Seattle: Family tree display

A forest of family trees traced the roots of Washington's Jewish community at an event sponsored by the Washington State Jewish Historical Society, which hopes to eventually build a Jewish heritage museum.

More than 400 people wandered through the genealogical woods — an exhibit, actually, of hand-painted pedigrees commemorating clans whose local branches span six generations.

"We are building public awareness of the importance of keeping our history," said Lisa Kranseler, executive director of the Washington State Jewish Historical Society (WSJHS), sponsor of the event. "These are families who have been here since the beginning of statehood."

Organizers expected about 20 families to participate in the project. They got 74.

According to a WSJHS member who helped compile lists of names, dates and offspring, "You just mention family, and there couldn't be an easier topic to get people excited about."

Mercer Island's Robert Rogers extended tribe covered three canvases in the exhibit held at the Sephardic Congregation Ezra Bessaroth. His grandmother, Eva Abrams Rogers, arrived in the late 1880s.

Although many of the state's early members of the tribe arrived between 1880-1920 from Eastern Europe, Seattle's early Sephardi immigrants from Rhodes, Turkey and other locations created a major close-knit community that continues today.

Shelby Halela, 15, and her cousin are descendants of immigrants from Rhodes; their ancestors settled there after the 1492 Expulsion from Spain. "Today, she jokes, it seems like everyone she meets in Seattle is a relative."

The teenager said she's committed to keeping track of her own family, past and present: "In the younger generation, somebody has to keep it alive."

Rogers summed up the feelings of many Jewish genealogists' essential problem rather well: "A person doesn't get interested in genealogy until the people who have all the answers have died."

Read more here.

First American Jewish families now online

The Jacob Rader Marcus Center of the American Jewish Archives (Cincinnati, Ohio) has made available online (and searchable) the 3rd edition (1991) of Rabbi Malcolm Stern's work, "Americans of Jewish Descent."

The book first appeared in 1960 and was a milestone in the study of American Jewish genealogy.

Researchers now have access to the complete text of Rabbi Stern's monumental volume that was published in 1991 as the updated and revised 3rd edition entitled: First American Jewish Families: 600 Genealogies, 1654-1988. This publication is an historical document in its own right, and it is not our intention to alter it in any way. Students of American Jewish genealogy are encouraged to use this text as a basis for their research.

The Preface to the 3rd edition by Stern (January 29, 1915-January 5, 1994) indicates:

A high school enthusiasm for royal genealogy inoculated me with a virus which became an all-absorbing hobby. After tracing thirteen generations of descendants of Charlemagne, I was well launched on a career of wholesale genealogy.

A maturer outgrowth of the hobby arose from a search for a doctoral dissertation in the field of American Jewish History. In June of 1950, I approached the dean of American Jewish historians, my beloved teacher, Professor Jacob Rader Marcus, with a request for a thesis topic. By then Dr. Marcus had created the American Jewish Archives on the Cincinnati campus of Hebrew Union College, and had begun collecting the data on America's Jews. Among his early acquisitions was the large collection of typescript genealogies of Americans of Jewish descent compiled by the late Dr. Walter Max Kraus, and presented to the Archives by his spouse, Marian Nathan Kraus Sandor. Dr. Marcus made this material available to me, and I spent the succeeding eight years revising, correcting, and quadrupling the data in the Kraus-Sandor material. The result was my Americans of Jewish Descent published by Dr. Marcus at the Hebrew Union College Press in 1960.

Stern invited readers to make additions and corrections and many responded to his invitation before the 3rd edition was published. New data had been printed and his own continuing research provided data from archives, court houses, historical societies, congregational records and cemetery epitaphs.

Stern also indicated that

The genealogist's task is never complete, for new generations are born daily. The growth of interest in family history, made accessible to individuals by the newer technologies of photocopying, microforms, and computers, has brought about this updated edition.

My goal over more than forty years has been to try to compile the genealogies of Jewish families established in the United States and Canada prior to 1840, tracing their descendants wherever possible to the present. The year 1840 was chosen because an estimated 10,000 Jews had settled in America by then. Within the succeeding twenty years, more than 200,000 additional Jews were to immigrate, creating an insurmountable task for one genealogist working alone.

The author also mentions the growing network of Jewish genealogical societies, seminars and increasing resources, as well as assimilationist tendencies towards intermarriage.

Jacob Rader Marcus's Forward to the 3rd edition states clearly, "In the historian's tool chest there are few utensils more helpful than genealogical tables." Since 1960 every work dealing with early American Jewish history has utilized Stern's book. See the site for the complete Introduction, Forward, Stern's bio and more information.

DNA: Sephardic mtDNA mapping

Readers interested in DNA studies of non-Ashkenazi populations should know about a major study just published on mtDNA (maternal DNA).

The entire paper can be found here: "Counting the Founders: The Matrilineal Genetic Ancestry of the Jewish Diaspora." It was published April 30, 2008, headed by population geneticist Dr. Doron Behar of the Molecular Medicine Laboratory, Rambam Health Care Campus, Haifa, Israel.

The study addresses the "mothers" of such communities as Iran, Iraq, Yemen, India, Bulgaria, Azerbaijan/Mountain Jews, Georgia and others.

On the same subject, I discovered a blog posting on the study at InteractMD.com, which offers "medical news written by doctors. Right now, medical news is written by journalists, ghostwriters, PR people. Patients, families, nurses, and even physicians are depending on newspapers and TV for the latest news on medical breakthroughs, and inevitably, errors creep in to the stories, stories are reported out of context, or important facts omitted. There has to be a better way."

One recent post concerned the mtDNA study of non-Ashkenazi populations described above. It is food for thought:

For those curious about the genetics of the Sephardic Jewish diaspora comes a new, broad-ranging study (see link above for the complete paper) about genetic similarities and differences among Jewish communities in different parts of the world.

The investigators sequenced mitochondrial DNA in 1,400 people from 14 different communities. They found that certain communities had more genetic admixture (i.e., "miscegenation") than other communities. The surprise is that certain communities had a stronger "founder effect" than others, which again suggests that there is a range of genetic integration between migrant Jewish populations and their hosts in different countries.

The investigators claim that their study, together with another one on Ashkenazic Jews, represents the whole of the Jewish population. I think the question I would most like answered is the degree to which the Torah ("Old Testament") represents the actual historical record of the Jews - are the twelve tribes of Israel real, or is that just a made up story? Can we trace our heritage back far enough to twelve original mothers? Sounds to me like there has been enough genetic mixture over the years to make that prospect almost impossible. How much modern faith would be restored in the Torah if the heritage reported there turned out to be validated by scientific techniques?

Civil War: Confederate Jewish soldiers

The Jewish Magazine is a monthly online collection of articles. There's always something of interest to family historians. The May issue carries an article by Lewis Regenstein of Atlanta who describes his great-grandfather and his four brothers - all of whom fought for the Confederacy in 1865.

Regenstein writes about Joshua Lazarus Moses, brothers Horace, Perry and Isaac; his great-grandfather Andrew Jackson Moses, and cousin Albert Moses Luria. More than 24 members of the extended Moses family fought in the War; at least nine died.

Family members served and worked closely with legendary generals, such as Robert E. Lee. They fired some of the first and last shots of the War; fought on horseback and ships, in trenches and the infantry; built fortifications, led men in charges; one was responsible for provisioning an entire army corps of about 50,000 men.

Read more about this family history here.

Barcelona: Zakhor Center established

I was happy to receive this news of the creation of the Zakhor Center of Jewish Studies in Barcelona, Spain.

Created by David Stoleru (president) and Dominique Tomasov Blinder (secretary general), both involved in the case of the unearthed Tarrega Jewish cemetery during construction and the subsequent reburial of Jewish remains in the Barcelona Jewish cemetery.

Currently, they are working on defining the Montjuic Jewish cemetery boundaries through archival research.

According to the announcement, the center will address the following important issues, among others: What is the value of heritage? Who are we preserving for? What use should be given to heritage? What are the ethical limits of scientific research? How do we interpret historical data?

The center's plans are to:

-Sensitize society in general, the Jewish communities and the public administration, about the value of a common heritage and the benefits of transmitting it at national and European levels.

-Encourage preservation and appreciation of sites with historic, cultural or religious Jewish interest.

-Protect ancient cemeteries from abandonment, damage, exhumation, destruction or improper actions.

-Propose actions to raise such important issues based - among others - on local directives and national regulations on citizen’s rights and agreements between nations and Jewish communities, according to which cemeteries are inviolable.

-Offer expert Jewish participation to incorporate heritage content to help better understanding.

-Facilitate communication among national and local administrations, museums, Jewish communities, universities and private entities, to interpret and transmit development and contributions of Judaism and Jewish culture in these lands and in the Diaspora.

-Collaborate with public administration to study and preserve this national historic heritage, seeking solutions for complex situations in a way compatible with Jewish tradition.

-Collaborate with local and international experts, in their projects to study and preserve national historic heritage, and seek solutions for complex situations in a way compatible with Jewish tradition.

-Study and analyze the revitalization, development and contribution of Jewish culture in Catalan and Spanish societies, since its return at the end of the 19th century after 400 years of absence.

The non-profit center will be funded by private/public grants, donations and income for professional services. In the near future, a rented storefront for the center, in the heart of the Barcelona Call, will be opened and the website will be launched.

May Jewish events: Spain, worldwide

The May edition of Sephardic and Jewish events in Spain and elsewhere is available here. Here are some highlights:

ARCHENA (Murcia): During the last week of May, an international conference will take place on the Sephardic World, in the presence of Isaac Navon, former president of Israel (1978-83). It will recognize the preservation of the language and traditions of Jews who lived in Spain before the 1492 Expulsion. Other participants will include professors of international universities, such as Harvard and Caracas.

BARCELONA: May 11 and 25: Tours of the Call with Urban Cultours' Dominique Tomasov Blinder, a Jewish community activist who focuses on protection of Jewish heritage. For information, click here.

11am May 18: A guided conference - "Archeology in the Call" - will take place with Ferran Puig, director of the Archeology Service of the City Historical Museum of Barcelona.

May 31: The 10th Barcelona Jewish Film Festival begins, running through June 8. For information, click here.

CÓRDOBA: May 1-24. La Casa de Sefarad presents "musical memories with a series of concerts of Jewish, Andalucian and Mediterranean music. May 10 will be Sephardic Music with the group Axabeba. The concert is titled Sueno Hebreo and will demonstrate cantigas and romances in Judeoespanola. On May 17, Klezmer en Cordoba with the Baet Group, young musicians of the city who perform Jewish musical traditions from Central Europe. May 24 will be Mediterranean music. All concerts begin at 7pm. For more information on tickets and other details, click here.

May exhibit: Wine in Jewish culture: “Lehayim! Wine in the the Jewish culture and religion." It opens on May 5 and will be permanent in the Palacio del Bilio, Biblioteca Viva de Al-Andalus, Monday to Saturday, from 10am-4pm and from 6-9pm; Sundays, 10.30am-1.30pm. It is organized by the Department of Tourism of the Cordoba government.

GIRONA: May 29-31. A symposium of the Spanish Association of Hebrew and Jewish Studies in Girona and Besalu, will include presentation of books and projects.

IBIZA: 10pm, May 9. Rosa Zaragoza in concert. The songs of Sephardic Jews in different European countries after the 1492 Expulsion.

LEÓN: Through July 1, the Leon government presents journeys in Sephardic gastronomy in association with various city restaurants, such as the Hostal Parador San Marcos, Hotel Tryp León, Hotel Husa Santiago, Hotel Silken, Hotel Cortes de León, Hotel Quindós, Hotel Infantas de León, lez de Lama, Bodega Regia, Restaurante Amancio, Restaurante el Faisán Dorado y Restaurante La Jouja Plaza. For more information, write to leon@redjuderias.org.

For more events in Spain and throughout the world (Germany, Argentina, US, Netherlands, Israel, Italy, Czech Republic, Switzerland) click on the website above.

DNA: GINA anti-discrimination bill passes

American readers interested in DNA and genetic testing who feared repercussions if employers or insurers discovered the results of such testing can now rest easier as the Genetic Information Nondiscrimination Act (GINA) has been passed by both the US House and Senate.

For those with Jewish ancestry, it makes the 25-condition test panel for Ashkenazi genetic conditions even more advisable. Information is available at DNATraits. Every Jewish family can help eradicate these tragic diseases in the same way that Tay Sachs has been nearly eliminated since widespread community testing has become common.

Amy Harmon's New York Times story is here.

The legislation, which President Bush has indicated he will sign, speaks both to the mounting hope that genetic research may greatly improve health care and the fear of a dystopia in which people’s own DNA could be turned against them.

On the House floor on Thursday, Democrats and Republicans alike cited anecdotes and polls illustrating that people feel they should not be penalized because they happened to be born at higher risk for a given disease.

“People know we all have bad genes, and we are all potential victims of genetic discrimination,” said Representative Louise M. Slaughter, Democrat of New York, who first proposed the legislation. The measure passed the House on Thursday by a 414-to-1 vote, and the Senate by 95-to-0 a week earlier.

If the bill is signed into law, more people are expected to take advantage of genetic testing and to participate in genetic research. Still, some experts said people should think twice before revealing their genetic information.

The story mentions Senator Tom Coburn (R-OK) who had blocked the bill until wording was added to protect employers from lawsuits resulting from insurance company violations. The US Chamber of Commerce argued that fines were excessive (as much as $300,000 for each violation) and that the limits on collecting medical information would be complicated.

“This clears away what in many people’s mind had been a real cloud on the horizon,” said Dr. Francis S. Collins, director of the National Human Genome Research Institute at the National Institutes of Health. “Families with a strong history of genetic disease will have one less worry about the circumstances they find themselves in, and hooray for that.”

The Scientific American website carries an article, "Congress Passes Bill Barring Genetic Discrimination - Action culminates more than a dozen years of legislative haggling."

Since no one is born with perfect genes, we are all potential victims of genetic discrimination. This legislation marks the beginning of a new era in health care where a person's genetic information can no longer be used against them,'' bill sponsor Rep. Louise Slaughter (D-N.Y.) said after the legislation sailed through the House. "By prohibiting the improper use of genetic information, Americans will be encouraged to take advantage of the tremendous life-altering potential of genetic research."

The first anti-discrimination genetic legislation was introduced by Slaughter, who is is a microbiologist with a public health master's degree. Today, more than 1,000 genetic tests are available to diagnose or assess the risk of potentially life-threatening diseases.

Consumer groups said the GINA passage will close state law gaps and encourage Americans to take advantage of potentially lifesaving genetic testing without fear of being denied coverage.

American Society of Human Genetics executive vice president Joann Boughman said that "researchers and clinicians can now actively encourage Americans to participate in clinical trials without the fear of genetic discrimination," and protected by GINA, health care practitioners will be able to recommend appropriate genetic testing and screening without fear of discrimination based on results.

DNA: Czar's children's remains confirmed

Another of history's mysteries has been solved - this time using DNA technology to determine family relationships and identity.

AP broke the story on DNA results confirming the identity of Alexei and Grand Duchess Maria, two children of Czar Nicholas II and Empress Alexandra.

For nine decades after Bolshevik executioners gunned down Czar Nicholas II and his family, there were no traces of the remains of Crown Prince Alexei, the hemophiliac heir to Russia's throne.

Some said the delicate 13-year-old had somehow survived and escaped; others believed his bones were lost in Russia's vastness, buried in secret amid fear and chaos as the country lurched into civil war.

Now an official says DNA tests have solved the mystery by identifying bone shards found in a forest as those of Alexei and his sister, Grand Duchess Maria.

The remains of their parents — Nicholas II and Empress Alexandra — and three siblings, including the czar's youngest daughter, Anastasia, were unearthed in 1991 and reburied in the imperial resting place in St. Petersburg. The Russian Orthodox Church made all seven of them saints in 2000.

In 1917, Nicholas abdicated and his family were taken and shot by firing squad on July 17, 1918 in Yekaterinburg. Persistent rumors said some of the family had escaped and survived. Readers will remember claims by women that they were Anastasia.

The bones were discovered last summer in a forest near Yekaterinburg; Russian and U.S. laboratories conducted DNA tests. Researchers believe the entire family has now been found. While the region's governor did not specify the lab, a research team at the University of Massachusetts Medical School had been involved.

Test results were based on mitochondrial DNA (materanl DNA transmitted from mothers to their children), which is more stable than Y-DNA (male) particularly when remains are damaged, as in the case of these bones which were shattered and burned.

Researchers compared the bone DNA with those of Empress Alexandra, a granddaughter of Britain's Queen Victoria and a distant relative of Prince Philip, Queen Elizabeth II's husband.

According to the story, the team is now working on analyzing the Y-DNA and comparing samples to the czar's paternal relatives.

Read more here.