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Re: Are the C-Files from the USCIS worth getting? #general

Michael McTeer
 

Another possible source is the National Archives. It took repeated requests and about ten years, but I received about two inches of material regarding my great grandmother’s immigration including interviews and statement regarding her 1932 return to the US from Poland when she was detailed and ordered deported. Every piece of paper I received, I would check for other file/reference number and use that to make another request to the Archives. The Archives also had a 1939 letter from my half grand aunt living in St. Louis to the State Department regarding her father in Poland.
Regards, Michael McTeer, Crowley, TX USA 13488
--
SEEKING:KALKOPF, FRYMORGEN, RESZKE, GRYNBAUM (Zarki, Bedzin, Sosnowiec, Poland); LENCZNER, GLIKSMAN, KOPLOWICZ, TRAJMAN (Szczekociny, Poland)
Re: Are the C-Files from the USCIS worth getting? #general

Teewinot
 

I figured they would eventually change the rules, but I didn't think it
had happened yet.

It's obvious that they just don't want to be bothered with genealogy
requests, and charging exorbitant fees is the best way to discourage
people. I, personally, don't know anyone who can afford the current
fees, let alone the new ones, including me. It's a real shame.

Jeri Friedman


On 9/5/2020 8:41 AM, Jacob Heisler wrote:

I tried ordering an A-File via a FOIA request, but I was told I was
only allowed to request the file through their Genealogy Program, the
one that is about to cost a lot of money.
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Re: Gravestone translation needed from Hebrew for Nathan Fisher (1868-1912) #russia #translation

Diane Jacobs
 

Natan Nama Or Not a son of Abraham

Hope this helps 

Diane Jacobs



Sent from my Verizon, Samsung Galaxy smartphone

-------- Original message --------
From: Gary Fisher <garystuff24@...>
Date: 9/5/20 9:57 AM (GMT-05:00)
To: main@...
Subject: [JewishGen.org] Gravestone translation needed from Hebrew for Nathan Fisher (1868-1912) #russia #translation

Hello Group,

I am enrolled in a JewishGen research class and would like to research the Fisher family in Russia before they emigrated to Philadelphia in the late 1890's.

I have attached a photo of my great-grand father Nathan Fisher's head stone. Could someone send me a translation. I am especially interested in his Hebrew name and that of his father's. 

Thank you.
 
Gary Fisher
Ambler, PA

Attachments:


--
Diane Jacobs, Somerset, New Jersey
Re: What does "Hebr Jarg" mean when written on a passenger manifest? #general #records #yiddish

Doug Cohen
 


 Hebrew Jargon = Yiddish


Doug Cohen
Sarasota, Florida
Lexington, MA
Where did "Katya" come from? #ukraine #yiddish #russia #names

Gary
 

Going through the letters my mother had translated (plus the couple a few folks here helped with), I now have a mystery. I knew my mother's maternal grandmother's American name was Gussie Squire. The name on some of her immigration documents is Gitel Scvirsci.

However, while the envelopes they came in are addressed to Gussie, the letters themselves address her as "Katya". So now I'm wondering where that came from. Just a nickname? Or is Katya her actual given Russian name and Gitel her given Yiddish (or Hebrew) name, and she just decided to use the latter as her legal name?

That wouldn't necessarily surprise me given I know Gussie, her husband Nathan (Nissen) and my grandmother Tina (Tuva) were chased out of Zhivotov by a pogrom, fled to Kiev, then crossed to Romania and came to the US. So I could see she might want to leave her given Russian name behind. Is that something people commonly did?

Thanks,
Gary
--
Gary Ehrlich
Rockville, MD
SCVIRSCI, Zhivotov, Ukraine; WASHLIKOVSKY/WASHALKOWSKY, SATER, Bialystock, Poland; LIFSHITS/LIFSHITZ, GOROVITZ, Ufa, Russia
Re: Naturalizations France #france

tsuri@...
 

Hi Bernard
What actually happened to the naturalization processes during the war? I know there was an edict to "de-naturalize" Jews who had been naturalized after 1927.  I can only assume that no new naturalizations were approved. Even if, as you wrote, the original request files were not archived, is there a record some place that a denial had occurred?  Was there any organized activity after the war to formally close (deny) files of Jews who had been killed?

Tsuri Bernstein
Re: Finding siblings of Harry Schwartz in Brooklyn?? #bessarabia #usa

pschwartz999@...
 

Thanks to Renee Steinig for helping me find one of the Schwartz siblings and her family.  Clara SCHWARTZ ROITER had a son Isidor ROITER.  He changed his name to IRVING ROIDER after WWII and we found his wife Arlene, son Robert and daughter Beth KOVEN.  Beth is the only one still alive and lives in Palm Beach Gardens.  She has a daughter Christina MOENS.  Today my search continues to get her phone number and contact her.  AMAZING.  It took 20 years to finally find some link.  Hoping she'll remember her aunts and uncles on her dad's side of the family.  Pays never to give up.  Thank you to Renee and everyone at JewishGen.........it is the great jigsaw puzzle solver of family history!!!!!!

Paula SPINNER SCHWARTZ
Avon CT

researching:
SCHWARTZ (Mogilev Podolski, Bessarabia, Brooklyn)
TRACHTENBROIT (Dinovitz, Ukraine)
SPINNER (Tovste, Ukraine)
SIEBENBERG (Tovste, Buchuch, Ukraine)
SESSLER (Tovste, Ukraine)
Help translating Yiddish in a letter to my grandmother #yiddish #romania #translation

Aline Petzold
 

Can someone help me translate the Yiddish portion of a letter written to my grandmother in 1938, shortly after they immigrated to Canada? It is on Viewmate" from David to Pearl 1838?
Thanks for your help.
Aline Petzold St.Paul Mn
Re: Upcoming US & Jewish Genealogy Online Classes #education

Michael Moritz
 

All upcoming classes are at 5:00 pm Eastern Standard Time, thanks.

-----------------------------

Hello, I will be conducting interactive one-hour online genealogy classes this Fall on a wide array of topics.  I will be commencing with two different three-part Basics Series, one introducing Jewish genealogical research and another introducing United States research more broadly.  The upcoming classes are:
  • United States Research Basics 1 - Databases and Federal Records (Sept. 16)
  • United States Research Basics 2 - State Resources (Sept. 30)
  • United States Research Basics 3 - Local Research (Oct. 14)
  • Jewish Research Basics 1 - Where to Look (Sept. 23)
  • Jewish Research Basics 2 - What's in a Name? (Oct. 7)
  • Jewish Research Basics 3 - The Old Country (Oct. 21)

Click here for full descriptions of the upcoming classes and registration information.  Looking forward to seeing some of you in class!

Note that while I am the Co-Director of the JewishGen Romania Division, these classes are not affiliated with JewishGen.

Best,
Michael Moritz (info@...)
New York
Re: Are the C-Files from the USCIS worth getting? #general

Marian
 

Hi Nancy,

First, it is US Citizenship and Immigration Services (not Customs).

Second, are C-files likely to have anything interesting in them?  The problem is, as always, it depends on the date and the individual case.  You may hear from one person they got a C-file with a wealth of information, and from another that the file they received had only duplicate copies of the same documents found in court records (except the certificate, more on that below).  Both are telling you the truth.

C-Files for naturalizations after WW II and to 1956 are usually complete, containing all the records maintained by INS about that subject.  Earlier C-files, from 1906 to the end of WW II, should only contain the naturalization records and any additional documents related to that naturalization.  If the process went smoothly for the immigrant in this earlier period the file likely contains only the duplicate declaration, duplicate petition, and certificate of naturalization.  But if there was any issue (about fees, qualifications, problems getting a certificate of arrival, etc., etc.,) there could be additional documentation, including forms and correspondence.  Also, if the naturalized citizen later applied for a replacement certificate, or if a wife or child derived US citizenship through their naturalization and later applied for a derivative certificate, there would be additional records.  Those additional records, if such exist, can likely be found no where else.

Unless you have reason to believe there are additional records in an immigrant's C-file, there is only one good way to predict if the C-file has more records.  You can search the Name Index to Bureau of Naturalization Correspondence, 1906-1946 (National Archives microfilm publication A3388).  If correspondence was placed in the C-file, it should be indexed there and reference the C-file (certificate) number.  Not finding a name in this index does not prove there are no extra records in the C-file, but finding the name in the index does indicate there is something more.

Third, the only document in every C-file that is not found in court records is the duplicate certificate of naturalization.  There are many post-1906 court naturalization records online somehow classified or tagged as "certificates."  I often see naturalization index cards identified on Ancestry as "certificates" but of course they are not.  They are index cards.

Marian Smith
Gravestone translation needed from Hebrew for Nathan Fisher (1868-1912) #russia #translation

Gary Fisher
 

Hello Group,

I am enrolled in a JewishGen research class and would like to research the Fisher family in Russia before they emigrated to Philadelphia in the late 1890's.

I have attached a photo of my great-grand father Nathan Fisher's head stone. Could someone send me a translation. I am especially interested in his Hebrew name and that of his father's. 

Thank you.
 
Gary Fisher
Ambler, PA
Re: Are the C-Files from the USCIS worth getting? #general

Sally Horn
 

Are A Files actually available for people who become citizens?  I filed both an index and search request some months back for my grandparents on my mother's side who had filed a Petition for Naturalization in 1909, a Declaration of intention in 1914 and were naturalized in 1920.  All I received from USCIS were "Best copies" of the actual petition, declaration and certificate of naturalization.  I did not receive any of the supporting documentation, nor did the response to my request for an index search indicate that there were A files for them .  Do I need to request the supporting documentation files from the State in which they lived and were naturalized?  The Certificate of Naturalization appears to have been signed by the Assistant Clerk of the Superior Court of in Fairfield County, Connecticut.

On the other hand, when I filed an index request for my paternal grandparents who did not become citizens, I was told that there were A files for them.  I have requested those files and will see what they include.

Sally Horn
Re: Are the C-Files from the USCIS worth getting? #general

Jacob Heisler
 

I tried ordering an A-File via a FOIA request, but I was told I was
only allowed to request the file through their Genealogy Program, the
one that is about to cost a lot of money.


On Sat, Sep 5, 2020 at 2:16 AM Teewinot <teewinot13@...> wrote:

Hi Nancy,

You'd be better off requesting the A-File which contains every document
your ancestor filled out since arriving in the country, including the
naturalization file. Also, don't waste your money. File a FOIA
request. You get the first 2 hours of research and the first 100 pages
for free. Signing the request means you agree to pay up to $25.00 if
they go over the above. I doubt it will. Depending on the situation,
you may get some really interesting information. My grandmother's file
had photos, fingerprints, mentions of other relatives, places of
employment, etc. Go here to start the process:

https://www.uscis.gov/records/request-records-through-the-freedom-of-information-act-or-privacy-act

Jeri Friedman
Port Saint Lucie, Florida
--
teewinot13@...
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
RESEARCHING: FRIEDMAN, MILLER, BERKOWITZ (Grodno,
Poland/Russia/Belarus); GEIST (?,Russia); GLICKMAN, KLUGMAN, STURMAN,
KAPLAN, ROTENBERG (Bilgoraj, Lublin, Poland/Russia); LIEB/LEIBOWITZ,
BLAU (Jassy/Iasi, Romania); GALINSKY, GELLIS (Suwalki, Poland/Russia);
KRASNOPOLSKY, SILBERMAN/SILVERMAN (Krasnopol, Poland/Russia)
KOPCIANSKY (?, Poland/Russia); GOLDSTEIN, SCHRAGER (?, Romania);
CYRULNIK (Suwalki, Poland/Russia and Kalvarija, Lithuania)

On 9/4/2020 4:33 PM, N. Summers via groups.jewishgen.org wrote:

I'm thinking about requesting some C=Files ('C' means the Certificate of
Naturalization number) from the US Customs and Immigration Service
before their fees increase. Are the files likely to have anything
interesting in them? I have found the DOI, Cert. of Arrival, Petition
and Naturalization Certificate for many of my relatives on Ancestry.
Will there be additional docs in the files?

thank you
--

Nancy Summers

Maryland, USA

*FINKELSTEIN, BOOKSTEIN, KOENIG/SUKOENIG, LUSMAN, GOLDINER,
SAGORODER/ZAGORODER* (_Radziwillow_, Belarus/Ukraine; _Ostrog_,
Poland/Belarus; _Warsaw_, Poland; _Wolinsky_, Russia/Ukraine)

*LISS / ALPER*(_Motol_, Russia/Belarus)

*LEAF / LIFSCHITZ* ( _Rechitsa_, Belarus)

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Vienna to Caracas, Venuzuela, 1938 #austria-czech

neville silverston
 

In 1938 my family, living in Manchester, UK, took in an 10 year boy whose name was Josef Fleischman.  His parents ran a successful patisserie shop in Vienna but, in view of the rising antisemitism in the city, they had moved to Caracas, Venezuela, where they established a similar business. A few weeks before the outbreak of WW2, we were able to book a sea passage for Josef.  Some years later he joined the Venezuelan air force as a pilot but was very sadly killed in an air accident.  He had an elder sister who had moved with her parents to Caracas.  Does anyone know anything about this lady?
Dr Neville Silverston
Cambridge. UK
Re: Ancestry's Drastic Changes Dash Hopes of Finding Connections #dna

Ellen Lukas Kahn
 

 

 Hi JoAnne,

I read your post on Jewish Gen and wanted to contact you.  I have done genealogy for over 40 years, searching for both my own and my late husband’s ancestors, all of whom lived for centuries in Germany.  We are first generation Americans.

I have been able to go back on one side to 1685, and found many close connections within our families who lived the same areas of Germany, so I do believe you are correct as to your remark that most Jews in Germany are related a few different ways.

My husband’s paternal side lived in very small villages in Western Germany along the Mosel River just east of Trier, his mother’s family lived just south of there in the Hünsruck mountain range.  My father’s maternal side resided closer to Koblenz in the Rhineland, his paternal ancestors lived further north in small towns near Düsseldorf, and my mother’s family lived in small towns in Wurttemberg such as Schwäbisch Hall and Crailsheim.

I have tried to focus my research going back in time rather than continue to try to contact the hundreds of people who show up on pages and pages of the DNA results. None of the ones I contact were related to us.

 

Of the surnames you posted, there is one name you listed that is familiar to me.  It is HARFF.  My father’s cousin Ella Kahn married Louis Harf who was born on 10 May 1879.  They both perished in the Holocaust.

I look forward to hearing from you and perhaps share information.

 

 

Ellen Lukas Kahn

Homewood, IL

 

 
Re: Are the C-Files from the USCIS worth getting? #general

Teewinot
 

Hi Nancy,

You'd be better off requesting the A-File which contains every document
your ancestor filled out since arriving in the country, including the
naturalization file. Also, don't waste your money. File a FOIA
request. You get the first 2 hours of research and the first 100 pages
for free. Signing the request means you agree to pay up to $25.00 if
they go over the above. I doubt it will. Depending on the situation,
you may get some really interesting information. My grandmother's file
had photos, fingerprints, mentions of other relatives, places of
employment, etc. Go here to start the process:

https://www.uscis.gov/records/request-records-through-the-freedom-of-information-act-or-privacy-act

Jeri Friedman
Port Saint Lucie, Florida
--
teewinot13@...
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
RESEARCHING: FRIEDMAN, MILLER, BERKOWITZ (Grodno,
Poland/Russia/Belarus); GEIST (?,Russia); GLICKMAN, KLUGMAN, STURMAN,
KAPLAN, ROTENBERG (Bilgoraj, Lublin, Poland/Russia); LIEB/LEIBOWITZ,
BLAU (Jassy/Iasi, Romania); GALINSKY, GELLIS (Suwalki, Poland/Russia);
KRASNOPOLSKY, SILBERMAN/SILVERMAN (Krasnopol, Poland/Russia)
KOPCIANSKY (?, Poland/Russia); GOLDSTEIN, SCHRAGER (?, Romania);
CYRULNIK (Suwalki, Poland/Russia and Kalvarija, Lithuania)


On 9/4/2020 4:33 PM, N. Summers via groups.jewishgen.org wrote:

I'm thinking about requesting some C=Files ('C' means the Certificate of
Naturalization number) from the US Customs and Immigration Service
before their fees increase. Are the files likely to have anything
interesting in them? I have found the DOI, Cert. of Arrival, Petition
and Naturalization Certificate for many of my relatives on Ancestry.
Will there be additional docs in the files?

thank you
--

Nancy Summers

Maryland, USA

*FINKELSTEIN, BOOKSTEIN, KOENIG/SUKOENIG, LUSMAN, GOLDINER,
SAGORODER/ZAGORODER* (_Radziwillow_, Belarus/Ukraine; _Ostrog_,
Poland/Belarus; _Warsaw_, Poland; _Wolinsky_, Russia/Ukraine)

*LISS / ALPER*(_Motol_, Russia/Belarus)

*LEAF / LIFSCHITZ* ( _Rechitsa_, Belarus)
--
This email has been checked for viruses by Avast antivirus software.
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Re: Naturalizations France #france

Bernard Flam
 

Hi from Paris,
Dear detectives,
This forum is a very powerful tool and when you have a question, always ask you if there isn't already a reply somewhere...
Use hashtag or key words to recover past answers.

One of my last July's posts answered all you need to access reference and ask for a copy of French naturalization files of your ancestors :  
I write it again : these files contain from 20 to 40 pages describing incumbent's life...

Sorry for Tsuri : as far as I know, naturalization files for which naturalization had been denied haven't be archived.

Search also posts of David Choukroun for older naturalization archives (before 1931) and others tips.

Khavershaft
Bernard Flam
Medem Center Paris
Re: Ancestry's Drastic Changes Dash Hopes of Finding Connections #dna

Max Heffler
 

I am amazed that any Ashkenazi have success at total less than 200 cM. I have been autosomal testing well over a decade and don’t waste time below totals of 200 cM unless there are strong name/place connections. Under 200 cM I have spent much time and had no success so I stopped trying years ago. I have found the 23andMe, Ancestry and MyHeritage relative mapping tools to  be helpful in a number of cases. I am experimenting with yourfamily.dna but have spent way too much time and had no success.

 

Max Heffler

 

From: main@... [mailto:main@...] On Behalf Of karen.silver@... via groups.jewishgen.org
Sent: Friday, September 4, 2020 2:47 PM
To: main@...
Subject: Re: [JewishGen.org] Ancestry's Drastic Changes Dash Hopes of Finding Connections #dna

 

I am afraid that most of us are not very sophisticated when analyzing their DNA matches.  While I can match all my first and second cousins, I can only match 7 out of 56 third cousins.  The matches on my mother's side often share commonality with the matches on my father's side.  So there is no way to discern how these people are related to me.

 

I am very sorry for those who feel they are being hurt by Ancestry's decision.  But I want to remind you that Ancestry is a business and you have other choices for storing and matching your DNA like GEDmatch.

 

_._,_._,_


--

Web sites I manage - Personal home page, Greater Houston Jewish Genealogical Society, Woodside Civic Club, Skala, Ukraine KehilalLink, Joniskelis, Lithuania KehilaLink, and pet volunteer project - Yizkor book project: www.texsys.com/websites.html
Bergrath family - Cologne, Germany #germany

Mary Henderson
 

Hi, all!

I am trying to determine the parents, and family, of Johann G
Bergrath, who is in the Cologne 1920 Directory at 53 Dunnwalder Str.
in Mulheim, with an occupation of restaurateur. Also at the same
address is Georg Bergrath, who I believe may be Johann's son. Johann
is at the same address in 1925, but Georg is no longer in the same
household.

I'm not finding much in the usual, general genealogy databases -
Ancestry, MyHeritage, etc. Does anyone have any suggestions on good
resources that would be specific to the Cologne area, or a good
starting place for German resources that might reveal more about this
family?

Thank you!

Mary Henderson
Re: Paul STRANSKY Vienna to Paris #austria-czech #france

Bernard Flam
 

Hi from Paris,
Daniela,
Concerning Paul, I can add these facts :
  • he was Austrian : thus he was citizen of a foe when WWII started on 1939, September 2nd
  • he was surely obliged to register and be detained in a French camp for German and Austrian citizen, I add immediately a camp with light rules (my Austrian-Galizianer GF & uncle were also there and I have pictures of them in this light detention of fall 1939 ).
  • Foreign Jews could leave these camps if they enrolled themselves in French Foreign Legion, as my GF & uncle did.
  • You can find 2 lists including Paul on this French Army web site : https://www.memoiredeshommes.sga.defense.gouv.fr/fr/arkotheque/client/mdh/engages_volontaires_etrangers/resus_rech.php
  • Just type "Stransky" as name, Paul and Joseph appear. I attach Paul's documents.
  • During "phoney war" (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phoney_War) most of German and Austrian Legionnaires were sent in North Africa French departments (Algeria, Tunisia), so they couldn't be fighting directly against German troops.
  • You can hope to get Paul's Foreign Legion file at https://www.legion-etrangere.com/mdl/page.php?id=305&titre=Le-Bureau-des-anciens, your letter must be in French as it's our national and sole language : nobody is perfect...
  • David gave you all informations to get copy of Paul's naturalization file : it should be a reason why a 1st decree of 1938 (ref 51755 x 38) wasn't officially published (perhaps due to rising concerns with 3rd Reich, Munich's treaty, etc..) and Paul had to wait (being still alive...) 1946. Obviously his enrollment had been a good reason in his file.
  • I write it again : a French naturalization file contains about 20 to 40 documents with important informations about the incumbent's life. 
  • "White pages" are available in France, specially when you search a not so common name as Stransky :https://annuaire.118712.fr/?s=stransky
    A person called Patrice is second in list...
Khavershaft
Bernard Flam
Archives & history of Medem Center - Arbeter Ring (Bund, Workmen Circle) of France
5041 - 5060 of 654761  
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