At 00:14 9-02-99 -0600, you wrote:

Trying to trace Surname POURPLE >from Holland. I know some relations born
in Rotterdam. Any help appreciated
Howard Lerner

It is rather unlikely that before WWII there have lived Jewish families
"POURPLE" in The Netherlands. The name is absent in our book "In Memoriam"
that lists all of the 100,000 victims of the Holocaust >from Holland and
therefore contains virtually all of the Jewish surnames >from before WWII.
How sure are you about the spelling of this name?

Jozef Jacobs

Hummelo (NL)

At 00:14 9-02-99 -0600, you wrote:

Trying to trace Surname POURPLE >from Holland. I know some relations born
in Rotterdam. Any help appreciated
Howard Lerner

It is rather unlikely that before WWII there have lived Jewish families
"POURPLE" in The Netherlands. The name is absent in our book "In Memoriam"
that lists all of the 100,000 victims of the Holocaust >from Holland and
therefore contains virtually all of the Jewish surnames >from before WWII.
How sure are you about the spelling of this name?

Jozef Jacobs

Hummelo (NL)

There are many messages in the JGen archives, ca 1995, about a work in
progress tracing the Baal Shem Tov's descendents. I tried messaging the
authors, Mark Tedeschi and David Chapin, but their email addresses have
changed. Does anyone know if the geneology was ever published, and if so,
how/where I can access it?

Molly Gordy, NYC

SEARCHING: GORODETSKY (HORODEZKY) of Berdichev, Malin, Novograd-Volinsk Tel
Aviv and Zhitomir.

There are many messages in the JGen archives, ca 1995, about a work in
progress tracing the Baal Shem Tov's descendents. I tried messaging the
authors, Mark Tedeschi and David Chapin, but their email addresses have
changed. Does anyone know if the geneology was ever published, and if so,
how/where I can access it?

Molly Gordy, NYC

SEARCHING: GORODETSKY (HORODEZKY) of Berdichev, Malin, Novograd-Volinsk Tel
Aviv and Zhitomir.

Hi,
My grandparents used to belong to:
Congregation Ohav Shalom in Inwood
it's located at: 4724 Broadway in Inwood (New York City)

I remember going their as a child and wonder what has become of the
congregation. I also would like to check and see if they have any
information regarding my grandparents, Erna and Justin KUHL. I recently
drove past it and was told by a passing lady that it is almost defunct.

If anyone could be of help I would be most appreciative.

Michelle B. Tichauer Fanwick
Norwalk, Connecticut

Hi,
My grandparents used to belong to:
Congregation Ohav Shalom in Inwood
it's located at: 4724 Broadway in Inwood (New York City)

I remember going their as a child and wonder what has become of the
congregation. I also would like to check and see if they have any
information regarding my grandparents, Erna and Justin KUHL. I recently
drove past it and was told by a passing lady that it is almost defunct.

If anyone could be of help I would be most appreciative.

Michelle B. Tichauer Fanwick
Norwalk, Connecticut

After many years of looking, I think I have finally found the microfilmed
card with information concerning the arrival of my grandmother Sophie
GREENBERG (misspelled as "Grunberg" on the card). My problem is that the
information on the card is so light, as to be barely legible. I was able to
decipher her origination point as "Roman, Romania," as well as the fact that
she was travelling with a "Sabina, Annie, and S?????". All this information
matches my family. However, the information on the rest of the card,
including the all-important date they arrived and on what ship is totally
unavailable. (On th 1920 Census, she reported arriving in 1900).

My question is do those original cards themselves, the ones >from which the
microfilm copies were made, still actually exist, and if so, to whom could I
write, asking that a search for that card and that information be made? If
the cards are no longer in existence, could someone suggest another source
of finding the information contained on the card.

BTW, I searched the 1900 US Census for my grandma, looking under
"Greenberg," "Grunberg," and "Gruenberg" and was unable to find the family,
leading me to assume that they arrived after June, 1900, the date of the
census.

In addition, after staring at the card, using yellow paper, magnifying
glasses, etc. I was able to make out some of the letters of the name of the
ship. They appear to be (note: ? after letter means a guess, X means
illegible, /indicates certainty):
W?O?O?R?XL/A/N/D/ Woordland? Vaardland
Z?O?O?N?XL/A/N/D/ Zoonland? Zeeland?
N?E?E?XL/A/N/D/ Needland?

Any guess for the name of the ship? The Morton Allan Directory is no longer
at my library; someone stole it, and they estimate it will take a few months
until another hits the shelves!

Please reply privately, as this is probably of limited interest. Thanks for
any help.

Jane Wechsler-Holeywell
Houston, TX

After many years of looking, I think I have finally found the microfilmed
card with information concerning the arrival of my grandmother Sophie
GREENBERG (misspelled as "Grunberg" on the card). My problem is that the
information on the card is so light, as to be barely legible. I was able to
decipher her origination point as "Roman, Romania," as well as the fact that
she was travelling with a "Sabina, Annie, and S?????". All this information
matches my family. However, the information on the rest of the card,
including the all-important date they arrived and on what ship is totally
unavailable. (On th 1920 Census, she reported arriving in 1900).

My question is do those original cards themselves, the ones >from which the
microfilm copies were made, still actually exist, and if so, to whom could I
write, asking that a search for that card and that information be made? If
the cards are no longer in existence, could someone suggest another source
of finding the information contained on the card.

BTW, I searched the 1900 US Census for my grandma, looking under
"Greenberg," "Grunberg," and "Gruenberg" and was unable to find the family,
leading me to assume that they arrived after June, 1900, the date of the
census.

In addition, after staring at the card, using yellow paper, magnifying
glasses, etc. I was able to make out some of the letters of the name of the
ship. They appear to be (note: ? after letter means a guess, X means
illegible, /indicates certainty):
W?O?O?R?XL/A/N/D/ Woordland? Vaardland
Z?O?O?N?XL/A/N/D/ Zoonland? Zeeland?
N?E?E?XL/A/N/D/ Needland?

Any guess for the name of the ship? The Morton Allan Directory is no longer
at my library; someone stole it, and they estimate it will take a few months
until another hits the shelves!

Please reply privately, as this is probably of limited interest. Thanks for
any help.

Jane Wechsler-Holeywell
Houston, TX

There are many sources depending on who the rabbi was and whether he
wrote anything. In terms of "who" the place to start is the Hebrew
reference work Otzer Harabanim (20,000 rabbis >from 970 to 1970, lots of
indexes, etc.) There are also reference books for Chasidic rabbis
(haven't used, my background Misnagid) and Galician rabbis (again,
haven't used, my background is Litvak). If by chance your ancestor
connects to Katzenellenbogens and such, do not forget the Neil Rosenstein
English book, The Unbroken Chain. In terms of whether the rabbi
published anything I have used Bet Eked Sepharim with great success. (in
Hebrew, reference work with rabbis' books published between 1474 to
1950.) Finding publications is particularly good because often there is
genealogical information in the beginning about the author. Remember the
Jewish emphasis on books and how that connects to names on occasion:
sometimes an influential work becams the name under which we know the
rabbi (for example Chofetz Chayim was the name of the rabbi's most noted
work and not his actual name); also, sometimes that book name actually
became the surname of descendants (for example one of my teachers, last
name Shore, is a descendant of B'chor Shor). Don't forget Encyclopaedia
Judaica and make sure you use the index in case the rabbi for whom you
search doesn't have an entry under his own name but is elsewhere
discussed in other entries (so an alphabetical-type dictionary-look-up
would miss the valuable information ... index is essential for EJ).
There may well be lists of rabbis maintained historically within the holy
land but this is a conjecture; I have not had occasion to research a
rabbi in Israel yet.
Jonina Duker

There are many sources depending on who the rabbi was and whether he
wrote anything. In terms of "who" the place to start is the Hebrew
reference work Otzer Harabanim (20,000 rabbis >from 970 to 1970, lots of
indexes, etc.) There are also reference books for Chasidic rabbis
(haven't used, my background Misnagid) and Galician rabbis (again,
haven't used, my background is Litvak). If by chance your ancestor
connects to Katzenellenbogens and such, do not forget the Neil Rosenstein
English book, The Unbroken Chain. In terms of whether the rabbi
published anything I have used Bet Eked Sepharim with great success. (in
Hebrew, reference work with rabbis' books published between 1474 to
1950.) Finding publications is particularly good because often there is
genealogical information in the beginning about the author. Remember the
Jewish emphasis on books and how that connects to names on occasion:
sometimes an influential work becams the name under which we know the
rabbi (for example Chofetz Chayim was the name of the rabbi's most noted
work and not his actual name); also, sometimes that book name actually
became the surname of descendants (for example one of my teachers, last
name Shore, is a descendant of B'chor Shor). Don't forget Encyclopaedia
Judaica and make sure you use the index in case the rabbi for whom you
search doesn't have an entry under his own name but is elsewhere
discussed in other entries (so an alphabetical-type dictionary-look-up
would miss the valuable information ... index is essential for EJ).
There may well be lists of rabbis maintained historically within the holy
land but this is a conjecture; I have not had occasion to research a
rabbi in Israel yet.
Jonina Duker

The practice of using different surnames for subsequent sons to avoid
those sons being drafted into the Czar's army was wide-spread and is well
documented in many source books. What should be kept in mind is that the
surnames used for the subsequent sons would have been used by permission
of the family into which the sons were being registered -- so there must
have been some kind of connection, familial or otherwise, that made the
arrangement possible. So don't just dismiss these "other" surnames --
these surnames hold valuable clues to extended family, in-laws,
neighbors, potential in-laws, who knows what? Jonina Duker

The practice of using different surnames for subsequent sons to avoid
those sons being drafted into the Czar's army was wide-spread and is well
documented in many source books. What should be kept in mind is that the
surnames used for the subsequent sons would have been used by permission
of the family into which the sons were being registered -- so there must
have been some kind of connection, familial or otherwise, that made the
arrangement possible. So don't just dismiss these "other" surnames --
these surnames hold valuable clues to extended family, in-laws,
neighbors, potential in-laws, who knows what? Jonina Duker

My ggf, >from Eishyshok, was born Asher to Pesach Dov NELKEN in 1838. He
took his mother-in-law's maiden name, YURKANSKI, for the same reason: to
appear to be the only son of a family. We, his descendants, all know the
story and have been able to maintain contact with our branch. However, his
brothers and their families are lost to us, as we do not know which names
each adopted. The only reason that we _do_ know there were other sons is
because of that tradition!
I have just purchased the book that you referred to, and hope to find some
answers there.

My ggf, >from Eishyshok, was born Asher to Pesach Dov NELKEN in 1838. He
took his mother-in-law's maiden name, YURKANSKI, for the same reason: to
appear to be the only son of a family. We, his descendants, all know the
story and have been able to maintain contact with our branch. However, his
brothers and their families are lost to us, as we do not know which names
each adopted. The only reason that we _do_ know there were other sons is
because of that tradition!
I have just purchased the book that you referred to, and hope to find some
answers there.

In my previous message, I had specific questions all pertaining to the
procedures for obtaining a passport in Galicia 100 years ago.

My statement was; "we are all familiar with the stories about name
changes"...

As for the question, it dealt specifically with name changes taking place
in Galicia and what legal procedures took place (if required) during that
period in history?

Michele V. Pomerantz
Secaucus, NJ
Wildpom@aol.com

MODERATOR NOTE: If anyone has any information about name changes and/or
legal procedures that took place in Galicia, please share it with this
forum.

In my previous message, I had specific questions all pertaining to the
procedures for obtaining a passport in Galicia 100 years ago.

My statement was; "we are all familiar with the stories about name
changes"...

As for the question, it dealt specifically with name changes taking place
in Galicia and what legal procedures took place (if required) during that
period in history?

Michele V. Pomerantz
Secaucus, NJ
Wildpom@aol.com

MODERATOR NOTE: If anyone has any information about name changes and/or
legal procedures that took place in Galicia, please share it with this
forum.

Dear People,

When my message was published on February 14 1999, it was inadvertently
garbled.

So here is my story again with some additional information.


Until a year or more ago, I didn't know that I had any RAPAPORTS (or
RAPPAPORTS) in my family. But after I retrieved some old letters and
documents which, after my mother's death, I had left with my eldest niece in
New York, I found two letters written in the late 1930's by a Chaim RAPAPORT,
then in Jaffa, to my grandfather, Isidor BELKOWSKY, then in Cleveland.

One of the letters, both of which were in handwritten German, said that
he, Chaim was the son of Wolf (Ze'ev Shaul). Wolf was the son of Jacob Israel,
and Jacob Israel was the brother of Isidor BELKOWSKY's mother. Until then,

from two old documents, I had known her name only as Beila Shifra Meerovna,

so Chaim's letter gave me a clue as to what her maiden name had been.

Chaim wrote that all his family was in "Podwoloczyska, (Podwolochisk)
"bei Tarnopol" but, because I had trouble reading the handwriting, it took me
some time and effort to find out just what and where that town was. (Lindy
Kasperski of the GenPol mail group was most helpful.) I later learned that
there was a Yizkor book for this town.

Still later, thanks to the efforts of Jewishgenner Michael Chen, who two
years ago had generously helped me with research about my grandfather's first
cousin, I not only acquired the Yizkor book at a reasonable price, but also
received Michael's translation of the RAPAPORT chapter in the book. Michael
also learned >from Dov Breier of the Podwolochisk Society in Israel that the
Rivka RAPAPORT, widow of Arieh RAPAPORT, the writer of the yizkor chapter was
still alive, and Michael also gave me her address.

According to the translated chapter, Except for the two brothers Arieh
and Chaim, and perhaps their wives, who managed to get to Palestine, all the
rest of this particular RAPAPORT family who had remained in Poland were killed
by the Nazis. The fatal decision to stay behind in Poland was made by the
father, Wolf. In 1924, he had seriously entertained the idea of emigrating to
Palestine in 1924, but then he heard that the Sabbath was not strictly
observed there. So instead, he remained and leased a large farm, which for
some years was very prosperous until hell broke loose.

I didn't muster up the courage to write to Rivka RAPOPORT until two weeks
ago. By regular post, I sent her a long letter, enclosing the photocopies of
her brother-in-law Chaim's letters.

A day or so ago, the eldest of Rivka's two sons wrote me an email, in
which he told me that his mother had read my letter with much joy and was
preparing a detailed response.

The name of Rivka RAPPAPORT's eldest son, the one who wrote in response
to my postal letter to his mother, is Ze'ev RAPPAPORT. >from his email
address, I assume he is living in Germany, and again >from his email address,
he is probably works for the EL AL airline. >from the email address of his
brother, whose first name Ze'ev forgot to mention, I assume the brother
lives in Israel. I can hardly wait for the detailed response which Mrs.
RAPAPORT is preparing.

Another aspect of this story has to do with the SAS family. Arieh
RAPAPORT had written in his RAPAPORT Yikzor chapter that his father Wolf (Zev
Shaul) had married a Rahel SAS.

It so happened that a couple of months ago I responded to a Jewishgen
inquiry posted by Jacob Laor about Podwoloczysk, and told him where he could
buy the Podwolochisk Yizkor Book. He went and got it the same day, I think,
and told me he had found a passing mention of a relative of his in a chapter
written by a Michael SAS.

Although SAS, at least with this spelling, is not a rare name, it isn't
very common either, and I know of another SAS family who emigrated to Israel,
I hesitated to ask Jacob whether this Michael SAS was related to Rahel SAS,
wife of Wolf RAPAPORT.

Soon I learned that he was! His mother was Bina, sister of Rahel.
Michael SAS's father was Moshe. Michael had a sister named Perel and a brother
named Ze'ev (Velvele). Only Michael escaped the Germans. He emigrated to
Israel after having served with the Russian Army (as Arieh RAPAPORT had done).
He has a wife, Rita, and a daughter, Dina. By now, Michael may be
recovering >from a heart operation, as Jacob Laor told me he was so ill when he
talked with him that he needed such an operation. Of course, I hope he
survived it!

Naomi
Naomi Fatouros
Bloomington, IN 47401
USA
NFatouros@aol.com
99/02/17

Dear People,

When my message was published on February 14 1999, it was inadvertently
garbled.

So here is my story again with some additional information.


Until a year or more ago, I didn't know that I had any RAPAPORTS (or
RAPPAPORTS) in my family. But after I retrieved some old letters and
documents which, after my mother's death, I had left with my eldest niece in
New York, I found two letters written in the late 1930's by a Chaim RAPAPORT,
then in Jaffa, to my grandfather, Isidor BELKOWSKY, then in Cleveland.

One of the letters, both of which were in handwritten German, said that
he, Chaim was the son of Wolf (Ze'ev Shaul). Wolf was the son of Jacob Israel,
and Jacob Israel was the brother of Isidor BELKOWSKY's mother. Until then,

from two old documents, I had known her name only as Beila Shifra Meerovna,

so Chaim's letter gave me a clue as to what her maiden name had been.

Chaim wrote that all his family was in "Podwoloczyska, (Podwolochisk)
"bei Tarnopol" but, because I had trouble reading the handwriting, it took me
some time and effort to find out just what and where that town was. (Lindy
Kasperski of the GenPol mail group was most helpful.) I later learned that
there was a Yizkor book for this town.

Still later, thanks to the efforts of Jewishgenner Michael Chen, who two
years ago had generously helped me with research about my grandfather's first
cousin, I not only acquired the Yizkor book at a reasonable price, but also
received Michael's translation of the RAPAPORT chapter in the book. Michael
also learned >from Dov Breier of the Podwolochisk Society in Israel that the
Rivka RAPAPORT, widow of Arieh RAPAPORT, the writer of the yizkor chapter was
still alive, and Michael also gave me her address.

According to the translated chapter, Except for the two brothers Arieh
and Chaim, and perhaps their wives, who managed to get to Palestine, all the
rest of this particular RAPAPORT family who had remained in Poland were killed
by the Nazis. The fatal decision to stay behind in Poland was made by the
father, Wolf. In 1924, he had seriously entertained the idea of emigrating to
Palestine in 1924, but then he heard that the Sabbath was not strictly
observed there. So instead, he remained and leased a large farm, which for
some years was very prosperous until hell broke loose.

I didn't muster up the courage to write to Rivka RAPOPORT until two weeks
ago. By regular post, I sent her a long letter, enclosing the photocopies of
her brother-in-law Chaim's letters.

A day or so ago, the eldest of Rivka's two sons wrote me an email, in
which he told me that his mother had read my letter with much joy and was
preparing a detailed response.

The name of Rivka RAPPAPORT's eldest son, the one who wrote in response
to my postal letter to his mother, is Ze'ev RAPPAPORT. >from his email
address, I assume he is living in Germany, and again >from his email address,
he is probably works for the EL AL airline. >from the email address of his
brother, whose first name Ze'ev forgot to mention, I assume the brother
lives in Israel. I can hardly wait for the detailed response which Mrs.
RAPAPORT is preparing.

Another aspect of this story has to do with the SAS family. Arieh
RAPAPORT had written in his RAPAPORT Yikzor chapter that his father Wolf (Zev
Shaul) had married a Rahel SAS.

It so happened that a couple of months ago I responded to a Jewishgen
inquiry posted by Jacob Laor about Podwoloczysk, and told him where he could
buy the Podwolochisk Yizkor Book. He went and got it the same day, I think,
and told me he had found a passing mention of a relative of his in a chapter
written by a Michael SAS.

Although SAS, at least with this spelling, is not a rare name, it isn't
very common either, and I know of another SAS family who emigrated to Israel,
I hesitated to ask Jacob whether this Michael SAS was related to Rahel SAS,
wife of Wolf RAPAPORT.

Soon I learned that he was! His mother was Bina, sister of Rahel.
Michael SAS's father was Moshe. Michael had a sister named Perel and a brother
named Ze'ev (Velvele). Only Michael escaped the Germans. He emigrated to
Israel after having served with the Russian Army (as Arieh RAPAPORT had done).
He has a wife, Rita, and a daughter, Dina. By now, Michael may be
recovering >from a heart operation, as Jacob Laor told me he was so ill when he
talked with him that he needed such an operation. Of course, I hope he
survived it!

Naomi
Naomi Fatouros
Bloomington, IN 47401
USA
NFatouros@aol.com
99/02/17

Dear Fellow Galitzianers:

My grandfather, Abraham Juda RECHTER, was born in 1874 in Skole (near Stryj in
Galicia). He married Beila KLUGER, born in 1874 in Krakow, and they had six
sons: Mechel (Max), Hersch (Herman), Chaim Mozes (Maurits), Jacob, and the
twins Hillel and Salomon.

In the early 1900's, the family moved to Vienna. My grandfather had a
wholesale business in dried fruits and nuts. My father, Herman, as a young
man, emigrated to Holland, where he married my mother, Greta HAKKER. Three of
my father's brothers followed him to Holland. They were in the banking
business. When my grandfather died in 1938, grandmother Beila also went to
live in Holland. My brother and I were born in Holland and we went into
hiding during WW II.

Of the whole RECHTER family, my mother, brother and myself, and Salomon's son
Robert who, with his mother came to the US in 1938, were the only survivors of
the holocaust. Or, so we thought.....

Several months ago, in the Yizkor Book "Le-zekher kedoshe Skolah veha-seviva",
on a list of survivors, I found the name Aharon RECHTER. I wrote to him and
we have been exchanging as much information as possible. Unfortunately, there
is no evidence that we are related. In 1943 Aharon, at the age of 17, managed
to escape Skole, wound up in Switzerland and then went to Israel in 1945,
where he has his home. No one of his family in Skole survived. We are of the
same generation and wonder if maybe our grandfathers were brothers, or
cousins, or ???

I would like to get in touch with people, whose search is also taking them to
Skole. I have been told that most records of Skole have been destroyed. So,
where do you go >from there?

Antoinette (Toni) Rechter Gordy
Pleasant Hill, California
AGordy@aol.com

Searching: RECHTER - Skole; KLUGER - Krakow; JEROZOLIMSKI - Krakow

Dear Fellow Galitzianers:

My grandfather, Abraham Juda RECHTER, was born in 1874 in Skole (near Stryj in
Galicia). He married Beila KLUGER, born in 1874 in Krakow, and they had six
sons: Mechel (Max), Hersch (Herman), Chaim Mozes (Maurits), Jacob, and the
twins Hillel and Salomon.

In the early 1900's, the family moved to Vienna. My grandfather had a
wholesale business in dried fruits and nuts. My father, Herman, as a young
man, emigrated to Holland, where he married my mother, Greta HAKKER. Three of
my father's brothers followed him to Holland. They were in the banking
business. When my grandfather died in 1938, grandmother Beila also went to
live in Holland. My brother and I were born in Holland and we went into
hiding during WW II.

Of the whole RECHTER family, my mother, brother and myself, and Salomon's son
Robert who, with his mother came to the US in 1938, were the only survivors of
the holocaust. Or, so we thought.....

Several months ago, in the Yizkor Book "Le-zekher kedoshe Skolah veha-seviva",
on a list of survivors, I found the name Aharon RECHTER. I wrote to him and
we have been exchanging as much information as possible. Unfortunately, there
is no evidence that we are related. In 1943 Aharon, at the age of 17, managed
to escape Skole, wound up in Switzerland and then went to Israel in 1945,
where he has his home. No one of his family in Skole survived. We are of the
same generation and wonder if maybe our grandfathers were brothers, or
cousins, or ???

I would like to get in touch with people, whose search is also taking them to
Skole. I have been told that most records of Skole have been destroyed. So,
where do you go >from there?

Antoinette (Toni) Rechter Gordy
Pleasant Hill, California
AGordy@aol.com

Searching: RECHTER - Skole; KLUGER - Krakow; JEROZOLIMSKI - Krakow