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.
Is it Secure?
Yes. JewishGen is using a state of the art platform with the most contemporary security standards. JewishGen will never share member information with third parties.
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.”
Will all posts be archived?
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
How do I access the Group’s webpage?
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!
Will there be any ads or annoying pop-ups?
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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Re: Searching descendants of Simcha SCHECHTER, (Brooklyn NY early 1900’s)
Barbara Zimmer
I like Sam Schechter born about 1865 who says he arrived in the US 3 Feb 1881.
In the 1910 census Sam and his wife Sarah have 6 children. Sarah says she has given birth to 8 children, 6 living. And in 1910 they live on Havemeyer Street in Brooklyn which is quite close to the Brooklyn Bridge. Here is the family in 1910. 1910 United States Federal Census Name: Samuel Schechter Age in 1910: 45 Birth Year: abt 1865 Birthplace: Austria Home in 1910: Brooklyn Ward 13, Kings, New York Street: Havemeyer Street Race: White Gender: Male Immigration Year: 1881 Relation to Head of House: Head Marital status: Married Spouse's name: Sarah Schechter Father's Birthplace: Austria Mother's Birthplace: Austria Native Tongue: English Occupation: Operator Industry: Coats Shop Employer, Employee or Other: Wage Earner Home Owned or Rented: Rent Farm or House: House Naturalization Status: Naturalized Able to Read: Yes Able to Write: Yes Years Married: 22 Out of Work: N Number of weeks out of work: 0 Samuel Schechter 45 Sarah Schechter 42 Abraham Schechter 21 Minie Schechter 19 Louis Schechter 16 Solomon Schechter 13 Sadie Schechter 8 Victor Schechter 4 If I am correct, then Sam married Sarah GERHART in 1888. Sam Shachter New York, New York City Marriage Records, 1829-1947 Name: Sam Shachter Event Type: Marriage Event Date: 14 Feb 1888 Event Place: Manhattan, New York, New York, United States Age: 22 Marital Status: Single Birth Year (Estimated): 1866 Birthplace: Galicia, Austria Father's Name: Adolf Shachter Mother's Name: Goldberger Spouse's Name: Sarah Gerhart Spouse's Gender: Female Spouse's Age: 19 Spouse's Marital Status: Single Spouse's Birth Year (Estimated): 1869 Spouse's Birthplace: Hungaria Spouse's Father's Name: M. A. Gerhart Spouse's Mother's Name: Jettie Gartner Benzion arrived in 1892. His surname was spelled differently. New York, Passenger and Crew Lists (including Castle Garden and Ellis Island), 1820-1957 Name: Benzian Schlochter Arrival Date: 3 Feb 1892 Birth Date: abt 1873 Age: 19 Gender: Male Ethnicity/ Nationality: Austrian Place of Origin: Austria Port of Departure: Rotterdam Port of Arrival: New York, New York Ship Name: Werkendam Barbara Zimmer Norfolk VA
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Re: Once upon a time there was a moderator for this group.....
LOUISE HAJDENBERG
Glenda,
That doesn’t seem the case in my aol account. It might help some. i have contacted support on three occasions with3 different numbers, one 2 days after launch, and no one ever got back to me so when a moderator says it is the proper place to email for ongoing site problems it is not sufficient. This is the only place. Louise Hajdenberg New York
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Re: Bad Aarolsen Data Base
Freda
May be helpful to know...
When searching on Bad Arolsen, there are many results (with record images) that do not show up on ushmm searches. ushmm has a vast record collection but only a percentage, like Bad Arolsen, have been digitized and indexed to be made available online. I also find info on Yad Vashem database that isn’t on ushmm and vice versa. Yad Vashem often doesn’t have images that ushmm has. Important to cross check all three databases and any others. ushmm has also has a very useful collections search. Freda Sent from Freda's iPhone Sent from Freda's iPhone
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Re: Tracking a passenger across the Atlantic through England
Sally Bruckheimer
Many went directly to New York from Hamburg, avoiding the change of ship. Emigrants in my family from southern Germany left from Le Havre to New York.
There were, of course, many other possibilities. Sally Bruckheimer Princeton, NJ
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Re: Once upon a time there was a moderator for this group.....
Barbara Mannlein <bsmannlein@...>
WISH IT WERE THAT EASY. When i attempt to sign in I get this message: That email address does not have a groups.jewishgen.org account.
toggle quoted messageShow quoted text
Odd, because I’ve been using that email for over 20 years! And that’s how I sign in to the JewishGen databases. Barbara Mannlein Tucson, AZ
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Pale of Settlement
Josephine Rosenblum
What would a Yiddish-speaking Jew who lived there have called this area? Please give a transliteration for those of us who do not read Hebrew letters. I know it was also called Russian-Poland in English, so how would this same Yiddish speaker have pronounced "Russian-Poland"?
Because it is likely that others will find this information helpful, please post it for all to see. Thank you in advance. Josephine Rosenblum Cincinnati, OH Searching: LESTZ in Seduva; ROSENBLUM or ROZENBLUM in Aleksotas; LEVINSON and ZEEMAN in Ponemon. All in Lithuania.
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Re: Buying false papers
Rose Lowenkron, my cousin Estelle's mother, bought her sister's papers and ship's ticket and managed to get into the US tho she was only about 14..Jane Lowenkron Foss
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Re: Maiming to Avoid the Russian Draft?
Toby Blake
My Grandfather from Tomaszow Lubelski, Poland told us that he drank Sauerkraut juice to
upset his stomach and avoid the draft. He suffered from stomach issues his entire life. Toby Blake Portland, Oregon
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Re: Once upon a time there was a moderator for this group.....
Beverley Davis
Quoted message:
Re: Once upon a time there was a moderator for this group..... From: Glenda Rubin Date: Sun, 19 Jan 2020 10:20:04 AEDT It doesn't seem to be consistent, but I hit reply to Louise's message (not via the links below the message, but the ordinary reply button in g-mail). The subsequent screen was blank, but there was the image of 3 dots in the bottom left corner [...], which is a g-mail thing showing a message has been clipped. I clicked on that, and a quote of the previous message appeared. Hope this might help with the threads issue. (Also hoping my name, location, and research interests will automatically appear when this is sent). Glenda =================== Hi Glenda: re your last line, no they didn’t!!! Best wishes, Beverley Davis, Melbourne, Australia
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Auto-signing messages
JoAnne Goldberg
Thanks, Glenda, for the heads up!
This seems to be the most direct link -- https://groups.jewishgen.org/g/main/editsub -- once you're logged in -- to edit the signature -- JoAnne Goldberg - Menlo Park, CaliforniaBLOCH, SEGAL, FRIDMAN, KAMINSKY, PLOTNIK/KIN -- Siauliai, LIthuania
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Re: Buying false papers
Clifford S. Goldfarb
My father, aged 18, arrived in Antwerp from Poland in 1920 with a boat ticket from his sister in Toronto, but no papers. He was told to go to Brussels. In Brussels he was told to go to the Ukrainian charge d’affaires. Having no money, he found a number of people also looking for papers, offered to provide them for a fee, and raised enough to buy papers for himself. He got a “laisser passez” good for one trip to Canada, showing him as a 20 year old from Berezhany, Ukraine — a short distance from Dalesczye (Kielce), where he was from. I still have it.
Cliff Goldfarb
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Re: Buying false papers
Yohanan
My mother escaped Russian Czernowitch after the war by buying approved visa to Romania from a young couple
who applied and received also a visa to USA which they preferred to keep. She also had to get a false marriage cerificate and a false death certificare for the couple's young daughter.
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Re: Once upon a time there was a moderator for this group.....
Glenda Rubin
It doesn't seem to be consistent, but I hit reply to Louise's message (not via the links below the message, but the ordinary reply button in g-mail). The subsequent screen was blank, but there was the image of 3 dots in the bottom left corner [...], which is a g-mail thing showing a message has been clipped. I clicked on that, and a quote of the previous message appeared. Hope this might help with the threads issue. (Also hoping my name, location, and research interests will automatically appear when this is sent). Glenda
On Thu, Jan 16, 2020 at 3:06 PM LOUISE HAJDENBERG via Groups.Jewishgen.Org <cabsha1=aol.com@...> wrote: This is what I am responding to: --
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Re: Once upon a time there was a moderator for this group.....
Glenda Rubin
Looking at some of my recent replies that posted to the group, I saw a tagline with my name and location (that I had input) and another tagline with that info plus the names and places I'm researching. Checking the discussion group page at https://groups.jewishgen.org/g/main on the subscription link I found there's a section called *signature*, where you enter information that will automatically appear as a tagline at the bottom of all your messages. I had forgotten about that until this discussion. If someone has posted this already, sorry for the duplication. Glenda
On Wed, Jan 15, 2020 at 6:37 AM Merv & Naomi Barnett <barnett@...> wrote:
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Re: Once upon a time there was a moderator for this group.....RESPONSE FROM A MODERATOR
Lin Herz
Are there still moderators? It does not appear so. Does anyone know?
To answer the initial question,,,yes there are still moderators on duty who must approve, edit, reject or delete EVERY single post. However, our job is NOT to be an English teacher. We will not correct spelling, we will not correct grammar, we will not correct punctuation, we will not capitalize a name for you, and we will not check to see if a link is correct (how would we know the correct link?). That is the responsibility of the person who is posting. We will simply make certain of the following rules apply:
Personally, I believe in a lot of communication for information in Jewish Genealogy, so in my case I will approve almost everything that applies to the above rules and maybe even beyond! However, if there is a technical issue, a gripe or complaint about the site, please do not send it to the JewishGen Discussion group but to support@.... Also, understand that a single word like "thanks" or "OK" is not really relevant to send to over 7,500 individuals in a discussion group. For individual replies, please send it back to the person who had initially posted. I believe everyone would appreciate that. Also please know and understand that we are volunteers and in my case, it is my way of "giving back" to JewishGen for all that they do and have done for Jewish Genealogy. We not only have to review and approve posts but new members as well so there is quite a bit to do. If you have any questions or suggestions, please email the moderation team at moderators@.... Thank you for your understanding Moderator on Duty (30+ year researcher, author, lecturer, President of a JGS)
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Re: Please put surnames in the subject line
sharon yampell
The problem with your post is you didn’t sign it or add your location!
Sharon F. Yampell Voorhees, NJ USA
From: jbonline1111@...
Sent: Saturday, January 18, 2020 11:15 AM To: main@... Subject: [JewishGen.org] Please put surnames in the subject line
I've noticed that since this new format has become available, that the majority of posts do not list surnames in the subject line and sometimes not even in the body of posts. When fellow contributors see surnames right away, they can quickly determine whether they can be helpful to you. Further, many will take the time to research for you if they have the names. Use tags such as #Belarus as supplements. For example, today I looked at a post with that tag because my family came from that area. However, if the surnames had been posted, I would have known that I was unable to help.
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Re: Please put surnames in the subject line
Peter Lebensold
It will also help those in the future - who might be searching for the name in this blog's archives - to find you.
Peter LEBENSOLD Toronto
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Re: Maiming to Avoid the Russian Draft?
Ettie Zilber
My grandfather, from Grodno (Poland then Belarus) told the story of smuggling eye drops to his older brother which would create symptoms in his eyes, which would exempt him from the military. I have no idea what was in those eye drops but I read elsewhere about someone else doing the same, so it was obviously an 'easy' medical solution. Anyone heard of this? Ettie Ettie Zilber, EdD Author-Speaker-Educator
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Re: Searching descendants of Simcha SCHECHTER, (Brooklyn NY early 1900’s)
Eva Lawrence
Have you thought of finding s street directory for pre-war Brooklyn and
and with a street map finding the likely street where Simcha and his family might have lived? It can't have been all that far from your aunt's house. . Then you could try perhaps the nearest census or a directory for Schechters (seven of them) in just those few streets. Eva Lawrence St Albans, UK -- Eva Lawrence St Albans, UK.
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Re: Tracking a passenger across the Atlantic through England
henry
Steve,
The usual route for emigrants from Germany and northern Europe was by ship from Hamburg to Hull or Grimsby on the east coast of England, thence by train to Liverpool where they would board another ship to the US or Canada. This was in the days before passports were required and, as they were only 'passing through', no UK record was made of their arrival or departure. Emigrants from southern Europe to the US and Canada usually travelled through Cherbourg (France) and Southampton (England), although other departure ports on the mainland of Europe were sometimes used. Henry Best, London, UK.
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