Seattle: Czarist laws, Sept. 13

Learn what 1,500 Czarist laws can tell us about Jewish genealogy, at the next meeting of the Jewish Genealogical Society of Washington State, on Monday, September 13.

Michael Steinore is the speaker at the program, which begins at 7pm, at the Stroum Jewish Community Center auditorium on Mercer Island.

Following a brief review of the history of 19th-century Russian Jews, he'll discuss myths and realities of Jewish life during that period, while demnostrating elements of truth and fiction in each, and using Czarist laws as examples.

The details of these laws give insight to important genealogical documents such as revision lists and metrical books, as well as information on the mobility of Jews within the Pale of Settlement, various occupational and residence restrictions, military conscription, social class, and property ownership.

The Levanda Index website - a legal resource on Jewish life in the Pale - will also be discussed.

Steinore is the author of numerous articles and web pages on Jewish genealogy, focusing on the history and genealogy of Czarist Russia Jews. He has translated Russian-language materials and made them available on the Internet, including maps, Duma voter lists, Holocaust victim lists, and Czarist decrees.

Fee: JGSWS members, free; others, $5.

For more information and directions, visit the JGS of Washington State's website.

UK: Cemetery to add 6,500 spaces

One of the largest British Jewish cemeteries - Edgwarebury Lane Cemetery, Edgware - will add 6,500 new burial spaces, after winning an appeal for expansion, which will cost some 1.5 million GBP.


According to TotallyJewish.com, the original request for permission to expand was rejected by Barnet Council and the appeal was granted following a recent four-day inquiry.

Owners of the cemetery are Belsize Square Synagogue, Liberal Judaism, Spanish Portuguese and Reform Judaism. The three-hectare expansion also provides parking for staff and visitors.

The four groups will pay for the extension together and will share the new spaces equally divided among them.


To read more details of the story, click on the link above.

Israel: The Finaly affair, July 14

Coming on the heels of the anniversary of the Italian Mortara affair in Italy, the IGS/JFRA Ra'anana branch will focus on the French Finaly affair, at its next meeting on Wednesday, July 14.

At 7.30pm, Miriam Lava will discuss her own family's fight following World War II to rescue their two nephews whose parents had died. The boys were being brought up by Catholics who refused to return the children to their Jewish family.

The woman who had the children and the local priest were accused and convicted of kidnapping by the French courts, in a world-famous case - the Finaly affair - that dragged on for years.

Read about the Mortara affair in Italy here.

Fee: IGS/JFRA members: free; others: NIS 20.

The location is Beit Fisher, 5 Klausner Street, Ra'anana.

For more information, contact Ra'anana chairperson Ingrid Rockberger.

Genetic testing: Affordable vs future research

In the wake of a Federal court's ruling last week against a Utah company holding patents for BRCA1 and BRCA2, Tracing the Tribe has some questions.

On the plus side, Tracing the Tribe believes that companies now wishing to provide lower-cost, more affordable, genetic testing will be able to do so - eventually - although legal experts believe the case will land in the Supreme Court.

Note that Tracing the Tribe is not talking DNA genetic genealogy testing, but rather testing for specific genetic conditions/diseases. The questions are relevant because some patent holders charge high fees for those tests, restricting affordable access to those who may want or need those tests.

Please chime in here, dear readers:

(1) Should genetic testing for specific conditions/diseases be made more affordable and accessible, e.g. low-cost, to everyone?

(2) Should high fees be demanded of those wishing to test - to provide financing for research on those conditions.

(3) Who owns your DNA? (according to this case, it isn't the DNA patent-holder).

(4) Because this is a Jewish genealogy blog, Tracing the Tribe is well aware that when Tay-Sachs testing (a tragic, nearly fatal by age 3, neurological disease) went worldwide, the incidence of its occurrence dropped by some 98%. This was due to widespread, affordable, accessible testing across the Jewish world. There are many other genetic diseases impacting mostly those of Jewish heritage. Shouldn't those families have affordable access to lower-cost testing?

According to paper, the DNA industry is waiting to hear the reaction to the ruling .

Scientists and health advocates sued Utah-based Myriad Genetics, which held patents for two genes, BRCA-1 and BRCA-2, linked to breast and ovarian cancers. The groups alleged that the patents were improper because the DNA was a natural substance in the human body. The federal judge sided with the plaintiffs, invalidating parts of the patents.

Ken Alltucker's article says that researchers and companies are interested because the ruling could impact many other genes.

The ruling is critical because an estimated 20 percent of human genes have been patented. Companies launched based on those patents, with investors betting that companies could profitably develop drugs or devices targeting an individual's unique DNA.

But critics argue that such patents stymie research. Scientists often are required to get permission from the gene patent holders before using the information for research. Some companies even charge fees to use them.

The story quoted Arizona BioIndustry Association president Robert Green:

"The key in biotechnology is you have to raise a lot of money to get to the cure and get to the product. You can only raise that money if investors know you have some patent protection. If you don't have that, there is no incentive for people to invest in these risky technologies."

Some 20% of human genes have been patented, according to the story. Investors betted that companies could develop drugs or devices based on a unique DNA.