I have the feeling that the number of records is growing on the
Ellis Island database. A few days ago I searched for my
great-grandmother and could not find her, and yesterday 4 entries come
back matching her name. (I heard earlier that initially only 70% of
the data was loaded, so perhaps more data is being added as we
continue our reloads.)

Secondly, I have been able to download a few manifest images and for
those few the information has been wonderful -- including eye color,
hair color, height, address of relative visiting, etc. However, for
many if not most of the records of interest that I find, one of two
things is now happening. Either (1) the original manifest is not
available, or (2) it shows that it is available but when it loads it
shows up as a broken image (in Netscape) or not at all (in Explorer).
In (2), when I click "Zoom in" it shows up with "Image not available"
(in Explorer) and with some "pixel dust" at the top left hand corner
(in Netscape -- implying that this was designed and tested only with
Explorer). Most other features, work fine, with Netscape, however.

I have also encountered manifests that were available but were
either entirely blank or primarily blank with no image filled in.

Does anyone know if all of the manifest images will be made
available over time, or is it what you see is what you get? Let us
hope that the additional 30% of data includes more manifest images --
which is where some more interesting data resides.

--
Kind regards,
Bernie Hirsch bernie06@... Dallas, Texas USA

I have the feeling that the number of records is growing on the
Ellis Island database. A few days ago I searched for my
great-grandmother and could not find her, and yesterday 4 entries come
back matching her name. (I heard earlier that initially only 70% of
the data was loaded, so perhaps more data is being added as we
continue our reloads.)

Secondly, I have been able to download a few manifest images and for
those few the information has been wonderful -- including eye color,
hair color, height, address of relative visiting, etc. However, for
many if not most of the records of interest that I find, one of two
things is now happening. Either (1) the original manifest is not
available, or (2) it shows that it is available but when it loads it
shows up as a broken image (in Netscape) or not at all (in Explorer).
In (2), when I click "Zoom in" it shows up with "Image not available"
(in Explorer) and with some "pixel dust" at the top left hand corner
(in Netscape -- implying that this was designed and tested only with
Explorer). Most other features, work fine, with Netscape, however.

I have also encountered manifests that were available but were
either entirely blank or primarily blank with no image filled in.

Does anyone know if all of the manifest images will be made
available over time, or is it what you see is what you get? Let us
hope that the additional 30% of data includes more manifest images --
which is where some more interesting data resides.

--
Kind regards,
Bernie Hirsch bernie06@... Dallas, Texas USA

For those using Internet Explorer and Microsoft's Excel spreadsheets and
happily gaining access to Ellis Island Data Base, this is a way of saving
for later searching and sorting the recovered data.(once you are in !):

1 - Open Excel

2- There are different ways to highlight ("paint") the information in the
Ellis Island Data Base, and copy it to Windows' clipboard and >from there to
Excel. This is one:

3 - Go back to the Ellis Island results page

4- Left click at the space before the beginning of the data you wish to
copy. A good place is before the E in Exact Matches (number of matches)
before the first result.

5 - Apparently nothing will happen - don't worry . Go the space after the
last information in the last results line, press Shift in the keyboard, keep it pressed.

6 - Left click after the last information in the last data line. The
selected data area will be highlighted.

7 - Let go the Shift key, and Right click anywhere in the highlighted area.
Left or Right Click on Copy. The data will be copied to Windows' clipboard

8 - Go to the Excel spreadsheet. Place yourself in the top left cell of the
free area where you want to paste the info.

9 - Click Left button, then click on Paste.

10- The data will be copied in different columns, ready to save in your
hard disk in a searchable and sortable spreadsheet.

Now you can cross your fingers, go to the next search page in Ellis Island
web site, and repeat >from 4 . Save the spreadsheet frequently. Have a
succesful search!

Carlos GLIKSON
Buenos Aires, Argentina
e-Mail cglikson@...

Searching for

GLIKSON, GLICKSON, GLUCKSOHN, GLUECKSOHN:Suwalki, Marijampole, Augustow,
Sejny, Sopotkin, Koenigsberg/ POKROISKY, POKROJSKI, POKROY: Suwalki,
Seirijai/ ALPEROVICH, ALPEROWICZ: Kremenchug, Vilnius/ HOLLANDERSKY,
HOLLENDERSKI, HOLLANDER: Suwalki, Seirijai, Lomza/ TARNOPOLSKY, TARNOPOL:
Kremenchug, Kharkov/ FELCHINSKY: Kremenchug, Vilnius/ KARP: Grodno.
SMELIENSKY(?), KRASNAPOLSKY(?), BLUMIGDAL (?), GOLUMBIEWSKY, GOLOMB(?)

For those using Internet Explorer and Microsoft's Excel spreadsheets and
happily gaining access to Ellis Island Data Base, this is a way of saving
for later searching and sorting the recovered data.(once you are in !):

1 - Open Excel

2- There are different ways to highlight ("paint") the information in the
Ellis Island Data Base, and copy it to Windows' clipboard and >from there to
Excel. This is one:

3 - Go back to the Ellis Island results page

4- Left click at the space before the beginning of the data you wish to
copy. A good place is before the E in Exact Matches (number of matches)
before the first result.

5 - Apparently nothing will happen - don't worry . Go the space after the
last information in the last results line, press Shift in the keyboard, keep it pressed.

6 - Left click after the last information in the last data line. The
selected data area will be highlighted.

7 - Let go the Shift key, and Right click anywhere in the highlighted area.
Left or Right Click on Copy. The data will be copied to Windows' clipboard

8 - Go to the Excel spreadsheet. Place yourself in the top left cell of the
free area where you want to paste the info.

9 - Click Left button, then click on Paste.

10- The data will be copied in different columns, ready to save in your
hard disk in a searchable and sortable spreadsheet.

Now you can cross your fingers, go to the next search page in Ellis Island
web site, and repeat >from 4 . Save the spreadsheet frequently. Have a
succesful search!

Carlos GLIKSON
Buenos Aires, Argentina
e-Mail cglikson@...

Searching for

GLIKSON, GLICKSON, GLUCKSOHN, GLUECKSOHN:Suwalki, Marijampole, Augustow,
Sejny, Sopotkin, Koenigsberg/ POKROISKY, POKROJSKI, POKROY: Suwalki,
Seirijai/ ALPEROVICH, ALPEROWICZ: Kremenchug, Vilnius/ HOLLANDERSKY,
HOLLENDERSKI, HOLLANDER: Suwalki, Seirijai, Lomza/ TARNOPOLSKY, TARNOPOL:
Kremenchug, Kharkov/ FELCHINSKY: Kremenchug, Vilnius/ KARP: Grodno.
SMELIENSKY(?), KRASNAPOLSKY(?), BLUMIGDAL (?), GOLUMBIEWSKY, GOLOMB(?)

My g-grandparents, Lou and Nechama Meltz (Melz, Melts), came to New York >from the shtetl Bazilian in 1901. Bazilian, a/k/a Padubysys, was situated in the Shavli District of Kovno Guberniya. The entry in the Ellis Island datatbase lists "Ahelel" as their place of residence. The name is unfamiliar to me, but there are other passengers on the ship >from Bremen --the Grosser Kurfurst -- who also listed "Ahelel" their home. Any ideas?

Scott Singer
Searching: ZOLIAN (JULIAN), RESS, MELTZ, KAPLAN, KESSEL >from Bazilian

My g-grandparents, Lou and Nechama Meltz (Melz, Melts), came to New York >from the shtetl Bazilian in 1901. Bazilian, a/k/a Padubysys, was situated in the Shavli District of Kovno Guberniya. The entry in the Ellis Island datatbase lists "Ahelel" as their place of residence. The name is unfamiliar to me, but there are other passengers on the ship >from Bremen --the Grosser Kurfurst -- who also listed "Ahelel" their home. Any ideas?

Scott Singer
Searching: ZOLIAN (JULIAN), RESS, MELTZ, KAPLAN, KESSEL >from Bazilian

A friend is travelling to Hungary shortly and asked if I could help identify
where his grandfather came from. As he understands it, he was a Holstein
(Sandor)and was born and raised in Oberrauchenbach. After his Bar Mitzvah
he emigrated to Switzerland and then to the US.

I looked in Jewish Genealogy and also in Martha Connor's listing of
Hungarian towns and cities and find nothing like Oberrauchenbach. Would
anyone of you know the Hungarian name for this town??

Thanks much.


Bob Keimowitz
email: rkhk@...

A friend is travelling to Hungary shortly and asked if I could help identify
where his grandfather came from. As he understands it, he was a Holstein
(Sandor)and was born and raised in Oberrauchenbach. After his Bar Mitzvah
he emigrated to Switzerland and then to the US.

I looked in Jewish Genealogy and also in Martha Connor's listing of
Hungarian towns and cities and find nothing like Oberrauchenbach. Would
anyone of you know the Hungarian name for this town??

Thanks much.


Bob Keimowitz
email: rkhk@...

The following item appeared in today's Central European News >from Radio Free
Europe/Liberty:
(I am sorry, I do not know where this place is, but some of you may know and
be interested). The item seems to prove the point made the other day about
cemetaries not being cared for - in this case the desecration was not even
noticed until long after it was done! Obviously no caretaker there.

JEWISH CEMETERY DESECRATED IN HUNGARIAN TOWN. Twenty-two
headstones in an ancient Jewish cemetery in Jaszkarajeno were
knocked down and swastikas were painted on them, the MTI news
agency reported on 21 April. Judit Pap, spokeswoman for the
Pest County police, said the desecration took place over a
long period of time, but was discovered only recently. The
perpetrators are two 15-year-old local youths, who were
joined by children as young as eight. MSZ


Judy Young
jy-abcd@...

Answer:

They both demonstrate that having a huge database isn't as important as
having a *functioning* database!

I was just as Yad Vashem with my father (who will be posting a longer report
when he gets back to the States), and I have to say that my brief encounter
with the new archives and library building bolsters the opinion I've heard
tossed about that YV was more worried about looking as sophisticated as the
Holocaust Museum in Washington than actually making great strides in helping
people find information on family members. To wit, the building is
beautiful, and one now peers out an impressive picture window over the hills
of northwest Jerusalem while working. However, the fact that the abundance
of light streaming in makes it difficult to read the microfilms apparently
was deemed irrelevant by the designers (though to be fair, there are several
mini-reading rooms with more machines, but some of these still receive a
good portion of the light through their mostly glass walls adjoining the
main reading room). More disappointing is the Hall of Names database which
for reasons beyond my ken were placed entirely on the internet such that
even the workers in the Hall of Names cannot access the files when there are
server problems. Why not have the database on CD ROM? At least this time I
knew better than to ask and be even more flustered with the "answer". And
of course, their server was having all kinds of problems the day I visited.
Moreover, when it *was* working, a search by witness sheet submitter, in my
case, my great uncle Markus, failed to find 9 witness sheets which are in
the database and can indeed be accessed by searching other fields in the
database like name of victim. In other words, the all-important search
feature has some serious bugs, bugs which should have been eliminated many
months ago.

But my biggest complaint is that YV has not, and apparently does not intend,
to create a true List of Lists. I thought they were compiling a list of all
victims based on all the available lists. Instead, what they've done is
create an index of the list titles . All of this time and expense has only
made searching a tad easier, since it was never a big deal to simply ask the
archivists which lists were relevant to a particular search, and then to
read for a few minutes >from an old-fashioned alphabetized index. And they
did have quite a bit of this info on computer before. In fact, I had quite
a bit of trouble understanding how to move about their new spreadsheet
format which was not done in a particularly user-friendly manner.

I hope this post doesn't sound too cynical; the direction YV has taken in
trying to computerize is, after all, the right one. But for those of us
who've been waiting for YV to make a quantum leap in making its
genealogically significant information more accessible, we'll have to
continue waiting. Perhaps a letter-writing campaign is in order.

Thoughts anyone?


Robert

Answer:

They both demonstrate that having a huge database isn't as important as
having a *functioning* database!

I was just as Yad Vashem with my father (who will be posting a longer report
when he gets back to the States), and I have to say that my brief encounter
with the new archives and library building bolsters the opinion I've heard
tossed about that YV was more worried about looking as sophisticated as the
Holocaust Museum in Washington than actually making great strides in helping
people find information on family members. To wit, the building is
beautiful, and one now peers out an impressive picture window over the hills
of northwest Jerusalem while working. However, the fact that the abundance
of light streaming in makes it difficult to read the microfilms apparently
was deemed irrelevant by the designers (though to be fair, there are several
mini-reading rooms with more machines, but some of these still receive a
good portion of the light through their mostly glass walls adjoining the
main reading room). More disappointing is the Hall of Names database which
for reasons beyond my ken were placed entirely on the internet such that
even the workers in the Hall of Names cannot access the files when there are
server problems. Why not have the database on CD ROM? At least this time I
knew better than to ask and be even more flustered with the "answer". And
of course, their server was having all kinds of problems the day I visited.
Moreover, when it *was* working, a search by witness sheet submitter, in my
case, my great uncle Markus, failed to find 9 witness sheets which are in
the database and can indeed be accessed by searching other fields in the
database like name of victim. In other words, the all-important search
feature has some serious bugs, bugs which should have been eliminated many
months ago.

But my biggest complaint is that YV has not, and apparently does not intend,
to create a true List of Lists. I thought they were compiling a list of all
victims based on all the available lists. Instead, what they've done is
create an index of the list titles . All of this time and expense has only
made searching a tad easier, since it was never a big deal to simply ask the
archivists which lists were relevant to a particular search, and then to
read for a few minutes >from an old-fashioned alphabetized index. And they
did have quite a bit of this info on computer before. In fact, I had quite
a bit of trouble understanding how to move about their new spreadsheet
format which was not done in a particularly user-friendly manner.

I hope this post doesn't sound too cynical; the direction YV has taken in
trying to computerize is, after all, the right one. But for those of us
who've been waiting for YV to make a quantum leap in making its
genealogically significant information more accessible, we'll have to
continue waiting. Perhaps a letter-writing campaign is in order.

Thoughts anyone?


Robert

The following item appeared in today's Central European News >from Radio Free
Europe/Liberty:
(I am sorry, I do not know where this place is, but some of you may know and
be interested). The item seems to prove the point made the other day about
cemetaries not being cared for - in this case the desecration was not even
noticed until long after it was done! Obviously no caretaker there.

JEWISH CEMETERY DESECRATED IN HUNGARIAN TOWN. Twenty-two
headstones in an ancient Jewish cemetery in Jaszkarajeno were
knocked down and swastikas were painted on them, the MTI news
agency reported on 21 April. Judit Pap, spokeswoman for the
Pest County police, said the desecration took place over a
long period of time, but was discovered only recently. The
perpetrators are two 15-year-old local youths, who were
joined by children as young as eight. MSZ


Judy Young
jy-abcd@...

I recently came across the 1897 ship's passenger manifest for my Hungarian
great-great-grandparents and a couple of their children. Their last place of
residence (and presumably my ancestral shtetl) was listed as Njir Gebe. On a
differenr ship's list >from 1893, another one of their children was listed as
having come >from Nyer Gebe, which I assume is an alternative (or mis-)
spelling of the same place. Unfortunately, however, when I search for this
location in the JewishGen ShtetlSeeker, I find nothing that even remotely
resembles these names in Hungary. Nor do I find any entry in Where Once We
Walked. On a whim, and not speaking any Hungarian, it occurred to me for no
particular reason that perhaps Njir or Nyer means "new" or some other
adjectival modifier. So imagining that perhaps they came >from New Gebe or
North Gebe or something, I searched for just Gebe and found a single
entry--Gebe is an alternative name for a place called Nyirkata. Where Once
We Walked says the same thing. The "Nyir" part of Nyirkata seems potentially
promising, but neither the ShtetlSeeker nor Where Once We Walked lists Njir
or Nyer or Nyir Gebe, as opposed to just Gebe itself, as an alternative name
for Nyirkata. Does anyone happen to know whether it is? More to the point,
has anyone ever heard of Njir Gebe and, if so, can you tell me what and where
it is? Any help you can provide would be much appreciated.

Thank you very much,
Robert Mandelbaum
New York, New York
rmandelbau@...

I recently came across the 1897 ship's passenger manifest for my Hungarian
great-great-grandparents and a couple of their children. Their last place of
residence (and presumably my ancestral shtetl) was listed as Njir Gebe. On a
differenr ship's list >from 1893, another one of their children was listed as
having come >from Nyer Gebe, which I assume is an alternative (or mis-)
spelling of the same place. Unfortunately, however, when I search for this
location in the JewishGen ShtetlSeeker, I find nothing that even remotely
resembles these names in Hungary. Nor do I find any entry in Where Once We
Walked. On a whim, and not speaking any Hungarian, it occurred to me for no
particular reason that perhaps Njir or Nyer means "new" or some other
adjectival modifier. So imagining that perhaps they came >from New Gebe or
North Gebe or something, I searched for just Gebe and found a single
entry--Gebe is an alternative name for a place called Nyirkata. Where Once
We Walked says the same thing. The "Nyir" part of Nyirkata seems potentially
promising, but neither the ShtetlSeeker nor Where Once We Walked lists Njir
or Nyer or Nyir Gebe, as opposed to just Gebe itself, as an alternative name
for Nyirkata. Does anyone happen to know whether it is? More to the point,
has anyone ever heard of Njir Gebe and, if so, can you tell me what and where
it is? Any help you can provide would be much appreciated.

Thank you very much,
Robert Mandelbaum
New York, New York
rmandelbau@...

H-sig,

from the week that I spent with Peter recently, I noted that he has numerous

quality contacts all around the country that would benefit H-sig
significantly. If possible, and if Peter accepts a full-time position, I
think that continued contact with these people should be encouraged.
Therefore I agree with Maureen; "he should be free to do whatever part-time
contract research came his way."

Jerry Zeisler

H-sig,

from the week that I spent with Peter recently, I noted that he has numerous

quality contacts all around the country that would benefit H-sig
significantly. If possible, and if Peter accepts a full-time position, I
think that continued contact with these people should be encouraged.
Therefore I agree with Maureen; "he should be free to do whatever part-time
contract research came his way."

Jerry Zeisler

Try the california death records at rootsweb.

http://userdb.rootsweb.com/ca/death/search.cgi

(I found 52 Harry Wagner, most were born in US a few have no birth location)

Or
http://searches.rootsweb.com/

for the master index.

In New York City, one has to be licensed to practice as a barber. This
is probably the same in other states and even that far back.

Doing a web search for "barber license california" turned up:
http://commerce.ca.gov
Which appears to be the licensing agency in california

Their address is (>from the web page)

Calfornia Technology, Trade and Commerce Agency
801 K Street, Suite 1918
Sacramento, CA 95814
(916) 322-1394
FAX (916) 322-3559

<chaim>

"SV" == Susanna Vendel <susanna.vendel@...> writes:

SV> I need help to find an answer on the following questions:
SV> 1. is the occupation "barber/tonsor" called "barber" in English?
SV> 2. if a person had a "barber shop" in Burbank CA, or Cleveland, OH ca
SV> 1930 was he member of an organisation?
SV> If the answer is "yes" does anybody know where I could ask for this
SV> association for Burbank and Cleveland?
SV> 3. I have the following address >from 1949: Harry WAGNER, 4301 Woodland
SV> ave, Burbank CA.
SV> I don't know the birth date, date of immigration of Harry WAGNER. I
SV> only know that he was >from Sighet (Hungary/Romania), that his
SV> occupation was "barber" and he also had a brother Fully (?) WAGNER who
SV> also was a "barber" and lived at the same period at: 810 Vincent Ave,
SV> Cleveland, OH

--
Chaim Frenkel Nonlinear Knowledge, Inc.
chaimf@... +1-718-236-0183

Try the california death records at rootsweb.

http://userdb.rootsweb.com/ca/death/search.cgi

(I found 52 Harry Wagner, most were born in US a few have no birth location)

Or
http://searches.rootsweb.com/

for the master index.

In New York City, one has to be licensed to practice as a barber. This
is probably the same in other states and even that far back.

Doing a web search for "barber license california" turned up:
http://commerce.ca.gov
Which appears to be the licensing agency in california

Their address is (>from the web page)

Calfornia Technology, Trade and Commerce Agency
801 K Street, Suite 1918
Sacramento, CA 95814
(916) 322-1394
FAX (916) 322-3559

<chaim>

"SV" == Susanna Vendel <susanna.vendel@...> writes:

SV> I need help to find an answer on the following questions:
SV> 1. is the occupation "barber/tonsor" called "barber" in English?
SV> 2. if a person had a "barber shop" in Burbank CA, or Cleveland, OH ca
SV> 1930 was he member of an organisation?
SV> If the answer is "yes" does anybody know where I could ask for this
SV> association for Burbank and Cleveland?
SV> 3. I have the following address >from 1949: Harry WAGNER, 4301 Woodland
SV> ave, Burbank CA.
SV> I don't know the birth date, date of immigration of Harry WAGNER. I
SV> only know that he was >from Sighet (Hungary/Romania), that his
SV> occupation was "barber" and he also had a brother Fully (?) WAGNER who
SV> also was a "barber" and lived at the same period at: 810 Vincent Ave,
SV> Cleveland, OH

--
Chaim Frenkel Nonlinear Knowledge, Inc.
chaimf@... +1-718-236-0183

Hi all! Is there anyone who would be willing to take a 35 mm photograph of
my grandfather's brother's gravestone at Mt. Zion cemetery in Maspeth
(Queens?). Please reply privately.

Thanks in advance.

Sincerely,
Denise Azbill
Las Vegas, NV

Hi all! Is there anyone who would be willing to take a 35 mm photograph of
my grandfather's brother's gravestone at Mt. Zion cemetery in Maspeth
(Queens?). Please reply privately.

Thanks in advance.

Sincerely,
Denise Azbill
Las Vegas, NV