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
Illegitimate births circa 1906
#galicia
Sharon Taylor
I am researching an illegitimate birth in the Stanislawow region of Galicia in 1906. The story in the family was that the mother was later sent to America because of the shame, but the child was a loved and accepted part of the family. I'm wondering if anyone out there has any research or documentation (memoirs/Yizkor books) that deal with this issue in Galicia.
Sharon Taylor Philadelphia, PA stay9045@... Researching NEMETH, KASTENBAUM, WEISNER, FLEISIG in Stanislawow and L'viv regions of Galicia FISHER, RAPPAPORT in Lithuania
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Re: Eastern European surname suffix in transliteration
#translation
#names
tom
you are looking for consistency in transliteration between at least 3 different alphabets, and 5 or more different languages?
toggle quoted messageShow quoted text
-ovich, regardless of spelling, is a slavic suffix meaning "son of". it's used, as far as i know, in russian, ukranian, polish, slovak, most of the balkans, and even romania, in either latin or cyrillic alphabets. from there, it goes to yiddish, in hebrew letters, and then transliterated into latin letters using either german or english spelling conventions. and then sometimes into modern hebrew. (i don't know if any slavic version ends in the "tz" sound of the hebrew tzadi.) i can't imagine that there's a single, consistent and rational way to do this. there isn't even consistency in the original languages, because polish, german, hungarian and romanian, just for example, all write the "ch" sound differently, and some aren't even consistent within themselves. (e.g. hungarian spellings vary between "-ovits" and "-ovics", even for the same individual. both are valid and pronounced the same.) you can either accept the (historic) inconsistency, or attempt to impose your own idea of what is correct. my experience is that i prefer to be more consistent in my own records, just because it wastes time to not have members of the same family grouped together, and to have to remember to check alternative spellings all the time. but i suppose that from a purely academic research point of view, i should really record all the variant spellings exactly as i find them. ....... tom klein, toronto <tomk@...>
At 13:27 -0700 23/5/20, main@... wrote:
Does anyone know a linguistic reason to prefer a transliteration of
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Seeking Joseph Weisman, a member of Proskurover in NYC
#ukraine
Meryl Goldberg
When your message includes the name of a place that's not familiar to everyone (Proskurov) please include the country.
The JewishGen Gazetteer says Ukraine for this one. - Moderator Searching for any information about Joseph Weisman. He was a member of Proskurover in NYC. My family is also Weisman from Proskurov but settled in Chicago in 1912. My mggf Mendel had at least 2 brothers, Akiva and another who we lost touch with. Thanks for your help. Meryl Harris Goldberg <meryl@q.com>
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Seeking the NEUMANN family group /landsmnaschaff in either lower east side or the Bronx, NYC
#usa
Shimon Rosenberg
Any way to find family club /landsmanshaft?
My father remembers his grandmother going to meetings somewhere in ny either lower east side or the Bronx. My gg grandmothers maiden name was Hanna Neumann (or some variation phonetically Newman ) married isadore Weiss and lives in the Bronx and Newark nj. Shimon Rosenberg <grubness@...> Signing your full name to your messages furthers the spirit of community and mutual assistance that our group depends on.
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Researching YELLIN > LEVIN family from Wysockie Maz, Jablonka, Zambrow > USA
#poland
Sandy Levin
Moderator note: If your message mentions towns or regions that aren't well known places, please add the country to the local name.
Does any of this ring a bell? If so, would be interested in hearing from you. I have quite a bit of information on this branch of YELLINs. My ggf was Azariel Zelig (Zelk) YELLIN. His father’s name was Srol (1807-77) and his mother’s name was Rochel Leah. Srol’s His grandfather’s name was Hersh. According to the marriage records of two of Zelig’s daughters, he was married to Marim Rochle KRZEWICZ. I now have their marriage record as well. They were married in June 1877. Her parents were Boruch and Dwejra. According to Srol Yellin’s death record from 1877, these are their children: Sons: Joszk Jankiel , Zelik, Pejsach Herszk and Matys Daughters: Sora Jenta and Bejla Itka My grandfather, Sam Levin, was born Sam Yellin in Wysockie Maz, probably around 1890. He settled in Chicago and in 1913, married ANNA BEDO(WICZ) who was from Zambrow. They had three children, Ida (z”l), Sol (z"l), and my father Jack (z”l), all who lived in Chicago, although Ida moved to California and passed away there in 2017 at 102. My grandfather was the youngest in the family. According the one of the last folks from the old country, my grandfather had six sisters and one brother – Sarah (Surki), Chana, Pesha Mindile (Bessie), Molkie (Malcha), Shelub,and Bella Itka, and Lazar. I believe only the first three and my grandfather got out of the old country. I have the marriage record of Bella (Itka) Yellin. She married Chilko (Hillel) Slklo (son of Shi and Pesia (Bessie)), also of Wysockie Maz, in Wysockie on November 28, 1909. She was 26, he was 25. They were married by Rabbi Aron Perlman, the last rabbi of Wysockie. He perished in the Holocaust, as I assume this couple did. Based on one of the other records I have, Bessie Yellin was born in 1880. Surki married Abe Zaitz in Wysockie in 1895. Bessie married to Harry Slodki in Wysockie in 1900. (These two couples settled in Chicago before the war). Malcha married Chilko Blodsztejn in Wysockie in 1907). I have this marriage record as well. They did not leave the old country. Chana married a COHEN. They had five children, Lil, Ann, Sylvia, George, and Freda. Ann married a ROSENBERG. They had at least one child, Bert, who married Joan in New York in 1957. I understand this branch of the family lives(d) in Bell Harbor, New York. Bessie married Harry SLOTKY (Slodki) in Wysockie in 1900. They had four children, Joe, Meyer, Sol, and Sam. They lived in Chicago. Somewhere along the line, there is a Nathan (Nissan) Yellin. I have been in contact with his descendents. Nissan (SONA in Yiddish) YELLIN had six or seven kids, including Velvel Wolf YALEN who married Fanny PEARLMAN and Schmule YELEN. These two children settled in the Hartford area. Sona also had a daughter, Rebecca YELLIN who married Lazer BEN r. NEHEMIAH. They eventually settled in Columbus, Georgia. My grandfather frequently visited with this branch of the family including cousins Mildred (Feinberg) Green and Bernice (Feinberg) Weinstein. There were so many cousins, that I understand there was a "Sona's Club," which was an annual gathering of cousins somewhere in the southeast during the 1930s. Sona also had a son BEROL who was born around 1859. He married Asna Leah BERENSZTEJN in Lomza or Jablonka in 1880. According to the marriage record, Sona was married to Basia, daughter of BEREK, and that Sona’s father’s name was Lazar (Lejzor). One of their children, Bessie, married Sam Zaitz who was from Wysockie. The story is that he changed his name to Yellin when my grandfather brought him over from the old country. The cousin relationship may be here because Abe ZAITZ married my great aunt Sara (Surkie) YELLIN in Wysockie Maz in 1895. This couple had five children: Julius, Zelda (Sylvia), Joe, Sol, and Sam (who took back the name Sam YELLIN). Sandy Levin <s.levin@...> List the surnames/towns that you are researching in the JewishGen Family Finder.
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
How do I get a copy of the death record of Zelman BERKOWITZ who died in Odessa on 16 Dec 1924
#ukraine
LarryBassist@...
Hi Siggers,
List the surnames/towns that you are researching in the JewishGen Family Finder.
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Re: Percentages of ancestry - my Ashkenazi father seems to be partly of Italian/Greek descent?
#dna
Kenneth Ryesky
Following the Roman conquest of Judea, Jews were scattered throughout the Mediterranean, Europe, and indeed, the world. The Romans (and before them, the Greeks) took many Jews as slaves, and, as soldiers then as now often did, with varying combinations of force and consentuality, took "war brides" from the territories in which they served. Jewish slave labor built many of the historical structures of Rome, including the Coliseum.
So it is not unusual for one of these DNA testing concerns to report Greek and/or Italian DNA in its Jewish clients. Oftentimes it is not so much a case of Jews having Italian DNA so much as Italians having Jewish DNA. {Remember that if a boy looks like his father it is heredity, but if he looks like the mailman then it is environment.} -- KHR Ken Ryesky, Petach Tikva,Israel kenneth.ryesky@...
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Re: Eastern European surname suffix in transliteration
#translation
#names
Kenneth Ryesky
Avigdor Ben-Dov asked: "Does anyone know a linguistic reason to prefer a transliteration of the Hebrew suffix bet-yud--tzadik sofi such as in the name Rabinovitz in the absence of documentary evidence? If no rule or reason shouldn't phonetic usage dictate consistent transliterations within one document or book?............."
Complicating the issue is the frequent transition from one alphabet to another. (Roman alphabet, Cyrillic alphabet, Greek alphabet, Hebrew/Yiddish alphabet, etc.). -- KHR -- Ken Ryesky, Petach Tikva, Israel kenneth.ryesky@... List the surnames/towns that you are researching in the JewishGen Family Finder.
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Re: Survivors to Israel
#holocaust
#israel
#romania
Marty Rice asked: Is there a source for the names of Romanian survivors who made it to Israel 1946 to 1960?
It isn't that lists don't exist, it is the fact there is privacy laws and lists of less than 70 years aren't open to the public. -- Rose Feldman, Israel Genealogy Research Association http://genealogy.org.il http:/facebook.com/israelgenealogy
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Seek information on Bercu LITVAC and Golda YUZVINSKYmy paternal grandparents, who traveled from Vinnitsa, Ukraine, through Bucharest, Romania
#latinamerica
#romania
#ukraine
Lainie Levick
Hello all, I am looking for information on Bercu (Beryl) LITVAC and Golda YUZVINSKY, my paternal grandparents, who traveled from Vinnitsa, Ukraine, through Bucharest, Romania, where their first son Chaim (Hymie) Felwich, was born on April 5, 1921, and they obtained a passport to the US. They arrived in Ellis Island July 23, 1921, and settled in Philadelphia. Bercu’s two sisters went to Argentina, and his brother David probably stayed in Ukraine. We don’t know what happened to Golda’s siblings Tzvia and Moshe. We know what happened to Bercu and Golda in the US, but not much before they arrived here, or what happened to their families. I have searched the typical genealogy websites, including the DNA sites, but have hit a brick wall. Any information about these families would be greatly appreciated. Many thanks in advance. Lainie Levick <llevick@...>
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Re: Ukraine Brick Wall MILLSTEIN
#ukraine
LarryBassist@...
Shana,
You said: "I have been trying to find any documentation/information about my great-grandfather Shimon MILLSTEIN. He was married to a woman named Dora who bore him 3 sons: Harris (b. 1885 in Kiev), Joseph (b. 1888, likely also Kiev), and Julius. ... My searches on JewishGen, Ancestry, Family Search have yielded nothing for Shimon or Dora (or various spellings, etc) that fits the dates and information I do have. Any thoughts about how I might proceed? " ============================================> Go to https://jewua.info/jewish-genealogy-search-at-ukraine/ and in the search box type: Milsht* That will turn up a number of people that might be related to you. It is free to subscribe to the website, but they do charge for extra information and for documents. I have found many of my relatives through them though. Best regards, Larry Bassist Springville, Utah, USA
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Re: Jewish Argentinians
#latinamerica
Shelley Mitchell
One point in history not frequently discussed was the enslavement of Jewish immigrants from 1870 to WWII. They were forced into prostitution, mostly in Argentina. And many of their “owners” were Jewish. It is for that reason alone, many of these unwilling women will be lost to researchers. It’s doubtful that they were buried where their names would be known. Plus many arrived alone from Germany, Austria, and Western Europe. It’s an embarrassing aspect of our history but it must be studied and understood.
-- Shelley Mitchell, NYC shemit@...
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Re: Illegitimate births circa 1840
#germany
Arline and Sidney Sachs
My g.g.grandfather wrote of his experience in the early and mid 1800s in Kastel (across the river from Mainz). When he wanted to get married in 1829 he had to get permission from the town, community and state. To do this he had to prove he would not be a burden on the community. He was serving as a Chazen and had to have the entire community sign an official paper saying that they would continue to support him. ( I have this document if anyone wants to see it.) One member of the small community did not sign it. My ancestor wrote in his journal that he returned to his room and cried, but the owner assured him that they would make sure he would get it. Much later the mayor asked the person who would not sign, why he had not signed. My ancestor wrote "He has yet to answer the mayor".
Many years later when his daughter wanted to get married, he made the comment about his future son-in-law, who lived in Bischofsheim (now part of Mainz). " Thank goodness he received his permission to marry." Remember the early 1800s was a time of great immigration of Germans to America - both Jewish and Christians. Arline and Sidney Sachs <sachs@...> Signing your full name to all messages to the JGDG furthers the spirit of community and mutual assistance that our group depends on.
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Matt Friedman
A few weeks ago I viewed an Ancestry map of potential DNA matches and saw a friend, Susan Breslauer, as a potential 4th cousin. I called her and she exuberantly said that she had recently discovered the identity of her birth father as Marshall FRIEDMAN. The challenge is that the farthest back known Friedman ancestor from me is 4 generations. Moshe Leib Friedman who lived in the Horodenka, Ukraine area in a small village Jasienow Polny (with variant spellings). Two of Moshe Leib's son came to the US. We know with certainty the identity of all of Moshe Leib's descendants. None of his European family survived WWII. I am the only remaining male descendant with the name of FRIEDMAN. The Ancestry list has no Friedmans listed. We don't know anything about Moshe Leib's extended family. We don't know if he had brothers or cousins that could potentially have Friedman descendants. Susan has few details about Marshall but is persuing available records and connections. So far she has not found a "missing link." Possible geographic connections for Marshall, who would now be in his early 80's, are the Baltimore area and Ohio. Social media searches haven't led anywhere definitive. A potential 4th cousin is already a genetic stretch, but it would be wonderful to find a link to other relatives.
Matt Friedman <mlfriedman@...> List the surnames/towns that you are researching in the JewishGen Family Finder.
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Seeking ancestors of my paternal grandfather Simon (Shimon, Yehoshua) BERNSTEIN in Kremenchug, Poltava in 1870
#ukraine
Shalom,
I am continually searching over many years for the origins of my paternal grandfather’s family BERNSTEIN. lsrael Zvi and his wife Cissie (Shayne) gave birth to my paternal grandfather Simon (Shimon, Yehoshua) in Kremenchug, Poltava in 1870. That information I found on my grandfather’s British citizenship certificate from Kew Archives, London. Simon married Chana Likhtmakher (Lightman) in Vilna... or on the way... the family settled in Leeds, UK at the side of the Lightman families. The Bernstein g.grandparents could have been “in migration “... The Pale... South to Kremenchug, maybe originating in Galicia, Prussia, Lithuania. Up until now... I have absolutely no new ideas and need some help. Brenda Bernstein Habshush, Israel <brentsi@...>
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Volume VI in the series Jewish Life in the South African country Communities
#southafrica
Saul Issroff
The Country Communities project of the South African Friends of Beth Hatefusoth have recently published Volume VI in the series Jewish Life in the South African country Communities.
Jews settled in over 1500 country towns. The research does not cover the larger cities and towns like Johannesburg, Cape Town, Durban, Pretoria, Bloemfontein, East London and Port Elizabeth This volume covers these areas: VOLUME SIX MAIN TOWNS RESEARCHED
The price of Volume VI is SA Rand 600. All other volumes are SA Rand 500 but some are now out of print. This excludes postage or shipping costs. For further details and orders please contact Museum@.... . Saul Issroff (London) NOTE : I assist with some genealogical work but have no financial interest in this amazing project.
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Re: Percentages of ancestry - my Ashkenazi father seems to be partly of Italian/Greek descent?
#dna
Hi - There were known Sephardic families in Lithuania. In the shtetl of my grandparents, Kopishok (Kopiskis), there was even a small Sepahrdic synagogue, so the fact that you might have some Sephardi DNA is no surprise.
Best regards, Todd Warnick Jerusalem
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Suggestions for finding Dr. Anne Bernstein
#bessarabia
#romania
davidburns@...
My great aunt, graduated from University of Geneva in 1907 as a medical doctor and returned to Romania / Bessarabia. There is reference that she was from Bacau and she graduated from Gymnasium Franceses, Kishinev, in 1900. Any suggestions for tracing her.
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Barry E Chernick
On my Krasilov KehilaLinks site I have some information on Proskurov. Go to https://kehilalinks.jewishgen.org/Krasilov/index.html and scrool down to mid page, click on "Proskurov".
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Re: Percentages of ancestry - my Ashkenazi father seems to be partly of Italian/Greek descent?
#dna
SarahRose Werner
Many thanks, everyone! Jill, you recommended getting my myDNA tested. I have, it's V15a. However, my furthest back known maternal line ancestress - my great-grandmother's great-grandmother - was from Ireland, probably from County Donegal to judge by her last name and her husband's last name.
I haven't been able to interest my brothers or nephews (the brothers' sons) in taking a Y-DNA test. My furthest back known paternal line ancestor, who was presumably Ashkenazi, was my great-great-grandfather from (per family lore) David-Gorodok in the Minsk Gubernia. SarahRose Werner Saint John, New Brunswick
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|