
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Borshchagovaka
#general
Marilyn F <mrl516@...>
Through YDNA testing I have located family >from Borshchagovka. I would
appreciate anyone with information about this town to contact me. There is very little about it either on Jewishgen or Google. The family name was ZITOMAR or ZITOMERSKY. I also find very little information on Yad Vashem site. Any help will be greatly appreciated. Thanks. Marilyn Feingold MILGROM,KORMAN-Tulchin SCHLAFFER, SZAFIR-Kamenka ( Moldova) PEKARSKY/SOKOLOFSKY-Tashkent/Israel STEINBERG/LERNER/ELKUS/MILGROM/Kishinev/Odessa TESLER/MALAMUD/LUBER-Kamenka (Moldova) KOLKER/TARTAKOV/SPIVAK-Obodivaka FELDMAN, SHENKER-Obodivka ROSENTHAL-Worone/Pittsburgh MILTER-Kodima (Moldova) TONKONOGY-Frunza (Tashkent)
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JewishGen Discussion Group #JewishGen Borshchagovaka
#general
Marilyn F <mrl516@...>
Through YDNA testing I have located family >from Borshchagovka. I would
appreciate anyone with information about this town to contact me. There is very little about it either on Jewishgen or Google. The family name was ZITOMAR or ZITOMERSKY. I also find very little information on Yad Vashem site. Any help will be greatly appreciated. Thanks. Marilyn Feingold MILGROM,KORMAN-Tulchin SCHLAFFER, SZAFIR-Kamenka ( Moldova) PEKARSKY/SOKOLOFSKY-Tashkent/Israel STEINBERG/LERNER/ELKUS/MILGROM/Kishinev/Odessa TESLER/MALAMUD/LUBER-Kamenka (Moldova) KOLKER/TARTAKOV/SPIVAK-Obodivaka FELDMAN, SHENKER-Obodivka ROSENTHAL-Worone/Pittsburgh MILTER-Kodima (Moldova) TONKONOGY-Frunza (Tashkent)
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Re: Unique Surnames
#general
HPOLLINS@...
A Jewish soldier who was killed in WWI in the British army was called in the
official records SCKKOOL. He was born in Russia. In the British Jewry Book of Honour, a record of Jews who served in that war, he is listed as SCHOOL, presumably that being how his name was pronounced. Harold Pollins Oxford, England
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JewishGen Discussion Group #JewishGen Re: Unique Surnames
#general
HPOLLINS@...
A Jewish soldier who was killed in WWI in the British army was called in the
official records SCKKOOL. He was born in Russia. In the British Jewry Book of Honour, a record of Jews who served in that war, he is listed as SCHOOL, presumably that being how his name was pronounced. Harold Pollins Oxford, England
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Unique one family surname: HIMMELHOCH
#general
Martha LEV-ZION <martha@...>
I am very fortunate in having the name HIM[M]ELHOCH as a one family
name. The family originated in Courland, now Latvia. Alexander Beider wrote in his Dictionary of Jewish Family Names in the Russian Empire that HIMMELHOCH was a "common name in Courland". How true!! The family took to heart the command to "be fruitful and multiply" and liberally populated Courland with HIMMELHOCHs! But all can be traced back to the same source. It seems that all modern offspring were told that if they ever find a HIM[M]ELHOCH in the phone book when they are in a strange town, they should feel free to call because we are all cousins. At least this is one family story that panned out with research! Channukah sameach!! Martha Lev-Zion IGS-Negev
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JewishGen Discussion Group #JewishGen Unique one family surname: HIMMELHOCH
#general
Martha LEV-ZION <martha@...>
I am very fortunate in having the name HIM[M]ELHOCH as a one family
name. The family originated in Courland, now Latvia. Alexander Beider wrote in his Dictionary of Jewish Family Names in the Russian Empire that HIMMELHOCH was a "common name in Courland". How true!! The family took to heart the command to "be fruitful and multiply" and liberally populated Courland with HIMMELHOCHs! But all can be traced back to the same source. It seems that all modern offspring were told that if they ever find a HIM[M]ELHOCH in the phone book when they are in a strange town, they should feel free to call because we are all cousins. At least this is one family story that panned out with research! Channukah sameach!! Martha Lev-Zion IGS-Negev
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Re: Unique Surnames
#general
Benzy Shani <bzs@...>
SHELNITZ.
toggle quoted messageShow quoted text
The earliest known record of this name is in Krasnoye at the turn of the (20th) century -- my GGF Chayim Leib Shelnitz and his siblings. All current Shelnitzes (that are known to us) are descendants of either Chayim Leib or his brother Aizik. And there really aren't many; my father (who emigrated to Israel in 1969) has a few cousins in the US, and that's it. My brothers and I haven't done much for perpetuating the name as we have changed our name to the more Hebrew-sounding Shani. Benzy Shani Ofra, Israel
I greatly support the initiative of Roger Lustig >from the GER-SIG
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JewishGen Discussion Group #JewishGen Re: Unique Surnames
#general
Benzy Shani <bzs@...>
SHELNITZ.
toggle quoted messageShow quoted text
The earliest known record of this name is in Krasnoye at the turn of the (20th) century -- my GGF Chayim Leib Shelnitz and his siblings. All current Shelnitzes (that are known to us) are descendants of either Chayim Leib or his brother Aizik. And there really aren't many; my father (who emigrated to Israel in 1969) has a few cousins in the US, and that's it. My brothers and I haven't done much for perpetuating the name as we have changed our name to the more Hebrew-sounding Shani. Benzy Shani Ofra, Israel
I greatly support the initiative of Roger Lustig >from the GER-SIG
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