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Re: Jews of Sicily #general

barbara@...
 

Rabbi Barbara Aiello, from  Calabria, Italy is a great resource for finding Jewish roots especially in Southern Italy. 

 

https://www.rabbibarbara.com/italian-jewish-roots-research/

 

she has revitalized a Jewish community in Calabria and reaches out to a  group in Sicily. 
--
Barbara Gilmore Silver
Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA
Goldstein, Schultz, Brodetsky
Re: Records of the Beth Din of Brody 1808-1817 #poland #records #translation

tararo@...
 

I am looking for Kessel and Charipper in Brody if anybody sees those names in this list. 
Thank you so much!
Tara Blieden Rothman
Re: Jews of Sicily #general

Jill Whitehead
 

DNA testing may help, as there are several DNA signatures that link to Jews who fled Sicily and to Converso Jews generally (such as the Belmonte in Portugal). Some of the Sicilian Jews went north to Naples and then further north to central and eastern Europe.

My brother's YDNA haplogroup G2b (a subclade of this group) has been linked to Sicily - to a common ancestor who was alive in AD 1100. The present day descendants are all closely grouped in terms of their genes but there are few common surnames - they are disparate, as many became absorbed into Ashkenazi communities. 

In regard to Amato, one of the children of a German Kindertransport that my family took in during WW2, married an Italian American called d'Amato. I am not aware of any descendants. 

Jill Whitehead, Surrey, UK
Re: When was the house in Brooklyn built? #usa #general

fnravitz@...
 

The date the property was built listed on the NYC Dept of Finance's Property Tax web portal may not always be accurate.  I just checked my family's home in Brooklyn, NY and the date built was noted as 1931.  However, my family bought the house in the early 1920s and it wasn't new then.  The date stated may be the date built or of the last major renovation, if there was one.

Freyda Ravitz
Re: Can someone read this word #translation

Odeda Zlotnick
 

The full document show two groups of identical questions. The upper group, which contains the text you want interpreted refers to the groom.
The groom's Hebrew name is Moses son of Dov.
The text after "will attend wedding" says: He has no brothers.

The question about the groom's  brothers is Halachically  important because should a man die without offspring, a brother has to marry the widow in order to make sure the family has descendants. There are Halachic procedures to "let him and her off the hook" so to speak. Yibbum - Wikipedia

The next group refers to the bride. No question about brothers there because it's not necessary.  Her father's name was Peretz
--
Odeda Zlotnick
Jerusalem, Israel.
When was the house in Brooklyn built? #usa #general

Roberta Berman
 

Link to the NYC Department of Finance's Property Tax Public Access web portal:

https://a836-pts-access.nyc.gov/care/forms/htmlframe.aspx?mode=content/home.htm

From there, you'd follow the following steps:

- Click on "Property Address Search."

- Select Brooklyn as the borough, and then enter the house number and street.

- Click "Search."

- On the left side of the screen, click on "Notices of Property Value."

- Click on any of the notices listed (it's probably best to go with the most recent one).

- Slide down to "Please Review: Your Property Details" (it should be on page 3 of 4).

- In the last column under that heading, you should see "Year Built.”

Roberta Berman
Re: Names of Kagan and Cohen from the all Lithuania Database #lithuania

Russ Maurer
 

I can't improve on Michele Lock's excellent strategies for this particular name search. I think it is helpful for researchers to keep in mind that civil records were recorded in the prevailing language at any particular place and era. For Lithuania, this was often Russian, but at some times was Polish, or German, or Lithuanian. Whatever the language, the intent was to render the name phonetically. Let us assume the name was pronounced LEVIN as understood by an English speaker. It is the V that creates problems.

The Russian alphabet includes V (in Cyrillic print, it looks like the Latin letter B). This presents no problem for indexers who invariably render Левин as Levin.

The Polish alphabet (and likewise German) uses a W to represent the V sound. Thus the name would be recorded as LEWIN in Polish or German records. An indexer would probably just copy the name as written rather than render it phonetically, which is how we end up with LEWIN records.

The Lithuanian alphabet includes a V, so the name root would be LEVIN. Lithuanian adds various endings to indicate gender and marital status (of women), so one would be likely to find LEVINAS (male), LEVINAITE (unmarried female), or LEVINIENE (married female). LitvakSIG generally includes the root name to facilitate search, eg, LEVINAS / [LEVIN]. A search on the root name will find such records.

I hope this helps to explain why a thorough search may require several different variations to cover all the possibilities. And that's before considering that names might have been misspelled in the original or misread by the indexer.

Russ Maurer
Records Acquisition & Translation Coordinator, LitvakSIG
Re: From Romania to Omaha -- Who helped them leave? Who helped them when they arrived? #general

Michele Lock
 

There is a Nebraska Jewish Historical Society, that may be able to answer some of your questions about Eastern European Jewish immigrants coming to Omaha: https://www.nebraskajhs.com

I strongly suspect that your great grandparents knew someone in Omaha, either relatives already there, or possible neighbors from their part of Romania. Have you been able to trace where the siblings of your great grandparents settled in the US (if any of them immigrated). 

From looking into my Lock, Lavine, and Leapman branches of my family - all started with one older son coming to the US in the early to mid 1880s. Within a few years, they were joined by uncles or other brothers, followed by sisters coming as well. Generally, one member or a couple came every 2-4 years. From what I can tell, most of the tickets were paid for by a relative already in the US. 
--
Michele Lock

Lak/Lok/Liak/Lock and Kalon/Kolon in Zagare/Joniskis/Gruzdziai, Lithuania
Lak/Lok/Liak/Lock in Plunge/Telsiai in Lithuania
Rabinowitz in Papile, Lithuania and Riga, Latvia
Trisinsky/Trushinsky/Sturisky and Leybman in Dotnuva, Lithuania
Olitsky in Alytus, Suwalki, Poland/Lithuania
Gutman/Goodman in Czestochowa, Poland
Lavine/Lev/Lew in Trenton, New Jersey and Lida/Vilna gub., Belarus
Re: Names of Kagan and Cohen from the all Lithuania Database #lithuania

Michele Lock
 

The second post above asks about finding Jewishgen entries for persons using the name Levin in the US, who were originally from Lithuana:

I had this situation with my Lavine family branch, not knowing what surname they used back in Lida (whose records are on Litvaksig). My experience is that the records will be indexed as 'Levin' and not Levine or Lavine. Even if you enter 'Lewin', the records will be indexed as Levin on Jewishgen.

There is still the issue of your US family shortening their surname from something like Lewinsky or Levitan, or similar variations. In the end to cover nearly all the bases, I searched for 'Starts with Lev' and also 'Sounds like Levin', and 'Phonetically like Levin', and just had to go through the records.

Some of my family were listed as Lewin or Levin on their ship passenger lists, while others used the surname Lev or Lew when they traveled. It turns out that in Lida the family used the surname Lev. When I searched just on that, I finally found their records.
--
Michele Lock

Lak/Lok/Liak/Lock and Kalon/Kolon in Zagare/Joniskis/Gruzdziai, Lithuania
Lak/Lok/Liak/Lock in Plunge/Telsiai in Lithuania
Rabinowitz in Papile, Lithuania and Riga, Latvia
Trisinsky/Trushinsky/Sturisky and Leybman in Dotnuva, Lithuania
Olitsky in Alytus, Suwalki, Poland/Lithuania
Gutman/Goodman in Czestochowa, Poland
Lavine/Lev/Lew in Trenton, New Jersey and Lida/Vilna gub., Belarus
Re: town in Poland #poland

Hap Ponedel
 

Linda,
Perhaps you would take a look at this map at my website that shows Sandomierz and Staszow in the view chosen.
http://easteurotopo.org/leaflet-maps/congress-poland.html#11/50.6052/21.4707
The map can be moved around using left mouse. I believe that Sandomierz is correct for "Sandemish" but Tzemceh is up for grabs yet. Find Sandomierz at the upper right and Staszow at lower left.
I will keep looking for a good match to Tzemceh.

Regards,
Hap Ponedel
http://easteurotopo.org/
Re: Austria Hungary map, plotting family movement #general

Hap Ponedel
 

Kathy,
The map referred to by Marian is very helpful if you are interested in a historical image. The map will take you past the borders of Austria-Hungary and there is a measure tool, although it is a straight line measurement and will not function like the Google system.
Here is a link to the map: https://maps.arcanum.com/en/map/europe-19century-secondsurvey/?layers=158%2C164&bbox=-839087.1403450533%2C5107316.956526433%2C4590999.349033868%2C7276905.567372876
The map is extremely detailed and large, it is really an astounding resource. Zoom in with the mouse wheel and have fun. If you want help locating towns let me know, I am happy to help.
Hap Ponedel
hapsky@...
http://easteurotopo.org/
Next JewishGen Webinar: The Three Great Myths of Jewish Genealogy #JewishGenUpdates #education

Avraham Groll
 

Join us for our next free JewishGen Talks webinar:

Topic: The Three Great Myths of Jewish Genealogy
Speaker: Chuck Weinstein
Date: Wednesday, November 3, 2021
Time: 2:00 PM Eastern Time

Join Chuck Weinstein, a well known Jewish Genealogist, for a "beginner" talk on how to get started with your research. This webinar will focus on both JewishGen and a variety of other resources. Even experts will learn something! Chuck Weinstein is the Towns Coordinator for the JewishGen Ukraine Research Division, and past Volunteer of the Year. In addition, he is the Past President of the JGS of Long Island and current Vice President of the Genealogy Federation of Long Island. He has spoken at numerous international conferences and is a regular presenter at JGSLI's Annual Family History Workshop. His own research has been ongoing for 30 years and has provided his family with a history that goes back to the 17th century.

Registration:
Registration is free with a suggested donation. Please click here to register now! After registering, you will receive a confirmation email about how to join the webinar.
Re: Names of Kagan and Cohen from the all Lithuania Database #lithuania

JoAnne Goldberg
 

One point of amplification: although Russian does not have the
equivalent of an H (so "Hamlet" is "Gamlet") there is a guttural H, eg
the first sound in the word "challah." It is represented in the Russian
language by the letter X.
--
JoAnne Goldberg - Menlo Park, California; GEDmatch M131535
BLOCH, SEGAL, FRIDMAN, KAMINSKY, PLOTNIK/KIN -- LIthuania
GOLDSCHMIDT, HAMMERSCHLAG,HEILBRUNN, REIS(S), EDELMUTH, ROTHSCHILD, SPEI(Y)ER -- Hesse, Germany
COHEN, KAMP, HARFF, FLECK, FRÖHLICH, HAUSMANN,  DANIEL  -- Rhineland, Germany

 
Re: Searching for additional information on Moses Wright #romania #bessarabia

Sherri Bobish
 

Jay,

Congrats on finding that the original spelling of WRIGHT was REIT.  That should open up avenues of research for you.  Glad you updated all of us that were interested in your search.

Best regards,

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?)
Re: Names of Kagan and Cohen from the all Lithuania Database #lithuania

Peter Cohen
 

It took me awhile before the "ah-ha" moment, but some years back I had this realization...Not only is there no H in Russian, so it would be written as a G, but the Litvak pronunciation spoke the O sound as AY. My father's oldest brother was the only one of his siblings to say "tayrah" instead of 'torah". Growing up, a lot of the old men at my synagogue used that pronunciation. So "Kagen" = "Kayen" = "Kohen".
--
Peter Cohen
California
Topf-Frankel link, so close... #ukraine

Shelley Mitchell
 

My biggest brick wall is my maternal great grandfather,SHIMON TOPF.  Born in 1855 in Rohatyn, Ithink there is a decent possibility he’s related to PAJE TOPF FRANKEL, born1849 in Podhajce.  I believe that thecommon parent is Anczel Topf.  We seem toshare DNA matches on both sides.  I’ve
researched Ancestry, Jewishgen, FamilySearch, and there’s no history on TOPF tobegin with.  It has been verified that he died in Radautz in around 1900 where he lived with his second wife.  Does anyone have either of them in their tree?  Can anyone suggest an unturned rock I missed? 
Thank you in advance.

Shelley Mitchell, NYC
--
Shelley Mitchell, NYC    shemit@...
Searching for TERNER, GOLDSCHEIN, KONIGSBERG, SCHONFELD, in Kolomyya; PLATZ, in Delaytn; and TOPF, in Radautz and Kolomea.
Re: Deportations and transfports lists #poland

Rainer Borsdorf
 

Hello Jorge,

don't know whether you can find here any hint:

https://collections.arolsen-archives.org/archive/80985912/?p=1&s=Raciaz&doc_id=80985913

Otherwise you could ask here which archive is responsable for the mentioned district:

https://portal.ehri-project.eu/institutions/pl-003147

--
Best regards,

Rainer Borsdorf
Ilmenau (Thuringia/ Germany)
www.jewishpastfinder.com
Re: Jews of Sicily #general

Adam Cherson
 

Greetings,

I recommend "Chapter 20: The Expulsion" from Simonsohn's book "Between Scylla and Charybdis" (ISBN: 978-90-04-19245-4). This 50 page chapter details events in Sicily at the time of the expulsion, and how the Jews of Sicily responded, and will also  give you a foundation upon which to proceed, including many citations to primary sources, which may prove useful to you.

--
Adam Cherson
Re: From Romania to Omaha -- Who helped them leave? Who helped them when they arrived? #general

David Jacobowitz
 

My Uncle George T Rosenstein was born in Omaha. His story was that his family was poor that he was put in a Catholic orphanage where he served as a choirboy. 

Here is is profile on Geni.

I don't  have any documentation of this, but his brother Millard also served in the church. We don't know how their parents got to Omaha.
Louis Rosensteih. In 1910 Fanny Becker, their mother, reported that she arrived in the US in 1897.

If you find out  more about your Romanian relatives, let me know.

David Jacobowitz
david.jacobowitz  (at) uvm.edu
This week's Yizkor book excerpt on the JewishGen Facebook page #yizkorbooks #poland #lithuania

Bruce Drake
 

A fixture of the Jewish shtetl was the shabbos goy on whom people relied to perform tasks that were prohibited by Jewish religious law on the Sabbath.
A section from the Yizkor book of Zgierz in Poland profiles Wawzyn, the Shabbos goy in that town: “Everyone, young and old, knew Wawzyn, who used to walk around barefoot, with a strip around his pants, which drooped a bit lower than his belt. By nature, he was a very good gentile. He spoke Yiddish like any Jew in town, and was involved in all Jewish matters. He knew all the laws. Were it not for his gentile traits, such as shaving his folksy, yellow, constantly growing beard, sipping the “four cups” ten times a day, and various other trivialities, he could be a considered a perfect Jew.”
In the book of Rokiskis, Lithuania there is Tzimtzerevises who could not always be relied on. “His peasant blood would draw him to his village and, during the summer, his soul would long for green grass, for birds and for summer nights, and in winter days he longed for a little dance and a flirtation with a full-bosomed village shiksa” and on some Friday nights, it was necessary to run to faraway neighbors to catch the Shabbos goy from the next street.


--
Bruce Drake
Silver Spring, MD

Researching: DRACH, EBERT, KIMMEL, ZLOTNICK
Towns: Wojnilow, Kovel
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