I am trying to decide if I have hit a brick wall or an actual dead end. I cannot find immigration records for my Great Grandparents. Here is what I know.
My Great Grandfather, Max(Mordecai Tsvi or Hersch) Hoffman was born in Veisiejai Lithuania in 1860. He married my Great Grandmother, Rochel Leah Pasiutelis who was from Liskiava Lithuania in June 1887.

They ended up in Pittsburgh PA. Max’s Declaration of Intent was Oct. 30, 1897 and his Petition for Naturalization was Nov. 18, 1899. 

They had one son Abraham Abba born in the old country whose birth date on various census records and death record is listed as 1886 which must be incorrect since the parents were married in 1887.

My Grandmother Fannie Hoffman was the second child. There are no birth records for her anywhere. However there is a family story that she had a twin that died. The City if Pittsburgh has a death record for a baby born to my Great Grandparents that died on July 27, 1894 at the age of 3 months and 26 days. There is no birth record for this baby. The parents state they have lived at this address 3 months and before that Russia.
They had six more children born in Pittsburgh between 1886-1908.

There is a passenger record for a Hersch Hoffman coming alone on the Helvetia from Liverpool to Castle Gardens on Dec. 9, 1889 alone.
No records for Rochel Leah and some Abraham.
Since there is a big age gap between Abraham and the rest of the siblings I assume Max came first alone and later Rochel Leah and Abraham joined them.
I cannot find them and in consequence I cannot determine when and where my grandmother was born and if the baby who died is her twin or not.
Is this a true dead end or what else can I do?
Sara Leah Ani

Hello everybody, 

We (Jeff and I) have translated 103 records for Bendery, 1808.  There is interesting information there, for example  70 Jews from that list were local residents, and 33 - citizens of Russia from different towns around, Tiraspol, Dubossary, etc.  Usually we have in the record something like Abram Khaimovich - Abram son of Khaim,  but in several records it is different.  In one record it gives a profession of the person, and couple of records we could not decipher, and asking for your help.

I attached a pdf  file with all pieces we could not read.

All the best,
Yefim Kogan

Luc,  thank you very much.  That is great.  I knew that in Moldova they used at some point cyrillic, but that language goes back probably 15 century or so.

Did you or anybody else in the group tried to read the 'second' page I sent?

All the best,
Yefim Kogan

What do readers believe is the best data base for early 1900 passenger records?

my parents and I arrived to Israel 1960, legacy.  Can anyone tell me how do I find the records of our arrival including dates and any other relevant information.  We got our exit papers in Hungary, I would also like to get those record.  Any advice on how to find these two immigration documents would be greatly appreciated

Judith shamian grunfeld

I  found a record of my ggf Nachman Deutsch coming to the United States from Dolhinov (Belarus, Lithuania, Russia) along with one of his young children Chaim Deutsch.  Then no additional records at all until 1904 when my grandfather Abraham Deutsch came to the United States and the young child my ggf came with shows up coming again.   No records of leaving the US and no records of living here and no records of my ggf????   They must have returned but what a brick wall.

It is a short form of BRONISLAVA.
BrOnja ist a one possibility to be called. And SlAva the second one. 
With an another stress the word BronjA means armor. And Slava means glory.
BRONISLAVA means the glory of the armor.
It is a beautiful russian name.

Jana

Some records of Jewish soldiers in the Boer War can be found on the SA Jewish Rootsbank database, here: http://www.jewishroots.uct.ac.za/Military.aspx

Dear Barbara,

I forget to write : in case this is Laubach, Just change the city in the interface
http://archives.bas-rhin.fr/registres-paroissiaux-et-documents-d-etat-civil/

Regards
David

david.choukroun@...
France

Dear Barbara,

I tried Geneanet without success
this is most probably Lembach in Alsace (67), France

You can find all the records (birth , marriage , death) via a nice interface : http://archives.bas-rhin.fr/registres-paroissiaux-et-documents-d-etat-civil/ETAT-CIVIL-C262#search-results
I am reading 1717 as early dates

As always, if you are not sure about the dates, start  with the Decennale tables

Hope you will find your names !

Best regards
David

david.choukroun@...
France

Hello,

My g-gm had a brother named Lazar Schwimmer, born 1876, who married Ruchel Berkovits in 1899, in Munkacs. He had a shoe store. Does anyone have knowledge of this family?

-Moishe Miller
Brooklyn, NY
JGFF# 3391
moishe.miller@...

This profession was very popular just 50 years ago in Poland based Jewish tailoring co-operatives. Today I cannot locate name or definition of the tailor-cutter in Polish dictionaries.
If you are searching name of cutter in old Polish professions is known as "zakrojczy" [zah kroh i:chi]

Alexander Sharon

Art,

My 2ndGGF, Leon Meyer (b. 1836, Laubach? Lembach?), emigrated from Alsace to the U.S. 1855.  His father, Solomon M. Meyer (b. 1798), emigrated in 1859, if I have the correct records.  My grandmother noted that that Solomon was married to a Fredericka Moehler (b. 1803).  As I have not found an immigration record for her, I presume she died before Solomon left France.  I know nothing else about where Solomon and Leon are from or their families.

NOTE:  There is a Solomon Meyer from Alsace who married a Fredericka Moog and I believe this couple has had their records confused with my relatives by others.  Moog is listed as having a daughter Julia and a son Lewis.  Fredericka Moehler had at least six children--Moses, Samuel, Leon, Sophia, David, Simon.

I would welcome any records or hints you might find.  My than ks in advance for your generosity and willingness to help!

Barbara Stein
Seattle, WA

I'm delighted that you have added records from Liverpool.  It has let me confirm details for many family members.

Thanks,
Charles Joseph

You may wish to check with your local library as many libraries subscribe to Newspapers.com. You can then access the site for free through the library. You do not have to be at the library to do this. There are many other sites that require paid membership, but can be accessed through you local library.  

How kind of you, David.  

Hello,
Please include the details of Sunday's presentation by Rose Feldamn
Thank you, Malka Chosnek

Ellen, yes it's very frustrating. I hope somehow we can both find that missing branch. I see you are researching WEISSMAN/VAYSMAN. Funny, that is my paternal grandmother's mother's maiden name. She died giving birth to her 6th child in the Ukraine. Her first name was Hinda. The one I am missing is my paternal grandfather's mother.  
--
Raylene Gurewich 
Port Jefferson Station, NY