My great-uncle, Itzhak FRENKEL emigrated to Israel in 1935 >from Vienna. He
died in Haifa in 1974. One of my relatives told me that at shul he made
the sign that Kohanim make and that my great-uncle told him he was a Kohen.

My father thought he was a Levi, but not a Kohen. Would the Levis make
the same sign in the synagogue? Is there a registry in Israel of all
Kohenim? If so, is it accessible to the public?

George Frankel, San Francisco
Researching: Frankel, Beller, Zell, Bleich
Towns: Vienna, Mykolaiv, Bobrka, Dzvinogrod, Hryniow, Budkiv, Salonko

As a Cohen myself, most men who are religiously aware tend to know
about the link if they know their Hebrew name (X ben Y HaKohen).
Most people would refer back to the oldest religious family document
they could find with a Hebrew name. There is no registry, as there is
no 100% way of proving the status, other than family tradition.

The hand sign is made by Kohanim during the duchan ceremony (priestly
blessing) - not by those with the status of Levi.

Harvey Kaplan
Glasgow, Scotland