Genners

I would appreciate help with the translation of a short portion of a
Manifest written in Swedish. It indicates a Louis Rubin traveling
through Goteber, Sweden in 1879. It may be viewed at
http://www.jewishgen.org/viewmate/viewmateview.asp?key=16315

Thank you
Stewart Bernstein

Researching >from Pultusk & Przasnysk/Pruznitz, Poland:
Niestempower, Karsch/Karas, Kierszenbaum, Domb, Dronzek, Zelkowitz,
Zylberberg, Blinkitny, Eichler, Bernstein (some Berns in the U.S./Chicago),
Najman/Neuman
Researching >from Warka/Vurka, Poland:
Karczewa/Karchova, Zelkowtiz

MODERATOR NOTE: Please reply privately or on the ViewMate response form.

Genners

I would appreciate help with the translation of a short portion of a
Manifest written in Swedish. It indicates a Louis Rubin traveling
through Goteber, Sweden in 1879. It may be viewed at
http://www.jewishgen.org/viewmate/viewmateview.asp?key=16315

Thank you
Stewart Bernstein

Researching >from Pultusk & Przasnysk/Pruznitz, Poland:
Niestempower, Karsch/Karas, Kierszenbaum, Domb, Dronzek, Zelkowitz,
Zylberberg, Blinkitny, Eichler, Bernstein (some Berns in the U.S./Chicago),
Najman/Neuman
Researching >from Warka/Vurka, Poland:
Karczewa/Karchova, Zelkowtiz

MODERATOR NOTE: Please reply privately or on the ViewMate response form.

Hi Naomi,

I think that you will find that most burial societies were created to help
people meet the costs of a funeral. Almost all members will have come,
originally, >from the poorer classes of immigrants and, by contributing a
small weekly sum, could ensure that their families were not burdened by the
costs involved.

In the UK especially, most burial societies are tied-in with a synagogue
and, in my experience, most synagogues will have insisted that its members
joined its burial society. In other words, you cannot have one without the
other.

The problem comes when a member of synagogue A wants to join synagogue B on
moving to a new location. It depends on whether synagogue A was a member of
a larger organisation, such as, in the UK, the United Synagogue, the
Federation of Synagogues, etc. Transferring between one and another has
often led to disagreements as to how the fees paid earlier should be treated
by the new synagogue.

I hope that this helps your investigations. I realise that in your case, in
the States, may be different.

Best wishes

David Nathan, London UK

Hi Naomi,

I think that you will find that most burial societies were created to help
people meet the costs of a funeral. Almost all members will have come,
originally, >from the poorer classes of immigrants and, by contributing a
small weekly sum, could ensure that their families were not burdened by the
costs involved.

In the UK especially, most burial societies are tied-in with a synagogue
and, in my experience, most synagogues will have insisted that its members
joined its burial society. In other words, you cannot have one without the
other.

The problem comes when a member of synagogue A wants to join synagogue B on
moving to a new location. It depends on whether synagogue A was a member of
a larger organisation, such as, in the UK, the United Synagogue, the
Federation of Synagogues, etc. Transferring between one and another has
often led to disagreements as to how the fees paid earlier should be treated
by the new synagogue.

I hope that this helps your investigations. I realise that in your case, in
the States, may be different.

Best wishes

David Nathan, London UK

Some answers to your questions can be found here:
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/08/03/nyregion/03bury.html

Some people joined a particular Landsmanschaften Society, not because it
represented their old home town, but because of practical reasons. They
had friends or other relatives who were members. They liked the social
activities. It was close to their new home, etc.

David Rosen
Boston, MA USA

Some answers to your questions can be found here:
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/08/03/nyregion/03bury.html

Some people joined a particular Landsmanschaften Society, not because it
represented their old home town, but because of practical reasons. They
had friends or other relatives who were members. They liked the social
activities. It was close to their new home, etc.

David Rosen
Boston, MA USA

Thanks for all the great responses. I've been given some information that
hopefully will lead me to the relatives I'm looking for. Lots of great people
on this list, Thanks very much. - Mark London

Thanks for all the great responses. I've been given some information that
hopefully will lead me to the relatives I'm looking for. Lots of great people
on this list, Thanks very much. - Mark London

Trying to find my wife's grandfather in 1888 Shargorod has proven to
be a great challenge, not only due to the transcontinental
transmutation of surnames and given names, the inconsistency of town
names in various political systems across history, and multiple
systems of language. Another perplexing aspect of identifying
ancestors among archived records is that of dates. So many of the
assumptions of the Gregorian calendar, confusing enough at times, are
not present in the lunisolar Hebrew and Soviet calendars, which add
many of their own other mechanisms and adjustments. My search of the
soc.genealogy.jewish archives reveals many posts on this topic,
although most seem to be in the late 1990s (unless the netgroup is
using the Igbo calendar system). There seem to be several factors to
be taken into account in converting dates >from Jewish Ukraine in the
late 1800s to modern day America. Wrote Daniel Vulkan in 1998: "a
number of extra adjustments need to be made to the Hebrew calendar
(adding or subtracting a day every few years, according to prescribed
rules), principally to ensure that certain festivals don't occur on
inconvenient days of the week." Wrote Steve Rabinowitz in 1998:
"There is always a 12 day difference >from the old Russian calendar to
ours. . ."

Ghidale Korenman, the grandfather in question, stated with consistency
in his immigration and military documents that he was born 1 Jan
1888. But a recent search of archival records in Vinnitsia (by a
Ukrainian schoolteacher I hired for that purpose) could not locate him
by that date; only one brother was found on the believed date of his
birth. Ghidale (who became George stateside) was known to have many
charming idiosyncrasies, and is thought to have acclimated but
marginally to many American customs (including the English
language). I find myself supposing that he was somewhat impatient
with clerks and bureaucrats, and that when asked his birthdate and
told "1 Tishrei 5648" would not be accepted, he might have exclaimed
"New Years 1888."

I imagine myself in a Shargorod shtetl and being asked my birthday.
My answer of April 3, 1957 brings confused looks. Unless I have
access to an online calendar converter (which, I assume, not even the
more affluent Jewish families had in 1921), I have a lot of math to do
to come up with 2 Nisan 5717. I almost certainly would guess, and I'm
beginning to suspect George did, too, in Philly in the early 1920s.
In support of this, I find that many of George's siblings gave
inconsistent dates for their own birthdates, dates of immigration, and
so on.

Yet another frustrating and fascinating complication. . .

Rees Chapman
Dahloenga, Georgia, USA

Trying to find my wife's grandfather in 1888 Shargorod has proven to
be a great challenge, not only due to the transcontinental
transmutation of surnames and given names, the inconsistency of town
names in various political systems across history, and multiple
systems of language. Another perplexing aspect of identifying
ancestors among archived records is that of dates. So many of the
assumptions of the Gregorian calendar, confusing enough at times, are
not present in the lunisolar Hebrew and Soviet calendars, which add
many of their own other mechanisms and adjustments. My search of the
soc.genealogy.jewish archives reveals many posts on this topic,
although most seem to be in the late 1990s (unless the netgroup is
using the Igbo calendar system). There seem to be several factors to
be taken into account in converting dates >from Jewish Ukraine in the
late 1800s to modern day America. Wrote Daniel Vulkan in 1998: "a
number of extra adjustments need to be made to the Hebrew calendar
(adding or subtracting a day every few years, according to prescribed
rules), principally to ensure that certain festivals don't occur on
inconvenient days of the week." Wrote Steve Rabinowitz in 1998:
"There is always a 12 day difference >from the old Russian calendar to
ours. . ."

Ghidale Korenman, the grandfather in question, stated with consistency
in his immigration and military documents that he was born 1 Jan
1888. But a recent search of archival records in Vinnitsia (by a
Ukrainian schoolteacher I hired for that purpose) could not locate him
by that date; only one brother was found on the believed date of his
birth. Ghidale (who became George stateside) was known to have many
charming idiosyncrasies, and is thought to have acclimated but
marginally to many American customs (including the English
language). I find myself supposing that he was somewhat impatient
with clerks and bureaucrats, and that when asked his birthdate and
told "1 Tishrei 5648" would not be accepted, he might have exclaimed
"New Years 1888."

I imagine myself in a Shargorod shtetl and being asked my birthday.
My answer of April 3, 1957 brings confused looks. Unless I have
access to an online calendar converter (which, I assume, not even the
more affluent Jewish families had in 1921), I have a lot of math to do
to come up with 2 Nisan 5717. I almost certainly would guess, and I'm
beginning to suspect George did, too, in Philly in the early 1920s.
In support of this, I find that many of George's siblings gave
inconsistent dates for their own birthdates, dates of immigration, and
so on.

Yet another frustrating and fascinating complication. . .

Rees Chapman
Dahloenga, Georgia, USA

Dear Friends interested in shtetls in the Ukraine--

I am honored to be the coordinator of the Kolki Yizkor Book Translation Project under the auspices of JewishGen, and we are pleased to begin fundraising for the translation. Kolki (Kolk in Yiddish) was a shtetl in the Volhynia province, 28 miles North/Northeast of Lutsk. Jewish communities have lived in Kolk at least since the late 16th century, until the Holocaust. In its history, Kolk has been part of Poland, Russia, and now is in the Ukraine (known as Kolky). But apart >from records that may exist in Polish archives, the only record of our Jewish ancestors in Kolk is a book written in Yiddish, Fun Ash Aroysgerufn (Summoned >from the Ashes). The book was written by Daniel Kac, published in Warsaw in 1983, and it has not yet been translated >from the original Yiddish. The book is 399 pages, and consists of 37 chapters. The book includes a hand-drawn map of Kolk and the surrounding region, and 28 photographs that include a Kolk shul, and various individual and group photographs of people >from Kolk. Translating this book will help us learn more about the shtetl of Kolk, its culture, and perhaps some of our ancestors.

I am also honored to work on this project with Andrew Katz, a member of the Kac family, who will be the editor and proofreader on the project. According to Mr. Katz, Daniel Kac's goal in writing the book "was to show that even >from a small town like Kolki there were quite a few Jews who participated in the underground armed resistance during the war. By implication he wanted to make a point that it is inaccurate to claim that Jews did not offer resistance to the Nazis and 'went to death like sheep to slaughter.'"

As you may know, JewishGen runs and has already completed a number of other Yizkor book translations. By having the translation project through JewishGen, the entire amount of any contribution will be used for paying the translator. Translation will begin once we have raised enough money for JewishGen to hire a translator, and will start with the table of contents and figure captions, and then will proceed with the text of the book. Please look at the JewishGen Yizkor Book website for donations:

http://www.jewishgen.org/JewishGen-erosity/v_projectslist.asp?project_cat=23

Scroll down to Kolki, Poland. In order to double check that your contributions are correctly credited to the Kolki account, please let me know when and the amount of your contribution. If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact me. I will keep you informed of our progress. If you know of others interested in Kolk, please let me know or share this message with them. Thank you!

Brian J. Reiser reiser@northwestern.edu
Evanston, Illinois

Dear Friends interested in shtetls in the Ukraine--

I am honored to be the coordinator of the Kolki Yizkor Book Translation Project under the auspices of JewishGen, and we are pleased to begin fundraising for the translation. Kolki (Kolk in Yiddish) was a shtetl in the Volhynia province, 28 miles North/Northeast of Lutsk. Jewish communities have lived in Kolk at least since the late 16th century, until the Holocaust. In its history, Kolk has been part of Poland, Russia, and now is in the Ukraine (known as Kolky). But apart >from records that may exist in Polish archives, the only record of our Jewish ancestors in Kolk is a book written in Yiddish, Fun Ash Aroysgerufn (Summoned >from the Ashes). The book was written by Daniel Kac, published in Warsaw in 1983, and it has not yet been translated >from the original Yiddish. The book is 399 pages, and consists of 37 chapters. The book includes a hand-drawn map of Kolk and the surrounding region, and 28 photographs that include a Kolk shul, and various individual and group photographs of people >from Kolk. Translating this book will help us learn more about the shtetl of Kolk, its culture, and perhaps some of our ancestors.

I am also honored to work on this project with Andrew Katz, a member of the Kac family, who will be the editor and proofreader on the project. According to Mr. Katz, Daniel Kac's goal in writing the book "was to show that even >from a small town like Kolki there were quite a few Jews who participated in the underground armed resistance during the war. By implication he wanted to make a point that it is inaccurate to claim that Jews did not offer resistance to the Nazis and 'went to death like sheep to slaughter.'"

As you may know, JewishGen runs and has already completed a number of other Yizkor book translations. By having the translation project through JewishGen, the entire amount of any contribution will be used for paying the translator. Translation will begin once we have raised enough money for JewishGen to hire a translator, and will start with the table of contents and figure captions, and then will proceed with the text of the book. Please look at the JewishGen Yizkor Book website for donations:

http://www.jewishgen.org/JewishGen-erosity/v_projectslist.asp?project_cat=23

Scroll down to Kolki, Poland. In order to double check that your contributions are correctly credited to the Kolki account, please let me know when and the amount of your contribution. If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact me. I will keep you informed of our progress. If you know of others interested in Kolk, please let me know or share this message with them. Thank you!

Brian J. Reiser reiser@northwestern.edu
Evanston, Illinois

Although I think I thanked all of you who wrote individually, I wanted
to make sure I didn't miss anyone. While not strictly a genealogical
question, the location and identity of iconic Jewish institutions, like
dairy restaurants, enlivens our understanding of the religious and
cultural landscape in which our ancestors lived. I was delighted to
find Allen Meyer's book about Jewish South Philadelphia, and the
section devoted to kosher and dairy restaurants clustered around Jewish
residential hubs in South Philadelphia.

For those who might be interested, candidates for my mystery restaurant
on Broad Street opposite the Academy of Music were: The Blintza, at
Broad on Spruce Street, Bain's Delicatessan, on Broad Street, and
Uhr's, which Meyer says was on Fifth Street, below South.

Miriam Camitta
Wynnewood, PA
BASSEIN, KAGAN/COHEN, MOLLOT, Minsk

Although I think I thanked all of you who wrote individually, I wanted
to make sure I didn't miss anyone. While not strictly a genealogical
question, the location and identity of iconic Jewish institutions, like
dairy restaurants, enlivens our understanding of the religious and
cultural landscape in which our ancestors lived. I was delighted to
find Allen Meyer's book about Jewish South Philadelphia, and the
section devoted to kosher and dairy restaurants clustered around Jewish
residential hubs in South Philadelphia.

For those who might be interested, candidates for my mystery restaurant
on Broad Street opposite the Academy of Music were: The Blintza, at
Broad on Spruce Street, Bain's Delicatessan, on Broad Street, and
Uhr's, which Meyer says was on Fifth Street, below South.

Miriam Camitta
Wynnewood, PA
BASSEIN, KAGAN/COHEN, MOLLOT, Minsk

I don't know what Sasfra might be. It sounds like it may be
connected to safira (sapphire) or safran (saffron), both of which
have biblical origins, and have been used as Jewish names.

Ceral might be Srul, a nickname for Yisrael, (i.e. Israel).

Shalama is probably Shlomo (Solomon).

....... tom klein, toronto

I don't know what Sasfra might be. It sounds like it may be
connected to safira (sapphire) or safran (saffron), both of which
have biblical origins, and have been used as Jewish names.

Ceral might be Srul, a nickname for Yisrael, (i.e. Israel).

Shalama is probably Shlomo (Solomon).

....... tom klein, toronto

Hi all,
I would like to talk to anyone who descends >from any
MANDELBAUM/MANDELBOIM/similar spellings >from the region of Radom.
My Mandelbaums might have come >from Gniewoszow, Granica, Kozienice,
Zwolen, but these are mostly guesses.
I am particularly interested in families settled in this region in
between 1790-1860.

Thanks in advance,
Avraham Yehoshua Kahana
Israel

KAHANA/KANO/KAN/KON/KANE, MANDELBAUM, FINKELSZTEJN, GROJNEM [Zychlin,
Wiskitki, Gniewoszow, Granica, Kozienice, Gora Kalwaria],
SOCHACZEWSKI, LANGNAS [Lodz], FRYDLAND, SZCZUCINER [Wyszogrod,Lowicz,
Warszawa, Lodz], LEWINSZTEJN [Grojec, Wiskitki], MILLER, CHERSZKOWICZ,
KREL [Lowicz] SKROBEK [Zychlin], AJZENBERG, TABACZNIK, SWIRCZ,
MAJERSDORF [Wyszogrod], HORCHSTEIN [Warszawa],CUKIERKORN

Hi all,
I would like to talk to anyone who descends >from any
MANDELBAUM/MANDELBOIM/similar spellings >from the region of Radom.
My Mandelbaums might have come >from Gniewoszow, Granica, Kozienice,
Zwolen, but these are mostly guesses.
I am particularly interested in families settled in this region in
between 1790-1860.

Thanks in advance,
Avraham Yehoshua Kahana
Israel

KAHANA/KANO/KAN/KON/KANE, MANDELBAUM, FINKELSZTEJN, GROJNEM [Zychlin,
Wiskitki, Gniewoszow, Granica, Kozienice, Gora Kalwaria],
SOCHACZEWSKI, LANGNAS [Lodz], FRYDLAND, SZCZUCINER [Wyszogrod,Lowicz,
Warszawa, Lodz], LEWINSZTEJN [Grojec, Wiskitki], MILLER, CHERSZKOWICZ,
KREL [Lowicz] SKROBEK [Zychlin], AJZENBERG, TABACZNIK, SWIRCZ,
MAJERSDORF [Wyszogrod], HORCHSTEIN [Warszawa],CUKIERKORN

Dear Friends,

Our latest volunteer spotlight has been published on the blog. This
month we honor Barbara Ellman, JewishGen's Technical Coordinator for
ShtetLinks. Please visit www.JewishGen.blogspot.com to read the
complete profile and be sure to leave a note in the comments field
thanking Barbara for all of her hard work.

Kind regards,

Avraham

Avraham Groll
Administrator for JewishGen
Museum of Jewish Heritage - A Living Memorial to the Holocaust
36 Battery Place
New York, NY 10280
T 646.437.4326
F 646.437.4328
www.mjhnyc.org
agroll@mjhnyc.org

Dear Friends,

Our latest volunteer spotlight has been published on the blog. This
month we honor Barbara Ellman, JewishGen's Technical Coordinator for
ShtetLinks. Please visit www.JewishGen.blogspot.com to read the
complete profile and be sure to leave a note in the comments field
thanking Barbara for all of her hard work.

Kind regards,

Avraham

Avraham Groll
Administrator for JewishGen
Museum of Jewish Heritage - A Living Memorial to the Holocaust
36 Battery Place
New York, NY 10280
T 646.437.4326
F 646.437.4328
www.mjhnyc.org
agroll@mjhnyc.org