As promised, I asked a friend who is an academic Yiddish linguist
and he confirmed: "Vate is a very common name for 'stuffing'. A
Yiddish curse is "Gey tsum vatnmakher!" meaning "Get stuffed!"

If you speak German you can read about WATTENMACHER in various
archaic dictionaries; this one tells you that the the French is
"Ouate":

http://www.retrobibliothek.de/retrobib/seite.html?id=45963

Alex, I do not speak Russian so my Russian can hardly be rusty,
but I do speak English and German, so this *Watnik* word intrigued
me. The question is which came first: the old-English word for
stuffing [wadding] and the related German word Watte and the Swedish
Vad, the French Ouate and whether the Russian-Polish word came >from
the Yiddish or whether they all have the same roots. That is not my
area of expertise and not really related to genealogy {linguistic
genealogy, perhaps?}. All I wanted to point out is that the word
was very likely to be Yiddish. My Yiddish expert writes further:

"As for occupations with -nik, these come to mind:

Latutnik-a tailor who specializes in patching up old clothes
Hutnik-a glassworks worker
Tsirulnik-a barber

It is a fairly informal process for occupation names, but it does occur."

Hutnik interests me because of "Glasshutte" found in the Bohemian
censuses of the 1700s. I thought you might be interested in this link:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/-nik

But now to something really interesting. Last week we had the
BBC programme "Who do you think you are". The subject was Zoe
WANAMAKER. We heard about the genealogy of the WANAMAKER family
[Sam and his parents and grandparents, who had immigrated >from
Mykolaiv

http://data.jewishgen.org/wconnect/wc.dll?jg~jgsys~shtetm~-1047257

to Chicago via Canada in the early 1900s]. It was revealed that
the name was originally WATTENMACHER and they had changed it to
WANAMAKER [presumably they were in awe of the wealthy Christian/
German WANAMAKER]. There were no experts to explain the name and
the origin of the name.

But now we know. The WANAMAKER of Chicago of film-fame were
WATTENMACHER and that really is a German/Yiddish word which in
Russian and Polish is known as a "Watnik".

A Jewish-genner cousin of the Chicago WANAMAKER helped in the making
of this programme; I know this genner is particularly interested in
names and through this discussion we have hopefully added more to
the knowledge of the Chicago Jewish WANAMAKER genealogy.

To all Suwalkians, especially the WATTENMACHER of that area -
sorry about my inversion of Suwalki - I do not function properly
in the morning, but I have woken up now.

Celia Male - London, U.K.

As promised, I asked a friend who is an academic Yiddish linguist
and he confirmed: "Vate is a very common name for 'stuffing'. A
Yiddish curse is "Gey tsum vatnmakher!" meaning "Get stuffed!"

If you speak German you can read about WATTENMACHER in various
archaic dictionaries; this one tells you that the the French is
"Ouate":

http://www.retrobibliothek.de/retrobib/seite.html?id=45963

Alex, I do not speak Russian so my Russian can hardly be rusty,
but I do speak English and German, so this *Watnik* word intrigued
me. The question is which came first: the old-English word for
stuffing [wadding] and the related German word Watte and the Swedish
Vad, the French Ouate and whether the Russian-Polish word came >from
the Yiddish or whether they all have the same roots. That is not my
area of expertise and not really related to genealogy {linguistic
genealogy, perhaps?}. All I wanted to point out is that the word
was very likely to be Yiddish. My Yiddish expert writes further:

"As for occupations with -nik, these come to mind:

Latutnik-a tailor who specializes in patching up old clothes
Hutnik-a glassworks worker
Tsirulnik-a barber

It is a fairly informal process for occupation names, but it does occur."

Hutnik interests me because of "Glasshutte" found in the Bohemian
censuses of the 1700s. I thought you might be interested in this link:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/-nik

But now to something really interesting. Last week we had the
BBC programme "Who do you think you are". The subject was Zoe
WANAMAKER. We heard about the genealogy of the WANAMAKER family
[Sam and his parents and grandparents, who had immigrated >from
Mykolaiv

http://data.jewishgen.org/wconnect/wc.dll?jg~jgsys~shtetm~-1047257

to Chicago via Canada in the early 1900s]. It was revealed that
the name was originally WATTENMACHER and they had changed it to
WANAMAKER [presumably they were in awe of the wealthy Christian/
German WANAMAKER]. There were no experts to explain the name and
the origin of the name.

But now we know. The WANAMAKER of Chicago of film-fame were
WATTENMACHER and that really is a German/Yiddish word which in
Russian and Polish is known as a "Watnik".

A Jewish-genner cousin of the Chicago WANAMAKER helped in the making
of this programme; I know this genner is particularly interested in
names and through this discussion we have hopefully added more to
the knowledge of the Chicago Jewish WANAMAKER genealogy.

To all Suwalkians, especially the WATTENMACHER of that area -
sorry about my inversion of Suwalki - I do not function properly
in the morning, but I have woken up now.

Celia Male - London, U.K.

Dear Evan,
I've also had instances where nothing is found using Polish/English
dictionaries or online translation sites. When that happens, I
frequently turn to Alexander Beider's Surname books as the next step.
So, looking up "WATNIK in "A Dictionary of Jewish Surnames >from The
Kingdom of Poland." it says, "see WATA, which is noted in Beider's
book to be occupationally derived >from the Polish word meaning
"cotton wadding."

from there I looked up wata in my favorite online translation site for

Polish, http://www.poltran.com and the word translates to "cotton
wool." As you can see this agrees with Alexander Sharon's response.

The point is, the surname encyclopedias are an excellent resource for
this kind of question, even when you have no background in the
language. Additionally, it will tell you which language the name is
derived >from and in this case it was Polish.

Good luck with the rest of your search
Shelly Levin
crzprncess@...
USA
(Ukraine Kiev area): BERKA, BLAZ, KANTOR, KOTOVSKI, KVACHINSKI,
LEFELMAN, LUBARSKI, ROSINSKY, RUBINSTEIN, SHAPIRA, SHIFFMAN,
TITKOVA, VOEDNIK, WEISSMAN. (Lomza/Suwalki Gubernia, Poland):
DANOWSKY, ELSON, ELTERMAN, FABRYTZKI, FAJNTUCH, FROMSON, GABELMAN,
KUREJWOWSKI, LANGUS, LANGANS, LIPOWICZ, MILEWICZ, WILKOWSKY,
WITKOWSKY, ZLOTKOWICZ, ZUMERFELD. Anywhere: FLASTERSTEIN

Dear Evan,
I've also had instances where nothing is found using Polish/English
dictionaries or online translation sites. When that happens, I
frequently turn to Alexander Beider's Surname books as the next step.
So, looking up "WATNIK in "A Dictionary of Jewish Surnames >from The
Kingdom of Poland." it says, "see WATA, which is noted in Beider's
book to be occupationally derived >from the Polish word meaning
"cotton wadding."

from there I looked up wata in my favorite online translation site for

Polish, http://www.poltran.com and the word translates to "cotton
wool." As you can see this agrees with Alexander Sharon's response.

The point is, the surname encyclopedias are an excellent resource for
this kind of question, even when you have no background in the
language. Additionally, it will tell you which language the name is
derived >from and in this case it was Polish.

Good luck with the rest of your search
Shelly Levin
crzprncess@...
USA
(Ukraine Kiev area): BERKA, BLAZ, KANTOR, KOTOVSKI, KVACHINSKI,
LEFELMAN, LUBARSKI, ROSINSKY, RUBINSTEIN, SHAPIRA, SHIFFMAN,
TITKOVA, VOEDNIK, WEISSMAN. (Lomza/Suwalki Gubernia, Poland):
DANOWSKY, ELSON, ELTERMAN, FABRYTZKI, FAJNTUCH, FROMSON, GABELMAN,
KUREJWOWSKI, LANGUS, LANGANS, LIPOWICZ, MILEWICZ, WILKOWSKY,
WITKOWSKY, ZLOTKOWICZ, ZUMERFELD. Anywhere: FLASTERSTEIN

Evan Wolfson wrote: "I have in my possession a copy of a birth record from
Suwalki in 1833. The occupation given for the father is "Watnik."

Alex Sharon wrote: "Watnik is described as a maker of the warm clothing:
woolen shirts and/or sleveless jackets, and is related to Polish and
Russian word "wata" [vah tah] - a cotton wool."

I wonder if the etymology of the word as given by Alex is correct?
Is the not an early "nik" "transformation of a word >from another language?
Watte is cotton wool or padding in German. "Wattieren" is to pad or to
quilt [compare *wadding* in English]. The English word has been in use
since the 1600s and a similar word is used in Swedish *Vadd*.
So I suspect the word is German, or Yiddish as used in Sulawki and then
made a transition to Russian and Polish.

I must ask my Yiddish-speaking friends if words were often *nik*- ified.

Celia Male - London, U.K.

Evan Wolfson wrote: "I have in my possession a copy of a birth record from
Suwalki in 1833. The occupation given for the father is "Watnik."

Alex Sharon wrote: "Watnik is described as a maker of the warm clothing:
woolen shirts and/or sleveless jackets, and is related to Polish and
Russian word "wata" [vah tah] - a cotton wool."

I wonder if the etymology of the word as given by Alex is correct?
Is the not an early "nik" "transformation of a word >from another language?
Watte is cotton wool or padding in German. "Wattieren" is to pad or to
quilt [compare *wadding* in English]. The English word has been in use
since the 1600s and a similar word is used in Swedish *Vadd*.
So I suspect the word is German, or Yiddish as used in Sulawki and then
made a transition to Russian and Polish.

I must ask my Yiddish-speaking friends if words were often *nik*- ified.

Celia Male - London, U.K.

Some months ago, I found several cards in the new Arolsen material at yad
Vashem referring to a Pickholz named Granek or Granik. I have not seen
this given name before and I am guessing that it is a nickname, perhaps
belonging to someone we already know by a Jewish or a more formal secular
name.

Can someone tell me what the given name Granek (or Granik) is?

The last time I asked this question, I received responses >from people who
knew Granek as a surname, which is not(!) what I am looking for.

Israel Pickholtz

Some months ago, I found several cards in the new Arolsen material at yad
Vashem referring to a Pickholz named Granek or Granik. I have not seen
this given name before and I am guessing that it is a nickname, perhaps
belonging to someone we already know by a Jewish or a more formal secular
name.

Can someone tell me what the given name Granek (or Granik) is?

The last time I asked this question, I received responses >from people who
knew Granek as a surname, which is not(!) what I am looking for.

Israel Pickholtz

Hi Genners

I was wondering if anyone knows who to contact regarding Israeli archival
City Council records? We lived in Ra'anana >from 1949-1956 and I'd be
interested in obtaining any documentation relating to that period, if at all
possible.

Regards
Rose Raymen
Perth, Western Australia
rr.raymen@...

Hi Genners

I was wondering if anyone knows who to contact regarding Israeli archival
City Council records? We lived in Ra'anana >from 1949-1956 and I'd be
interested in obtaining any documentation relating to that period, if at all
possible.

Regards
Rose Raymen
Perth, Western Australia
rr.raymen@...

An insightful, poignant article on Bruno Schulz, his life and art,
and the Galician town of Drohobycz in today's New York Times:

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/02/28/arts/design/28wall.html

Pamela Weisberger
Santa Monica, CA
pweisberger@...

(NOTE: The Galitzianer is distributed to members of Gesher Galicia,
Inc., only.)

The electronic edition of The Galitzianer was distributed on
February 16. If you subscribe to the electronic edition and have
not yet received your copy please send me an email message
(editor.TheGalitzianer@...).

Domestic copies were mailed late last week via Presort Standard
Mail. If you do not receive your copy by March 15, please let me
know.

Due to an error by FedEx Office (formerly known as Kinko's) the
non-U.S. copies were mailed on about February 24. If you do not
receive your copy by March 15, please let me know.

I am sorry about any delays.

Edward Goldstein
Editor

(NOTE: The Galitzianer is distributed to members of Gesher Galicia,
Inc., only.)

The electronic edition of The Galitzianer was distributed on
February 16. If you subscribe to the electronic edition and have
not yet received your copy please send me an email message
(editor.TheGalitzianer@...).

Domestic copies were mailed late last week via Presort Standard
Mail. If you do not receive your copy by March 15, please let me
know.

Due to an error by FedEx Office (formerly known as Kinko's) the
non-U.S. copies were mailed on about February 24. If you do not
receive your copy by March 15, please let me know.

I am sorry about any delays.

Edward Goldstein
Editor

An insightful, poignant article on Bruno Schulz, his life and art,
and the Galician town of Drohobycz in today's New York Times:

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/02/28/arts/design/28wall.html

Pamela Weisberger
Santa Monica, CA
pweisberger@...

Gesher Galicia is sponsoring two special talks at this summer’s
IAJGS conference on Monday, August 3rd, with Michael Karpin, an
award-winning Israeli filmmaker, television and radio news
reporter and anchor for more than thirty years:

He will discuss his new book, "Tightrope: Six Centuries of a
Galician Jewish Dynasty," at the Gesher Galicia luncheon.
"Tightrope," is a 650-year epic tale of the extraordinary
Backenroth family, which follows them over six centuries of
upheaval, covering their migration >from western to eastern Europe,
the creation of the Hasidic movement, the birth of Zionism,
migration to South America, the oil boom in Galicia and the loss
of many family members during the Holocaust. It is a stirring,
true story, based on diaries, letters, documents, and oral
testimony. The Backenroths were residents of Drohobych, Schodnica,
Boryslaw, Bolechow and other Galician shtetls. Time and time
again they slid >from prosperity and opulence to profound poverty
and distress, and time after time they managed to surmount the
crises.

Later that day he will also discuss, “Writing a Galician Jewish
Saga: Research & Methodology,” explaining how he spent twenty
years researching "Tightrope.” He will explain how, in the course
of his journalistic travels, he researched the family’s rabbinical
dynasty and their pioneering development of the Galician oil belt
in the 1800s, hunting down historical records and searching for
family members throughout the world, following a trail through
Lvov, Bolechow, Drohobych, Schodnica and Sanok. That he was able
to delve into archives, historical records, documents, newspaper
articles, diaries, oral histories, and any and every record he
could garner information from, etc., is an incredible feat, in
itself, which he will detail in this talk.

Our Gesher Galicia SIG meeting and an All-Galician
Birds-of-a-Feather & Ask the Experts session will also take place
on Monday, August 3rd, and there will be other Galician-themed
talks, films and BOF sessions taking place throughout the week.

Plan now to join us in Philadelphia. For more info go to:
www.Philly2009.org.

Pamela Weisberger
President, Gesher Galicia
pweisberger@...

Gesher Galicia is sponsoring two special talks at this summer’s
IAJGS conference on Monday, August 3rd, with Michael Karpin, an
award-winning Israeli filmmaker, television and radio news
reporter and anchor for more than thirty years:

He will discuss his new book, "Tightrope: Six Centuries of a
Galician Jewish Dynasty," at the Gesher Galicia luncheon.
"Tightrope," is a 650-year epic tale of the extraordinary
Backenroth family, which follows them over six centuries of
upheaval, covering their migration >from western to eastern Europe,
the creation of the Hasidic movement, the birth of Zionism,
migration to South America, the oil boom in Galicia and the loss
of many family members during the Holocaust. It is a stirring,
true story, based on diaries, letters, documents, and oral
testimony. The Backenroths were residents of Drohobych, Schodnica,
Boryslaw, Bolechow and other Galician shtetls. Time and time
again they slid >from prosperity and opulence to profound poverty
and distress, and time after time they managed to surmount the
crises.

Later that day he will also discuss, “Writing a Galician Jewish
Saga: Research & Methodology,” explaining how he spent twenty
years researching "Tightrope.” He will explain how, in the course
of his journalistic travels, he researched the family’s rabbinical
dynasty and their pioneering development of the Galician oil belt
in the 1800s, hunting down historical records and searching for
family members throughout the world, following a trail through
Lvov, Bolechow, Drohobych, Schodnica and Sanok. That he was able
to delve into archives, historical records, documents, newspaper
articles, diaries, oral histories, and any and every record he
could garner information from, etc., is an incredible feat, in
itself, which he will detail in this talk.

Our Gesher Galicia SIG meeting and an All-Galician
Birds-of-a-Feather & Ask the Experts session will also take place
on Monday, August 3rd, and there will be other Galician-themed
talks, films and BOF sessions taking place throughout the week.

Plan now to join us in Philadelphia. For more info go to:
www.Philly2009.org.

Pamela Weisberger
President, Gesher Galicia
pweisberger@...

I am searching for Steffi Dorothea PINKUS, who gave a interview for the
USC Shoah Foundation Project. She was born in Breslau (Germany) and
was interviewed in Haifa, Israel. I believe she is related to me. My
father, Heinz PINKUS, was born in Gliwice, while his father is Ahron
Louis PINKUS was born in this same area. In the late 1930's my father,
his father and mother - all lived in Breslau. Any help is appreciated.

Melody Mayes nee Pinkus Grand Rapids, MI #292191

I am searching for Steffi Dorothea PINKUS, who gave a interview for the
USC Shoah Foundation Project. She was born in Breslau (Germany) and
was interviewed in Haifa, Israel. I believe she is related to me. My
father, Heinz PINKUS, was born in Gliwice, while his father is Ahron
Louis PINKUS was born in this same area. In the late 1930's my father,
his father and mother - all lived in Breslau. Any help is appreciated.

Melody Mayes nee Pinkus Grand Rapids, MI #292191

Dear Gersigers

I'm trying my luck here in the hope that maybe some of you don't see the
main Jewishgen digest and may be able to help me.

Philipp AMSEL (born 6.7.1847 died 28.4.1930) was the husband of Emmy
SCHWARZ, daughter of Rabbi Israel SCHWARZ OF Koln
(Hurben, Swabia. Floss, Bavaria). Phillip was born in Roermond Holland, one
of 10 children. His mother's name was Hanna. I am trying to find out if
Philipp was the son of (Jo)hanna Amsel, nee DE KADT born in Oss in 1812. She
died in 1901 and is buried in Roermond. I know of four of her daughters Sara
(1836), Elizabeth (1843), Helena (1850) and Eva (1856). She married
Alexander Jacob AMSEL (VAN ZANTEN) 10.10.1832 in Oss. I just cannot make the
definite connection between them, although I'm optimistic that Philipp and
(Jo)hanna are Mother & Son. I know that Philipp's father had some kind of
Buisiness dealings in Dutch Africa. Phillips older brothers married
non-Jewish women. Any light that can be thrown on this matter will be
greatly appreciated.

Many Thanks Pete McNally. Ayelet Hashahar, Israel mcnally@...

Researching
DURRA, Beslau, Staedtel, Berlin. KAPLUN-KOGAN, Moscow, Yalta, Breslau, Stockholm
FRIEDMANN, Breslau. Bytom, Nysa. MOSES, Ottmachau, Baranow. SACHS, Frankenstein
WERNER, Ottmachau. SCHWARZ, Koln, Hurben, Floss, Kempen. AMSEL, Koln, Roermond
SIANI, Sayyan (Yemen)

Dear Gersigers

I'm trying my luck here in the hope that maybe some of you don't see the
main Jewishgen digest and may be able to help me.

Philipp AMSEL (born 6.7.1847 died 28.4.1930) was the husband of Emmy
SCHWARZ, daughter of Rabbi Israel SCHWARZ OF Koln
(Hurben, Swabia. Floss, Bavaria). Phillip was born in Roermond Holland, one
of 10 children. His mother's name was Hanna. I am trying to find out if
Philipp was the son of (Jo)hanna Amsel, nee DE KADT born in Oss in 1812. She
died in 1901 and is buried in Roermond. I know of four of her daughters Sara
(1836), Elizabeth (1843), Helena (1850) and Eva (1856). She married
Alexander Jacob AMSEL (VAN ZANTEN) 10.10.1832 in Oss. I just cannot make the
definite connection between them, although I'm optimistic that Philipp and
(Jo)hanna are Mother & Son. I know that Philipp's father had some kind of
Buisiness dealings in Dutch Africa. Phillips older brothers married
non-Jewish women. Any light that can be thrown on this matter will be
greatly appreciated.

Many Thanks Pete McNally. Ayelet Hashahar, Israel mcnally@...

Researching
DURRA, Beslau, Staedtel, Berlin. KAPLUN-KOGAN, Moscow, Yalta, Breslau, Stockholm
FRIEDMANN, Breslau. Bytom, Nysa. MOSES, Ottmachau, Baranow. SACHS, Frankenstein
WERNER, Ottmachau. SCHWARZ, Koln, Hurben, Floss, Kempen. AMSEL, Koln, Roermond
SIANI, Sayyan (Yemen)