This makes me happy beyond words.

Israel Pickholtz

Only two months ago, I announced the first indices >from the new
indexing agreement with the Polish State Archives were added to the
Jewish Records Indexing - Poland database. These were Rohatyn births
indexed at the AGAD Archive. I also announced that AGAD would be
digitizing their collection of Jewish vital records and would partner with
JRI-Poland to link the JRI-Poland indices to images that would be
available on the AGAD website. AGAD had announced that scans >from
fond 300 (Jewish vital records) proudly would be available in April. That
day has come.

I want to thank Rabbi Stephan Parnes, a Galitzianer researcher >from
Pennsylvania, who first notified us that those images were online - even
before we were officially notified by AGAD.

Through the technical skills of JRI-Poland Database Manager Michael
Tobias, the database of over 700,000 indices >from the early 1800s
through 1905 that were previously indexed are now linked to the AGAD
Archive website of digital images.

When you search the JRI-Poland database (www.jri-poland.org and select
"search database"), the AGAD search results for most AGAD towns now
have a link "View Scanned Image" in the far left column. Clicking this link
sends you to the first page of scans for that Signature. A Signature is the
number used by AGAD to identify a single vital records register. That
signature number is identified on each AGAD index entry. The AGAD
scans now include Signatures >from #1 up through #2514.

At this time, the link will only take you to the first page of scans for that
Signature. You will have to scroll through the pages of that register to
find the page number or AKT number (record number) that you have
found on the JRI-Poland search results.

JRI-Poland volunteers will start immediately to add the actual AGAD
image page numbers to the computer files that make up the JRI-Poland
online database. In the near future, you will be able to click on that same
link and go directly to the proper image at the AGAD website of scans.

As the AGAD website, the JRI-Poland links, and the process of viewing
these actual records is new, I encourage users (and I think there will be
many of you) to share your experiences and helpful hints with other
users on this forum.

Happy hunting.

Mark Halpern
JRI-Poland AGAD Archive Coordinator