Israel: Jewish Names, Esterson memorial lecture, May 12

Dr. Gerald L. Esterson z"l, an accomplished genealogist and researcher, was a longtime member of JFRA Israel's Ra'anana branch.

Among his achievements was the creation of JewishGen's Given Names Database, drawn from many sources and demonstrating the evolution of name variants. Jerry was always ready and willing to help anyone with 'brick wall' problems regarding mysteries of given names and nicknames; he always loved a good challenge.

On Wednesday, May 12, IGS/JFRA will remember Jerry with a memorial lecture on the first anniverary of his death.

Onomastics researcher Dr. Aaron Demsky (photo right), will speak on "Patronyms, Matronyms and Acronyms - Understanding Jewish Family Names."

The program will begin at 7pm with light refreshments and sharing of memories, with the lecture beginning at 8pm. The venue is Beit Fisher, 5 Klausner St. (off Ahuza), Ra'anana.

Fee: IGS/JFRA members/Esterson family guests, free; others, NIS 20. Reservations are essential as a large crowd is expected; email Ingrid Rockberger to reserve a place.

Demsky counts as one of his major achievements the making of the study of Jewish names (onomastics) into a recognized academic discipline in Jewish studies.

A Bar Ilan University (1968-2007) professor emeritus of biblical history, Demsky founded (in 1991) and continues to direct The Project for the Study of Jewish Names at Bar-Ilan University; he has organized nine international conferences on the subject.

He is now editing the fifth volume of "These Are the Names - Studies in Jewish Onomastics" (Ramat-Gan, 1997, 1999, 2002, 2003), and, in February 2010, his book "Pleasant are Their Names - Jewish Names in the Sephardi Diaspora" was published (University of Maryland Press).

Demsky is academic advisor to the Archive of Jewish Surnames, The Museum of the Jewish People (Tel Aviv); and academic committee chair of the International Institute for Jewish Genealogy and Paul Jacobi Center, Jewish National and University Library (Jerusalem).

He made aliyah to Israel in 1965 and holds a PhD (Jewish History) from Hebrew University.

Demsky's new book, is an anthology of papers on the subject of Jewish names by internationally-known scholars, researching Jewish names in various communities from biblical to modern times and presenting various viewpoints.

- THE SEPHARDIM AN HISTORICAL AND CULTURAL OVERVIEW FROM 1492 TO THE PRESENT - Moisés Orfali

- THE ETYMOLOGY OF SEPHARDI SURNAMES: ACHIEVEMENTS AND PERSPECTIVES - Alexander Beider

- THE JEWS OF BULGARIA: THEIR SURNAMES AS A MIRROR OF THEIR HISTORY - Mathilde A. Tagger

- THE NAMES OF THE JEWS OF MONASTIR (BITOLA), MACEDONIA - Shlomo Alboher

- JEWISH NAMES, SURNAMES, AND NICKNAMES OF NABEUL, TUNISIA - Victor Hayoun

- FIRST NAMES IN SEPHARDI COMMUNITIES - Ora (Rodrigue) Schwarzwald

- BIENVENIDA“BLESSED BE HER WHO COMES” AND AZEBUENA “DOES GOOD DEEDS” NAME-GIVING PATTERNS FOR GIRLS AND WOMEN IN THE JUDEO-SPANISH DIASPORA(SALONIKA 1492–1943) - Gila Hadar

- PERSONAL NAMES OF IZMIR JEWS IN MODERN TIMES - Leah Bornstein-Makovetsky

- PERSONAL NAMES IN JUDEO-SPANISH PROVERBS FROM NORTHERN MOROCCO (HAKITIA) - Yaakov Bentolila and Tamar Alexander

- VISITATIONAL DREAMS AND NAMING PRACTICES AMONG MOROCCAN JEWS IN ISRAEL- Henry Abramovitch and Yoram Bilu

- INDEX OF NAMES

The 338-page volume is $35 and available from University Press of Maryland, PO Box 34454, Bethesda, MD 20827; fax: 253-484-5542, or email.