About the Blogger: Schelly Talalay Dardashti has tracked her family history through Belarus, Russia, Lithuania, Spain, Iran and many other countries.
Her articles about genealogy have been widely published in the Jewish media. Schelly is a popular speaker and teaches online Jewish genealogy at Genclass, is a past president of JFRA Israel, a Jewish genealogical association, and is a member of the Association of Professional Genealogists.
If you have a genealogy question you'd like to ask Schelly, send it to tribeblog@jta.org.
Ancestry has just added 19,000 Jewish marriage records extracted from the Cuyahoga County, Ohio Marriage Application and Return volumes in the county archives. The majority of records (1837-1930) are from Cleveland [2.97 kbytes more ]
Ancient DNA in modern art
posted 06/12/2007 @ 05:32PM
Many genetic genealogists are familiar with Oxford Professor Bryan Sykes' theory of the Seven Daughters of Eve, which says that, based on DNA studies, the majority of Europeans can trace their genetic lineage back to seven "clan mothers."
For years, few Japanese knew the incre [1.99 kbytes more ]
Napoleon and the Grand Sanhedrin
posted 06/12/2007 @ 05:14PM
GenAmi, a French Jewish genealogical society, offers an interesting article listing the participants in the Grand Sanhedrin, held in 1807. The page is in French and in Englis [4.80 kbytes more ]
Zamosc group to launch Web archive
posted 05/22/2007 @ 02:38PM
The Israeli Organization of Zamosc Jewry will launch its archival Web site on May 30, with an event at the Tel Aviv Museum.
The group has more than 1,000 documents, certificates and newspaper clippings and will incorporate this material into the new Web [1.06 kbytes more ]
Not all reunions are warm and fuzzy
posted 05/22/2007 @ 02:37PM
Read this AP story about a reunion that is not warm and fuzzy, although the researcher holds out hope.
Retired teacher Sol Factor, 60, of Ohio had been looking for [1.74 kbytes more ]
The legend of Little Grandma
posted 05/22/2007 @ 02:33PM
Congratulations to Jasia of Creative Genes, whose Carnival of Genealogy challenges gen bloggers to think and write about what we might not ordinarily cover. This month's challenge is, naturally, mothers.
L [5.41 kbytes more ]
The Katz meow!
posted 05/08/2007 @ 05:14PM
While searching for descendants of Zacarias Katz, born in Ostrowiec Swietikrzyski, Poland, Paul Baranik in South Florida found a different sort of relative.
Although searching successfully for the right Katz among so many with this common surname is dif [0.76 kbytes more ]
With Germany's April 13 ratification of the international agreement to unseal the Bad Arolsen archive, a majority of the 11 nations that oversee the Inter [1.07 kbytes more ]
Istanbul: 100,000 records now online
posted 04/22/2007 @ 05:14PM
Daniel Kazez of Ohio and his volunteers have put marriage, death and burial records from Istanbul online. The records now number nearly 100,000. The search engine at his Web site includes both Sephardic and Ashkenazi records dating back to the late 1800s. [0.14 kbytes more ]
April 17, 1907: Ellis Island's busiest day
posted 04/22/2007 @ 05:14PM
Today is the 100th anniversary of the largest single day of U.S. immigration - 11,500 people passed through Ellis Island on April 17, 1907. Nearly 1.3 million immigrants arrived in the U.S. that year; some 80% arrived at Ellis Island in what was the busie [1.82 kbytes more ]
Looking for Latvian resources?
posted 03/25/2007 @ 04:55PM
If Latvia is your interest, here's something for you. The new Latvia SIG (special interest group) Web site is up and running at JewishGen. Estonian information is also included, along with informatio [1.35 kbytes more ]
Jewish DNA mentions in major media
posted 03/25/2007 @ 04:54PM
Thanks to the Rev. Al Sharpton and his connection to Sen. Strom Thurmond, everyone in the media is asking questions about DNA.
Fortunately for Tracing the Tribe's readers, reporters are also talking to Jewish genealogists, such as Herb Huebscher of New [1.90 kbytes more ]
Manila: The Jewish presence
posted 03/25/2007 @ 04:54PM
In February, the synagogue in Manila hosted a lecture by San Diego Jewish Historical society archivist Bonnie M. Harris, who recovered the papers of Cantor Cysner, who was part of the Manila community during WWII. Cysner's widow provided boxes of material [2.83 kbytes more ]
Digging deeper with DNA in Seattle
posted 03/25/2007 @ 04:53PM
Family Tree DNA founder Bennett Greenspan recently had a very successful visit to Seattle. The Jewish Transcript wrote a nice follow-up and interview about his visit.
[2.06 kbytes more ]
South Florida: Genealogy is addictive!
posted 03/25/2007 @ 04:53PM
Are you a snowbird visiting South Florida while the white stuff is still piled high up north?
The Jewish Genealogical Society of Palm Beach County numbers some 300 members and just held a mini-conference.
The society's founder, Alfred Silberfeld, 85, [0.67 kbytes more ]
New York: Lost Jewish civilization in the Bronx
posted 03/25/2007 @ 04:52PM
In 1639, Jonas Bronck operated the first farm in a region of New York that would eventually take his name -- the Bronx. The Jews of New Amsterdam (later New York) traversed the area on their way to Jewish communities in Westchester County and New England. [3.49 kbytes more ]
Los Angeles: adventurous genealogists tell their tales
posted 03/25/2007 @ 04:51PM
If you have a hankering to visit the old homestead in Eastern Europe, an upcoming program may help you understand how to take the trip of a lifetime.
On March 11, the Jewish Genealogical Society of Los Angeles is hosting four adventurous genealogists as [2.22 kbytes more ]
Working around higher copy fees
posted 03/25/2007 @ 04:51PM
With the genealogy world abuzz over the National Archives' new plan to raise copying fees, Chris Dunham of The Genealogue suggests a possible work-around via a recognized name in Washington document transfers.
Leitz, camera, action
posted 03/25/2007 @ 04:49PM
When I saw a JewishGen posting by Howard Orenstein about the Leitz family of Leica camera fame, I clicked on the links and found a fascinating story.
The Leitz family saved many of its Jewish employees and friends by sending them off to America with bra [1.82 kbytes more ]
The daughter of Phoebe and Magnus Cohen was born in New York Ci [1.63 kbytes more ]
Hunting stolen art: the Monument Men
posted 03/25/2007 @ 04:48PM
Every once in awhile we read about Holocaust survivors and their attempts, sometimes successful, to regain possession of their family's looted art.
Here's the little known story of the Monument Men who hunted these treasures, as they identified and cata [2.11 kbytes more ]
Chinese Torah scroll an echo of afaded community
posted 03/25/2007 @ 04:47PM
The British Library is displaying a Torah from the Kaifeng Jewish community as part of an exhibition of rare world religious manuscripts.
The scroll, used by the Chinese Jews of Kaifeng, is made of sheepskin strips sewn together with silk thread, rather [0.15 kbytes more ]
Who is a Jew: Is DNA enough?
posted 03/20/2007 @ 06:52PM
Some food for thought in the Wall Street Journal by Moment magazine contributing editor Evan R. Goldstein.
It is the story of John Haedrich who, on a visit to Auschwitz in 2000, had a "serendiptious feeling." Although raised a Christia [1.40 kbytes more ]
Flamenco's Jewish roots
posted 03/20/2007 @ 06:52PM
If you've ever listened to the haunting strains of flamenco and heard what you believe are Jewish connections, you aren't wrong.
According to this article, flamenco has deep Jewish roots in additi [2.18 kbytes more ]
New online Gen classes begin March 1
posted 03/20/2007 @ 06:51PM
Just a reminder that registration is open now for GenClass's new March and April classes. Several new courses will be offered, and the line-up includes many useful topics for readers of this blog.
Jewish Gen [1.50 kbytes more ]
Library of Congress: A new project to scan "brittle" books
posted 03/20/2007 @ 06:50PM
A $2 million grant has been given to the Library of Congress by the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation to digitize thousands of public-domain works, focusing on at-risk "brittle" books and U.S. history volumes. The project is set to begin in a few months.
T [1.61 kbytes more ]
"Roots" - 30 years later
posted 03/20/2007 @ 06:49PM
Do you remember what you were watching on television during the last week of January 1977? A few short weeks ago was the 30th anniversary of a great television series, "Roots."
Nearly 100 million viewers, nearly half the U.S. population, watched the fin [2.13 kbytes more ]
Hispanic Judaism revealed
posted 03/20/2007 @ 06:49PM
A fascinating article about Hispanic Jewish culture, published in the Chicago Sun-Times, touches on movies, film and education.
Judaism is the faith [1.32 kbytes more ]
Jews on Ice: Oksana Baiul discovers her roots
posted 03/20/2007 @ 06:48PM
The New York Jewish Week had an interesting article on Olympic gold medal-winning figure skater Oksana Baiul, who discovered her mother's family was Jewish
Baiul returned to her native Ukraine in 2003 to re-establish contact with he [0.51 kbytes more ]
Two concurrent sessions will be held: a begin [0.62 kbytes more ]
Palm Beach: A Jewish genealogy miniconference
posted 03/20/2007 @ 04:40PM
If you are a snowbird wintering in Florida's Palm Beach County, here's a good way to spend a day learning about your favorite subject.
The Jewish Genealogical Society of Palm Beach County will hold its annual miniconference/workshop on Feb. 28 at the Le [1.04 kbytes more ]
Cleveland: Genealogy computer group meeting
posted 03/20/2007 @ 04:39PM
Readers in the Cleveland area may be interested in a meeting of the Computer Assisted Genealogy Group on March 17, at the Fairview Park Regional Library.
The program includes sessions on major genealogy software programs and computer fundamentals.
The [0.61 kbytes more ]
Canada: records for immigrants from Tsarist Russia
posted 03/20/2007 @ 04:38PM
The Library and Archives Canada has announced the completion of the Likacheff-Ragosine-Mathers (LI-RA-MA) collection database.
The consular offices of the Tsarist Russian Empire in Canada generated these files from from 1898-1922. They include about 11, [0.80 kbytes more ]
New York: A day of learning on 4/22
posted 03/20/2007 @ 04:37PM
Save Sunday, April 22 for the Jewish Genealogical Society of New York's second program sponsored by the Lucille Gudis Memorial Fund to perpetuate her interests and her generous spirit.
The all-day event - “Family History and the Holocaust: A Day of Lear [3.00 kbytes more ]
Where will you be in July?
posted 03/20/2007 @ 04:35PM
Many Jewish genealogists from around the world will be heading to Salt Lake City to attend the 27th IAJGS International Conference on Jewish Genealogy from July 15-20, 2007.
Co-chairs Hal Bookbinder (Los Angeles) and Michael Brenner (Las Vegas) say t [2.32 kbytes more ]
Poland: Lublin Yeshiva reopens
posted 03/20/2007 @ 04:34PM
Poland's Chief Rabbi Michael Schudrich will officially bring in the Torah scroll to the renovated Lublin, Poland synagogue on February 11. The ceremony will take place in front of 2,000 Polish Jews and Lublin residents.
Prior to WWII, Lublin, Poland was [0.68 kbytes more ]
IIJG: Research grants now available
posted 03/20/2007 @ 04:33PM
In September, I attended the symposium of the International Institute of Jewish Genealogy and made several postings (check out Sept. 10-15 entries here) about the interesting presen [1.52 kbytes more ]
"The Life of Nina Finkelstein: Recollections of a Friend" tells the New shoah drama: Eavesdropping on Dreams
posted 03/20/2007 @ 04:30PM
The play Eavesdropping on Dreams tells the story of three generations of women affected by the Holocaust, interweaving dreams and historical material from the Lodz Ghetto.
The new play, by Rivka Bekerman-Greenberg, will have a reading at 7 p.m. [0.19 kbytes more ]
I met Janet Amateau in Barcelona last year at the first meeting of the Jewish Genealogical Society of Catalunya -- Dr. Jeff Malka was the speaker. A former New Yorker, she is a Sephard [1.88 kbytes more ]
The care and feeding of your CDs
posted 03/20/2007 @ 04:29PM
Sally Jacob's Practical Archivist blog offers great tips. Her latest posting provides information on CD-ROMs, which are an important storage medium for genealogy data and software.
The Jewish Genealogical Society of Great Britain's all-day Northern Conference is set for Sunday, June 3, 2007, at the King David High School in Manchester. Speakers will include: *Sam Aaron, author of [0.58 kbytes more ]
Genealogy humor
posted 03/20/2007 @ 04:25PM
A reader recently asked me for this definition of a genealogist.
I knew I had it somewhere and, after some searching, here it is.
Before you ask, I have no idea who authored it or where I first discovered it. If you have any information, please post [0.51 kbytes more ]
Genealogist Arthur Kurzweil's magic
posted 03/20/2007 @ 04:25PM
Genealogist Arthur Kurzweil wrote one of the first popular books about Jewish genealogy. Many of us were inspired to research our roots after reading his From Generation to Generation and thinking, "We can do this!"
From shtetl to Los Angeles - a joyful reunion
posted 03/20/2007 @ 04:23PM
Our families have been talking about reunions for several years, but we just can't seem to get it together. Procrastination would seem to be genetic in both the Talalay and Dardashti lines.
Luckily, the Blackman (Blachman) and Zverow families are not as [0.92 kbytes more ]
The Jewish Genealogical Society of Oregon is hosting Family Tree DNA's CEO/founder Bennett Greenspan. Greenspan will speak about "Tracing Family Roots Through DNA" on February 14.
Yad Vashem's new Farsi mini-site
posted 03/20/2007 @ 04:19PM
One of the Yad Vashem events marking International Holocaust Remembrance Day was yesterday's launch of their Farsi-language mini-site.
“Every year, nearly 20,000 people from Muslim countries, including Iran, visit the Yad Vashem website,” says Yad Vashe [0.89 kbytes more ]
Jewish History Channel: new blog worth a look
posted 03/20/2007 @ 04:19PM
Just came across a new blog titled "Jewish History Channel: Open discussions on Jewish history, culture, genealogy, archaeology and other related subjects."
Joel Weisberger's Tel Aviv: Bukowina and Czernowitz reunion
posted 03/20/2007 @ 04:18PM
If your roots are in Bukowina and Czernowitz, you'll want to know about an event set for April 17-19, 2007, in Tel Aviv, organized by the World Organization of Bukowinian Jewry and the Cz-list.
The three-day program will include lectures, discussions, p [0.44 kbytes more ]
Varieties of family history
posted 03/20/2007 @ 04:17PM
I discovered a new blog on family history written by history professor Todd Carney (Southern Oregon University), who has written an interesting post on what he says are "at least three kinds of fam [1.06 kbytes more ]
U.K.: Lucky Leeds searchers
posted 03/20/2007 @ 04:17PM
A few weeks ago, I wrote about cemetery records in the UK on the Jewish Genealogical Society of Great Britain Web site> At the time, those records were in the member [1.20 kbytes more ]
IAJGS salutes
posted 03/20/2007 @ 04:16PM
The International Association of Jewish Genealogical Societies (IAJGS) has announced a new program to recognize individuals for their contributions to further the study of Jewish Genealogy. The goal is to salute individuals and non-profit organizations th [0.76 kbytes more ]
The UN Generaly Assembly adopted, in November 2005, a resolution designating January 27 as an “International Day of Commemoration in memory of the victim [0.85 kbytes more ]
Cover-up over Holocaust archive destruction?
posted 03/20/2007 @ 04:03PM
According to the December newsletter of the American Gathering of Holocaust Survivors, Belgian authorities have "destroyed archives and records relating to the deportation of Jews in Belgium in the 1930s and 1940s."
Author Paul Belien says some of the d [1.18 kbytes more ]
Good eats on Ellis Island, 1894
posted 03/20/2007 @ 03:46PM
Originally published in The New York Times, December 13, 1894, here's an interesting piece about the restaurant at Ellis Island that served many of our ancestors on their [1.09 kbytes more ]
Cuban Jewish resources
posted 01/16/2007 @ 06:49PM
I came across these Cuban Jewish resources that may be of interest to researchers of both Ashkenazi and Sephardic families.
Among the links is an extensive list of [1.88 kbytes more ]
This is always the place for a good genealogical laugh, along with more serious stuff.
The author's latest "exclusive" - The oys of Texas are upon you
posted 01/16/2007 @ 06:48PM
A new addition to the Brandeis Series in American Jewish History, Culture and Life focuses on the Texas Jewish experience.
Lone Stars of David: The Jews of Texas was written by fourth-generation Texan Robert S. Strauss (his great-grandfather wa [1.12 kbytes more ]
The late Eran Laor, author of Maps of the Holy Land (1986), donated his entire collection [0.36 kbytes more ]
Auschwitz: Online database
posted 01/16/2007 @ 06:43PM
Today's suggestion: Search all of the databases you come across for your names (and variations) of interest. You may find nothing, but sometimes shocking news may be discovered.
My maternal grandfather Sidney Fink was born Szyja in 1898, raised in Sucha [1.71 kbytes more ]
If your relative is elderly, don't procrastinate in making contact - you will regret it forever if you are too late.
According to this Italy: Intriguing Jewish history
posted 01/16/2007 @ 06:05PM
Jewish history in Italy dates at least as far back as the Romans; signs of Jewish life past and present can be found in many small towns as well as major cities.
Searching for information on the Jewish history of Sicily - one of the largest Jewish commu [1.55 kbytes more ]
China: Restoring Jewish Shanghai
posted 01/16/2007 @ 06:04PM
If your connection to things Asian runs deeper than gastronomy, or if your family history has a Shanghai connection, read on.
Built by Russian immigrants in 1927, Shanghai's Ohel [0.84 kbytes more ]
Are you sure your family heirlooms are stored properly?
posted 01/16/2007 @ 06:04PM
Are you downsizing or helping a relative move to a senior community? What will you do with the family memorabilia? How will you preserve it?
Preservation and conservation are important issues to family history researchers. Although we may think primaril [2.15 kbytes more ]
How to investigate your house's history
posted 01/16/2007 @ 05:28PM
Have you ever wondered about your house's history and the families that have lived there before you?
Here are two articles that provide some insight.
People curious about their house's past sometimes turn into detectives who probe records and research [0.69 kbytes more ]
A new source for Jewish records in India
posted 01/16/2007 @ 05:26PM
There are a host of Web sites dedicated to "deep searching" on the Internet. This is also called accessing the invisible Internet.
I clicked on CompletePlanet - The Deep Web Directory, which claims over 70,000 [2.31 kbytes more ]
Cape Town: A conference on Jewish Journeys
posted 01/16/2007 @ 05:23PM
When Saul Issrof of London sent me the information on this program, I wanted to take my own Jewish journey to South Africa, at least for January 8-10.
The event features a series of fascinating programs with presenters (including Saul) from New Zealand, [2.56 kbytes more ]
The BACSA site offers information about their projects and publishes some 41 books of information and burial records in var [1.68 kbytes more ]
U.K.: Jewish cemetery records
posted 01/16/2007 @ 05:19PM
The Jewish Genealogical Society of Great Britain (JGSGB) has announced through its JCR-UK SIG discussion list that it has been negotiating with the U.K. Federation of Synagogues for the release of burial records covering two of London's major cemeteries: [0.66 kbytes more ]
The 2006 festival, coordinated by Pamela Weisberger, offered some 30 films and opportunities [1.60 kbytes more ]
An inside look at a DNA lab
posted 01/16/2007 @ 05:15PM
The University of Arizona's Biological Sciences West Building is home to the lab that does the testing for Family Tree DNA and for the National Geographic Society's Genographic Project.
The lab, part of the UA Arizona Research Laboratories' [1.64 kbytes more ]
A Jewish longevity gene?
posted 01/16/2007 @ 05:15PM
While searching out interesting items for Tracing the Tribe, I came across this new study by Yeshiva University's Albert Einstein College of Medicine. It was published in the Dec [1.27 kbytes more ]
Included are the combined library and archives collections of the American Jewish Historical Society, American Sep [1.54 kbytes more ]
BBC offers U.K. family history info
posted 01/16/2007 @ 05:14PM
If you are in the U.K. or searching ancestors who lived there, the BBC Web site has a 'Family History' section with very useful information.
It is a general site, but it provides much informatio [0.15 kbytes more ]
Practical Archivist: Great tips from a new blog
posted 01/16/2007 @ 05:13PM
Sally Jacobs of Madison, Wisconsin, describes her new blog as "Archiving tips and geeky tidbits for genealogists, history buffs, and keepers of the family photo album. Written by an archivist who never [1.00 kbytes more ]
Talking at last - an Iranian survivor
posted 01/16/2007 @ 04:49PM
In Los Angeles, Menashe Ezrapour, 88, is the only known Iranian Jewish Holocaust survivor.
After 60 years, he's sharing his story and helping to connect Los Angeles's major Diaspora Iranian community to this black period in history.
His story should [0.83 kbytes more ]
Happy Chanukah - Celebrate your history
posted 01/16/2007 @ 04:49PM
As you celebrate this holiday and light the candles each night, consider dedicating one night to honoring your own unique family history.
The child-centered holiday of Chanukah often brings together multiple generations. It offers a special opportunity [0.50 kbytes more ]
Readers around the world
posted 01/16/2007 @ 04:48PM
I continue to find it fascinating to see where people are clicking in from around the world.
Over the past two weeks, readers have clicked in from the U.S., UK, Canada, Africa, most of Western Europe, Eastern Europe and South America, as well as Austral [0.16 kbytes more ]
And he also has a link to Russian Google, which make [1.48 kbytes more ]
Poland: Updated database
posted 01/16/2007 @ 04:47PM
Researchers looking for information on four towns - Lublin, Radzyn Pdlaski, Zamosc and Gowarczow - have a nice Chanukah gift to enjoy.
The many ways that meaning gets lost in translation
posted 01/16/2007 @ 04:46PM
Genealogists frequently talk about translation and transliteration problems and how certain languages are particularly problematic.
Many individuals mention the problems of transliterating complicated Polish names of towns into Hebrew, which isn't a pr [2.42 kbytes more ]
Can you top this? Start a family dreidel collection
posted 01/16/2007 @ 04:46PM
I still come across those little plastic ones - red, blue and green - in drawers filled with odds and ends. Leftover dreidels from Chanukah Past; not exactly priceless heirlooms like some of the items we've mentioned in this blog, but nevertheless a nice [1.07 kbytes more ]
Last week, while searching around for interesting things, I discovered genealogy cli [0.79 kbytes more ]
Judaism in Appalachia
posted 01/16/2007 @ 03:52PM
Jewish resources for researchers pop up in some strange places.
There's a blog by Eric Drummond Smith -- Hillbilly Savants By Appalachians, for Everyone -- and he has The American national hobby ... almost!
posted 01/16/2007 @ 03:52PM
According to a number of surveys in recent years, genealogy is the second most popular American hobby after gardening, and it is the second most visited category of Web sites, after pornography. I once had a conversation about the popularity of ge [1.68 kbytes more ]
Strom, a renowned ethnomusicologist, documentarian, and klezmer musician, has created an "incredible [0.46 kbytes more ]
Postcards from the past
posted 01/16/2007 @ 03:50PM
Scenes from the past come alive in two articles on Ynetnews describing a family collection of postcards gathered over the course of more than 100 years.
Moshe Ginzburg and Zehava Lavit Ben-Tovim immigrated to Israel at the end of the 19th ce [0.68 kbytes more ]
DNA testing concerns may hurt studies
posted 01/16/2007 @ 03:24PM
Amy Harmon, who reports on DNA matters for the New York Times, had a recent front-page story, "DNA Gatherers Hit a Snag: The Tribes Don’t Trust Them."
A [1.60 kbytes more ]
Making corrections to Yad Vashem data
posted 01/16/2007 @ 03:24PM
If you have checked over various databases and discovered errors, be sure to let the database managers know about the problems. While it may take some time for corrections to appear online, or for comments to be noted, they will get done.
Christchurch, New Zealand police are targeting the t [0.42 kbytes more ]
ItalianGen group adds more NY names
posted 01/16/2007 @ 03:22PM
Over the past few years, the Italian Genealogy group, headed by John Martino and assisted by many volunteers, has provided online access to indexes for naturalizations and other records concerning New York City and [0.52 kbytes more ]
Teen genealogy fellowships available
posted 01/16/2007 @ 03:22PM
Many of us are concerned about how to convey the importance of genealogy to young people. The Center for Jewish History in New York has an excellent summer genealogy program for students in grades 9-12.
The Samberg Family History Program, co-sponsored [0.68 kbytes more ]
Talking about Jewish genealogy?
posted 01/16/2007 @ 03:21PM
Have a great topic to talk about at this summer's 27th IAJGS International Conference on Jewish Genealogy?
The deadline for the Call for Papers has been extended through December 31, so you've got a little while longer to produce a 125-word biography a [1.02 kbytes more ]
New online genealogy classes
posted 01/16/2007 @ 03:20PM
For several years, I taught basic Jewish Genealogy and Jewish Internet Research for MyFamily.com.
It was a great experience, and co-teacher Micha Reisel and I thoroughly enjoyed helping students learn not only the basics, but how to find the information [1.71 kbytes more ]
Readers from many countries
posted 01/16/2007 @ 03:19PM
A recent look at the countries from which readers are accessing Tracing the Tribe, include Honduras, Venezuela, Netherlands, Mexico, Malta, South Africa, Poland, Portugal, Gibraltar, France, Germany, Romania, Australia, Argentina, Bahamas, New Zealand, Ko [0.14 kbytes more ]
As part of the memorial, Lea Roshkowski of Yad Vashem will speak, and selections from the O [0.14 kbytes more ]
Brown University's rare maps
posted 01/16/2007 @ 03:17PM
Brown University in Providence, Rhode Island owns more than 1,000 rare maps. Some are so rare that their copies are the only ones known to have survived.
Librarians are now cataloging the maps online and moving them i [0.76 kbytes more ]
Gifts for genealogists - Update
posted 01/16/2007 @ 03:17PM
Chanukah's right around the corner, and the genealogists in your family would be happy to receive these eight presents - or even just one of them. They may not taste as good as latkes, but they are definitely lower in calories than delicious sufganiot (do [2.38 kbytes more ]
UK immigrant registration cards online
posted 01/16/2007 @ 03:16PM
The UK National Archives in Kew have now placed online more than 1,000 registration cards of immigrants who arrived in London and environs from 1914-1991.
The surviving Alien Registration Cards (MEPO 35 record series) contain immigrants' full name, dat [0.89 kbytes more ]
San Francisco: A nice Jewish boy is funny
posted 01/16/2007 @ 03:15PM
Comedian Dan Adhoot grew up a nice Jewish boy in Great Neck, N.Y.; his favorite foods are from the marvelous Persian kitchen that reflect his heritage. He goes for gondi instead of matzo balls.
This son of Iranian Jewish immigrants will be a h [0.76 kbytes more ]
Latvia: Rumbula Forest yahrzeits
posted 01/16/2007 @ 03:15PM
A few years ago I wrote a story in the Jerusalem Post on Mitch Lieber of Chicago and his creation of Rumbula.org, a Web site dedicated to those who were massacred by the Nazi regime in the Rumbula Forest in La [1.39 kbytes more ]
Additionally, LitvakSIG District Research Groups coordinator Olga Zabludoff [0.67 kbytes more ]
Family Tree DNA opens European office
posted 01/16/2007 @ 03:13PM
With 120,000 individual entries in its DNA databases, Houston-based Family Tree DNA claims to be the largest DNA databases for genealogical purposes in the world, and it also administers more than 3,700 individual surname projects containing some 58,000 u [0.84 kbytes more ]
A dash of Dardashti news
posted 01/16/2007 @ 03:11PM
The entire Dardashti clan -- there are a lot of us on the tree -- is proud of Galeet Dardashti and her performing group, Divahn.
As the family genealogist, I've decided to "kvell" (a Yiddish term meaning to rejoice delightedly) following the Preserving Europe's Jewish graves
posted 01/16/2007 @ 03:10PM
The London-based Committee for the Preservation of Jewish Cemeteries in Europe is determined to enforce Jewish law - halachah - which requires that the dead not be disturbed.
Local Jewish communities and governments are now turning to the comm [1.47 kbytes more ]
Rome: Europe's oldest Jewish community
posted 01/16/2007 @ 03:10PM
The Boston Globe has an interesting story on the Jews of Rome, whose presence (since the 2nd century BCE) is considered the oldest in Europe.
In the Middle Ages, they were victims of violence and humiliation (wearing of yellow patches), even though they [0.56 kbytes more ]
You can relax now if you've been working feverishly to search through the new Ancestry.com passenger records before free access ends in a few days.
The company just announced that Families of the Yiddish Theatre
posted 01/16/2007 @ 03:09PM
If you're researching Yiddish theatre families - including the Adlers, Thomashefskys, Bertha Kalish, Maurice Schwartz, Abraham Goldfaden, Molly Picon, Jacob Gordin, Paul Muni and more - here's a book you might enjoy.
Researching Israeli archives from the U.S. - UPDATE
posted 01/16/2007 @ 03:08PM
Jerusalem-based genealogist Michael Goldstein is a specialist in helping North Americans locate and connect with their Israeli families.
On Dec. 11, he will present “Not for Israel Only: Using Israeli Archives and Resources for Worldwide Jewish Records, [0.71 kbytes more ]
A historic fight: dueling columnists on the merits of genealogy
posted 01/16/2007 @ 03:08PM
The Guardian (U.K.) newspaper provides two recent, opposing takes on whether genealogy is an interesting pursuit. I think it's safe to say Tracing the Tribe's readers agree with the "pro-genealogy" camp.
We covered the most exciting developments at the recent Family Tree DNA-sponsored third international confe [0.35 kbytes more ]
More and more about Horowitzes
posted 01/16/2007 @ 03:05PM
Are you Horowitz, Horovitz, Ish-Horovitz, Hurwitz, Gurwitz, Gurovich, Gurevich or another name variant?
If so, you should be interested in the Horowitz Families Association's upcoming Judaica on eBay and Polish auction site
posted 01/16/2007 @ 03:04PM
Here's a way to search for Jewish roots that might not have occurred to you: Researchers have found genealogically relevant Judaica on eBay. A Polish-based auction site, Allegro, has al [0.34 kbytes more ]
I’ve mentioned genealogy shows in the U.K. (“Who do you think you are?") and Canada (“Ancestors in the Attic”), and wondered why they aren’t shown worldwide.
Well, worldwide viewers may be in for a treat [0.80 kbytes more ]
The Sunday Telegraph (UK) had an interesting story on using DNA testing to provide some 100% Engl [1.14 kbytes more ]
New American Jewish year books at Ancestry.com
posted 01/16/2007 @ 03:02PM
Ancestry.com has recently added the American Jewish Year Book for 5663 (October 2, 1902-September 21, 1903); the book for 1931-2 (5692) is also available online if you have a subscription. Search under "Family and Local Histories." Among the high [0.44 kbytes more ]
Free access: Ancestry immigration records
posted 01/16/2007 @ 03:00PM
Ancestry.com is offering free access to its entire Immigration Collection through the end of November. This collection is normally available only through paid subscription [2.51 kbytes more ]
Back to blogging again!
posted 01/16/2007 @ 02:59PM
I'm sitting in the airport, waiting for my flight back home, and working on an extensive list of postings. I hope you'll check back in the next few days to read them.
My exhausting trip took me to Houston, Salt Lake City, Seattle, Eugene and Portland.
DNA Conference: using DNA to track family
posted 01/16/2007 @ 02:58PM
It was a long trip, and I arrived in Houston very late on a rainy night, followed by a gloriously sunny day in the “cradle of genetic genealogy,” as Family Tree DNA president and founder Bennett Greenspan calls t [2.47 kbytes more ]
The Educational Alliance, one of the oldest Jewish settlement houses in New York City, nearly lost some of its heritage that had been stored in a paper bag, forgotten on an auditorium balcony.
Help is on the [0.89 kbytes more ]
Baking matza in Portugal
posted 01/16/2007 @ 02:57PM
A new story in the Jerusalem Post touches on Porto and Belmonte, Portugal, on Taini in Italy and on records in London archives.
Over the years, Ari Greenspan and Ari Z. Zivotofsky have taken journeys they call "halachi [1.04 kbytes more ]
A look at books
posted 01/16/2007 @ 02:57PM
While visiting Houston, friends told me that the biggest Jewish book fair in North America was in session. The 34th Jewish book and arts fair runs for two weeks here, and it was standing room only when we took a look on Sunday.
Who are we really?
posted 01/16/2007 @ 02:54PM
While attending a junior high school music camp at the University of Masschusetts, I discovered the campus bookstore's Judaica section. While the other campers were doing more age-appropriate activities - whatever those were back then - I was looking at t [2.85 kbytes more ]
Do you have a mystery to solve?
posted 01/16/2007 @ 02:54PM
A while ago, I mentioned Ancestors in the Attic, a Canadian show on History Television (History Channel elsewhere). Here’s an interview with its host, Jeff Douglas.
“All the s [0.40 kbytes more ]
A scary group in the Census
posted 01/16/2007 @ 02:53PM
While Halloween isn’t on the Jewish calendar, here’s a light-hearted look at what can be found in the US and UK Census collections, courtesy of Ancestry.com’s 24/7 Family History Circle.
Among the interesting folk they discovered are Frank and Fannie Fr [0.30 kbytes more ]
Tel Aviv: Rich resources
posted 01/16/2007 @ 02:53PM
There’s an interesting building on the Tel Aviv University campus called the Museum of the Diaspora, or Beth Hatefutsoth in Hebrew.
Today, its focus is shifting from the Diaspora Jewish communities to a broader scope [0.77 kbytes more ]
Yo ho ho ... Oy! - Update
posted 01/16/2007 @ 02:52PM
Following our posting on Swashbuckling Sephardic Pirates (check the Tracing the Tribe’s archives), here’s another on a more entertaining tack: Singing Yiddish Pirates.
If you were at this August’s International Conference on Jewish Genealogy, you surely [1.05 kbytes more ]
The Sound of Music
posted 01/16/2007 @ 02:50PM
No, not the von Trapp family. This time, it’s the Kalter family.
When Logan Kleinwaks amassed information on some 3,200 Kalter family members, some of the clues led him to David Verbeeck, whose musical based on the Kalter family, “Portrait of a Silent S [0.84 kbytes more ]
Making music
posted 01/16/2007 @ 02:49PM
Family history clues are all around us, sometimes in improbable places.
While the Jewish community in the UK is now celebrating the 350th year of their return after expulsion, historians know that not only did some Jews never leave, but others were quie [1.13 kbytes more ]
I recently posted about his list of 16,000 immigrants from Warszawa from the Ellis Island Database. T [1.51 kbytes more ]
The Canadian connection
posted 01/16/2007 @ 02:48PM
How many of us have spent countless hours attempting to find relatives who immigrated from the Old Country to Canada, either to stay or as a stopping point on the way to the United States?
I’ve spent years attempting to find the record of my great-grand [1.41 kbytes more ]
Roni Seibl Liebowitz of New York is the Lodz Archive coordinator for the JRI-Poland/Polish Stat [1.77 kbytes more ]
Deep in the heart of Texas
posted 01/16/2007 @ 02:47PM
I'm hunting down Texas Jewish resources in anticipation of my first trip to Texas, for the Houston-based Family Tree DNA conference.
Since 2001, JGS volunteers have [1.07 kbytes more ]
A remarkable reunion via Yad Vashem
posted 01/16/2007 @ 02:44PM
After a long absence, I am again writing for the Jerusalem Post on genealogy and related subjects.
My first new story for them recounts a remark [1.15 kbytes more ]
RESOURCE: Gold Rush Jews
posted 01/16/2007 @ 02:43PM
The California Gold Rush lured many Jewish immigrants to a new life. Now there’s an easy way to see if your ancestors were among them.
This site contains passenger lists for ships and wagon trains trave [1.78 kbytes more ]
Kurzweil to speak in Kansas City
posted 01/16/2007 @ 02:43PM
The first genealogy book I ever read was Arthur Kurzweil's From Generation to Generation: How to Trace Your Jewish Genealogy and Family History.
His book set me on the discovery road I’ve been following since 1989.
It was from Kurzweil that I [0.72 kbytes more ]
Putting history on the (searchable) map
posted 01/16/2007 @ 02:42PM
Want to see where your immigrant relatives lived when they arrived in America? Or where their businesses were located?
In Westbrook, Maine, Historic Map Works is betting on the past by scanning historic maps [1.20 kbytes more ]
Encourage your own congregations to present similar programs with the cooperation of local Jewish genealogical societies. To see a list of societies worldwide, visit the San Francisco: Jewish history
posted 01/16/2007 @ 02:41PM
Interested in Jewish aspects of the City by the Bay?
Were your ancestors among its earliest inhabitants? While many of the city’s early Jewish residents landed on the East Coast and made their way west, ships brought others into San Francisco from Asian [0.69 kbytes more ]
Our family name is Cologna from the Veneto section of Italy. We surmised that our ancestors came from Cologne, Germany sometime in the Middle Ages. We are Catholic, but my first clue that we may have been Conversos was when I happe [3.33 kbytes more ]
Keeping up with technology in genealogy
posted 01/16/2007 @ 02:40PM
Have you found yourself trying to remember what a typewriter looks like? When did you last use one?
I have trouble remembering what we did before e-mail. Smoke signals, maybe?
When you see the phrase "Morse code," what's your first thought? Old Wester [0.85 kbytes more ]
Boston: Jewish DNA program
posted 01/16/2007 @ 02:39PM
For Tracing the Tribe's Boston-area readers, here's an opportunity not to be missed.
"Who are the Jews? A 4,000 Year Genetic Retrospective," will be given by Harry Ostrer, MD, director of the NYU Medical Center, Human Genetics Program.
Readers who att [0.45 kbytes more ]
Britain: 350 years of Jewish life
posted 01/16/2007 @ 02:39PM
The BBC Web site has recently published several stories worth reading that are related to Jewish life in Britain:
It is 350 years since Jews were readmitted [1.06 kbytes more ]
Jewish Vikings? A DNA mystery
posted 01/16/2007 @ 02:38PM
Let me preface this item by saying that I'm not a DNA expert. I leave that to the many brilliant people in the field.
However, as an entry in the food for thought category, click here for [1.46 kbytes more ]
London: A one-day conference
posted 01/16/2007 @ 02:37PM
When I saw the program for this event, I wanted to attend, but a one-day visit to London from Tel Aviv just isn’t practical.
However, Tracing the Tribe readers in the UK can click here for all the details on the O [0.98 kbytes more ]
What's in a name?
posted 01/16/2007 @ 02:37PM
Wondering why your grandfather Leib changed his name to Louis? or Aunt Blima was known as Rose?
My grandmother began life as Chaya Feiga, adopted Birdie and then Bertie as a young schoolgirl and was later known as Bertha. In Yiddish, Feiga means a bir [0.79 kbytes more ]
Some 1,000 people who claim this descendancy are planning to meet in Jerusalem from May 28-30, 2007, for [1.19 kbytes more ]
Russians are eager to rediscover roots
posted 01/16/2007 @ 02:36PM
When I located Talalay cousins in Mogilev, St. Petersburg and Moscow, most of them told the same stories.
They knew relatives had gone to America long ago. Their parents and grandparents had once possessed photographs and stacks of letters from the Amer [0.75 kbytes more ]
Thank you!
posted 01/16/2007 @ 02:35PM
I thought I'd take a few minutes and thank you for reading Tracing the Tribe.
This adventure along Discovery Road is always fascinating.
I've been keeping track of where readers are located - it is a truly global community.
While readers in the U.S [0.41 kbytes more ]
Ancestors in the Attic
posted 01/16/2007 @ 02:35PM
I love the BBC shows like Flog it!, Antiques Roadshow and Cash in the Attic. I love to watch people who bought something for the equivalent of a few dollars watch the same item end up in a ferocious bidding war for hundreds or e [0.96 kbytes more ]
We are what we eat: A Sephardic Sukkoth
posted 01/16/2007 @ 02:34PM
Today, The New York Times featured a great Sukkot food tradition article, "Cooking Defines Sephardic Jews at Sukkot." Related articles offer New York a [1.73 kbytes more ]
New York: Center for Jewish history
posted 01/16/2007 @ 02:34PM
The Center for Jewish History in New York City houses the American Jewish Historical Society, the American Sephardi Federation, Leo Baeck Institute, Yeshiva University Museum and the YIVO Institute for Jewish Research, and [1.03 kbytes more ]
Epidemics and lost branches
posted 01/16/2007 @ 02:33PM
Why do individuals and entire family branches suddenly disappear?
An Ancestry.com test-drive
posted 01/16/2007 @ 02:31PM
Chicago Sun-Times business writer Howard Wolinsky, who has Lithuanian and Latvian roots, met recently with MyFamily.com’s new chief executive Tim Sullivan to review Ancestry.Com’s expanded resources.
Wolinsky wanted to see if there was any new informati [0.96 kbytes more ]
Gen TV is on right now
posted 01/16/2007 @ 02:30PM
Roots Television is a new venture providing free online genealogy videos to the millions of people interested in family history.
I spent some pleasurable moments looking at the Crimea: A community with many roots
posted 01/16/2007 @ 02:29PM
A current JTA story about the Jewish community in Kerch (Kertch), Crimea – now Ukraine – describes the city’s history and cemetery restoration plans.
The mixed histo [2.95 kbytes more ]
Fixing errors in Yad Vashem Pages of Testimony
posted 01/16/2007 @ 02:29PM
A note of caution concerning Yad Vashem Pages of Testimony: After checking online, I've discovered that there are various transcription errors in the forms I submitted.
As my forms were completed in clearly written [1.57 kbytes more ]
If you are searching your family’s Sephardic roots, check out the name search feature, which contains about [0.41 kbytes more ]
Shaloha from Hawaii
posted 01/16/2007 @ 02:28PM
A few decades or more down the line, as our descendants begin to trace their ancestors (us!), they may be looking in some unusual places, including the Jewish section of a cemetery in Hilo, Hawaii.
Shaloha, of course, combines Shalom and Aloha.
The
Czech it out!
posted 01/16/2007 @ 01:56PM
The discovery of the remains of a medieval Jewish cemetery in Pilsen, Czech Republic, was reported today by JTA.
Researchers from the West Bohemian Institute for Heritage Conservation and Doc [1.03 kbytes more ]
The compact, all-you-need-to-begin, 144-page [1.72 kbytes more ]
BOOK: The Jewish Victorian
posted 01/16/2007 @ 01:53PM
Looking for your family's English branches and mysterious American and Down Under clues?
The Jewish Victorian: Genealogical Information from the Jewish Newspapers 1861-1870 by Doreen Berger, contains all birth, marriage and death records publis [2.94 kbytes more ]
Yesterday, I received the updated fourth edition of Sangre Judia: Espanoles de ascendencia hebrea y antisemitismo cristiano (Jewish Blood: Spaniards of Hebrew Ancestry and Christian Anti-Semit [2.93 kbytes more ]
Restoring Polish Jewish cemeteries
posted 01/16/2007 @ 01:48PM
At this time of year we remember our ancestors and visit the cemeteries where they rest. Those whose families perished in the Holocaust often have none to visit, and many of our ancestral shtetl cemeteries are neglected or worse.
Dr. Norman L. Weinberg, [2.46 kbytes more ]
Are you a Newburger or Neuburger?
posted 01/16/2007 @ 01:47PM
A nice story in the Cleveland Jewish News, www.clevelandjewishnews.com popped up on my screen today:
Genealogy, memoir writing reunites family separated by the Holocaust by John Newburger
In the 67 years since my family fled Nazi Germany, this summ [0.37 kbytes more ]
Did my relative ride with "Black Jack" Pershing?
posted 01/16/2007 @ 01:46PM
Readers’ questions are always welcome. As I look for answers, I range into history, geography and specialized subjects that are new to me. Genealogists never stop learning!
