After getting chased out of Zhivotov by a pogrom, my maternal grandmother and her family made the crossing to Romania. I'm not clear on the exact details, but I know it took several attempts. I believe one smuggler took their money and left them to die in a valley somewhere. Another attempt was aborted when my grandmother came down with the measles. Finally they made it across and eventually made their way to the U.S.

A letter from my maternal grandfather to his parents indicated there was apparently a book published in Romania about my grandmother's adventures. No other information and the first time I'd heard about such a thing. How to go about finding such a book I have no idea. I believe the crossing from Russia to Romania have happened around 1921. 
--
Gary Ehrlich
Rockville, MD
SCVIRSCI, Zhivotov, Ukraine; WASHLIKOVSKY/WASHALKOWSKY, SATER, Bialystock, Poland; LIFSHITS/LIFSHITZ, GOROVITZ, Ufa, Russia

Start the New Year right
Fresh Start (U.S. Genealogy)
January 3 - 24 2021

If you are just starting out or are beginning again, this class is
for those who want to move beyond an interest in family history to
working with a tutor, mentor and coach to learn the tips, tools and
techniques of United States Jewish Genealogy.

JewishGen Education has been overwhelmed with requests for How to
Start your genealogical adventure. Many who have begun to collect
Names, Dates and Places are dismayed that these facts do not really
bring the past alive. They are not the whole story.

Fresh Start will move you though the major steps to finding the
story behind the facts available on subscription databases.

Although this is a U.S. research class, Fresh Start will prepare you
for future research in all-country databases.

Format: We are proud of our unique personal mentoring courses which
feature a private online FORUM where you'll be encouraged to post one
ancestral branch (one surname), set goals for your research, and work
one-on-one with the instructor to research your branch. Our classes
are open 24/7, have no scheduled times as our students are
international, enabling everyone to read/view/post at leisure.

Requirements: Students should feel comfortable with computers and have
8-10 hours per week to read the lessons, research online and interact
with the instructor.

Tuition for this Course is $60.

For more information on the class details
https://www.jewishgen.org/education/description.asp?course=40301
To register
https://www.jewishgen.org/education/edu-courses.asp?group=mentor

For questions, please email education@....
Nancy Holden
Director of Education

I found out about the Philadelphia Immigrant bank ticket purchase ledgers by searching on JewishGen for anything about my Leibman relatives in Pennsylvania. That's when the index entries for my relatives in the ledgers came up. I don't know of any similar online ledgers for ticket purchases made in New York City. Perhaps the Center for Jewish History in NYC would know if any of these are available, or someone at JewishGen who handles NYC records might know.
--
Michele Lock

Lock/Lak/Lok and Kalon in Zagare/Joniskis, Lithuania
Olitsky in Alytus, Suwalki, Poland/Lithuania
Gutman/Goodman in Czestochowa, Poland
Lavine in Trenton, New Jersey and Lida/Minsk gub., Belarus

I have seen the 1811 and 1850 Slutsk, Belarus Revision lists records on Jewishgen.  When I go to the Belarus database I can't find them.  Why aren't they there?  Can someone tell me where to find them again?
Thank you.

Jackie Wasserstein
East Meadow, New York

The lead story in Gary Mokotoff’s Nu? What’s New? this week was a lengthy article about Miriam Weiner’s updated website of The Routes to Roots Foundation at www.rtrfoundation.org . In addition, she also wrote an article in the new Fall 2020 issue of Avotaynu, The International Review of Jewish Genealogy. For those of you who do not subscribe to these valuable Jewish Genealogy resources, I wanted to let everyone know of the extraordinary and important additions to Miriam’s lifelong work.

I had a “preview tour” of the updated website and new surname databases where Miriam includes important information in the “Introduction” on the surname database page. It was exciting for me to see what she has done and is still doing so I wanted to share this release with the Discussion Group Members.

Miriam had her own roots in Tulsa, Oklahoma with her maternal grandparents and mother and we have become friends due to this connection. I urge you to check out her website and I have attached some helpful content descriptions for your perusal.

Good hunting!

Phil Goldfarb

Phil.goldfarb@... 

President, JGS of Tulsa

Chairman, 2020 IAJGS Award Selection Committee

Lead Moderator, JewishGen Discussion Group

 

Michele Lock posted a wonderful link to Temple University's holdings of record books of immigrant ticket purchases at the Blitzstein Immigrant Bank in Philadelphia. (https://digital.library.temple.edu/digital/search/collection/p16002coll16) Thank you, Michele!  I was wonder if you or anyone else can please recommend a source for the same type of information for tickets that were purchased in New York City where all of my ancestors arrived and resided. 

Thank you.

Jeffrey Gee
Arizona  

The Jewish Genealogy Society of Southern Nevada (JGSSN) invites you to a Zoom meeting at 1:00 p.m. (Pacific Standard Time) on Sunday, January 17: "Location, Location, Location: Where Your Ancestors Were" with Daniel Horowitz.

 

To request a Zoom link, please complete this short form: Zoom Link Request

 

Members of JGSSN can attend for free.  Non-members can either pay $5.00 on the Donate page or pay $20 for a subscription to the 2021 series of outstanding speakers (9 lectures planned).  Take a look at the lineup on our Meetings page. To become a member and sign up for the 2021 series, go to the Membership page.

 

Session Description:

 

You know what they say: location is everything. Maps, addresses, and places are some of the key points of genealogy research. Analyzing your facts and recognizing when the places you’ve recorded were misspelled, incomplete, or totally wrong can give your research a huge boost — paving the way for you to discover how, where, and why your ancestors lived and worked where they did. By using the correct tools and websites, you’ll find new clues and gain extraordinary insights... but only if you follow the right path. In this lecture, Daniel will show you the way.  

 

About Daniel Horowitz:

 

Daniel is the Expert Genealogist from MyHeritage. He speaks at genealogy conferences around the world. He has been dedicated to genealogy since 1986. He was the teacher and the study guide editor of the family history project “Searching for My Roots” in Venezuela for 15 years. Daniel is involved in several crowdsource digitization and transcription projects and holds a board level position at the Israel Genealogy Research Association (IGRA). 

 

Ben Kempner

Vice President, JGSSN

I have 3rd and more distant cousins on my list of matches at Ancestry, but if I didn't know what I know and who I know, we might not know.

I met my Catholic 2nd Cousins in 1979 (one gr-uncle married a Catholic); my mother didn't tell me that the Esther Fitzgerald we picked up to visit another cousin was actually a cousin herself. My mother said she was a friend of Florence's, not a Ruslander by birth. So I know a bunch of them who tested, and some other 3rd and 4th cousins in my list, but you and / or the match needs to know.

My closest match other than my nephew (not his son however), is in no way we can determine related to me. Go figuire.

Sally Bruckheimer
Princeton, NJ
Princeton, NJ

My great uncle lived in Warsaw for a 2 year period before he emigrated to the Us. His name was Izak KATSMAZOVSKIJ (KACMAZOWSKI in Polish) He was there from about 1920 to 1922. Would there have been any records that survived that might document his time there?
--
Rachelle Litt
Palm Beach Gardens, Florida

Mandy:

I have had limited luck with smaller cM matches (down to single digits), BUT I also know the names of the majority of my 2G grandparents (and some going back much farther), so that makes a huge difference because I can check matches against other posted trees (many people do not have trees on the site).  If you see someone with a private tree, do reach out to them, provide some information about your family, and ask if there is any match that they can confirm.  Even if they do not have a posted tree, reach out to them, because they are probably having the same issues as you, and I have found a lot genealogy is collaborative work.  (I have some strong matches who have an adoption in their line where the connection is probable, and I circle around with them occasionally to find out if they have discovered anything.)

Also, ask older relatives what they know about their parents, aunts, uncles, and cousins.  Even if they were born in the old country, there may be some names that may provide clues for you.

Generally, I find anything below a 3rd cousin match to be the "easy" cut-off point (G grandparents were siblings).  But there are some techniques you can use to confirm more distant relations.

In Ancestry, I would always select the person, then check the "Common Matches" tab and look for those common matches that you are able to confirm.  Granted, this does not always work because I have experienced individuals with common matches on both my maternal and paternal lines, so I cannot narrow down the connection(s).

And, if you have a tree on Ancestry - public or private - under the "DNA" tab there is a newer item called "ThruLines."  This is a quick way to check against other people's posted trees.  I have had success using this to connect with - and share information with - cousins descended from my 4G grandparents.

The more you know (or can find out) about your own ancestors and the names of the siblings of those ancestors, then the better your chances of success.  So don't be discouraged and give up.

Good Luck!
Marc Friedman

Jorge Sexer, your comments brought up some questions about my family.  My great grandfather had a Russian passport. I have a copy of part of it. Three of his children are listed on it. If I understand correctly, he may have traveled more than once from Russia to America, bringing more children each time.  Older children traveled together, but separately from their father. Is there a way to get a fuller picture of this family's travel to America?  
--
Barbara Sloan
Conway, SC

Yes!  I have even met my 3rd cousin once removed and my 4th cousins!  I lucked out finding my paternal grandfather's family.  I found my Great Great Grandparent's names including my Great Great Grandmother's maiden mame on an early 1900's NYC marriage license of my Great Grandfather's sister.  
It was my Great Great Grandmother's family who I found.  One of my cousins lives in the next town as me.  Crazy to think we all came from a tiny town in Russia (now Belarus), started out on the East Coast and ended up living just miles away in California.  
Also located a 3rd cousin on my paternal Grandmother's side who lives 2 towns away and we've gotten together a few times.  
Sometimes you get lucky and can find exactly where that person is in your tree.  

I also found my Mom's father's family by posting on a message board on Ancestry.  I never thought I'd have any luck because the name was changed to Cohen from what I thought was spelled Tsucker.
A cousin recognized the story, Cohen family in Rochester, NY and they had a missing Max.  It took a few years for her to find my post.  When I did speak with her she asked about the Tsucker name.  I said I was writing phonetically and the name meant Sugar.  Turns out the correct spelling was actually Cukier.  I was really surprised by the actual spelling.  By the end of our conversation she had sent me a photo (previously unidentified) of my Grandmother and Uncle.  And I sent her photos of my Great grandfather.  
In all these cases I was able fill in a lot of my tree.  Not everyone will write back to you.  I usually put all my family's last names and locations and people seem more likely to write back with the more info you provide. 
You never know what you'll find!

Elissa Haden
California

Researching: WALLACH/VOLAKH from Bocki, Poland - WATNICK/VATNIK and KAPLAN from Svislach, Belarus - GLICK/WEISS from Hungary and Utica NY - FELDMAN from Lodz - GOLDMAN - Lomza and more..

Are you able to supply additional information, such as your father's uncle's name, how his name is listed on your birth certificate, or anything else to help people help you?
--
Barbara Sloan
Conway, SC

I have a letter postmarked 1973 from Israel Fiselsons to my uncle, Reubin Weitzman. The letter contains his then mailing address. Israel was living in his mother's apartment with his wife and ten year old daughter. I have the full mailing address but am looking the for name of the owner/tenant of the apartment. I believe she is a sister to my maternal grandmother, Slova Weitzman (born Schiren).

Any suggestions? I have tried everything without success.

Thanks in advance,

Allen Weitzman

My cousin sent me these two letters from her great grandmother. While I can make out a few words I do not have enough knowledge if Yiddish to translate.(Hebrew , yes- Yiddish - no).
Can anyone help?

Marla Cohen , Hartford,Ct.
Researching: KOZAK,ZAURBACH, Kutno,Poland
GRUSHKIN,GLICKMAN,Latvia,Lithuania
LEWIN,KAGANOVITCH,Lithuania KAPLAN,GIVENTHAL, Poltava, Odessa

Thanks for the peer-review discussion.

 

The article is a pre-print, which usually means not yet submitted to the peer-reviewing process, and made available for various purposes (see below). By presenting the entire project, from raw data to conclusion, I wish to allow any other researcher to examine, judge, replicate, and otherwise interpret the data, whether their findings and conclusions support or negate my own.

 

I have included with this paper: 63 pages of Extended and Supplemental Data, an Interactive Project Map, the Project Haplotree, 23 spreadsheets containing Primary Component Analysis statistics, and footnoted citations to prior literature of recent vintage, some of which is not peer-reviewed. As with any scientific work, this paper also relies on certain presumptions which are described in Footnote 14.

 

The purposes of publishing this pre-print are: 1) to share immediately and fully some novel findings with interested researchers, and 2) to invite substantive commentaries and criticisms from researchers in all associated fields on any aspect of the paper. This continuous process will help to improve reasoning and presentation, and perhaps one day lead to a more formal peer-review submission -- if there is a journal interested in a paper reporting results from an FTDNA genetic genealogy project being used as a basis for biblical historicization. If there do happen to be any journal editors reading this discussion who would like to publish such a paper, please contact me privately.

--
Adam Cherson

I am researching the Znayde (Snayde,Znaide) family from Chernvitsi Ukraine. The records I am looking for are in Potuguese and Spanish and Ancestry is requiring I enter the info in those languages as well, so any help with this research would be fantastic.  Patriarch is Zelik (Seilik) SNAYDE(ZNAYDE, ZNAIDE) wife is Rosa. Possibly second wife maiden name ASERMAN, former married name KATSMAZOVSKIJ. Children at least 2 sons. Son Mayer SNAYDE (ZNAYDE) b in Chernivtsi, emigrated to Rio De Janiero in 1942 (I have this record) after living in Argentina followed by wife Tzivia BORD (BURD-possibly BURDEINIC) and 3 children: Sara(h), Samuel and Jose who also lived in Argentina first.  Then they all moved to Sao Paulo Brazil where Mayer and Tzivia are buried. Other son (name unknown emigrated to Sao Paolo prior to Mayer. Mayer’s daughter Sara(h) married Solon IANCHEL and had 3 children, Silvia (married Moses Wurcelman),Jose and Suzi. Mayer owned the Matzo Factory in Sao Paulo.  Any documentation that can be found including immigration, marriage, death etc. would be helpful. Also looking for them in Chernivtsi records on JewishGen. 

Rachelle Litt

Palm Beach Gardens, FL

rlittrph@...

RESEARCHING: SNAYDE (ZNAYDE), KATSMAZOVSKY, ASERMAN, BURDEINIC (BURDELZIK? BORDENIK?)

--
Rachelle Litt
Palm Beach Gardens, Florida

This reminded me of a different volume with lots of information on the Jewish community of Balassagyarmat, also including many victims' names. It seems to be published by the Nógrád County Archives and a related historical society. It is searchable, and if you copy and paste text into Google Translate, non-Hungarian readers can get a good sense of any section. 

https://library.hungaricana.hu/en/view/NOGM_NITE_02/?pg=0&layout=s

The same historical group has published at least three other works, covering different time periods and information in the area.

https://library.hungaricana.hu/en/collection/mltk_megy_nogr_nite/


--
Peter Cherna, Exton PA (peter@...)
Researching CSERNA (Budapest, Székesfehérvár), GRUNFELD (Székesfehérvár), BRAUN, REINER (Budapest, Nyíregyháza, Máriapócs), EHRENFELD (Pozsony, Balassagyarmat) BRACK (Ipolykeszi)

Many programs will also be in languages other than English. My Sephardic Resources program in English will also be presented in Spanish and Portuguese by Rabbi Jordi Gendra Molina (Centro Sefarad NM), who is presenting additional programs of his own, each in several languages.

RootsTech this year is completely FREE and completely VIRTUAL. More than 160,000 worldwide individuals have  already registered.

Schelly Talalay Dardashti
New Mexico, USA