My family tree does not go back any further than the US at the moment as I cannot track my relatives into their native lands, which were held by Russia, Prussia and Poland at various times. 
Not sure how I can research them.  We have Kempers, Millmans, Chaiets, Bluts, Zuckers, Pens and Jacobs in our line .  

Can someone help point me to where I might further the research?

Thank you,
Steve Millman

Steve - 

As far as I am aware there are virtually no surviving Jewish vital records from Kovel and Ratno.

You can use Miriam Weiner's website Routes to Roots to search for records about the towns you are interested in: https://www.rtrfoundation.org/results.php?rin=19672&testing=0. Make sure to use the Daitch-Molotkoff Soundex matching for best results.

This suggests that the most significant surviving 19th century collections for both Kovel and Ratno might be census type records dating from the early 1860s - probably Books of Residents. These are housed at the State Archives of Zhitomir Oblast. I would recommend hiring an experienced genealogist or researcher who can read Polish/Russian. Alex DENISENKO is one recommendation - he is based in Lviv. http://www.autodidacts.f2s.com/tua/ 

You might also find this site useful: http://www.israeli-kovel-org.org/kovelfemilies.html.

Hope this helps.

Best wishes,
Naomi 

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Naomi Leon
Brighton, UK

LEWKOWICZ, RYWAN, LASKY, BERGER, WRON, FAJBISIEWICZ (Rawa Mazowiecka, Aleksandrow Lodzki, Lodz)