I am a Hebrew speaker, but I am having trouble with a line on a tombstone at
http://www.pikholz.org/ZH/Graves/AharonShelomo.jpg which is my wife's g-g-
gf's grave.

I cannot figure out the context of "tam ruach" in the the third line. Or
is tam perhaps a verb in this case?

Israel Pickholtz

I am a Hebrew speaker, but I am having trouble with a line on a tombstone at
http://www.pikholz.org/ZH/Graves/AharonShelomo.jpg which is my wife's g-g-
gf's grave.

I cannot figure out the context of "tam ruach" in the the third line. Or
is tam perhaps a verb in this case?

Israel Pickholtz

I have been looking through the 1911 Winnipeg Census sub-districts
trying to find Selkirk Ave and surrounding streets, with no luck. Has
anyone found the sub-district for this area of the city. It is where a
lot of the new Jewish immigrants lived. I did find Selkirk Ave in the
1906 Census and it was in sub-district 5. Does anyone know if it should
be the same sub-district for the 1911 Census?
Thanks
Barry Chernick
Bellevue, WA

I have been looking through the 1911 Winnipeg Census sub-districts
trying to find Selkirk Ave and surrounding streets, with no luck. Has
anyone found the sub-district for this area of the city. It is where a
lot of the new Jewish immigrants lived. I did find Selkirk Ave in the
1906 Census and it was in sub-district 5. Does anyone know if it should
be the same sub-district for the 1911 Census?
Thanks
Barry Chernick
Bellevue, WA

Be careful with the research tip suggestion below. I did find a family of
interest in a farming area of northern Manitoba in the 1911 Canada
Census. *Everyone* in the area was recorded as *Lutheran*. And I mean
everyone, Berchansky, Alexander, Goldstein, Moskritz etc. most of who
were definitely Jews.
Barry Chernick
Bellevue, WA

"I have a research tip for the Canada Census. If you are like me and are
flailing about blindly reading page after page of the census, you can
save some eye strain by focusing on the columns for "Racial or Tribal
Origin" and "Religion," instead of trying to read all of the family
names. If you know you are looking for a "Hebrew," you can easily
eliminate pages in just seconds which are all "R. Catholique" or
"Methodiste" etc."

Be careful with the research tip suggestion below. I did find a family of
interest in a farming area of northern Manitoba in the 1911 Canada
Census. *Everyone* in the area was recorded as *Lutheran*. And I mean
everyone, Berchansky, Alexander, Goldstein, Moskritz etc. most of who
were definitely Jews.
Barry Chernick
Bellevue, WA

"I have a research tip for the Canada Census. If you are like me and are
flailing about blindly reading page after page of the census, you can
save some eye strain by focusing on the columns for "Racial or Tribal
Origin" and "Religion," instead of trying to read all of the family
names. If you know you are looking for a "Hebrew," you can easily
eliminate pages in just seconds which are all "R. Catholique" or
"Methodiste" etc."

Dear Genners,
Thanks to all. Just want to make sure you all know I now have
everything I want regarding this file.
Ruth Hyman
Rockville Centre, NY

Dear Genners,
Thanks to all. Just want to make sure you all know I now have
everything I want regarding this file.
Ruth Hyman
Rockville Centre, NY

On the [xxx], I found a 1910 US Federal Census for New York,
Manhattan Borough. As it happens, the page I need is out of focus and
practically unreadable. I checked at the [xxx], the same blurred
image. Where can I get the better copy of this particular page (I know
the ED and the sheet number)?

There is a Family History Center at 3105 S Broadway, Fort Myers, Florida.
They're open Wed. through Fri., 9am-4pm. It costs $3.25 to rent the
microfilm. If it's impossible for you to visit the FHC, I can view
the film at a location near me. It may not be any help if the original
page was in bad shape, though.

Anyone can find where the FHCs are by going to
http://www.familysearch.org/eng/Library/FHC/frameset_fhc.asp .
They're staffed by volunteers and usually have limited hours. The ones
near me at least are open on most Saturdays. Since they put their
catalog online, I've been able to search for the films I need at home
ahead of time & then I just bring the film information to the center. It
takes two trips: one to order and one to view. Not as convenient as
zipping online, but very valuable indeed because of the variety of
materials. I encourage everyone with an FHC nearby to check the catalog
& see what may be of use in your own research.

Barbara Niederhoff
Centennial CO

On the [xxx], I found a 1910 US Federal Census for New York,
Manhattan Borough. As it happens, the page I need is out of focus and
practically unreadable. I checked at the [xxx], the same blurred
image. Where can I get the better copy of this particular page (I know
the ED and the sheet number)?

There is a Family History Center at 3105 S Broadway, Fort Myers, Florida.
They're open Wed. through Fri., 9am-4pm. It costs $3.25 to rent the
microfilm. If it's impossible for you to visit the FHC, I can view
the film at a location near me. It may not be any help if the original
page was in bad shape, though.

Anyone can find where the FHCs are by going to
http://www.familysearch.org/eng/Library/FHC/frameset_fhc.asp .
They're staffed by volunteers and usually have limited hours. The ones
near me at least are open on most Saturdays. Since they put their
catalog online, I've been able to search for the films I need at home
ahead of time & then I just bring the film information to the center. It
takes two trips: one to order and one to view. Not as convenient as
zipping online, but very valuable indeed because of the variety of
materials. I encourage everyone with an FHC nearby to check the catalog
& see what may be of use in your own research.

Barbara Niederhoff
Centennial CO

My grandfather,Adolf AGATSTEIN, was born in Dereluy, Austria (per
naturalization papers) on Oct. 15, 1878. Dereluy is 7.4 miles >from
Czernowitz. When he came to the USA in 1899, EIDB states he came >from
Molodja which is 2.6 mile >from Dereluy. He always said he came >from
Czernowitz.

Can some one advise where and how I can obtain his birth record? I do not
know his parents names or anything about him. Only that he married my
grandmother, Sabina TEITELBAUM who came >from Snyatyn.

Thanks for any advice that you can give.

Elaine Sanders Kaplan
Coconut Creek, Florida

Searching:
AGATSTEIN, Czernowitz, Dereluy, Ukraine
TEITELBAUM, Snyatyn, Ukraine
TEITELBAUM, TEICHHOLZ, SCHARF, Tarnopol, Ukraine
SANDNER, GREIFINGER, Sambor, Ukraine
KRIEGEL, Drohobych, Ukraine

My grandfather,Adolf AGATSTEIN, was born in Dereluy, Austria (per
naturalization papers) on Oct. 15, 1878. Dereluy is 7.4 miles >from
Czernowitz. When he came to the USA in 1899, EIDB states he came >from
Molodja which is 2.6 mile >from Dereluy. He always said he came >from
Czernowitz.

Can some one advise where and how I can obtain his birth record? I do not
know his parents names or anything about him. Only that he married my
grandmother, Sabina TEITELBAUM who came >from Snyatyn.

Thanks for any advice that you can give.

Elaine Sanders Kaplan
Coconut Creek, Florida

Searching:
AGATSTEIN, Czernowitz, Dereluy, Ukraine
TEITELBAUM, Snyatyn, Ukraine
TEITELBAUM, TEICHHOLZ, SCHARF, Tarnopol, Ukraine
SANDNER, GREIFINGER, Sambor, Ukraine
KRIEGEL, Drohobych, Ukraine

Once again I thank everyone for the feedback on my Hochbergs >from Galicia.
Your kindness in taking the time to answer my little query has really amazed
me.

I have printed out maps for :
"Podhoridisz "Podhorodyszcze" "Pidhorodyshche" Podgorodishcheat,
Podgrodishche, Podgorodishche, and Podgorodyshche. Russian -
"Podgorodishche" or "Podgorodyshche" Austria, Hungary, Bobrka, Lwow,
Ukraine.

I have also gone to the most of the sites recommended and have printed out
some interesting items >from your emails for correspondence to send to my
Hochberg Relatives.

Once again, thank you. I really never thought I could find the shtetl where
my husband's ancestors were from, my father-in-law, his brothers didn't even
know. Searching manifests where names were skewed and misspelled, finally
coming across this little place called Podhorndiszere (sp) in Galacia was a
stroke of luck. Thank you again.

Dorothy Harper, California, dorothyharper17@hotmail.com
researching: HOCHBERG, Galacia, MOSSOWITZ, Russia, KAPLAN/COHEN/METTER
Belarus, ROZENBERG/ROSENBERG Skaryszew nr Radom, Poland.

Once again I thank everyone for the feedback on my Hochbergs >from Galicia.
Your kindness in taking the time to answer my little query has really amazed
me.

I have printed out maps for :
"Podhoridisz "Podhorodyszcze" "Pidhorodyshche" Podgorodishcheat,
Podgrodishche, Podgorodishche, and Podgorodyshche. Russian -
"Podgorodishche" or "Podgorodyshche" Austria, Hungary, Bobrka, Lwow,
Ukraine.

I have also gone to the most of the sites recommended and have printed out
some interesting items >from your emails for correspondence to send to my
Hochberg Relatives.

Once again, thank you. I really never thought I could find the shtetl where
my husband's ancestors were from, my father-in-law, his brothers didn't even
know. Searching manifests where names were skewed and misspelled, finally
coming across this little place called Podhorndiszere (sp) in Galacia was a
stroke of luck. Thank you again.

Dorothy Harper, California, dorothyharper17@hotmail.com
researching: HOCHBERG, Galacia, MOSSOWITZ, Russia, KAPLAN/COHEN/METTER
Belarus, ROZENBERG/ROSENBERG Skaryszew nr Radom, Poland.

Howard Orenstein wrote:

"Motivated by curiosity, I examined LDS microfilm Number 1496724,
which contained Catholic Records for Serock, between 1808 and 1825.
To my delight and amazement,I found records that contained Hebrew
signatures."

Absolutely! I am not an expert...but. The pre-1826 "Church"/Civil records
are an amazing source of information. During that time period all religions
registered births, marriages and deaths in the same place.

Be sure not to go only by Hebrew signatures as the records are not always
signed. It means one has to go through every record and look at the names in
the document. Names like Jakob and Josek were used by both Jews and non-Jews,
so you must then look at the surname or names of the witnesses. I have found
the indexes to be very unreliable in my home town of Gowarczow, Poland and had
I not gone through every record I would have missed some very important
information.

The records are written differently, and some of the Polish is even more
archaic than the post 1826 records. Judith Frazin's "A Translation Guide to
19th Century Polish-Language Civil Registration Documents" is an excellent
guide. I believe somewhere on JewishGen there is an article by Lauren B.
Eisenberg Davis that has information on the early records. A search should
find it, but if I remember correctly if is under the Kielce-Radom SIG Journal.

Lastly, and most important!! The witnesses in the early records are very often
relatives, as opposed to the "standard witnesses". And, a description is given
of the relationship! Thanks to those early records I have found my 5th
ggrandmother's maiden name along with her parents, a brother and sister and
hundreds of their descendents.


Greg Tuckman
Tempe, AZ

Gowarczow, Poland: Any and all surnames.
Lublin, Poland: TUCHMAN
Radom, Konskie: AUSTRIAN/AUSTRYAN
Radom, Lomza: FIRER/FUHRER

Howard Orenstein wrote:

"Motivated by curiosity, I examined LDS microfilm Number 1496724,
which contained Catholic Records for Serock, between 1808 and 1825.
To my delight and amazement,I found records that contained Hebrew
signatures."

Absolutely! I am not an expert...but. The pre-1826 "Church"/Civil records
are an amazing source of information. During that time period all religions
registered births, marriages and deaths in the same place.

Be sure not to go only by Hebrew signatures as the records are not always
signed. It means one has to go through every record and look at the names in
the document. Names like Jakob and Josek were used by both Jews and non-Jews,
so you must then look at the surname or names of the witnesses. I have found
the indexes to be very unreliable in my home town of Gowarczow, Poland and had
I not gone through every record I would have missed some very important
information.

The records are written differently, and some of the Polish is even more
archaic than the post 1826 records. Judith Frazin's "A Translation Guide to
19th Century Polish-Language Civil Registration Documents" is an excellent
guide. I believe somewhere on JewishGen there is an article by Lauren B.
Eisenberg Davis that has information on the early records. A search should
find it, but if I remember correctly if is under the Kielce-Radom SIG Journal.

Lastly, and most important!! The witnesses in the early records are very often
relatives, as opposed to the "standard witnesses". And, a description is given
of the relationship! Thanks to those early records I have found my 5th
ggrandmother's maiden name along with her parents, a brother and sister and
hundreds of their descendents.


Greg Tuckman
Tempe, AZ

Gowarczow, Poland: Any and all surnames.
Lublin, Poland: TUCHMAN
Radom, Konskie: AUSTRIAN/AUSTRYAN
Radom, Lomza: FIRER/FUHRER

In my recent comment on this subject, I inadvertently referred to the
1910 census. It should have been the 1920 census.

Lewis Stein
Boynton Beach, FL

In my recent comment on this subject, I inadvertently referred to the
1910 census. It should have been the 1920 census.

Lewis Stein
Boynton Beach, FL

Tying up more loose ends: On the 17 July 2005 Dave Bernard of Sherborn, Mass.
wrote: According to the Familianten act only the first-born received the
Familiant license and was permitted to marry. Does anyone know how one went
about acquiring a Familianten Number in the early 1800s - other than
inheritance?

And Dave then asks what the going rate might have been in the currency of
the day - florins or guldens? His point of reference Dave states: My GGGF
(who inherited his father's Familiant #) borrowed 100 Fl. to start a business
in 1815. But I have no idea what that might be in today's money or what a
Familiant number might have brought at auction].

I have had little time to research this in depth, but I do have some points
of reference, unfortunately we need currency conversions >from Gulden and Krone
to Florins! See this discussion: http://tinyurl.com/7kvw8
I am sure some of our economists who are experts in currency conversion can
help out!

Here are some interesting preliminary points:

1. The licence required for erecting a synagogue in mid-1800s Bohemia
was a one-off payment of 1,000 Gulden and annual charge of 100 Gulden.

2. Then here is a chilling account of the *Judensteuer* in Bohemia up to 1826:
it was 261,000 Kronen/p.a. The Kaiser commented cynically when asked to defer
payment: Even if only two Jews remain in Bohemia, they would have to pay the
tax between themselves.

3. The Moravian Jewish community had to pay an annual tax of 82,000 Florins
in 1782.

As there were 8,541 Familiant in Bohemia and 5,106 in Moravia and we assume
that the tax is the same per caput, then a simple calculation tells us that
the Moravian tax should be ca 150,000 Krone, but it is given as
82,000 Florins, so one Florin must be = to about 2 Krone.

3. Wedding feasts in Bohemia in the 1700s: Only Jews who pay a tax of 100
Florins can offer a wedding feast to their guests. If the host pays a tax
of 300 Florins the wedding can have a much more elaborate menu [salmon and
trout are forbidden!]. A tax of 600 Florins however gives you a much
freer hand.

4. Barmitzvah: Unless you pay 400 Florins/p.a tax you are only allowed to
serve carp [no other fish]. The only meat permitted is beef and chicken or
goose. Cakes etc are not allowed. If you do not pay 100 Florins tax - you
are not allowed wine except for the single ritual/blessing glass. 400 Florins
brings you unlimited choice but coffee is forbidden under all circumstances.

5. Circumcision: Upto 50 Florins/pa - you are only allowed 10 male guests.
100-300 Florins allows you 20 male guests and cakes, chicken and drink. For
300 Florins you can invite 25 guests.

6. Prague Prices in 1846:

One pound of beef, veal, lamb or mutton = 2 Krone
One fowl or duck = 2 Krone
One goose = 1 Krone
One Indian hen = 10 Krone [a turkey perhaps?]

7. Travel tax: All Jews resident in Bohemia had to pay 2 Krone/day whilst
they were out of Bohemia

With all this financial data, surely we can get somewhere? Inflation was
very low in those days, so I doubt we have to figure that into the calculation.
If my "back-of-the-envelope" calculation is correct; i.e. 1 Florin = 2 Krone,
then a payment of 100 Florins for a Familiant licence can be equated to
200 Krone or 200 lbs of meat or 200 fowl. In todays parlance, this would
be the *Big Mac* currency equivalent, so beloved of economists. In the UK,
we also have a *Mars Bar* currency standard!

As families were poor in those days, this was a substantial sum of money,
equivalent to a high percentage of the family food budget for the year.

Celia Male [U.K.]

Tying up more loose ends: On the 17 July 2005 Dave Bernard of Sherborn, Mass.
wrote: According to the Familianten act only the first-born received the
Familiant license and was permitted to marry. Does anyone know how one went
about acquiring a Familianten Number in the early 1800s - other than
inheritance?

And Dave then asks what the going rate might have been in the currency of
the day - florins or guldens? His point of reference Dave states: My GGGF
(who inherited his father's Familiant #) borrowed 100 Fl. to start a business
in 1815. But I have no idea what that might be in today's money or what a
Familiant number might have brought at auction].

I have had little time to research this in depth, but I do have some points
of reference, unfortunately we need currency conversions >from Gulden and Krone
to Florins! See this discussion: http://tinyurl.com/7kvw8
I am sure some of our economists who are experts in currency conversion can
help out!

Here are some interesting preliminary points:

1. The licence required for erecting a synagogue in mid-1800s Bohemia
was a one-off payment of 1,000 Gulden and annual charge of 100 Gulden.

2. Then here is a chilling account of the *Judensteuer* in Bohemia up to 1826:
it was 261,000 Kronen/p.a. The Kaiser commented cynically when asked to defer
payment: Even if only two Jews remain in Bohemia, they would have to pay the
tax between themselves.

3. The Moravian Jewish community had to pay an annual tax of 82,000 Florins
in 1782.

As there were 8,541 Familiant in Bohemia and 5,106 in Moravia and we assume
that the tax is the same per caput, then a simple calculation tells us that
the Moravian tax should be ca 150,000 Krone, but it is given as
82,000 Florins, so one Florin must be = to about 2 Krone.

3. Wedding feasts in Bohemia in the 1700s: Only Jews who pay a tax of 100
Florins can offer a wedding feast to their guests. If the host pays a tax
of 300 Florins the wedding can have a much more elaborate menu [salmon and
trout are forbidden!]. A tax of 600 Florins however gives you a much
freer hand.

4. Barmitzvah: Unless you pay 400 Florins/p.a tax you are only allowed to
serve carp [no other fish]. The only meat permitted is beef and chicken or
goose. Cakes etc are not allowed. If you do not pay 100 Florins tax - you
are not allowed wine except for the single ritual/blessing glass. 400 Florins
brings you unlimited choice but coffee is forbidden under all circumstances.

5. Circumcision: Upto 50 Florins/pa - you are only allowed 10 male guests.
100-300 Florins allows you 20 male guests and cakes, chicken and drink. For
300 Florins you can invite 25 guests.

6. Prague Prices in 1846:

One pound of beef, veal, lamb or mutton = 2 Krone
One fowl or duck = 2 Krone
One goose = 1 Krone
One Indian hen = 10 Krone [a turkey perhaps?]

7. Travel tax: All Jews resident in Bohemia had to pay 2 Krone/day whilst
they were out of Bohemia

With all this financial data, surely we can get somewhere? Inflation was
very low in those days, so I doubt we have to figure that into the calculation.
If my "back-of-the-envelope" calculation is correct; i.e. 1 Florin = 2 Krone,
then a payment of 100 Florins for a Familiant licence can be equated to
200 Krone or 200 lbs of meat or 200 fowl. In todays parlance, this would
be the *Big Mac* currency equivalent, so beloved of economists. In the UK,
we also have a *Mars Bar* currency standard!

As families were poor in those days, this was a substantial sum of money,
equivalent to a high percentage of the family food budget for the year.

Celia Male [U.K.]