We are interested in having the chapter in the Pinkas HaKehillot,
Romania, volume 2 on Cluj translated. The chapter starts on page 243
of volume 2. You would have to have access to the volume. If you
can translate this chapter >from Hebrew to English, please contact me
privately.

The translation would be added to the Yizkor Book translations >from
Pinkas HaKehillot Romania. The index page for all translations is at
http://www.jewishgen.org/Yizkor/translations.html. The tables of
contents for the Romania volumes can be found at
http://www.jewishgen.org/Yizkor/pinkas_romania/pinkas_romania1.html
and
http://www.jewishgen.org/Yizkor/pinkas_romania/pinkas_romania2.html.

Cluj is known in Hungarian as Kolozsvar and in German as Klausenburg.

Joyce Field
JewishGen VP, Data Acquisition
jfield@jewishgen.org

We are interested in having the chapter in the Pinkas HaKehillot,
Romania, volume 2 on Cluj translated. The chapter starts on page 243
of volume 2. You would have to have access to the volume. If you
can translate this chapter >from Hebrew to English, please contact me
privately.

The translation would be added to the Yizkor Book translations >from
Pinkas HaKehillot Romania. The index page for all translations is at
http://www.jewishgen.org/Yizkor/translations.html. The tables of
contents for the Romania volumes can be found at
http://www.jewishgen.org/Yizkor/pinkas_romania/pinkas_romania1.html
and
http://www.jewishgen.org/Yizkor/pinkas_romania/pinkas_romania2.html.

Cluj is known in Hungarian as Kolozsvar and in German as Klausenburg.

Joyce Field
JewishGen VP, Data Acquisition
jfield@jewishgen.org

We are interested in having the chapter in the Pinkas HaKehillot,
Romania, volume 2 on Cluj translated. The chapter starts on page 243
of volume 2. You would have to have access to the volume. If you
can translate this chapter >from Hebrew to English, please contact me
privately.

The translation would be added to the Yizkor Book translations >from
Pinkas HaKehillot Romania. The index page for all translations is at
http://www.jewishgen.org/Yizkor/translations.html. The tables of
contents for the Romania volumes can be found at
http://www.jewishgen.org/Yizkor/pinkas_romania/pinkas_romania1.html
and
http://www.jewishgen.org/Yizkor/pinkas_romania/pinkas_romania2.html.

Cluj is known in Hungarian as Kolozsvar and in German as Klausenburg.

Joyce Field
JewishGen VP, Data Acquisition
jfield@jewishgen.org

We are interested in having the chapter in the Pinkas HaKehillot,
Romania, volume 2 on Cluj translated. The chapter starts on page 243
of volume 2. You would have to have access to the volume. If you
can translate this chapter >from Hebrew to English, please contact me
privately.

The translation would be added to the Yizkor Book translations >from
Pinkas HaKehillot Romania. The index page for all translations is at
http://www.jewishgen.org/Yizkor/translations.html. The tables of
contents for the Romania volumes can be found at
http://www.jewishgen.org/Yizkor/pinkas_romania/pinkas_romania1.html
and
http://www.jewishgen.org/Yizkor/pinkas_romania/pinkas_romania2.html.

Cluj is known in Hungarian as Kolozsvar and in German as Klausenburg.

Joyce Field
JewishGen VP, Data Acquisition
jfield@jewishgen.org

On 2006.01.27, "Stephen Rabinowitz" <srabinow@ix.netcom.com> wrote:

Shaya signed himself as "Shaya ben kavod haRav Rabbi Avraham
Abba." Shaya was in his 20s at the time. [...] Shaya was
the first in our family to use the surname RUBINOWICZ, having
earlier used the patronymic ABRAMOWICZ.

There are a lot of RABINOWITZs out there - in fact, if I'm not
mistaken almost every rabbi got the name when they gave out (or
took) family names. What interests me is the fact the the name
ABRAMOWITZ is also mentioned.

My family tree presumes that my maternal grandfather Chaim Yitzchak
ABRAMOWITZ was a descendant of Moshe of Kletzk who was also the
father of Reb Dovid of Novarodok whose son-in-law carried the family
name of RABINOWITZ.

I know that ABRAMOWITZ was probably just as common a Jewish name as
RABINOWITZ but the fact that the two names appear together seemed
interesting .

Can anyone shed any light on the above and/or connections to my
ABRAMOWITZ?

Shavua tov/a gutte voch

Yoni Ben-Ari, Efrat, Israel

On 2006.01.27, "Stephen Rabinowitz" <srabinow@ix.netcom.com> wrote:

Shaya signed himself as "Shaya ben kavod haRav Rabbi Avraham
Abba." Shaya was in his 20s at the time. [...] Shaya was
the first in our family to use the surname RUBINOWICZ, having
earlier used the patronymic ABRAMOWICZ.

There are a lot of RABINOWITZs out there - in fact, if I'm not
mistaken almost every rabbi got the name when they gave out (or
took) family names. What interests me is the fact the the name
ABRAMOWITZ is also mentioned.

My family tree presumes that my maternal grandfather Chaim Yitzchak
ABRAMOWITZ was a descendant of Moshe of Kletzk who was also the
father of Reb Dovid of Novarodok whose son-in-law carried the family
name of RABINOWITZ.

I know that ABRAMOWITZ was probably just as common a Jewish name as
RABINOWITZ but the fact that the two names appear together seemed
interesting .

Can anyone shed any light on the above and/or connections to my
ABRAMOWITZ?

Shavua tov/a gutte voch

Yoni Ben-Ari, Efrat, Israel

Although Hechaver means "the friend" in modern Hebrew usage, it can also
mean "member" of a society or party ("comrage". But none of this is relevant
to the use as a title on a tombstone.

It was used for persons considered to be particularly pious or worthy of
honour. It may have been used informally or in some communities conferred
ceremoniously. The later was the case recently in our synagogue in Petah
Tikvah where two long time members who had served the community were
ceremoniously conferred with the tile and presented with a certificate.

Although the title carries not Halachic significance, it is customary to
call such a person to the Torah as such and to enscribe it on his tombstone.

In some communities it is/was often used for a Chazan or lay official who
did not hold a rabbinical Semichah. I have seen cases of people who were
regarded and called orally "Rabbi" yet their tombstones bore the term
"Hechaver" indicating that they never received official ordination
(Semichah).

Much of the usage is very unofficial and firm conclusions should not be
drawn.

Chaim Freedman
Petah Tikvah, Israel
chaimjan@zahav.net.il

Although Hechaver means "the friend" in modern Hebrew usage, it can also
mean "member" of a society or party ("comrage". But none of this is relevant
to the use as a title on a tombstone.

It was used for persons considered to be particularly pious or worthy of
honour. It may have been used informally or in some communities conferred
ceremoniously. The later was the case recently in our synagogue in Petah
Tikvah where two long time members who had served the community were
ceremoniously conferred with the tile and presented with a certificate.

Although the title carries not Halachic significance, it is customary to
call such a person to the Torah as such and to enscribe it on his tombstone.

In some communities it is/was often used for a Chazan or lay official who
did not hold a rabbinical Semichah. I have seen cases of people who were
regarded and called orally "Rabbi" yet their tombstones bore the term
"Hechaver" indicating that they never received official ordination
(Semichah).

Much of the usage is very unofficial and firm conclusions should not be
drawn.

Chaim Freedman
Petah Tikvah, Israel
chaimjan@zahav.net.il

dear litvaksig members,

the title "hechaver" was -and is used not only on tombstones but also in
calling people up to the Torah.It is a title of respect to leaders or
respected elders---but especially used for scholars,learned members of
the community-TALMIDEY CHACHOMIM.It is more common in congregations
whose origin was in Germany-and in Anglo-Saxon congregations folowing
their custom-minhag.Among our Litvak and Russian and Poylisher ancestors
the term REB(i stress-not rav or rov or rabbi which refer to musmochim -
people with semicha-rabbinical ordination)was used.

In the Gemorreh-talmud and Mishne the term is mentioned dozens of times-
and thousands of years ago already signified a scholar or associate of
scholars.In Jastrows Talmudic Dictionary there are a number of such
references-in addition to our common modern meaning of "friend"or member
of a kibbutz or club or party or organisation (Unless stated as being a
chaver os unlikely to appear on a grave with such a meaning.)

To back up all i have written ,i refer anyone to the very large entry
in the Jewish Encyclopaedia under the entry""HAVER".

sincerely,Rabbi Menachem Mendal Katz.Israel.

Dear colleagues,

I am looking for the genealogical tree of Rabbi Pinkhas >from Korets.
Can anybody help me to find any sources for this searching? Please
respond to me private e-mail - alex.ks.ki@gmail.com

Thanks
Alex Kopelberg

dear litvaksig members,

the title "hechaver" was -and is used not only on tombstones but also in
calling people up to the Torah.It is a title of respect to leaders or
respected elders---but especially used for scholars,learned members of
the community-TALMIDEY CHACHOMIM.It is more common in congregations
whose origin was in Germany-and in Anglo-Saxon congregations folowing
their custom-minhag.Among our Litvak and Russian and Poylisher ancestors
the term REB(i stress-not rav or rov or rabbi which refer to musmochim -
people with semicha-rabbinical ordination)was used.

In the Gemorreh-talmud and Mishne the term is mentioned dozens of times-
and thousands of years ago already signified a scholar or associate of
scholars.In Jastrows Talmudic Dictionary there are a number of such
references-in addition to our common modern meaning of "friend"or member
of a kibbutz or club or party or organisation (Unless stated as being a
chaver os unlikely to appear on a grave with such a meaning.)

To back up all i have written ,i refer anyone to the very large entry
in the Jewish Encyclopaedia under the entry""HAVER".

sincerely,Rabbi Menachem Mendal Katz.Israel.

Dear colleagues,

I am looking for the genealogical tree of Rabbi Pinkhas >from Korets.
Can anybody help me to find any sources for this searching? Please
respond to me private e-mail - alex.ks.ki@gmail.com

Thanks
Alex Kopelberg

In Germany the title "HeChaver" (meaning "the friend" or "the member") was a
title of honor bestowed on stalwards of the community as a sign of
recogniton for services rendered.

Jonny Berkley
Israel

In Germany the title "HeChaver" (meaning "the friend" or "the member") was a
title of honor bestowed on stalwards of the community as a sign of
recogniton for services rendered.

Jonny Berkley
Israel

Hello all,

Thanks for all of the answers and all of the encouragement in this endeavor.
Since asking the question, I have also managed to contact quite a few
cousins on both of my parents' sides, and I'm getting swamped over with
all kinds of details - it seems I'm not the first one in the family to
wonder about our history! For those who wrote me personally, please
excuse me if I haven't answered yet - I'll try to get to it soon!

I've also done some more research of my own regarding this period.
First, a couple of fascinating articles to read on the Internet:
Anatoly Chayesh's articles "On the Front Line in Lithuania, 1915"
(translated by Gordon McDaniel):
http://www.jewishgen.org/Litvak/HTML/OnlineJournals/1915fline.htm
http://www.jewishgen.org/Litvak/HTML/OnlineJournals/On%20the%20Front%20Line%20in%20Lithuania%20in%201915%20Narratives%20of%20Jewish%20Eyewitnesses%20Part%202.htm

A translation of a chapter (>from Yiddish I believe) specifically
regarding this period for Litvaks (written by Louis Stein, translated by
Judie Goldstein):
http://www.jewishgen.org/yizkor/lita/Lit0089.html

from one of my mother's cousins, I learned that his father's family was

deported to Vitebsk (as was Meyer Kron, cited on Eilat Gordon Levitan's
site), not all the way to Eastern Ukraine, so that there seem to be
exceptions to the rule . My cousin has a 40-page document written by his
grandfather specifically about the deportation, which he will send me soon.

My current understanding is that the expulsion was not performed in a
very organised manner: rather, the local police would give the Jewish
community very short notice to leave their houses and go east, saying
anybody found after 24 hours would be hung. The people left any way they
could - some by train (directly to Eastern Ukraine?), some by horse or
wagon, some by foot.

Those who survived reached larger centers further east - here they
somehow got "travel certificates" to travel by rail directly to Eastern
Ukraine (under despicable conditions). I'm not sure how this part of the
deporation was enforced. But some stayed in these larger centers (e.g.
Vilna). I don't know why most of the populace did travel further east -
presumably they were forced to, but I don't know how or by whom -
perhaps only under threat of punishment if they were found there.

If anybody has information to correct the above, please let me know.

As mentioned by Howard Margol, regarding people's return to "free"
Lithuania, usually in 1920, they had to apply for internal passports, so
that documentary evidence can probably be found for most people
regarding their return. I'll try this route soon...

In the third link above, I found some interesting information
specifically regarding Shavl, which corroborates the statement by my
grandmother that they were separated >from her father for a few years:
The Jews of Shavl were given eight hours [to leave].... In Shavl a
couple of days before the expulsion all the young and healthy Jewish men
were taken to forced labor, to dig trenches several versts outside the
city. While the expulsion was going on the officials intentionally did
not let the Jewish forced laborers know about the evil decree. When the
Jewish forced laborers returned to the city, they could not find their
loved ones. Therefore, a number of Jewish Shavl families were separated
for many years.

Regarding the management of the expulsion, and the fact that some Jews
remained in Vilna (including possibly my grandmother's family):
The exiled Lithuanian Jews who were required, according to the order of
the 5th May 1915, to be sent to places in Poltava, Yekaterinoslav and
Tavritchesk Provinces were not able to travel by train, before the
authorities gave out a travel certificate. This type of document was
known in Russia >from prior times. These travel certificates were given
out to political exiles or criminals and served as their only
identification document until they reached the appointed place of
banishment. The majority of exiles were banished this way. Some of the
Jews, who did not want to wander so far >from their hometowns, chose the
more difficult and dangerous road to wander by wagon and on foot until
they reached a Jewish settlement. People left for Vilna and the
surrounding towns to wait until the Germans arrived so they could go
back to their home shtetl.

I'll write more when I find more information that could interest
everybody. I'd be interested to know if anybody has other details or
other sources of information regarding the expulsion.

Best regards,
Assaf Urieli
Toulouse, France

Hello all,

Thanks for all of the answers and all of the encouragement in this endeavor.
Since asking the question, I have also managed to contact quite a few
cousins on both of my parents' sides, and I'm getting swamped over with
all kinds of details - it seems I'm not the first one in the family to
wonder about our history! For those who wrote me personally, please
excuse me if I haven't answered yet - I'll try to get to it soon!

I've also done some more research of my own regarding this period.
First, a couple of fascinating articles to read on the Internet:
Anatoly Chayesh's articles "On the Front Line in Lithuania, 1915"
(translated by Gordon McDaniel):
http://www.jewishgen.org/Litvak/HTML/OnlineJournals/1915fline.htm
http://www.jewishgen.org/Litvak/HTML/OnlineJournals/On%20the%20Front%20Line%20in%20Lithuania%20in%201915%20Narratives%20of%20Jewish%20Eyewitnesses%20Part%202.htm

A translation of a chapter (>from Yiddish I believe) specifically
regarding this period for Litvaks (written by Louis Stein, translated by
Judie Goldstein):
http://www.jewishgen.org/yizkor/lita/Lit0089.html

from one of my mother's cousins, I learned that his father's family was

deported to Vitebsk (as was Meyer Kron, cited on Eilat Gordon Levitan's
site), not all the way to Eastern Ukraine, so that there seem to be
exceptions to the rule . My cousin has a 40-page document written by his
grandfather specifically about the deportation, which he will send me soon.

My current understanding is that the expulsion was not performed in a
very organised manner: rather, the local police would give the Jewish
community very short notice to leave their houses and go east, saying
anybody found after 24 hours would be hung. The people left any way they
could - some by train (directly to Eastern Ukraine?), some by horse or
wagon, some by foot.

Those who survived reached larger centers further east - here they
somehow got "travel certificates" to travel by rail directly to Eastern
Ukraine (under despicable conditions). I'm not sure how this part of the
deporation was enforced. But some stayed in these larger centers (e.g.
Vilna). I don't know why most of the populace did travel further east -
presumably they were forced to, but I don't know how or by whom -
perhaps only under threat of punishment if they were found there.

If anybody has information to correct the above, please let me know.

As mentioned by Howard Margol, regarding people's return to "free"
Lithuania, usually in 1920, they had to apply for internal passports, so
that documentary evidence can probably be found for most people
regarding their return. I'll try this route soon...

In the third link above, I found some interesting information
specifically regarding Shavl, which corroborates the statement by my
grandmother that they were separated >from her father for a few years:
The Jews of Shavl were given eight hours [to leave].... In Shavl a
couple of days before the expulsion all the young and healthy Jewish men
were taken to forced labor, to dig trenches several versts outside the
city. While the expulsion was going on the officials intentionally did
not let the Jewish forced laborers know about the evil decree. When the
Jewish forced laborers returned to the city, they could not find their
loved ones. Therefore, a number of Jewish Shavl families were separated
for many years.

Regarding the management of the expulsion, and the fact that some Jews
remained in Vilna (including possibly my grandmother's family):
The exiled Lithuanian Jews who were required, according to the order of
the 5th May 1915, to be sent to places in Poltava, Yekaterinoslav and
Tavritchesk Provinces were not able to travel by train, before the
authorities gave out a travel certificate. This type of document was
known in Russia >from prior times. These travel certificates were given
out to political exiles or criminals and served as their only
identification document until they reached the appointed place of
banishment. The majority of exiles were banished this way. Some of the
Jews, who did not want to wander so far >from their hometowns, chose the
more difficult and dangerous road to wander by wagon and on foot until
they reached a Jewish settlement. People left for Vilna and the
surrounding towns to wait until the Germans arrived so they could go
back to their home shtetl.

I'll write more when I find more information that could interest
everybody. I'd be interested to know if anybody has other details or
other sources of information regarding the expulsion.

Best regards,
Assaf Urieli
Toulouse, France

Would researcher Sam Kagan please contact me privately regarding the
Vital Records Indexing (VRI) Project?

Joel Ratner

Would researcher Sam Kagan please contact me privately regarding the
Vital Records Indexing (VRI) Project?

Joel Ratner

I pretty sure I've just found the birth record of my GGGM, SHAINA
VEINER she was born in Panevezys / Kupiskis in 1878. But I would like to
check a couple of things

1. It gives an exact date in 1878 for her date of birth which would mean
that her daughter, my great granmother was born when she was 17. My GGM
had an older sister Nechama and it would seem unlikely that they would
both be born by the time their mother was 17.Do you think this is
possible?

2.It lists the name of the father/grandfather as Vulf Mordkhel, Falk, I
have not come across the name Falk before, is it a diminutive of
something. It lists the mother/grandfather as Esther Malka is this Ester
whose mother was Malka, and no name for the father or maiden name .

Thanks for the help, I'll keep my fingers crossed and do some more
checking tonight (GMT)

Ben

Ben Forman
manchester UK
ben.forman@btconnect.com

searching: FURMAN: Kaluszyn; CAHN: Koeln; BERNSTEIN: Ylakai, STILLMAN:
Pilica/Czestechowa; SAWADY: Zavadi/Posen; GEVER: Daugavpils

I pretty sure I've just found the birth record of my GGGM, SHAINA
VEINER she was born in Panevezys / Kupiskis in 1878. But I would like to
check a couple of things

1. It gives an exact date in 1878 for her date of birth which would mean
that her daughter, my great granmother was born when she was 17. My GGM
had an older sister Nechama and it would seem unlikely that they would
both be born by the time their mother was 17.Do you think this is
possible?

2.It lists the name of the father/grandfather as Vulf Mordkhel, Falk, I
have not come across the name Falk before, is it a diminutive of
something. It lists the mother/grandfather as Esther Malka is this Ester
whose mother was Malka, and no name for the father or maiden name .

Thanks for the help, I'll keep my fingers crossed and do some more
checking tonight (GMT)

Ben

Ben Forman
manchester UK
ben.forman@btconnect.com

searching: FURMAN: Kaluszyn; CAHN: Koeln; BERNSTEIN: Ylakai, STILLMAN:
Pilica/Czestechowa; SAWADY: Zavadi/Posen; GEVER: Daugavpils