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Invitation to JGSSN Zoom meeting: "Comparison of Jewish Resources on the Giants: Ancestry, FamilySearch, Findmypast, JewishGen, & MyHeritage” with Ellen Kowitt #events

Ben Kempner
 

The Jewish Genealogy Society of Southern Nevada (JGSSN) invites you to a Zoom meeting at 1:00 p.m. (Pacific Daylight Time) on Sunday, September 19: “Comparison of Jewish Resources on the Giants: Ancestry, FamilySearch, Findmypast, JewishGen, & MyHeritage” with Ellen Kowitt. 

To request a Zoom link, please complete this short form: which can also be found on our Meetings webpage.

Members of JGSSN can attend for free.  Non-members can pay $5.00 on the Donate webpage and complete the short form.

Session Description:

Enjoy this comparative overview of Jewish record collections and research tools on the global powerhouse websites referred to as "Genealogy Giants." This lecture has been updated to reflect the ever-changing content found online and many record examples will be shared. Learn about how each site can be especially helpful for documenting Jewish families and get tips on each site’s best features or challenges, including how JewishGen collections found on Ancestry.com differ from comparable collections originating on JewishGen.org, both in content and in the search experience.

About Ellen Kowitt:

Ellen is Director of JewishGen’s United States Research Division and National Vice Chair of the DAR Lineage Committee Jewish Task Force. She is past president of JGS Colorado and JGS Greater Washington DC, has served on the IAJGS board of directors, and been recipient of IAJGS Program and Stern Awards. Ellen publishes articles in Avotaynu: The International Journal on Jewish Genealogy and Family Tree Magazine. Ellen is a member of the Colorado Chapter Association of Professional Genealogists, she accepts clients, and lectures often. Currently, Ellen is participating in the ProGen 46 study group cohort and was recipient of the UGA Jimmy B. Parker Scholarship for SLIG 2021. For the dates of upcoming lectures or more information, visit www.EllenKowitt.com.

Ben Kempner

Vice President,

Jewish Genealogy Society of Southern Nevada
Research Techniques #general

Moshe Berman
 

Dear JewishGen-ers,
 
I am looking for your insights and tips for closing gaps in my research. 
 
I am under the assumption that there are several characteristic inaccuracies within Galician and Polish records from the 1800s.
 
Here are some of those characteristics:
1. Surname changes, long term or short term,
2. Children recorded with different parents or a new surname.
3. Records split between various civil authorities. 
 
How do you effectively read between in the lines to identify individuals with alternate surnames, and/or families while avoiding wishful thinking?
 
Thanks!
 
In greater detail, here are the same characteristics, with examples. To keep it light, I’ve omitted names except where necessary. 
 
1. Short-term surname changes, such as a family recorded differently between 1890, and 1900 Krakow census. The first names are identical, in one year the children bear the mom’s maiden surname. (Lehrhaupt/Leibowitz)
2. Long term surname changes, due to religious marriage. Although their parents were required to use both surnames, as adults, children eventually may choose one, or a third surname. I’ve seen children given a related surname. (Mom and Dad Lehrhaupt and Roth named their daughter Rothblum.) 
 
3. Long term surname changes to evade authorities. For example, an 1835 edict lists individuals wanted for not residing at their reported address. More general evidence is 1888 newspaper reports the trial of a town record keeper charged with failing to disclose intentional distortion of metrical records by his predecessor. 
4. Children recorded incorrectly in order to evade authorities. For example, I found a birth record based on the conversation with the daughter of the subject of record. It had the what I believe to be accurate parents, year, and location, but the gender and name were unexpectedly female. I’m sure this record bears discussion in its own right. 
5. Children recorded with missing or incomplete surnames, well after Patronymics were abandoned in favor of surnames. (In my case, the Mom’s surname was pencilled in.)
6. Finally, records for the same families that alternate between local and regional record keeping authorities. (Krakow, Bochnia, Wisnicz, for example.)
 
Thanks so much,
Moshe Berman
New York via Florida, USA
 
The town of Golub #names

Alan Tapper
 

I have a cousin whose last name is Golub

Alan Tapper
Boynton Beach, Fl
Translation-German record Schwarzschild/Schwab #translation

Melody Schloss
 

Dear Group-
 
I've posted a vital record in German for which I need a translation. It is on ViewMate at the following address ...
Please respond via the form provided on the ViewMate image page.
 
Thank you very much.
Melody Schloss
Santa Barbara CA USA
Translation-German record Schwarzschild #translation

Melody Schloss
 

Dear Group-
 
I've posted a vital record in German for which I need a translation.  The entry I am interested in is for a Schwarzschild. 
 
It is on ViewMate at the following address ...
Please respond via the form provided on the ViewMate image page.
 
Thank you very much.
MelodySchloss
Santa Barbara CA USA
Searching for Tailor Shop and Possible Co-Owner #usa #records #names

Teewinot
 

Hi Everyone,

My great grandfather, Joseph Nathan Gellis, owned a tailor shop in the
Bronx in the early 1900s. It was called "The Three Gs Tailor Shop."
I'm not sure if that is the exact name, but it was "Three Gs." The
second "G" was Nathan's brother Abraham. The third "G" was a total
mystery for many years until recently. I discovered that there was a
third brother, according to the 1905 NY state census. His name was
Sonie. He was born about 1871. He also was a tailor. Sonie does not
show up any place else. I can't find any records for him, except that
one census. It's like he vanished.

The tailor shop, according to my Aunt Gerty (Nathan's daughter), was "at
Tremont Ave. near Honeywell & 180th St. It backed onto 'The Elsmere
Court', a very fancy elevated building on Southern Blvd. & 180th St."

There is no one alive in the family who would know anything about the
tailor shop or Sonie Gellis. I'm hoping someone may have knowledge of
the tailor shop and/or of Sonie. I've tried to find info on both with
no luck.

Thanks in advance for any help.

Jeri Friedman
Port Saint Lucie, Florida

--
This email has been checked for viruses by Avast antivirus software.
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Subj: ViewMate translation request - Polish #poland #translation

kosfiszer8@...
 

 
I've posted a vital record in Polish for which I need a translation. It is on ViewMate at the following address ...
Please respond via the form provided on the ViewMate image page.
Thank you very much.
--

Angel Kosfiszer

Richardson, Texas
ViewMate translation request - Gothic German (?) #translation

Barbara Algaze
 

I've posted a vital record in (Gothic ?) German for which I need a translation.

It is on ViewMate at the following address ...

https://www.jewishgen.org/viewmate/viewmateview.asp?key=VM95240

Please respond via the form provided on the ViewMate image page.

Thank you very much.

 

Barbara Algaze

Los Angeles, California

 
August 2021 Summary of IAJGS Records Access Alert #jgs-iajgs #records #general

Jan Meisels Allen
 

As mentioned previously, every month I post a listing of the IAJGS Records Access Alert topics from the previous month for you to see the variety of issues…some were posted on this discussion group but most were not—all postings are included below.  The following are the summaries for the month of August, 2021.  In order not to miss out on important information it is worthwhile for you to be subscribed to the Records Access Alert. Without records, genealogists cannot do genealogy –making certain that we retain access and gain access where it is impaired is every genealogists' responsibility.

 

•             Geneanet Joins Ancestry

•             MyHeritage Signed Agreements to Acquire 90.1% of Filae

 

•             (Australia) National Archives Does Not Receive Needed Funding

 

•             (Germany) Federal Archives repository of Stasi Archives

•             (Germany) Hamburg's Data Protection Officer Warned State Government to Cease Using Zoom

•             (Poland's) Parliament Passed A Law Preventing Former Polish Property Owners from Regaining Property

•             (Poland's) President Duda Signs Legislation Restricting Rights of Former Polish Property Owners

 

•             (US) 2020 Census: 1 in 5 Dorms, Prisons and Nursing Homes had no Data at End of Count

•             (US) American Medical Association Urges Birth certificates Carry no Designation of Sex

•             (US) Census 2020 Information Released to be Used for Redistricting and which Highlights Population Changes

•             (US) FTC Files New Antitrust Lawsuit Against Facebook

•             (US) Library of Congress-How to Nominate Movies to National Film Library

•             (US) NARA Presidential Briefing Paper

•             (US) Open Apps Market Bill Introduced in US Senate

•             (US-CA) Proposition 22 Ruled Unconstitutional--The GIG Worker Initiative

 

The IAJGS Board of Directors approved opening the Records Access Alert to anyone who is interested in records access. This was announced previously.  We now have subscribers from many genealogical organizations not previously able to subscribe. To be on top of what is happening you are encouraged to register for the Records Access Alerts to receive the information in a timely manner.  If you are interested in any of the above items, please register for the IAJGS Records Access Alert and look at them in the archives.  To register for the IAJGS Records Access Alert go to: http://lists.iajgs.org/mailman/listinfo/records-access-alerts  and follow the instructions to enter your email address, full name and which genealogical organization you belong to-a society, SIG  or a subscriber of JewishGen, AVOTAYNU, Legal Genealogist  etc. You will receive an email response that you have to reply to, or the subscription will not be finalized. The alerts are archived and once you register you may access the archives at: http://lists.iajgs.org/mailman/private/records-access-alerts/

 

The IAJGS Records Access Alert is not a daily announcement list. Depending on what happens worldwide, there may be no postings for several days and other times there may be several in one day.

 

These are listed alphabetically not chronologically.  Each month the locales covered differ.

 

Jan Meisels Allen

Chairperson, IAJGS Public Records Access Monitoring Committee

 

 
Re: Meanings of Polish Last Names #names #poland

Joel Ives
 

Not everything can be found on the Internet!
You need to get to Alexander Beider's books on Jewish surnames.  One is from the Kingdom for Poland and the other is for the Russian Empire. Also, according to Beider, "Pomeranc" means "bitter orange" not "orange."

Joel Ives
Fair Lawn, NJ USA  
Re: The relationship between Pashtuns and Jews #general

asetzer
 

need researcher in Warsaw area; #poland #warsaw

Michael Goldsmith
 

Can anyone recommend a researcher who can access the civil archives in
central Warsaw and some of the nearby areas? Hopefully someone who can
communicate in English by email.

Michael Goldsmith
Groveland, Florida
Re: where is Chevatz ? #france #poland #russia

Sherri Bobish
 

David,

I also got no hits using a phonetic search, but when I switched to a soundex (sounds like) search I got many hits on Cheratz, for instance, this one:
https://www.jewishgen.org/Communities/community.php?usbgn=-527905
Sieradz [Pol], Sheradz [Yid], Seradz [Rus], Schieratz [Ger], Sheredz, Shiradz
Region: Kalisz

Try your other town names using a sounds like search from the drop down box.

Good luck in your search,

Sherri Bobish

Searching: RATOWSKY / CHAIMSON (Ariogala / Ragola, Lith.)
WALTZMAN / WALZMAN (Ustrzyki Dolne / Istryker, Pol.)
LEVY (Tyrawa Woloska, Pol.)
LEFFENFELD / LEFENFELD / FINK, KALTER (Daliowa/ Posada Jasliska, Pol.)
BOJDA / BERGER (Tarnobrzeg, Pol.)
SOKALSKY / SOLON / SOLAN / FINGER(MAN) (Grodek, Bialystok, Pol.)
BOBISH / APPEL (Odessa?)
Naomi Feller z"l #usa

Renee Steinig
 

With sadness, we inform you of the death of Naomi Bard Feller, 85, the founding president of the Jewish Genealogy Society of Long Island. She passed away in San Diego, California, on Thursday, September 9, 2021 (3 Tishri).

Naomi was born in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, to Fred Bard, the son of Romanian immigrants, and Sarah Rosenblith, whose Galitzianer father, Naomi was to learn, changed his name from Nachtgeist.
 
She is survived by her daughter, Dr. Beth Feller Printz (David), sons Gary Feller (Toby) and Steven Feller, brother Irwin Bard (Maureen), and six grandchildren - Melissa, Ethan, Shoshana, Hailey, Anna and Allison.

A graveside service will be held on Monday, September 13, at 11:00 a.m., at New Montefiore Cemetery, West Babylon, N.Y., where Naomi will be buried alongside her late husband, Dr. Martin Feller. (A funeral procession will form at 10:45 a.m. at the cemetery's main building.)  
 
The family will observe shiva at the Marriott Melville Long Island, 1350 Walt Whitman Road, Melville, N.Y., with visits at these times:
 
Monday - after the funeral to 5 p.m., 7:00 to 9 p.m. (Vanderbilt Room)
Tuesday - 10:00 a.m. to noon, 2:00 to 5:00 p.m., 7:00 to 9:00 p.m. (Vanderbilt Room)
 
The family asks that all who attend the funeral and shiva be vaccinated and wear masks.
 
To attend the funeral service or the shiva via Zoom, please use this link:
 
We extend our deepest sympathies to the family. May Naomi's memory remain as a blessing to all who loved her.
 
Renee Steinig
for the Jewish Genealogy Society of Long Island
 
 
 
Zhitomir Kehilalinks Website Content #ukraine

scottheskes@...
 

I am developing content for the Zhitomir Kehilalinks Website and seeking good quality photos of the town and people.  I am also interested in census and vital records, stories and anecdotes of the past and present Jewish community.  Please contact me through this post thread or directly at the email listed below. 
--
Scott Heskes
scottheskes@...
Re: What is this name? #names

Shimona Kushner
 

I think Miriam is right.  It looks like the Yiddish transliteration of "Joe" and the woman's name is "Galieh".

Shimona Kushner
Haifa, Israel
Re: Meanings of Polish Last Names #names #poland

David Harrison <djh_119@...>
 

I think that you will find that most countries in Europe or that were colonies of a European power, started this about 1820 after the Napoleonic Wars were over.  Napoleon had ruled France for several years and required his citizens to take a family name so that he could distinguish between the different people with the same given name.  He could then not only count them all in a census, but also tax them all.  You will find that although most of the Kings were against Napoleon, they liked his ideas of being able to tax everyone.  That is why family names came in through much of the known world.   In different languages the common names are of Smith, Farmer, Paviour or Carpenter or other similar trade names and their equivalent in other languages or dialects. Within Britain the main dialect boundaries reflect those of the pre-Roman tribes 2000 years ago though the finer differences which defined a particular street started to disappear in 1950 with Television becoming more universal.

David Harrison
Birmingham, England

From: main@... <main@...> on behalf of arnold friedman <afriedman21@...>
Sent: 12 September 2021 06:34
To: main@... <main@...>
Subject: [JewishGen.org] Meanings of Polish Last Names #names #poland
 
Main question: Is there a website or other resource that gives
meanings/origins for last names what the names means and why
possible did a family choose that last name in 1826

Additional information.

googling names have not been that helpful.

my family is from Radom Poland and surround areas

last names include
#Frydman
#Borensztajn
#Pomeranc
#Kun
#Cukierman
#Ajzman
#Tenenbaum
#Szpigielman
#Swardburd
#Kaplon
#Goldberg
#Wajsfeld

So for example pomeranc means orange, does that mean the ancestor was
an orange or fruit trader?

Last names were required in this region starting in 1826 in this region
My family tree is complete back to late 1700s/early 1800s.

Thank you for your help with meanings for last names
And a happy and healthy new year to all

Arnold Friedman
Redwood City, CA
FRYDMAN
RADOM POLAND

Re: Map - Street Address - Pre-WWII Kalisz #poland #lodz

Steven Granek
 

I have privately responded to Miriam (Thank you!!)

In following her advice, I came across something that I though would be useful to others as an add to her great tip.

When Google translates - it does not distinguish a proper name - like a street name.  So, the street name "Sierpnia" became "August".  I kept noticing this in my searches.. "What's this 'August'?'. And as a result, I kept failing to find what Miriam had found. However, since she told me about Zamkowa, and my search did present that as potential page, I scoured it that page.  And suddenly I saw (in the English translation): BOLD UNDERLINES ARE MINE

"Subsequent changes to the name of the street took place in 1934, when it received the name on August 6 from the date of its departure from Krakowin 1914 of the First Cadre Company and in 1948 when it was renamed General Świerczewski . The current name - Zamkowa - was given to the street in 1990 to commemorate the fact that the Royal Castle was rising at its end from the 13th century to 1803 .”

So - as she noted - watch out that you don't get tripped up by the translation.

And good luck to all. Great tip from Miriam!
Steve GRANEK
Researching: GRANEK, ORUM, ADLER, ISAACSON, ALPERT, BROWNSTEIN
Re: Akiva Dan - is this unusual name combination associated with a locality (c1820)? #names

Bathsheba Froyse
 

 
All I know about this ancestor is his first names, Akiva Dan, and that he lived in the early 1800s but I have no idea where in Eastern or Central Europe. I know that sometimes certain name combinations are associated with specific localities, so I am writing on a "long shot" to see if anyone can make such a link..
 
 
 
Thanks in advance,
 
 
Steven Frais
 
 
 
Websites for Talsi and Valdemarpils, Latvia #latvia #courland

bgephart@...
 

Websites for Talsi and Valdemarpils, Latvia are up and running, and I’m thrilled to announce our first post by a guest writer.  Milton Taylor has written about his JORDAN family from Talsen at https://mycourlandtowns.wordpress.com/2021/09/12/the-jordans-of-talsen-and-scotland/. 

 

There are lots of resources on both sites, which run from a central page of www.mycourlandtowns.net.   Guest writers are very welcome, as is any additional material for both towns.  I have recently been delegated town leader for both locations and would love to hear from you if you have connections to Talsi (Talsen) or Valdemarpils (Sassmacken).

 

Sincerely,

Betsy Thal Gephart

 
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