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DAN/KUPERMAN/ROLNICK #general

Sheldon Dan <sheldan1955@...>
 

I am trying to research a possible branch of my family originating with a sister
of my great-great-grandfather David Elimelech (David King) DAN.

The key person in this search is a Chaya Dvora (Dorothy) KUPERMAN, born in 1867
in Sakiai, Lithuania, who was the last wife of Dov Behr ROLNICK, born in 1840
in Upynas, Lithuania, where David King lived. They had four children, Leie
(Lena) GARDNER (1888-1968), Hyman (1893-1925), Vuelvel (William) (1895-1981),
and Abel Judah (1899-1932). The Gardners lived in Benton Harbor, MI, at the
same time as David King's son, Solomon DEN, and were also farmers in the region.

I think that my great-great-great-aunt married a man named KUPERMAN. They may
have lived in Sakiai. I think their son was Pinchas KUPERMAN, born in 1839,
who married Beile KLISHOVSKI, also born in 1839. In addition to Dvora, they
may have had a son, Ayzik Leizer KUPERMAN, born in 1879 in Sakiai. Ayzik's
wife was Dvora MASKOVSKI, born in 1884 in Wladislawow (now Kurdikos Naumiestis,
Lithuania). Ayzik's family died in the Shoah; his son Motelis (Mordechai)
survived, but recorded his own family and his parents as murdered in the Yad
Vashem database.

I would like to learn more about both the descendants of Dvora and her
ancestors.

My father's cousin, Walter Cohen, had discovered this branch during his
genealogy project, and I would like to see if there are more names that I can
add to this branch of the family. Please contact me privately if you have any
information.

Sheldon Dan
sheldan1955@bellsouth.net
JewishGen Discussion Group #JewishGen DAN/KUPERMAN/ROLNICK #general

Sheldon Dan <sheldan1955@...>
 

I am trying to research a possible branch of my family originating with a sister
of my great-great-grandfather David Elimelech (David King) DAN.

The key person in this search is a Chaya Dvora (Dorothy) KUPERMAN, born in 1867
in Sakiai, Lithuania, who was the last wife of Dov Behr ROLNICK, born in 1840
in Upynas, Lithuania, where David King lived. They had four children, Leie
(Lena) GARDNER (1888-1968), Hyman (1893-1925), Vuelvel (William) (1895-1981),
and Abel Judah (1899-1932). The Gardners lived in Benton Harbor, MI, at the
same time as David King's son, Solomon DEN, and were also farmers in the region.

I think that my great-great-great-aunt married a man named KUPERMAN. They may
have lived in Sakiai. I think their son was Pinchas KUPERMAN, born in 1839,
who married Beile KLISHOVSKI, also born in 1839. In addition to Dvora, they
may have had a son, Ayzik Leizer KUPERMAN, born in 1879 in Sakiai. Ayzik's
wife was Dvora MASKOVSKI, born in 1884 in Wladislawow (now Kurdikos Naumiestis,
Lithuania). Ayzik's family died in the Shoah; his son Motelis (Mordechai)
survived, but recorded his own family and his parents as murdered in the Yad
Vashem database.

I would like to learn more about both the descendants of Dvora and her
ancestors.

My father's cousin, Walter Cohen, had discovered this branch during his
genealogy project, and I would like to see if there are more names that I can
add to this branch of the family. Please contact me privately if you have any
information.

Sheldon Dan
sheldan1955@bellsouth.net
The Galitzianer: Call for Photos #general

Gesher Galicia SIG
 

Gesher Galicia is calling on members and nonmembers to submit photos
(or even drawings/paintings) for our quarterly research journal, the
"Galitzianer." We are seeking these images for the "Faces of Galicia"
section of our journal, where our goal is to present a visual
representation of Jews >from Austrian Galicia. To this end, we are
requesting images of Galician Jews >from before 1918; they can be
family members or other individuals within the Jewish community from
that time period.

The images should be submitted to me as jpg attachments at
submissions@geshergalicia.org . Please provide a suggested brief
caption, including the approximate date of the image and, if known,
the birth and death dates of the individuals pictured. Old photographs
should be scanned >from the originals (300 dpi). Please do not send
cell phone photos of photographs, computer screen captures, images
downloaded >from the internet, or images saved as PDFs.

We look forward to receiving your photo submissions.

Jodi G. Benjamin
Editor, The Galitzianer
Gesher Galicia
JewishGen Discussion Group #JewishGen The Galitzianer: Call for Photos #general

Gesher Galicia SIG
 

Gesher Galicia is calling on members and nonmembers to submit photos
(or even drawings/paintings) for our quarterly research journal, the
"Galitzianer." We are seeking these images for the "Faces of Galicia"
section of our journal, where our goal is to present a visual
representation of Jews >from Austrian Galicia. To this end, we are
requesting images of Galician Jews >from before 1918; they can be
family members or other individuals within the Jewish community from
that time period.

The images should be submitted to me as jpg attachments at
submissions@geshergalicia.org . Please provide a suggested brief
caption, including the approximate date of the image and, if known,
the birth and death dates of the individuals pictured. Old photographs
should be scanned >from the originals (300 dpi). Please do not send
cell phone photos of photographs, computer screen captures, images
downloaded >from the internet, or images saved as PDFs.

We look forward to receiving your photo submissions.

Jodi G. Benjamin
Editor, The Galitzianer
Gesher Galicia
Przysucha Jewish heritage tour guide #general

charles goldenzon
 

Can anyone here recommend a tour guide who can lead a 2h-tour on Przysucha's
Jewish heritage? I'd rather have someone local to Przysucha or a nearby town.

Regards,

Charles Goldenzon
Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

MODERATOR NOTE: Please provide recommendations privately.
JewishGen Discussion Group #JewishGen Przysucha Jewish heritage tour guide #general

charles goldenzon
 

Can anyone here recommend a tour guide who can lead a 2h-tour on Przysucha's
Jewish heritage? I'd rather have someone local to Przysucha or a nearby town.

Regards,

Charles Goldenzon
Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

MODERATOR NOTE: Please provide recommendations privately.
Yemenite Ancestors in the 1800s: North Yemen to Italy #general

שביט מלאכי <lila.sayeeda@...>
 

I'm in need of some help tracking down information on my Yemenite
ancestors. I have ancestors >from Bnei Chorath (Banu al Harith) tribe
in the northern region of Yemen. Some surnames in our family include:
NAJJAR, JAMEEL, and YITZHARI (originally Najjar). Through numerous DNA
platforms, I'm reconnecting with family separated over time (for
various reasons, over more than one event). Together, this particular
group of cousins and I have worked toward a specific time period and
location where we all had our last common Jewish ancestors in Yemen
(this is a multinational family project). We want to find information
on our shared ancestors who were in north Yemen in the 1800s.

So far what I found is that there were Italians in Yemen in that time
frame (colonies, businesses, etc). I read that wherever Italians had
businesses, they employed Yemenis (even in Africa). I found out that
Yemeni people even served in the Italian army. I know that, wherever
there were British or French colonies, the people living in the
colonized nations would sometimes travel to the land of the
colonizers. I know this happened with my Yemenite ancestors in the
1800s, but I don't know where to begin to obtain any potential
documents on their travel/employment.

I've searched history books and genealogy sites, but I'm at a dead-end.
This topic seems rare, and even more scarce is information on Yemenite
Jews traveling to Italy in the 1800s. I figure that I can help our
family project if I can find information in Italy, as documents seem
more plausible to find in Italy today. I know documents are precious.

Does anyone know how to obtain travel and employment documents for
Yemenite people working for Italians or traveling to Italy in the 1800s?
Any information would be very much appreciated!

Sayeeda Malachi
California, USA
JewishGen Future Scholars Fellows - Day 8 Recap #warsaw #poland

Nancy Siegel
 

Today, the JewishGen Future Scholar Fellows spent their third and
final day cleaning up the Krzepice, Poland Jewish Cemetery. They again
arrived early at the cemetery, where they were joined by a group of
special needs adults who came to assist in the clean-up process.

The day began with an emotional and impassioned speech >from Steven D.
Reece about the importance of our work. During the day, as the final
trees were chopped, and various branches and weeds were carried away,
JewishGen Fellows also spent time scraping moss and dirt off of
tombstones, in an effort to read their transcriptions. While this
could take time (some stones could take approximately an hour to
clean), the JewishGen Fellows reported that it was very rewarding to
be able to read about the people buried in this cemetery, and how if
not for JewishGen.org and The Matzevah Foundation, Inc., then these
people would not have been remembered in this way.

In the early afternoon, the JewishGen Fellows took a short lunch and
then visited the ruins of a local synagogue, which had been destroyed
by fire prior to the Shoah (the town's other Synagogue was destroyed
by the Nazis).

Before leaving, the JewishGen Fellows were given a presentation by
Aleksander Schwarz >from the Rabbinical Commission on Cemeteries in
Poland. He delivered an overview of the Halachik requirements for
preserving and restoring cemeteries. He then led the Fellows on a
walk-through of the cemetery to the sites that were potentially those
of mass graves. Alek explained the process he would undertake to
determine if this was the case, and some of the tools that are
rabbinically approved, and under what circumstances he could use them.

Following a really fun dinner, the JewishGen Fellows and Dan Oren,
Avraham Groll, and Steven D. Reece held a final reflection exercise,
and also discussed potential improvements to future programs.

Tomorrow, the Fellows will be visiting Lodz, where they will have
lunch with Maria Synger, a Lodz Jewish community educator. >from there
they will travel to Warsaw's airport for flights home.

To see the photos associated with this post, and other updates and
live videos, please go to and "Like" the JewishGen Facebook posts:
https://www.facebook.com/JewishGen.org/

Nancy Siegel
Communications Coordinator
JewishGen.org
JewishGen Staffing Update - New Senior Level Position #poland #warsaw

Avraham Groll
 

Dear JewishGen Community,

I'm pleased to announce another staffing shift as we continue to
develop JewishGen's internal structure to make the best use of our
resources.

As of last week, Warren Blatt has assumed the new position of Senior
Genealogist for JewishGen.

In this newly created senior level position, Warren will ensure that
the JewishGen website remains reflective of genealogical standards and
that the archival transcriptions are as accurate as possible. He will
accomplish this by providing strategic direction and support to the
Senior Research Team, while also serving as the primary liaison with
technical staff for database projects.

As Senior Genealogist, Warren will also play a larger role in
representing JewishGen at various speaking engagements, and responding
to media requests for comments on Jewish genealogical issues.

Warren's technical background and genealogical expertise make him
particularly suited for this position. A software engineer before
joining the JewishGen staff in 2003, he has worked in various roles,
most recently in the position of Managing Director. Previously, as
JewishGen's Editor-in-Chief, he authored the JewishGen FAQ
("Frequently Asked Questions About Jewish Genealogy"), and dozens of
JewishGen InfoFiles. He is the author of Resources for Jewish
Genealogy in the Boston Area (Boston: JGSGB, 1996), and co-author of
Getting Started in Jewish Genealogy (Avotaynu, 1999), and other works.

Widely recognized for his contributions to Jewish genealogy, in 2004
he was awarded the International Association of Jewish Genealogical
Societies (IAJGS) Lifetime Achievement Award in Jerusalem.

Please join me in congratulating Warren on his new position.

Avraham Groll
Director
JewishGen.org
JewishGen Discussion Group #JewishGen Yemenite Ancestors in the 1800s: North Yemen to Italy #general

שביט מלאכי <lila.sayeeda@...>
 

I'm in need of some help tracking down information on my Yemenite
ancestors. I have ancestors >from Bnei Chorath (Banu al Harith) tribe
in the northern region of Yemen. Some surnames in our family include:
NAJJAR, JAMEEL, and YITZHARI (originally Najjar). Through numerous DNA
platforms, I'm reconnecting with family separated over time (for
various reasons, over more than one event). Together, this particular
group of cousins and I have worked toward a specific time period and
location where we all had our last common Jewish ancestors in Yemen
(this is a multinational family project). We want to find information
on our shared ancestors who were in north Yemen in the 1800s.

So far what I found is that there were Italians in Yemen in that time
frame (colonies, businesses, etc). I read that wherever Italians had
businesses, they employed Yemenis (even in Africa). I found out that
Yemeni people even served in the Italian army. I know that, wherever
there were British or French colonies, the people living in the
colonized nations would sometimes travel to the land of the
colonizers. I know this happened with my Yemenite ancestors in the
1800s, but I don't know where to begin to obtain any potential
documents on their travel/employment.

I've searched history books and genealogy sites, but I'm at a dead-end.
This topic seems rare, and even more scarce is information on Yemenite
Jews traveling to Italy in the 1800s. I figure that I can help our
family project if I can find information in Italy, as documents seem
more plausible to find in Italy today. I know documents are precious.

Does anyone know how to obtain travel and employment documents for
Yemenite people working for Italians or traveling to Italy in the 1800s?
Any information would be very much appreciated!

Sayeeda Malachi
California, USA
Warszawa Research Group #Warsaw #Poland JewishGen Future Scholars Fellows - Day 8 Recap #poland #warsaw

Nancy Siegel
 

Today, the JewishGen Future Scholar Fellows spent their third and
final day cleaning up the Krzepice, Poland Jewish Cemetery. They again
arrived early at the cemetery, where they were joined by a group of
special needs adults who came to assist in the clean-up process.

The day began with an emotional and impassioned speech >from Steven D.
Reece about the importance of our work. During the day, as the final
trees were chopped, and various branches and weeds were carried away,
JewishGen Fellows also spent time scraping moss and dirt off of
tombstones, in an effort to read their transcriptions. While this
could take time (some stones could take approximately an hour to
clean), the JewishGen Fellows reported that it was very rewarding to
be able to read about the people buried in this cemetery, and how if
not for JewishGen.org and The Matzevah Foundation, Inc., then these
people would not have been remembered in this way.

In the early afternoon, the JewishGen Fellows took a short lunch and
then visited the ruins of a local synagogue, which had been destroyed
by fire prior to the Shoah (the town's other Synagogue was destroyed
by the Nazis).

Before leaving, the JewishGen Fellows were given a presentation by
Aleksander Schwarz >from the Rabbinical Commission on Cemeteries in
Poland. He delivered an overview of the Halachik requirements for
preserving and restoring cemeteries. He then led the Fellows on a
walk-through of the cemetery to the sites that were potentially those
of mass graves. Alek explained the process he would undertake to
determine if this was the case, and some of the tools that are
rabbinically approved, and under what circumstances he could use them.

Following a really fun dinner, the JewishGen Fellows and Dan Oren,
Avraham Groll, and Steven D. Reece held a final reflection exercise,
and also discussed potential improvements to future programs.

Tomorrow, the Fellows will be visiting Lodz, where they will have
lunch with Maria Synger, a Lodz Jewish community educator. >from there
they will travel to Warsaw's airport for flights home.

To see the photos associated with this post, and other updates and
live videos, please go to and "Like" the JewishGen Facebook posts:
https://www.facebook.com/JewishGen.org/

Nancy Siegel
Communications Coordinator
JewishGen.org
Warszawa Research Group #Warsaw #Poland JewishGen Staffing Update - New Senior Level Position #warsaw #poland

Avraham Groll
 

Dear JewishGen Community,

I'm pleased to announce another staffing shift as we continue to
develop JewishGen's internal structure to make the best use of our
resources.

As of last week, Warren Blatt has assumed the new position of Senior
Genealogist for JewishGen.

In this newly created senior level position, Warren will ensure that
the JewishGen website remains reflective of genealogical standards and
that the archival transcriptions are as accurate as possible. He will
accomplish this by providing strategic direction and support to the
Senior Research Team, while also serving as the primary liaison with
technical staff for database projects.

As Senior Genealogist, Warren will also play a larger role in
representing JewishGen at various speaking engagements, and responding
to media requests for comments on Jewish genealogical issues.

Warren's technical background and genealogical expertise make him
particularly suited for this position. A software engineer before
joining the JewishGen staff in 2003, he has worked in various roles,
most recently in the position of Managing Director. Previously, as
JewishGen's Editor-in-Chief, he authored the JewishGen FAQ
("Frequently Asked Questions About Jewish Genealogy"), and dozens of
JewishGen InfoFiles. He is the author of Resources for Jewish
Genealogy in the Boston Area (Boston: JGSGB, 1996), and co-author of
Getting Started in Jewish Genealogy (Avotaynu, 1999), and other works.

Widely recognized for his contributions to Jewish genealogy, in 2004
he was awarded the International Association of Jewish Genealogical
Societies (IAJGS) Lifetime Achievement Award in Jerusalem.

Please join me in congratulating Warren on his new position.

Avraham Groll
Director
JewishGen.org
JewishGen Future Scholars Fellows - Day 2 Recap #poland #warsaw

Nancy Siegel
 

After a delicious breakfast, and optional Shacharit prayer service at
the Nozyk Synagogue, the JewishGen Future Scholars Fellows visited the
POLIN Museum of the History of Polish Jews to learn about more than
1,000 years of Jewish life in Poland. In the afternoon, they began
their journey toward Lublin.

Along the way, they visited the Jewish Cemetery in Markuszow, which
provided a powerful contrast to the Warsaw Okopowa Cemetery.
Additionally, the Fellows will be decoding a particularly unique
Matzevah (tombstone) >from this cemetery as part of an evening session
next week, so this stop provided some on-site context.

In advance of arriving in Lublin, the Fellows read a fascinating
article written in 1957 by AC Majzels (faculty member Dr. Dan Oren's
Lublin-born grandfather), in which he recalled the Jewish Lublin of
his youth in the early 20th century. The article can be accessed here:
https://kehilalinks.jewishgen.org/lublin/AC_Majzels.html .

Once in Lublin, the Fellows visited the still-standing home of Dr.
Oren's grandparents, the place where a Sukkah was constructed and,
among other things, the building that housed the Yavneh School
(religious Zionist) on whose board AC Majzels served, and with whom he
is shown in the accompanying photograph.

After checking in to the Hotel Ilan (which occupies the famous
Chachmei Lublin Yeshiva), and dinner, the Fellows had an evening
session with Studnia Pamieci (Well of Memory) organizer Teresa
Klimowicz. Teresa has devoted a significant amount of time to cleaning
cemeteries and preserving Jewish memory in Poland, and her powerful
presentation was extremely well received.

Tomorrow, the Fellows will tour additional sites in Lublin, visit the
old Synagogue and cemetery in Tarnow, and eventually make their way to
Krakow for Shabbat.

You can access the photographs associated with this posting on the
JewishGen Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/JewishGen.org/

Nancy Siegel (San Francisco, CA, USA)
Communications Coordinator
JewishGen.org
JewishGen Future Scholars Fellows - Days 3 & 4 Recap #warsaw #poland

Nancy Siegel
 

Report >from Poland:

It has been an exhausting but meaningful two days!

On Friday morning, the JewishGen Fellows got up early, and after a
delicious breakfast at Hotel Ilan w Lublinie (housed in the Chachmei
Lublin Yeshiva), traveled to the Gazeta Krakowska (Krakowska Gate),
walked through the Old City of Lublin, and then had a guided tour of
the Brama Grodzka (Grodzka Gate) Living Museum with Teresa Klimowicz.

from there, it was on to Tarnow. After stopping for lunch at the
fabulous The Nosh - A Kosher Cafe & Mina's Art Gift Gallery (the first
Kosher restaurant in Tarnow in 77 years), and hearing >from Gerald
Vineberg (the proprietor) about the history of Jewish Tarnow, the
Fellows visited the Old Synagogue which had been destroyed in 1939
(only the Bima - Bima Synagogi Starej - remains), and the Old Jewish
Cemetery, where they had an opportunity to hear >from Adam Bartosz (who
headed the Committee for the Protection of Monuments of Jewish Culture
in Tarnow), and his daughter Magda Mihal Bartosz.

The Fellows then traveled to Krakow, Poland, where they would spend
Shabbat in the Kazimierz Jewish district. Following optional Friday
night services at the Izaak Synagogue, everyone enjoyed a Shabbat
dinner by the JCC Krakow with a Holocaust survivor, local residents,
and other visiting groups.

On Shabbat morning, some of the participants chose to attend services
again at the Izaak Synagogue, while others attended the Remuh
Synagogue (which reopened to the public just a few years ago, after
major restoration efforts). A wonderful lunch was enjoyed at the
Kosher Shop Delight Restaurant.

Immediately after lunch, the Fellows once again visited the JCC, where
they had an opportunity to hear >from Jonathan Ornstein, Executive
Director of the JCC Krakow. He discussed how the JCC got started, the
status of the current community, and the inspirational work he is
doing on behalf of the Krakow and Polish Jewish communities in
general.

In the afternoon, the Fellows discovered some of the history of the
Kazimierz and Old Krakow, with a 2.5 hour walking tour. (It was very
hot!)

Following some free time to explore, the Fellows were joined by Steven
D. Reece, Przemek Panasiuk, and Rachael Romero, >from The Matzevah
Foundation, Inc., for Sedua Shlishit/Dinner. In the evening, Steven D.
Reece, Avraham Groll, and Dan Oren conducted a session which focused
on the individual Fellows - why they applied for the Fellowship, what
their expectations were, and what JewishGen and The Matzevah
Foundation are hoping to accomplish with this program.

After Havdala, the Fellows enjoyed some refreshing ice cream at the
Kosher Ice Cream shop in Krakow.

It was a meaningful and inspirational Shabbat, and gives us the
strength to head into the week. Tomorrow, the Fellows will visit the
Auschwitz-Birkenau Concentration Camp, with a tour led by Pawe=C5=82
Sawicki, followed by a visit to the Auschwitz Jewish Center, where
they will have a tour of the Oswiecim Synagogue and AJC Museum.

They will then make their way to Krzepice, and have an evening session
with Steven Reece about the importance of cemetery work that the
Fellows will be engaged in this week.

To view the photos associated with this post, see and "like" the
JewishGen Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/JewishGen.org

Nancy Siegel (San Francisco, CA, USA)
Communications Coordinator
JewishGen.org
JewishGen Future Scholars Fellows - Day 5 Recap #warsaw #poland

Nancy Siegel
 

Report >from Poland:

Day five was a challenging yet meaningful day.

The JewishGen Fellows left Krakow early in the morning, to visit the
the Auschwitz-Birkenau concentration camp. Pawe=C5=82 Sawicki led an
extremely emotional and informative tour, emphasizing the =E2=80=9Cpsycholo=
gy
of hope=E2=80=9D employed by the Nazis, along with the dehumanization of th=
e
inmates in the camps.

We then visited the Auschwitz Jewish Center, where the Fellows ate
lunch (thank you Tomek Kuncewicz for letting us utilize space in the
cafe), and toured the Oswiecim Synagogue and AJC Museum. >from there,
the Fellows took a two-hour bus ride to Krzepice.

After checking in to their hotel, a delicious dinner was served, and
Steven Reece led a reflection exercise about our collective experience
visiting Auschwitz, before giving an orientation about the importance
of the cemetery work the Fellows are about to engage in.

Beginning today, the JewishGen Fellows will spend each day through
Wednesday evening cleaning up the Krzeipce cemetery, which dates back
to 1749. The last known burial took place in 1946. There are believed
to be 650 Matzevot (tombstones), some of which are made out of
cast-iron.

On Monday and Tuesday, the JewishGen Fellows and The Matzevah
Foundation, Inc. will be joined by students >from the local non-Jewish
high school, who will come to help with the clean-up process.

Later this afternoon/evening, the JewishGen Fellows will also hear
from a representative of the Chief Rabbi of Poland with specific
regard to Halachik considerations and perspectives on maintaining
Jewish cemeteries, followed by a reflection exercise, and a session
from Dr. Dan Oren, who will discuss how to decipher Matzevot
(tombstones).

To see the photos associated with this post, and other updates and
live videos, go to and "Like" the JewishGen Facebook posts:
https://www.facebook.com/JewishGen.org/

Nancy Siegel
Communications Coordinator
JewishGen.org
JewishGen Future Scholar Fellows - Day 6 Recap #warsaw #poland

Nancy Siegel
 

Report >from Poland:

This morning, the JewishGen Future Scholar Fellows began the portion
of their program whereby they can physically take part in preserving
our Jewish history and heritage.

By 9:00 AM, the JewishGen Fellows were at the Krzepice, Poland Jewish
Cemetery. They were met at the cemetery by 9th graders (along with
their teacher and principal) >from the local non-Jewish high school,
who came to help with the clean-up.

After getting to know each other, Steven D. Reece and Przemek Panasiuk
gave a general orientation which described the nature of our work,
some differences between Jewish and Christian burial practices, and
some of the Halachik guidelines which pertain to visiting and working
in a Jewish cemetery.

Before officially getting started with the task at hand, JewishGen
Fellow Sophia Stepansky recited the traditional Jewish blessing
recited upon visiting a cemetery for the first time in thirty days,
and which describes our collective belief in the eventual revival of
the dead.

After that, the JewishGen Fellows went to work, often in partnership
with the students. The Fellows used a variety of tools, including
power tools, to clean the cemetery, and throughout the course of the
day, a number of Matzevot (tombstones) were discovered after cleaning
away brush.

During lunch, the Fellows discussed why this type of work was
meaningful, and also explored some of the history behind Jewish burial
practices.

In the evening, after a reflection exercise with Steven Reece, Dr. Dan
Oren led a fascinating session about how to decipher Matzevot. He gave
an overview of some common acronyms, abbreviations, phrases, and
images, which are generally found on a tombstone, along with some
specific examples of complicated epitaphs >from which much can be
learned about a person's life.

Tomorrow, the JewishGen Fellows will be back at the cemetery, again
with students >from the local non-Jewish high school. In addition, at
3PM (GMT+2), Dr. Dan Oren will be on Facebook Live (>from the Krzepice,
Poland Jewish Cemetery) with Avraham Groll to discuss the importance
of the JewishGen Fellowship Program, the history of the Jewish
cemetery here, and why there are so many cast-iron Matzevot in this
particular cemetery. In addition, there will be additional
opportunities to hear >from the JewishGen Fellows throughout the day.

To see the photos associated with this post, and other updates and
live videos, go to and "Like" the JewishGen Facebook posts:
https://www.facebook.com/JewishGen.org/

Nancy Siegel
Communications Coordinator
JewishGen.org
Translation Request #warsaw #poland

Gerald Grundstein <2gag4u@...>
 

I don't know if you are the right person for me to contact? I have
just posted a Katuba on ViewMate and need to have it translated. One
page is in Hebrew, another in Polish and a third in Yiddish. I am
trying to glean names, dates, and places >from these documents. The
Hebrew page is in the current ViewMate document. Is it possible for
you to disseminate the request for translation to your mailing list?

To whom,
I've posted a document in Polish Hebrew for which I need a
translation. It is on ViewMate at the following address ...
http://www.jewishgen.org/viewmate/viewmateview.asp?key=VM73730
Please respond via the form provided on the ViewMate image page.
Thank you very much

The names noted in the Katuba should be "Grundstein" and "Stubinsky".
Thanks for any assistance you can offer.
ViewMate Translation Request #warsaw #poland

Gerald Grundstein <2gag4u@...>
 

I don't know if you are the right group to contact? I have just posted
a Katuba on ViewMate and need to have it translated. One page is in
Hebrew, another in Polish and a third in Yiddish. I am trying to glean
names, dates, and places >from these documents. The Hebrew page is in
the current ViewMate document at this upload.

To whom,
I've posted a document in Polish Hebrew for which I need a
translation. It is on ViewMate at the following address ...
http://www.jewishgen.org/viewmate/viewmateview.asp?key=VM73730
Please respond via the form provided on the ViewMate image page.
Thank you very much

The names noted in the Katuba should be "Grundstein" and "Stubinsky".
Thanks for any assistance you can offer.
JewishGen Future Scholars Fellows - Day 7 Recap #warsaw #poland

Nancy Siegel
 

Report >from Poland - Day 7:

Today, the JewishGen Future Scholar Fellows spent their second day
cleaning up the Krzepice, Poland Jewish Cemetery. After a 7:45 AM
breakfast, they made their way to the cemetery, where they were joined
by a different group >from the local non-Jewish high school, who came
to help in the clean-up process.

As part of the leadership training opportunities provided by
JewishGen, the Fellows gave an introduction and orientation to the
high-school students. They explained the significance of our work,
proper decorum for a cemetery, and what the students might encounter
throughout the day.

Before officially getting started with the tasks at hand, JewishGen
Fellow Sophia Stepansky read the English translation of the
traditional Jewish blessing which is recited upon visiting a cemetery
for the first time in thirty days, and which describes our collective
belief in the eventual revival of the dead.

As brush was cleared, numerous Matzevot became visible, many of them
covered with dirt and or moss. After cleaning them with special
brushes, the JewishGen Fellows, led by Rivka Schiller, gave the
students a brief overview of some of the information contained on a
traditional Jewish tombstone.

In the morning, the Fellows heard >from a local historian, who
explained that Krzepice was extremely close to the German border in
1939, and became one of the first towns destroyed by the Nazis. When
the Nazis came into town, they immediately murdered dozens of people,
as many as 100, and took a tank and plowed through the cemetery. In
the afternoon, Steven D. Reece showed the Fellows what he believes are
three possible mass-grave sites within the cemetery.

After dinner, Avraham Groll gave an evening session to the Fellows
which focused on common obstacles that people encounter when
researching their Jewish roots, and how JewishGen can help. Avraham
explained that the Fellows are now ambassadors on behalf of JewishGen
and that we will be relying on them to help spread awareness of
JewishGen's important work to their peer and contemporaries.

Tomorrow, the JewishGen Fellows will be back at the cemetery for the
final day, this time joined by approximately 10 special needs adults.
In the afternoon, they will be visited by representatives >from the
Chief Rabbinate of Poland, which will explain some of the effort
undertaken to preserve Jewish cemeteries and sites of Mass Murder.
Before returning home for the evening, the JewishGen Fellows will also
visit the only remaining synagogue in Krzepice. While it is unsafe to
enter the building, it represents the last remnant of Jewish life in
Krzepice (aside >from the cemetery).

To see the photos associated with this post, and other updates and
live videos, please go to and "Like" the JewishGen Facebook posts:
https://www.facebook.com/JewishGen.org/

Nancy Siegel
Communications Coordinator
JewishGen.org
Warszawa Research Group #Warsaw #Poland JewishGen Future Scholars Fellows - Day 2 Recap #warsaw #poland

Nancy Siegel
 

After a delicious breakfast, and optional Shacharit prayer service at
the Nozyk Synagogue, the JewishGen Future Scholars Fellows visited the
POLIN Museum of the History of Polish Jews to learn about more than
1,000 years of Jewish life in Poland. In the afternoon, they began
their journey toward Lublin.

Along the way, they visited the Jewish Cemetery in Markuszow, which
provided a powerful contrast to the Warsaw Okopowa Cemetery.
Additionally, the Fellows will be decoding a particularly unique
Matzevah (tombstone) >from this cemetery as part of an evening session
next week, so this stop provided some on-site context.

In advance of arriving in Lublin, the Fellows read a fascinating
article written in 1957 by AC Majzels (faculty member Dr. Dan Oren's
Lublin-born grandfather), in which he recalled the Jewish Lublin of
his youth in the early 20th century. The article can be accessed here:
https://kehilalinks.jewishgen.org/lublin/AC_Majzels.html .

Once in Lublin, the Fellows visited the still-standing home of Dr.
Oren's grandparents, the place where a Sukkah was constructed and,
among other things, the building that housed the Yavneh School
(religious Zionist) on whose board AC Majzels served, and with whom he
is shown in the accompanying photograph.

After checking in to the Hotel Ilan (which occupies the famous
Chachmei Lublin Yeshiva), and dinner, the Fellows had an evening
session with Studnia Pamieci (Well of Memory) organizer Teresa
Klimowicz. Teresa has devoted a significant amount of time to cleaning
cemeteries and preserving Jewish memory in Poland, and her powerful
presentation was extremely well received.

Tomorrow, the Fellows will tour additional sites in Lublin, visit the
old Synagogue and cemetery in Tarnow, and eventually make their way to
Krakow for Shabbat.

You can access the photographs associated with this posting on the
JewishGen Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/JewishGen.org/

Nancy Siegel (San Francisco, CA, USA)
Communications Coordinator
JewishGen.org
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