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: Jewish Life in the South African Country Communities
#southafrica
#announcements
#general
Saul Issroff
You will note from the list posted that Pretoria is not included as it’s a large city not a country community.
-- Saul Issroff London UK
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Re: SIMFEROPOL ,Crimea
#ukraine
Saul Issroff
Are you including surround towns ? My ggf was in a group exiled to Geniichesk 147 km NNE of Simferopol. He died of starvation there circa 1917. He was Noach Girs, from Linkuva Lithuania.
-- Saul Issroff London UK
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Re: Looking for My Heritage Member to access JC engagement notice
#unitedkingdom
michele shari
 Hi Shoshanah, Here is a clip of what was on the page. Hope this helps. Michele Farkas Boynton Beach, FL Researching Farkas, Izsak (Tasnad), Tauszig, Taussig (Transylvania/Hungary/Romania), Stauber, Stober, Shtauber, Davidivici, Fischman (Dragomisteri), Teszler, Hershtik, Herstik (Viseu, Romania area)
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Re: Looking for My Heritage Member to access JC engagement notice
#unitedkingdom
Bernard Miller
On Mon, Mar 15, 2021 at 09:15 AM, <srg100@...> wrote:
Hershel IckowiczHi Shoshana, I have found it and copied it for you but it doesn't really contain any more information than what you already had. If you want a copy of the whole page, let me know. Best wishes Bernard Miller
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Re: Looking for My Heritage Member to access JC engagement notice
#unitedkingdom
 -- Naomi Leon Brighton, UK LEWKOWICZ, RYWAN, SZNIATOWSKI, BLANKIET, LASKY, BERGER, WRON, FAJBISIEWICZ (Rawa Mazowiecka, Aleksandrow Lodzki, Lodz)
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I am looking for information on the Alba Iulia and Sibiu Ghettos in Romania
#holocaust
#romania
Leah Herz
Hi Geners:
I am looking for information on the Alba Iulia and Sibiu ghettos I would like to know details about what life was like for the deportees, Their living quarters, their food supply and the work requirements, for men and women. Also the time frame when these ghettos were active.
Thank you,
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mvayser@...
Her name was Sura-Blyuma, daughter of Leyb. Married to Isaak son of Aron Ochakovskiy. Registered under number 282 in 1910. Based on the number of marriages that year, it was probably around March.
Leyb had other children as well - Moysey, Fayvel, Avraam, Getsel, Leyzer, David (b. 1899). Leyzer died shortly after he was born, David died at the age of 6 months in 1900. Other siblings: Ester, Shlyoma, Yakov. Moysey married in Aug 1918 (registered under number 2176). Leyb also had a sister Feyga-Rukhel. Mike Vayser
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Re: Searching Silver Descendants
#unitedkingdom
#canada
#usa
#general
SamPam Hausfather
I don't know if this is helpful, but my grandfather, Jacob Silver (b. 1886), came from Kelce Poland (then Russia) under the name Jacob Kweksilber (Quicksilver). His father Abraham Kwekzilber (a shoe maker) had at least 6 siblings all born in Staszow, a shtetle outside of Kelce. Jacob may have lived briefly in England as the only ship manifest I can find matching his name and arrival date (3 Jan 1906) came from Southhampton England. I have no information on a Samuel or descendants.
Sam Hausfather Asheville NC USA Researching Kweksilber - Poland; Hausfater - Romania; Krantz - Galicia; Zeltzer - Bessarabia
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mvayser@...
Poland did not become an independent country until 1918. In the 19th-early 20th century it was part of the Russian empire and Derechin was part of the Slonim uezd in the Grodno governorate until 1920.
I don't know specifically about documents from Polish era, but anything prior to that - birth records, census, etc, might be stored in the Grodno or Slonim archives. The staff there is usually very helpful, perhaps they advise where you can find these documents. Mike Vayser
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Re: Yiddish Names-Kadshevitz Family From Anyksciai, Lithuania
#names
mvayser@...
Until 1920 Anyksciai was part of the Vilkomir uezd in the Kovno governorate. According to Alexander Beider's reference of last names, this last name was in use in the Vilkomir uezd. You can find people with that last name in JewishGen, if you target your search to Vilkomir uezd.
Lithuanian language records might have Lithuanian gender suffixes for this last name, like Videtskaite (unmarried female), Videtskis (male), Videtskiene (married female). Mike Vayser
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Janet Furba
Ask the local archive.
Janet Furba, Germany
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Translation request: Hebrew to English (Yad Vashem testimony)
#holocaust
#translation
#subcarpathia
Carole Bass
Seeking a translation of this Yad Vashem Page of Testimony for Roza Iakov Ackerman of Munkacs/Mukachevo.
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Re: Yiddish Names-Kadshevitz Family From Anyksciai, Lithuania
#names
crystalbrown3431@...
With respect to Videchki, I need to dig in more. If it is a surname I should be able to find it-to date I have not.This is likely a last name Videtzkiy. There are a number of results on Yad Vashem for this last name, including in Lithuania: https://yvng.yadvashem.org/index.html?language=en&s_id=&s_lastName=videtzkiy Mike Vayser MIke While I have always assumed it was a given name, searches for similar names produce a long list of surnames including Videtsky/Videckis/Viditski/Videtzkai, although none are noted as being from Anyksciai. I think at this time I am going to assume it is a surname and that Videchki came to Anyksciai from another town. Any spelling differences can be reasonably attributed to language barriers, accent, memory and time. Thank you to all of you for your excellent insights! Richard Brown Glastonbury, CT
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Tomorrow - JewishGen Talks: What Can We Learn from Prenumeranten Lists?
#JewishGenUpdates
Avraham Groll
We invite you to attend a fascinating presentation in our series of JewishGen Talks webinars:
What Can We Learn from Prenumeranten Lists? Speaker: Rabbi Elli Fischer TOMORROW - Tuesday March 16, 2021 at 2:00 PM EST Registration is free with a suggested donation. Please click here to register now! About the Talk Starting in the late 1700s, many Hebrew and Jewish books included lists of people who subscribed to the book before it was printed, thus helping to fund the book’s publication. These lists, which have not been studied comprehensively, are a gold mine of information not only for information about hundreds of thousands of individual Jews, but also on reading habits, names, the growth of communities, travel routes, local institutions, and a wealth of other information. This talk will describe the hamapah.org Prenumeranten Project and present some of their initial findings. About the Speaker Elli Fischer is an independent writer, translator, and editor. He is editor of Rabbi Eliezer Melamed's Peninei Halakha series in English and cofounder of HaMapah, a project that applies quantitative analysis to rabbinic literature. He is a founding editor of The Lehrhaus, and his writing has appeared in numerous Jewish publications. Among the issues he writes about are religion and politics in Israel; the interplay between legal and nonlegal elements of the Talmud; Jewish religious culture; and Central European Jewish History. Previously, he was the JLIC rabbi and campus educator at the University of Maryland. He holds degrees from Yeshiva University, rabbinical ordination from Israel's Chief Rabbinate, and is working toward a doctorate in Jewish History at Tel Aviv University. Originally from Baltimore, he currently resides in Modiin, Israel, with his wife and four children. Registration is free with a suggested donation. Please click here to register now! 
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Re: US travel documents in the 1930's
#usa
Bob Silverstein
Sherri, you response was helpful. Because the passports are after 1925, the State Department retains them and I need to request the information under the Freedom of Information Act. That does not look too hard. Here are references to the process.
https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/passports/have-passport/passport-records.html https://foia.state.gov/Request/Checklist-Personal.aspx Thank you for the suggestion about newspaper announcements. I did look but could not find any. Regards, Bob -- Bob Silverstein bobsilverstein@... Elk Grove Village, IL Researching Kaplan (Krynki, Poland) Tzipershteyn (Logishin, Pinsk, Belarus), Friedson/Fridzon (Motol, Cuba, Massachusetts), Israel and Goodman (Mishnitz, Warsaw, Manchester).
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Re: ViewMate translation request - Hebrew Tombstone
#translation
Malka
Hello,
Here lies or here is buried (two letters on sides of the star of David on top) The modest woman Mrs. Sarah Daughter of reb Zisa (or Zoosa) Passed 18 Av 5662 (1902) May her soul be gathered in eternal life (abbreviation- last line) Shalom, Malka Chosnek
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Re: Name of MARKUS to Max
#lithuania
#names
Ida & Joseph Schwarcz
Moshe became Morris in the US and Moss in England. My uncle Sam (as I knew
him) turned out to be named Gavriel in Hebrew. Sam was probably the most popular man's name in the US. Dr. Ida Selavan Schwarcz Jerusalem, Israel
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SIMFEROPOL ,Crimea
#ukraine
estherahr@...
,I am now organizing a website which will deal with the history of the Jews of Simferopol, Crimea. Please forward me any material you have about this subject. I am particularly interested in receiving family stories. Thanking you in advance, Esther Rechtschafner
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March 16: CJH Genealogy Coffee Break
#latinamerica
#events
Moriah Amit
Tomorrow (3/16) at 3:30 pm ET, tune into the Center for Jewish History's Facebook page for the next episode of Genealogy Coffee Break. CJH librarian J.D. Arden will interview guest Lia Sragovicz about Jewish life in Colombia and the process of starting your own JGS society. We welcome you to pose your questions to our genealogy librarians during the live broadcast. There is no registration or log in. To join the live webinar, click "Follow" or "Like" on the top of the Center's Facebook page and a notification will pop up on your screen when the webinar goes live. Note: If the notification doesn't appear or if you don't have a Facebook account, you can still watch the webinar on our Facebook videos page once it goes live. Catch up on the entire series here.
-- Moriah Amit Senior Genealogy Librarian, Center for Jewish History New York, NY mamit@...
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Re: Name of MARKUS to Max
#lithuania
#names
paulkozo@...
You might want to consult the Given Names Databases at Jewishgen [https://www.jewishgen.org/databases/GivenNames/search.htm], which will give you names used in Europe corresponding to names used after emigration, and vice versa. This database is also available at Ancestry as "Jewish Given Name Variations". It also gives Biblical sources and meanings where applicable.
-- Paul Hattori London UK SHADUR, SADUR, SHADER, SADER, CHADOUR, SADOUR, SHADOUR, SZADUR from Salakas, Lithuania MINDEL, MINDELL from Utena and Vyzuonos, Lithuania FELLER from Pabrade, Lithuania
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