JewishGen Echo FAQ - Frequently Asked Questions Revision 1.9 - May 1, 1994 Warren Blatt This document, "Frequently Asked Questions" (FAQ), attempts to answer some of the basic questions about Jewish Genealogy posted on this board. TABLE OF CONTENTS: 1) GETTING STARTED 2) PUBLICATIONS 3) JEWISH GENEALOGICAL FAMILY FINDER (JGFF) 4) BOOKS 5) VENDORS 6) JEWISH GENEALOGICAL SOCIETIES (JGSs) 7) SEMINARS ON JEWISH GENEALOGY 8) NATIONAL ARCHIVES 9) VITAL RECORDS (BIRTHS, MARRIAGES & DEATHS) 10) PASSENGER LISTS 11) FINDING YOUR ANCESTRAL TOWN 12) NATURALIZATION RECORDS 13) LDS (MORMON) FAMILY HISTORY CENTERS 14) OTHER ARCHIVES 15) HOLOCAUST RESEARCH 16) JEWISH GENEALOGICAL PEOPLE FINDER (JGPF) 17) JEWISHGEN ECHO 18) GENEALOGICAL SOFTWARE DISTRIBUTION SYSTEM (GSDS) 19) COMPUTER GENEALOGY PROGRAMS 20) GLOSSARY, ABBREVIATIONS 1) GETTING STARTED: If you're just getting started researching your Jewish family history, you should definitely begin by reading either of the following books: Kurzweil, Arthur. "From Generation to Generation: How to Trace Your Jewish Genealogy and Personal History". (New York: William Morrow, 1980). 353 pages. ($13). ISBN 0-8052-0706-6. [Revised edition is due late 1994]. Rottenberg, Dan. "Finding Our Fathers: A Guidebook to Jewish Genealogy". (New York: Random House, 1977). 401 pages. ($14). ISBN 0-8063-1151-7. These two were the pioneering works that helped inspire the modern Jewish genealogical movement, in the late 1970's. Both books are a great inspiration for beginners. However, some of their sources are out-of date; Jewish genealogy has advanced a great deal in the last dozen years. More recent sources are described below. Both books are widely available, and should be held by most public libraries, as well as available in paperback from any good bookstore, and from the vendors listed below (Q#5). Start with what you know. Work from the known to the unknown, one small step at a time. Work backwards from the present, gathering facts as you go. - Interview your relatives. Write or talk to your family members. Ask them about family names, where they lived, when they immigrated, what town they came from. - Check the U.S. Federal Census. Taken every 10 years. The 1920 Census is the most recent available, and is fully indexed. Available at the U.S. National Archives and all 12 branches (See Q#8), and at many libraries. - Check other records: City Directories; Birth, Marriage and Death records (See Q#9); Naturalization records (See Q#12); Passenger Lists (See Q#10); Probate records; deeds, etc. - Coordinate with other genealogists researching the same family names and towns -- consult the Jewish Genealogical Family Finder (JGFF - See Q#3). - Join a Jewish Genealogical Society (JGS - See Q#6). - Subscribe to "Avotaynu" (See Q#2). - Attend a Summer Seminar on Jewish Genealogy (See Q#7). 2) PUBLICATIONS: "Avotaynu: The International Review of Jewish Genealogy" is a quarterly publication, founded in 1985, devoted to Jewish genealogical issues: new record sources, tips on research, travel experiences, book reviews, "Ask the Experts" column, summaries of articles in other sources, and more. It is the premier publication documenting the field today. Avotaynu subscriptions are $24 per year ($32 overseas), and back issues ($7 each) are available from the publisher: Avotaynu, Inc., 1485 Teaneck Road, Teaneck, NJ 07666. Tel. (201) 837-8300. Many Jewish Genealogical Societies (JGSs, see Q#6 below) also publish a journal or newsletter. Some of the better ones include "Dorot" (New York), "Mishpacha" (Greater Washington), "Roots-Key" (Los Angeles) and "Shemot" (Great Britain). A list of these publications, with subscription information, is available in a file called JGSNEWS.ZIP on GSDS (see Q#18 below). 3) JEWISH GENEALOGICAL FAMILY FINDER (JGFF): The Jewish Genealogical Family Finder (JGFF) is a computer- indexed compilation of surnames and towns currently being researched by over 2,000 Jewish genealogists worldwide. It contains over 28,000 entries: 10,000 ancestral surnames and 7,000 town names, and is indexed and cross-referenced by both surname and town name. The JGFF is maintained by Gary Mokotoff of the Jewish Genealogical Society (New York). Researchers should search the JGFF for genealogists with similar research interests, and can then contact them for ex- change of information. The JGFF is a great networking tool, which is updated quarterly. All Jewish Genealogical Societies (JGSs, see Q#6 below) have a print-out copy of the JGFF. The JGFF is also available on over a dozen on-line bulletin boards (see Q#17 on the Jewish Genealogy Echo for information on how to obtain a listing of these BBSs). There is no Internet access currently, but work is in the planning stages. The JGFF is also available for purchase from Avotaynu, Inc. ($40 for hard-copy, $10 for microfiche). Any member of a Jewish Genealogical Society (JGS) may submit up to 16 names/towns for inclusion in the JGFF, free of charge. Additional names are $2.50 per 16 submitted. All genealogists are encouraged to participate. To add your ancestral surnames and towns to the JGFF, request the JGFF application form from your local JGS, or send a SASE to: Jewish Genealogical Family Finder, P.O. Box 1134, Teaneck, NJ 07666. 4) BOOKS: Other useful resources for Jewish genealogy include: "Encyclopedia of Jewish Genealogy, Volume I: Sources in the United States and Canada". Edited by Arthur Kurzweil and Miriam Weiner. (Northvale, NJ: Jason Aronson, Inc., 1991). 226 pages. A summary of North American record repositories and their holdings, with some useful appendi- ces. ($40.00). ISBN 0-87668-835-0. "Where Once We Walked: A Guide to the Jewish Communities Destroyed in the Holocaust". By Gary Mokotoff and Sallyann Amdur Sack. (Teaneck, NJ: Avotaynu Press, 1991). 514 pages. A gazetteer of over 21,000 Central and Eastern European localities, arranged alphabetically and phoneti- cally, with references for each locality. ($70.00). ISBN 0-9626373-1-9. Zubatsky, David S. and Irwin M. Berent. "Jewish Genealogy: A Source Book of Family Histories and Genealogies". (New York: Garland, 1984, 1991). Two volumes: 422 pages, 452 pages. A guide to published and manuscript genealogies in archives and libraries, arranged by surname. ($24.00). ISBN 0-8240-9028-4. Guzik, Estelle, editor. "Genealogical Resources in the New York Metropolitan Area". (New York: Jewish Genealogical Society, 1989). 404 pages. A detailed guide to every agency in New York City and environs that could provide data useful to Jewish genealogical research. ($30.00). ISBN 0-9621863-0-9. Wolfman, Ira. "Do People Grow on Family Trees? Genealogy for Kids and Other Beginners". (New York: Workman Publishing, 1991). 179 pages. "The Official Ellis Island Handbook". A good introduction for people of all ages. ($10.00). ISBN 0-89480-348-4. American-oriented genealogical guides are available at any public library. Beware that these works usually focus strictly on Anglo-American ancestry, concentrating on such topics as Revolutionary and Civil War records, land records, pioneer trails, church and town records, the Colonial period, etc. They usually ignore sources important for Jewish researchers such as immigration and naturalization records, but are useful for their methodology. Some recommended books are: Greenwood, Val D. "The Researcher's Guide to American Gene- alogy". 2nd edition. (Baltimore: Genealogical Publishing Co., 1990). 623 pages. ($25.00). ISBN 0-8062-1267-X. Doane, Gilbert H. and James B. Bell. "Searching for Your Ancestors: The How and Why of Genealogy". 6th edition. (Minneapolis: University of Minnesota Press, 1992). 352 pages. Eakle, Arlene and Johni Cerny, eds. "The Source: A Guidebook of American Genealogy". (Salt Lake City: Ancestry, Inc., 1984). 786 pages. ($40.00). ISBN 0-916489-000. "Ancestry's Red Book: American State, County and Town Sources". Edited by Alice Eichholz. Revised Edition. (Salt Lake City: Ancestry, Inc., 1992). 858 pages. ($40.00). ISBN 0-916489-47-7. "Guide to Genealogical Research in the National Archives". (Washington, D.C.: National Archives and Records Service, 1985). 304 pages. ($35.00). ISBN 0-911333-01-0. 5) VENDORS: The following firms sell genealogical books and supplies: Genealogy Unlimited, Inc. P.O. Box 537 Orem, UT 84059-0537 (800) 666-4363 Ancestry, Inc. P.O. Box 476 Salt Lake City, UT 84110-0476 (800) 531-1790 Genealogical Publishing Co. 1001 N. Calvert St. Baltimore, MD 21202-3897 (301) 837-8271 Hearthstone Bookshop Potomac Square 8405-H Richmond Highway Alexandria, VA 22309 (703) 360-6900 L'Dor V'Dor 203 Commack Road, Suite 138 Commack, NY 11725 (516) 462-1191 All of the books mentioned in this FAQ list are available from one or more of the above vendors. 6) JEWISH GENEALOGICAL SOCIETIES (JGSs): There are over 50 Jewish Genealogical Societies (JGSs) world- wide, in 40 U.S. cities, plus Australia, Brazil, Canada, France, Germany, Great Britain, Israel, Netherlands, Romania, Russia and Switzerland. For the address of the JGS nearest you, send an SASE to the Association of Jewish Genealogical Societies (AJGS), 1485 Teaneck Road, Teaneck, NJ 07666. The addresses of all JGSs are published annually in the Spring issue of Avotaynu (see Q#2 above). Here are addresses of some of the larger JGSs: - New York: JGS, Inc., P.O. Box 6398, New York, NY 10128 - Los Angeles: JGS of LA, P.O. Box 55443, Sherman Oaks, CA 91343 - Chicago: JGS of Illinois, P.O. Box 515, Northbrook, IL 60065 - Washington, DC: JGS of Greater Washington, P.O. Box 412, Vienna, VA 22183-0412 - Cleveland: JGS of Cleveland, 996 Eastlawn Dr., Highland Heights, OH 44143 - Boston: JGS of Greater Boston, P.O. Box 366, Newton Highlands, MA 02161-0004 - Philadelphia: JGS of Philadelphia, 332 Harrison Ave., Elkins Park, PA 19117-2662 - Toronto: JGS of Canada, PO Box 446, Station "A", Willowdale, Ontario M2N 5T1 - London: JGS of England, 36 Woodstock Rd., Golders Green, London NW 11 8ER Your local JGS is your best source for learning and sharing research ideas. Most JGSs hold monthly meetings and publish a newsletter (see Q#2). In addition to local JGSs, there are also several "Special Interest Groups" (SIGs), whose interest is a geographic region of origin. Currently formed SIGs and their publications are: - Germany: "Stammbaum", $20/year, c/o Harry Katzman, 1601 Cougar Court, Winter Springs, FL 32708-3855. - Romania: "ROM-SIG News", $15/year, c/o Gene Starn, P.O. Box 520583, Longwood, FL 32752. - Suwalk & Lomza gubernias (today southern Lithuania and northeast Poland): "Landsmen", $22/year, c/o Marlene Silverman, 3701 Connecticut Avenue NW, Apt. 228, Washington DC 20008. - Galicia (today southern Poland and western Ukraine): "The Galitzianer", $15/year, c/o Suzan Wynne, 3128 Brooklawn Terrace, Chevy Chase, MD 20815. - Hungary (and Hungarian-speaking regions): $7/year, H-SIG, c/o Louis Schonfeld, P.O. Box 34152, Cleveland, OH 44134-0852. - Czech/Slovak: c/o Mindy Gottesgen, 733 Juniper Walk, Apt. B, Goleta, CA 93317. 7) SEMINARS ON JEWISH GENEALOGY: Since 1981, an annual "Summer Seminar on Jewish Genealogy" has been held, in a different city each year. Upcoming seminars are: 1994, Apr 29 - May 5: Jerusalem 1995, June 25 - 29: Washington, DC 1996, July: Boston 8) NATIONAL ARCHIVES: The U.S. National Archives in Washington, D.C. is THE primary source for U.S. Federal Census Records, Passenger Lists, Military Records, and some Naturalization records. The Archives is located at 8th and Pennsylvania Ave. N.W., Washington, DC 20408. In addition to the above-mentioned "Guide to Genealogical Research in the National Archives" (see Q#4), the National Archives in Washington sells some publications which can be useful. They are described in the free booklet "Aids for Genealogical Research" (29 pages), available from the National Archives Trust Fund Board, Washington DC, 20408. Among the publications offered are a series subtitled "A Select Catalog of National Archives Microfilm Publications", which list the reel-by-reel contents of many of the National Archives microfilmed records. These inexpensive catalogs can be very useful for locating the correct reel of microfilm on which to find a record of your ancestor. Census records are most valuable and easy to use. The U.S. Federal Census has been taken every ten years, since 1790. The 1920 Census is the most recent publicly available (there's a 72-year privacy rule. More recent records are restricted to the persons in the record or their heirs. Write to: Personal Census Service Branch, Bureau of the Census, P.O. Box 1545, Jeffersonville, IN 47130). Most census records have been indexed: 1790-1870: Privately compiled published indexes for most states. 1880: Partial index for all states. Includes only households with children under aged 10. Soundex index, by state. 1890: Census destroyed in a fire, thus no index. 1900: Complete soundex index for each state. 1910: Soundex index for only 21 states (none in the northeast). 1920: Complete soundex index for each state. In addition to the main archive in Washington, the National Archives maintains twelve "Regional Archives" across the country. Each Regional Archives has the complete U.S. Census on microfilm (All states, 1790-1920), selected microfilmed records (Military records, Passenger Lists, others), and local Federal records (including Federal court naturalizations, see Q#12) for that region. The twelve branches are: - New England (CT, ME, MA, NH, RI, VT): 380 Trapelo Rd., Waltham, MA 02154 - Northeast (NJ, NY, PR, VI): 201 Varick St., New York, NY 10014 - Mid-Atlantic (DE, PA, MD, VA, WV): 9th & Market Sts., Room 1350, Philadelphia, PA 19107 - Southeast (AL, GA, FL, KY, MI, NC, SC, TN): 1557 St. Joseph Ave., East Point, GA 30344 - Great Lakes (IL, IN, MI, MN, OH, WI): 7358 S. Pulaski Rd., Chicago, IL 60629 - Central Plains (IA, KS, MS, NE): 2312 East Bannister Rd., Kansas City, MO 64131 - Southwest (AK, LA, NM, OK, TX): 510 W. Felix St., P.O. Box 6216, Ft. Worth, TX 76115 - Rocky Mountain (CO, MO, ND, SD, UT, WY): Bldg. 48, Denver Federal Center, Denver, CO 80225-0307 - Pacific Sierra (CA North, HI, NV, AS): 1000 Commodore Dr., San Bruno, CA 94066 - Pacific Southwest (CA South, AZ): 24000 Avila Rd., P.O. Box 6719, Laguna Niguel, CA 92607 - Pacific Northwest (ID, OR, WA): 6125 Sand Point Way NE, Seattle, WA 98115 - Alaska (AK): 654 West Third Ave., Anchorage, AK 99501 Nearly all National Archives microfilms are also available through all LDS (Mormon) Family History Centers (see Q#13 below). 9) VITAL RECORDS (BIRTHS, MARRIAGES & DEATHS): In the U.S., vital records are maintained by the individual states, not the Federal government. There is no nationwide registry of births, marriages or deaths. The complete listing of addresses and fees for each state is provided in the government publication "Where to Write for Vital Records (Births, Deaths, Marriages and Divorces)" (Washington: U.S. Dept. of Health & Human Services, March 1993). This 30-page booklet is available for $2.25 from the U.S. Government Printing Office, Washington, DC 20402-9325, Tel. (202) 783-3238, or at any U.S. Government Printing Office Bookstore. This information is also provided in "Ancestry's Red Book" (see Q#4 above) and Thomas J. Kemp's "International Vital Records Handbook". Some older U.S. vital records and/or indexes (e.g. New York City, Mass., Ill., Calif.) have been microfilmed, and are thus available through the LDS (see Q#13 below). Look in the FHLC Locality section under the headings "[State] - VITAL RECORDS" and "[State] - VITAL RECORDS - INDEXES". A source which may serve as a substitute for a nationwide index of deaths is the "Social Security Death Index" (SSDI). It is an index of 40 million U.S. residents who died between 1962 and 1988 and had Social Security Numbers. The SSDI is available on CD-ROM at nearly all LDS Family History Centers (See Q#13). The SSDI will tell you the date and place of death, so you can then write to the state for a death certificate. It also provides the Social Security Number, which you can use to write for a copy of that person's original Social Security application, $7.00 to: Freedom of Information Officer, 4H8 Annex Building, 6401 Security Blvd., Baltimore, MD 21235 Tel. (410) 965-3962. 10) PASSENGER LISTS: Lists of passengers arriving at U.S. ports have been maintained by the Federal government since 1820. U.S. Passenger Arrival Lists generally provide the name, age, and country of origin for each arriving person. Relatively few U.S. lists prior to 1890 show the town or city of origin; later lists provide the specific place of last residence and/or birthplace, and much more. Passenger lists are arranged by port, and then chronologically by date of arrival. The National Archives in Washington (see Q#8 above) has custody of these lists, which have been microfilmed. Indexes to most ports were prepared by the WPA, but they are not complete. The following chart shows the five major U.S. ports of entry on the Atlantic coast: Port Passengers Lists Indexes New York 24.0 M 1820-1957 1820-1846, 1897-1948 Boston 2.0 M 1820-1943 1848-1891, 1902-1920 Baltimore 1.5 M 1820-1948 1820-1952 Philadelphia 1.2 M 1800-1945 1800-1948 New Orleans 0.7 M 1820-1945 1853-1952 The second column shows the number of passengers, in millions, that arrived at each port between 1820 and 1920. There are also lists for several minor ports, as well as the Canadian border. As you can see, the large majority of passengers arrived at New York, and there are large gaps in the indexes, especially for periods of major Jewish immigration. The following books are helpful for immigration research: Colletta, John P. "They Came in Ships". (Salt Lake City: Ancestry, Inc., 1989, 1993). 108 pages. An easy to use guide for beginners, step-by-step instructions -- highly recommended. ($10.00). ISBN 0-916489-42-6. Tepper, Michael. "American Passenger Arrival Records". (Baltimore: Genealogical Publishing Co., 1988, 1993). 142 pages. Scholarly, comprehensive guide. ($20.00). ISBN 0-8063-1380-3. "Immigrant and Passenger Arrivals: A Select Catalog of National Archives Microfilm Publications". (Washington: National Archives Trust Fund Board, 1983, 1991). 171 pages. Reel-by-reel listing of all microfilms of passenger lists. ($5.00 - see Q#8). ISBN 0-911333-05-3. Because passenger lists are arranged by port and then chronologically, it's important to know when and where your ancestor arrived. This information can usually be found on Naturalization papers (See Q#12). The U.S. Census for 1900, 1910 and 1920 lists the year of immigration, and 1920 lists the year of Naturalization. If you know the exact date and port of arrival, you can order a copy of the ship passenger list directly from the National Archives. Submit National Archives Form NATF-81, "Order for Copies of Ship Passenger Arrival Records", available from the General Reference Branch National Archives 7th and Pennsylvania Avenue NW Washington DC 20408 The search is free, and you will be billed $10.00 if you wish to receive a copy of the passenger list. These are large full-size copies, 18" x 24", providing much information, especially for 20th century immigrants. The National Archives staff will also search the available indexes for you, if you provide the passenger's full name, port of entry, and approximate date of arrival. However, always be aware that no one can do your genealogy as well as you can -- no one else will be as thorough, and check alternate spellings of names, broader ranges of dates, etc. It's always best to search the original records yourself. Use John Colletta's book as a guide. Searching passenger lists and indexes can be challenging and time-consuming, but it pays off in the end. You can find your immigrant ancestor on a ship manifest, if you work at it. These passenger lists were filled out on board by the ship's purser, and checked by customs or immigration authorities upon arrival. Thus the names on these lists are the European, pre- Americanized versions of names. The names were written down the way that they sounded. Do NOT expect to find your ancestor's name spelled as it is today -- realize that your immigrant ancestor wouldn't be able to recognize the written name even if it were shown to him/her, if they read only Russian and/or Yiddish/Hebrew. If you know the name of the ship upon which your ancestor arrived, you can find the dates on which that ship arrived in the "Morton Allan Directory of European Passenger Steamship Arrivals" (1931, reprinted by Genealogical Publishing Co., 1987, 268 pages, $15, ISBN 0-8063-0830-3). It lists names of vessels arriving by year, steamship company and date of arrival at the ports of New York, 1890-1930, and of Baltimore, Boston and Philadelphia, 1904-1926. This can help narrow down your search. If your ancestor arrived during a period for which the port is unindexed, you have no choice but to search every list, line by line, for that year. The passenger list microfilms are available at the National Archives in Washington, and portions are available at the various Regional Archives (see Q#8). All passenger lists and indexes may also be borrowed through all LDS Family History Centers (see Q#13). There are some published indexes to passenger lists, most covering Colonial immigrants, or a particular ethnic group for a small set of years. See the bibliographies in Colletta or Tepper for a complete list. The most important of these for Jewish research is "Germans to America", edited by Ira Glazier, which covers arrivals of German passengers for 1850-1880. This ongoing series (36 volumes so far) is available at most major libraries. There are no published indexes for Eastern European immigrants thus far, but one is in the works (due in late 1994), covering Russian Jewish arrivals, 1880-1887. The LDS have also announced an effort to index New York passenger lists. The next few years should see major progress in this area. CANADA: The National Archives of Canada (395 Wellington St., Ottawa K1A 0N3 Canada) has microfilm copies of passenger manifests for ships arriving at six Canadian ports, including Quebec (from 1865) and Halifax (from 1880) up to 1919. These lists are arranged chronologically; there is NO name index. Records after 1920 are subject to restrictions of the Privacy Act. Inquiries may be addressed to Query Response Centre, Employment and Immigration Canada, 10th Floor, Place du Portage, Phase IV, Hull, Quebec K1A 0J9 Canada. HAMBURG PASSENGER LISTS: The port of Hamburg, Germany, maintained lists of emigrating passengers for 1850-1934. About 40% of Eastern European Jewish immigrants (Polish, Russian, Hungarian, etc.) left via Hamburg. These lists contain the emigrant's town of origin. They are indexed by year and the first letter of each passenger's surname, so some searching is required. The lists and indexes have been microfilmed, and are available through LDS Family History Centers. See the article by Daniel M. Schlyter in "The Encyclopedia of Jewish Genealogy" (See Q#4), pages 9-12, and the list of microfilm reel numbers on pages 163-167. END OF PART 1 - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Vicki Lindsay Thauvin Administrator of vicki@thauvin.net the GENEALOG files on Roots-L, the genealogy list