RESEARCH OUTLINE

Jewish Genealogy

CONTENTS

Introduction. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1Jewish Search Strategies. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1Finding Jewish Records in the Family

History Library Catalog. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5Maps of Jews in Europe. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7Archives and Libraries. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9Biography. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11Business Records and Commerce. . . . . . . . . . . . 12Cemeteries. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13Census. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15Chronology. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17Church Records. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18Civil Registration.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18Concentration Camps. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21Court Records. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22Directories. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22Divorce Records. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23Emigration and Immigration. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23Encyclopedias and Dictionaries. . . . . . . . . . . . . 24Gazetteers. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25Genealogy. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29Holocaust, Jewish (19391945). . . . . . . . . . . . . 31Inquisition. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33Jewish History. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33Jewish Records. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35Language and Languages. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37Maps. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38Military Records. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40Minorities. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41Names, Personal. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41Naturalization and Citizenship. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45Newspapers. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 46Nobility. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 47Notarial Records. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 47Obituaries. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 48Occupations. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 48Orphans and Orphanages.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 49Periodicals. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 49Population. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 50Probate Records.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 51Schools.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 52Social Life and Customs. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 52Societies.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 53Synagogue Records. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 55Taxation. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 55Vital Records. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 56Voting Registers. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 57Other Records. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 58For Further Reading.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 58Comments and Suggestions. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 58Glossary. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 59

INTRODUCTION

This outline introduces records and strategies thatcan help you learn more about your Jewishancestors. It teaches terminology and describes thecontent, use, and availability of majorgenealogical records.

Using This Outline

This outline will help you evaluate various recordsand decide which records to search as you traceyour Jewish ancestors. Records that are uniquelyJewish are listed, as are other general sources, thatmay contain the information you are searching for.These record sources are often created by thegovernment or other organizations and list detailsabout all people.

This outline discusses in alphabetical order manymajor topics used for genealogical research, suchas Archives and Libraries, Civil Registration,and Military Records. Church Records arediscussed because many churches, which werestate churches of various countries, recordedinformation for Jews in certain time periods.Furthermore, where there were few Jews, Jewishbirths, marriages, and deaths were recorded by thelocal churches.

At the end of this outline you will find a list ofadditional subject headings under OtherRecords, a short bibliography of sources underFurther Reading, and a glossary.

JEWISH SEARCH STRATEGIES

Those doing research on Jewish families shouldfirst follow the genealogy strategies and methodsfor the area where the family was from. Researchoutlines and other research aids can help you learnabout records and formulate strategies. In additionto general sources, which list all of the populationincluding Jews, there are many books, indexes,and other resources that have been created forJewish research in particular. This is not acomprehensive listing of Jewish records availableat the Family History Library but does listexamples of the major types of records available.

2The following basic steps for genealogical researchwill help get you started:

Step 1. Identify What You Know about YourFamily

Begin your research at home. Look for names,dates, and places in certificates, letters, obituaries,diaries, and similar sources. Ask relatives for anyinformation they may have. Record the informationyou find on pedigree charts and family grouprecord forms.

Step 2. Decide What You Want to Learn

Choose an ancestor to research for whom you knowat least a name, the town where he or she lived, andan approximate date of birth. The more you knowabout your ancestor, the more successful you willbe with further research.

It is best to begin by verifying the information youalready have. Then you can decide what else youwant to learn about that ancestor. You may want toask an experienced researcher or a librarian to helpyou choose a goal.

Step 3. Select a Record to Search

Effective researchers first find backgroundinformation. Then they survey compiled sourcesand finally they search original records. ForFurther Reading in this outline has a list ofgenealogy how-to books, both general andgeographically specific, that give information abouttracing Jewish ancestors.

Background Information Sources. You musthave some geographical and historical information.This will help you focus your research in thecorrect place and time period.

Find the place of residence. Use maps,gazetteers, histories, and other place-finding aidsto learn about each place where your ancestorlived. Identify governmental and ecclesiasticaljurisdictions, local Jewish congregations, cities,counties, and other geographical features.

Review local history. Jewish history and thehistory of the area your ancestor lived inaffected the records about the Jews. SeeGazetteers and Jewish History in thisoutline for more information. If there is aresearch outline for the country or state where

your ancestor lived, see Gazetteers andHistory in that outline.

Learn about the jurisdictions of the placeswhere your ancestors lived. You will need toknow about civil and often church boundaries.See Gazetteers in this outline for moreinformation.

Use language helps. Jewish records may be inYiddish, Hebrew, or in the language of thecountry of residence. Some church records forJews may be in Latin. See Language andLanguages in this outline.

Compiled Records. Surveying research alreadydone by others can save time and reveal valuableinformation. Check compiled sources such as:

Private collections of family histories andgenealogies deposited in historical andgenealogical societies and other libraries

Printed family histories and genealogies Family histories, genealogies, and abstracts or

transcripts of records on the Internet Compiled records of the Family History Library FamilySearch International Genealogical

Index (IGI) FamilySearch Personal Ancestral File Vital Records Index British Isles and Vital

Records Index North America. SeeGenealogy in this outline for details aboutthese sources. Similar indexes for othercountries are in production.

Pedigree Resource File

These records are described in Biography,Genealogy, and Societies in this outline.Remember, information in compiled records mayhave some inaccuracies, and the information inthem should be verified.

Original Records. After surveying previousresearch, you can begin searching originaldocuments, which are often handwritten andcopied on microfilm or microfiche. Originaldocuments provide first-hand informationrecorded at or near the time of an event by areliable witness. To do thorough research, youshould search:

Jurisdictions that may have kept records aboutyour ancestor.

Records of Jewish communities.

3Most researchers begin with civil registration,census records, church records, or probate records.

Step 4. Use the Internet

Many individuals and organizations have madefamily history information available on theInternet. This is particularly true of recordspertaining to the Jews. Internet sites often refer toinformation others have placed on the Internet.These sites, also called home pages or web sites,are connected with other sites to create the WorldWide Web (www). Each site on the Internet has anaddress that enables you to go directly to that site.The most popular starting sites for genealogistsinclude:

http://www.familysearch.org/http://www.cyndislist.com/http://www.usgenweb.org/http://.worldgenweb.org/http://homepages.rootsweb.com/

For Jewish research, the most helpful sites are:

http://www.jewishgen.org/http://www.feefhs.org/

You can use search engines to search a broad rangeof Internet sites that contain certain keywords. Forexample, if you want to find Jewish cemeteryrecords for a certain place, type in Jewish andcemetery and Berlin in a search engine, whichwill present a list of sites that contain these words.Different search engines search in different ways,so you may want to try more than one.

Many books about using the Internet are availableat libraries and bookstores. Some list Internet sitesof interest to genealogists. Guides listed in thisoutline can be purchased from:

Distribution Center1999 West 1700 SouthSalt Lake City, UT 84104-4233

LDS Distribution Centre 399 Garretts Green LaneBirmingham B33 0UHEngland

You can also order Family and Church HistoryDepartment resources through the Internet at:

http://www.familysearch.org/

Step 5. Find and Search the Record

Suggestions for Obtaining Records. You may beable to get the records you need in the followingways:

Family History Library. The Library is open tothe public and charges no fees for using therecords. For more information, write to:

Family History Library35 North West Temple StreetSalt Lake City, UT 84150-3400

Family History Centers. The Family HistoryLibrary can loan copies of most records onmicrofilm to thousands of family historycenters worldwide. There is a small duplicationand postage fee for this service.

Local Archives and Libraries. Although theFamily History Library has many records onmicrofilm or microfiche, others are availableonly at local or national archives and libraries.See the Archives and Libraries section of thisoutline for more information.

Libraries and Interlibrary Loan. Public,academic, and other research libraries may havesome published sources for Jewish research.Many provide interlibrary loan services thatallow you to borrow records from otherlibraries.

Look-Up Exchange. There are lists of people onthe Internet who will search various types ofrecords for certain areas free of charge. Youcan locate these lists through Internet sites suchas:

http://www.genuki.org/ (for the BritishIsles)

Jewish Genealogical Societies. JewishGenealogical Societies around the world haveinformation about their respective Jewishcommunities. Such information includes thehistory of, and relevant resources for, thatlocality. Some societies will do limited localresearch for you. A list of these societies can befound at:

http://www.iajgs.org

4 Jewish Genealogical Special Interest Groups(SIGs). Jewish Genealogical SIGs focus on acommon area of interest. Often this isgeographic (e.g. Galicia or Lithuania). But somefocus on other areas (e.g. Sephardim orRabbinic). Most SIGs maintain onlinediscussion groups that you can use to ask othersrelevant questions to assist you:

http://www.jewishgen.org

Professional Researchers. You can hire aresearcher, many of whom specialize in Jewishresearch. Others specialize in research in variouscountries or states. Lists of qualifiedprofessional researchers for variousgeographical areas are available from the FamilyHistory Library. Archives or family historysocieties may also provide lists of people whocan do research for you. Jewish and othergenealogical periodicals usually contain namesand addresses of people or companies that doresearch for hire. Researchers can also be foundon genealogy Internet sites.

Photocopies. The Family History Library andsome other libraries offer limited photoduplica-tion services for a small fee. Books protected bycopyright cannot be copied in their entirety.However, a few pages can usually be copied forpersonal research (you must specify the exactpages you need). The library does not copy largeportions of a microfilm. To get a copy of a majorportion of a film, write to the archive where theoriginal material is stored for permission andthen contact the library with your request.

To contact libraries or professional researchers orany other family historian, write a brief, specificletter. Enclose a self-addressed, stamped, longenvelope when writing within your own country.When writing to a foreign country, enclose threeinternational reply coupons (available from yourpost office). You will usually need to pay inadvance for photocopy or search services.

Suggestions for Searching Records. Follow theseprinciples as you search records for your ancestor:

Search for one generation at a time. Do not try toconnect your family to others who have the samesurname if they lived more than a generationearlier than your proven ancestor.

Search for your ancestors entire family.Records may contain clues for identifying otherfamily members. Search other record types andin other localities to find a missing familymember.

Search each source thoroughly. A small pieceof information in a record may provide the clueneeded to continue your research.

Search several years before and after the dateyou think an event occurred. Dates in somesources may not be accurate.

Do not make assumptions. Your ancestor maynot have been born in the place or the year thatyour records indicate. And the name you knewhim or her by may not be the legal namerecorded in official government documents.

Use indexes. Although not every record hasbeen indexed, many have been. Look for anindex that includes the time period, event, andplace you need. Many indexes include onlysome of the people mentioned in the record.Make sure you check the original records afterusing an index.

Be aware that most Jews did not have surnamesprior to 1800. Before surnames were adopted,Jews used a patronymic naming system.

Watch for spelling variations. Spelling was notstandardized until the late 1800s, and nameswere often written phonetically. Also, if afamily moved to a new country with a newlanguage, they often changed the spelling oftheir name to phonetically conform to thatcountrys language.

Step 6. Use the Information

Evaluate the Information You Find. Decide ifthe information you find is complete and accurate.Ask yourself the following questions:

Who provided the information? Did that personwitness the event?

Was the information recorded near the time ofthe event or later?

Is the information logical and consistent withother sources about the family?

Does it suggest other places, events, timeperiods, or records to search?

5Record Your Searches and Findings. Copy theinformation you find and keep notes about eachrecord you search. Note where and by whom therecords were made, even those that provide noinformation.

Share Your Information with Others. Yourfamily history can become a source of enjoymentand education for yourself and your family. Youmay want to compile your family history and shareit with family members or other people.

The Family Tree of the Jewish People is an Internetsite where you can contribute your own genealogyas well as search the database of Jewishgenealogies that have been submitted by others.This resource is available at:

http://www.jewishgen.org/gedcom/

Information can also be submitted to the PedigreeResource File at:

http://www.familysearch.org/

FINDING JEWISH RECORDS INTHE FAMILY HISTORY LIBRARYCATALOG

The key to finding Jewish records in the FamilyHistory Librarys collection is the Family HistoryLibrary Catalog. The catalog describes each of thelibrarys records and provides its call number. Thecatalog is available on compact disc (Windowsversion) as part of the FamilySearch computerprogram, and on the Internet at:

http://www.familysearch.org/

Click on Custom Search on the home page, thenclick on Family History Library Catalog.

The CD Windows version of the catalog isavailable at the Family History Library, familyhistory centers, and some other libraries andarchives. You can also buy the Windows version atthe Distribution Center (see Introduction for theaddress).

Because there are two different versions of thecatalog, including the one that is available on theInternet, there are several different ways to search.Be creative when using the catalog.

The Windows version of the Family HistoryLibrary Catalog has eight types of searches:

Title Search Author Search Film/Fiche Search Place Search Surname Search Keyword Search Call Number Search Subject Search

The Family History Library Catalog on theInternet currently has five types of searches:

Author Search Film/Fiche Search Place Search Surname Search Call Number Search

Subject Search

One of the most effective ways to locate Jewishrecords in the fiche catalog is by Subject Search.Many Jewish records are found under the subjectheadings Jewish History and Jewish Records.Other subject headings that should be searchedinclude: Church Records, Civil Registration,Concentration Camps, Genealogy, Holocaust,Inquisition, and Minorities. All these records havegeographical tracings, which enables you tochoose the record by place that is appropriate toyour research.

The Windows CD version of the Family HistoryLibrary also contains a Subject Search option.

Place Search

Another effective way to locate Jewish records isby the Place Search. The Place Search lists recordsaccording to geographical area. The records arelisted by the name of government jurisdictionsfrom the largest to the smallest reference.Different countries refer to these levels bydifferent names; however three levels aregenerally used in the Family History LibraryCatalog:

Largest: Continents, regions, or countries

Middle: Countries divided into administrationareas such as states, provinces, counties, anddepartments

6Smallest: Each administrative area divided intolocal areas such as parishes, municipalities,townships, towns, and cities

An exception to this system is the United Statesand Canada, where the state or province is listed onthe largest level, the county on the middle level,and the town or township on the smallest level.

For example, in the Place Search look for:

The place where an ancestor lived, such as:

EUROPE (by continent)GERMANY (by country)AUSTRALIA, NEW SOUTH WALES

(by country, state)FRANCE, BAS-RHIN, ROSENWILLER

(by country, department, parish)POLAND, GDANSK, GDANSK

(by country, county, city)CHILE, TALCA, MOLINA

(by country, province, municipality)

Then choose the record type you want, such as:

JEWISH RECORDSCEMETERIESCIVIL REGISTRATION or VITAL RECORDS

For example:

EUROPE EMIGRATION ANDIMMIGRATION INDEXES This search by continent lists the Wrttembergemigration index

GREAT BRITAIN JEWISH RECORDSThis search by region lists the Isabel Mordycollection of Jewish pedigrees

UNITED STATES CENSUS 1890This search by country lists the surviving 1890census or population schedules

GERMANY, BADEN CENSUSThis search by country and state lists the 1939non-Germanic minority census for that state

ILLINOIS, COOK, CHICAGO JEWISHRECORDS

This search by state (United States), county,and city lists synagogue and other Jewishrecords in Chicago.

Keyword Search

The Keyword Search, found only in the Windowsversion of the catalog, is an easy and effective wayto search for Jewish records. This powerful toolallows you to search for records using keywords.For example, you may type in Jews census orCensus of Jews to locate census records that areunique to the Jews. Circumcision records can befound using the keywords Jewish records orcircumcision. The key words Church recordsJews locate synagogue records of Jews inQuebec, Canada, that were turned in as part ofcivil registration.

You can also do a wildcard search using Jew*.This search brings up all the records in the Librarythat have this word (including Jewish and Jews) inthe title, in catalog notes, or in a catalog referencecitation.

Use several different keywords or combination ofkeywords in looking for specific record sources.The way they are listed or described in the catalogaffects how you find them by Keyword Search.

Jewish Records in the Family History LibraryCatalog

The database Jewish Records in the FamilyHistory Library Catalog, prepared for theInternational Association of Jewish GenealogicalSocieties (IAJGS) is an inventory of microfilms,microfiche and books, that are specifically Jewishgenealogical sources, and that are available at theFamily History Library. The first stage of thisdatabase was completed in 2000; it has beenupdated with additional sources. Researchersshould, however, check for current resources usingtechniques described elsewhere in this publication,for materials that have not yet been includes in thedatabase as well for other materials that arevaluable genealogical sources that includes Jewishpeople along with others in the population (see theSections: Census, Passenger Lists, Vital Records,etc.) The Jewish Records in the Family HistoryLibrary Catalog, can be found at:

http://www.jewishgen.org/databases/FHL/C

7Gray area shows the western area of the Russian Empire in which Jews were legally allowed to live. Thisruling began with the first partition of Poland in 1772 and ended after World War 1.

8

9ARCHIVES AND LIBRARIES

Archives collect and preserve original documentscreated by organizations such as governments orreligious institutions. Libraries generally collectpublished sources such as books, city directories,and maps. Many of the records discussed in thisoutline are deposited in archives and librariesthroughout the world. This section describes themajor repositories housing records that may beused for Jewish historical and genealogicalresearch.

If you plan to visit one of these repositoriespersonally, first contact the organization and askfor information about their collection, hours,services, and fees. Ask if they require you to havea readers ticket (a paper indicating you are aresponsible researcher) and how to obtain one.

Remember, the Family History Library may have aprinted or microfilmed copy of the records youneed.

The following publication lists addresses andtelephone numbers of many local and statearchives:

Archivum: Revue Internationale des ArchivesPublie avec le Concours Financier delUNESCO et sous les Auspices du ConseilInternationale des Archives (Archivum:International Listing of Archives Publishedwith Financial Assistance of Unesco andunder the Authority of the ICA). Paris:Presses Universitaires de France, 1992.(FHL book 020.5 Ar25 v. 38). Much of thetext is in English.

There are many Internet sites that have informationabout archives and libraries. One site that listsdetails about various archives and libraries bygeographical locations (country and state) is:

http://www.cyndislist.com

Many archives and libraries house significantcollections on subjects relating to Jewish history,historical events, and people. Staff at manyarchives and libraries usually will not undertakegenealogical research. However, they may be ableto locate and copy documents in their collection ifyou are reasonably specific in your request.

YIVO Institute

The YIVO Institute was established to preserveEast European Jewish heritage and is currently theworlds leading research center for East EuropeanJewish studies. Among its holdings are the worldslargest collection of Yiddish books and materialsrelating to the history and culture of EasternEuropean Jewry. They also have extensiveresources to aid in the genealogical research ofEastern Europe including encyclopedias,gazetteers, yizkor books (Holocaust town memorialbooks), reference books on the geographicaldistribution of Jewish family names, biographicaldirectories, and Landsmanshaft records.

You can contact the YIVO Institute at:

YIVO Institute for Jewish ResearchCenter for Jewish History15 West 16th StreetNew York, NY 10011Internet: www.yivoinstitute.org

Leo Baeck Institute

The Leo Baeck Institute is dedicated to preservingthe history of Jewish communities of German-speaking nations. All geographic areas whereGerman was spoken are documented in theInstitutes library and archive. Its collections datefrom the 17th century to the Holocaust and includefamily pedigrees, family histories, memoirs, andJewish community histories. The institute has aFamily Research Department to help genealogists.

You can contact the Leo Baeck institute at:

Leo Baeck InstituteCenter for Jewish History15 West 16th StreetNew York, NY 10011Internet: www.bi.org

The Institute also operates offices in England andIsrael:

Leo Baeck Institute4 Devonshire StreetLondon W1N 2BHEngland

Leo Baeck Institute33 Bustanai Street91082 JerusalemIsraelInternet: www.leobeck.org

10

Holocaust Memorial Museums

Yad Vashem is the major repository in the worldfor information about the Holocaust. The YadVashem library contains more than 85,000volumes documenting the Holocaust and includesthe worlds largest collection of yizkor books. Alsoat Yad Vashem are the only publically availablecopies of the records of the International TracingService, a manuscript collection called Pages ofTestimony that identifies more than three millionJews murdered in the Holocaust, and many oral orwritten testimonies of Holocaust survivors.

You can contact the Yad Vashem library at:

Yad Vashem Martyrs and Heroes Remembrance AuthorityP.O. Box 347791034 JerusalemIsrael

Online information about Yad Vashem is availableat: http://www.yadvashem.org/

The United States Holocaust Memorial Museumprovides access to archived material relating to theHolocaust. Its Survivors Registry and otherresources such as transport lists, death lists, yizkorbooks, personal papers, and oral histories can beused to determine the fate of Holocaust victimsand survivors. Most materials are in English,German, Polish, Russian, Yiddish, or Hebrew.

Library staff will not do genealogical research. Anonline catalog of their holdings is available at:

http://www.ushmm.org/

You can contact the museum at:

United States Holocaust Memorial Museum100 Raoul Wallenberg Place, SWWashington, DC 20024-2150

Other Libraries and Archives

The Library of Congress houses hundreds ofyizkor books as well as an extensive collection onthe Holocaust and all aspects of Jewish history andculture. An online catalog is available at:

http://www.loc.gov/

You can contact the Library of Congress at:

Library of Congress101 Independence Ave. SEWashington, DC 20540

The Hebraic Section is located in the AdamsBuilding at 110 2nd Str., SE Washington, D.C.

The Jewish Public Library of Montreal has a largecollection of yizkor books and the largest publiccollection of Judaica in North America. Referenceand catalog information is available in English,French, Hebrew, Yiddish, and Russian. Thecollection documents all major aspects ofCanadian Jewish history and maintains a largegenealogical resource collection.

You can contact the Jewish Public Library at:

Jewish Public Library of Montreal5151 Cote St. Catherine RoadMontrealQuebec H3W 1M6Canada

The New York Public Library is an excellent placefor research because most Jewish immigrants tothe United States lived in New York for a time.The library has borough directories, census recordsfor the greater metropolitan area, back issues ofThe New York Times, maps, atlases, gazetteers,community histories, yizkor books, indexes tosome of the U.S. federal census returns, vitalrecords for New York City, and ship passengerlists.

The librarys Jewish Division has one of the mostsignificant collections of Judaica in the world, including bibliographies, reference works,periodicals, and newspapers. The collection is onlyavailable in the Jewish Divisions reading room.About 40 percent of the Divisions holdings are inHebrew; the remainder are in other languages,primarily English, German, Russian, and French.

An online catalog of material cataloged after 1972is available at:

http://www.catnyp.nypl.org/

Pre-1972 materials are described in the DictionaryCatalog of the Jewish Collection, published in 14volumes in 1960; the 8-volume First Supplement,published in 1975; and the 4-volume Hebrew-Character Title Catalog of the Jewish Collection,published in 1981.

You can contact the New York Public Library at:

New York Public Library42nd Street & 5th AvenueNew York, NY 10018

BYU FHLComment on TextMicrofilmN48

BYU FHLComment on TextOversize QuartoBM 157 .X1 N6 vol.1-14

11

The American Jewish Archives has organizationalrecords, family and personal papers, andsynagogue records (many of the synagogue recordshave been filmed by the Family History Library).An online catalog of the Archives holdings isavailable at:

http://www.huc.edu/aja/

You can contact the American Jewish Archives at:

American Jewish ArchivesHebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion3101 Clifton Ave.Cincinnati, Ohio 454220

Historical and Genealogical Societies

The Jewish community has established manyhistorical and genealogical societies. Somesocieties maintain libraries and archives thatcollect valuable records. See the Societiessection of this outline.

Inventories, Registers, Catalogs

Virtually all archives and libraries have catalogs,inventories, or guides that describe their recordsand how to use them. Many of these repositorieshave online catalogs on the Internet. If possible,study these guides before you visit or use therecords of these repositories so you can use yourtime more effectively. Many books have beenpublished that list inventories of Jewish records invarious regional archives. These include:

Bernard, Gildas. Les Familles Juives enFrance XVIe sicle1815, Guide desRecherches Biographiques etGnalogiques (Jewish Families of France14th century1815, Guide to Biographaland Genealogical Research). Paris:Archives Nationales, 1990. (FHL book 944D27bg.) An inventory of Jewish records inthe Departmental Archives of France.

Elyashevich, Dmitri A. y (DocumentarySources on Jewish History in the Archivesof the CIS and the Baltic States). Sankt-Peterburg: Akropol, 1994. (FHL book 943A3e.) This is an inventory of records for thecountries of the CIS (Commonwealth ofIndependent States, which includes all theformer Soviet Union except the Balticstates) and the Baltic states.

Gundacker, Felix. Matrikenverzeichnis derJdischen Matriken Bhmens (Register ofJewish Vital Statistics in Czech StateArchives Pertaining to Bohemia). Wien:Felix Gundacker, 1998.

Guzik, Estelle M. Genealogical Resources inthe New York Metropolitan Area. NewYork: Jewish Genealogical Society, 1989.(FHL book 974.71 A3ge; fiche 6,100,654.)

Rhode, Harold and Sallyann Amdur Sack.Jewish Vital Records, Revision Lists, andOther Jewish Holdings in the LithuanianArchives. Teaneck, NJ: Avotaynu, 1996.(FHL book 947.5 F23r.)

Sallis, Dorit and Marek Web. JewishDocumentary Sources in Russia, Ukraine& Belarus: a Preliminary List. New York:Jewish Theological Seminary of America,1996. (FHL book 947 A3sd.)

Weiner, Miriam. Jewish Roots in Poland:Pages from the Past and ArchivalInventories. New York: YIVO, c 1997.(FHL book 943.8 F2wm.)

Weiner, Miriam. Jewish Roots in Ukraine andMoldova: Pages from the Past andArchival Inventories. New York: YIVO,1999. (FHL book 947.71 F2w.)

The Family History Library has copies of otherpublished guides, catalogs, and inventories ofsome archives and libraries. Check for theserecords in the Family History Library Catalog.Volunteers at the Family History Library are alsomaking an inventory of Jewish records in thecollection.

BIOGRAPHY

A biography is a history of a persons life. In abiography you may find the individuals birth,marriage, and death information and the names ofhis or her parents, spouse, children, or other familymembers. Biographies can include descriptions offamily traditions, places where he or she has lived,military service, and activities within thecommunity; stories; photographs; and clues aboutan ancestors place of origin. Use this informationcarefully because there may be inaccuracies.

Biographies are divided into two types: individualand compiled. In addition to general biographies,which often include Jews, there are also Jewishspecific biographies.

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Individual Biographies

Thousands of biographies have been written aboutspecific people; copies may be at local historicalsocieties and libraries. Public libraries have lists ofpublished biographies for many countries. If thereis a research outline for the country or state whereyour ancestor lived, see the Biography section ofthe outline.

The Family History Library has acquired someindividual biographies. These are listed in theSurname Search of the Family History LibraryCatalog under the individuals name. Also contactother family members for unpublished lifehistories they may know of.

Compiled Biographies

Compiled biographies, sometimes calledbiographical encyclopedias or dictionaries, containbiographical sketches that have been collected andpublished. These are generally collected accordingto a particular theme, such as prominentindividuals in a particular country, state, or county.One example is:

Konopczyski, Wadysaw. Polski SownikBiograficzny (Polish BiographicalDictionary). Krakw: Polska AkademiaNauk 19351974. (FHL book 943.8 D36p;film 1,044,5311,044,549).

Other compiled biographies are for specificprofessions (such as: The Courts and Lawyers ofNew Jersey, 16611912) or other themes.

Jewish Biographies

Jewish specific biographies include biographies ofprominent or well-known Jewish citizens of aparticular country. Others feature biographies ofspecific groups of people such as:

Spira, Roman. Rabbis and Jewish Scholars inPoland in the 16th, 17th, and 18thCenturies. [S.l.]: R. Spira, 1985. (FHL book943.8 F2sr.)

Examples of biographical collections of Jewscompiled by location include:

The Encyclopedia of Russian Jewry:Biographies. Northvale, NJ: Jason Aronson,1999. (FHL book 947 D36e.)

Jewish Biographical Archive/Jdischesbiographisches Archiv on 781 microfiche.New York City: K.G. SAUR Verlag,19941996. (FHL microfiche6,137,0996,137,108,6,142,1096,142,116, and6,144,9546,144,980.)

Levi, John Simon. The Forefathers: ADictionary of the Jews of Australia,17881830. Sydney: The AustralianHistorical Society, 1976. (FHL book 994D3lj.)

Wininger, Salomon. Grosse jdischeNational-Biographie: mit mehr als 8000Lebensbeschreibungen namhafter jdischerMnner und Frauen aller Zeiten undLnder; ein Nachschlagewerk fr dasjdische Volk und dessen Freunde (TheGreat Jewish National Biography: withmore than 8000 Biographies of ProminentJewish Men and Women of All Ages andfor All Countries: a Reference Work for theJewish People and their Friends). Zug,Switzerland: Inter Documentation AG,1975 (FHL film 1,608,86001 and1,608,864; fiche 6,041,316 [83 fiche].)

Many major libraries, including the FamilyHistory Library, have excellent collections andindexes of national and regional compiledbiographies. These libraries can help you locateadditional biographical sources listed in publishedbibliographies. To find biographies at the FamilyHistory Library, check the Family History LibraryCatalog.

You can also find biographical information inlocal histories and encyclopedias and dictionaries.See History and Encyclopedias andDictionaries in this outline and in outlines forother countries and states you are researching.

BUSINESS RECORDS ANDCOMMERCE

Records of businesses usually list names,addresses, company owners and shareholders, andfinancial information. Life insurance, pension (forsome railroad companies in the U.S.), bank, andunder-taker records may include biographicalinformation.

For some vocations, trades, or businesses there areoccupational records or commercial directoriesthat may be helpful in compiling a family history.See Directories and Occupations in thisoutline for further details.

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Business and commerce records are often kept bythe company or may be in archives or libraries inthe area where the company is located. TheInternet also contains searchable databases ofbusiness records. One example is the New YorkEmigrant Savings Bank. This database hasinformation on many Jewish emigrants includingname, place of birth, residence (most lived in NewYork City), occupation, names of relatives, andimmigration information. You can find thisdatabase at:

http://www.genexchange.com/ The Family History Library has some business-related records. Because of their limited value,these type of records should be searched afterother sources such as civil and vital records,Jewish records, and obituaries have been searched.

CEMETERIES

Jewish religious customs require that Jewish burialsites be held in reverence. The religious duty(mitzvah) of burial is the responsibility of adecedents children or spouse. If there are nochildren or spouse, it is the responsibility of theclosest relative. According to Jewish law, burialshould take place promptly, preferably on the dayof death, but within three days at the most.

For Jews a grave site is permanent and once estab-lished cannot be violated. In most other cemeteriesin Europe grave plots are reused, so while otherEuropeans will not find old tombstones of theirancestors, Jews often will.

When Jews founded cemeteries, they routinelyattempted to purchase land on a permanent basis.Because local laws often made this difficult,bodies were sometimes transported a considerabledistance to secure a permanent burial site.

Different Jewish groups have different traditionsabout gravestones. Ashkenazic Jews have verticalgravestones; Sephardic Jews have horizontal ones.Sephardic stones often have angelic figures andbiblical images while images were not permittedon Ashkenazic stones. Today both groups makefrequent use of classic Jewish symbols: the star ofDavid, the menorah, the Book of Life, or a candle.

Families that belonged to the priestly class(kohanim) were forbidden to go inside the gates ofa cemetery because that would violate laws ofritual purity. Their gravestones usually bear the

symbol of two hands with thumbs touching andfingers spread out in a priestly blessing.

For further information about Jewish cemeteriesand burial customs, see the chapter JewishCemeteries in:

Kurzweil, Arthur. From Generation toGeneration: How to Trace Your JewishGenealogy and Family History. Updatededition with online resources. SanFrancisco: Jossey-Bass Publishers, 2004.(FHL book 929.1 K967f 2004.)

Jewish congregations with a large membershipusually maintain their own cemeteries and burialregisters. Smaller congregations reserve a sectionwithin other cemeteries.

There are two major types of cemetery records:

Gravestone inscriptions. Informationrecorded on gravestones or monuments,including transcripts of this information,provide at least the decedents name, deathdate, and name of the father. Otherinformation may be listed. Jewish gravestonesare usually inscribed in Hebrew. Theinformation may be duplicated on the stonesin English or in the language of the country inwhich they are found.

Cemetery registers. Information kept bycemetery officials or caretakers includeregisters, plot books and maps, grave-books,and public (municipal) cemetery records.Information provided in these records includesnames, ages, marriage information, sometimesdates and places of birth, who paid for theburial, and names of people (often relatives)buried in the same plot.

To find gravestones and cemetery registers, youneed to know where an individual died or wasburied. The person may have been buried in acommunity or private cemetery or in a cemeterymaintained by the local synagogue where thedeceased lived. You can find clues about burialplaces in obituaries, funeral notices, synagoguerecords, and death certificates.

You can find cemetery information in:

Jewish Cemeteries Throughout the World.[S.l.]: International Association of JewishGenealogical Societies. (FHL fiche6,334,783.) Two microfiche sold byAvotaynu, Inc. which list 7500 cemeteriesin 79 countries.

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Cemeteries of the U.S.: A Guide to ContactInformation for U.S. Cemeteries and TheirRecords. 1st ed. Detroit. Michigan: GaleResearch, 1994. (FHL book 973 V34ce.)Lists over 22,000 cemeteries alphabeticallyby state, county, and cemetery name.Entries may list geographical location ormailing address, phone and fax numbers,contact information for cemetery recordkeepers, years of operation, and religiousand otheraffiliations.

Information from many Jewish cemeteries can befound on the Internet. Use a search engine andsearch the topics: cemetery, Jewish, (name oftown).

The mission of the International Association ofJewish Genealogical Societies (IAJGS)International Jewish Cemetery Project is tocatalogue every Jewish burial site throughout theworld. Jewish cemetery or burial sites are listed bytown or city, country, and geographic region,based on current place designation. Informationunder each listing includes history, size, exactlocation, etc. Some listings include links to otherwebsites with additional information such as buriallists or contact information. The project isongoing. The IAJGS International JewishCemetery Project can be found at:

http://www.jewishgen.org/Cemetery/

The JewishGen Online Worldwide Burial Registry(JOWBR) is a database of names and otheridentifying information from cemeteries and burialrecords worldwide, from the earliest records to thepresent. As of October 2006, this database lists atotal of 1,447 cemeteries and a total of 629,986burials; the project is ongoing. The JewishGenOnline Worldwide Burial Registry can be foundat:

http://www.jewishgen.org/databases/cemetery

Other sites that have information for cemeteriesare:

http://www.rootsweb.ancestry.com(you can access information for every U.S.state at this site; many of the state sites includecontacts for people who have transcribedcemetery records and tombstone inscriptions)

http://www.cyndislist.com

Other sources to check for cemetery recordsinclude:

The present cemetery caretaker, synagogue,or funeral home.

A local library, historical society, or localhistorian. If they dont have the records,they can help you locate obscure familyplots or relocated cemeteries.

Cemetery associations, which sometimespublish inventories or transcripts for theirareas.

Transcripts of gravestone information thatare published by genealogical periodicalsor by others in individual books.

Records of Jewish burial societies (khevrahkadisha). Burial societies in Jewishcommuni-ties were responsible for buryingthe dead. Records they may have keptwould be similar in content to those kept bycemetery caretakers. Names of societymembers and the amount of dues they paidmay also be recorded.

Lists of soldiers graves described in theU.S. Military Records research outline(34118).

Records at the Family History Library

The Family History Library has copies andindexes of many cemetery and tombstone recordsbut has limited records of Jewish cemeteries.Examples of published Jewish cemetery recordsinclude:

Margolinsky, Jul. Transcript of 298 epitaphsfrom the Jewish Cemetery in St. Thomas,W.I., 18371916, with Index. [s.l.: s.n.],1957. (FHL film 1,013,426, item 18.)

Muneles, Otto and Milada Vilmkov. Staridovsky hbitov v Praze (Old JewishCemetery in Prague). Praha: Sttnpedagogick nakladatelstv, 1955. (FHLbook 943.71/P3 V3m; film 1,181,638, item6.) Tombstone inscriptions from the oldJewish cemetery in Prague. Includespictures of tombstones. Another book onthe same cemetery was published in 1903(FHL book 943.71/P3 V3j; film 1,181,915,item 9.)

Weyl, Robert. Le Cimetire Juif de Rosenwiller (The Jewish Cemetery inRosenwiller). Strassbourg: Editions Salde,1988. (FHL book 944.3835/R1 V3w.)Includes pictures of tombstones withinscriptions recorded in Hebrew, French,and German and notes about each one.From the town of Rosenwiller in Alsace-Loraine (now in France).

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Wolf, Egon. Sepulturas de israelitas II: Umapesquisa em mais de trinta cemitrios noisraelitas (Jewish Burials: a Search in Morethan Thirty Non-Jewish Cemeteries). Rio deJaneiro: Cemitrio Comunal Israelita, 1983.(FHL book 981 V3w.)

Check for records of this type in the FamilyHistory Library Catalog.

For information about inscriptions published inperiodicals, see Periodicals in this outline. Ifthere is a research outline for the country or statewhere your ancestor lived, see Periodicals in theoutline.

If there is a research outline for the country orstate where your ancestor lived, see Cemeteriesin the outline.

Funeral Home Records

Funeral directors or undertakers in the area whereyour ancestors lived may have records similar todeath and cemetery records. Most of the addressesfor those in the United States are found in:

American Blue Book of Funeral Directors.New York: National Funeral DirectorsAssociation, biennial. (FHL book 973U24a.)

The Family History Library has some funeralhome and undertaker records, which are listed inthe Subject Search of the Family History LibraryCatalog under Business and Commerce orCemeteries.

CENSUS

A census is a count and description of the popula-tion of a country, territory, province, state, county,city, or congregation. Census records usually list alarge segment of the population and includenames; relationships; ages; birthplaces; maritalstatus; and occupations. Other information may belisted such as religion, ethnicity, and nativelanguage.

Censuses were taken to:

Determine the demographics of the population,such as sex, age, religion, and education.

Determine the number and identities of eligiblevoters.

Determine potential tax base. Count potential military conscripts.

The enumeration can document an entirepopulation or only specific classes of persons suchas males, property owners, or Jews. However,there are few censuses that were taken specificallyof Jews.

Other records were made that are similar in intentto census records, such as populationregistrations, communion lists, tax lists, and voterregistration lists (see Church Records andPopulation in this outline). The information insome of these records may come from officialcensus records. Revision lists from the RussianEmpire are sometimes referred to as censusrecords; see Taxation in this outline.

When using census records, consider thefollowing:

In countries that have primary sources, such aschurch records and civil registration or vitalrecords, census records should be used tosupplement information in these records.

In countries where civil registration or vitalrecords begin late and other records arelacking, census returns may be the only sourceof information available for specific timeperiods.

National Census. Most nations periodically takea census of their population. The United Stateshas taken a census every decade since 1790. TheRussian Empire, on the other hand, has only onenational census (1897).

Some countries conducted censuses specifically ofthe Jewish population. Germany, for example, hada census of Jews in 1939. Microfilm copies ofthese census records are found at the FamilyHistory Library on 292 reels, 130 of which are forthe city of Berlin. A register showing what filmscover which parts of the German empire is:

Edlund, Thomas Kent. The German MinorityCensus of 1939, An Introduction andRegister. Teaneck, NJ: Avotaynu, Inc.,1996. (FHL book 943 X22e.)

In addition to censuses of the general population,Hungary also took a special national census ofJews in 1848:

Conscriptio Judaeorum, 1848 (Census of Jews, 1848). Budapest: Magyar Orszgoslevltrban trtnt, 1970. (FHL film719,823719,828, 754,368 item 2.) Thiscensus gives the name, age, and specific

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birthplace of all members of the household.The birthplace is particularly useful intracing families that have moved fromanother area or country.

Provincial. Some censuses, both general andJewish specific, were carried out by province orother region. The following is an example:

Dnombrements nomitatifs des Juifs en Alsace,1784 (Enumeration by Name of the Jews inAlsace, 1784). Colmar: Jean-Henri Decker,1785. (FHL film 1,069,535 item 3.)Includes names all the Jews of Alsace-Loraine (Elsa-Lothringen [German] orBas-Rhin [French]) in the year 1784 and1785 by town. Has an index to towns withthe number of Jews in each town in theregion.

Local. In some cases a census was taken on a locallevel. An example is the census of the inhabitantsof the city of Debreczen, Hungary, taken in 1870.It includes a separate Jewish conscription list:

Npszmlls 18681870 (Censuses,18681870). Budapest: Magyar OrszgosLevltrban trtnt, 1970. (FHL films722,259722,302.) This census is arrangedby house numbers and includes surroundingcommunities. A conscription list of Jewishmales is on films 722,262722,263.

Another example is an 1814 census of Jews formany individual towns in Denmark. These arelisted in the Family History Library Catalog undereach town. The Jewish census of the town ofSklskr, Sor, Denmark on FHL film 41,007 isrepresentative.

Census Indexes

Some census records are indexed. Indexes may bearranged by names of individuals or by localities,such as streets. When indexes are available, it isbest to use them before searching the actual censusrecords. However, the information in an index maybe incomplete or transcribed incorrectly. If youhave reason to believe your ancestor should be inthe census, search the census regardless of theinformation in the index.

Some major examples of census indexes include:

Name indexes by state to the heads ofhousehold for all the 17901850 (and oftenlater) census returns of the United States.

Soundex indexes listing every person in the1900 and 1920 United States census returnsfor each state and for some states in 1910.Also a soundex for the 1880 census of everystate; it includes only those households wherechildren ten years and younger are present.

Street-finding aids for many cities in theUnited States that identify census wards forthese streets.

Names indexes to many of the 1851 and someof the 18611891 censuses of England,Scotland, and Wales.

An every-name CD-ROM index to the 1851census for the counties of Devon, Warwick,and Norfolk, England and an every-name CD-ROM index to the 1881 census of England,Wales, Scotland, Channel Islands, and Isle ofMan.

Street indexes for many cities in England,Scotland, and Wales (18411891 censuses),and in Ireland (1901 and 1911 censuses).

In addition to these general indexes, some indexeshave been made that extract only Jewish names incensus records. Examples are:

Freedman, Murray. List of the JewishResidents, 1891 census, Leeds. Leeds,England: M. Freedman,1994. (FHL book942.74/L1 X22f 1891.). This census doesnot identify the religion of the population.The index includes people with Jewish-sounding names.

Eker, Glen. Eker has published severalvolumes of indexes containing informationfor Jews (when identified in the census)from the 18511901 returns of allprovinces in Canada. He has also produceda similar index to the 1921, 1935, and 1945censuses of Newfoundland. See the AuthorSearch of the Family History LibraryCatalog for details.

Various web sites on the Internet also containcensus indexes and abstracts. As examples:

Volunteers are creating research databases forvarious U.S. census returns. To access theseindexes or participate in the project, go to:

http://usgwarchives.net/census/

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An index to people with Jewish-soundingnames enumerated in the 1851 and 1891censuses of South Wales is available at:

http://www.jewishgen.org/databases

Searching Census Records

When searching census records, remember that:

Ages may be inaccurate. The name on the census may not be the same

as the name recorded in vital records, Jewishrecords, or other sources.

Place-names may be misspelled. Names may be spelled as they sound. Individuals missing from a family may be

listed elsewhere in the census.C The information provided may have been

deliberately or inadvertently falsified.

Census Records at the Family History Library

The Family History Library has an extensivecollection of census records and indexes fromaround the world. In addition to the onespreviously mentioned, its holdings include allavailable federal (United States) census returnsprior to 1920 and many censuses taken byindividual states, pre-1911 censuses of Canada,pre-1901 censuses of Great Britain, and censusreturns for several countries in Latin America andEurope. Check for these records in the FamilyHistory Library Catalog using the Place Searchand Keyword Search.

If there is a research outline for the country orstate where your ancestor lived, see the Censussection of the outline.

The One-Step Webpage includes very useful waysof searching for census records. See:

http://stevemorse.org/

Census Records Online

It is now possible to obtain many census recordsonline. Ancestry.com includes all U.S. Censusesand some from Canada and the United Kingdom.The Findmypast website provides access tocensuses taken in the United Kingdom in 1841,1861, 1871, and 1891. Searches can be made byperson or address. Both of these requirepayment for use. You can reach these resources at:

http://ancestry.comhttp://findmypast.com

CHRONOLOGY

In the Hebrew calendar the years are counted fromthe creation of the world, which is considered tohave taken place 5760 years ago as of the year2000. Days are reckoned from evening to evening.The Jewish civil year begins in September orOctober with the festival of Rosh Hashanah (thefirst day of Tishri).

The calendar is based on 12 or sometimes 13lunar months that adjust to the solar year. The 12months are Tishri, Kheshvan, Kislev, Tevet,Shevat, Adar, Nisan, Iyar, Sivan, Tammuz, Av,and Elul. The 3rd, 6th, 8th, 11th, 14th, 17th, and19th years in every 19-year cycle have a 13thmonth. This extra month of 30 days, Adar II, isadded after Adar. The months and years of the Hebrew calendar donot correspond with the Gregorian calendar,which is the calendar in common use in the worldtoday. The Gregorian calendar is based on thebirth of Jesus Christ and uses the abbreviationsa.d. (year of our Lord) and b.c. (before Christ).When Jews date events in accordance with theGregorian calendar they use c.e. (common era)and b.c.e. (before the common era).

The Gregorian is a correction of the Juliancalendar, which had been in use since 46 b.c.e.Leap years had been miscalculated in the Juliancalendar; by 1582 the calendar was 10 daysbehind the solar year. Pope Gregory XIIIcorrected the calendar by dropping 10 days. Thenew calendar was adopted by the Catholic churchin 1582 but at later dates in non-Catholiccountries. Russia did not accept the new calendaruntil 1918. In Russia and part of Poland, theJulian calendar was generally used throughout the1800s, when the difference had accumulated to 12days. Polish vital records often give both theJulian and Gregorian dates. This can be confusingto beginning researchers. When both dates aregiven, use the later date (the Gregorian) for yourrecord keeping.

Many Jews lived in nations where other calendarswere prevalent. Most notable is the Muslim calen-dar, which reckons time from the date Muhammadand his fellow Muslims emigrated to Medina in622 c.e. The French calendar was used incountries ruled by Napoleon (France andbordering countries to the north and east) from17931805 and has to also be converted to theGregorian calendar. See the guide FrenchRepublican Calendar (34046).

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Resources and conversion charts have beenpublished that convert dates to the modernGregorian calendar. Many of these are availablefree through the Internet, including:

Calendar Conversions by Scott E. Lee:http://www.rosettacalendar.com/This is a online conversion freeware programthat will convert days from the Julian, Hebrew,and French Republican calendars to thestandard Gregorian calendar. It will alsoconvert backwards from the Gregorian to theJulian calendar.

Tareks hijri (Muslin)/Gregorian/Julian Converter:http://bennyhills.fortunecity.com/elfman/454/calindex.html

This online conversion program converts daysfrom Muslim, Gregorian, and Julian calendars.Simple to use; no download necessary.

Over 50 other calendar freeware and sharewareprograms are available for converting dates fromthe Gregorian, Julian, Hebrew, Muslim, FrenchRepublican, and Chinese calendars and can befound on the Internet at:

http://www.calendarzone.com/Software

CHURCH RECORDS

In many countries the established national church(such as Catholic, Orthodox, or Lutheran) wasappointed as the official record keeper of births,marriages, and deaths for the entire population,including Jews. The clergymen already recordedchristening, marriage, and burial records for mem-bers of their parishes. As most people belonged tothe established church, it was easier for thegovernment to require the clergymen to include thebirth, marriage, and death information for people ofother religions in their parishes rather than have thegovernment keep a separate record. Therefore, itcan be important to check records of Christianchurches when researching Jewish ancestors.

This is particularly true of Central and EasternEurope in the period prior to 18261840, when thegovernments of most countries in this area requiredseparate records be kept of the Jews. Copies of thechurch records in many of these countries weresent to the government. These records are known asmetrical book transcripts and parish registertranscripts. Eventually most governmentsdeveloped a separate system for registering births,marriages, and deaths, called civil registration. For

a more lengthy explanation of how churchrecords, civil registration, and Jewish recordsinterrelate, see Vital Records in this outline.

Countries where Christian church records wereused by the government as a form of civilregistration and where Jews are likely to berecorded include Poland, the Russian Empire, andother central and eastern European countries.

The Inquisition in Spain, Portugal, and LatinAmerican countries also resulted in recordingJews (conversos or marranos) in Christian churchrecords. See Inquisitions in this outline.

Two other reasons why Jews may appear inrecords of Christian churches are:

If there was no rabbi or synagogue in an areawhere a Jewish family chose to settle, eventsassociated with that family are sometimesrecorded in another church.

If a Jew voluntarily left the Jewish religion,future records of that individual and hisfamily may appear in a Christian church.

If there is a research outline for the country orstate where your ancestor lived, see the ChurchRecords and Civil Registration sections of theoutline.

Finding Church Records

Many original church records are still at the localchurch. Others have been deposited in church orgovernment record centers or archives. TheFamily History Library has a extensive collectionof church records for many countries. Use thePlace Search to locate church records. The cataloglistings for church records sometimes include anotation that the record contains information forJews.

CIVIL REGISTRATION

Records of births, marriages, and deaths arecommonly referred to as vital records becausethey document essential events in a persons life.Civil registration are vital records that arerecorded by most governments in the world. TheFamily History Library Catalog uses the subjectheading Vital Records for these records in theUnited States and Canada. See Vital Records inthis outline.

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Civil registration records are very important togenealogists because they often are the primarysource of information for names, dates, and placesof births, marriages, and deaths. These records areusually indexed and include most of the populationof a country. Unfortunately, many people,including Jews, never registered these events withcivil authorities even though it was mandatory.

Governments used church records or transcripts ofchurch records as their earliest forms of civilregistration. Later they required Jews to keepseparate registers. Eventually most governments setup independent civil registration offices wherebirth, marriage, and death records were keptseparately from religious denomination. Theseindependent civil registration records are theprimary topic of this section. For more informationabout the relationship between civil registration,church records, and Jewish records, see VitalRecords in this outline.

Most civil registration records are divided intoseparate volumes by event (birth, marriage, anddeath). Some countries also kept separate civilregistration records of Jews. These records areusually listed in the Family History Library Catalogunder Jewish Records. See Jewish Records inthis outline.

In addition to births, marriages, and deaths, civilregistration may include documents required formarriage as well as records of stillbirths, deathsoccurring in other cities or countries, namechanges, and acknowledgments of paternalresponsibility.

General Historical Background

As governments needed accurate information aboutthe population for military conscription andtaxation purposes, they began keeping records ofbirths, marriages, and deaths.

The commencement dates of civil registration varyfrom country to country. Sometimes they vary fromregion to region within a country. The Baltic statesdid not have civil registration until 1940, which isquite late for Jewish research in those countries.Countries such as Poland and the Russian Empireused transcripts of church records, which includedJews, before they had a separate government civilregistration system. General dates of the beginning

of civil registration in countries with significantJewish populations are:

Austria (Republic). . . . . . . 1938 (transcripts 1784)Belgium. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1793England. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . July 1837France (Republic). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1792German Empire. . . . . . . . . . . . . 1876 (some 1792)Greece. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1925Hungary. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1895 (some 1867)Italy. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18601870 (some 1806)Netherlands. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1811 (some 1795)Poland. . . . . . 1821 (transcripts 1719, 1784, 1794)Prussia. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1874 (transcripts 1794)Romania.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1865 (transcripts 1831)Russian Empire. . . . . . . . . . . . . (transcripts 1719)Soviet Union. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1918Spain. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1870

Information Recorded in Civil Registers

Information listed in civil registration recordsvaries from country to country. The followingdescriptions list what you may find in theserecords. Be aware that information in theserecords is not always accurate. For example, thebirth date and place and names of parents listed ona death record may not be accurate because theinformant often did not have first-hand knowledgeof the decedents birth. Births

Birth records generally give the child's name, sex,date and place of birth, and the names of thefather and mother (frequently including hermaiden surname). Many of the early records andmost of the later records provide additional detailssuch as parents birthplaces, ages, andoccupations.

Births were generally registered shortly after theevent by the parents or another person present atthe birth. Corrections to a birth record may havebeen added as a marginal note. Frequently thesenotes provide information concerning marriageand death.

Marriages

Marriages usually took place in the town or citywhere the bride lived. Some governments requireda civil marriage in addition to the religiousceremony. When available, search both types ofrecords as one may contain details not found inthe other.

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The following records may be found in connectionwith a marriage:

Marriage Registers. Civil officials recorded themarriages they performed. If the marriage wasperformed by an ecclesiastical authority or justiceof the peace, that person was required to report themarriage information to civil authorities. Marriageregisters give the date of the marriage and names ofthe bride and groom and witnesses. Other informa-tion could include ages, birthplaces, residences,occupations, and names of parents.

Marriage Certificates. The individual who per-formed the ceremony or the civil office where itwas recorded may have given the couple acertificate of marriage listing the names of thebride and groom, the marriage date and place, andthe name of the person who performed themarriage. Certificates are often in the possession ofthe family.

Marriage Documents. In many countries, such asthe Netherlands and those of Latin America, youwill find supplemental documents submitted at thetime of marriage. These may include birth certifi-cates for the bride and groom, death certificates forparents if not present to give permission, proof ofmilitary service, and so on. Such documents oftenprovide much genealogical information.

Marriage Intentions. Countries had different lawsconcerning marriage. Many had requirements thatcouples had to comply with before getting married.Documents generated from these requirements forvarious countries included:

Proclamations or Allegations. The couple hadto announce their intentions a few weeksbefore their marriage to give anyone theopportunity to raise any legitimate objectionsto the marriage.

Marriage Applications. A bride and groomobtained a license to be married by applying tothe proper civil authority. These records oftencontain more information than the marriagerecord itself.

Marriage bonds. In many countries two menwere required to sign a statement that theypersonally knew the bride and groom and couldcertify that there was no reason why theyshould not be married. Such men were calledbondsmen and were often relatives or friends.

Marriage Contracts. When a marriage occurredbetween people of different social status, a

marriage contract may have been made tostipulate how the property was to be divided ifone of them died. These are not documents thatwill generally be found among court records.They are similar to the pre-nuptial agreementspeople make today.

Deaths

Death records often provide information on thedecedents birth, spouse, and parents. Deathrecords can exist for people who have no birth ormarriage records. Deaths were usually registeredwith civil authorities.

Early death records generally give the decedentsname, date, and place of death. By the latter 19thcentury death registers also included age,sometimes the date and place of birth, residence,occupation, names of parents and spouse, cause ofdeath, burial information, and details about theinformant.

Locating Civil Registration Records

Civil registration records are kept at town or city,district, or municipal registration offices. Somecivil registration records have been deposited atcity or state archives.

If there is a research outline for the country whereyour ancestor lived, see Archives and Librariesand Civil Registration for directions on locatingcivil registration records for that country.

Records at the Family History Library

The Family History Library has microfilmed thecivil registration records and indexes of manycountries, including fairly complete collections of most of the countries of Latin America andWestern Europe. Examples of records that includeJews as well as the rest of the population are:

Civil Registration, 19141941. Thessaloniki,Greece: Lixiarheion Archive, 1989. (On235 FHL films beginning with 1,690,717.)Birth, marriage, and death records from thecity of Thessalonica from 19141941.

Registers van de Burglijke Stand, 18111940(Registers of Civil Registration,18111940). s-Gravenhage: AlgemeenRijksarchief, 19541997. (On 2498 FHLfilms, beginning with 1,138,940.) Birth,marriage, death, and other civil records forAmsterdam 18111940.

BYU FHLComment on TextSome of these films are available at the BYU FHL.

BYU FHLComment on TextSome of these films are available at the BYU FHL.

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Specific holdings for civil registration records andindexes can be found in the Family History LibraryCatalog using the Place Search. Remember also tocheck for civil registration records under theheadings Jewish Records and Church Records.

Obtaining Civil Registration Records Not atthe Family History Library

Birth, marriage, and death records may be obtainedfrom local civil registration offices or archives inthe country of interest. To protect the rights ofprivacy of living persons, civil authorities oftenplace restrictions on their records.

When requesting a certificate by mail, determinewho has jurisdiction over the records for the timeperiod you need, and write a brief request to theappropriate office. Send the following:

Full name and the sex of the person sought. Names of parents, if known. (Approximate) date and place of the event. Your relationship to the person. Reason for the request Request for a photocopy or transcript of the

complete original record. Check or money order to cover the required

search fee and postage.

You can access civil registration records or orderthem for some areas over the Internet. For example,a searchable database is available to some civilregistration indexes for the Netherlands andPoland. The Scottish Registrar General hasprovided a searchable database of their indexesfrom 1855 to 1897 and has an online orderingservice for certificates. To find these types ofresources, search for the area where your ancestorlived at:

http://www.cyndislist.com/

Also check the list of databases that are includedon the JewishGen web site at:

http://www.jewishgen.org/

CONCENTRATION CAMPS

Concentration camps were internment centersestablished to confine minority and national groupsand political prisoners. During World War II theNazi government of Germany administered severalconcentration camps and relocation facilities. Thecamps were of two general types:

Death or extermination camps where virtuallyeveryone who arrived was immediately killed.

Camps where people who arrived were eitherimmediately killed or assigned to labor camps.

Camp officials kept records of Jews who wereused for slave labor. Some of the concentrationcamp records that survived the war were seized byBritish, Soviet, and U.S. military forces. In theUnited States these records can be found at:

United States Holocaust Research Institute100 Raoul Wallenberg Place, SWWashington, DC 20024-2150

National Archives and RecordsAdministration

Pennsylvania Avenue and 8th Street NWWashington, DC 20408

Documents of camps in Poland are found in thePolish State Archives, the Jewish HistoricalInstitute in Warsaw, and in archives of the StateMuseum of Auschwitz-Birkenau in Owicim andthe Majdanek Museum Archives in Lublin. Thereare also university libraries, regional museums,local archives, collection of private individuals,and other sources from concentration camps.

There are a few databases on the Internet withinformation about people in concentration camps,and more information is being added. See thefollowing web sites for information:

http://www.jewishgen.org/

This site has information from yizkor books,including a list of Austrian Jews in concentrationcamps.

http://www.ushmm.org/

This site is for the United States HolocaustMemorial Museum. Under the topic Collectionsand Archives is a searchable database of prisonerregistration forms from Auschwitz.

The Family History Library has someconcentration camp records. For example, deathregistration records from the Mauthausen, Austria,camps are available on microfilm:

Totenbuch, Konzentrationslager Mauthausen, Jan. 7, 1939Apr. 29, 1945 (DeathRegister, Concentration Camp Mathausen,Jan. 7, 1939Apr. 29, 1945). Washington,D.C.: National Archives, 19. (FHL film812,876812,877.)

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Records associated with concentration camps andNazi persecution of Jews are discussed inHolocaust, Jewish (19391945) in this outline.An example of these, which is listed in the catalogunder Concentration Camps is:

War Crimes Case Files, 19451959. Suitland,Maryland: National Archives and RecordAdministration, 19921994. (On 45 FHLfilms, beginning with number 1,788,042.)

Check for similar types of records in the FamilyHistory Library Catalog.

COURT RECORDS

Court records contain information about peopleinvolved in litigation or other court matters. Theserecords include names of people who were partiesto court action, family relationships, places ofresidence, occupations, descriptions of individuals,and other family information. The records to besearched are determined by the country you areresearching. See Court Records in the outlines ofthe countries or states you are researching.

The Family History Library has some courtrecords. Check for these records in the FamilyHistory Library Catalog.

Because of their importance to family historyresearch, probate and naturalization records arediscussed in separate sections in this outline.

DIRECTORIES

Directories are alphabetical lists of names andaddresses. These often list all the adult residents ortrades people of a city or area. Beginning in the20th century there are telephone directories.

The most helpful directories for genealogicalresearch are city directories. These can identify astreet address where an ancestor lived, which maybe needed to locate his or her family in a censusrecord. Depending on the area, directories may alsobe for a much broader area, such as state-widedirectories for Australia. These types of directoriesare generally published annually and may includean individuals name, address, and occupation; aspouses name; and other helpful facts. Anindividuals address can be very helpful whensearching in a large city, especially if there arerecords such as unindexed censuses that need to besearched. Directories sometimes have city mapsand may include addresses of synagogues,

cemeteries, civil registration offices, and otherlocations of value to the genealogist.

Some trades, such as the medical profession,publish their own directories. For example, annualmedical directories for the British Isles have beenpublished since 1845. Trade directories can beparticularly valuable for Jewish research. Theyoften list advertisements and personal informationthat may help you compile your ancestors history.A summary about Russian business directories isfound in:

Gostin, Ted. Russian Business Directories.Syllabus. Salt Lake City: FEEFHS 1997:5558. (FHL book 940 C4f; film 1,183,732item 3.)

Information from some directories can be foundon the Internet. One such searchable database isfor 19th century London Jews compiled fromseveral London trade directories and othersources. Another database is the 19231925Lithuanian medical directories and includesinformation for over 800 Jewish medicalpersonnel. Information listed on the Internet fromthese medical directories includes name, place ofresidence, professional specialty, citizenship, yearof birth, and the source and date of the medicaldegree for the people who are listed. A webaddress that contains information about Jewslisted in several directories is:

http://www.jewishgen.org/databases/

Some places have directories that list only Jews.For example, England has directories of Jewsbeginning in the 19th century.

The Family History Library has many directoriesthat date from the late 1700s to the present day.Some directories list only certain types of tradespeople or businesses. Check for these records inthe Family History Library Catalog. Most will belisted in the Place Search section of the catalogunder the name of the city where your ancestorlived.You can use modern telephone directories tolocate relatives or organizations that can help withyour research. An Internet site that has links totelephone directories for various states andcountries is:

http://www.infobel.com/en/world/

If there is a research outline for the country orstate where your ancestor lived, see the Directorysection of the outline for further information aboutrecords in specific geographical areas.

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DIVORCE RECORDS

Depending on the time period and place, divorcesbefore the mid-20th century were often uncommon,illegal, or allowed for specific religious groupsonly. Civil officials in the Russian Empire keptdivorce records only for Jews. While divorce wasan accepted practice among Jews, records ofdivorce were seldom kept by the synagogue.

Divorce records are often not open to the public.The Family History Library has some records ofdivorce in its collection. Most divorce records arefound in the civil registration or vital records officeof the town or county where the divorce took placeor in court records. See Civil Registration andVital Records in this outline and in the outlinesof the countries or states you are researching.

EMIGRATION ANDIMMIGRATION

Emigration and immigration sources list the namesof people leaving (emigration) or coming into(immigration) a country. Because Jews emigratedat various time periods throughout the centuriesand went to many different countries, the recordsthat were kept vary from time period to time periodand place to place. Records prior to the 18thcentury, if they exist at all, are generally lessdetailed.

Most emigration and immigration records of the19th century and later consist of passenger lists,permissions to emigrate, records of passportsissued, lists of people deported, and alien registers.Information found in these later emigration andimmigration records usually include the name, ageor birth date, occupation, destination, and place oforigin or birthplace of the emigrant.

Perhaps the greatest genealogical value of theserecords is information about where your ancestorcame from. In order to successfully research yourancestry, you have to determine exactly where theimmigrant ancestor was born or lived and searchthe records of that place. For detailed informationabout how to trace an immigrant ancestor,including a description of various emigration andimmigration records, see Tracing ImmigrantOrigins research outline (34111) and theEmigration and Immigration sections of the stateand country research outlines where your ancestorslived.

These records can also help in constructing familygroups. If you do not find your ancestors name,

you may find information on your ancestorsfamily members or neighbors. People who livednear each other in their country of origin oftensettled together after they emigrated.

Depending on the country and the record source,emigration and immigration records may list thename of the ship of arrival or the name of theperson to whom the immigrant is going (often arelative or friend from the previous place ofresidence). Many of these records are indexed.

Most countries made records of passengers whoarrived in their country. These were generally keptby port authorities. Jews are included in theserecords along with all other immigrants. Therecords of arrivals at New York, Philadelphia,Baltimore, Boston, New Orleans, and other U.S.and Canadian ports are excellent sources ofinformation about immigrants to these countries.

Records of departure are of equal or even greatergenealogical value as they are even more likely toprovide your ancestors place of origin. The majorEuropean ports Jews emigrated from wereBremen, Hamburg, Liverpool, and LeHavre.Many Jews also sailed from Odessa in Russia.

Most of the records of Bremen and Liverpoolhave been lost. Fortunately, the passenger lists ofthe port of Hamburg are preserved and accessible.For research for 18501934, see HamburgPassenger Lists, 18501934 (34047). Anothergood card index to these records from 18501871is:

Index von Karl Werner Klber zu denPassagierlisten der Auswandererschiffe18501871 (Index by Karl Werner Klberto the Passenger Lists of Emigration Ships1850 1871). Hamburg: Staatarchiv, 1994.(On 48 FHL films, beginning with number1,961,710.)

An alphabetical listing of emigrant Jews whoreturned to Hamburg from 19051907 and Jewishorphans from Russia in 1906 are also among theHamburg passenger lists (FHL film 1,732,431,items 6, 11). There is also a listing of Jews whosailed from Bremen from 1 November 1913 to 31Dec 1914 (FHL film 1,568,852 item 2 and1,568,871).

An index to the emigration lists for the port ofHamburg from 1850 to 1934 is being compiled.For further information, see the following website:

http://www.progenealogists.com/germany/hamburg

BYU FHLComment on TextThis film is available at the BYU FHL.

BYU FHLComment on TextThese films are available at the BYU FHL.

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In addition to the sources discussed in thesepublications, other emigration and immigrationsources, which may or may not be at the FamilyHistory Library, are:

Records of the Russian Consular Offices in theUnited States, containing information aboutpeople from Eastern Europe, mostly Jews, whocame to the United States during the latter halfof the 19th century and early part of the 20thcentury.

Locally kept 20th century alien registers ofEngland.

Copenhagen, Denmark, Police Records ofEmigrants, consisting of 90 ledger books thatlist details about people leaving Denmark from1868 to 1940.

Records of the Poor Jews Temporary Shelterin England. Information contained in theserecords includes the name of the person whowas sheltered, date of arrival, age, maritalstatus, number of children accompanying theperson, place from which the person came tothe shelter, occupation, port of entry intoEngland, length of stay at the shelter, dateleaving the United Kingdom, where the personwas going, and the name of the ship on whichthe person sailed. A searchable database thatlists information about Jews who stayed at theshelter between 1895 and 1914 while on theirway to South Africa is found at:

http://chrysalis.its.uct.ac.za/shelter/shelter.htm

Some emigration and immigration sources are onthe Internet. The Immigrant Ships TranscribersGuild is one web site that lists details from shipspassenger lists and can be found at:

http://www.immigrantships.net/

There are also searchable databases of limitedemigration and immigration sources, such asUnited State Department of State Consulate recordsfor Jerusalem, Jaffa, and Haifa and lists ofGermans, Swiss, and Austrians deported fromFrance. Check the following web site for theserecords:

http://www.jewishgen.org/databases/

Unique to Jews are records kept by HebrewImmigrant Aid Societies and other Jewishassociations in the United States. See Societies in

this outline for further information about theHebrew Immigrant Aid Societies.

The library has many emigration and immigrationrecords, including some records of the HebrewImmigration Aid Society. Check for these recordsin the Family History Library Catalog.

It is now possible to make online searches ofpassenger lists from, for example, Ellis Island,Castle Garden, Baltimore and San Francisco.Most useful for making such searches are theOne-Step Webpages found at:

http://www.stevemorse.org/

ENCYCLOPEDIAS ANDDICTIONARIES

Encyclopedias provide information on allbranches of knowledge, usually in articlesarranged alphabetically. They often containinformation of great interest for genealogicalresearch, including articles about towns, places,prominent people, minorities, and religions. Theycan give information about diverse topics such asrecord-keeping practices, laws, customs,commerce, occupations, costumes, and archaicterminology.

The Family History Library has general-knowledge encyclopedias from countriesthroughout the world. Similar collections ofencyclopedias can be found in most research anduniversity libraries. Examples of two general-knowledge encyclopedias are:

Great Soviet Encyclopedia. 31 vols. NewYork: Macmillan, 1979. (FHL book 030.47G798s.) Translation of the third edition ofBolshaia Sovetskaia Entsiklopediia.

Orgelbrand, Samuel. Encyklopedjapowszechna (Universal Encyclopedia).Warszawa: Archiwum DokumentacjiMechanicznej, 1974. (FHL film997,501997,518.)

There are several Jewish-specific encyclopedias.The following may be particularly helpful in yourresearch:

Kurzweil, Arthur and Miriam Weiner. TheEncyclopedia of Jewish Genealogy Vol. 1:United States and Canada. Northvale, NJ:Jason Aronson Publishers, 1991. (FHLbook 929.1 En19e.)

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Encyclopaedia Judaica. 17 vols. Jerusalem:Keter, 1972, 1982. (FHL book 296.03En19j.) This encyclopedia is now onlineand may be searched by name, subject,town, etc. Go to:

http://jewishencyclopedia.com

Jewish Encyclopedia. 12 vols. New YorkCity: Funk and Wagnalls, 19011906. (FHLbook 296.03 J556.)

Pinkas Hakehillot (Encyclopedia of Jewis