The International Institute for Jewish Genealogy and Paul Jacobi
Center opened this week. Located at the Jewish National and
University Library at Givat Ram, Jerusalem, the new Institute, a
non-profit organization, has two main aims: (1) to engage in Jewish
genealogical research and teaching at the university level and (2)
to make Jewish Genealogy a recognized academic discipline within the
realm of Jewish Studies.

The Institute is the only one of its kind in the Jewish world. It
plans to operate on an interdisciplinary basis and also in a
collaborative way with organizations engaged in aspects of Jewish
genealogy. It will put a premium on innovative programs and projects
of practical benefit to individual family historians.

Its establishment is the result of efforts over the last two years
of an international Founding Committee, headed by Sallyann Sack, of
Washington, DC. and Yosef Lamdan of Israel. Lamdan, a former Israeli
ambassador to the Vatican, has been appointed as Director of the
Institute.

One of its first projects is an academic symposium to be held in
Jerusalem in September with a view to setting research and teaching
priorities for the new Institute. Experts >from the academic and
genealogical world will be presenting papers.

Its e-mail address is info@IIJG.com.

Gary Mokotoff
Member of Founding Committee

The International Institute for Jewish Genealogy and Paul Jacobi
Center opened this week. Located at the Jewish National and
University Library at Givat Ram, Jerusalem, the new Institute, a
non-profit organization, has two main aims: (1) to engage in Jewish
genealogical research and teaching at the university level and (2)
to make Jewish Genealogy a recognized academic discipline within the
realm of Jewish Studies.

The Institute is the only one of its kind in the Jewish world. It
plans to operate on an interdisciplinary basis and also in a
collaborative way with organizations engaged in aspects of Jewish
genealogy. It will put a premium on innovative programs and projects
of practical benefit to individual family historians.

Its establishment is the result of efforts over the last two years
of an international Founding Committee, headed by Sallyann Sack, of
Washington, DC. and Yosef Lamdan of Israel. Lamdan, a former Israeli
ambassador to the Vatican, has been appointed as Director of the
Institute.

One of its first projects is an academic symposium to be held in
Jerusalem in September with a view to setting research and teaching
priorities for the new Institute. Experts >from the academic and
genealogical world will be presenting papers.

Its e-mail address is info@IIJG.com.

Gary Mokotoff
Member of Founding Committee

Dear friends,

How can I find my links to my GGGG fathers: Shach, Meginei
Shlomo-Pnei Yehoshua, Chacham Tzvi? They are >from the side of
my father Moshe Tzvi MANDELBOIM ben Aharon Joseph ben Shmuel,
of Krakow.

Thanks,

Dr. Pnina Meislish
Jerusalem

Dear friends,

How can I find my links to my GGGG fathers: Shach, Meginei
Shlomo-Pnei Yehoshua, Chacham Tzvi? They are >from the side of
my father Moshe Tzvi MANDELBOIM ben Aharon Joseph ben Shmuel,
of Krakow.

Thanks,

Dr. Pnina Meislish
Jerusalem

The International Institute for Jewish Genealogy and Paul Jacobi Center
opened this week. Located at the Jewish National and University Library at
Givat Ram, Jerusalem, the new Institute, a non-profit organization, has two
main aims: (1) to engage in Jewish genealogical research and teaching at the
university level and (2) to make Jewish Genealogy a recognized academic
discipline within the realm of Jewish Studies.

The Institute is the only one of its kind in the Jewish world. It plans to
operate on an interdisciplinary basis and also in a collaborative way with
organizations engaged in aspects of Jewish genealogy. It will put a premium
on innovative programs and projects of practical benefit to individual
family historians.

Its establishment is the result of efforts over the last two years of an
international Founding Committee, headed by Sallyann Sack, of Washington,
DC. and Yosef Lamdan of Israel. Lamdan, a former Israeli ambassador to the
Vatican, has been appointed as Director of the Institute.

One of its first projects is an academic symposium to be held in Jerusalem
in September with a view to setting research and teaching priorities for the
new Institute. Experts >from the academic and genealogical world will be
presenting papers.

Its e-mail address is info@IIJG.com.

Gary Mokotoff
Member of Founding Committee

The International Institute for Jewish Genealogy and Paul Jacobi Center
opened this week. Located at the Jewish National and University Library at
Givat Ram, Jerusalem, the new Institute, a non-profit organization, has two
main aims: (1) to engage in Jewish genealogical research and teaching at the
university level and (2) to make Jewish Genealogy a recognized academic
discipline within the realm of Jewish Studies.

The Institute is the only one of its kind in the Jewish world. It plans to
operate on an interdisciplinary basis and also in a collaborative way with
organizations engaged in aspects of Jewish genealogy. It will put a premium
on innovative programs and projects of practical benefit to individual
family historians.

Its establishment is the result of efforts over the last two years of an
international Founding Committee, headed by Sallyann Sack, of Washington,
DC. and Yosef Lamdan of Israel. Lamdan, a former Israeli ambassador to the
Vatican, has been appointed as Director of the Institute.

One of its first projects is an academic symposium to be held in Jerusalem
in September with a view to setting research and teaching priorities for the
new Institute. Experts >from the academic and genealogical world will be
presenting papers.

Its e-mail address is info@IIJG.com.

Gary Mokotoff
Member of Founding Committee

Dear All,

Is there anyone who knows the French-names for
SCHORNSHEIM and FRIESENHEIM during the occupation of
the Rhineland 1792?

Thanks in advance.

Hanna Goldmann, Germany

Dear All,

Is there anyone who knows the French-names for
SCHORNSHEIM and FRIESENHEIM during the occupation of
the Rhineland 1792?

Thanks in advance.

Hanna Goldmann, Germany

In 1000 years, you have many, many Nth great grandparents - more than there
were Jews in Western Europe. We see that in the prevalence of certain
genetic diseases which are amazingly prevalent in the Ashkenazi Jews. We
see that in DNA research. And this is based in theory as well, as we have
talked about on Jewishgen several times before.

The fact is, Ashkenazi Jews are probably all descended >from Rashi if any one
of us is. Perhaps the Jaffe family remembers the family descent that many
others don't. But that is the problem with much of DNA used for genealogy
purposes; if you aren't fourth cousins to someone that you think you might
be related, the DNA tests can tell you whether your father's father's
father's...father or mother's mother' mother's...mother was or was not the
same, but there are other ancestors of the same degree. If the DNA test for
your paternal line say you aren't fifth cousins with somebody, that does not
mean you aren't related in another line, or that you are not sixth or
seventh cousins.

What happens is this: On my Sephardic line, I found who I thought was a
20th cousin! Amazing, here was somebody who had my same ancestor who lived
in 1600! We traded Gedcom files, and, surprise, we are 5th cousins in
another line.

Among the Sephardi, it is much easier to trace distant cousins because they
had family names much earlier, and in some places the records are very good.
But that doesn't mean that genetics and relationships work differently in
the Sephardi than in the Ashkenazi. I always write and tell somebody that
is thinking about a DNA test to see if another person of the X family >from a
certain area is really related: "If you aren't 4th cousins in the
all-paternal line (where the surname was handed down), you are certainly 5th
or so cousins and cousins in other lines. If a person wants to do a DNA
test, I think that they should know that a negative result doesn't exclude
much, simply one ancestral line to some degree.

In Rashi's case, there is no chance to test your father's father's father's
line, as Rashi had no sons. You might test to see if your mother's mother's
mother's...line is related by Rashi's wife (assuming there was only one,
which might well not be true). And that would be only the all-maternal line
that was tested.

Sally Bruckheimer
Bridgewater, NJ

In 1000 years, you have many, many Nth great grandparents - more than there
were Jews in Western Europe. We see that in the prevalence of certain
genetic diseases which are amazingly prevalent in the Ashkenazi Jews. We
see that in DNA research. And this is based in theory as well, as we have
talked about on Jewishgen several times before.

The fact is, Ashkenazi Jews are probably all descended >from Rashi if any one
of us is. Perhaps the Jaffe family remembers the family descent that many
others don't. But that is the problem with much of DNA used for genealogy
purposes; if you aren't fourth cousins to someone that you think you might
be related, the DNA tests can tell you whether your father's father's
father's...father or mother's mother' mother's...mother was or was not the
same, but there are other ancestors of the same degree. If the DNA test for
your paternal line say you aren't fifth cousins with somebody, that does not
mean you aren't related in another line, or that you are not sixth or
seventh cousins.

What happens is this: On my Sephardic line, I found who I thought was a
20th cousin! Amazing, here was somebody who had my same ancestor who lived
in 1600! We traded Gedcom files, and, surprise, we are 5th cousins in
another line.

Among the Sephardi, it is much easier to trace distant cousins because they
had family names much earlier, and in some places the records are very good.
But that doesn't mean that genetics and relationships work differently in
the Sephardi than in the Ashkenazi. I always write and tell somebody that
is thinking about a DNA test to see if another person of the X family >from a
certain area is really related: "If you aren't 4th cousins in the
all-paternal line (where the surname was handed down), you are certainly 5th
or so cousins and cousins in other lines. If a person wants to do a DNA
test, I think that they should know that a negative result doesn't exclude
much, simply one ancestral line to some degree.

In Rashi's case, there is no chance to test your father's father's father's
line, as Rashi had no sons. You might test to see if your mother's mother's
mother's...line is related by Rashi's wife (assuming there was only one,
which might well not be true). And that would be only the all-maternal line
that was tested.

Sally Bruckheimer
Bridgewater, NJ

Shalom all Jewish-Genners: I have been researching for the Romanian Shtetl
where my GGF & GGM is originally from. Finally, with the help of a
Ancestry.com and an assistant in the Toledo-Lucas County Library - Local
History & Genealogy Dept., we located the Shtetl-Village name Hunbany,
Romania. I have also tried to find this Shtetl on a map with no success. Is
there someone in either JewishGen or ROM-SIG that would be able to find this
Shtetl on a map?? Please answere to me personally and I thank you.
Albert BROOKENTHAL
Toledo, Ohio - U.S.A.
albert @ accesstoledo.com

Shalom all Jewish-Genners: I have been researching for the Romanian Shtetl
where my GGF & GGM is originally from. Finally, with the help of a
Ancestry.com and an assistant in the Toledo-Lucas County Library - Local
History & Genealogy Dept., we located the Shtetl-Village name Hunbany,
Romania. I have also tried to find this Shtetl on a map with no success. Is
there someone in either JewishGen or ROM-SIG that would be able to find this
Shtetl on a map?? Please answere to me personally and I thank you.
Albert BROOKENTHAL
Toledo, Ohio - U.S.A.
albert @ accesstoledo.com

Conservationists have developed non-mechanical ways to play
back phonograph records that are too fragile to play mechanically.
Some use laser and optical techniques to photograph the grooves
and then reconstruct the sound. You can find details on one such
project at http://www.eif.ch/visualaudio/

I hope that help, Jeff Hecht

Varda Epstein wrote:

Conservationists have developed non-mechanical ways to play
back phonograph records that are too fragile to play mechanically.
Some use laser and optical techniques to photograph the grooves
and then reconstruct the sound. You can find details on one such
project at http://www.eif.ch/visualaudio/

I hope that help, Jeff Hecht

Varda Epstein wrote:

When Lee Nydell asked about the monetary value of 1460
Lithuanian groshes (coins) in 1626 [was it a little or
a lot of money?] my immediate reaction was that it was
a small sum. But how wrong can one be?

The term groschen [Austria] today generally signifies
a trifle. However if you read German you see that the
groschen has under gone a complete sea change >from a
valuable coin in 1271 when it was first introduced
[being derived >from gross=thick, ultimately >from the
Latin] to a trifling value when it was one hundreth of
an Austrian Schilling in the 1920s. An Austrian
Schilling was not worth that much either so you can
see a groschen is a small coin like a penny, cent or
sous: http://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Groschen

In 1626, groschen/groshe must have been worth
considerably more. In fact here we have an indication
of how much this was: "In 1514 {the Jews of Pinsk]
were included in the confirmation of privileges ......
of Lithuania by King Sigismund, whereby ....freed from
special military duties and taxes and placed on an
equality, ..... with the other inhabitants of the
land..... They were included among the Jewish
communities of Lithuania upon which a tax of 1,000 kop
groschen was imposed by the king in 1529, the entire
sum to be subject to a pro rata contribution
determined upon by the communities."

see: http://www.jewishgen.org/belarus/je_pinsk.htm

I have just read this amusing account of the coin and
its history vis-a-vis the rouble and yiddish
vernacular:

http://www.jewishgen.org/yizkor/yampol/yam090.html

There were even silver groschen in Prussia - which
attests to their higher status. For the value of
silver groschen see:

http://www.jewishgen.org/Yizkor/Sosnowiec/Sos273.html

These types of currency conversions are notoriously
difficult unless we have precise data on average
earnings in that area and in that era. Hopefully
someone, somewhere has the missing link.

Celia Male [U.K.]

Footnote: In the General Discussion Group archives I
found an unanswered question in 1997: "Does anyone
have any suggestions as to how I can determine the
present dollar value of the 1827 Polish gilden and
groschen?"

But in this question today, we are going even further
back, namely to Lithuania in 1626 - **help**. CM

When Lee Nydell asked about the monetary value of 1460
Lithuanian groshes (coins) in 1626 [was it a little or
a lot of money?] my immediate reaction was that it was
a small sum. But how wrong can one be?

The term groschen [Austria] today generally signifies
a trifle. However if you read German you see that the
groschen has under gone a complete sea change >from a
valuable coin in 1271 when it was first introduced
[being derived >from gross=thick, ultimately >from the
Latin] to a trifling value when it was one hundreth of
an Austrian Schilling in the 1920s. An Austrian
Schilling was not worth that much either so you can
see a groschen is a small coin like a penny, cent or
sous: http://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Groschen

In 1626, groschen/groshe must have been worth
considerably more. In fact here we have an indication
of how much this was: "In 1514 {the Jews of Pinsk]
were included in the confirmation of privileges ......
of Lithuania by King Sigismund, whereby ....freed from
special military duties and taxes and placed on an
equality, ..... with the other inhabitants of the
land..... They were included among the Jewish
communities of Lithuania upon which a tax of 1,000 kop
groschen was imposed by the king in 1529, the entire
sum to be subject to a pro rata contribution
determined upon by the communities."

see: http://www.jewishgen.org/belarus/je_pinsk.htm

I have just read this amusing account of the coin and
its history vis-a-vis the rouble and yiddish
vernacular:

http://www.jewishgen.org/yizkor/yampol/yam090.html

There were even silver groschen in Prussia - which
attests to their higher status. For the value of
silver groschen see:

http://www.jewishgen.org/Yizkor/Sosnowiec/Sos273.html

These types of currency conversions are notoriously
difficult unless we have precise data on average
earnings in that area and in that era. Hopefully
someone, somewhere has the missing link.

Celia Male [U.K.]

Footnote: In the General Discussion Group archives I
found an unanswered question in 1997: "Does anyone
have any suggestions as to how I can determine the
present dollar value of the 1827 Polish gilden and
groschen?"

But in this question today, we are going even further
back, namely to Lithuania in 1626 - **help**. CM

I am looking for family SINGER, they are my mother's perants and I do not
know too much about them. To the best of my knowledge they were both born in
cc. My grand father died there no date is available, my grand mother made it to
Israel where she died.
If anyone knows any thing about them or if the know where I could begin to
look for them I would very great full.

Dan Huth
Cedarhurst, Long Island, New York
USA

I am looking for family SINGER, they are my mother's perants and I do not
know too much about them. To the best of my knowledge they were both born in
cc. My grand father died there no date is available, my grand mother made it to
Israel where she died.
If anyone knows any thing about them or if the know where I could begin to
look for them I would very great full.

Dan Huth
Cedarhurst, Long Island, New York
USA

)

Can anyone tell me if this was a little or a lot of money in 1626?

A Groshen is equal to about one cent. They sent approximately $146
dollars. Just guessing, but I would say that the amount was significant in
1600s. Probably equal to a couple of million in today's money.
Larry Gaum
MODERATOR NOTE: Please sign future messages with your location.

)

Can anyone tell me if this was a little or a lot of money in 1626?

A Groshen is equal to about one cent. They sent approximately $146
dollars. Just guessing, but I would say that the amount was significant in
1600s. Probably equal to a couple of million in today's money.
Larry Gaum
MODERATOR NOTE: Please sign future messages with your location.