Trying to update a family tree on the Sternhel family originally from
Lesko which includes Rav Yitzchak Sternhel of Baltimore, died in
1914. He had five children including Rav BenZion Wachsman.
Neil Rosenstein

MODERATOR NOTE: Private responses only, please

Trying to update a family tree on the Sternhel family originally from
Lesko which includes Rav Yitzchak Sternhel of Baltimore, died in
1914. He had five children including Rav BenZion Wachsman.
Neil Rosenstein

MODERATOR NOTE: Private responses only, please

Dear JewishGendom,
I am having trouble searching for the parents and possible siblings of a Samuel
Abramowitz who lived in the New York City area before he passed away in 1982 ~ but
my main problem is not his last name but rather the accuracy of the information I
have as to where he may or may not have been born. >from his marriage license, his
death certificate, and the Social Security Death Index, I started with the
following initial data:

The parents of this Samuel Abramowitz were Morris Abramowitz and Sarah
Abramowitz. He was born either Dec. 6, 1895 in New York (Death Certificate), or
Dec. 14, 1898 in Manhattan (Marriage License Application), or 4 Dec 1898 (Social
Security Death Index).

I have searched repeatedly for him on the US Census, but whenever I find a
Sam/Samuel Abramowitz candidate with the right first named parents, and the right
birth year range -- he turns out to be listed as being born in Russia, not the US.
The main candidate here who turns up on the 1905 NY State Census, 1910 Census, and
1920 Census lived on Eldridge Street in Manhattan.

I have checked the NYC Birth Indexes at the NYC Municipal Archives but there is
no entry for a Sam/Samuel Abramowitz (or "male" or "infant") born in Manhattan in
December 1898 listed there. (Though there is a Sam Abramowitz born in Brooklyn in
Dec 1898 but his parents turned out to have completely different first names.) I
have also searched through the NYC Birth Indexes for the years 1895-1898.

Recently I visited the NY Public Library at 42nd Street and combed through both
the 1900 Census Soundex for New York and the 1920 Census Soundex for New York but
I still can't find a Morris Abramowitz with a son named Sam born circa 1895-1898
who was born in the US.

Could it be possible that someone who came here when he was a baby might have
thought he was born in NY like his younger siblings, and not across the ocean like
his older siblings?

I look forward to your comments, advice, and suggestions. And if anyone might be
familiar with the family of this Samuel Abramowitz, born circa 1895-1898, (either
in NY or elsewhere like Russia or England), who lived in Queens, NY, before he
passed away in 1982, and who was the son of Morris and Sarah Abramowitz, I look
forward to hearing >from you.
Shalom,
Judi Langer-Surnamer Caplan
Long Beach, NY

Dear JewishGendom,
I am having trouble searching for the parents and possible siblings of a Samuel
Abramowitz who lived in the New York City area before he passed away in 1982 ~ but
my main problem is not his last name but rather the accuracy of the information I
have as to where he may or may not have been born. >from his marriage license, his
death certificate, and the Social Security Death Index, I started with the
following initial data:

The parents of this Samuel Abramowitz were Morris Abramowitz and Sarah
Abramowitz. He was born either Dec. 6, 1895 in New York (Death Certificate), or
Dec. 14, 1898 in Manhattan (Marriage License Application), or 4 Dec 1898 (Social
Security Death Index).

I have searched repeatedly for him on the US Census, but whenever I find a
Sam/Samuel Abramowitz candidate with the right first named parents, and the right
birth year range -- he turns out to be listed as being born in Russia, not the US.
The main candidate here who turns up on the 1905 NY State Census, 1910 Census, and
1920 Census lived on Eldridge Street in Manhattan.

I have checked the NYC Birth Indexes at the NYC Municipal Archives but there is
no entry for a Sam/Samuel Abramowitz (or "male" or "infant") born in Manhattan in
December 1898 listed there. (Though there is a Sam Abramowitz born in Brooklyn in
Dec 1898 but his parents turned out to have completely different first names.) I
have also searched through the NYC Birth Indexes for the years 1895-1898.

Recently I visited the NY Public Library at 42nd Street and combed through both
the 1900 Census Soundex for New York and the 1920 Census Soundex for New York but
I still can't find a Morris Abramowitz with a son named Sam born circa 1895-1898
who was born in the US.

Could it be possible that someone who came here when he was a baby might have
thought he was born in NY like his younger siblings, and not across the ocean like
his older siblings?

I look forward to your comments, advice, and suggestions. And if anyone might be
familiar with the family of this Samuel Abramowitz, born circa 1895-1898, (either
in NY or elsewhere like Russia or England), who lived in Queens, NY, before he
passed away in 1982, and who was the son of Morris and Sarah Abramowitz, I look
forward to hearing >from you.
Shalom,
Judi Langer-Surnamer Caplan
Long Beach, NY

Hi

I recognize that those of us in the United States expect others to respond
in English, but that is not the national language for the Ukraine or
Russia-Ukrainian or Russian is. Please stop sending me your responses in
Ukrainian or Russian. Instead put the response into Google translate or
another translate program and go >from there. Genealogists should be used to
receiving documents or responses in languages other than their native
tongues.


Jan Meisels Allen
Chairperson, IAJGS Public Records Access Monitoring Committee

Hi

I recognize that those of us in the United States expect others to respond
in English, but that is not the national language for the Ukraine or
Russia-Ukrainian or Russian is. Please stop sending me your responses in
Ukrainian or Russian. Instead put the response into Google translate or
another translate program and go >from there. Genealogists should be used to
receiving documents or responses in languages other than their native
tongues.


Jan Meisels Allen
Chairperson, IAJGS Public Records Access Monitoring Committee

Legislation regarding property claims by Holocaust survivors' heirs was
introduced in the Polish Sejm. The bill would preclude most heirs >from even
filing restitution claims in the first place-this affects both Jews and
non-Jewish Holocaust property owners. The legislation would serve as a
comprehensive national privatization law. As proposed it would bar all heirs
except spouses, children, and grandchildren >from making restitution claims.
Additionally, to have a claim accepted the person had to have Polish
residency at the time the property was seized and require claimants to be
Polish citizens today. This would exempt most Holocaust survivors and their
families, as they were not there due to Holocaust and not there when the
Soviets nationalized in the post-war years. For some it is near impossible
to obtain Polish birth certificates or other documentation attesting to
Polish citizenship.

The legislation also limits compensation to 20 percent of the property's
current market value in cash or vouchers, or 25 percent in government bonds.
Property not claimed within one year of the law's passage would be
transferred to the Polish government.

To read more about this and the history of property restitution attempts in
Poland see:
http://jewishweek.timesofisrael.com/pushback-on-proposed-polish-restitution-bill/
(MODERATOR: http://tinyurl.com/y82fv9om )

Please do not ask me any questions about this as I only have the information
within the article.

Jan Meisels Allen
Chairperson, IAJGS Public Records Access Monitoring Committee

Legislation regarding property claims by Holocaust survivors' heirs was
introduced in the Polish Sejm. The bill would preclude most heirs >from even
filing restitution claims in the first place-this affects both Jews and
non-Jewish Holocaust property owners. The legislation would serve as a
comprehensive national privatization law. As proposed it would bar all heirs
except spouses, children, and grandchildren >from making restitution claims.
Additionally, to have a claim accepted the person had to have Polish
residency at the time the property was seized and require claimants to be
Polish citizens today. This would exempt most Holocaust survivors and their
families, as they were not there due to Holocaust and not there when the
Soviets nationalized in the post-war years. For some it is near impossible
to obtain Polish birth certificates or other documentation attesting to
Polish citizenship.

The legislation also limits compensation to 20 percent of the property's
current market value in cash or vouchers, or 25 percent in government bonds.
Property not claimed within one year of the law's passage would be
transferred to the Polish government.

To read more about this and the history of property restitution attempts in
Poland see:
http://jewishweek.timesofisrael.com/pushback-on-proposed-polish-restitution-bill/
(MODERATOR: http://tinyurl.com/y82fv9om )

Please do not ask me any questions about this as I only have the information
within the article.

Jan Meisels Allen
Chairperson, IAJGS Public Records Access Monitoring Committee

I was contacted a few months ago by someone researching his grandmother,
Cywja MARDENFELD, who married Nachman PARDES, presumably in Toporow. Yet
another MARDENFELD or MARDERFELD line I cannot connect to the main tree!
Cywia and Nachman PARDES had two sons, Wolf and Morris, both born in
Toporow, who emigrated to NY. In 1920 Wolf applied for a passport to go
back to Toporow to distribute funds collected by the members of the First
Toporower Sick Benefit Society, to help the desperate Jews of Toporow and
their neighboring villages, who were literally barefoot, starving and
freezing to death. The State Department had to conduct an investigation
before issuing the passport to confirm the legitimacy of the proposed trip.
It is a fascinating, but harrowing, document to read. Additionally, many
families are mentioned in this passport application, both as members of the
Society and those supplying character references for Wolf PARDES. It really
is a historical document in and of itself, so I thought you would be
interested to read it, especially if you are researching Toporow, now
Toporiv Ukraine.

https://www.ancestry.com/interactive/1174/USM1490_1517-0364?pid=397594&backurl=http://search.ancestry.com/cgi-bin/sse.dll?indiv%3D1%26db%3DUSpassports%26h%3D397594%26tid%3D%26pid%3D%26usePUB%3Dtrue%26_phsrc%3DonQ5332%26_phstart%3DsuccessSource%26usePUBJs%3Dtrue%26rhSource%3D1411&treeid=&personid=&hintid=&usePUB=true&_phsrc=onQ5332&_phstart=successSource&usePUBJs=true#?imageId=USM1490_1517-0364
[or http://tinyurl.com/y75z46fo --Mod.]

Judith Elam
Kihei, HI
elamj@...

Researching: MARDENFELD, PARDES, SIEGEL, TENENBAUM - all >from Toporow.
WIENER and WEISS >from Kamionka Strumilowa.

MODERATOR: In order to view the pages to which the URL points, you must be a
member of ANcestry.com and signed into your account

I was contacted a few months ago by someone researching his grandmother,
Cywja MARDENFELD, who married Nachman PARDES, presumably in Toporow. Yet
another MARDENFELD or MARDERFELD line I cannot connect to the main tree!
Cywia and Nachman PARDES had two sons, Wolf and Morris, both born in
Toporow, who emigrated to NY. In 1920 Wolf applied for a passport to go
back to Toporow to distribute funds collected by the members of the First
Toporower Sick Benefit Society, to help the desperate Jews of Toporow and
their neighboring villages, who were literally barefoot, starving and
freezing to death. The State Department had to conduct an investigation
before issuing the passport to confirm the legitimacy of the proposed trip.
It is a fascinating, but harrowing, document to read. Additionally, many
families are mentioned in this passport application, both as members of the
Society and those supplying character references for Wolf PARDES. It really
is a historical document in and of itself, so I thought you would be
interested to read it, especially if you are researching Toporow, now
Toporiv Ukraine.

https://www.ancestry.com/interactive/1174/USM1490_1517-0364?pid=397594&backurl=http://search.ancestry.com/cgi-bin/sse.dll?indiv%3D1%26db%3DUSpassports%26h%3D397594%26tid%3D%26pid%3D%26usePUB%3Dtrue%26_phsrc%3DonQ5332%26_phstart%3DsuccessSource%26usePUBJs%3Dtrue%26rhSource%3D1411&treeid=&personid=&hintid=&usePUB=true&_phsrc=onQ5332&_phstart=successSource&usePUBJs=true#?imageId=USM1490_1517-0364
[or http://tinyurl.com/y75z46fo --Mod.]

Judith Elam
Kihei, HI
elamj@...

Researching: MARDENFELD, PARDES, SIEGEL, TENENBAUM - all >from Toporow.
WIENER and WEISS >from Kamionka Strumilowa.

MODERATOR: In order to view the pages to which the URL points, you must be a
member of ANcestry.com and signed into your account

Hello GerSIG,

I am seeking information on this man, the only son of Friedrich
(Federico) STEINMETZ (1891-1970) and Friedrich's first wife, Marie
Gertrud HIRSCH (1895-d. before 1928). Helmut' only full sister,
Berta Erika STEINMETZ (b. Breslau, 1918) was deported >from Breslau to
Izbica, Poland in 1942 and perished in the Shoah. Helmut' father,
Friedrich, was remarried before 1928 to Margarita (Grete) BERISCH
(1905-1970), and this couple had an only child, a daughter, Ruth
STEINMETZ (1928-1977) (married surname WARSCHAVER).

Friedrich STEINMETZ, his 2nd wife Grete, and his daughter Ruth
STEINMETZ were all officially deprived of their German nationality by
the Nazi regime, and ended up in Argentina (exact date unknown) where
they died and are buried in Buenos Aires. By 1960 (and certainly much
earlier), his son Helmut STEINMETZ was also living in Argentina, and
declared his Argentinian residence and nationality when he arrived on
a KLM flight in New York in 1960. He appears to have died in Buenos
Aires in 2005, burial place unknown. Helmut' daughter, Elizabeth
STEINMETZ, was living in Haifa, Israel in 1997 when she filed a "page
of Testimony" at the Yad Vashem for her aunt, Berta Erika STEINMETZ.
.

Recently, while researching Helmut STEINMETZ on Ancestry.ca, I found
an original birth registration in Breslau, dated 23 January, 1945, for
Hannelore Gisela STEINMETZ - parents Helmut STEINMETZ and Gertrud
BOSS. Of course, this Helmut may be a non-Jewish person bearing an
identical name, but it is tempting to "hope" this may be my person of
interest!

The known surname of Helmut STEINMETZ's maternal grandmother, Johanna
JUNKERMANN, is almost certainly not Jewish, and Helmut therefore would
not have been halakhically Jewish (though under Nazism's Nuremberg
laws, he would have been classified as a mischling of the first
degree). The family name of Gertrud BOSS (above) was quite common in
pre-war Breslau's Jewish Community - there are 26 of them in the ca.
1930 community directory - but if Gertrud was of Jewish descent and
survived in Breslau openly enough to have registered the birth of a
child in 1945, I would assume that she, like Helmut, was of mixed
Jewish-Gentile parentage.

My questions are the following:
(1) Can anyone supply more information
on Helmut STEINMETZ as identified in this message's subject line
(regardless of whether or not he was the man listed in 1945 as father
of baby Hannelore Gisela)?
(2) Why would a "mixed-race" couple living "below the radar" in 1945
Breslau have bothered to register the birth of their daughter?
(3) Why would Helmut have escaped arrest and
deportation, while his sister, Berta STEINMETZ, did not?

(4) Can anyone supply information on a Gertrud BOSS who lived in Breslau,
born ca. 1920? (5) Can anyone provide information concerning the husband
(surname: WARSCHAVER, first name unknown) and three WARSCHAVER
children of Ruth WARSCHAVER (nee STEINMETZ) who lived in Buenos Aires,
Argentina ca. 1960?

Any and all helpful info. or leads will be appreciated. I am slowly
making progress in my research on the Jewish grandfather of my friend,
Dr. Nicolas STEINMETZ of Montreal.

Robert Hutcheon (ID #541695), Saskatoon, Canada <rhutcheon@...>

PS: Does anyone know how to send a plain text email >from and iPad
running iOS 11.0.3? Thanks RH

Hello GerSIG,

I am seeking information on this man, the only son of Friedrich
(Federico) STEINMETZ (1891-1970) and Friedrich's first wife, Marie
Gertrud HIRSCH (1895-d. before 1928). Helmut' only full sister,
Berta Erika STEINMETZ (b. Breslau, 1918) was deported >from Breslau to
Izbica, Poland in 1942 and perished in the Shoah. Helmut' father,
Friedrich, was remarried before 1928 to Margarita (Grete) BERISCH
(1905-1970), and this couple had an only child, a daughter, Ruth
STEINMETZ (1928-1977) (married surname WARSCHAVER).

Friedrich STEINMETZ, his 2nd wife Grete, and his daughter Ruth
STEINMETZ were all officially deprived of their German nationality by
the Nazi regime, and ended up in Argentina (exact date unknown) where
they died and are buried in Buenos Aires. By 1960 (and certainly much
earlier), his son Helmut STEINMETZ was also living in Argentina, and
declared his Argentinian residence and nationality when he arrived on
a KLM flight in New York in 1960. He appears to have died in Buenos
Aires in 2005, burial place unknown. Helmut' daughter, Elizabeth
STEINMETZ, was living in Haifa, Israel in 1997 when she filed a "page
of Testimony" at the Yad Vashem for her aunt, Berta Erika STEINMETZ.
.

Recently, while researching Helmut STEINMETZ on Ancestry.ca, I found
an original birth registration in Breslau, dated 23 January, 1945, for
Hannelore Gisela STEINMETZ - parents Helmut STEINMETZ and Gertrud
BOSS. Of course, this Helmut may be a non-Jewish person bearing an
identical name, but it is tempting to "hope" this may be my person of
interest!

The known surname of Helmut STEINMETZ's maternal grandmother, Johanna
JUNKERMANN, is almost certainly not Jewish, and Helmut therefore would
not have been halakhically Jewish (though under Nazism's Nuremberg
laws, he would have been classified as a mischling of the first
degree). The family name of Gertrud BOSS (above) was quite common in
pre-war Breslau's Jewish Community - there are 26 of them in the ca.
1930 community directory - but if Gertrud was of Jewish descent and
survived in Breslau openly enough to have registered the birth of a
child in 1945, I would assume that she, like Helmut, was of mixed
Jewish-Gentile parentage.

My questions are the following:
(1) Can anyone supply more information
on Helmut STEINMETZ as identified in this message's subject line
(regardless of whether or not he was the man listed in 1945 as father
of baby Hannelore Gisela)?
(2) Why would a "mixed-race" couple living "below the radar" in 1945
Breslau have bothered to register the birth of their daughter?
(3) Why would Helmut have escaped arrest and
deportation, while his sister, Berta STEINMETZ, did not?

(4) Can anyone supply information on a Gertrud BOSS who lived in Breslau,
born ca. 1920? (5) Can anyone provide information concerning the husband
(surname: WARSCHAVER, first name unknown) and three WARSCHAVER
children of Ruth WARSCHAVER (nee STEINMETZ) who lived in Buenos Aires,
Argentina ca. 1960?

Any and all helpful info. or leads will be appreciated. I am slowly
making progress in my research on the Jewish grandfather of my friend,
Dr. Nicolas STEINMETZ of Montreal.

Robert Hutcheon (ID #541695), Saskatoon, Canada <rhutcheon@...>

PS: Does anyone know how to send a plain text email >from and iPad
running iOS 11.0.3? Thanks RH

I think it is probably a typo but Sidney says" their methods do not work
well when the numbers of passing between persons are 7 or more"

I think he means 7cM's or less of shared DNA.

Some feel that one should only really look at 10 and other at 20cM's.
Gedmatch uses 7cM's as cutoff for segments of DNA to consider.

It is also useful if one has Browser comparison to see if the segments that
match are in the same place on the same Chromosome. FTDNA allows you to
compare 5 tester's chromosomes in their Chromosome Browser and you can also
do this on Gedmatch.

Ancestry will report for example X number cM's shared over x number of
segments. FTDNA labels shared cM's and largest block.
Close relations such as siblings will share in the 1000's.

Arlene Beare

---
From: sachs@...
Date: Tue, 24 Oct 2017 13:16:17 -0400 (EDT)

...What the companies do in hoping to find
one matches, they look at total amount of common DNA, number of common
segments, and/or the length of the longest common segment. However for
endogamy population, like Ashkenazic Jewish community, their methods do not
work well when the numbers of passing between persons are 7 or more...

I think it is probably a typo but Sidney says" their methods do not work
well when the numbers of passing between persons are 7 or more"

I think he means 7cM's or less of shared DNA.

Some feel that one should only really look at 10 and other at 20cM's.
Gedmatch uses 7cM's as cutoff for segments of DNA to consider.

It is also useful if one has Browser comparison to see if the segments that
match are in the same place on the same Chromosome. FTDNA allows you to
compare 5 tester's chromosomes in their Chromosome Browser and you can also
do this on Gedmatch.

Ancestry will report for example X number cM's shared over x number of
segments. FTDNA labels shared cM's and largest block.
Close relations such as siblings will share in the 1000's.

Arlene Beare

---
From: sachs@...
Date: Tue, 24 Oct 2017 13:16:17 -0400 (EDT)

...What the companies do in hoping to find
one matches, they look at total amount of common DNA, number of common
segments, and/or the length of the longest common segment. However for
endogamy population, like Ashkenazic Jewish community, their methods do not
work well when the numbers of passing between persons are 7 or more...

Is it worthwhile to submit your DNA to Promethease or Vitagene to get a
DNA related health report?

Thanks,
Paula Blank

MODERATOR NOTE: Please reply privately. Discussions of medical applications
of DNA testing and reviews of such services are beyond the scope of this
list.

Is it worthwhile to submit your DNA to Promethease or Vitagene to get a
DNA related health report?

Thanks,
Paula Blank

MODERATOR NOTE: Please reply privately. Discussions of medical applications
of DNA testing and reviews of such services are beyond the scope of this
list.

The Obermayer Foundation is pleased to announce the winners of the 2018
Obermayer German Jewish History Awards.  They are:

* Karl and Hanna Britz (Kehl, Baden-Württemberg)
* The Joseph Gruppe (Berlin)
* Volker Mall and Harald Roth (Herrenberg, Baden-Württemberg
* Horst Moog (Hamm/Sieg, North Rhine-Westphalia)
* Brunhilde Stürmer (Niederzissen, Rhineland-Palatinate)

A Distinguished Service Award will be presented to Margot Friedlaender
of Berlin.

The award ceremony will take place on January 22, 2018 in the plenary
chamber of the Berlin Parliament.

The awardees were selected >from among one of the largest and finest pool
of nominations of individuals and groups ever submitted. We thank the
nominators for their efforts, and encourage those who were unsuccessful
to reapply next year.

The Obermayer German Jewish History Awards are co-sponsored by Obermayer
Foundation, the Berlin Parliament, GerSIG, and the Leo Baeck Institute. 
For more information, please visit http://www.obermayer.us/award.

Karen S. Franklin, President, Obermayer German Jewish History Awards
Dedham, Mass., USA obermayer@...

The Obermayer Foundation is pleased to announce the winners of the 2018
Obermayer German Jewish History Awards.  They are:

* Karl and Hanna Britz (Kehl, Baden-Württemberg)
* The Joseph Gruppe (Berlin)
* Volker Mall and Harald Roth (Herrenberg, Baden-Württemberg
* Horst Moog (Hamm/Sieg, North Rhine-Westphalia)
* Brunhilde Stürmer (Niederzissen, Rhineland-Palatinate)

A Distinguished Service Award will be presented to Margot Friedlaender
of Berlin.

The award ceremony will take place on January 22, 2018 in the plenary
chamber of the Berlin Parliament.

The awardees were selected >from among one of the largest and finest pool
of nominations of individuals and groups ever submitted. We thank the
nominators for their efforts, and encourage those who were unsuccessful
to reapply next year.

The Obermayer German Jewish History Awards are co-sponsored by Obermayer
Foundation, the Berlin Parliament, GerSIG, and the Leo Baeck Institute. 
For more information, please visit http://www.obermayer.us/award.

Karen S. Franklin, President, Obermayer German Jewish History Awards
Dedham, Mass., USA obermayer@...

Dear fellow researchers
I have just learned that in the 1920's many of my Wallach family members
left Lipkani and other Bessarabian shtetls and moved to Colombia South
America. Has anyone done any research on this immigration journey? I
am wondering if they chose Colombia instead of the United States because
of the U.S. restrictive immigration laws? I was also wondering if anyone
can recommend any articles or books about Jewish migration to
South America?
Thank you.
Marilyn Levinson
Spring Lake NC

Dear fellow researchers
I have just learned that in the 1920's many of my Wallach family members
left Lipkani and other Bessarabian shtetls and moved to Colombia South
America. Has anyone done any research on this immigration journey? I
am wondering if they chose Colombia instead of the United States because
of the U.S. restrictive immigration laws? I was also wondering if anyone
can recommend any articles or books about Jewish migration to
South America?
Thank you.
Marilyn Levinson
Spring Lake NC