The IAJGS 2018 Warsaw Conference Committee is pleased to announce that
we now have an official answer regarding the summer hours at the
Polish State Archives (PSA). The General Director of the PSA system
has advised JRI-Poland that unlike past years, all branches will
remain open throughout the summer months. It is possible that at any
given time, a particular branch will have reduced staff due to planned
vacations, but they will remain open for walk-in visitors.

In addition to the PSA, there are civil records offices (Urzad Stanu
Cywilnego) in thousands of town halls around Poland. These offices are
independent of the Polish State Archives and therefore access to their
records - almost always those less than 100 years old for births -
varies >from town to town.

The level of service - at either Polish State Archives branches or
Civil Records Offices - depends upon many factors. Same day service
should not be expected as the norm when placing a request for
documents even outside of summer months.

IMPORTANT NOTE: Because the leading experts and archivists >from the
Polish and other Eastern European archives have been invited to
participate in our conference, the 2018 IAJGS Warsaw Conference
committee recommends visits to archives and towns before and after
the conference but not during it. The conference lectures will be at
least as valuable to your personal research as spontaneously showing
up in person at an archive or town hall office and may save you time
and energy.

Taube Tours is preparing a schedule of guided trips which may also
provide access to archives around Poland. Stay tuned.

Dan Oren
IAJGS 2018 Communications Director

The IAJGS 2018 Warsaw Conference Committee is pleased to announce that
we now have an official answer regarding the summer hours at the
Polish State Archives (PSA). The General Director of the PSA system
has advised JRI-Poland that unlike past years, all branches will
remain open throughout the summer months. It is possible that at any
given time, a particular branch will have reduced staff due to planned
vacations, but they will remain open for walk-in visitors.

In addition to the PSA, there are civil records offices (Urzad Stanu
Cywilnego) in thousands of town halls around Poland. These offices are
independent of the Polish State Archives and therefore access to their
records - almost always those less than 100 years old for births -
varies >from town to town.

The level of service - at either Polish State Archives branches or
Civil Records Offices - depends upon many factors. Same day service
should not be expected as the norm when placing a request for
documents even outside of summer months.

IMPORTANT NOTE: Because the leading experts and archivists >from the
Polish and other Eastern European archives have been invited to
participate in our conference, the 2018 IAJGS Warsaw Conference
committee recommends visits to archives and towns before and after
the conference but not during it. The conference lectures will be at
least as valuable to your personal research as spontaneously showing
up in person at an archive or town hall office and may save you time
and energy.

Taube Tours is preparing a schedule of guided trips which may also
provide access to archives around Poland. Stay tuned.

Dan Oren
IAJGS 2018 Communications Director

The IAJGS 2018 Warsaw Conference Committee is pleased to announce that
we now have an official answer regarding the summer hours at the
Polish State Archives (PSA). The General Director of the PSA system
has advised JRI-Poland that unlike past years, all branches will
remain open throughout the summer months. It is possible that at any
given time, a particular branch will have reduced staff due to planned
vacations, but they will remain open for walk-in visitors.

In addition to the PSA, there are civil records offices (Urzad Stanu
Cywilnego) in thousands of town halls around Poland. These offices are
independent of the Polish State Archives and therefore access to their
records - almost always those less than 100 years old for births -
varies >from town to town.

The level of service - at either Polish State Archives branches or
Civil Records Offices - depends upon many factors. Same day service
should not be expected as the norm when placing a request for
documents even outside of summer months.

IMPORTANT NOTE: Because the leading experts and archivists >from the
Polish and other Eastern European archives have been invited to
participate in our conference, the 2018 IAJGS Warsaw Conference
committee recommends visits to archives and towns before and after
the conference but not during it. The conference lectures will be at
least as valuable to your personal research as spontaneously showing
up in person at an archive or town hall office and may save you time
and energy.

Taube Tours is preparing a schedule of guided trips which may also
provide access to archives around Poland. Stay tuned.

Dan Oren
IAJGS 2018 Communications Director

The IAJGS 2018 Warsaw Conference Committee is pleased to announce that
we now have an official answer regarding the summer hours at the
Polish State Archives (PSA). The General Director of the PSA system
has advised JRI-Poland that unlike past years, all branches will
remain open throughout the summer months. It is possible that at any
given time, a particular branch will have reduced staff due to planned
vacations, but they will remain open for walk-in visitors.

In addition to the PSA, there are civil records offices (Urzad Stanu
Cywilnego) in thousands of town halls around Poland. These offices are
independent of the Polish State Archives and therefore access to their
records - almost always those less than 100 years old for births -
varies >from town to town.

The level of service - at either Polish State Archives branches or
Civil Records Offices - depends upon many factors. Same day service
should not be expected as the norm when placing a request for
documents even outside of summer months.

IMPORTANT NOTE: Because the leading experts and archivists >from the
Polish and other Eastern European archives have been invited to
participate in our conference, the 2018 IAJGS Warsaw Conference
committee recommends visits to archives and towns before and after
the conference but not during it. The conference lectures will be at
least as valuable to your personal research as spontaneously showing
up in person at an archive or town hall office and may save you time
and energy.

Taube Tours is preparing a schedule of guided trips which may also
provide access to archives around Poland. Stay tuned.

Dan Oren
IAJGS 2018 Communications Director

The IAJGS 2018 Warsaw Conference Committee is pleased to announce that
we now have an official answer regarding the summer hours at the
Polish State Archives (PSA). The General Director of the PSA system
has advised JRI-Poland that unlike past years, all branches will
remain open throughout the summer months. It is possible that at any
given time, a particular branch will have reduced staff due to planned
vacations, but they will remain open for walk-in visitors.

In addition to the PSA, there are civil records offices (Urzad Stanu
Cywilnego) in thousands of town halls around Poland. These offices are
independent of the Polish State Archives and therefore access to their
records - almost always those less than 100 years old for births -
varies >from town to town.

The level of service - at either Polish State Archives branches or
Civil Records Offices - depends upon many factors. Same day service
should not be expected as the norm when placing a request for
documents even outside of summer months.

IMPORTANT NOTE: Because the leading experts and archivists >from the
Polish and other Eastern European archives have been invited to
participate in our conference, the 2018 IAJGS Warsaw Conference
committee recommends visits to archives and towns before and after
the conference but not during it. The conference lectures will be at
least as valuable to your personal research as spontaneously showing
up in person at an archive or town hall office and may save you time
and energy.

Taube Tours is preparing a schedule of guided trips which may also
provide access to archives around Poland. Stay tuned.

Dan Oren
IAJGS 2018 Communications Director

The IAJGS 2018 Warsaw Conference Committee is pleased to announce that
we now have an official answer regarding the summer hours at the
Polish State Archives (PSA). The General Director of the PSA system
has advised JRI-Poland that unlike past years, all branches will
remain open throughout the summer months. It is possible that at any
given time, a particular branch will have reduced staff due to planned
vacations, but they will remain open for walk-in visitors.

In addition to the PSA, there are civil records offices (Urzad Stanu
Cywilnego) in thousands of town halls around Poland. These offices are
independent of the Polish State Archives and therefore access to their
records - almost always those less than 100 years old for births -
varies >from town to town.

The level of service - at either Polish State Archives branches or
Civil Records Offices - depends upon many factors. Same day service
should not be expected as the norm when placing a request for
documents even outside of summer months.

IMPORTANT NOTE: Because the leading experts and archivists >from the
Polish and other Eastern European archives have been invited to
participate in our conference, the 2018 IAJGS Warsaw Conference
committee recommends visits to archives and towns before and after
the conference but not during it. The conference lectures will be at
least as valuable to your personal research as spontaneously showing
up in person at an archive or town hall office and may save you time
and energy.

Taube Tours is preparing a schedule of guided trips which may also
provide access to archives around Poland. Stay tuned.

Dan Oren
IAJGS 2018 Communications Director

Thanks to Jan Meisels Allen for the heads up on the new information
about the Spanish escape route for Jews fleeing the Holocaust. I have
been trying to find information about that for years with little
success, until now. Several of my late father's close relatives fled

from their home in Berlin, first to Belgium and then to France when the

Belgians were forced to kick them out. They were on the run, heading
south through France, apparently heading for Spain via the Pyrenees when
tragedy struck. My father's oldest sister Mali and her husband Louis
(Israel) STRASSBERG (may their names be for a blessing!) were caught by
the Vichy French only to be deported to Auschwitz where they were
murdered along with so many others. The surviving family members then
switched direction, heading east, eventually making their way to safety
in Switzerland across the no less difficult Alps.

Jewishgenners who are interested in this Spanish passage should also be
aware of the recently published book "The Lost Airman," about the Jewish
B-24 airman Arthur Meyerowitz, shot down over France in 1943, captured
by the Nazis, rescued by the French Resistance, and sheltered by them
for several months in France before they were able to spirit him and an
English pilot across the Pyrenees to safety in Spain. That book is
currently being made into a movie that will star Jake Gyllenhaal.

Finally, a small correction. The language of Catalonia (the region in
eastern Spain that recently voted for independence >from Spain, causing
enormous concern for the entire EU) is Catalan, NOT "Catalonian".

Jeff Knisbacher, researching maternal family in Ukraine and paternal
family >from Galicia.

My great uncle Hersh Leib Ferszt went to Aushwitz after being
transported >from Malines. According to family tradition he survived
but was overfed and died shortly after being liberated (perhaps in
Switzerland). Does anyone have any ideas how I may be able to find
out where he was buried?

Many Thanks

Ben First

Thanks to Jan Meisels Allen for the heads up on the new information
about the Spanish escape route for Jews fleeing the Holocaust. I have
been trying to find information about that for years with little
success, until now. Several of my late father's close relatives fled

from their home in Berlin, first to Belgium and then to France when the

Belgians were forced to kick them out. They were on the run, heading
south through France, apparently heading for Spain via the Pyrenees when
tragedy struck. My father's oldest sister Mali and her husband Louis
(Israel) STRASSBERG (may their names be for a blessing!) were caught by
the Vichy French only to be deported to Auschwitz where they were
murdered along with so many others. The surviving family members then
switched direction, heading east, eventually making their way to safety
in Switzerland across the no less difficult Alps.

Jewishgenners who are interested in this Spanish passage should also be
aware of the recently published book "The Lost Airman," about the Jewish
B-24 airman Arthur Meyerowitz, shot down over France in 1943, captured
by the Nazis, rescued by the French Resistance, and sheltered by them
for several months in France before they were able to spirit him and an
English pilot across the Pyrenees to safety in Spain. That book is
currently being made into a movie that will star Jake Gyllenhaal.

Finally, a small correction. The language of Catalonia (the region in
eastern Spain that recently voted for independence >from Spain, causing
enormous concern for the entire EU) is Catalan, NOT "Catalonian".

Jeff Knisbacher, researching maternal family in Ukraine and paternal
family >from Galicia.

My great uncle Hersh Leib Ferszt went to Aushwitz after being
transported >from Malines. According to family tradition he survived
but was overfed and died shortly after being liberated (perhaps in
Switzerland). Does anyone have any ideas how I may be able to find
out where he was buried?

Many Thanks

Ben First

Recently someone with an ancestryDNA 4th cousin match to both me and a
cousin contacted us because her great grandfather was Elias Zepnick
originally >from Warsaw. My cousin and I are part of the Zepnick/Rzepnik
family >from Warsaw also. So we assume we are connected, but we can't
figure out where the link is! Our great-grandfather was Szmul Meyer
Rzepnik born about 1859 in Warsaw. Elias was born about 1868. I've
looked through ancestry and JewishGen, and can't find the link. Elias
came to the US, but I can't find any link to my Zepnick family here
either. Does anyone have any suggests on what other places we could look
to find a link? I just know it exists. Cousins? Brothers?
Thank you for any suggestions.
Alice Klein

ROER, ROSEN, ROSENBERG: Poland, Bellarus
HIRSCH, GIRSHOVITCH: Lithuania
RZEPNIK, SZULKLEJNOT, GLIKMAN, OSMAN: Poland
GLASSMAN, KRENZEL, KATZ, SCHINDLER: Ukraine
GREENSTEIN/GREENSTONE, MARX: Romania

Recently someone with an ancestryDNA 4th cousin match to both me and a
cousin contacted us because her great grandfather was Elias Zepnick
originally >from Warsaw. My cousin and I are part of the Zepnick/Rzepnik
family >from Warsaw also. So we assume we are connected, but we can't
figure out where the link is! Our great-grandfather was Szmul Meyer
Rzepnik born about 1859 in Warsaw. Elias was born about 1868. I've
looked through ancestry and JewishGen, and can't find the link. Elias
came to the US, but I can't find any link to my Zepnick family here
either. Does anyone have any suggests on what other places we could look
to find a link? I just know it exists. Cousins? Brothers?
Thank you for any suggestions.
Alice Klein

ROER, ROSEN, ROSENBERG: Poland, Bellarus
HIRSCH, GIRSHOVITCH: Lithuania
RZEPNIK, SZULKLEJNOT, GLIKMAN, OSMAN: Poland
GLASSMAN, KRENZEL, KATZ, SCHINDLER: Ukraine
GREENSTEIN/GREENSTONE, MARX: Romania

I am seeking information about Gershon SOLOMONOV.

This is what we know:

Gershon left Lithuania for South Africa before WWII.
He left his family in order to build a better life and then to send for
them.
However, war broke out and he lost his family.
He was so grief stricken that he never married again. He had no heirs.
He was a pawn broker in South Africa.
Gershon's sister was Brina Solomonov Itzkowitz.
Gershon passed away between 1947 and 1953
There may be some remaining Solomonov relatives in Philadelphia, but
contact was lost.

Please email your information to eli@elirab.com

Eli Rabinowitz
Perth, Australia
elirab.me

I am seeking information about Gershon SOLOMONOV.

This is what we know:

Gershon left Lithuania for South Africa before WWII.
He left his family in order to build a better life and then to send for
them.
However, war broke out and he lost his family.
He was so grief stricken that he never married again. He had no heirs.
He was a pawn broker in South Africa.
Gershon's sister was Brina Solomonov Itzkowitz.
Gershon passed away between 1947 and 1953
There may be some remaining Solomonov relatives in Philadelphia, but
contact was lost.

Please email your information to eli@elirab.com

Eli Rabinowitz
Perth, Australia
elirab.me

Jewish Records Indexing - Poland and the American Jewish Joint
Distribution Committee (JDC) are pleased to announce a
collaborative agreement to enable searches of the JRI-Poland
database to display links to selected holdings in the JDC
Archives Names Database.

The JDC Archives is the institutional repository of the American
Jewish Joint Distribution Committee, a humanitarian relief
agency established in 1914.

The Archives' website (http://archives.jdc.org) includes
exhibitions, photo galleries, finding aids, and topic guides as
well as a searchable database of its digitized collections of
almost 3 million pages of documents, 71,000 photographs, and a
Names Index of half a million names of individuals and families
assisted by JDC.

The aim of the JRI-Poland/JDC agreement is to bring the
remarkable historical records of the JDC Archives to the widest
audience as well as to utilize the multi-faceted JRI-Poland
search engine options to dramatically increase the potential for
finding cards of interest to researchers.

The initial collection - now searchable on the JRI-Poland
database - includes 8200 name entries in the "JDC
Emigration Service Index Cards: Warsaw Office, 1945-1949."

While only a relatively small percentage of entries list place
of birth, they include towns currently in Poland, Belarus, Latvia,
Lithuania, Latvia, Ukraine, Germany, Moldova, Czech Republic,
Slovakia, France, Italy and Austria.

About half the cards include "destination" (listing more than
fifty countries).

Researchers are encouraged to search the JRI-Poland database for
possible family members. Use the default "All Regions" in the
"Geographical Region" in the search field.

The board of JRI-Poland expresses its profound appreciation to
the JDC for enabling us to share this important information with
the research community.

Stanley Diamond
Executive Director
For the Board of JRI-Poland

Jewish Records Indexing - Poland and the American Jewish Joint
Distribution Committee (JDC) are pleased to announce a
collaborative agreement to enable searches of the JRI-Poland
database to display links to selected holdings in the JDC
Archives Names Database.

The JDC Archives is the institutional repository of the American
Jewish Joint Distribution Committee, a humanitarian relief
agency established in 1914.

The Archives' website (http://archives.jdc.org) includes
exhibitions, photo galleries, finding aids, and topic guides as
well as a searchable database of its digitized collections of
almost 3 million pages of documents, 71,000 photographs, and a
Names Index of half a million names of individuals and families
assisted by JDC.

The aim of the JRI-Poland/JDC agreement is to bring the
remarkable historical records of the JDC Archives to the widest
audience as well as to utilize the multi-faceted JRI-Poland
search engine options to dramatically increase the potential for
finding cards of interest to researchers.

The initial collection - now searchable on the JRI-Poland
database - includes 8200 name entries in the "JDC
Emigration Service Index Cards: Warsaw Office, 1945-1949."

While only a relatively small percentage of entries list place
of birth, they include towns currently in Poland, Belarus, Latvia,
Lithuania, Latvia, Ukraine, Germany, Moldova, Czech Republic,
Slovakia, France, Italy and Austria.

About half the cards include "destination" (listing more than
fifty countries).

Researchers are encouraged to search the JRI-Poland database for
possible family members. Use the default "All Regions" in the
"Geographical Region" in the search field.

The board of JRI-Poland expresses its profound appreciation to
the JDC for enabling us to share this important information with
the research community.

Stanley Diamond
Executive Director
For the Board of JRI-Poland

Jewish Records Indexing =E2=80=93 Poland and the American Jewish Joint
Distribution Committee (JDC) are pleased to announce a
collaborative agreement to enable searches of the JRI-Poland
database to display links to selected holdings in the JDC
Archives Names Database.

The JDC Archives is the institutional repository of the American
Jewish Joint Distribution Committee, a humanitarian relief
agency established in 1914. =20

The Archives=E2=80=99 website (http://archives.jdc.org) includes
exhibitions, photo galleries, finding aids, and topic guides as
well as a searchable database of its digitized collections of
almost 3 million pages of documents, 71,000 photographs, and a
Names Index of half a million names of individuals and families
assisted by JDC.

The aim of the JRI-Poland/JDC agreement is to bring the=20
remarkable historical records of the JDC Archives to the widest
audience as well as to utilize the multi-faceted JRI-Poland=20
search engine options to dramatically increase the potential for
finding cards of interest to researchers.

The initial collection - now searchable on the JRI-Poland=20
database =E2=80=93 includes 8200 name entries in the "JDC=20
Emigration Service Index Cards: Warsaw Office, 1945-1949."=20

While only a relatively small percentage of entries list place
of birth, they include towns currently in Poland, Belarus, Latvia,
Lithuania, Latvia, Ukraine, Germany, Moldova, Czech Republic, =20
Slovakia, France, Italy and Austria.

About half the cards include "destination" (listing more than=20
fifty countries). =20
=20
Researchers are encouraged to search the JRI-Poland database for
possible family members. Use the default "All Regions" in the
"Geographical Region" in the search field.
=20
The board of JRI-Poland expresses its profound appreciation to
the JDC for enabling us to share this important information with
the research community.


Stanley Diamond
Executive Director
For the Board of JRI-Poland

Jewish Records Indexing =E2=80=93 Poland and the American Jewish Joint
Distribution Committee (JDC) are pleased to announce a
collaborative agreement to enable searches of the JRI-Poland
database to display links to selected holdings in the JDC
Archives Names Database.

The JDC Archives is the institutional repository of the American
Jewish Joint Distribution Committee, a humanitarian relief
agency established in 1914. =20

The Archives=E2=80=99 website (http://archives.jdc.org) includes
exhibitions, photo galleries, finding aids, and topic guides as
well as a searchable database of its digitized collections of
almost 3 million pages of documents, 71,000 photographs, and a
Names Index of half a million names of individuals and families
assisted by JDC.

The aim of the JRI-Poland/JDC agreement is to bring the=20
remarkable historical records of the JDC Archives to the widest
audience as well as to utilize the multi-faceted JRI-Poland=20
search engine options to dramatically increase the potential for
finding cards of interest to researchers.

The initial collection - now searchable on the JRI-Poland=20
database =E2=80=93 includes 8200 name entries in the "JDC=20
Emigration Service Index Cards: Warsaw Office, 1945-1949."=20

While only a relatively small percentage of entries list place
of birth, they include towns currently in Poland, Belarus, Latvia,
Lithuania, Latvia, Ukraine, Germany, Moldova, Czech Republic, =20
Slovakia, France, Italy and Austria.

About half the cards include "destination" (listing more than=20
fifty countries). =20
=20
Researchers are encouraged to search the JRI-Poland database for
possible family members. Use the default "All Regions" in the
"Geographical Region" in the search field.
=20
The board of JRI-Poland expresses its profound appreciation to
the JDC for enabling us to share this important information with
the research community.


Stanley Diamond
Executive Director
For the Board of JRI-Poland

New Class >from JewishGen Education

JewishGen once again offers its popular publishing class November
3 - 27. This personal mentoring class will focus on writing short
reports.

There comes a time when you want to write up your research. After you
have worked hard to collect your family data why let it sit in a drawer?

Publishing a book requires an attention to detail, editing, footnotes,
bibliography which often discourages us >from publishing at all.
Sometimes we just want to write it out and share it in a short summary.

Want to share with a relative; or compare with another researcher you
find on JGFF or Ancestry or Geni or Facebook? Need to gather and
organize your data to hire a researcher? Want to self-publish a small
coffee table scrapbook or photobook just for fun?

In this class we will help you organize your data, notes and media
files to create 3 short-standardized reports.

This structured class uses a series of lessons and a forum setting
where you will post your work and interact with the instructor who
will make suggestions as you write your rough draft, edit and finalize
each report.

Requirements: You should have enough data collected or knowledge of
your chosen surname to be able to write their family history. You will
choose one family to work on as you build a template that you can use
for other families and persons of interest.

JewishGen classes are taught in a private forum setting that is
password protected. It is open 24/7. The 3 week class starts November
3 – 27. Tuition is $150.

Details on the Education Page: check Requirements & Course Details
www.JewishGen.org/education

If you have further questions, please email
Nancy Holden, Instruction Manager
JewishGen-Education@lyris.JewishGen.org

New Class >from JewishGen Education

JewishGen once again offers its popular publishing class November
3 - 27. This personal mentoring class will focus on writing short
reports.

There comes a time when you want to write up your research. After you
have worked hard to collect your family data why let it sit in a drawer?

Publishing a book requires an attention to detail, editing, footnotes,
bibliography which often discourages us >from publishing at all.
Sometimes we just want to write it out and share it in a short summary.

Want to share with a relative; or compare with another researcher you
find on JGFF or Ancestry or Geni or Facebook? Need to gather and
organize your data to hire a researcher? Want to self-publish a small
coffee table scrapbook or photobook just for fun?

In this class we will help you organize your data, notes and media
files to create 3 short-standardized reports.

This structured class uses a series of lessons and a forum setting
where you will post your work and interact with the instructor who
will make suggestions as you write your rough draft, edit and finalize
each report.

Requirements: You should have enough data collected or knowledge of
your chosen surname to be able to write their family history. You will
choose one family to work on as you build a template that you can use
for other families and persons of interest.

JewishGen classes are taught in a private forum setting that is
password protected. It is open 24/7. The 3 week class starts November
3 – 27. Tuition is $150.

Details on the Education Page: check Requirements & Course Details
www.JewishGen.org/education

If you have further questions, please email
Nancy Holden, Instruction Manager
JewishGen-Education@lyris.JewishGen.org