JewishGen FAQ - Frequently Asked Questions Revision 3.6 - October 1, 1995 Warren Blatt This document, "Frequently Asked Questions" (FAQ), attempts to answer some of the basic questions about Jewish Genealogy. TABLE OF CONTENTS: 1 1) GETTING STARTED 2) PUBLICATIONS 3) JEWISH GENEALOGICAL FAMILY FINDER (JGFF) 2 4) BOOKS 5) VENDORS 6) JEWISH GENEALOGICAL SOCIETIES (JGSs) 7) SEMINARS ON JEWISH GENEALOGY 3 8) NATIONAL ARCHIVES 9) VITAL RECORDS (BIRTHS, MARRIAGES & DEATHS) 4 10) PASSENGER LISTS 5 11) FINDING YOUR ANCESTRAL TOWN 12) NATURALIZATION RECORDS 6 13) LDS (MORMON) FAMILY HISTORY CENTERS 14) OTHER ARCHIVES 7 15) HOLOCAUST RESEARCH 16) JEWISH GENEALOGICAL PEOPLE FINDER (JGPF) 8 17) JEWISH NAMES 9 18) JEWISHGEN DISCUSSION GROUP 10 19) COMPUTERS AND GENEALOGY 20) GLOSSARY, ABBREVIATIONS 1) GETTING STARTED: If you're just getting started researching your Jewish family history, you should definitely begin by reading either of the following books: Kurzweil, Arthur. "From Generation to Generation: How to Trace Your Jewish Genealogy and Personal History". Revised Edition. (New York: HarperCollins, 1994). 388 pages. ($27.50 hardcover). ISBN 0-06-270097-9. [First edition was: (New York: William Morrow, 1980). 353 pages. ($13 paperback). ISBN 0-8052-0706-6]. Rottenberg, Dan. "Finding Our Fathers: A Guidebook to Jewish Genealogy". (New York: Random House, 1977). 401 pages. ($20). [Reprint: Baltimore: Genealogical Publishing Co., 1986, 1995. ISBN 0-8063-1151-7]. These two were the pioneering works that helped inspire the modern Jewish genealogical movement, in the late 1970's. Both books are a great inspiration for beginners. However, some of their sources are out-of date; Jewish genealogy has advanced a great deal in the last dozen years. More recent sources are described below. Both books are widely available, and should be held by most public libraries, as well as available from any good bookstore, and from the vendors listed below (Q#5). START with what you know. Work from the known to the unknown, one small step at a time. Work backwards from the present, gathering facts as you go. - Interview your relatives. Write or talk to your family members. Ask them about family names, where they lived, when they immigrated, what town they came from. - Check the U.S. Federal Census. Taken every 10 years. The 1920 Census is the most recent available, and is fully indexed. Available at the U.S. National Archives and all 12 branches (See Q#8), and at many libraries. - Check other records: City Directories; Birth, Marriage and Death records (See Q#9); Naturalization records (See Q#12); Passenger Lists (See Q#10); Probate records; deeds, etc. - Coordinate with other genealogists researching the same family names and towns -- consult the Jewish Genealogical Family Finder (JGFF) (See Q#3). - Join a Jewish Genealogical Society (JGS) (See Q#6). - Subscribe to "Avotaynu" (See Q#2). - Attend a Summer Seminar on Jewish Genealogy (See Q#7). 2) PUBLICATIONS: "Avotaynu: The International Review of Jewish Genealogy" is a quarterly publication, founded in 1985, devoted to Jewish genealogical issues: new record sources, tips on research, travel experiences, book reviews, "Ask the Experts" column, summaries of articles in other sources, and more. It is the premier publication documenting the field today. "Avotaynu" subscriptions are $29 (North America) or $37 (overseas) per year, and back issues ($8 each) are available from the publisher: Avotaynu, Inc., 155 N. Washington Ave., Bergenfield, NJ 07621. Tel. (201) 387-7200 or 1-(800)-AVOTAYNU. An index of articles appearing in the first ten volumes of "Avotaynu" is available via Internet. Arranged alphabetically by country. Send a blank e-mail message to "avindex@cgsg.com". (80K file). Many Jewish Genealogical Societies (JGSs, see Q#6 below) also publish a journal or newsletter. Some of the better ones include "Dorot" (New York), "ZichronNote" (San Francisco), "Roots-Key" (Los Angeles) and "Shemot" (Great Britain). A list of these publications, with subscription information, is available in the InfoFile "jgsnews@cgsg.com" (see Q#19 below). 3) JEWISH GENEALOGICAL FAMILY FINDER (JGFF): The Jewish Genealogical Family Finder (JGFF) is a computer- indexed compilation of surnames and towns currently being researched by over 2,400 Jewish genealogists worldwide. It contains over 32,000 entries: 13,000 ancestral surnames and 6,000 town names, and is indexed and cross-referenced by both surname and town name. The JGFF is maintained by Gary Mokotoff of the Jewish Genealogical Society (New York). Researchers should check the JGFF for genealogists with similar research interests, and can then contact them for ex- change of information. The JGFF is a great networking tool, which is updated three or four times a year. All Jewish Genealogical Societies (JGSs, see Q#6 below) have a print-out hard copy of the JGFF. The JGFF is also available for purchase from Avotaynu, Inc. (see Q#2): $40 for hard-copy, $10 for 4 microfiche. Internet e-mail access to the JGFF is now available. For more information, e-mail to the JEWISHGEN moderators at "jewishgen@cgsg.com". The JGFF is also available on over a dozen dial-up bulletin boards (see Q#18 about FIDOnet for information on how to obtain a listing of these BBSs). Contributing your entries: Any member of a Jewish Genealogical Society (JGS) may submit up to 16 names/towns for inclusion in the JGFF, free of charge. Additional names and updates are $2.50 per 16 submitted. All Jewish genealogists are encouraged to participate. To add your ancestral surnames and towns to the JGFF, request the JGFF application form from your local JGS, or send an SASE to: Jewish Genealogical Family Finder, 155 N. Washington Ave., Bergenfield, NJ 07621. FAQ - Part 2 of 10 4) BOOKS: Other useful resources for Jewish genealogy include: "The Encyclopedia of Jewish Genealogy, Volume I: Sources in the United States and Canada". Edited by Arthur Kurzweil and Miriam Weiner. (Northvale, NJ: Jason Aronson, Inc., 1991). 226 pages. A summary of North American record repositories and their holdings, with some useful appendi- ces. ($40). ISBN 0-87668-835-0. "Where Once We Walked: A Guide to the Jewish Communities Destroyed in the Holocaust". By Gary Mokotoff and Sallyann Amdur Sack. (Teaneck, NJ: Avotaynu Press, 1991). 514 pages. A gazetteer of over 21,000 Central and Eastern European localities, arranged alphabetically and phoneti- cally, with references for each locality. ($70). ISBN 0-9626373-1-9. "Jewish Genealogy: A Source Book of Family Histories and Genealogies". By David S. Zubatsky and Irwin M. Berent. (New York: Garland, 1984, 1991). Two volumes: 422, 452 pages. A guide to published and manuscript genealogies in archives and libraries, arranged by surname. ($24). ISBN 0-8240-9028-4. [A third volume is in progress]. "Genealogical Resources in the New York Metropolitan Area". Edited by Estelle M. Guzik. (New York: Jewish Genealogical Society, 1989). 404 pages. A detailed guide to every agency in New York City and environs that could provide data useful to Jewish genealogical research. ($30). ISBN 0-9621863-0-9. "A Guide to Jewish Genealogical Research in Israel". By Sallyann Amdur Sack and the Israel Genealogical Society. (Teaneck, NJ: Avotaynu, Inc., 1995). 256 pages. ($35). ISBN 0-9626373-7-8. "Do People Grow on Family Trees? Genealogy for Kids and Other Beginners". By Ira Wolfman. (New York: Workman Publishing, 1991). 179 pages. "The Official Ellis Island Handbook". A good introduction for people of all ages. ($10). ISBN 0-89480-348-4. American-oriented genealogical guides are available at any public library. Beware that these works usually focus strictly on Anglo-American ancestry, concentrating on such topics as Revolutionary and Civil War records, land records, pioneer trails, church and town records, the Colonial period, etc. They usually ignore sources important for Jewish researchers such as immigration and naturalization records, but are useful for their methodology. Some recommended books are: Greenwood, Val D. "The Researcher's Guide to American Gene- alogy". 2nd edition. (Baltimore: Genealogical Publishing Co., 1990). 623 pages. ($25). ISBN 0-8062-1267-X. Doane, Gilbert H. and James B. Bell. "Searching for Your Ancestors: The How and Why of Genealogy". 6th edition. (Minneapolis: University of Minnesota Press, 1992). 352 pages. ISBN 0-8166-6990-5. Eakle, Arlene and Johni Cerny, eds. "The Source: A Guidebook of American Genealogy". (Salt Lake City: Ancestry, Inc., 1984). 786 pages. ($40). ISBN 0-916489-000. "Ancestry's Red Book: American State, County and Town Sources". Edited by Alice Eichholz. Revised Edition. (Salt Lake City: Ancestry, Inc., 1992). 858 pages. ($40). ISBN 0-916489-47-7. "Guide to Genealogical Research in the National Archives". (Washington, D.C.: National Archives and Records Service, 1985). 304 pages. ($35). ISBN 0-911333-01-0. 5) VENDORS: The following firms sell genealogical books and supplies: Ancestry, Inc. Avotaynu, Inc. P.O. Box 476 155 N. Washington Ave. Salt Lake City, UT 84110-0476 Bergenfield, NJ 07621 (800) 531-1790 (201) 387-7200 Genealogical Publishing Co. Genealogy Unlimited, Inc. 1001 N. Calvert St. P.O. Box 537 Baltimore, MD 21202-3897 Orem, UT 84059-0537 (410) 837-8271 (800) 666-4363 Hearthstone Bookshop Heritage Books, Inc. 5735-A Telegraph Road 1540-E Pointer Ridge Pl. Alexandria, VA 22303 Bowie, MD 20716 (703) 960-0086 (800) 398-7709 L'Dor V'Dor 203 Commack Road, Suite 138 Commack, NY 11725 (516) 462-1191 All of the books mentioned in this FAQ list are available from one or more of the above vendors. 6) JEWISH GENEALOGICAL SOCIETIES (JGSs): There are over 60 Jewish Genealogical Societies (JGSs) world- wide, in 50 U.S. and Canadian cities, plus Australia, Brazil, France, Great Britain, Israel, Netherlands, Russia and Switzerland. Your local JGS is your best source for learning how to trace your roots, discovering sources, meeting other genealogists, and sharing research ideas. Most JGSs hold Beginner's Workshops, have monthly meetings, and publish a newsletter (see Q#2). For the address of the JGS nearest you: - Via Mail: Send an SASE to: Association of Jewish Genealogical Societies (AJGS), P.O. Box 50245, Palo Alto, CA 94303. - Via E-Mail: Send an e-mail message to "jgs@cgsg.com", an automated message processor. No subject or content needed. - Via FTP: Download the file named "JGSADDR.TXT" via FTP from host "ftp.cac.psu.edu" (see Q#19 below). - Via WWW: On the World Wide Web (WWW), look at the URL: "http://www.jewishgen.cgsg.com/infofiles/jgs.txt". - In Print: The addresses of all JGSs are published annually in the Spring issue of "Avotaynu" (see Q#2 above). Here are addresses of some of the larger JGSs: - New York: Jewish Genealogical Society, Inc., P.O. Box 6398, New York, NY 10128 (212) 330-8257 - Los Angeles: JGS of Los Angeles, P.O. Box 55443, Sherman Oaks, CA 91343 (818) 784-7277 - Chicago: JGS of Illinois, P.O. Box 515, Northbrook, IL 60065 (708) 679-1995 - Washington, DC: JGS of Greater Washington, P.O. Box 412, Vienna, VA 22183-0412 (301) 654-5524 - Cleveland: JGS of Cleveland, 996 Eastlawn Dr., Highland Heights, OH 44143 (216) 449-2326 - Boston: JGS of Greater Boston, P.O. Box 610366, Newton Highlands, MA 02161-0366 (617) 784-0387 - Philadelphia: JGS of Philadelphia, 332 Harrison Ave., Elkins Park, PA 19117-2662 (215) 635-3263 - Toronto: JGS of Canada, PO Box 446, Station "A", Willowdale, Ontario M2N 5T1 (416) 638-3280 - London: JGS of Great Britain, 36 Woodstock Rd., Golders Green, London NW 11 8ER 081-455-3323 In addition to local JGSs, there are also several "Special Interest Groups" (SIGs), whose interest is a geographic region of origin. Currently formed SIGs and their publications are: - Germany: "Stammbaum", $20/year, c/o Harry Katzman, 1601 Cougar Court, Winter Springs, FL 32708-3855. (407) 365-4672 Email: nawh61a@prodigy.com WWW site: http://dcn.davis.ca.us/~feefhs/stammbau.html - Romania: "ROM-SIG News", $20/year, c/o Sam Elpern, 27 Hawthorne St. South, Greenwich, CT 06831-4201. (203) 531-6801 Email: samelpern@aol.com Email to "romsig@cgsg.com" for InfoFile. - Suwalk & Lomza gubernias (today, southwest Lithuania and northeast Poland): "Landsmen", $22/year, c/o Marlene Silverman, 3701 Connecticut Avenue NW, Apt. 228, Washington DC 20008. (for more info, send Email to "landsmen@cgsg.com" for InfoFile). - Galicia (today southern Poland and western Ukraine): "The Galitzianer", $20/year ($27 airmail), c/o Suzan Wynne, 3128 Brooklawn Terrace, Chevy Chase, MD 20815 (301) 657-3389. Email "ggalicia@cgsg.com" for InfoFile. - Hungary (and Hungarian-speaking regions): "Magyar Zsido", $10/year, H-SIG, c/o Louis Schonfeld, P.O. Box 34152, Cleveland, OH 44134-0852. (216) 661-3970. Email: LouSMagyar@aol.com - Northwestern Lithuania (western part of Kovno gubernia): c/o Ed Cohler, 85 Bloomfield St., Lexington, MA 02173-5534. Email: ecohler@cspi.com (617) 862-1219. - Grodno gubernia (today western Belarus, and Bialystok region of northeastern Poland): $6/year, c/o Jim Yarin, P.O. Box 1555, Brookline, MA 02146. (617) 232-3937. Email: JimYarin@delphi.com. Four quarterly bulletins. Email to "grodno-info@cgsg.com" for InfoFile. - Latvia: $20/year, c/o Deborah Levine Herman, 22449 Douglas Road, Shaker Heights, OH 44122 7) SEMINARS ON JEWISH GENEALOGY: Since 1981, an annual "Summer Seminar on Jewish Genealogy" has been held, in a different city each year (1993 Toronto, 1994 Jerusalem, 1995 Washington). Upcoming seminars are: 1996, July 14-19: Boston 1997, July 6-9: Paris 1998: Los Angeles 1999: New York 2000: Salt Lake City The Fifteenth Summer Seminar on Jewish Genealogy will be held July 14-19 1996, at the Park Plaza Hotel in Boston. For more info, contact the JGS of Greater Boston, P.O. Box 610366, Newton Highlands, MA 02161-0366. (617) 784-0387. If you are interested in giving a presentation at or assisting with the Boston '96 Summer Seminar, please contact warren@warren.vis.com. FAQ - Part 3 of 10 8) NATIONAL ARCHIVES: The U.S. National Archives in Washington, D.C. is THE primary source for U.S. Federal Census Records, Passenger Lists, Military Records, and some Naturalization records. The Archives is located at 8th and Pennsylvania Ave. N.W., Washington, DC 20408. (202) 501-5400. The best overview is the book "Guide to Genealogical Research in the National Archives" (see Q#4 above). Also, the National Archives in Washington sells some publications which are useful. They are described in the free booklet "Aids for Genealogical Research" (29 pages), available from: Publications Distribution, (NECD), Room G-9, National Archives, Washington DC, 20408. (800) 234-8861. Among the publications offered are a series subtitled "A Select Catalog of National Archives Microfilm Publications", which list the reel-by-reel contents of many of the National Archives microfilmed records. These inexpensive catalogs ($2, 100-200 pages each) are very useful for locating the correct reel of microfilm on which to find a record of your ancestor. [The above catalogs are now available on the Internet, via the WWW. The URL is "http://www.nara.gov/". Send e-mail to "inquire@nara.gov" for more info]. CENSUS RECORDS are the most valuable genealogical resource, and are very easy to use. The U.S. Federal Census has been taken every ten years, since 1790. The 1920 Census is the most recent publicly available. Most census records have been indexed: 1790-1870: Privately compiled published indexes for most states. 1880: Partial index for all states. Includes only households with children under aged 10. Soundex index for each state. 1890: Census destroyed in a fire, thus no index. 1900: Complete soundex index for each state. 1910: Soundex index for only 21 states (most in the south and west): AL, AR, CA, FL, GA, IL, KS, KY, LA, MI, MS, MO, NC, OH, OK, PA, SC, TN, TX, VA, WV. 1920: Complete soundex index for each state. [There is a 72-year privacy rule for census records. Records of 1930 and later are restricted to the persons in the record or their heirs. Write to: Personal Census Service Branch, Bureau of the Census, P.O. Box 1545, Jeffersonville, IN 47130. (812)-288- 3300. Requires a death certificate, or signature if living. Fee is $40 per person per year searched]. REGIONAL ARCHIVES: In addition to the main archive in Washington, the National Archives maintains thirteen "Regional Archives" across the country. Each Regional Archives has the complete U.S. Census on microfilm (All states, 1790-1920); selected microfilmed records (such as Military records and Passenger Lists [see Q#10]); and local Federal records (including Federal court naturalizations [see Q#12]) for that region. The thirteen branches and the areas they serve are: - New England (CT, ME, MA, NH, RI, VT): 380 Trapelo Rd., Waltham, MA 02154 (617) 647-8100 - Northeast (NJ, NY, PR, VI): 201 Varick St., New York, NY 10014-4811 (212) 337-1300 - Mid-Atlantic (DE, PA, MD, VA, WV): 9th & Market Sts., Room 1350, Philadelphia, PA 19107 (215) 597-3000 - Southeast (AL, GA, FL, KY, MS, NC, SC, TN): 1557 St. Joseph Ave., East Point, GA 30344 (404) 763-7477 - Great Lakes (IL, IN, MI, MN, OH, WI): 7358 South Pulaski Rd., Chicago, IL 60629 (312) 581-7816 - Central Plains (IA, KS, MO, NE): 2312 East Bannister Rd., Kansas City, MO 64131 (816) 926-6272 - Southwest (AR, LA, NM, OK, TX): 510 W. Felix St., P.O. Box 6216, Ft. Worth, TX 76115 (817) 334-5525 - Rocky Mountain (CO, MT, ND, SD, UT, WY): Bldg. 48, Denver Federal Center, Denver, CO 80225-0307 (303) 236-0817 - Pacific Sierra (CA North, NV, HI, Pacific Islands): 1000 Commodore Dr., San Bruno, CA 94066 (415) 876-9009 - Pacific Southwest (CA South, AZ): 24000 Avila Rd., P.O. Box 6719, Laguna Niguel, CA 92677 (714) 643-4241 - Pacific Northwest (ID, OR, WA): 6125 Sand Point Way NE, Seattle, WA 98115 (206) 526-6507 - Alaska (AK): 654 West Third Ave., Anchorage, AK 99501 (907) 271-2441 - Pittsfield (No accessioned records, only microfilm copies) 100 Dan Fox Drive, Pittsfield, MA 01201 (413) 445-6885 The National Archives and its branches are open to the public and available for use free of charge. Microfilms are in open cabinets, and the staff are helpful and knowledgeable. Note that nearly all National Archives microfilms are also available through all LDS (Mormon) Family History Centers (see Q#13 below). 9) VITAL RECORDS (BIRTHS, MARRIAGES & DEATHS): In the U.S., vital records are maintained by the individual states, NOT by the Federal government. There is no nationwide registry of births, marriages or deaths. The complete listing of addresses and fees for each state is provided in the government publication "Where to Write for Vital Records (Births, Deaths, Marriages and Divorces)" (Washington: U.S. Dept. of Health & Human Services, March 1993). This 30-page booklet is available for $2.25 from the U.S. Government Printing Office, Washington, DC 20402-9325, Tel. (202) 512-1800, or at any U.S. Government Printing Office Bookstore. This information is also provided in "Ancestry's Red Book" (see Q#4 above) and Thomas J. Kemp's "International Vital Records Handbook" (3rd ed., 1994). Some older U.S. vital records and/or indexes (e.g. New York City, Mass., Ill., Calif.) have been microfilmed, and are thus available through the LDS (see Q#13 below). Look in the FHLC Locality section under the headings "[State] - VITAL RECORDS" and "[State] - VITAL RECORDS - INDEXES". A source which may serve as a substitute for a nationwide index of deaths is the "Social Security Death Index" (SSDI). It is an index of 60 million U.S. residents who died between 1962 and 1993, had Social Security Numbers, and whose deaths were reported to the Social Security Administration. The SSDI is available on CD-ROM at nearly all LDS Family History Centers (see Q#13), for use free of charge. It can also be purchased for home use from: Automated Research, Inc., 327 East 1200 South, Suite 8, Orem, UT 84058 (800-244-1776); or from Heritage Books (see Q#5). $45 for two CD-ROMs. The SSDI will tell you the date and place of death, so you can then write to the state for a death certificate. It also provides the Social Security Number, which you can use to send for a copy of that person's original Social Security application (Form SS-5). Write to: Freedom of Information Officer, 4H8 Annex Building, 6401 Security Blvd., Baltimore, MD 21235 Tel. (410) 965-3962. You will be billed (usually $7.00). The original application contains the date and place of birth, as well as both parents' full names. FAQ - Part 4 of 10 10) PASSENGER LISTS: Lists of passengers arriving at U.S. ports have been maintained by the Federal government since 1820. U.S. Passenger Arrival Lists generally provide the name, age, and country of origin for each arriving person. Relatively few U.S. lists prior to 1890 show the town or city of origin; later lists provide the specific place of last residence and/or birthplace, and much more. Passenger lists are arranged by port, and then chronologically by date of arrival. The National Archives in Washington (see Q#8 above) has custody of these lists, which have been microfilmed. Indexes to most ports were prepared by the WPA, but they are not complete. The following chart shows the five major U.S. ports of entry on the Atlantic coast: Port Passengers Lists Indexes New York 24.0 M 1820-1957 1820-1846, 1897-1948 Boston 2.0 M 1820-1943 1848-1891, 1902-1920 Baltimore 1.5 M 1820-1948 1820-1952 Philadelphia 1.2 M 1800-1945 1800-1948 New Orleans 0.7 M 1820-1945 1853-1952 The second column shows the number of passengers, in millions, that arrived at each port between 1820 and 1920. There are also lists for several minor ports, as well as the Canadian border. As you can see, the large majority of passengers arrived at New York, and there are large gaps in the indexes, especially for periods of major Jewish immigration. The following books are helpful for immigration research: Colletta, John P. "They Came in Ships". (Salt Lake City: Ancestry, Inc., 1989, 1993). 108 pages. An easy to use guide for beginners, step-by-step instructions -- highly recommended. ($10). ISBN 0-916489-42-6. Tepper, Michael. "American Passenger Arrival Records". (Baltimore: Genealogical Publishing Co., 1988, 1993). 142 pages. Scholarly, comprehensive guide. ($20). ISBN 0-8063-1380-3. "Immigrant and Passenger Arrivals: A Select Catalog of National Archives Microfilm Publications". (Washington: National Archives Trust Fund Board, 1983, 1991). 171 pages. Reel-by-reel listing of all microfilms of passenger lists. ($2 - see Q#8). ISBN 0-911333-05-3. Because passenger lists are arranged by port and then chronologically, it's important to know when and where your ancestor arrived. This information can usually be found on Naturalization papers (See Q#12). The U.S. Federal Census (see Q#8) for 1900, 1910 and 1920 lists the year of immigration, and 1920 lists the year of Naturalization. If you know the exact date and port of arrival, you can order a copy of the ship passenger list directly from the National Archives. Submit National Archives Form NATF-81, "Order for Copies of Ship Passenger Arrival Records", available from the General Reference Branch National Archives 7th and Pennsylvania Avenue NW Washington DC 20408 The search is free, and you will be billed $10.00 if you wish to receive a copy of the passenger list. These are large full-size copies, 18" x 24", providing much information, especially for 20th century immigrants. The National Archives staff will also search the available indexes for you, if you provide the passenger's full name, port of entry, and approximate date of arrival. However, always be aware that no one can do your genealogy as well as you can -- no one else will be as thorough, and check alternate spellings of names, broader ranges of dates, etc. It's always best to search the original records yourself. Use John Colletta's book as a guide. Searching passenger lists and indexes can be challenging and time-consuming, but it pays off in the end. You can find your immigrant ancestor on a ship manifest, if you work at it. These passenger lists were filled out on board by the ship's purser, and checked by customs or immigration authorities upon arrival. Thus the names on these lists are the European, pre- Americanized versions of names. The names were written down the way that they sounded. Do NOT expect to find your ancestor's name spelled as it is today -- realize that your immigrant ancestor wouldn't be able to recognize the written name even if it were shown to him/her, if they read only Russian and/or Yiddish/Hebrew. If you know the name of the ship upon which your ancestor arrived, you can find the dates on which that ship arrived in the "Morton Allan Directory of European Passenger Steamship Arrivals" (1931, reprinted by Genealogical Publishing Co., 1987, 268 pages, $20, ISBN 0-8063-0830-3). It lists names of vessels arriving by year, steamship company and date of arrival at the ports of New York, 1890-1930, and of Baltimore, Boston and Philadelphia, 1904-1926. This can help narrow down your search. If your ancestor arrived during a period for which the port is unindexed, you have no choice but to search every list, line by line, for that year. The passenger list microfilms are available at the National Archives in Washington, and portions are available at the various Regional Archives (see Q#8). All passenger lists and indexes may also be borrowed through all LDS Family History Centers (see Q#13). There are some PUBLISHED INDEXES to passenger lists, most covering Colonial immigrants, or a particular ethnic group for a small set of years. See the bibliographies in Colletta or Tepper for a complete list. An important work for Jewish research is "Germans to America", edited by Ira Glazier, which covers arrivals of German passengers for Jan 1850 - Apr 1884. This ongoing series (48 volumes since 1988) is available at major libraries. A published index for Russian immigrants is now in progress, covering Russian (and Polish and Finnish) arrivals at U.S. ports: "Migration from the Russian Empire: Lists of Passengers Arriving at the Port of New York", edited by Ira Glazier, (Baltimore: Genealogical Publishing Co., 1995+). The first two volumes contain arrivals for Jan 1875 - Apr 1886, and include 105,000 names (of the 2.3 million Russians who arrived 1871-1910). Over half are Jewish. The indexing is being done by the Temple-Balch Center for Immigration Research in Philadelphia. This ongoing series will continue to 1910, in about 50 volumes. Available at major libraries, or $60 each from GPC (see Q#5). Also, the LDS have begun an effort to computer index the New York passenger lists of 1897-1924, which should be completed about the year 2000. Thus the next few years should see major progress in this area. CANADA: The National Archives of Canada (395 Wellington St., Ottawa K1A 0N3 Canada) has microfilm copies of passenger manifests for ships arriving at six Canadian ports, including Quebec (from 1865) and Halifax (from 1880) up to 1919. These lists are arranged chronologically; there is NO name index. Records after 1920 are subject to restrictions of the Privacy Act. Inquiries on these later records may be addressed to: Query Response Centre, Employment and Immigration Canada, 10th Floor, Place du Portage, Phase IV, Hull, Quebec K1A 0J9 Canada. The U.S. government maintained lists of people crossing the border from Canada. These Canadian Border Crossing lists, also known as the "St. Albans Lists", cover 1895-1954 and are indexed. The lists and indexes are available at the U.S. National Archives in Washington, several of the Regional Branches, and via the LDS. HAMBURG PASSENGER LISTS: The port of Hamburg, Germany, maintained lists of emigrating passengers for 1850-1934. About 40% of Eastern European Jewish immigrants (Polish, Russian, Hungarian, etc.) left via Hamburg. These lists contain the emigrant's town of origin. They are indexed by year and the first letter of each passenger's surname, so some searching is required. The lists and indexes have been microfilmed, and are available through LDS Family History Centers. See the article by Daniel M. Schlyter in "The Encyclopedia of Jewish Genealogy" (See Q#4), pages 9-12, and the list of microfilm reel numbers on pages 163-167. FAQ - Part 5 of 10 11) FINDING YOUR ANCESTRAL TOWN: One of the most important challenges of your genealogical search will be finding your ancestors' town of origin. Knowing the exact location is very important in furthering your search, because records in Europe were kept on a local, municipal basis. Your best source, as always, are home sources -- your relatives, family papers, citizenship documents, passports, etc. Be aware that when someone says their family was from, for example, "Vilna" or "Minsk", this probably means that they were from some small town in Vilna or Minsk gubernia (province), and not the city itself (just as someone from "New York" is not necessarily from Manhattan). After home sources, the BEST source for finding town of origin is Naturalization (citizenship) papers (See Q#12). U.S. Passenger Arrival Lists (See Q#10) after 1893 contain a column for "Last Residence", which might be town, province, or country, depending upon the ship. Lists after 1906 always contain a "Birthplace" column, city and country. For earlier immigrants, the Hamburg emigration lists contain town of origin. Other potential sources for determining town of origin include: - U.S. Vital Records (Birth, marriage and death certificates). Some contain precise place of origin, depending upon the state, town, clerk, etc. (See Q#9). - Cemetery. Many immigrants belonged to "landsmanshaftn", organizations of people from the same ancestral town. Synagogues were often comprised of members from the same area of origin. Check where your immigrant ancestor is buried. Many used congregational or landsmanshaft plots. Tombstones might also yield clues. - Social Security Application. Began 1937. If you know the Social Security Number (from SSDI or Death certificate), send $7.00 for copy of application; $16.00 if SocSec# is unknown. See Q#9 for address. Application Form SS-5 asks for "Birthplace" - often the town name is filled in. - World War I Draft Registration Cards, 1917-1918. For men born between 1886 and 1897 (whether citizens or aliens), gives the exact place of birth: city/town, state/province, country. See FHLC under heading "UNITED STATES - MILITARY RECORDS - WORLD WAR, 1914-1918"; or write to National Archives Southeast branch (See Q#8). For large cities, a street address must be known. For more info, send email to "wwidraft@cgsg.com" to retrieve an InfoFile. - Passport Applications. For U.S. citizens traveling abroad. Optional until 1941, except during wartime. Records before 1925 at National Archives (and on microfilm at LDS, see FHLC under "UNITED STATES - EMIGRATION AND IMMIGRATION"); records after 1925 at U.S. State Department, Passport Office, Bureau of Consular Affairs, FAIM/RS, Room 1239, 22nd and C Streets NW, Washington, DC 20520. - Probate Records. Wills and administrations can contain clues. Filed on the county level. "Ancestry's Red Book" (see Q#4) or E. P. Bentley's "County Courthouse Book" (Gen'l Publ. Co, 1991) have addresses of county courts. - Alien Registration. Required of all non-citizens after 1941. Write to INS, Freedom of Information, Room 5304, 425 I Street NW, Washington, DC 20536. (202) 514-1554. - Surname clues. If your surname is very unusual, consult Alexander Beider's "A Dictionary of Jewish Surnames from the Russian Empire" (Avotaynu, 1993). See Q#17. Some surnames are found only in a particular locality in Czarist Russia. Once you've determined your ancestral town, check "Where Once We Walked" (See Q#4). This gazetteer of Eastern and Central Europe will help you pinpoint the town's exact location, and will tell you what sources of information are available for that town. WOWW contains a phonetic soundex index of 35,000 place names and alternate names, so even if you're unsure of the correct spelling, you can find the town. 12) NATURALIZATION RECORDS: U.S. Naturalization Records (citizenship papers) are usually the best source for determining an immigrant ancestor's town of origin. All U.S. Naturalization papers after 1906 contain the new citizen's exact town of origin; papers before 1906 may or may not, depending upon the court. The 1920 U.S. Federal Census (see Q#8) lists the year of Naturalization. The 1900 thru 1920 Censuses contain citizenship status for all foreign-born: "Na" = Naturalized citizen, "Pa" = 1st papers filed (see below), "Al" = Alien. The column is left blank for native-born, who are all automatically U.S. citizens. Before 1906, naturalizations could be performed in any court: federal, state, county, or local. There were no uniform procedures; the information contained in these records varies greatly from court to court. There are no centralized indexes to these pre-1906 records -- you need to know which court (but see WPA indexes, below). In 1906, the U.S. government set up the Immigration and Naturalization Service (INS), which established standard forms and procedures. All naturalization records after September 27, 1906 have duplicate copies filed at: Immigration and Naturalization Service FOIA/PA Section, Room 5304 425 Eye Street NW Washington, DC 20536 (202) 514-1554 However, it can take a year or more to receive a response from the INS. Use the INS only as a last resort -- try to find the original papers at the courthouse (or the archive which inherited that court's old records). The INS has an index to all 1906-1956 naturalizations, but the index is NOT public. Naturalization records from most Federal courts are now located at the National Archives regional branches (See Q#8). START your search at the regional branch in the area where your ancestor lived. By mail, they will search their records, and charge you $6.00 if a record is found. If not found, they can recommend which courts or archives in the region are likely to have naturalization records. You can also search and view these records in person at the National Archives branches. Most of the indexes and pre-1930 records have been microfilmed, and are available through all LDS Family History Centers (see Q#13). For a few regions of the country, comprehensive indexes to pre-1906 naturalization records were prepared by the WPA in the 1930s: - New England (all 6 states, 1790-1906). - New York City (all 5 boros, 1790-1906). These card indexes are at the National Archives, and are also available on microfilm through all LDS Family History Centers (see Q#13). The LDS have microfilmed naturalization papers (up thru 1929) at many county courthouses over the last dozen years. To find them, look in the FHLC Locality section under the heading: "[State], [County] - NATURALIZATION AND CITIZENSHIP". There are three basic types of naturalization documents: - Declaration of Intention ("First Papers") Filed soon after immigrant's arrival. - Petition for Naturalization ("Final Papers") Filed after required waiting period (usually 5 years). These papers contain the most information. - Certificate of Citizenship Given to new citizen to take home. Does not provide much genealogical information, but useful for locating the other court documents. Naturalization laws are very complicated, and have been changed hundreds of times. For complete details see: Newman, John J. "American Naturalization Processes and Procedures, 1790-1985". (Indiana Historical Society, 1985). 43 pages. ($6). Some basic laws: - Between 1855 and 1922, wives and children became citizens when the husband/father did. A woman became a citizen automatically if she married a native-born or naturalized citizen. After 1922, women had to file their own papers. FAQ - Part 6 of 10 13) LDS (MORMON) FAMILY HISTORY CENTERS: The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints (LDS), also known as the Mormon Church, operates the Family History Library (FHL) in Salt Lake City, the largest genealogical library in the world. Their collection contains nearly two million reels of microfilm, 432,000 microfiche and 268,000 books. The Church also operates over 2,400 "Family History Centers" (FHCs) in 62 countries worldwide. Records on microfilm can be loaned from Salt Lake City to any Family History Center for a small fee. For a list of Family History Centers in your area, write to the Family History Library, 50 East North Temple St., Salt Lake City, UT 84150. Tel. (801) 240-2331. Family History Centers, located in church meetinghouses and staffed by volunteers, are open to all. Over 90% of their patrons are non-Mormons. The Mormons' interest in genealogy stems from their religious beliefs. Their goal is to determine the genealogy of everyone in the world, for posthumous conversion. However, patrons at their library facilities are not objects of proselytizing efforts. The Church has made a systematic effort to microfilm any records that have genealogical value from all over the world, including Jewish records. They have an extensive collection of 19th-century Jewish records from Poland, Germany and Hungary. Listings of these records (over 5,000 reels microfilmed as of 1985) were published in "Avotaynu" and "The Encyclopedia of Jewish Genealogy". New records are microfilmed and added to the collection every year. Five to six thousand reels of microfilm are added to the collection each month, so you should re-check their catalog each year. They have recently begun microfilming in the republics of the former Soviet Union (see details below), and these films should begin to become available within a few years. The key to finding records in the FHL collection is the "Family History Library Catalog" (FHLC), the card catalog of the holdings of the library in Salt Lake, available on microfiche at all Family History Centers, and updated annually. The most important part of the FHLC is the LOCALITY section, where records are organized by jurisdiction: By Country, then State, then County/Province, then City/Town. They have instructional videos on "How to use the FHLC" and "How to use a Family History Center". ($5.00 each from: Salt Lake Distribution Center, 1999 West 1700 South, Salt Lake City, UT 84104, Tel. 801-240-2504). Other research guides are also available. Ask for the "Family History Publications List" (#34083). "FamilySearch" is a set of computer databases on CD-ROM available at most Family History Centers. Most of the databases are useless for Jewish researchers -- don't bother with the International Genealogical Index (IGI) or Ancestral File. However, one database, the "Social Security Death Index" (SSDI), is extremely useful. It is an index of 60 million U.S. residents who died between 1962 and 1993 and had Social Security Numbers. (See Q#9 for more info). Despite the availability of these computer resources, realize that over 99% of the LDS Library collection are original handwritten records on microfilm. Nearly all U.S. National Archives microfilms (Federal Census, Passenger Lists, Naturalization records, Military records, see Q#8); many U.S. state, county, and city records; as well as records from nearly every country on earth, are also available through the LDS. Status of current LDS microfilming projects in Eastern Europe: - Belarus: Filming began 1993, in progress in Minsk & Grodno. Some Jewish records have been filmed, and are available beginning in 1995. {Minsk: see Avotaynu X:4, p.7} - Bulgaria: Civil registrations being filmed since 1992. - Czech Republic: No contract. - Estonia: All Jewish vital records were filmed in 1992-1994, and are now available. - Germany: Over 2,100 microfilms of Jewish records, through 1880s. Ongoing filming in Leipzig and Berlin. - Hungary: Over 800 microfilms of Jewish records, through 1910s. Ongoing filming. - Latvia: Contract signed, filming started. - Lithuania: Limited contract signed (Protestant records only). - Moldova: No contract. - Poland: Ongoing filming of records thru the 1890s. (Over 2,000 microfilms of Jewish vital records, but few Jewish records filmed recently). Send for InfoFile "polandv@cgsg.com" for more info. - Romania: Very weak contract signed, but no records filmed. - Russia: Filming began 1992 (in St. Petersburg and interior areas outside the Pale), no Jewish records filmed yet. - Slovakia: Ongoing filming since 1992 (Levoca, Presov, Kosice). Records from eastern areas are available in 1995. - Ukraine: Filming began Jan 1994. Projects in progress in Kiev, Chernowitz and Lviv. Bear in mind that it usually takes about 2-3 years for microfilms to become available after filming, due to the transportation, developing, quality control, cataloguing, and distribution processes. In the meantime, some records in archives in the former Soviet Union can be searched by private researchers for hire, with varying fees and reputations. See their ads in issues of "Avotaynu" (See Q#2). This does not constitute an endorsement. A FAQ on Eastern European research is currently being prepared. 14) OTHER ARCHIVES: The following organizations preserve documents, letters, local histories, manuscripts, etc. pertaining to Jewish communities and organizations. Most of their material is arranged by locality and organization. They cannot do research for you, but can tell you whether they have records for a specific organization or locality. American Jewish Archives 3101 Clifton Ave. Cincinnati, OH 45220 (513) 221-1875 [American Jewry] American Jewish Historical Society 2 Thornton Road Waltham, MA 02154 (617) 891-8110 [American Jewry] Leo Baeck Institute 129 East 73rd St. New York, NY 10021 (212) 744-6400 [German Jewry] YIVO Institute 555 West 57th St., 11th floor New York, NY 10019 [Temporary address. Will be moving to new permanent facilities at 15 West 16th Street in about 1997]. (212) 246-6080 [East European Jewry] Central Archives for the History of the Jewish People P.O. Box 1149 91010 Jerusalem, ISRAEL [Worldwide focus, but strong collections on French, Italian, German, and Austrian Jewry] There are many other local Jewish Historical Societies and Archives, which focus on a particular city, state or region (e.g. Philadelphia, Rhode Island, Chicago). A list of these organizations in the U.S. and Canada appears in "The Encyclopedia of Jewish Genealogy" (see Q#4), Appendix B, pages 153-156; as well as in Kurzweil (see Q#1), pages 205-215. FAQ - Part 7 of 10 15) HOLOCAUST RESEARCH: The Holocaust has been called the most documented event of the 20th century. Tens of thousands of books and resources exist. However, the overabundance of material is not conveniently organized for genealogical research: there are few general indexes, and most material is not in English. The most complete book on Holocaust research is: Mokotoff, Gary. "How to Document Victims and Locate Survivors of the Holocaust". (Teaneck, NJ: Avotaynu, Inc., 1995). 194 pages. ($25). ISBN 0-9626373-8-6. Yad Vashem is the principal repository of information about the Holocaust. Located in Jerusalem, Yad Vashem has a museum, a library, an archive, and a special memorial called the "Hall of Names". The library of 100,000 volumes includes over 800 yizkor books (see below), and the archives contains original source material, much of which is organized by town. See "Guide to Unpublished Material of the Holocaust", Volumes 3-6. The "Hall of Names" houses the "Pages of Testimony", a manuscript collection of information about victims. More than three million Pages of Testimony have been filled out by relatives of Holocaust victims. Each Page of Testimony contains names of parents, spouse and children; birth and death dates and places; and name, address and relationship of person submitting. Send blank email to "yadva@cgsg.com" for an InfoFile. Write to: Yad Vashem, P.O. Box 3477, 91034 Jerusalem, Israel. Tel. 02-751611. WWW site: http://yvs.shani.net. Some books which contain information about Holocaust victims: "Gedenkbukh" (Koblenz, 1986) 1,823 pages in 2 volumes. Lists 128,000 German Jews who perished in the Holocaust. Includes birth date, place deported from, deported to. ISBN 3-89192-00302. {Covers former West Germany only. Email to "gedenk@cgsg.com" for InfoFile}. "Memorial to the Jews Deported from France". (Serge Klarsfeld, 1983). 663 pages. Lists 70,000 Jews deported from France to concentration camps. Gives name, birth date and place. (Index also available on 1 microfiche from Avotaynu). YIZKOR BOOKS (Memorial books) are published histories of individual Eastern European Jewish communities, memorializing the town and its Holocaust victims. There is usually a narrative section on the town's history, culture, institutions and rabbis, and sometimes a list of Holocaust victims, survivors, or emigrants. Most memorial books are entirely in Hebrew and/or Yiddish, though some do have sections in English or other languages. Yizkor books have been published for over 800 towns. The most complete list, compiled by Zachary Baker, appears in Kurzweil (see Q#1), pages 136-202. The JGS of New York (see Q#6) sells a slightly earlier version: "Bibliography of Eastern European Memorial (Yizkor) Books", Compiled by Zachary M. Baker (51 pages, July 1992), for $6.50. This list also contains call numbers at six libraries in New York. A previous version of this list appears in Estelle Guzik's "Genealogical Resources in the New York Metropolitan Area", pages 323-372 (see Q#4). Most yizkor books were published in the 1950s and 60s in very limited quantities, and are therefore usually difficult to find and expensive to purchase. Most books currently sell for $40 to $100. The following establishments sell yizkor books: - J. Robinson & Co., 31 Nachlat Benjamin St., P.O. Box 4308, Tel Aviv 65162, Israel - Moshe Schreiber, Mea Sharim St. 16, Jerusalem, Israel - Chaim E. Dzialowski, P.O. Box 6413, Jerusalem 90163, Israel - Pinat Ha-Sefer, P.O. Box 46646, Haifa 31464, Israel Major collections of Yizkor books are housed at Yad Vashem (Jerusalem); Library of Congress (Washington); YIVO, New York Public Library, Jewish Theological Seminary, Yeshiva University (New York); UCLA (Los Angeles); Holocaust Center of Northern California (San Francisco); Harvard and Brandeis Universities (near Boston); Price Judaica Library (Gainsville, FL); and the Jewish Public Library of Montreal. The U.S. National Archives (see Q#8), Military Archives Division, has microfilms of many captured German records from World War II, including concentration camp records. Information on Holocaust survivors: - Registry of Jewish Holocaust Survivors (formerly American Gathering of Jewish Holocaust Survivors). A list of over 85,000 survivors in the U.S. and Canada, maintained by the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum in Washington (see below). - HIAS (Hebrew Immigrant Aid Society), 333 Seventh Ave., New York, NY 10001. Assisted more than 70,000 Holocaust families in the 1940s and '50s. They maintain case files on these persons, and will search for a $25 fee. - International Tracing Service (ITS) Grosse Allee 5-9, 34454 Arolsen, Germany. Set up by the International Red Cross after the war. Maintains 40 million index cards, mostly of survivors. They are not inclined to answer genealogical requests -- very slow in responding (1-2 years). Yad Vashem also has these records on microfilm, for personal searching. - Holocaust and War Victims Tracing and Information Center, American Red Cross, Central Maryland Chapter, 4700 Mount Hope Drive, Baltimore, MD 21215-3200. (800) 848-9277. Will forward search requests to the ITS (above). - Search Bureau for Missing Relatives, P.O. Box 92, Jerusalem 91000, Israel. Tel. 02-612471, 02-612472. Batya Unterschatz can help find people in Israel. The U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum in Washington (opened 1993) has a library which is rapidly building a collection, including much material recently microfilmed in the former Soviet bloc. They also have a cooperative agreement with Yad Vashem. Contact the Museum at: 100 Raoul Wallenberg Place SW, Washington, DC 20024-2150. Tel. (202) 488-0400. Information about the museum can be found at their WWW site: "http://www.ushmm.org". 16) JEWISH GENEALOGICAL PEOPLE FINDER (JGPF): The JGPF is a database of individuals on family trees submitted by Jewish genealogists. While the Jewish Genealogical Family Finder (JGFF, see Q#3) contains only surnames and town names, the JGPF contains data on individual people: birth date and place, death date and place, parents' names and spouse's name. Family trees in GEDCOM format (see Q#19) can be submitted for inclusion in the JGPF without charge. All Jewish genealogists are encouraged to participate. Send your diskettes to Avotaynu, Inc. (see Q#2). The JGPF is published on microfiche, and is available at all JGSs (see Q#6), and may be purchased from Avotaynu, Inc. for $35.00. The first edition of the JGPF was released in July 1992. The 3rd edition (on 22 microfiche) contains information on over 310,000 individuals, submitted by over 200 Jewish genealogists (released May 1995). The JGPF is NOT available on-line anyplace. Another place which is collecting Jewish family trees is the DOROT Genealogy Center at Bet Hatefutsot (Museum of the Diaspora) in Tel Aviv. The Center opened in 1985, and as of January 1994, it reported having 200,000 individuals listed in its database. This database can be accessed only in person at the museum in Israel; there is no remote access. The DOROT Center accepts family trees on diskette in GEDCOM format. Send your diskettes to: DOROT Genealogy Center, P.O. Box 39359, Tel Aviv 61392 ISRAEL. Telephone (03) 6462062 The JGPF and DOROT databases are similar, and many genealogists have submitted their trees to both. However, the databases have different users: Serious genealogical researchers around the world consult the JGPF on microfiche; the computer terminals accessing the DOROT database are generally used by the many international visitors to the museum in Tel Aviv. FAQ - Part 8 of 10 17) JEWISH NAMES: This is a very complex subject. It is difficult and dangerous to generalize, because of all of the languages and regions involved, so only some brief pointers and references will be given here. More information will be provided in a forthcoming FAQ document on names. Reference books: Kaganoff, Benzion C. "A Dictionary of Jewish Names and Their History". (New York: Schocken Books, 1977). 250 pages. ($12). ISBN 0-8052-0643-4. {Highly readable layman's view, but error prone and no references given}. Beider, Alexander. "A Dictionary of Jewish Surnames from the Russian Empire". (Teaneck, NJ: Avotaynu, Inc., 1993). 760 pages. ($75). ISBN 0-9626373-3-5. {The most comprehensive scholarly study of Jewish surnames in the Pale of Settlement}. [A volume on surnames in the Kingdom of Poland is expected in early 1996]. Singerman, Robert. "Jewish and Hebrew Onomastics: A Bibliography". (New York and London: Garland, 1977). 132 pages. ISBN 0824098811. {A subject-organized list of nearly 1,200 books and articles on various aspects of Jewish names}. Guggenheimer, Heinrich W. and Eva H. "Jewish Family Names and their Origins: An Etymological Dictionary". (Hoboken, NJ: Ktav Pub. House, 1992). xliii+882 pages. ISBN 0-88125-297-2. SURNAME ADOPTION: Most Jews did NOT have fixed hereditary surnames until the early 19th century. Before that, people were known only by their first name and a patronymics, i.e. their father's given name, e.g. "Yaacov ben Shmuel", meaning "Yaacov the son of Shmuel". Jews were required to take surnames at various times: Austrian Empire (1787), Russian Pale (1804, not enforced until 1835/1845), Russian Poland (1821), France (1808), various German states: Frankfurt (1807), Baden (1809), Westphalia (1812), Prussia (1812), Bavaria (1813), Wuerttemberg (1828), Posen (1833), Saxony (1834). SURNAME SOURCES: - Patronymics / Matronymics: Based on a parent's given name. Slavic suffixes "-owicz", "-ovitch", "-off", "-kin", Germanic suffix "-son". - "Abramowitz" = son of Abram, "Mendelsohn" = son of Mendel - Toponyms: Based on a geographic place name. Slavic suffix "-ski", Germanic suffix "-er". - "Warshawski" = one from Warsaw, "Berliner" = one from Berlin, "Wilner" = one from Vilna. - Occupational: Based on vocation. - "Reznik" [Polish/Yiddish], "Shochet" [Hebrew] = butcher. "Shnyder" [German/Yiddish], "Kravits" [Polish/Ukrainian], "Portnoy" [Russian] = tailor. - Personal description or characteristics. - "Schwartz" = black, "Weiss" = white, "Klein" = small... - Religious. - "Cohen" ("Kahn", etc.), "Levine", "Segal", "Katz"... - Artificial: Fanciful names. Many names ending in "-berg", "-stein", "-feld"... - "Rosenberg" = mountain of roses, "Finkelstein" = glittering stone. SPELLING is irrelevant. Spelling is a 20th-century invention and obsession. Names were never spelled in a standard way in earlier records. For example, it is not unusual for the same person's name to be spelled Meyerson, Meirzon, Majersohn, etc. -- they're all the same name. Always check all possible spelling variations when doing research. Transliteration from one language to another creates infinite spelling variances, e.g. Yiddish "H" became Russian "G"; Polish/German "W" became English "V", etc. Only a few families had surnames before 1800. (Rabbinical families: Rapaport, Auerbach, Rothschild, Katzenellenbogen, Horowitz, etc). See "The Unbroken Chain: Biographical Sketches and the Genealogy of Illustrious Jewish Families from the 15th-20th Century", by Neil Rosenstein. (Elizabeth, New Jersey: Computer Center for Jewish Genealogy, 1990). Revised edition. 2 volumes: 1,323 pages total. ($70). ISBN 0-9610578-4-X. GIVEN NAMES: Gorr, Shmuel. "Jewish Personal Names: Their Origin, Derivation, and Diminutive Forms". Edited by Chaim Freedman. (Teaneck, NJ: Avotaynu, Inc., 1992). 112 pages. ($15). ISBN 0-9626373-2-7. Kolatch, Alfred J. "The New Name Dictionary: Modern English and Hebrew Names". (New York: Jonathan David, 1989). 328 pages. ISBN 0824603311. {A revision of the author's earlier works "The Name Dictionary" and "These are the Names"}. Also see the tables of given names in the Russian Empire by Beider in "Avotaynu" VII:4 (Winter 1991), pages 12-15. Ashkenazic naming patterns: East European Jews would name a child after a deceased ancestor or relative, to keep the name alive. This custom gives clues as to when someone died. Name changing after immigration -- most immigrants changed their first name, usually to something with the same initial letter, e.g. Someone named "Moshe" or "Mendel" might take the American name "Max" or "Morris". There are no rules regarding these transformations; the names don't "translate" or "mean" anything. People were free to chose whatever name seemed fashionable. The best way to determine an immigrant ancestor's European given name is to check the Hebrew on their tombstone. Just because two people have the same surname, it does NOT necessarily mean that they are related. Very few Jewish surnames are monogenetic, i.e. there was more than one progenitor with that surname. Many Jewish surnames (e.g. Cohen, Levine, Katz, Kaplan, Weiss, Klein, Feldman, Greenberg, Freidman, Finkelstein, Epstein, most patronyms) are EXTREMELY common, each having tens of thousands of bearers. Common names sprang up in many non- related families throughout Eastern Europe. So doing surname matches alone is not always productive. Geography matches are often more important than the surname matches. FAQ - Part 9 of 10 18) JEWISHGEN Discussion Group: JEWISHGEN is a computer-based discussion group devoted to Jewish Genealogy. Users can request help with genealogical problems, post information about new sources for research, and network with other Jewish genealogists globally. JEWISHGEN is accessible in three different ways: An Internet usenet newsgroup, an Internet mailing list, and a FIDOnet echo. a) The Internet usenet newsgroup is "soc.genealogy.jewish". b) The Internet mailing list is accessible to anyone who has Internet e-mail access. To subscribe to the JEWISHGEN mailing list on Internet, send an e-mail message to "listserv@mail.eworld.com" containing the message BODY (NOT the subject field): "SUBSCRIBE JEWGEN FirstName LastName" e.g. "SUBSCRIBE JEWGEN John Public" Your message will be handled by an automated list server. This will result in about 50 messages a day delivered to your e-mail inbox. You will initially be subscribed in "digest mode", where you will receive only one message per day, a "digest" of all of the day's JEWISHGEN messages concatenated. To change modes, send the message body "SET JEWGEN MAIL=DIGEST" or "SET JEWGEN MAIL=NODIGEST" to the list server (listserv@mail.eworld.com) after subscribing. For more information about subscribing to the JewishGen mailing list, send a blank email message to "sub@cgsg.com". To submit a message to the JEWISHGEN group, address it to: "jewgen@mail.eworld.com". All subscribers will receive your message. All messages sent to JEWISHGEN from any access method (usenet, Internet mailing list, or FIDOnet) will appear in all networks, thanks to our gateway. To unsubscribe from the Internet list, send the message body: "UNSUBSCRIBE JEWGEN" to the list server; to get more information about the list server commands, send the message "HELP" to the list server (listserv@mail.eworld.com). Remember, to change the settings concerning how you get your mail, send your control messages to "listserv@mail.eworld.com". To send an actual message to everyone in the discussion group, send your genealogical message to "jewgen@mail.eworld.com". c) On FIDOnet, JEWISHGEN is an echo carried by about 100 FIDOnet Bulletin Board Systems (BBSs) around the world. For a list of FIDOnet BBSs in your area that carry the JEWISHGEN echo, send a SASE to: Bruce Kahn, 265 Viennawood Drive, Rochester NY 14618; or see http://genealogy.emcee.com/PAF/www/gbbs. There are currently over 1,000 Internet mailing list subscribers, plus usenet and FIDOnet readers, for a total of more than 1,500 JEWISHGEN readers worldwide. The JEWISHGEN discussion group is moderated by a team headed by Susan King. The JEWISHGEN moderation team can be contacted via e-mail at "jewishgen@cgsg.com". While JEWISHGEN is completely free of cost to users, there are costs borne by the administrator of the gateway. We ask those that are benefiting and using JEWISHGEN for their research needs to send a $25 annual donation, to help offset some of these expenses. Please make checks payable to: Susan E. King, 12 Greenway Plaza, Suite 1100, Houston, Texas 77046. For a description of JEWISHGEN's charter, rules and posting guidelines, send a blank e-mail message to "rules@cgsg.com". FAQ - Part 10 of 10 19) COMPUTERS AND GENEALOGY: Computers can be used in several ways to enhance your genealogical research: * Help organize your data, print trees and charts (see Computer Software Programs, below) * Communicate with other genealogists, via e-mail (see JEWISHGEN, Q#18) * Access library card catalogs on-line (see below) COMPUTER SOFTWARE PROGRAMS: There are many computer software programs available to help you organize your family records, print charts and trees, etc. There is an Internet usenet newsgroup devoted to genealogical software issues, "soc.genealogy.computing", so software issues should generally not be discussed in JEWISHGEN. Most genealogy programs can be easily adapted for use by Jewish genealogists, by adding custom fields such as Hebrew name, namesake (whom someone is named after), Yarzheit date, immigration date, etc. Information about computers and genealogy can be found in: "Genealogical Computing", a quarterly, $25 annually. Ancestry, Inc., P.O. Box 476, Salt Lake City, UT 84110. Przecha, Donna and Joan Lowrey. "Guide to Genealogy Software". (Baltimore: Genealogical Publishing Co., 1993). 195 pages. ($25). ISBN 0-8063-1382-X. Pence, Richard A., editor. "Computer Genealogy: A Guide to Research through High Technology". Revised Edition. (Salt Lake City: Ancestry, Inc., 1991). 258 pages. ($13). ISBN 0-916489-02-7. Archer, George W. "Archer's Directory of Genealogical Software". 120 pages. ($22). and "Archer's Directory of Genealogical Utility Software". 138 pages. ($23.50). Both (Bowie, MD: Heritage Press, 1994). There are dozens of programs on the market. Whichever you choose, be sure that the program includes a GEDCOM capability. GEDCOM is a file format that allows information to be exchanged between programs and shared with others. You also need GEDCOM in order to submit your data to the JGPF (See Q#16 above). My personal recommendations are: - "Family Tree Maker". Versions for DOS (4.0) & Windows (2.0). $39 from Banner Blue, P.O. Box 7865, Fremont, CA 94537-7865 (510) 794-6850. Available at most software stores. Very easy to use. Highly recommended for beginners. Version 3.0 for Windows will be released in October. Email: bbs1@aol.com ftp site: "ftp://ftp.best.com/pub/banrblue/FamilyTreeMaker". - "Brother's Keeper", version 5.2. For DOS. $45 shareware fee. John Steed, 6907 Chilsdale Rd., Rockford, MI 49341. (616) 364-5503. Email: 75745.1371@compuserve.com Popular shareware program. May be intimidating to novices. A Windows version is now in beta test; release in Fall 1995. Available for downloading from many Internet and BBS sites, including CompuServe and the BK BBS: (616) 364-1127. - "Personal Ancestral File" (PAF), version 2.31. For DOS and Mac. $35 from Salt Lake Distribution Center, 1999 West 1700 South, Salt Lake City, UT 84104 (801) 240-2584. The official software of the Mormon Church. A bit outdated and not entirely appropriate for Jewish genealogy, but inexpensive and widely used. - "Reunion" (for Macintosh); and "Reunion for Windows". Mac version 4.0: $99 from Mac Connection: (800) 800-1111. Windows version 4.0: $99 from PC Connection: (800) 800-5555. Leister Productions, P.O. Box 289, Mechanicsburg, PA 17055 (717) 697-1378. Email: LeisterPro@aol.com Best genealogy program for the Macintosh. Very powerful program, with graphical user interfaces. Incredible chart-making capabilities. Other sophisticated programs for PCs (DOS) include: - Roots IV. $195. Commsoft, P.O. Box 310, Windsor, CA 95492-0310 (800) 327-6687. Email: support@cmmsft.com. - The Master Genealogist. TMG 1.2. $99. Wholly Genes Software, Inc., 6868 Ducketts Lane, Elk Ridge, MD (800) 982-2103. Email: 76366.1760@CompuServe.com. InfoFiles via E-mail, FTP, and WWW: About three dozen "InfoFiles", containing information about various aspects of Jewish genealogy, are available via e-mail, FTP, or the WWW. If you have only e-mail access, send a blank message to "index@cgsg.com" for a list of files and how to retrieve them via e-mail. These files, and others, are also available via Internet FTP, at the site "ftp.cac.psu.edu". You can retrieve them via anonymous FTP (logon as user "anonymous", and use your Internet address as the password). The files are in the directory ~ftp/pub/genealogy/text/jewish. These InfoFiles are now also available on the WWW. The URL address is "http://www.jewishgen.cgsg.com/ind-info.html". ON-LINE LIBRARY CATALOGS: Many public and university library card catalogs around the world can be accessed via Internet telnet or direct-dialup. For more information, see "Jewish Genealogy on the Information Superhighway", notes by Bruce Kahn, available in the file "JGISH4.*" on FTP (see above). A superb guide to genealogical resources on the Internet is George Archer's "Genealogist's Guide to the Internet", on the WWW at "http://emcee.com/NGS/netguide/welcome.html". WORLD WIDE WEB (WWW): On Internet, there are some "World Wide Web" (WWW) starting points for some genealogical resources. The URL addresses are: JewishGen Home Page: http://www.jewishgen.cgsg.com/ Genealogy Home Page: http://ftp.cac.psu.edu/~saw/genealogy.html David Chapin's Jewish Genealogy Guide: http://dc.smu.edu/dvjcc/dvjcc.genealogy.html Jewish Genealogical Society of Rochester: http://www.memo.com/jcc/jgsr Everton Publishers: http://www.everton.com/ U.S. National Archives: http://www.nara.gov/ Federation of East European Family History Societies: http://dcn.davis.ca.us/~feefhs/ Genealogy Toolbox: http://www.outfitters.com/~helm/genealogy.html Yahoo Genealogy Index: http://www.yahoo.com/Social_Science/History/Genealogy/ However, as of now, there are very few Internet resources of real value for Jewish genealogists which cannot be found elsewhere in print. You can glean far more information from any of the books mentioned in this FAQ, or an issue of "Avotaynu". Despite the availability of all these computer resources, computers are only tools, which can assist with some aspects of genealogical research. They can not do research for you. You will NOT find actual genealogical data on-line. Nothing can replace actual hands-on genealogical research. With some research, it is possible to trace a Jewish family back many generations, even in Eastern Europe. Your genealogical search will be a very rewarding experience. 20) GLOSSARY: - brit, bris [Heb] = circumcision ceremony. - chevra kadisha [Heb] = burial society. - guberniya [Rus] = province of the Russian Empire, pre-1917. There were 15 gubernias in the Pale of Settlement, plus 10 gubernias in the Polish provinces (Kingdom of Poland). - kehilla (pl. kehillot) [Heb] = Jewish community. - ketuba (pl. ketubot) [Heb] = marriage contract, document usually written in Aramaic. - landsman (pl. landslayt) [Yid] = townsman, someone from the same town. - landsmanshaft (pl. landsmanshaftn) [Yid] = township society; organization of people from the same ancestral town/village. - mishpacha [Heb/Yid] = family. - shtetl (pl. shtetlach) [Yid] = town, village. - yarhzeit [Yid] = anniversary of death, using the Hebrew calendar. - yichus [Heb] = genealogy; pedigree; family background. [Yid] = family status/prestige. - yizkor [Heb] = memorial. ABBREVIATIONS: - AJGS: Association of Jewish Genealogical Societies (Q#6) - BBS: Bulletin Board System (Q#18) - EOJG: The Encyclopedia of Jewish Genealogy (Q#4) - FHC: Family History Center, LDS branch library (Q#13) - FHL: Family History Library, in Salt Lake City (Q#13) - FHLC: Family History Library Catalog (Q#13) - INS: U.S. Immigration and Naturalization Service (Q#12) - JGFF: Jewish Genealogical Family Finder (Q#3) - JGPF: Jewish Genealogical People Finder (Q#16) - JGS: Jewish Genealogical Society (Q#6) - LDS: Latter-Day Saints, the Mormon Church (Q#13) - SIG: Special Interest Group (Q#6) - SSDI: Social Security Death Index (Q#9, Q#13) - WOWW: Where Once We Walked, the gazetteer (Q#4) This FAQ (Frequently Asked Questions) list is updated monthly, and posted to JEWISHGEN every three months, on 1st of the month. The FAQ is also available via Internet FTP (filename JEWGFAQ.TXT, see Q#19). It may also be requested via Internet e-mail from "faq@cgsg.com" or "warren@warren.vis.com". A hypertext version of the FAQ is available on the WWW, at "http://www.jewishgen.cgsg.com/faqinfo.html". Suggestions, additions and corrections to the FAQ are encouraged. Copyright (C) 1993, 1995 by Warren Blatt. All Rights Reserved.