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: Computer program
Alan Ehrlich
Just want to react to Dani's remark that Brother's Keeper, in addition to genders: "Male" and "Female"... does indeed also have the third choice: "Unknown".
Kind regards, Alan Ehrlich Geneva Switzerland
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JewishGen Databases Working Again
We’re pleased to report that the JewishGen databases are back on line. We apologize for any inconvenience this disruption may have caused you. Your patience is greatly appreciated. Nancy Siegel Director of Communications JewishGen.org
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Massachusetts: legislation to close access to birth, marriage, death, and other vital records
Stephen Katz
The Governor of Massachusetts has proposed legislation that will prevent access to birth, marriage, death, and other previously-public records by anyone but the person requesting the record, or his/her parent or attorney. In Massachusetts, these records have been available to everyone (after a lapse of time in some cases) since 1641, in colonial and state repositories (archives and registries) as well as town and city halls. They have been a principal and critical source of genealogical information. Steve Eastman has recently posted an alert about the proposed legislation in his blog (https://blog.eogn.com/2020/01/31/massachusetts-governor-seeks-to-cut-access-to-public-domain-records/). The Massachusetts Genealogical Council has issued a "Call to Action" to oppose the legislation; further information, including ways to register opposition to the legislation, is available at https://www.massgencouncil.org/call-to-action.
Stephen KATZ (KATZ (Novograd-Volynskiy, Ukraine), KAPLAN (Stakliskes, Lithuania), VITKIN (Kaunas, Lithuania), TEPPER (Rovno and Novograd-Volinskiy, Ukraine)
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Re: Jewish Museum of Deportation and Resistance, Mechelen, Belgium's Web site
albert.pampel@...
For your information, you will find the site at https://www.kazernedossin.eu
Best regards, Albert Pampel
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Lack of responses from DNA match
Shelley Mitchell
Several times I’ve seen mention of a DNA match’s failure to respond to an inquiry. I know this might sound simplistic but what’s amazing is the amount of non-spam that I find in my Spam file. I used to automatically delete my spam. Then, when I checked, I’d find email that should have been in my inbox.
Also, I’ve been more successful with responses when I first share my information. Such as “there are Terners in my family tree. It’s available on Ancestry...” “I see you match more closely with my mother whose mother’s name was Terner” Then I ask about the DNA’s information. I personally think it’s less off putting. Just an idea. -- Shelley Mitchell NYC searching KONIGSBERG/KINIGSBERG, TERNER, MOLDAUER, SCHONFELD - Kolomyya PLATZ - DELATYN. All Galicia.
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Re: Jewish Museum of Deportation and Resistance, Mechelen, Belgium's Web site
Lewis, Megan
Hi Avraham,
The website is now https://www.kazernedossin.eu/EN. The website of their archives/ documentation center is https://www.kazernedossin.eu/EN/Museumsite/Documentatiecentrum/Archief-leeszaal. The museum is digitizing their collections however they can only put certain collections online. They are working with other institutions to provide access at those institutions. So far they have partnered with Mémorial de la Shoah, Paris, France and the Herinneringscentrum Kamp Westerbork, the Netherlands. Megan Lewis reference librarian, USHMM
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Re: Asking Family For Information
Maurine McLellan
I have had best luck by sending what information I have, even if it is not documented. People are much more willing to correct you and then add info than they are to reply to a, “please tell me what you know” request.
Maurine McLellan Researching: BOTHMAN (BOIDMAN), Zhitomir, Kiev BEJACH, Zempelburg (Sepolno Krajenskie), Berlin FLEISCHER, Latvia SACHS, Huluipol, Lithuania
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Re: Brothers Spell Their Name Differently
Alan Greenberg
This is extremely common. Sometimes there may be a minor spelling difference and sometimes it could be a complete name change.
toggle quoted messageShow quoted text
You ask "what is the best solution?" I'm afraid I don't know what the "problem" is. They used different names so you record them as such, but that does not alter their parents of the fact that they are siblings. Alan Greenberg Montreal, Canada
At 10/02/2020 10:33 PM, Shmuel Meyer via Groups.Jewishgen.Org wrote:
Shalom,
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Re: Kozienice census - Russian / Polish translation needed - Names Dzik Szames, Frydman, Sztajnbok, Ejchenholtz, Rojzenman
Arie,
Please note that these are not census records, they are however books of residents detailing local residents as well as movement of residents
Daniella Alyagon
נשלח ממכשיר Huawei שלי
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Re: Brothers Spell Their Name Differently
sharon yampell
I have one last name that has been permutated 10 other ways from the original. I put the original down for the oldest family member and then put each permutation for those who use it. I will use my own last name as an example.
For example, my original last name was YAMPOLSKY but not all of us use YAMPOLSKY..I use YAMPELL; one set of cousins uses JAMPOL; and another set uses YAMPOL… but make sure you use all permutations when researching.
Sharon F. Yampell Voorhees, NJ USA
From: Shmuel Meyer
Sent: Tuesday, February 11, 2020 8:27 AM To: main@... Subject: [JewishGen.org] Brothers Spell Their Name Differently
Shalom,
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Re: Looking for people from Hertsa
sacredsisters1977@...
My great grandfather was from there. His name was Adolph Abraham Greenberg. He was born about 1883 and immigrated to America in 1907 with his fiancee family named Markowitz who was from neighboring town of darabani. According to research I had done their last name was different in home country. Instead of Greenberg it was Apreive or similar spelling. Not sure if the information I obtained is accurate. On yadvashem there is a whole bunch listed on POT's that were from Hertza, but can't make any connections or find any descendant to ask questions. So pretty much my Greenberg line remains a mystery.
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Kozienice census - Russian / Polish translation needed - Names Dzik Szames, Frydman, Sztajnbok, Ejchenholtz, Rojzenman
arie dzick
I've posted a vital record in Polish and Russian for which I need a translation.. These are extracts from the Kozienice town census dating back the spanning from early 1900's to 1948. These are the census page of my direct family . These are my g and gg grand parents. Polish records are here Depending on records, names are : Szames, Frydman, Rojzenman, Dzik, Ejchenholtz, Sztajnbok. In case you accept, could you please translate main info by line number. What is of utmost importance are the town of birth (when it's not kozienice), profession, cause of death or any information about their life. I you could pay attention to the information in last column on the right hand side. Thank you very much for your help. Arie Thank you very much. Arie Dzick
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Re: Searching for Fusgeyer Descendants
#romania
Dave and Melanie Bloom
Hi,
I'm a Fusgeyer descendant, although not from Boston. Short on time right now, but would enjoy chatting about that. Dave Bloom Daveandmelanie@...
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Re: Changing Market for Home DNA Testing
Jake Jacobs
Something to check, if you are not getting responses to emails about DNA matches: I just discovered that my email/message box on Ancestry was nonfunctional: Nothing coming in, nothing going out. Figured this out when I sent a message to a cousin, who did not receive it. I checked my outbox, and it did not reflect a single message sent since 2012! I have sent many messages since that time, but no responses. I contacted Ancestry. It took them 2 months to get the problem resolved. It finally does appear to be working.
If you haven't had any responses at all on Ancestry, might be worth checking your mailbox, sending a test message to someone who can confirm they received it. Diane Jacobs Austin, Texas
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Re: Belarus? Geography Question: Slonim Zaludok Grodno Wilna
cohen.izzy@...
Hello Joel --
During the years you mentioned, first born sons were exempt from service in the Czar's army. Later born sons were sometimes "adopted" by neighbors who had no sons and were past child-bearing age. So on official records, they had the "adoptive" family's last name. According to Wikipedia: Slonim is now a city in the Grodno Region of Belarus.(Belarusian: Сло́нім, Russian: Сло́ним, Lithuanian: Slanimas, Polish: Słonim, Yiddish: סלאָנים, Slonim) It is located at the junction of the Shchara and Isa rivers, 143 km (89 mi) southeast of Grodno. Slonim was in the area annexed by Russia in 1795. Administratively it was part of the Slonim Governorate until 1797, Vilna Governorate until 1801 and Grodno Governorate until World War I. In 1897 it was the fourth largest city of the governorate after the leading cities of Białystok, Grodno and Brześć. Zaludok -- See photos at https://www.google.co.il/search?q=Zaludok&sxsrf=ACYBGNSvsE1xpw_70aJTVHxrsy4O3Vuvng:1581424472790&tbm=isch&source=iu&ictx=1&fir=2X4zj8EJxlbsrM%253A%252CcgHmjUQfZg-3nM%252C_&vet=1&usg=AI4_-kQD283XqSLao-nne5f83alU9Rfw1A&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwj88MGfwcnnAhXHNcAKHVc8AcQQ9QEwB3oECAoQEg#imgrc=2X4zj8EJxlbsrM: See the KehilaLinks website at https://kehilalinks.jewishgen.org/Lida-District/zaludok.htm And the JewishGen webpage at https://www.jewishgen.org/yizkor/zaludok/zhe007.html Jewish Cemetery Project webpage for Zaludok http://iajgscemetery.org/eastern-europe/belarus/zheludok Zaludok memorial in Holon cemetery in Israel https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Wasiliszki,_Zaludok_and_Szczuczyn_memorial.JPG Zaludok genealogy Message Board https://www.ancestry.com/boards/localities.eeurope.belarus.general/419/mb.ashx Researching families Poretsky, Pelovsky and Antokolski from the shtetl Zaludok in Belarus. The Pelovsky family originated in Vilna. Best regards, Izzy
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Looking for WAGMAN, WAKSMAN, KAUFER, DAJCH from Gowarczow, Poland
Shaul Ceder
These are names of direct ancestors of mine. Please note that DAJCH is pronounced with a guttural "ch".
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New Database on IGRA’s Website
Elena Bazes
The Israel Genealogy Research Association (IGRA) has just released a new database on its website. There are over 1,500,000 records available in our databases. With each release we provide a variety of records to our collection. A preview of the database is available at
New Database
Participants in the Maccabiah Games 1931-1997 20,052 Listings
This database includes all participants in 33 different sports from 74 countries.
Please note, the IGRA databases are now searchable to all registrants. The search results page is also available to all registrants. Additional details regarding most databases are available only to paid IGRA members. Certain exceptions exist due to requests of the specific archives.
Before viewing the databases, please register for free on the IGRA website:
To view the databases, go to the database tab on the website. Elena Biegel Bazes IGRA Publicity Chair
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Jewish Museum of Deportation and Resistance, Mechelen, Belgium's Web site
Avraham Y. Kahana
Some 10 years ago I exchanged several emails with the Jewish Museum of Deportation and Resistance, Mechelen, Belgium. They were very helpful and provided me with lots of documents (few on the deportations but lots of files on my family - I am not sure now if the files were of their possession or the belgium immigration offices - in any case, were very helpful and for those of you who have family that stayed in Belgium for some time - I would strongly recommend checking)
I am writing this message to ask if anyone knows about the current web site of the Museum of Deportation. The site mentioned here does not seem valid anymore. The mails I have in my archives show the cicb.be domain, this must have been the site indeed. Anyone knows what is the working web address of the institution ? Thanks in advance, Avraham Yehoshua Kahana Israel
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Rabbi Lippe der Vendzegoler of Lithuania
Susan Goldsmith
Would David Mann write to me directly at jcwsmg@.... Sincerely, Susan Goldsmith SF Bay Area, USA
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Asking Family For Information
Shmuel Meyer
Shalom,
I want to ask family for genealogical details. How is the best way to do it: a web form, a list of questions, other ideas? Thanks. Shmuel https://meyer-services.net/webtrees
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