Eye on DNA is one of my favorite DNA blogs, written by Dr. Hsien-Hsien Lei, whose sense of humor provides a light-hearted look at some serious science. Here's her Outrageous DNA Predictions for 2009
Here’s what she sees coming in 2009.
1. 23andMe will begin selling their tests on drugstore shelves.
2. President Barack Obama will be offered genome sequencing as part of his annual physical examination. (Coincidentally, John Hawks has more on “privacy, politicians, and genetic testing.”)
3. Apple will launch iSEQ - instant DNA testing and analysis in a handheld device complete with apps for social networking, etc.
4. The first 10 participants in the Personal Genome Project will band together to be called Fantastic Ten. Each will reveal secret superpowers that are embedded in their DNA.
5. The U.S. government passes laws to obtain DNA from all its citizens which it says will help protect the innocent and punish criminals.
For her review of major DNA happenings during 2008, see her editor's note in KromoNews: Weekly Human Genetics Newsletter.
Would you like to add any predictions to Hsien-Hsien's list? Let me know.
05 January 2009
New York: NYPL stacks, some services suspended
Library junkies planning a trip to the famed New York Public Library, at 5th Avenue and 42nd Street, should know that the central stacks in the Humanities and Social Sciences Library are closed while a library façade restoration is underway. The illustration above is dated 1907 and from the NYPL archives.
According to the library website, 65% of the general research material, material requested from off-site prior to December 19, 2008, interlibrary loan material, and some of the children's collection are not available.
However, you can still visit the lions outside! Learn more about the pink Tennessee marble lions, named Patience (south) and Fortitude (north), here. They have guarded the library since 1911.
However, you can still visit the lions outside! Learn more about the pink Tennessee marble lions, named Patience (south) and Fortitude (north), here. They have guarded the library since 1911.
Here's some information on the restoration project:
Details of findings were recorded on portable electronic tablets, and wirelessly linked digital photographs into CAD drawings. Marble fragments and samples were taken to WJE's labs, where potential solutions were selected and trial repairs conducted. The restoration will use high-temperature, low-pressure steam to clean the building and laser techniques for delicate areas.
Visitors and pedestrians are protected from falling debris by netting and sidewalk bridges installed around the library's exterior. Restoration will begin with the Bryant Park facade.
The monumental marble facade of The New York Public Library stretches 390 feet along Fifth Avenue in a grand statement of presence and purpose. Yet in the 96 years since the building opened, the Library's exterior, which also faces Bryant Park, 42nd Street and 40th Street, has been subject to forces of weather and urban pollution that have taken their toll, wearing away at the beauty and form of the intricate stone structure.
Today the Library announced that it is undertaking a three-year restoration of the facade of the historic building now formally known as the Humanities and Social Sciences Library. The project will include a complete cleaning of the building's Vermont marble, repair of almost 3,000 cracks, protection and preservation of the many sculptural elements, and repair of the building's roof, stairs, and plazas. The restoration will be completed in time for the building's centennial, in 2011.
The landmark building, a white marble Beaux-Arts revival, designed by John Merven Carrère and Thomas Hastings, was completed in 1911 after 12 years of construction. At the time, it was the largest marble structure in the United States.
The building was extensively surveyed from a boom lift and swing stages, although to evaluate difficult to reach areas, members of WJE's Difficult Access Team rapelled and dropped down with a series of ropes suspended from the roof ...
Details of findings were recorded on portable electronic tablets, and wirelessly linked digital photographs into CAD drawings. Marble fragments and samples were taken to WJE's labs, where potential solutions were selected and trial repairs conducted. The restoration will use high-temperature, low-pressure steam to clean the building and laser techniques for delicate areas.
Visitors and pedestrians are protected from falling debris by netting and sidewalk bridges installed around the library's exterior. Restoration will begin with the Bryant Park facade.
For more on the restoration project, click here.
And another meme: 99 things
And here's another meme making the rounds of geneabloggers, with a list of 99 things you've done (bolded), things you haven't done but want to (italicized) and those you don't want to do (plain):
1. Started your own blog: Two: Tracing the Tribe and International Jewish Graveyard Rabbit.
2. Slept under the stars.
3. Played in a band. I'm assuming orchestras and string ensembles count. (New York's All-City HS Orchestra, HS of Music & Art orchestras/ensembles, music camp orchestra, etc. The viola was my weapon of choice)
4. Visited Hawaii.
5. Watched a meteor shower.
6. Given more than you can afford to charity.
7. Been to Disneyland/world. Yes (California and Florida).
8. Climbed a mountain. Do ski-lifts count? Engelberg, Switzerland; Tahoe, Nevada; Taos, New Mexico; Deer Valley/Park City, Utah; Whistler, British Columbia, Canada.
9. Held a praying mantis.
10. Sang a solo.
11. Bungee jumped. Not enough money in the world.
12. Visited Paris.
13. Watched a lightning storm at sea. Lightning phobia after some dangerous and scary Catskills storms.
14. Taught yourself an art from scratch. Needlepoint?
15. Adopted a child.
16. Had food poisoning. Never, not even when traveling to strange places.
17. Walked to the top of the Statue of Liberty. When I was 6. Lots of steps!
18. Grown your own vegetables. Once.
19. Seen the Mona Lisa in France.
20. Slept on an overnight train. Los Angeles-Santa Fe, New York-Miami, Seattle-Chicago.
21. Had a pillow fight. Pillows lost.
22. Hitch hiked.
23. Taken a sick day when you’re not ill.
24. Built a snow fort. Built a miniature snowtown every year as a little kid in the Bronx.
25. Held a lamb. Cooked? :-)
26. Gone skinny dipping. You've got to be kidding.
27. Run a marathon. Yeah, right.
28. Ridden a gondola in Venice.
29. Seen a total eclipse.
30. Watched a sunrise or sunset. Sunrise at Masada in Israel. Sunsets many places.
31. Hit a home run.
32. Been on a cruise.
33. Seen Niagara Falls in person. Trip with parents, age 5 or 6.
34. Visited the birthplace of your ancestors.
35. Seen an Amish community.
36. Taught yourself a new language. Learned to read Cyrillic working the Mogilev, Belarus Rabbinical Records
37. Had enough money to be truly satisfied.
38. Seen the Leaning Tower of Pisa in person.
39. Gone rock climbing. See 27.
40. Seen Michelangelo’s David in person.
41. Sung Karaoke. Better description is "attempted."
42. Seen Old Faithful geyser erupt.
43. Bought a stranger a meal in a restaurant.
44. Visited Africa.
45. Walked on a beach by moonlight.
46. Been transported in an ambulance. As companion, not as patient.
47. Had your portrait painted.
48. Gone deep sea fishing. Little boat? Deep water? See 65.
49. Seen the Sistine chapel in person.
50. Been to the top of the Eiffel Tower in Paris.
51. Gone scuba diving or snorkeling.
52. Kissed in the rain.
53. Played in the mud.
54. Gone to a drive-in theater.
55. Been in a movie.
56. Visited the Great Wall of China.
57. Started a business. Is gen blogging a business?
58. Taken a martial arts class
59. Visited Russia. Next on my list.
60. Served at a soup kitchen. Christmas Day duty with our Los Angeles .
61. Sold Girl Scout cookies.
62. Gone whale watching.
63. Gotten flowers for no reason.
64. Donated blood.
65. Gone sky diving. No way, Jose.
66. Visited a Nazi concentration camp.
67. Bounced a check.
68. Flown in a helicopter. See 65.
69. Saved a favorite childhood toy. Kept Wolfie the Wolf for a long time, now disappeared.
70. Visited the Lincoln Memorial.
71. Eaten Caviar. Love it.
72. Pieced a quilt.
73. Stood in Times Square.
74. Toured the Everglades.
75. Been fired from a job.
76. Seen the Changing of the Guard in London.
77. Broken a bone. Ouch.
78. Been on a speeding motorcycle. See 65.
79. Seen the Grand Canyon in person. Grand.
80. Published a book.
81. Visited the Vatican.
82. Bought a brand new car.
83. Walked in Jerusalem. And Tel Aviv and other cities.
84. Had your picture in the newspaper.
85. Read the entire Bible.
86. Visited the White House. First time: JHS 127 (Bronx) class trip.
87. Killed and prepared an animal for eating.
88. Had chickenpox. Major attack. Don't wish it on anyone.
89. Saved someone’s life.
90. Sat on a jury.
91. Met someone famous.
92. Joined a book club.
93. Lost a loved one.
94. Had a baby.
95. Seen the Alamo in person.
96. Swum in the Great Salt Lake.
97. Been involved in a law suit.
98. Owned a cell phone.
99. Been stung by a bee. Do wasps count?
1. Started your own blog: Two: Tracing the Tribe and International Jewish Graveyard Rabbit.
2. Slept under the stars.
3. Played in a band. I'm assuming orchestras and string ensembles count. (New York's All-City HS Orchestra, HS of Music & Art orchestras/ensembles, music camp orchestra, etc. The viola was my weapon of choice)
4. Visited Hawaii.
5. Watched a meteor shower.
6. Given more than you can afford to charity.
7. Been to Disneyland/world. Yes (California and Florida).
8. Climbed a mountain. Do ski-lifts count? Engelberg, Switzerland; Tahoe, Nevada; Taos, New Mexico; Deer Valley/Park City, Utah; Whistler, British Columbia, Canada.
9. Held a praying mantis.
10. Sang a solo.
11. Bungee jumped. Not enough money in the world.
12. Visited Paris.
13. Watched a lightning storm at sea. Lightning phobia after some dangerous and scary Catskills storms.
14. Taught yourself an art from scratch. Needlepoint?
15. Adopted a child.
16. Had food poisoning. Never, not even when traveling to strange places.
17. Walked to the top of the Statue of Liberty. When I was 6. Lots of steps!
18. Grown your own vegetables. Once.
19. Seen the Mona Lisa in France.
20. Slept on an overnight train. Los Angeles-Santa Fe, New York-Miami, Seattle-Chicago.
21. Had a pillow fight. Pillows lost.
22. Hitch hiked.
23. Taken a sick day when you’re not ill.
24. Built a snow fort. Built a miniature snowtown every year as a little kid in the Bronx.
25. Held a lamb. Cooked? :-)
26. Gone skinny dipping. You've got to be kidding.
27. Run a marathon. Yeah, right.
28. Ridden a gondola in Venice.
29. Seen a total eclipse.
30. Watched a sunrise or sunset. Sunrise at Masada in Israel. Sunsets many places.
31. Hit a home run.
32. Been on a cruise.
33. Seen Niagara Falls in person. Trip with parents, age 5 or 6.
34. Visited the birthplace of your ancestors.
35. Seen an Amish community.
36. Taught yourself a new language. Learned to read Cyrillic working the Mogilev, Belarus Rabbinical Records
37. Had enough money to be truly satisfied.
38. Seen the Leaning Tower of Pisa in person.
39. Gone rock climbing. See 27.
40. Seen Michelangelo’s David in person.
41. Sung Karaoke. Better description is "attempted."
42. Seen Old Faithful geyser erupt.
43. Bought a stranger a meal in a restaurant.
44. Visited Africa.
45. Walked on a beach by moonlight.
46. Been transported in an ambulance. As companion, not as patient.
47. Had your portrait painted.
48. Gone deep sea fishing. Little boat? Deep water? See 65.
49. Seen the Sistine chapel in person.
50. Been to the top of the Eiffel Tower in Paris.
51. Gone scuba diving or snorkeling.
52. Kissed in the rain.
53. Played in the mud.
54. Gone to a drive-in theater.
55. Been in a movie.
56. Visited the Great Wall of China.
57. Started a business. Is gen blogging a business?
58. Taken a martial arts class
59. Visited Russia. Next on my list.
60. Served at a soup kitchen. Christmas Day duty with our Los Angeles .
61. Sold Girl Scout cookies.
62. Gone whale watching.
63. Gotten flowers for no reason.
64. Donated blood.
65. Gone sky diving. No way, Jose.
66. Visited a Nazi concentration camp.
67. Bounced a check.
68. Flown in a helicopter. See 65.
69. Saved a favorite childhood toy. Kept Wolfie the Wolf for a long time, now disappeared.
70. Visited the Lincoln Memorial.
71. Eaten Caviar. Love it.
72. Pieced a quilt.
73. Stood in Times Square.
74. Toured the Everglades.
75. Been fired from a job.
76. Seen the Changing of the Guard in London.
77. Broken a bone. Ouch.
78. Been on a speeding motorcycle. See 65.
79. Seen the Grand Canyon in person. Grand.
80. Published a book.
81. Visited the Vatican.
82. Bought a brand new car.
83. Walked in Jerusalem. And Tel Aviv and other cities.
84. Had your picture in the newspaper.
85. Read the entire Bible.
86. Visited the White House. First time: JHS 127 (Bronx) class trip.
87. Killed and prepared an animal for eating.
88. Had chickenpox. Major attack. Don't wish it on anyone.
89. Saved someone’s life.
90. Sat on a jury.
91. Met someone famous.
92. Joined a book club.
93. Lost a loved one.
94. Had a baby.
95. Seen the Alamo in person.
96. Swum in the Great Salt Lake.
97. Been involved in a law suit.
98. Owned a cell phone.
99. Been stung by a bee. Do wasps count?
Connecticut's 'borscht belt'
Long ago, I was an active member of USY and Atid, both connected to the famous Brooklyn Jewish Center on Eastern Parkway in Crown Heights. Let's hear it for METNY - although my loyalities later switched to FarWest!
At any rate, one of the New York groups organized a weekend shabbaton to some small hotel in Connecticut (sorry I don't remember its name). This event reposed in a dusty corner of my mind until this story recently appeared in the Middletown Press on East Haddam, once home to more than 100 resorts - a New England version of the Catskills.
In much the same way as the Catskills declined, the era of these resorts declined after World War II. Travel to other places became less expensive and "going to the country" with the whole family lost appeal, as more affluent families moved from crowded cities to suburban peace and quiet and sought other vacation destinations. Some resorts closed, while others changed.
The story continues to track the resort after longtime employees bought the place in 1965 and continues to run the resort, which continues to prosper by hosting group events such as reunions and music events. Many families visited one or more times each year - at least until August 31, when Sunrise closed.
Those of us who were the children of many Catskills summers - either visitors or family of bungalow and hotel owners - remember the good times. I can understand how the Sunrise visitors and staff felt on that last Labor Day weekend as they said goodbye for good.
At any rate, one of the New York groups organized a weekend shabbaton to some small hotel in Connecticut (sorry I don't remember its name). This event reposed in a dusty corner of my mind until this story recently appeared in the Middletown Press on East Haddam, once home to more than 100 resorts - a New England version of the Catskills.
In the early part of this century, they thrived as immigrants from throughout Europe crowded into cities to work in factories and sweatshops. Living and working in cramped and often unsanitary conditions and making low wages, they felt that getting away for a week in the country was an affordable luxury. Resorts, many started by Jewish immigrants after fleeing pogroms in Eastern Europe, also flourished in Colchester and other nearby towns.
The resorts were so popular that a special railroad line was built to provide nonstop service from New York City to Colchester and East Haddam.
In much the same way as the Catskills declined, the era of these resorts declined after World War II. Travel to other places became less expensive and "going to the country" with the whole family lost appeal, as more affluent families moved from crowded cities to suburban peace and quiet and sought other vacation destinations. Some resorts closed, while others changed.
Some resorts managed to survive by changing. Grand Lakes Resort in Lebanon transformed itself into an affordable spa. Banner Resort, which featured a golf course and a large entertainment hall, is now filled with new condominiums. And Chabad, a Jewish group, has plans to make Klar Crest, a small resort, into a camp for girls.
Sunrise Resort had its modest beginnings in 1916 as Elm Camp when Henry Engle completed the main bungalow at his boat rental business by installing electric lights, telephone and a water system. In the early 1920s, Ted Hilton partnered with Engle. Beginning in 1925, the owners began to expand the camp, adding two bungalows and more sleeping and dining areas.
In 1927, the Hilton family bought the property from Engle and over the next several decades expanded it under a number of names. Cabins were built to accommodate as many as 500 overnight guests. More land was acquired, followed by construction of a horse barn, tennis courts and a handball court.
The story continues to track the resort after longtime employees bought the place in 1965 and continues to run the resort, which continues to prosper by hosting group events such as reunions and music events. Many families visited one or more times each year - at least until August 31, when Sunrise closed.
From all outward appearances, the last weekend at Sunrise Resort was business as usual. The swimming pool was still full of water and the tennis courts were well-maintained. Families paddled canoes on the water and parents watched their kids play ping-pong, fish and play miniature golf. Boccie and volleyball, crafts and scavenger hunts, the Grand March parade and hikes at the Echo Farm Nature Preserve also went on as planned. Evenings included magic shows and movies.
There were also special activities just for grown-ups, such as the spa, evening concerts, Pampered Chef demos and the staff-versus-guests softball games. In fact, the only sign the resort would be closing was a small notice in the weekly newsletter thanking the customers for their years of support.
Those of us who were the children of many Catskills summers - either visitors or family of bungalow and hotel owners - remember the good times. I can understand how the Sunrise visitors and staff felt on that last Labor Day weekend as they said goodbye for good.
Meme: Blog Year in Review
John Newmark of TransylvanianDutch started a new meme. For "Blog Year in Review in Twelve Sentences," bloggers are to post the first sentence of the first blog of each month for 2008.
OK, Tracing the Tribe will play along (with links to the posts), with these from the 800 posts of 2008:
January 2008
San Francisco: Grandmother's Suitcase, Jan. 8
The search for identity is pervasive.
February 2008
New York: CJH extends genealogy hours
Thanks to a grant from the Jewish Genealogical Society of New York, the Ackman and Ziff Family Genealogy Institute at the Center for Jewish History will now be open on Mondays until 7.30pm.
March 2008
Italy: Inquisition documents displayed
The Vatican has placed Inquisition documents on display through March 16, at Rome's Central Risorgimento Museum.
April 2008
JewishGen: End of an era?
All of us are JewishGenners - or should be.
May 2008
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.
June 2008
Crystal Skulls with a 'kipa' ?
Even the movies are getting into Jewish genealogy.
July 2008
Jamboree: Afterthoughts
I apologize for the dearth in Tracing the Tribe's posts - even bloggers need to kick back for a few days once in awhile.
August 2008
China: Harbin's Jewish Community
The Beijing Review has just posted a story here about Harbin's Jewish community.
September 2008
Back now in Tel Aviv
Hello, readers! New York was lovely and relatively cool last week.
October 2008
Illinois: 250 Holocaust documents to go on display
More than 250 World War II postal documents — cards, letters and stamps — have been acquired by an Illinois foundation from a private collector and will soon be on permanent display in a museum in suburban Chicago, according to this AP story on Fox News.
November 2008
The Phoenician Footprint and more
There's a fascinating New York Times story today about the genetic mark left by the Phoenicians.
December 2008
Boston: Two dramatic stories, Dec. 7
Two dramatic stories of digging into lost histories and reuniting long separated families will be featured by the Jewish Genealogical Society of Greater Boston (JGSGB) at its December 7 meeting at Temple Emanuel in Newton.
Enjoy! Thanks, John, for this interesting exercise!
OK, Tracing the Tribe will play along (with links to the posts), with these from the 800 posts of 2008:
January 2008
San Francisco: Grandmother's Suitcase, Jan. 8
The search for identity is pervasive.
February 2008
New York: CJH extends genealogy hours
Thanks to a grant from the Jewish Genealogical Society of New York, the Ackman and Ziff Family Genealogy Institute at the Center for Jewish History will now be open on Mondays until 7.30pm.
March 2008
Italy: Inquisition documents displayed
The Vatican has placed Inquisition documents on display through March 16, at Rome's Central Risorgimento Museum.
April 2008
JewishGen: End of an era?
All of us are JewishGenners - or should be.
May 2008
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.
June 2008
Crystal Skulls with a 'kipa' ?
Even the movies are getting into Jewish genealogy.
July 2008
Jamboree: Afterthoughts
I apologize for the dearth in Tracing the Tribe's posts - even bloggers need to kick back for a few days once in awhile.
August 2008
China: Harbin's Jewish Community
The Beijing Review has just posted a story here about Harbin's Jewish community.
September 2008
Back now in Tel Aviv
Hello, readers! New York was lovely and relatively cool last week.
October 2008
Illinois: 250 Holocaust documents to go on display
More than 250 World War II postal documents — cards, letters and stamps — have been acquired by an Illinois foundation from a private collector and will soon be on permanent display in a museum in suburban Chicago, according to this AP story on Fox News.
November 2008
The Phoenician Footprint and more
There's a fascinating New York Times story today about the genetic mark left by the Phoenicians.
December 2008
Boston: Two dramatic stories, Dec. 7
Two dramatic stories of digging into lost histories and reuniting long separated families will be featured by the Jewish Genealogical Society of Greater Boston (JGSGB) at its December 7 meeting at Temple Emanuel in Newton.
Enjoy! Thanks, John, for this interesting exercise!
04 January 2009
Colorado: Tuberculosis victims, records (link fixed!)
Tracing the Tribe readers will find an interesting new post (and photographs) over at the International Jewish Graveyard Rabbit, by new contributor Ellen Shindelman Kowitt, webmaster for the Jewish Genealogical Society of Colorado.
She is a former IAJGS board member, past president of the JGS of Greater Washington, and also lectures and writes about Jewish genealogy.
Ellen has included photographs of the unheated cabins and gravestones, URLs for databased records and other sources for additional information.
Read her complete post here.
She is a former IAJGS board member, past president of the JGS of Greater Washington, and also lectures and writes about Jewish genealogy.
Jews arrived in Colorado with the Gold Rush in 1859. The oldest Jewish burials in Denver were conducted by the pioneer organization, the Hebrew Burial and Prayer Society (later known as the Hebrew Cemetery Association) from 1860 to 1910 and were interred at the Denver Pioneer Cemetery “Old Jewish Section”located east of Cheesman Park on Capitol Hill.
Most Jewish remains and gravestones there were moved to the nonsectarian Riverside Cemetery and to the Jewish Fairmount, Golden Hill and Rose Hill Cemeteries in the early 1900s due to urban development.
Ellen has included photographs of the unheated cabins and gravestones, URLs for databased records and other sources for additional information.
Read her complete post here.
02 January 2009
MyHeritage: New FamilyTreeBuilder 3.0 released
MyHeritage.com has now released FamilyTreeBuilder 3, claiming it will make it easier to automatically find long-lost relatives, publish content (including photos and videos) to the site and print a family tree on one page.
Some of the new functionality in this release is accessible only through two fee plans. One plan covers up to 2,500 individuals and 500MB of online storage for a special holiday price of $24 annually (available through January 15), which should be practical for many family historians. See below for details of both plans as well as the standard free features.
Download FTB3 here.
FTB 3.0 languages now include Afrikaans, Albanian, Bosnian, Bulgarian, Catalan, Croatian, Czech, Danish, Dutch, EnglishUS/UK, Estonian, Finnish, French, German, Greek, Hebrew, Hungarian, Italian, Latvian, Lithuanian, Norwegian, Polish, Portuguese, Portuguese-Brazil, Romanian, Russian, Serbian, Slovakian, Slovenian, Spanish, Swedish, Turkish, Ukrainian and Yiddish.
The site now includes both standard free features and access to premium functionality.
STANDARD FEATURES:
Improved multilingual support: The site is multilingual – 34 languages - for display and data entry; members can enter data in two languages at one time. Members can also display data in one language (e.g. English) and enter data in two other languages (e.g. Spanish and Russian) at the same time. This is a useful tool to involve younger generations in family history - they might not be as fluent in the main research language. The ability to share information in many languages enables improved family connectivity around the world, encouraging sharing and collaboration on family history projects by relatives in different countries.
Geographical Mapping: FTB 3.0 creates a list of relevant geographical place names for each tree. This feature remembers previously entered place names so users won’t have to re-enter the same locations. For a better world view of where your family lived long ago and where relatives live today, go to the place name list, click on a location and go to its Google Map. In the new release, the feature is better integrated with the website to help members share and collaborate with family around the world.
Improved Publisher: Members can now work on other tasks while the publisher works in the background. This can be a major time-saver for those publishing large family trees to the MyHeritage site.
Export/Import GedCom: GedCom (Genealogical Data Communication) is a standard format for transferring genealogical information from one program to another. Members don’t have to re-enter all their data if they can export or import a Gedcom of their family tree, saving time and energy.
PREMIUM FEATURES
Smart Match Merge technology: Continually compares new family trees to the 300 million+ profiles database to find matches and discover family connections. Members can more easily work together to merge information in overlapping trees. Privacy settings are respected for living people, hiding information about people who do not match.
Smart Research: Automatically plugs names from a member’s tree into MyHeritage’s powerful search engine, researches these names in more than 100 of the most important databases on the Internet and provides results, saving months of manual research. Members can search for matches for one individual or for all people on a single tree at one time. For subscription websites, SmartResearch will reveal results that would be provided on that site’s free search (e.g. an index).
All-in-One Chart: With intelligent organization, members can quickly and easily print family trees on one easy-to-read page or poster – even huge trees with many branches and people. This chart can reveal - for one individual - everyone related to that person by blood or marriage. It provides the big picture of your family tree.
Online Publishing: Members can publish family trees plus related media (photos, videos, audio clips, documents) from FTB3 to a MyHeritage.com family site, to enable sharing with far-flung family members.
According to MyHeritage founder/CEO Gilad Japhet:
While MyHeritage FTB 3 will continue to be free, and members can add an unlimited number of profiles to family trees using the new software, access to new functionality and publishing content to MyHeritage is via two price plans:
Basic includes up to 500 people and online storage of 100MB. This is free.
Premium offers a special holiday discount through January 15. The per-month charge will be $1.95/€1.70/£1.50 (regular price: $3.95/€3.45/£2.95) for up to 2,500 people and 500MB, with included functionality for Smart Match Merge, Smart Research, All-in-One Chart, Publishing Videos and Documents, and Priority Support. At $24 a year, it seems like a good deal for many family researchers.
PremiumPlus includes all the above for unlimited numbers of people in a tree and unlimited online storage, for a per-month fee of $9.95/€8.95/£7.95.
For more information, click here.
Some of the new functionality in this release is accessible only through two fee plans. One plan covers up to 2,500 individuals and 500MB of online storage for a special holiday price of $24 annually (available through January 15), which should be practical for many family historians. See below for details of both plans as well as the standard free features.
Download FTB3 here.
FTB 3.0 languages now include Afrikaans, Albanian, Bosnian, Bulgarian, Catalan, Croatian, Czech, Danish, Dutch, EnglishUS/UK, Estonian, Finnish, French, German, Greek, Hebrew, Hungarian, Italian, Latvian, Lithuanian, Norwegian, Polish, Portuguese, Portuguese-Brazil, Romanian, Russian, Serbian, Slovakian, Slovenian, Spanish, Swedish, Turkish, Ukrainian and Yiddish.
The site now includes both standard free features and access to premium functionality.
STANDARD FEATURES:
Improved multilingual support: The site is multilingual – 34 languages - for display and data entry; members can enter data in two languages at one time. Members can also display data in one language (e.g. English) and enter data in two other languages (e.g. Spanish and Russian) at the same time. This is a useful tool to involve younger generations in family history - they might not be as fluent in the main research language. The ability to share information in many languages enables improved family connectivity around the world, encouraging sharing and collaboration on family history projects by relatives in different countries.
Geographical Mapping: FTB 3.0 creates a list of relevant geographical place names for each tree. This feature remembers previously entered place names so users won’t have to re-enter the same locations. For a better world view of where your family lived long ago and where relatives live today, go to the place name list, click on a location and go to its Google Map. In the new release, the feature is better integrated with the website to help members share and collaborate with family around the world.
Improved Publisher: Members can now work on other tasks while the publisher works in the background. This can be a major time-saver for those publishing large family trees to the MyHeritage site.
Export/Import GedCom: GedCom (Genealogical Data Communication) is a standard format for transferring genealogical information from one program to another. Members don’t have to re-enter all their data if they can export or import a Gedcom of their family tree, saving time and energy.
PREMIUM FEATURES
Smart Match Merge technology: Continually compares new family trees to the 300 million+ profiles database to find matches and discover family connections. Members can more easily work together to merge information in overlapping trees. Privacy settings are respected for living people, hiding information about people who do not match.
Smart Research: Automatically plugs names from a member’s tree into MyHeritage’s powerful search engine, researches these names in more than 100 of the most important databases on the Internet and provides results, saving months of manual research. Members can search for matches for one individual or for all people on a single tree at one time. For subscription websites, SmartResearch will reveal results that would be provided on that site’s free search (e.g. an index).
All-in-One Chart: With intelligent organization, members can quickly and easily print family trees on one easy-to-read page or poster – even huge trees with many branches and people. This chart can reveal - for one individual - everyone related to that person by blood or marriage. It provides the big picture of your family tree.
Online Publishing: Members can publish family trees plus related media (photos, videos, audio clips, documents) from FTB3 to a MyHeritage.com family site, to enable sharing with far-flung family members.
According to MyHeritage founder/CEO Gilad Japhet:
“Since its introduction in 2005, Family Tree Builder has become one of the most successful family history tools in the world. More than one million people are now using it in 34 languages to build their family trees and share the experience with their family members all over the world. The launch of Family Tree Builder 3 puts even more powerful technology into the hands of our users, while keeping it simple and fun to use.”
While MyHeritage FTB 3 will continue to be free, and members can add an unlimited number of profiles to family trees using the new software, access to new functionality and publishing content to MyHeritage is via two price plans:
Basic includes up to 500 people and online storage of 100MB. This is free.
Premium offers a special holiday discount through January 15. The per-month charge will be $1.95/€1.70/£1.50 (regular price: $3.95/€3.45/£2.95) for up to 2,500 people and 500MB, with included functionality for Smart Match Merge, Smart Research, All-in-One Chart, Publishing Videos and Documents, and Priority Support. At $24 a year, it seems like a good deal for many family researchers.
PremiumPlus includes all the above for unlimited numbers of people in a tree and unlimited online storage, for a per-month fee of $9.95/€8.95/£7.95.
For more information, click here.
Austria: Eisenstadt's Jews
Jews lived in Eisenstadt, Austria - about a 40-mile day trip from Vienna - for hundreds of years under the protection of the noble Esterházy family, and Philadelphia's Jewish Exponent offered a recent article on the community by Aaron Dalton here.
Eisenstadt's other claim to fame is that famed composer Joseph Hayden worked there as the Esterházy court composer for some 40 years. His home can be visited and concerts are today performed where they were originally heard.
The story mentions Wertheimer's private synagogue in his mansion, which was then owned - until the 1930s - by the Wolf family, the largest Austrian Empire wholesale wine dealers. Following Kristallnacht, the community and its main synagogue were destroyed, but the private synagogue was saved (see below). Today it is used for services and as a museum.
In 1972, the building was opened by the government as the first Jewish museum in Austria. Hidden in the synagogue walls were Torah scrolls and other sacred objects. A collection of Judaica and photographs today educate local children about Jewish life.
There is more information on the Jewish Museum here: Österreichisches Jüdisches Museum. Non-German speaking visitors may borrow an English guidebook while seeing the displays.
The article details the fact that until 1938, the community was an oddity, surviving as the one of the last independent Jewish communities in the region, with its own mayor and bailiff.
Originally buried in Vienna, his exhumed remains were later reburied in Eisenstadt's Bergkirche.
Other Jewish interest sites are the Landesmuseum Burgenland which displays Roman mosaics from the time of the Roman Amber Road, as well as a third century CE tiny gold amulet with the Greek version of the Sh'ma on it.
Find more information here.
Read the complete article at the link above.
Eisenstadt's other claim to fame is that famed composer Joseph Hayden worked there as the Esterházy court composer for some 40 years. His home can be visited and concerts are today performed where they were originally heard.
The story mentions Wertheimer's private synagogue in his mansion, which was then owned - until the 1930s - by the Wolf family, the largest Austrian Empire wholesale wine dealers. Following Kristallnacht, the community and its main synagogue were destroyed, but the private synagogue was saved (see below). Today it is used for services and as a museum.
In 1972, the building was opened by the government as the first Jewish museum in Austria. Hidden in the synagogue walls were Torah scrolls and other sacred objects. A collection of Judaica and photographs today educate local children about Jewish life.
There is more information on the Jewish Museum here: Österreichisches Jüdisches Museum. Non-German speaking visitors may borrow an English guidebook while seeing the displays.
The article details the fact that until 1938, the community was an oddity, surviving as the one of the last independent Jewish communities in the region, with its own mayor and bailiff.
On Shabbat, a thick chain would be strung across the lane where most Jews lived, to symbolically separate the community from its neighbors. Indeed, the post and chain still survive down the street from the synagogue -- relics of a vanished time.
A short stroll from the shul and the museum stands the old Jewish cemetery, which contains the grave of the great Talmudic scholar Meïr ben Isaac Eisenstadt (1670-1744). The pebbles on his gravestone attest to the Jews who visit and pray there. Jews have reason enough to come to Eisenstadt, but all travelers who visit the city in 2009 will have the great pleasure of experiencing the festivities of "Haydn Year" (www.haydn2009. net), a celebration of the work of Joseph Haydn on the 200th anniversary of the legendary composer's death.
Originally buried in Vienna, his exhumed remains were later reburied in Eisenstadt's Bergkirche.
Other Jewish interest sites are the Landesmuseum Burgenland which displays Roman mosaics from the time of the Roman Amber Road, as well as a third century CE tiny gold amulet with the Greek version of the Sh'ma on it.
Find more information here.
Read the complete article at the link above.
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