Shmiel,

Anything for a Levin Family in Vinnitsa would be appreciated. 

L’Shana Tovah
Gary Levin

I've posted a tombstone inscription in Russian for which I need a translation. It is on Viewmate at the following address...
https://www.jewishgen.org/viewmate/viewmateview.asp?key=VM86453
Please respond via the form provided on the ViewMate image page.
Thank you very much.
Jeannette Tsoulos

What the critics are saying about On a Clear April Morning, a Ukranian-Brazilian Jewish Journey, that I translated from the Portuguese.  Merrie Blocker, Silver Spring, Maryland

 " Marcos Iolovitch's "On a Clear April Morning" is an especially exotic version of the Jewish immigrant experience....[It] can be described as a Brazilian version of Abraham Cahan’s “The Rise of David Levinsky,”  I was reminded of the characters who appear so often in the stories Isaac Bashevis Singer, earnest young men who are tormented by the temptations of the flesh and seek consolation in literature and philosophy. And the book is considerably enriched by the foreword, preface and afterword that appear in Blocker’s translation.  [And],  Marcos Iolovitch is ... a writer who wins us over completely."  Jewish Journal.

"The poetic language of Iolovich in this novel is very readable and well worth the time.....[And] The prefaces by Scliar and Blocker, and an extensive afterword by Blocker, inform the reader in fascinating detail of attempts to settle Jewish immigrants on farms in South America and trace Iolovich’s connection to the larger outside philosophical world, his literary development, and fame." Reform Judaism:

"the book is beautifully translated as Blocker manages to transmit the Portuguese into an English that flows naturally even through paragraph-length sentences, successfully keeping the translation as close as possible to the original phrasing without losing the musicality of Iolovitch’s writing.”  Asymptote 

"On a Clear April Morning is a surprising unique jewel. Written in a beautiful, almost poetic style, it sheds light on the struggle of so many Jews that escaped Russia in the hope of building a better future in Latin America. Narrated in first person, this autobiography is an incredible testament of the odyssey so many Jews went through at the beginning of the twentieth century. I also found the translator's notes very helpful in understanding the historical context."  Amazon reviewer

 

Thank you, Marian and Jan for your additional help.  Yesterday, I applied for a search for my great grandfather's USCIS file number.  When (If) I get that I will send for the C-file (whatever the cost).  Depending on what's in the C-file, I may send for my grandfathers' C-files.  Again, thanks to all who have helped.

Robert Hanna
NYC

Hi all.  From my own experience, the link already mentioned
 http://wga-datenbank.de/search.php?s=1#
indeed is searchable.    Takes a little working out, but I found it a very useful primary source.  

I went to the Landesarchiv, consulted some of the files there from my family, and then asked for copies, which were sent to me. 

I was also told by a kind archivist there, that another archive is available in Berlin. 
This is the "LABO", which (apparently) in the provincial archive for specific categories of reparation requests. 
These concern (as far as I have ascertained) claims concerning - 
- health
- imprisonment
- education issues. 
I have heard that these often contain detailed and personal "stories". 

I know that there are several files there on my own family. 
These cannot be copied , but can be photographed on site.  They need to be ordered in advance, and then studied on site. 

Landesamt für Bürger- und Ordnungsangelegenheiten (LABO)   
Abt. I - Entschädigungsbehörde   
Opfer des Nationalsozialismus   
Sachbearbeitung   
I A 45   
   
Fehrbelliner Platz 1   
10707 Berlin   
Telefon: +49 30 90269 5145   
   
Fax: +49 30 90269 5100   
E-Mail: andrea.pahlke@...  

Good luck
Best David SELIG

I found some more information about United Restitution Organization files.  The records of several individual offices are at the Central Archive for the History of the Jewish People: London (administration & personal files), Frankfurt (administration & personal files), Berlin (personal files), Munich (personal files), Cologne (personal files), Tel Aviv (administration and personal files) and Jerusalem (personal files.)

Personal files are closed to the public for privacy reasons but there is no information about access for family members in the CAJHP catalog record http://cahjp.nli.org.il/content/united-restitution-organization-uro.  You will need to follow up with them for more information.

Megan Lewis, USHMM

At least one child born at sea is listed on the passenger list page.

Eva Golda FISCHER was born at sea aboard the SS Carmania in 1928. The 1930 census lists her as Evelyn Carmania FISHER.  Birthplace "at sea"

David Rosen
Boston, MA

Dear Shmiel,
I would really want to know if my Lekhovitzer family is In the census there name had some variations such as Likhevser or Lycihvitzer. Yes Alex probably will scan these sometime in the future.

Happy high holidays, Elani Joseph
VA Beach, Virginia  

Zev,  it was not clear what are you asking.

You probably know about Romania Database (it includes also Bessarabia records).  You can search such databases by surnames, or surnames and town, etc.  In your case you need to Search by that surname you wrote before, after that you will get all the hits in that database for such name (or very close to it)...  Look at each of these hits carefully.

All the best,

Shana Tovah,
Yefim Kogan

For Shirley one of my family had Tzirle as well, any Libby was Leba

Robyn Camm
Ontario Canada

SZEER (Romania), SCHLEIFER (Russia, Romania)

--
Hello. I would like to join to research info about my 4 x g grandfather Abraham ben Gedaliah Tiktin 1764 - 1820. With thx.

On Tue, Sep 15, 2020 at 08:47 AM, <robgoudey@...> wrote:

Hello all.

I found the following reference in Julius Sumner Miller’s autobiography to a ceremony his mother Sarah engaged in. 

Does anybody recognize this?  If so, are you able to tell me anything about its likely origin and significance?

 

“With all the canning Mama did on a large scale, she took time to make something very special. And with it went a 

very special ceremony. It was made with raspberries, both red and black. Mama stewed these with more than ordinary 

care and canned them in jars well marked. They had a special place on the shelves. We dare not touch these for an 

ordinary meal, never. Now a visitor comes – someone from the old country – I can see her at the table with Mama, 

she has a shawl over her head. Mama serves tea in glasses. And I am sent on an errand: get a jar of the special 

preserve. The lady puts a spoonful in her glass of tea. There is no sugar on the table. This is special. When they 

are diverted to something, in another room say, I steal a spoonful of this delectation. Should Mama know this I’m 

a sorry boy”.

Thank you,
Rob.Goudey

 

It’s a very Russian thing to do but as far as I know not a ceremony. Those berries were hard to come by and labor intensive. It showed love and respect to serve the berries
 
--
Deanna M. Levinsky, Long Island, NY

Hello Deborah,

I'm assuming you mean a USCIS "AA" Certificate file for Jon, since he was born abroad to US citizen parents.

No, no file or record of his derivative citizenship would be created upon his arrival as an infant in ca. 1900/1901.  Congress did not create the authority for any part of the government to issue such certificates/create such files until 1929, and gave that authority to the INS, now USCIS.  Even then, the 1929 legislation required the derivative citizen (Jon) to be 21 years or older to apply.

What this means is that in or after 1929 Jon could apply for a AA Certificate of Derivative Citizenship.  He was not required to do so, but the reason Congress created the authority was because people like him needed some proof of their citizenship.  If he did so, there would be a file.  If he applied and the certificate was issued between 1929 and March 31, 1956, it would be a AA Certificate File (C-file) with USCIS.  If he applied and the certificate was issued on or after April 1, 1956, it would be in an A-File.

Marian Smith

I think this conversation is backwards - the original name was Yiddish and/or Hebrew. The question should be what English name was chosen based on the original and not the other way around. I know several Sheindls who were Shirley in English  and Yaffa in Hebrew. The fact that Shirley Temple was a very popular child actress at the time these women were either born or immigrated may have had something (a lot?) to do with the choice of name.

Billie Stein

Volume 4:
Page 416 - Rebecca Leah, (2'nd wife of Rabbi Moses Judah Leib Zilberberg ABD Kolo, Dobri, Lask & Kutno) was the daughter of Rabbi Zeev Wolf, ABD Piotrikov and Dabie. She died in 1892, Lechowitz.

Page 692 - Sarah, daughter of Zeev Wolf was first wife of Yekutiel Zissel (Zushe) Hakohen Rappaport of Minsk. Husband died 1852.

Yossi Jalas