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.
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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.”
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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
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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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Stuart Kaufer
There are a number of branches of my paternal family, Kaufer in the US. Some in Chicago, PA, Michigan and some of us have DNA connections with other branches but don't know or never heard of one another. Some came from the area near Rzesow, some from Krakow and some from Lukovica, (now in Ukraine). Lobl or Leib and Chaya (Chaja) Kaufer seem to be progenitors of family. Can anyone add knowledge? Usual searches have come up empty. Thanks all.
Stuart Kaufer
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STEIN family Chicago photos
#usa
Stuart Kaufer
My GF Sam Stein ran a tavern at 1900 Grand Ave & my aunt and uncle a restaurant attached to the taven at Grand & Damen in Chicago. Does anyone have memories of this, or photos? The Tavern remained in the family until the late 60's. Thanks.
Stuart Kaufer MODERATOR NOTE: Please reply privately with family information
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Gerald and Margaret
Please contact an organisation based in London UK and Belarus called The Together Plan. They are helping the remnants of the Jewish communities in Belarus realise their potential of carrying out research into families who used to make up an important part of pre-20thC European Jewry. The researchers have huge advantages: they speak Russian, Belarussian and English; they live in the area; they are only too familiar with the bureaucratic ways of this totalitarian State; they are trained and mentored by Western experts. The Directors can provide you with testimonials.
Good hunting, Margaret Levin (London UK)
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Re: What is my best approach for finding census data on my family in Belarus born between 1885-1905.
#belarus
Gerald and Margaret
Please contact an organisation based in London UK and Belarus called The Together Plan. They are helping the remnants of the Jewish communities in Belarus realise their potential of carrying out research into families who used to make up an important part of pre-20thC European Jewry. The researchers have huge advantages: they speak Russian, Belarussian and English; they live in the area; they are only too familiar with the bureaucratic ways of this totalitarian State; they are trained and mentored by Western experts. The Directors can provide you with testimonials.
I'm sure they will get through the brick wall ! Good hunting, Margaret Levin (London UK)
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Re: Free Webinar: Translating Russian Documents for the Non-Russian Speaker
#JewishGenUpdates
Is this webinar about translating Russian documents going to also be recorded? I regret having missed previous presentations due to time conflicts.
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Re: Josef Hermann Lowenthal
#austria-czech
Sherri Bobish
David, This may be him, found at https://www.freebmd.org.uk/search Regards, Sherri Bobish
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Re: SCHWARTZ/SCHVARTZ family
#hungary
George Muenz
Hello, I have Schwartz in my family, Marton was hte father of my Great Grandmother, Netti Schwartz
Marton Schwarz
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| Birth: | estimated between 1792 and 1848  |
| Immediate Family: |
Husband of Mari Schwarz |
George Muenz
Please please contact Debra (London-based) and Artur(Minsk-based) and just say the name of the town you are interested in...They will gasp with joy as that is where the whole project started, so that is where their experience lies.
Good hunting,
Margaret Levin (London UK)
In Israel Succot lasts only 7 days. Everywhere else it is supposed to last 8 days, but in the Torah the day after Succot is Shemini Atzeret.
Since Shemini Azeret therefore falls on what should be the 8th day of Succot the Rabbis determined that one should continue to dwell in one’s succah on Shemini Atzeret but without making the blessing of dwelling in the succah. In this way, the uniqueness of Shemini Atzeret was preserved but for those Jews living outside of Israel, they do not lose the custom of keeping an extra day for our festivals.
The last day of Succot is known as Hoshana Rabba (The Great Hoshana). It was the day that seven circuits are made round the bimah asking for G-D’s salvation. The person who leads the service on Hoshana Rabba wears a white kittel. This is replicated on Shemini Atzeret when the prayer for rain is recited during the additional musaf service.
Best wishes,
Richard Gilbert
Hertfordshire, England
My husband is part of the large GLAZIER family from Birz, Lithuania, so perhaps we will find that we are related!
Your question is a little unclear. I am going to answer in two parts.
Part 1 - The overwhelming majority of Kovno Gubernia records for Jews have been indexed by LitvakSIG. They are placed on the All Lithuania Database (https://www.litvaksig.org/all-lithuania-database/ ) or on the JewishGen Lithuanian database (https://www.jewishgen.org/databases/#Lithuania ) The two databases mostly overlap, but sometimes using both helps you search with different tools.
Since you have a group of names, a place, and a date range, you should be searching these databases with different parameters to find your family.
You mentioned that you want to use the Lithuanian Archives - the first thing a Lithuanian archivist will do is search these databases because they helped in their preparation.
It is important to read the information about the database that you are searching. You can find this information by clicking on the link with the name of the record group. You will click on the number of records to see that list of records.
Part 2 - If you mean that you have found your relatives in these databases, but you want to get original documents from the Archives, you need to learn the codes in the last column of the database results - the column labeled "Microfilm/Item; Image; Archive/Fond".
Here is a snippet of the first few births for GLAZ in Kovno Gubernia in the Birth records:
I have marked the last column with a pink line, The first two entries are "Not Filmed", so you would need to write to the Archives for a copy of those. The second two entries have a microfilm number that is underlined on the first line. These microfilm numbers link to the FamilySearch.org website where you can go through the records yourself and find a copy of the original record. You can use the image number as a guide, but it will still require patience and the ability to work with other languages.
The Lithuanian State Archives has a website here:
https://www.archyvai.lt/en/archives.html
Information about contacting them for records is on this website. There is also information about the digitization of the Lithuanian Archives and how to find records if you can read Lithuanian. I have not had much success with this, but hope that others will try it and tell me how it works for them.
Best Regards,
Peggy Mosinger Freedman
Atlanta, Georgia, USA
Judith Frazin wrote a wonderful booklet, now a book, A Translation Guide to 19th Century Polish Language Civil Registration Documents.
Buy it from the Illinois JGS.
I have nothing to gain by telling you about this book. I use it all the time.
Sally Bruckheimer
Princeton, NJ
Search the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum's Collections Search catalog at https://collections.ushmm.org to see if we have any memoirs, oral histories, etc. that are available online. (The USC Shoah Foundation interviews and the Fortunoff Archives interviews are listed in the catalog but cannot be viewed online.)
You may want to also contact our Holocaust Survivors and Victims Resource Center, resource-center@..., to ask them to check the voluntary Registry of Holocaust Survivors to see if any survivors from this camp are listed. If they have a current address on file they may be able to forward a message for you.
Best,
Megan Lewis, reference librarian
United States Holocaust Memorial Museum
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Evan Fishman
New Jersey
MANDELSTEIN, LISNITZER, ADELMAN, PRESSEISEN, BURSTEIN, UDIN--Ukraine
FISHMAN--Terespol, Poland
FINKEL-- Brest Litovsk, Belarus
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Carl Kaplan
KAPLAN Minsk, Belarus
EDELSON, EDINBURG Kovno, Lithuania
HOFFERT, BIENSTOCK< BIENENSTOCK Kolbuszowa, Galicia
STEINBERG, KLINGER, WEISSBERG, APPELBERG Bukaczowce, Galicia
In Russian:
Посад Вышков
#12
Состоялось в посаде Вышков 10-го (22-го) апреля 1870-го года, в 10 часов утра. Явился лично Вульф Цимбаль, 52 лет, и Шлёма Зильберман, 44 лет, оба религиозные учители, живущие в посаде Вышков, и объявили, что вчера, в 10 часов вечера, умерла Ривка Зильберман, оставившая после себя мужа Абрама Зильбермана и пятеро детей, 45 лет, дочь покойного Мошки и и Неси, супругов Цимбал, родившаяся и проживашая в посаде Вышков. По настоящему удостоверяю о кончине Ривка Зильберман. Акт объявляющим прочитан и мною подписан. Свидетели не грамотны.
И.О. Чиновника гражданского состояния Подпись
Translated into English:
Posad Vyshkov
#12
It took place in the settlement of Vyshkov on April 10 (22), 1870, at 10 am. Wolf Tsimbal, 52 years old, and Shlema Zilberman, 44 years old, both religious teachers living in the Vyshkov settlement, personally appeared and announced that Rivka Zilberman had died yesterday, at 10 pm, leaving behind her husband Abram Zilberman and five children, 45 years old, daughter of the late Moshka and and Nesya, spouses Tsimbal, who was born and lived in the Vyshkov settlement. I am truly certifying about the death of Rivka Zilberman. The announcement was read and signed by me. The witnesses are not literate.
AND ABOUT. Civil Status Official Signature
Translated by Michael Ryabinky
BTW - for many towns there was also a revision list made in the 1870s - but none of these are posted on Jewishgen (yet).
regards
Daniel Eig
In Russian:
Посад Вышков
#51
Состоялось в посаде Вышков 26-го ноября (8-го декабря) 1884-го года, в 4 часа вечера. Явился лично Вульф Цимбаль, 58-и лет, и Шлёма Зильберман, 59-и лет, оба религиозные учители, живущие в посаде Вышков, и объявили, что сегодня, в 8 часов утра, умер Давид Зильберман, в возврасте 1 год и 6 месяцев,
родившийся и проживавший с родителями в посаде Вышков, сын живущих Зелика и Либы-Суры, урожденной
Зильберман. По настоящему удостоверяю о кончине Давида Зильбермана. Аkт объявляющим прочитан и мною подписан. Свидетели не грамотны.
Чиновник гражданского состояния Подпись
Translated into English:
Posad
Vyshkov
# 51
It took place in the settlement of Vyshkov on November 26 (December 8), 1884, at 4 pm. Appeared
personally Wolf Zimbal, 58 years old, and Shlema Zilberman, 59 years old, both religious teachers living
in the settlement of Vyshkov, and announced that today, at 8 o'clock in the morning, David Zilberman died, at the age of 1 year and 6 months,
born and lived with his parents in the settlement Vyshkov, the son of living Zelik and Liba-Sura, nee Zilberman.
I truly certify about the death of David Zilberman. The announcement has been read and signed by me. The witnesses are not literate.
Civil Status Official Signature
Translated by Michael Ryabinky