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Fall issue of AVOTAYANU
Gary Mokotoff
The Fall issue of AVOTAYANU will go to the printer this week. One unusual aspect of it is that it will be 76 pages—eight pages more than the usual size. This was triggered by an 18-page article about researching landsmanshaftn societies. Its importance is not so much about these societies but the genealogical methodology the author used to acquire information about these groups. Read it because it may make you aware of genealogical resources not previously known to you, or research techniques that might assist in other parts of your research.
The lead article is by IAJGS past president, Marlis Humphrey, about a new IAJGS venture to develop an online catalog of information about record collections of Jewish genealogical value. Emphasis will be to root out what AVOTAYNU editor, Sallyann Sack-Pikus, calls “second tier” records—records that have information about Jewish persons but are not obviously Jewish.
This article is followed by an article about facial recognition software. We all struggle with photos of family members taken at various times of their lives, and question whether a face in one picture is the same as another taken decades later. Facial recognition software can help with these decisions.
The third article focuses on solving genealogical photo mysteries. It is written by Ava Cohn, who has dubbed herself “Sherlock Cohn” and is a professional analyzer of photos. She can help you date family photos.
All told there are 11 articles plus the usual columns, From Our Contributing editors, U.S. Update, Ask Dr. Beider About Names, Brick Walls, Book Review and From Our Mailbox.
View the issue’s Table of Contents at http://avotaynu.com/2019FallPage01.pdf. Additional information about AVTAYNU can be found at http://avotaynu.com/journal.htm.
Gary Mokotoff
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Lithuanian gravestones
#holocaust
#lithuania
Rabbi Ben-Zion Saydman
Shalom Hevra:
Attached are poor copies of gravestone photographs taken in the old Rumshishok (Rumsiskes) cemetery in 1940. In the early 1950's the shtetl of Rumshishok and surrounding area was flooded in order to create the Kauno Marios. Somehow just prior to the planned flooding, the shammas from Kovno arranged with the Soviet authorities to transfer the remains (but not the matzevos) from the old Rumshishok cemetery, and the killing ravine outside of town, to the Aleksotas cemetery in Kaunas. To this day, I am in awe of this shammas for succeeding in this mitzva. I approach you today for two reasons. First, for those who have AMAZING technical skills, please try and improve these photographic copies so we can read the matzevos. The cemetery is long gone and this is all we have. Second, and this one is a bit nutty, we found a 1944 aerial Luftwaffe photograph showing the exact latitude and longitude of the old Rumshishok cemetery. Having this knowledge, we could send a diver down to see if the any of the matzevos survived. Our hope is that a layer of silt may have covered the stones and protected the writing. Your thoughts, expertise, ideas and potential plans are welcome. The aerial photograph, gravestone copies, and much more may be found at https://kehilalinks.jewishgen.org/Rumsiskes Thank you! Rabbi Benzi Saydman http://www.tolheritage.org MAYPER, MAIPER, MELTSNER, MARCUS, AUG, NEVIAZHSKY, ROMM, KRULL, NUROCK, BEKER, LEVIN, SIEGEL, GORDON, RAPHAEL, CHIPKIN, WERNER, SATINSKY, RUBIN, STEINBERG, ISRAEL, NEWMAN, RODOFF, BOHLMAN, KANTER, MOISEIWITSCH, ROTFORT, SABSEVITZ, MITCHELL, MARCOVITZ, BLOCK, BLOCH Rumsiskes, Bialystok, Telsiai, Kelem, Kaunas, Vilnius, Zasliai, Ariogala, Jerusalem, Manchester, New York, Philadelphia, Atlantic City
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Re: Finding relatives
#hungary
Ron Hoenig
Vivian’s advice is very good. You might also be interested to know that ppl chose the name Bihari because it sounded less Jewish that many surnames (eg Beckmann) and refers to the county Hajdu-Bihar in Hungary in which lived or were born
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finding ship manifest
Paulette Volgyesi
-- Can anyone tell me where I can find the manifest for the Empress of France ship that sailed from Calais, France in December, 1956? Thanks very much.
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Re: please help Genner # 546778
David Lewin
At 11:37 AM 07-11-19, Kathy Miller wrote:
The oldest daughter of Israel Goldmann - Henriette - married Simon Herlitz. The couple had a lot of children and the two sons Have you tried www.telefonbuch.de ? The other thing to do is contact the civil registry authority David Lewin London
Search & Unite attempt to help locate people who, despite the passage
of so many years since World War II, may still exist "out
there".
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Findmypast Offers Free Access to Their Entire Collection of Military and Civilian Records Starting Friday November 8 Through Monday November 11th
Jan Meisels Allen
Findmypast is offering free access to their entire collection of military and civilian records from 12 pm (GMT) Friday November 8th until 12PM Monday November 11th. Please use the time converter to check the time in your time zone: http://www.timezoneconverter.com/cgi-bin/tzc If you try to sign in before the promotion begins you will be invited to subscribe.
You will need to register with name, email address and password before you can access any search results. Go to: https://www.findmypast.com/register
This opportunity includes over 85 million military records covering the Armed Forces of the United States, Canada, Great Britain, Australia, New Zealand and Ireland. Record range from service records and pensions to medal rolls, POW records, casualty lists and more.
Also available during this special free access promotion are all other records including censuses, births, marriages & deaths, wills, education & employment records, travel and social history records. Excluded from the free access offer are: all newspapers, the Periodical Source Index (PERSI) and the UK Electoral Registers and Companies House Directors 2002-2019
When the offer begins, go to: https://www.findmypast.com/page/free-access
Note: the icon next to the record will tell you if it is the record or a transcript.
If you try to access the free records after the promotion is over you will be invited to subscribe.
I have no affiliation with Findmypast and am sharing this solely for the information of the reader.
Jan Meisels Allen Chairperson, IAJGS Public Records Access Monitoring Committee
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Ancestry Free Access to Military records for Veterans Day November 8 through November 17
Jan Meisels Allen
I have been given advance notice that starting on Friday, November 8 7:00 PM EST through November 17 at 11:59PM EST Ancestry will be offering free access to their over 260 million US military records. Do NOT try to access the free collections before the time and date given as you will be invited to subscribe.
Please use the time converter to check the time in your time zone; http://www.timezoneconverter.com/cgi-bin/tzc
You are required to register with name, email address and password. and no credit card information is required.
When the featured collection is available go to: www.ancestry.com/honor.
The list of collections is available to see at: https://www.ancestry.com/search/categories/war_all/#collections
To help honor our World War ll veterans go to: https://www.ancestry.com/cs/veterans and help record the story of World War ll. You can send Ancestry a video documenting the experiences of the war and preserve their history. With the massive 1973 fire in National Personnel Records Center this may be one of the only places future generations may learn of your family’s participation in World War ll. To read more about the 1973 fire see the National Archives blurb at: https://www.archives.gov/personnel-records-center/fire-1973
After the free access period ends, you will only be able to view the records in the featured collection using a paid Ancestry membership. If you try to access any records not included in the free offer you will be invited to subscribe.
At this time I do not know if the Ancestry websites in other countries will also be offering free access to their military records. If I learn of such offers they will be posted to this forum.
I have no affiliation with Ancestry and am posting this solely for the information of the reader.
Jan Meisels Allen Chairperson, IAJGS Public Records Access Monitoring Committee
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Looking for descendants of Jacob Josef (or Josef Jacob) Horoschowski
Veronica Zundel
Looking for possible descendants in Israel and elsewhere of Jacob Josef (or Josef Jacob) Horoschowski, born 1905 in Drohobych of Benzion Weber and Etie Horoschowska, or of his sisters Chaye Sarah or Matylda, one of whom was attempting to get to Palestine with him in 1927 from Vienna. My mother, born Genya Horoschowska in Vienna, was his youngest sister, born after their parents fled to Vienna in 1914 or early 1915. She was fostered and later adopted, all the other siblings went to the Jewish orphanage as their parents had got separated on the journey and their mother had no means of subsistence. We know he was trying to emigrate to what was then Palestine in 1927, with one of his other sisters, as he came to visit my mother to tell her (but was not allowed in, and they had no further contact). His children, or his sister's children, would be my first cousins, probably in their late 70s or 80s by now.
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Hungary SIG #Hungary Artur and Blanka LOFFLER from Trnava, Slovakia
#hungary
Yohanan
I appreciate any help in finding out more information about Artur LOFFLER,
(1913-1989) who survived the Holocaust, lived, died and buried in Trnava, Slovakia. I hope to confirm that he was first cousin of my late father Yossi LOFFLER. On his gravestone >from Trnava his father's name in Hebrew is Ze'ev. ViewMate http://www.jewishgen.org/viewmate/viewmateview.asp?key=VM75768 My father had an uncle Wilhelm LOFFLER who was deported to his death to Auschwitz >from Trnava. Wilhelm's Hebrew name in his birth registration >from 1887 was "Binyamin Ze'ev also known as Velvel". We know that Wilhelm was married, but no idea who was his wife and if he had children. We assume, but can't prove, that Artur was Wilhelm's son. We do not know if Artur had a wife and children and what he had left behind when he died. We also know of Blanka LOFFLER >from Trnava who perished in the Holocaust but we do not anything else about her, if or how she is related to Wilhelm or to Artur. Any idea? Yohanan LOEFFLER Melbourne Australia
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Artur and Blanka LOFFLER from Trnava, Slovakia
#hungary
Yohanan
I appreciate any help in finding out more information about Artur LOFFLER,
(1913-1989) who survived the Holocaust, lived, died and buried in Trnava, Slovakia. I hope to confirm that he was first cousin of my late father Yossi LOFFLER. On his gravestone >from Trnava his father's name in Hebrew is Ze'ev. ViewMate http://www.jewishgen.org/viewmate/viewmateview.asp?key=VM75768 My father had an uncle Wilhelm LOFFLER who was deported to his death to Auschwitz >from Trnava. Wilhelm's Hebrew name in his birth registration >from 1887 was "Binyamin Ze'ev also known as Velvel". We know that Wilhelm was married, but no idea who was his wife and if he had children. We assume, but can't prove, that Artur was Wilhelm's son. We do not know if Artur had a wife and children and what he had left behind when he died. We also know of Blanka LOFFLER >from Trnava who perished in the Holocaust but we do not anything else about her, if or how she is related to Wilhelm or to Artur. Any idea? Yohanan LOEFFLER Melbourne Australia
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Hungary SIG #Hungary RE: Reviews of visits to Hungarian and Transylvanian Cemeteries
#hungary
HungarianRoots
TThere are good resources for cemeteries but none of them contain all the
cemeteries. A couple of years ago there was a project in Hungary about collecting data about these cemeteries. Their were teams going around certain areas but in many cases they did not find the cemeteries, they did not have the tools, or time, etc. http://www.izraelitatemetok.hu/ from my experience I can tell you that most towns and villages had some sortof Jewish cemetery, some even had two or more (in case the 'old' one was full or the community (or rather the Chevra Kadisha) split after the Neolog/Orthodox/Status quo ante split. The best resource is the cadastral maps which would mark the location of such cemeteries. There is also an on-going effort to create a fully interactive website with the locations of all cemeteries (all these data are/will be based on cadastral maps, land records, etc.). When one drives through towns, one needs to ask several people on the streets as some may not be fully aware about the existence of a Jewish cemetery and then they may turn you away... Regards, Karesz Vandor genealogist/historian/private tour guide Hungarian Roots web: www.hungarianroots.com e-mail: info@... cell (international format): +36-30-546-6950 You can see our Data Processing Information by clicking here http://www.hungarianroots.com/en/impress/ If you do not wish your data to be processed by us please send us a message to be removed. By not sending a message you agree to the above agreement. This is our World and we only have One. Please consider not printing this e-mail thus saving trees and lives. If you need to print use the double-sided option. -----Original Message----- From: H-SIG [mailto:h-sig@...] Sent: Monday, November 4, 2019 5:09 PM To: H-SIG <h-sig@...> Cc: tom <tomk@...>; Altman Nolan <naltman@...> Subject: Re:[h-sig] Reviews of visits to Hungarian and Transylvanian Cemeteries Tom, Some of the updates that I posted to H-SIG have already been posted to the IAJGS website (e.g. see Carei, Baia Mare, Seini, Hajdusamson). I am awaiting confirmation that the next batch have also been added. This is a great resource in planning visits to various towns in addition to the information on the very helpful Jewish Heritage Europe site. Here is the link for Romania. (Copy and paste into your browser) https://jewish-heritage-europe.eu/romania/heritage-heritage-sites/ Use the US Commission Survey and scroll down to the cemeteries section to find the FEDROM report. Michael From: Vivian Kahn <vkahn@...> Sent: Monday, November 4, 2019 11:00 AM To: SIG Hungarian <h-sig@...> Cc: tom <tomk@...>; michael_perl9@... <michael_perl9@...>; Altman Nolan <naltman@...> Subject: Re: Reviews of visits to Hungarian and Transylvanian Cemeteries I have used the International Jewish Cemetery Project at https://iajgscemetery.org/ to find information about cemeteries. Another appropriate repository would be any KehilaLinks websites that have been created for the communities reviwed. Vivian Kahn JewishGen Hungarian Research Director On Nov 3, 2019, at 11:04 PM, H-SIG digest <h-sig@...>wrote: Subject: Re: Reviews of visits to Hungarian and Transylvanian Cemeteries From: tomk@... Date: Fri, 1 Nov 2019 16:07:41 -0400 that's great, but is there any way to update the information on jewishgen?there is jowbr, and, i think, some older infofiles as well. if i were looking to visit these cemeteries, i'd be more likely to search the website than to look through the h-sig discussion group for updates. p://www.jewishgen.org/listserv
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Re: Reviews of visits to Hungarian and Transylvanian Cemeteries
#hungary
HungarianRoots
TThere are good resources for cemeteries but none of them contain all the
cemeteries. A couple of years ago there was a project in Hungary about collecting data about these cemeteries. Their were teams going around certain areas but in many cases they did not find the cemeteries, they did not have the tools, or time, etc. http://www.izraelitatemetok.hu/ from my experience I can tell you that most towns and villages had some sortof Jewish cemetery, some even had two or more (in case the 'old' one was full or the community (or rather the Chevra Kadisha) split after the Neolog/Orthodox/Status quo ante split. The best resource is the cadastral maps which would mark the location of such cemeteries. There is also an on-going effort to create a fully interactive website with the locations of all cemeteries (all these data are/will be based on cadastral maps, land records, etc.). When one drives through towns, one needs to ask several people on the streets as some may not be fully aware about the existence of a Jewish cemetery and then they may turn you away... Regards, Karesz Vandor genealogist/historian/private tour guide Hungarian Roots web: www.hungarianroots.com e-mail: info@... cell (international format): +36-30-546-6950 You can see our Data Processing Information by clicking here http://www.hungarianroots.com/en/impress/ If you do not wish your data to be processed by us please send us a message to be removed. By not sending a message you agree to the above agreement. This is our World and we only have One. Please consider not printing this e-mail thus saving trees and lives. If you need to print use the double-sided option. -----Original Message----- From: H-SIG [mailto:h-sig@...] Sent: Monday, November 4, 2019 5:09 PM To: H-SIG <h-sig@...> Cc: tom <tomk@...>; Altman Nolan <naltman@...> Subject: Re:[h-sig] Reviews of visits to Hungarian and Transylvanian Cemeteries Tom, Some of the updates that I posted to H-SIG have already been posted to the IAJGS website (e.g. see Carei, Baia Mare, Seini, Hajdusamson). I am awaiting confirmation that the next batch have also been added. This is a great resource in planning visits to various towns in addition to the information on the very helpful Jewish Heritage Europe site. Here is the link for Romania. (Copy and paste into your browser) https://jewish-heritage-europe.eu/romania/heritage-heritage-sites/ Use the US Commission Survey and scroll down to the cemeteries section to find the FEDROM report. Michael From: Vivian Kahn <vkahn@...> Sent: Monday, November 4, 2019 11:00 AM To: SIG Hungarian <h-sig@...> Cc: tom <tomk@...>; michael_perl9@... <michael_perl9@...>; Altman Nolan <naltman@...> Subject: Re: Reviews of visits to Hungarian and Transylvanian Cemeteries I have used the International Jewish Cemetery Project at https://iajgscemetery.org/ to find information about cemeteries. Another appropriate repository would be any KehilaLinks websites that have been created for the communities reviwed. Vivian Kahn JewishGen Hungarian Research Director On Nov 3, 2019, at 11:04 PM, H-SIG digest <h-sig@...>wrote: Subject: Re: Reviews of visits to Hungarian and Transylvanian Cemeteries From: tomk@... Date: Fri, 1 Nov 2019 16:07:41 -0400 that's great, but is there any way to update the information on jewishgen?there is jowbr, and, i think, some older infofiles as well. if i were looking to visit these cemeteries, i'd be more likely to search the website than to look through the h-sig discussion group for updates. p://www.jewishgen.org/listserv
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Nurit Har-zvi
I've posted 2 vital records in Polish for which I need a translation.
They are on ViewMate at the following address ... http://www.jewishgen.org/viewmate/viewmateview.asp?key=VM75785 http://www.jewishgen.org/viewmate/viewmateview.asp?key=VM75757 Please respond via the form provided on the ViewMate image page. Thank you very much. Nurit Har-zvi Forest Hills, NY
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Nurit Har-zvi
I've posted 2 vital records in Polish for which I need a translation.
They are on ViewMate at the following address ... http://www.jewishgen.org/viewmate/viewmateview.asp?key=VM75785 http://www.jewishgen.org/viewmate/viewmateview.asp?key=VM75757 Please respond via the form provided on the ViewMate image page. Thank you very much. Nurit Har-zvi Forest Hills, NY
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JRI Poland #Poland Cyrillic extraction requests - Izbica Lubelski
#poland
Tamar Amit <ta.genealogy@...>
Hi,
I have posted records in Cyrillic for GEWIRCMAN (and like) surnames on Viewmate and would be very grateful for translations (they don't have to be word-for-word). http://www.jewishgen.org/viewmate/viewmateview.asp?key=VM75762 http://www.jewishgen.org/viewmate/viewmateview.asp?key=VM75763 http://www.jewishgen.org/viewmate/viewmateview.asp?key=VM75764 http://www.jewishgen.org/viewmate/viewmateview.asp?key=VM75765 http://www.jewishgen.org/viewmate/viewmateview.asp?key=VM75766 Thanking anyone who helps most sincerely in advance! Thanks Tamar AMIT Herzelia, ISRAEL MODERATOR'S NOTE: Please respond privately or on the Viewmate form.
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Cyrillic extraction requests - Izbica Lubelski
#poland
Tamar Amit <ta.genealogy@...>
Hi,
I have posted records in Cyrillic for GEWIRCMAN (and like) surnames on Viewmate and would be very grateful for translations (they don't have to be word-for-word). http://www.jewishgen.org/viewmate/viewmateview.asp?key=VM75762 http://www.jewishgen.org/viewmate/viewmateview.asp?key=VM75763 http://www.jewishgen.org/viewmate/viewmateview.asp?key=VM75764 http://www.jewishgen.org/viewmate/viewmateview.asp?key=VM75765 http://www.jewishgen.org/viewmate/viewmateview.asp?key=VM75766 Thanking anyone who helps most sincerely in advance! Thanks Tamar AMIT Herzelia, ISRAEL MODERATOR'S NOTE: Please respond privately or on the Viewmate form.
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German SIG #Germany ViewMate translation request - German
#germany
I've posted a vital record in German for which I need an English
translation. It is on ViewMate at the following address ... I need both the original left side translated and the Nazi notations on the right side translated. http://www.jewishgen.org/viewmate/viewmateview.asp?key=VM75772 Please respond via the form provided on the ViewMate image page. Thank you very much. Robert S Heuman, North York, Ontario, Canada
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ViewMate translation request - German
#germany
I've posted a vital record in German for which I need an English
translation. It is on ViewMate at the following address ... I need both the original left side translated and the Nazi notations on the right side translated. http://www.jewishgen.org/viewmate/viewmateview.asp?key=VM75772 Please respond via the form provided on the ViewMate image page. Thank you very much. Robert S Heuman, North York, Ontario, Canada
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Where is Politzk, Russia?
#lithuania
lugin@...
My grandfather emigrated to New York City in 1913 (born in the early 1890's). I was told he was from Russia then I was told he was from Lithuania, as was msy grandmother (she was from Vilnius). His World War II registration card says he was born in "POLITZK, RUSSIA." I cannot find this on the internet. Does anyone know where this is or what it's called today? Any help is appreciated.
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NYC Area Volunteers for a Cemetery Project this Sunday
A. E. Jordan
Hi. We are planning Sunday morning to begin photographing the Judah plot at Mt Zion in Queens New York
toggle quoted messageShow quoted text
Anyone who is interested in helping please email me privately. Could use more photographers and maybe someone to take notes Details below Thanks Allan Jordan
-----Original Message-----
From: A. E. Jordan <aejordan@...> To: main <main@...> Sent: Wed, Oct 30, 2019 09:51 AM Subject: NYC Area Volunteers for a Cemetery Project I am trying to organize a cemetery project for Mt Zion Cemetery in Maspeth, Queens, New York before winter sets in (or if we fail now in the spring).
I am thinking of trying to do this (weather dependent) November 10th or November 17 -- a Sunday morning. Roads will be quieter to drive there and hopefully the weather will not be too cold. Plus the target plot is in about as good a condition as it will be.
Looking a for a few volunteers with the primary interest being people with a digital camera to take photos and maybe a few people to do some paperwork on site. (Phase II might require some computer work volunteers.) Note there are NO PATHS so it is involving walking over uneven ground, possibly climbing over or around stones, etc. and there will be some wildlife -- those tiny lizards, squirrels, and who knows. I say this so if you are hesitant please don't volunteer although I have been though this plot a few dozen times and not had a problem with animals and maybe stumbled but never fallen. I consider it safe but of course you are at your own risk.
The idea is there is a large plot (2,700 graves) at Mt Zion which seems to have constant interest from people but which the cemetery office has no map and limited details. The plot is called Judah 1 and it is very challenging to find individual graves without the map because it is not one plot but actually a series of sub sections within the big plot. Also since the burial society is long defunct the plot gets less maintenance but right now is clean cut and of course will stay that way till spring.
While the database say 2,700 stones the reality is the project will yield less since there are two large areas of children's stones that will yield little and some stones have fallen or are unreadable. There are a few interesting and unique stones in the plot too.
My idea is volunteers will take sections of the plot and photograph every stone. You will have to make some indications as you go to local or rows and then we can match the names and stones up and maybe even draw a map of this plot. The individual lines are fairly small so you will do a few lines, starting from the same side and indicating when each row ends. Final result will take some time to compile after we leave the cemetery but then we can load it to JOWBR as a gift to the broader community and if we draw a map maybe even give it to Mt Zion for their future reference.
This will be all volunteer but someone offered to buy coffee for the intrepid researchers and I am offering my time (hopefully expertise) to organize it.
If you can assist please email me directly.
Thank you
Allan Jordan
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