New York: Sephardic Research with Jeff Malka, March 21

Sephardic research expert and author Dr. Jeffrey S. Malka will speak at the next meeting of the Jewish Genealogical Society of Long Island (New York) on Sunday, March 21.

The program is set for 2pm at the Mid-island Y-JCC, 45 Manetto Hill Road, Plainview.

Whether you have Sephardic roots or not, you'll enjoy Jeff's expert knowledge in this field. When he spoke in Barcelona, Spain a few years ago, more than 100 people of all backgrounds attended, including Tracing the Tribe.

An American pioneer of Sephardic genealogy, he'll offer an overview of Sephardic genealogy resources, how Sephardic names have evolved, their importance in archival research, review of pre-Expulsion Spanish archives, Inquisition archives and other Spanish notarial documents.

The creator of SephardicGen.com - an essential site for Sephardic researchers - and author of the award-winning book (Avotaynu, revised/expanded second edition, 2009) "Sephardic Genealogy: Discovering your Sephardic Ancestors and their World," Jeff is descended from a long line of rabbis back to 14th century. His grandfather was the chief rabbi of Sudan (1906-1949).

As most Sephardi researchers know, the tools and resources for Sephardi genealogy differ from those for Ashkenazi research. Languages, countries, available records are different, as well as the places to which they immigrated. Time and historical events impacting Sephardi research mean that different methodology is required in different countries and at different times.

Contemporary research has shown that Sephardim immigrated to Eastern Europe in larger numbers than previously thought, and DNA genetic genealogy has shown the links between Ashkenazim and Sephardim, confirming the stories in numerous Eastern European families who passed down Sephardic oral histories.

Although Sephardim, like Ashkenazim, were impacted by the Holocaust, other historical events, such as the Inquisition and 1492 Exile, must also be investigated.

Jeff authored several Sephardic genealogy articles in Etsi, the Journal of the Sephardi Genealogical and Historical Society, and several chapters in the Avotaynu Guide to Jewish Genealogy. He has spoken at several IAJGS conferences, at the Library of Congress, to many Jewish genealogical societies and internationally (US, Canada, Spain, Istanbul).

A retired orthopedic surgeon, Jeff was an associate professor of orthopedic surgery at Georgetown University, and chairman of the Inova Fairfax Hospital (Virginia) department of orthopedic surgery.

Canada: Jewish genealogy at ShalomLife

Tracing the Tribe was interviewed by Toronto's ShalomLife.com writer Dan Verbin.

The first of a two-part article is here.

It covers many Jewish genealogy topics, including trends, myths, online resources, Sephardic genealogy, DNA genetic genealogy, technology, opening of Eastern European archives, JGSLA 2010 and more - and that's just in part one!

SephardicGen.com: New searchable databases

SephardicGen.com holds excellent resources for those researching their Sephardic families from many countries.

Search the Consolidated Index of Sephardic Surnames with more than 85,800 names.

Among the new searchable databases on SephardicGen.com, compiled and maintained by pioneer Sephardic genealogist Dr. Jeff Malka, are the following:

- Dictionary of Bulgarian Jewish surnames
- Jewish surnames, Juderia of Tarrazona
- Personal files, Amsterdam Community, CAHJP
- Records of Portuguese Inquisition Trials (1583-1656, 1716-1717), CAHJP
- Victims of the Libya Riots
- Census of Jewish Family heads; Belgrade, Serbia
- Sephardic graves, Mount of Olives cemetery, Jerusalem
- VazDias database of aliases, Amsterdam
- Names from the Pautas (orphan girls, etc.), Amsterdam
- Names from the old cemeteries of Algiers
- Sephardic tombstones, marriages, births; Vienna, Austria
- Surnames from all Hispania Judaica books
- Tombstones, Trieste cemetery
- Jewish Surnames, Lebanon
- Craiova memorial of Jews who died in Balkan Wars and WWI

Access all these and many more here. Mathilde Tagger created these databases for SephardicGen.

SephardicGen: Morocco riot victims database added

Just a few weeks after the State of Israel was established on May 14, 1948, riots broke out in Oujda (northeast Morocco near Algeria) and Jerada (some 60km southwest of Oujda).

On June 7, in Oujda, five Jews were killed and many were wounded. The next day the trouble spread to Jerada where 100 Jews lived. There, 38 were murdered including entire families, and many were wounded. Property damage was of course significant and police forces arrived too late.

According to historians, the causes were political and social.

Information on the names of the victims was difficult to find. In a rabbinical book titled "And Solomon Awoke," Mathilde Tagger found funeral orations listing the names and prepared a database.

This new database on SephardicGen.com memorializes the victims. Search the new database here and read more about the riots and the causes.

SephardicGen: Santa Coloma de Queralt and more

SephardicGen.com's Jeff Malka has informed Tracing the Tribe that 85% of databased names on his site can be searched through his Consolidated Index Search Form. This "index of indexes" directs researchers to links to databases containing the name(s) of interest. The rest of the names will soon be added to the Index.

More databases will soon be included on the site, he added.

Did you know that SephardicGen also has the databases in French? He'd like to add the descriptions of the databases and the search forms in Spanish and into Catalan. Native speaker volunteers are invited to email Jeff.

And here's yet another recently added database for the small Santa Coloma de Queralt community in Catalunya, Spain.

The names appeared in Professor Yom Tov Assis's book "The Jews of Santa Coloma de Queralt: An economic and demographic case study of a community at the end of the thirteenth century" (Hispania Judaica, v.6).

Assis is a member of the Mandel Institute of Jewish Studies at the Hebrew University in Jerusalem, and head of the Hispania Judaica Research Center which is part of the Institute.

The contents are based on notarial documents over nine years, 1290-1299, found in the local archives. There are 42 surnames with given names, year and place, and the reference page in the book. It is a small database limited to only one small community detailed over a short period of time. However, if you find your family name there, the benefits may be enormous.

Check the database here.

In addition to town residents, some individuals came from Barcelona, Cervera, Guimera, Lerida and Montealbo.

One drawback is that there is no indication of what the document is referring to in the book. Is it a business record, a property sale or purchase, or anything else requiring a notarial record? If one of these records is for your possible ancestor, you will have to find a copy of the book and check the page number reference to learn more.

For Santa Coloma de Queralt, there are 36 records, and the family names include:

SAMUEL, FRANC, CRESQUES, ASTRUCH, DE CARCASSONA, DE MONTEALBO, SAPORTA, VIVES, FRANC, ZA GUIALMESSA, ABNAZOFER, AVEN ABEZ, COMPREDO, DE CERANOT, GENTO, LATORRE, IASIT, ABNAZIA, TEIXIDOR, BRUNELL, FUSTER, LLOP, TABER, SOLER, ASTRIL, NAZAR, ASIM, NETIM and AMIEL.

Researchers of Sephardic families have even more resources to look forward to, thanks to Jeff.

SephardicGen: 'Jews of Valencia,' index

A recently added database of SephardicGen.com is an index to a comprehensive study of the Jews of the Kingdom of Valencia from the 1391 massacres to the 1492 Expulsion.

The book by historian J. Hinojosa Montalvo - The Jews of the Kingdom of Valencia (Hispania Judaica, v.9), was published in 1994 by Magnes Press of Hebrew University in Jerusalem.

The author has published many articles and books on the pre-Expulsion Jewish communities. This book is based on more than 880 documents found in various archives and published in the book for the first time.

There are 180 different surnames from 16 localities. Fields include surnames, given names, year and place, and added notes. About 10% of the names relate to women.

The geographic localities included are: Aspe, Bejis, Borriol, Castellon, Elche, Hoya de Bunol, Jativa, Jerica, Liria, Morvedre, Orhihuela, Paterna, Segore, Valencia, Villareal, and Zaragoza.

Access the database here.

I could not bring up the geographic localities from that pull-down menu, but all the names appeared using an alphabetical search of the first letter of the name. I have notified Jeff Malka of SephardicGen of the problem, and I am sure it will be addressed soon.

For the letter A, there were 60 surnames including:

ABAGI, ABARIM, ABAYU, ABBU, ABDOLAZIZ, ABEGAN, ABENAMIL, ABENAZARA, AENCABAL, ABENCABORA, ABENDURO, ABENFERRIZ, AENGAMIL, ABENGAMIN, ABENHABIT, ABENLAMBUT, ABENMARUEC, ABENMUCA, ABENPELX, ABENRESCH, ABENRIAMIN, AENZAYDON, ABNAJUP, ABNAYUB, ABULAIG, ABUISACH, ADDAIX, ADDAX, ADDOR, ADZANI,ADZONI, ALAGRIAN, ALAQUO, ALATEFFI, ALFANGI, ALLUHAYEG, ALMALE, ALOLAIG, ALPEGNRI, ANDAIX, ARDIT, ARDUTELL, ARRAMI, ARRONDI, ARROT, ASCIPO, ASCO, ASRILLA, ASEYO, ASTORI, ATRONAY, ATZONI, AYMAR, AZDRILLA, AZERON, AZIZ, AZONI, AZTORI.

Women's given names included: Jamila, Astruga, Perla, Graciana and Flor.

Men's names included: Jucef, Abram, Salamo, Mosse, Vidal, Estruch, Jacob, Abraham, Gento, Nacan, Icach, Aim, Samuel, Moca (Moshe), Azmel, Davit, Mahiz, Jafuda, Abraffim, Gabriel, Astruc, Maymo, etc.

Letter T offered these surnames: TAMEFA, TARFON, THIFALLA, TORREGANO, TRIGO; given names were Yucef, Salamo, Samuel, Abram, Cenin and Gento.

Remember to read the FAQ for tips.

SephardicGen: 30 medieval ketubot, an index

SephardicGen.com has now posted a database of 104 surnames from 30 medieval ketubot (Jewish marriage contracts) originating in 14 communities in medieval Hispanic kingdoms, from the book by the late Professor Jose Luis Lacave.

See the index here.

An expert in Semitic philology and the history of the Jews in Christian Spain. Lacave gathered 30 ketubot (Jewish marriage contracts) from 14 communities in various medieval Hispanic kingdoms.

He examined the historical and legal aspects of the documents and includes in his research a study of each one and a detailed comparison between them. The book includes illustrations of the ketubot in full color.

The index includes given names, year, locality and occasional annotations. The 14 communities are Barcelona, Bellpuig, Borja, Cervera, Ciudad de Malljorca, Jaca, Manresa, Milagro, Montbui, Segura de Leon, Torrelobaton (Vallodolid), Tudela and Valencia.

Here are the nine names for Barcelona and example of what the index shows for each:

ABEN BASA, Astruga, 1386, "Barcelona 1, p.31"
CABRIT, Moshe b.Yehuda, 1386, "Barcelona 1, p.31" (Note: royal surgeon; 1392: converted called Gabriel BONI)
CAP, Abraham, 1261, "Barcelona 5, p.34"
CARCASONI, Astruga b. Reuven, 1390, "Barcelona 2, p.32"
CORAYE, Blanca, 1343, "Barcelona 4, p.34"
DALELL, Yzhak b. Yehuda, 1343, "Barcelona 4, p.34"
LECIMI, Astruga, 1383, "Barcelona 1, p.31"
SHALTIEL HEN, Yehuda, 13th century, "Barcelona 6, p.36"
SULLAM, Samuel, 1390, "Barcelona 2, p.32"

There are 25 names (and additional names for the individual) for the city of Tudela:

ABASI (Abenabez), DE ABLITAS, ALBORGE, ALCASTIEL, ALPARGA, AYNCON (Ainzon), AZAFAR, BEN CIDA (Vencida), BEN MENIR (EvenMenir), BENDEUT (Ben Daud), BENJAMIL (Ben Jamil, Ben Gamel), BENZOAR (Benzohar, Evenzohar), CAMIZ, COCOLEQ (Cocola), EFLAH, FALAQUERA, FARACH, GABAY, GALAF (EvenGalaf), GORMEZANO, GRISA (De La Grisa), HANONI, NAZIR (Annazir, Abennazir), DE LA RABICA, and SARSHALOM.

There are 11 names from Valencia:

ABEN ISAMAILAT, AGOL, ALHUYAT, AYUB, CABALMALE, COHEN BAHBATI, COHIL MORCAT, HAPAROS, TANNIRA and UMRACH.

There are 11 names from Ciudad de Mallorca:

ADDA, ALATZARACH, AL-AZRAQ, ALMAGUILI, BEN ADDE, DAYEN, MALEQUI, DELS PILAS, SALADI and SES PORTES.

Always read the FAQ for each database on SephardicGen, which provides tips for searching and more about the index or the original work from which the index was taken.

More is coming up on additional SephardicGen databases.

SephardicGen: 'Jews of Aragon' indexed

SephardicGen.com has posted the index to a book on the Jews of Aragon. Readers with Sephardic backgrounds or oral history of Sephardic origins should take a look at this index of 3,800 documents providing 1,070 surnames found in 88 localities.

Access the index here.

Archivist and paleographer Jean Régné (1883-1954) published several historical works. His book on the Aragonnese Jews is based on registers and documents found in the Crown of Aragon Archives (Barcelona).

His book - History of the Jews in Aragon: regesta and documents, 1213-1327 - is in the Hispania Judaica series, volume 1. Posthumously edited and annotated by Prof. Yom Tov Assis, and published by Magnes Press of the Hebrew University, in 1978.

Fields include surname, given name, year of document, geographical location and document number, with occasional notes (such as "widow" or that a mentioned town is in Algeria).

What can readers find in this database?

For Barcelona, 84 surnames are listed, including:

ABENAMIES, ABENMUCA, ABENXAR, ABNUBA, ADRET, ALBALA, ALBANET, ALCOF, ALGEYNI, ALMUZUINO, AMIEL, ASTRUCH, AVENCAOGA, AVINFA, BELLCAIRE, BISBE, BONDAVIN, BONSENIOR, BULAIX, CAP, CARAVIDA, CAROYAL, CASTELLAN, CLARAMUNT,
CORAYEF, CRATER, CRESCHES, DARAY, DARGOT, DE LA TORRE, DE PALAFOLLS, DE PORTA, DE REGAL, DE TOLOSA, DE TOLRRANO, DEFORN, DESFORN, DEZ CASTLARS, ESCANDARAM, FAQUIN, FERRER, FUSEL, FUSSELL, GAYET, GENAHA, GRACIANI, GRACIAS, GRACION,GRAMER, GRANER, GUERRA, JACOB, JAFFIA, LEPEL, LEVI, LLOP, MACANA, MALAQUI, MALET / MALLET, MANGANER, MAYMON, OBRADOR, PEBRET, PERFET, REVAYA, ROSELL/ROSSELL, ROVEN, RUBIN, SABARTA, SACHAR, SALAMO, SALTEL / SALTELL, SAPORTA,SOLLAM, TAHUEL, THOROS GRACIAN, VIVES AND XAHON.

Lerida figures in our family's background, so I next checked for Lerida, and found 92 names, although none like our Talalay. However, I did find some interesting names indicating that Jews in Lerida came from other places, as illustrated in such surnames as DE BELAGUER, DE GERONA, DE LIMOX, DE LIMOZ, DE TUDELA.

Most of the localities have only a few names, but those with the largest number of records include:

Barcelona (84), Besalu (17), Calatayud (99), Cervera (13), Daroca (21),Egea (12), Girona (37), Huesca (62), Jaca (16), Hativa (19), Lerida (92),Mallorca (20), Monzon (14), Murviedro (11), Tarazona (11), Taragona (15),Teruel (28), Tortosa (22), Valencia (163), Villafranca del Pinades (13) and Zaragoza (149).

Check out the database. A good method to see the surnames is to enter only the first letter of the alphabet and go on from there. Choose "starts with."

Again, thanks to SephardicGen.com for making this available.