Yizkor Book Project: January 2011 update

The JewishGen Yizkor Book Project reports that six new projects, 17 new entries and 19 updated projects were added during January 2011.

Additionally, two books (Ruzhany, Belarus; Daugavplis/Dvinsk, Latvia) have been completely translated and are on the site.

New projects have been added to the growing list of those requiring translation fund contributions; they are. Kurow, Poland; Lowicz, Poland; and Volodymyr Volynskyy (Ludmir), Ukraine. To donate funds, click here.

Brian Reiser, coordinator of the Kolki, Ukraine Yizkor Book, has prepared helpful notes on using a Facebook "Cause" to raise money for the Yizkor Book Translation Funds.

The project needs translators, necrology transliterators and HTMLers to help with a large volume of material to be placed online.

Six new projects:
- Bivolari, Romania (Our town Bivolari)
- Daugavpils, Latvia (In Memory of the Community of Dvinsk)
- Derecske, Hungary (Memorial book to the Jews of Derecske and its environs)
- Tarnogrod, Poland (Book of Tarnogrod; in memory of the destroyed Jewish community)
- Tuchin, Ukraine (Tuczin-Kripa, Wolyn; in Memory of the Jewish Community)
- Zborov, Ukraine (Memorial book of the community of Zborow)

17 new entries:
- Blaszki, Poland (Pinkas Poland)
- Gadunavas, Lithuania (Pinkas Lita)
- Garliava, Lithuania (Pinkas Lita)
- Gastynai, Lithuania (Pinkas Lita)
- Geguzine, Lithuania (Pinkas Lita)
- Geleziai, Lithuania (Pinkas Lita)
- Gelgaudiskis, Lithuania(Pinkas Lita)
- Giedraiciai, Lithuania (Pinkas Lita)
- Gintaliske, Lithuania(Pinkas Lita)
- Girkalnis, Lithuania (Pinkas Lita)
- Givyai Skrudziai, Lithuania (Pinkas Lita)
- Gudeliai, Lithuania (Pinkas Lita)
- Gudiniskiai, Lithuania (Pinkas Lita)
- Gudziunai, Lithuania (Pinkas Lita)
- Jezow, Poland (Pinkas Poland)
- Ujazd, Poland (Pinkas Poland)
- Ukmerge, Lithuania (Pinkas Lita)

19 updates to existing projects:
- Bedzin, Poland (A Memorial to the Jewish Community of Bendin)
- Dabrowa Gornicza, Poland (Book of the Jewish community of Dabrowa Gornicza and its destruction)
- Dieveniskes, Lithuania (Devenishki book; memorial book)
- Fehergyarmat, Hungary (Our Former City Fehergyarmat)
- Gorodets, Belarus (Horodetz; history of a town, 1142-1942)
- Kovel', Ukraine(Kowel; Testimony and Memorial Book of Our Destroyed Community)
- Lowicz, Poland (Lowicz; a town in Mazovia, memorial book)
- Merkine, Lithuania (Meretch; a Jewish Town in Lithuania)
- Ostrow-Mazowiecka, Poland (Memorial Book of the Community of Ostrow-Mazowiecka)
- Rafalovka, Ukraine (Memorial book for the towns of Old Rafalowka, New Rafalowka, Olizarka, Zoludzk and vicinity)
- Ruzhany, Belarus (Rozana; a memorial book to the Jewish community)
- Sanok, Poland (Memorial Book of Sanok and Vicinity)
- Serock, Poland (The book of Serock)
- Siedlce, Poland (On the ruins of my home; the destruction of Siedlce)
- Skuodas, Lithuania (Memorial Book of Skuodas)
- Slutsk, Belarus(Slutsk and vicinity memorial book)
- Turka, Ukraine (Memorial Book of the Community of Turka on the Stryj and Vicinity)
- Volodymyr Volynskyy, Ukraine (Wladimir Wolynsk; in memory of the Jewish community)
- Zelechow, Poland (Memorial Book of the Community of Zelechow)

The Yizkor Book Master Name Index (YBMNI) has also been updated with some 13,000 records added since July 2010; currently, it has some 18,000 records covering Poland, Ukraine, Greece and Lithuania.

Questions on the project, on specific books, on contributing or volunteering? Contact project manager Lance Ackerfeld.

For more, check the Project's translations page.

Litvak SIG: Recent translated records update

If your ancestors lived in Lithuania, take a look at recently-translated records available on Litvak SIG. The updates represent thousands of records and lines added to available records.

The records were translated during October, November and December 2010, and will be added to the All Lithuania Database (ALD) 18 months after being received. Currently, they are available in various LitvakSIG District Research Group (DRG) websites. Click here for more information and click District Research.

District coordinators are Aaron Roetenberg (Kaunas Gubernia), Dorothy Leivers (Suwalki Gubernia) and Joel Ratner (Vilnius District)

From the LVIA:
Kaunas city - Births 1896-1906
Svencionys District 1874/1875, 1899/1908 ARL (Svencionys, Svir, Linkmenys, Lentupis, Adutiskis, Daugeliskis, Zhodishki, Kobylniki, Komaie)
Vilijampole (Kaunas) births  -1893-1895
Kaunas deaths - 1902-1906
Vilkija Marriages, Divorces-1922-26
Vilkija Deaths - 1922-1926
Svencionys JC-1858
Vilkaviskis (Suwalki) Births -1810-1811
Nemunatis (Trakai)  1851-1857
Kudirkos Naumiestis (Suwalki) 1874, 1882 Births
Kudirkos Naumiestis (Suwalki) 1874 Deaths
Vilijampole (Kaunas) births  1896-1909
Plunge deaths -1862 - 1887
Seirijai (Suwalki)Marriages - 1922-1926
Seirijai (Suwalki) Deaths - 1922-1926
Veisiejai(Suwalki) - 1922-1924,1926 - marriages, divorces
Taurage (Raseiniai) marriage records
Veisiejai (Suwalki) - 1922-1926 - deaths
Pilviskiai (Marijampole) Deaths - 1922-1926
Taurage (Raseiniai) 1922-1939 Deaths
Virbalis (Suwalki) Marriages/Divorces - 1922-1939
Virbalis (Suwalki) Deaths -1922-1939
Kybartai (Suwalki) Marriages/Div - 1922-1939
Kybartai (Suwalki) Deaths - 1922-1939
Preniai (Suwalki) marriages 1893-1914
Kaunas rabbinate marriages 1932-1934
Zemaiciu Naumiestis (Raseiniai) Marriages/Div- 1922-1939
Zemaiciu Naumiestis (Raseiniai) Deaths- 1922-1939

From  the Panevezys County Archive:
(PCA) Panevezys Jewish Property - 1940s
Prienai (Suwalki) Deaths - 1839-1863
Sakiai (Suwalki) Births - 1842-1847

From the KRA (Kaunas Regional Archive):
Pakruojis 1856-1858 - Rabbi Electors
Troskunai (Ukmerge) 1893-1915 postal bank records- Part 2
Ukmerge 1910-1915 - certificates - with photographs
Kraziai (Raseiniai) 1845-list of residents who suffered from fire
Rietavas (Raseiniai) 1854 - testimonies
Skirsnemune (Raseiniai) 1868 - real estate owners
Rietavas (Raseiniai) 1866-community representatives
Birzai (Panevezys)1845 taxpayers-unable to pay
Joniskelis (Panevezys)1845 taxpayers-unable to pay
Krekenava(Panevezys)1845 taxpayers-unable to pay
Linkuva(Panevezys)1845 taxpayers-unable to pay
Pakruojis (Panevezys) 1845 taxpayers-unable to pay
Kavarskas(Ukmerge) 1906 -rabbi electors
Zelva (Ukmerge) 1889 - rabbi electors - 59 lines
Zelva(Ukmerge) 1907-1910 - Muni electors
Zelva (Ukmerge) 1910 -  Muni electors
Utena (Ukmerge) 1896 - rabbi electors
Ukmerge (Ukmerge)1919  residents
Svedasai (Ukmerge) 1896 el-r
Taujenai (Ukmerge) 1906  el-m
Troskunai (Ukmerge) 1898 el-r
Ukmerge (Ukmerge) 1892 el- m
Utena (Ukmerge) 1844 taxpayers-unable to pay
Kavarskas (Ukmerge) 1847 box taxpayers
Troskunai (Ukmerge) 1912 box taxpayers
Kvetkai (Zarasai) 1912 municipal electors
Zelva (Ukmerge) 1844 - taxpayers unable to pay
Ukmerge District -1913- Jews living out of towns
Ukmerge  District -1847-3rd Guild merchants
Utena (Ukmerge) 1896-1908 passport registration books
Ukmerge District 1915-passport issuance book

Internal Passport Records:Some 3,000 additional translated lines added for Utena lists (Ukmerge), Alytus City, Panevezys and Marijampole.

Central Archive (Vilnius):
Jewish Prisoners-Lithuanian Prisons - 1922-1940

Museum of Family History: Yiddish Theatre name index transliterared

Steve Lasky of the virtual Museum of Family History has transliterated from Yiddish to English the 2,700 names of individuals and organizations in the six volumes of the "Lexicon of the Yiddish Theatre" by Zalmen Zylbercweig.

Read more here at Steve's blog and do look at the Museum of Family History's offerings as new information is frequently added.

His list includes an individual's surname, given name, alternate name, dates of birth and death, town and country of birth (if listed in the Lexicon). Steve used YIVO orthographic (name spelling) standards in his transliteration.

There are more than 2,700 individual names, and 30 organizations are also included in the master list. The most-frequently listed place of birth is Warsaw (with 213 mentions), more than twice the number of the second most-frequently listed birth place of Lodz. Others include Odessa, Lemberg, Vilna and Iasi.

There is also much biographical information for personalities that remains to be translated. Contact Steve if you'd like to volunteer in this respect.

The Lexicon volumes were published in New York City, Warsaw or Mexico City from 1931-1969.

He's hoping to create a free, searchable database where those interested can look up the more than 2,700 names and organizations listed. The Lexicon also contains many photos (individual portraits of the individuals and also of Yiddish productions).

Click here to find the six-volume set of the "Lexicon" and search for Lek?sik?on fun Yidishn teater, the Yiddish title transliterated.

Those who have an interest in Yiddish theatre and its personalities should contact Steve for more information.

Thank you, Steve, for another fascinating contribution to making Yiddish culture more accessible to a wider audience.

Errors: Not only on historical records

Family history researchers tend to think that only old historical records demonstrate errors in dates.

Our recent move to New Mexico showed that quite contemporary records also reflect errors.

What do you do first when you move to a new place in the US? Driving licenses need to be changed, so the Department of Motor Vehicles is usually a first stop. Each state has its own policies of what documents are required for this process.

Off we went and were told we needed various forms of ID to prove age and residency. Residency wasn't a problem (car insurance, utility bills, etc. took care of that). Proof of age didn't seem a problem; there were passports, other licenses, and other docs. However, one requirement was an original social security card.

I don't know about you, but I haven't seen mine in decades. I know the number, of course, but no one has asked to see the physical card for a very long time. Same for my husband.

OK, not a problem - or so we thought. We drove up to the just-opened Social Security office in our area, and waited to speak to a very nice woman to obtain a duplicate card.

My husband, a naturalized citizen for more than three decades, was told that his social security number was off by a day - not a month, not a year, just one day - in comparison to the rest of his documents. Although his US passport - and subsequent documents - was based his citizenship and naturalization documents, in turn based on official translations, the SSA couldn't do anything about it.

However, they suggested we go down to the USCIS office to see how they could help, which we did. A very helpful woman there provided his A and Certificate numbers and advised us to go back to the SSA office so they could look at the same database she was looking at. She couldn't change the birth date but confirmed that his passport birth date was the correct one and the SSA date was off.

Off we went again to the SSA office, where another very nice man asked for my husband's birth certificate, which we produced - in Farsi (his shenasnameh, as he was born in Iran). "Wow!," said the guy. "I haven't seen one of those before!" But you need to get it translated, he added. Of course, they couldn't accept my husband's translation of his own document.

The next step involved a bit of calling around to find someone in the local Persian community who could provide a translation. That was accomplished and the translation is ready. We'll pick it up Friday morning and go back to the SSA on Monday morning. If that's in order, my husband will receive his new duplicate SSA card in about a week, and can then go to the DMV for his new license.

The adage of checking documents against multiple sources holds. The wrong date on one document, even though every other document shows the correct date, can really hold things up.

We must say, however, that every official with whom we came into contact was very friendly, very helpful, and it was a pleasant - albeit slightly frustrating - experience.

The good news is that we discovered a great Chinese restaurant near the SSA office. We've eaten there on each of our SSA visits, so look forward to another visit on Monday.

Meanwhile, I'm the designated taxi driver!

Global Day of Jewish Learning, Nov. 7

Did you know that the Global Day of Jewish Learning is Sunday, November 7?

The day honors the achievement of Rabbi Adin Steinsaltz's five-decades project of translating the Talmud and encouraging people to join together for study.

It brings together Jewish communities around the world in a historic celebration.

Find out more here about Rabbi Steinsaltz, the day, and click here for more than 250 events as well as online opportunities.

Yizkor Book Project: September additions, updates

Thanks to many volunteers who translate, transliterate, transcribe and edit material, the Yizkor Book Project at JewishGen.org continues its growth.

During September, there were four new projects, three new entries and 29 updates to existing projects. The items are organized by country below:

(NP=new project, NE=new entry, U=update)

BELARUS
NE Soly, Belarus (Pinkas Poland)
U Gorodets, Belarus (Horodetz; history of a town, 1142-1942)
U Karelichy, Belarus (Korelitz; the life and destruction of a Jewish community)
U Slutsk, Belarus (Slutsk and vicinity memorial book)
U Stolin, Belarus (Stolin; a memorial to the Jewish communities of Stolin and vicinity)
U Svir, Belarus (There once was a town Swir; between the two world wars)

HUNGARY
NE Karcag, Hungary (Pinkas Hungary)

LITHUANIA
U Dotnuva, Lithuania (Letters from Dotnuva)
U Lithuania (Lite, vol.2)
U Lithuania (Encyclopaedia of Jewish Communities, Lithuania)
U Merkine, Lithuania (Meretch; a Jewish Town in Lithuania)
U Rokiskis, Lithuania (Yizkor book of Rakishok and environs)
U Svencionys, Lithuania (Svinzian region; memorial book of 23 Jewish communities)
U Valkininkai, Lithuania (Olkeniki in flames; a memorial book to Olkenik in the Vilna district)

POLAND
NP Frampol, Poland (Frampol book)
NE Przemysl, Ukraine (Pinkas Poland)
U Bedzin, Poland (A Memorial to the Jewish Community of Bedzin)
U Czestochowa, Poland (The Jews of Czestochowa)
U Dabrowa Gornicza, Poland (Book of Jewish community of Dabrowa Gornicza and its destruction)
U Debica, Poland (The Book of Dembitz)
U Grajewo, Poland (Grayewo Memorial Book)
U Jewish Music in Poland between the World Wars
U Kaluszyn, Poland (The Memorial Book of Kaluszyn)
U Katowice, Poland (Katowice: Rise and Decline of the Jewish community; Memorial Book)
U Kutno, Poland (Kutno and Surroundings Book)
U Ostrow-Mazowiecka, Poland (Memorial Book of Ostrow-Mazowiecka)
U Sanok, Poland (Memorial Book of Sanok and Vicinity)
U Serock, Poland (The Book of Serock)
U Siedlce, Poland (On the ruins of my home; the destruction of Siedlce)
U Tykocin, Poland (Memorial book of Tiktin)
U Zelechow, Poland (Memorial Book of the Community of Zelechow) [Polish]

ROMANIA
U Halmeu, Romania (In memory of the communities of Halmin-Turcz and vicinity)

UKRAINE
N Bol'shoy Zhelutsk, Ukraine (Memorial Book of the Community of Zoludzk)
NP Khust, Ukraine (The Jewish community in Chust and its surrounding villages)
NP Novoseltsy, Ukraine (Nova Sulita)
U Rivne, Ukraine (Rowno; a memorial to the Jewish community of Rowno, Wolyn)

Find all new additions and updates here.

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.

Yizkor Book Project: July 2010 updates

July was another active month for Yizkor Book Project activity.

According to project manager Lance Ackerfeld, a new feature is the Yizkor Book Master Name Index (YBMNI) Project, which will collect all names appearing in the translations (except necrologies) into a searchable database to direct researchers to the translated pages of interest.

YBMNI's project manager is Osnat Hazan who, with a group of vollunteers, has begun organizing this data. Volunteers are needed. If you have time, work well with Excel and would like to help, contact Osnat via the URL above.

The Yizkor Book Project has added nine new projects, two new entires and updated 31 existing projects. See below for these items (NP=new project, NE=new entry, U=update) arranged by country:

BELARUS
- Byten (Memorial book of Byten) U
- Dzyarzhynsk (Koidanov; Memorial Volume of the Martyrs of Koidanov) NP
- Lipnishki (Memorial Book of the Community of Lipniszki) NP
- Svisloch (The community of Swislocz, Grodno District) U
- Svir (There once was a town Swir; between the two world wars) NP
- Narach (Memorial Book of Kobylnik) U
- Pruzhany (Memorial Book of Pruz'any and its Vicinity) U

LITHUANIA
- Dotnuva (Letters from Dotnuva) U
- Gargzdai (Gorzd Book; A Memorial to the Jewish Community of Gorzd) U
- Svencionys (Svinzian region; memorial book of 23 Jewish communities) U
- Valkininkai (Olkeniki in flames; a memorial book to the community of Olkenik in the Vilna district) U
- Trakai (Troki) NP
- Utena (Memorial Book of Utyan and Vicinity) NP

MOLDOVA
- Leova (Our House in Leova) U

ROMANIA
- Halmeu (In memory of the communities of Halmin-Turcz andvicinity) NP

POLAND
- Bedzin (A Memorial to the Jewish Community of Bedzin) U
- Biecz (Memorial book of the Martyrs of Biecz) U
- Chorzele (Memorial Book of the Community of Chorzel) U
- Czyzew-Osada (Czyzewo Memorial Book) U
- Dabrowa Gornicza (Book of the Jewish community of Dabrowa Gornicza and its destruction) U
- Garwolin (Garwolin Memorial Book) U
- Goniadz (Our Hometown Goniondz) U
- Gostynin (Book of Gostynin) U
- Grajewo (Grayewo Memorial Book) U
- Kutno (Kutno and Surroundings Book) U
- Lowicz (Lowicz; a Town in Mazovia, Memorial Book) NP
- Ostrow-Mazowiecka (Memorial Book of the Community of Ostrow-Mazowiecka) U
- Piotrkow Trybunalski (A Tale of One City) U
- Ryki (A Memorial to the Community of Ryki, Poland) U
- Serock (The Book of Serock)
- Sosnowiec (Book of Sosnowiec and the Surrounding Region in Zaglebie) U
- Tykocin (Memorial book of Tiktin) U
- Wierzbnik (Wierzbnik-Starachowitz; a Memorial Book) U [Whole book online]
- Zelechow (Memorial Book of the Community of Zelechow ) U [Added photos to Polish section]
- Zychlin (The memorial book of Zychlin) U

UKRAINE
- Glinyany (The tragic end of our Gliniany) U
- Gliniany (Pinkas Poland) NE
- Rozhishche (Rozyszcze) (Rozyszcze, My Old Home) U
- Rafalovka (Memorial book for the towns of Old Rafalowka, NewRafalowka, Olizarka, Zoludzk and vicinity) NP
- Shumskoye (Szumsk, memorial book of the martyrs of Szumsk) U
- Volodymyr Volynskyy (Wladimir Wolynsk; in memory of the Jewish community) NP
- Peremyshlyany (Pinkas Poland) NE

See the entire list of books here. Donations to assist with professional translations are always welcome.

Lithuania: Vilna research group success

The Vilna District Research Group has translated a large number of records and set up a new website to disseminate the data to contributors.

These records, such as the 1897 Vilna Merchants Directory, provide a rich resource of genealogical information not available elsewhere. Here's one original entry and the English translation:

The new site is here. Data files are not at that site, but it does contain accessible content to those who have contributed financially to the project.

Joel Ratner, who heads this group, provided the illustrations for this post. He taught the Lithuanian/Latvian session at the recent Jewish genealogy course at Boston's Hebrew College.

Another illlustration lists individuals with the KAGAN surname in a 1903 business directory:

Vilna District Research Group (VDRG):

The VDRG is concerned with the acquisition, translation and dissemination of non-vital records from the towns of the Vilna uyezd (or district), which was one of seven districts within the province of Vilna.

Towns in the Vilna district during Imperial times were: Antokol, Boguslavishok, Bezdonys, Ciobiskis, Gelvan, Gedrovitz, Inturik, Jasiunai, Laibiskis, Maisiagala, Mikhalishok, Malat, Musnik, Naujoji Vilna, Nemenchin, Novygorod, Podberezhe, Rudamina, Salcininkai, Sheshol, Shirvint, Snipishok, Stundishki, Turgeliai, Vilna (Vilna City), and Yakubantse.

Projects so far include these important collections:

Revision Lists (census)

Antokol - 1858
Boguslavishok - 1858
Ciobiskis - 1858
Gelvan - 1858
Mikhalishok - 1858
Moletai - 1834 and 1858
Musnik - 1858
Novygorod - 1858
Paberze - 1858
Snipishok - 1858
Vilna City - 1858

Family Lists

Boguslavishok - 1907 (underway)
Vilna City - 1875 (underway)

Merchants Lists

Vilna 1877 - 1890

Duma Electors Lists

Vilna City 1st-4th uchastok - 1906
Vilna City 6th uchastok - 1906
Vilna City - 1912 (underway)

Vilna City Directories

Vsia Vilna 1911
Vsia Vilna 1912
Vsia Vilna 1913
Vsia Vilna 1914
Vsia Vilna 1915

Business Directories

1903 Vsia Rossia
Vilner Informator

Other Censuses

1942 Vilna Ghetto Census

Vilna Community Records:

1894, 1897 Vilna Talmud Torah Donors Lists
1909, 1910 Vilna Technicum Donors Lists (ORT)
1902 - 1916 Vilna Free Kitchens Board - List of children given assistance
WWI - Soldiers wives receiving assistance from the Vilna Community

LitvakSIG Vital Records Translation Project:

The LitvakSIG Vital Records Translation Project has produced translations of birth, death, marriage and divorce records for the city of Vilna.

Records exist for other Vilna district towns and Vilna gubernia. The Vital Records Translation Project (VRT) is not directly connected to the Vilna District Research Group, as it raises its own funds. It has already translated more than 159,000 vital records for Vilna gubernia towns. Just over 125,000 of those records are for Vilna city. Some 70,000 additional vital records remain to be translated for Vilna proper, and there are more for other towns.

Vilna gubernia towns with extant vital records include:

Alytus, Antokol, Boguslavishok, Butrimantz, Chabishky, Darshunishok, Daug, Eishishok, Gelvan, Jieznas, Malat, Merech, Mikhalishok, Musnik, Nemencine,
Nemunaitz, Novodvor, Novygorod, Olkenik, Oran, Podberezhe, Punia, Radun,
Shchuchin, Shirvint, Shnipishok, Stoklishok, Troki, Veviya, Vilna, Zaskevichi,
Zhusli and Zhezmir.

Readers interested in either the Vilna District Research Group or the LitvakSIG Vital Records Translation Project, may click here or contact Joel Ratner.

Yizkor Book Project: May 2010 update

During May, the JewishGen Yizkor Book Project added five new projects, 12 new entries, updated 18 existing entries, and added two new translation fund projects.

See the list by country below, with entries. They are marked NP for new project, N for new entry or U for updated.

BELARUS
- Svir (Our Townlet Swir) NP

LITHUANIA
- Batchuska (Pinkas Lita) N
- Bendzingai (Pinkas Lita) N
- Berzai (Pinkas Lita) N
- Berzgainiai (Pinkas Lita) N
- Berzininkai (Pinkas Lita) N
- Berzole (Pinkas Lita) N
- Betygala (Pinkas Lita) N
- Boruvka (Pinkas Lita) N
- Budvietis (Pinkas Lita) N
- Butkunai (Pinkas Lita) N
- Dieveninskes (Devenishki book; memorial book) U
- Padubysys (Bazilionai) (Pinkas Lita) N
- Lithuania (Volume II) U
- Svencionys (Svinzian region; memorial book of 23 Jewish communities) U
- Valkininkai (Olkeniki in flames; a memorial book to the community of Olkenik in the Vilna district) NP
- Valkininkai (Olkeniki: a Town that Existed) NP

MOLDOVA
- Tighina (Bendery Community Yizkor Book) U

POLAND
- Wierzbnik (Wierzbnik-Starachowitz; a memorial book) N
- Bedzin (A Memorial to the Jewish Community of Bendin) U
- Bialystok (The chronicle of Bialystok) U
- Brzeziny (Brzeziny Memorial Book) U
- Goworowo (Govorowo memorial book) U
- Katowice (Katowice: the Rise and Decline of the Jewish community; Memorial Book) U
- Krynki (Memorial Book of Krynki) U
- Kutno (Kutno and Surroundings Book) U
- Serock (The book of Serock) U
- Tarnobrzeg-Dzikow (The Community of Tarnobrzeg-Dzikow) U
- Zelechow (Memorial Book of the Community of Zelechow ) - added pictures to Polish section U

ROMANIA
- Dorohoi, Romania (Generations of Judaism and Zionism in Dorohoi, Saveni, Mihaileni, Darabani, Herta, Radauti-Prut) N

UKRAINE
- Berezhany (Brzezany Memorial Book) U
- Kremenets (Memorial Book of Krzemieniec) U
- Ratno (Ratno; Story of a Destroyed Jewish Community) U
- Shumskoye (Szumsk, memorial book of the martyrs of Szumsk) U

YUGOSLAVIA
- Novi Sad, Serbia (Pinkas Yugoslavia) N

Two new translation fund projects are for Divenishok (Dieveniskes), Lithuania and Koidonov (Dzyarzhynsk, Belarus), to fund professional translations of these books for online access.

Readers interested in contributing to these projects or others should click here.

Also find the new additions and updates here.

JewishGen: ViewMate feature improved

Have a letter in an unknown language? Need help in deciphering a tombstone inscription? Require assistance in analyzing difficult handwriting?

Over the years, many researchers have used JewishGen's ViewMate feature with great success, uploading an image of their particular problem, and posting a message - detailing the required assistance - on the appropriate discussion group list.

The concept was created by Tracing the Tribe's friend Bernard Israelite Kouchel.

Users may upload letters, documents and photos for translation as well as to identify people, clothing, artifacts, and many other items. Images remain visible for seven days or 168 hours. They may be reposted after that time expires.

Click here to see archived images. As of today, there are 579 pages (20 images per page) of images, totalling  10,975 items. The first item in the archive was posted 14 October 2002. Set the archive to reveal 10-50 items on each page.

See the current gallery here, which includes requests for tombstone inscription translation as well as language translation for Yiddish, Russian, Polish, Hungarian.

Current images may be organized in chronological order, reverse chrono, grouped by category, new images and other parameters. Categories include: "Do you recognize," "Interpretation," "Photo Identification," "Tombstone," "Translation-Hungarian," "Translation-Polish," "Translation-Russian," and "Translation-Yiddish."

Please note that to post a translation or comment, you must be logged into JewishGen. But any visitor may see the Archive or the Gallery. To register (free) at JewishGen, click here.

On May 1, the ViewMate team, headed by administrator Sam Eneman and webmaster Gary Sandler, made enhancements to its look and use:

-- Changed to new JewishGen colors and page layout.

-- New, easier-to-understand navigation menu.

-- Support for new image types TIFF, PNG and GIF, in addition to JPEG.

-- Bookmark and share images and pages with more than 200 Web 2.0 tools - Twitter, Facebook, Delicious, Digg, Email and more.

-- Filter and sort images on the Gallery page - new ways to organize and view posted images

-- Rotate a full-sized image while translating - easier to read words in margins

-- Display time remaining for each image on the Gallery page

-- Updated FAQs for managing and editing submissions

Contact Enemean and Sandler with comments or questions.

JGSLA 2010: Belarus events set

As a charter member of the Belarus SIG, this group is dear to Tracing the Tribe's genealogical heart.

Belarus SIG began life as a crowded birds-of-a-feather meeting spearheaded by Daveid Fox, at the Boston 1996 conference and became a SIG at the 1998 Los Angeles event. The speaker in Boston was a then-recent Mogilev immigrant to Brooklyn, Bella Nayer, who had been very involved in community affairs.

The map (above left) is a 1916 map of Belarus. 

The graphic (below right) is a woodcut of the Mogilev synagogue.

What does the SIG have planned for its return to its birthplace?

Tracing the Tribe has already covered the Belarus luncheon (Tuesday, July 13) speaker: Moscow born, Jewish filmmaker, researcher and travel professional Michael Masterovoy.

The luncheon description reads:

 "In 1793,the central part of Belarus, including Minsk, became a part of the Russian empire. In addition to being the capital of Belarus it was also a center of Jewish life and home of many Torah sages and Yeshivas that attracted students from all over Europe. Before World War II, Jews made up 40% of the total  population in the city. Join Moscow born, Jewish filmmaker, researcher and travel professional, Michael Masterovoy, as he takes you on a tour of a present-day Belarus, which resonates with the past. View a short video of several Belarusian shtetls, walk the streets of Movsha Shagal's (Marc Chagall's) Vitebsk with Michael (and view the museum) and learn about the positive aspects of travel to a socialist state with a human face, the land of vodka and honey that echoes with the footsteps of our ancestors."

The luncheon is a fee-added event. Belarus SIG luncheons are always well-attended - sign up early and avoid disappointment.

The Belarus SIG business meeting is set for later the same day and will feature the group's progress and achievements.

The group also plans to be part of the Sunday opening day Market Fair, from 2-4.30pm.

The Market Fair will feature experts and mavens staffing "pushcarts" and offering assistance and guidance, representing nearly every region where Jews once lived. "Wares" will include old maps, vital records, landowner records, historical photos and postcards, translation, crafts, cooking and much more.

Food (including kosher) will be available for purchase. And don't miss the great klezmer concerts (yes - two of them!) by Yale Strom and Hot Pstromi, after the Market Fair and again in the early evening.

For more information on the Belarus SIG, its treasure trove of databases and much more, click here.

Lithuania: Vilnius project info

Researching ancestors who lived in Lithuania? There are some ongoing projects right now at the Historical Archive in Vilnius.

Readers interested in any of these records may make a qualifying contribution to the LitvakSIG District Research Group and will receive records soon after they are translated. It will take about 18 months before they will be added to JewishGen's All Lithuania Database.

Remember to cast a wider net. Your ancestors may have lived in more than one nearby village.

Contributions help to get more records translated, so if your interests lie in these locations, you might hit gold.

These are projects currently being translated:

Translator 1
Balbieriskis (Suwalki) marriages - 1858-1870
Balbieriskis (Suwalki) deaths - 1858-1870
Balbieriskis (Suwalki) births, marriage, deaths, 1808-1857.

Translator 2
Stakliskes (Trakai) 1850s
Varena (Trakai) 1850s
Zasliai (Trakai) 1850s
Ziezmariai (Trakai)1850s
Merkine (Trakai)1850s

Translator 3
Plunge (Telsiai) divorces 1839, 1844-46, 1854-1860
Plunge deaths 1842, 1844, 1854-1855.

Translator 4
Vilnius (Vilna) 1875 Family List Book 1 is done, ow working on Book 2. Book 3 no longer exists. Book 4 will be translated if enough funds are
contributed.

Translator 5
Kaunas births 1907-1914 ( total 2,777 records)

Translator 6
Kaunas deaths 1898, 1899, 1901-1906

Translator 7
Kaunas deaths 1907, 1913

To contribute, click here. For more information on records available and projects underway, visit LitvakSIG.

Yizkor Book Project: January new entries, updates

The Yizkor Book Project on JewishGen added - during January - six new projects, 11 new entries and 12 updates.

See below for these entries organized by country.
[P=new project, N=new entry and U=update]

BELARUS
P - Antopol (Shards of Memory: Messages from the Lost Shtetl of Antopol)

POLAND
P - Dabrowa Bialostocka (Dubrowa: Memorial to a Shtetl)
P - Leczyca (Memorial book of Leczyca)
N - Jedrzejow (Pinkas Poland)
N - Myslenice (Wadowice Yizkor Book)
U - Brzeziny
U - Chmielnik
U - Goniadz
U - Kaluszyn
U - Katowice
U - Kolo
U - Kutno
U - Piotrkow Trybunalski
U - Zambrow

UKRAINE
P - Kovel' (Kowel; testimony and memorial book of our destroyed community)
P - Rava-Ruska (Rawa Ruska memorial book)
N - Ust'ye-Zelenoye (Pinkas Poland)
N - Zhuravno (Pinkas Poland)
U - Berezhany
U - Rozyszcze

HUNGARY
P - Mad (The Jewish Community of Mad, Hungary)

LITHUANIA
N - Aukstadvaris (Pinkas Lita)
N - Babtai (Pinkas Lita)
N - Bagaslaviskis (Pinkas Lita)
N - Balninkai (Pinkas Lita)
N - Batakiai (Pinkas Lita)
N - Kretinga(Pinkas Lita)
U - Svencionys

CZECH REPUBLIC
N - Police, Czech Republic (Moravia)

To find the translations, click here.

Bulgaria: Jewish surname dictionary online.

Bulgaria's Jewish community is a fascinating one and a new database on SephardicGen.com will help researchers of this mostly Sephardi community.

If your families of interest lived in Bulgaria at one time, search the Dictionary of Jewish Bulgarian Surnames at Jeff Malka's site, which offers extensive resources for Sephardi genealogists looking for information on family that lived in many countries.

With nearly 800 surnames - most found all over the Balkans - the details include the surname, its variants, its etymology (and original language), meaning and a reference to historical background in medieval Spain.

The notes on name origin are fascinating and offer a different perspective. Even if your family doesn't come from Bulgaria, the notes will help when looking at any list of Jewish Sephardi surnames.

Search with only the first letter of a name, unless you know the exact spelling; that's the simplest method. For example, enter "A," check "begins with," receive a list of all names beginning with A.

Unfortunately, only 10 at a time are shown and you'll have to keep hitting "next 10" to see the rest. I found that mildly annoying and wished for a way to choose how many names to display for each search. But the benefits of this database far outweigh the slight annoyance with having to click on succeeding screens.

Mathilde Tagger of Jerusalem wrote the introduction to the database at the link above. It includes the history of Jewish surnames in the former Ottoman Empire, information on various alphabets and spelling curiosities, in addition to a large bibliography for more information.

She writes that these surnames have been detailed in only three publications, which Tagger analyzes. They include Asher Moissi's booklet on Greek Jewish names, Baruch Pinto's Sephardic Onomasticon (mostly on Turkish Jews), and Isaac Moskona's 1967 article.

Moskona's list of 509 surnames was based on three sources (1895-1967), but gave meanings for fewer than half. Current research covers 798 surnames, and additional ones were found in the passports of Bulgarian Jews when they immigrated to Israel (1948-49). The passports are on microfilm in the Central Archives for the History of the Jewish People (Jerusalem).

Where do Bulgarian Jewish surnames come from?

Take a look at this chronology of immigration into Bulgaria:

2nd century BCE: Romaniote Jews are recorded arriving after the destruction of the Second Temple. Their names are Hebrew or Greek.

1376: Hungarian Jews, without surnames, are expelled; some reach Bulgaria. They receive mostly Turkish nicknames.

1394: Some Jews are expelled from France and reach Bulgaria via the Danube River. Their names reflect places from where they came. (NOTE: Some may have been Jewish refugees from the 1391 riots across Spain who fled by going north into southern France.)

1470: Bavarian Jews are expelled by King Ludwig X, many settle in Bulgarian localities along the Danube and in Sofia, the capital. Few have surnames and receive mostly Turkish nicknames.

1492: Expelled Sephardim from Spain find safety in the Ottoman Empire and reach Bulgaria after 1494, settling in towns where Jews already lived. They soon became the majority and leaders of the community. Spanish Jewish surnames had Hebrew, Arabic, Spanish and Portuguese origins.

1493: Expelled Sicilian Jews reach the Ottoman Empire with Spanish and Italian names. (NOTE: Many Sicilian Jews are originally from Catalunya in Spain, who come to the Catalan-speaking island after the 1492 Expulsion. They thought they would be safe in Sicily, and they were - but only for one year and were expelled again in 1493. Most cross the Straits of Messina into Calabria.

1566-1574: Jewish immigrants from Calabria (southern Italy) arrived; many are descendants of Spanish Sephardim who went to Sicily following the 1492 Expulsion. They had Italian and Hebrew surnames.

Over the next 200 years: all Jews regardless of their origin (including the descendants of the Hungarian and German Jews) meld into the Sephardi community, with Ladino as their common language.

Late 19th-early 20th century: Ashkenazi Jews arrived from Ukraine, Romania and Russia, but the SephardicGen Bulgarian dictionary only includes Sephardi surnames.

Bulgaria was part of the Ottoman Empire 1378-1878, so Turkish was a major influence on the Jewish community.

The introduction includes the quirky transliteration rules of Cyrillic, concerning the non-existent H (which became G in Russia and KH in Bulgaria), as well as letters with the sounds of SH, J, K

JewishGen: Yizkor book update

The Yizkor Book project at JewishGen.org has announced these new and updated projects during November.

For all links to these sites, click here.

New sites:

Bielsko Biala, Poland
Cluj-Napoca, Romania
Ratno, Ukraine (new translation project)
Tasnad, Romania

New entries:

Anyksciai, Lithuania (Pinkas Lita)
Hajdusamson, Hungary (Pinkas Hungary)
Hodmezovasarhely, Hungary (Pinkas Hungary)
Narayev, Ukraine (Berezhany Yizkor Book)

Updated projects:

Bedzin, Poland
Berezhany, Ukraine (revival of a dormant project)
Brzeziny, Poland
Czestochowa, Poland (The Jews of Czestochowa)
Dabrowa Gornicza, Poland
Dembitz, Poland (Polish pages)
Dusetos, Lithuania
Goniadz, Poland
Kaluszyn, Poland
Katowice, Poland
Kutno, Poland
Lithuania (Lite)
Lubartow, Poland (necrology addition)
Nowy Sacz, Poland (Sandzer Memorial Journal)
Ruzhany, Belarus
Ryki, Poland (Polish pages)
Svencionys, Lithuania
Tighina (Bendery), Moldova
Zelechow, Poland (Polish pages)

Tracing the Tribe readers can help fund Yizkor book translations. Click here for more information.

Florida: 19th annual mini-conference, Dec. 9

How will your children know who they are if they don't know where they come from? How can you transmit and preserve that information?

The Jewish Genealogical Society of Palm Beach County's 19th Genealogy Workshop and Mini-Conference will help you help you learn how to preserve and transmit family history on Wednesday, December 9, at the Levis JCC in Boca Raton.

Geared to the needs of beginners, intermediates and advanced researchers, five experts will offer classes in morning and afternoon sessions, running from 10am-4pm.

-- Educator Phyllis Kramer: "AlephBet of Jewish Genealogy - the ins and outs of modern day research."

-- Writer/instructor Patricia Charpentier: “Writing Your Life - how to turn your research into a family history book.”

--Boca Raton Family History Center director Don Jennings: “How to Use the Family Search Records of Family Search International.”

-- Professional genealogist Mona Freedman Morris: “Ways to Spice up your Genealogy - using newspapers and other sources to make your family history interesting."

-- Past president JGSPBCI Dennis Rice: “Genealogy Research on the Internet - how to use Social Networking Sites (Facebook, My Space, Twitter, LinkedIn).”

The Library Room, with Internet connection (bring your laptops), will be open all day for research. Expert genealogy researchers and translators are available (by appointment). Family records and memorabilia will be on display. Enjoy continuous coffee, tea and snack service and drawings for genealogy door prizes.

Registration begins at 9:30am, with the program from 10am-4pm. The fee, including a kosher box lunch, is $25 for members (via advance registration only), or $30 for all others. Bring photo ID for JCC security.

For more information on the program, the speakers and the registration form, click here.

Facebook: Translation tool for developers

Facebook's new translation tool in 65 languages was the focus of Brad Stone's New York Times' "Bits" column the other day.

In his column, he writes that the previously English-only site introduced a tool in January 2008 that enabled users to translate the site into their native languages. Today, it is in 65 languages with most users outside North America.

As of Thursday, October 1, Facebook made the tool - Translations for Facebook Connect - available to some 15,000 sites and apps using the Connect service.

The translation tool works by asking users to submit possible translations of phrases, and then soliciting their votes on which is the most accurate. So now a country’s tourism Web site, for example, can use the tool to solicit help with a translation, and then present the site to users in their native language when they log in using their Facebook ID. It is free for developers, but Facebook hopes it will increase the use of the Connect Service.

Facebook’s human-powered approach juxtaposes quite sharply with Google’s service, which uses technology to automatically translate Web sites and text — with occasional unintentionally comical results. (The Facebook system, of course, has had to handle a relatively tiny number of phrases.)

According to Facebook's head of platform Ethan Beard, technology doesn’t take into account cultural values or idioms that are hard to translate.

It will be interesting to see how this evolves.

Yizkor Book Project news

Lance Ackerfeld is JewishGen's Yizkor Book project manager. He's just informed the Jewish genealogy community about the most recent updates and newly-added books. Some 506 books, along with 900 entries for communities without their own dedicated Yizkor books, are now online.

August updates of existing books and new books include:

Poland: Updates: Bielsk-Podlaski, Chelm, Czyzew, Dabrowa Gornicza, Kaluszyn, Katowice, Kolo, Kutno, -Miedzyrzec Podlaski, and Strzemieszyce Wielkie. New: Baranów Sandomierski, Chorzele, Golub-Dobrzyń, Sierpc.

Belarus: New: Byten, Lakhva.

Lithuania: Updates: Dusetos, Svencionys,.

Moldova: Updates: Tighina (Bendery)

Ukraine: New: Dobromil

Slovakia: New: Komárno

Jewish Music in Poland between the World Wars: Updated.

Most entries are from the Encyclopedias of Jewish Communities (Pinkasei Hakehillot) which offer historical information on all the communities, regardless of size.

If your family's ancestral community doesn't appear in a Yizkor book, Ackerfeld suggests that you consider preparing a translation of the community's encyclopedia entry, or hiring a professional translator to do it.

For more information on the project, click here.

JGSLA 2010: On our way!

Philly is over and here comes Los Angeles in 2010.

Stay tuned for the exciting events planned. There will be many innovations taking place, from website pages in various languages, to new forms of communication for prospective and registered attendees - lots of new stuff!

So now - drum roll, please - JGSLA 2010 is looking for volunteers to translate the information pages for the website into Polish, Lithuanian, Romanian and Farsi.

This will be for descriptive text, about 1,000 words. If you are a native fluent speaker or are at that level and feel this is something you can do well, the committee would like to get this completed over the next three weeks. Contact Pam for more information if you are volunteering to translate Polish, Lithuanian, Romanian or Farsi.

The committee has already lined up enough translators for Spanish, Portuguese, Hebrew, Russian, Ukrainian, French, Italian and German.

It should be obvious to all that JGSLA 2010 is really making an international effort.

See you in Los Angeles, July 11-16, 2010. Mark your calendars now!