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What’s New inWhat’s New inJewish Records Indexing Jewish Records Indexing -- PolandPoland

24th Annual Conference on Jewish Genealogy

Jerusalem6 July 2004

Stanley M. Diamond, Executive Director

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“the holdings of the Polish State Archives are now wide open to

foreign researchers”

Professor Jerszy SkowronikDirector-General, Polish State Archives

Jerusalem, May 1995

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1996 - Boston

1997 - Paris

1998 - Los Angeles

1999 - New York

2000 - Salt Lake City

2001 – London

2002 – Toronto

2003 - Washington

2004 - JERUSALEM

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Warsaw, October 1995Warsaw, October 1995

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AvotaynuAvotaynuSyllabusSyllabusResearch Research

GuideGuide

JEWISH RECORDS INDEXING – POLANDStanley M. Diamond,

Project Coordinator5599 Edgemore Avenue, Montreal, Quebec, Canada H4W 1V4

Tel: (514) 484-0100, Fax: (514) 484-7306, E-mail: SMSDiamond@aol.com

A remarkable number of Jewish vital record registers of Poland have survived the ravages of time and theupheavals of history. Moreover, many of these registers -- generally covering the years 1808 to 1865,and in some cases beyond -- have been microfilmed, making the records accessible in Family HistoryCenters of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS) - Mormons. Miriam Weiner's Routesto Roots Foundation, Inc. website <http://www.rtrfoundation.org/archdta1.html> presents an inventory ofthe surviving Jewish vital records of Poland and brings to light the millions of additional records notmicrofilmed by the LDS.

Jewish Records Indexing - Poland (JRI-Poland)

The goal of Jewish Records Indexing - Poland (JRI-Poland) <http://www.jewishgen.org/jri-pl> is tocreate searchable on-line indices of Jewish records from current and former territories of Poland. Wheresuch records are available, they may include towns that are now part of Lithuania, Ukraine and Belarus.

The project was an outgrowth of Stanley Diamond’s need for broad-based access to the Jewish vitalrecords of the former Łomża Gubernia for genetic research purposes. Responding to the suggestion thatsuch an initiative was possible, the project was founded in 1995 by Steven Zedeck of Nashua, NH andMichael Tobias of Glasgow, Scotland. Zedeck and Tobias not only had a deep interest in the records ofthis area, but also had the technical skills to bring the project to life. Diamond became ProjectCoordinator in January 1997. JRI-Poland is managed by a board of volunteers.

The majority of the indices in JRI-Poland come from two major sources. The first is the indexing of theLDS microfilmed records, comprising about 2,000 films from more than 500 towns and villages. Thesecond, launched in early 1998, is the JRI-Poland / Polish State Archives Project. While the LDS filmscontain approximately two million records, there are an estimated additional five to seven million pre-1902 records that were not filmed. Generally, these cover the last 25-35 years of the 19th century, whenmany of our grandparents and great-grandparents lived in Poland. Only records more than 100 years oldare available for this indexing project and some records for 1902 are now in the database

To supplement information in vital records or substitute other sources for towns whose records aremissing, JRI-Poland now includes a growing number of additional types of records. These range fromindices to burials in cemeteries, to gravestone files, Polish passports, and birth, marriage and deathannouncements in newspapers in Poland. Instructions about how to get further details or backgroundinformation about each particular group of listings are at the bottom of the JRI-Poland search results.

The database continues to grow at a rapid rate and now includes indices to nearly two million recordsfrom nearly 350 towns. Most of the work on the microfilmed records is done by volunteers organizedinto Shtetl CO-OPs; some of the difficult Cyrillic script entries (from the post-1867 Russian years’registers) are in the main transliterated by professionals whose work is funded by contributions from bothindividuals and groups of Jewish genealogists. Indexing of records in Poland is by Warsaw-basedprofessionals, funded by researchers around the world.

JRI-Poland has been recognized by the international medical and scientific community because of thepotential benefit of the database for Ashkenazic families trying to trace their medical histories,particularly those at increased risk for hereditary conditions and diseases.

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Research Guide inResearch Guide inEnglish, French, English, French,

Hebrew and SpanishHebrew and Spanish

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Take a tour of the Take a tour of the JRIJRI--Poland websitePoland website

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What’s New in What’s New in Jewish Records Jewish Records

Indexing Indexing –– Poland?Poland?

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‘‘the largest database of the largest database of Jewish vital records Jewish vital records

on the Internet’on the Internet’

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500000

1000000

1500000

2000000

2500000

1996 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004

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• 587 towns

• 1836 microfilms

LDS microfilms of LDS microfilms of Polish Jewish recordsPolish Jewish records

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Shtetl COShtetl CO--OP status reportOP status report

Shtetl COShtetl CO--OP meeting OP meeting July 2003 WashingtonJuly 2003 Washington

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• 182 Shtetl CO-OPs complete or active

• 89 towns full indexed

• 592 LDS films indexed

• 700 more partially indexed or in progress

• More Shtetl CO-OPs needed!

Shtetl COShtetl CO--OP status reportOP status report

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Shtetl COShtetl CO--OP “Step by Step”OP “Step by Step”

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Polish State Archives System Polish State Archives System

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• Records indexed in 35 branches

• Archive Coordinators needed

• Fundraising

• Qualifying Contributors

• Excel file – a valuable research tool

Polish State Archives ProjectPolish State Archives Project

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From more than 350 towns from 35 archive branches

...

New volumes for towns New volumes for towns previously indexedpreviously indexed

1903 1904 1905 1906 1907

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ERRATA!ERRATA!

• Missing records

• Duplicate Akt numbers

• Illegible names

• Cut-off Akt numbers

The ongoing challengeThe ongoing challenge

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JRIJRI--Poland Errata MacroPoland Errata Macro

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JRIJRI--Poland Macro ResultsPoland Macro Results

Errata sheet with entries corrected on site at archives

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Non ‘ShtetlNon ‘Shtetl--Specific’ databasesSpecific’ databasesData from all of PolandData from all of Poland

Polish Aliyah Polish Aliyah PassportsPassports

(1930 – 1939)

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Monitor Monitor PolskiPolski

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Motions to the courts for official Motions to the courts for official recognition of a person’s death were filed recognition of a person’s death were filed and published as court announcementsand published as court announcements

Indices to 5,000 new entries added Indices to 5,000 new entries added to the JRIto the JRI--Poland database in June!Poland database in June!

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Databases from Databases from CzestochowaCzestochowa--RadomskoRadomskoArea Research GroupArea Research Group

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Extending the records of Extending the records of ŻŻarkiarkiData currently onlineData currently online::Year, Year, AktAkt Number, Type, Surname, Given NameNumber, Type, Surname, Given Name

Data being added:Data being added:Father Name, Mother Name & Maiden Name, Father Name, Mother Name & Maiden Name, Ages, Witnesses and other TownsAges, Witnesses and other Towns

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Death Records of Death Records of RawiczRawiczformerly formerly RawitschRawitsch, Germany, Germany

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Survivor CardsSurvivor Cards

frontfront backback

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Warsaw Ghetto Warsaw Ghetto Death CardsDeath Cards

Jewish Historical Institute Jewish Historical Institute

WarsawWarsaw

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“Thank you for the hard work you are doing to help the memories of those who died in the Holocaust remains with us.

We are trying to learn what happened to my father-in-law's family. He escaped from Warsaw to Argentina, leaving behind his mother and six married brothers and sisters, who all perished…

The family name was GABRIELEW.”

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Warsaw Ghetto Death Cards Warsaw Ghetto Death Cards Database Search ResultsDatabase Search Results

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“That woman Liba Dworja GABRIELEW was my husband's grandmother, and we never knew how long she lived or where she died. My husband's twin sister was named for her. It was an amazing find for us.

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“Unfortunately we have never had any pictures of her. All we have is a kiddish cup she gave to Mark's father before he left Warsaw in '38 or '39. My mother-in-law gave it to my son Jonah at his Bar Mitzvah, and we used it for Kiddush after the service and every Shabbat since. It was truly different using it this past Shabbat, as she is more real to us now having found out where and how she died.”

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JRIJRI--Poland Poland Order Processing CenterOrder Processing Center

• 1000 separate orders from 550 researchers

• Orders from 18 countries

• 75% from USA, 10% from Israel, 5% from UK

• 4200 records ordered

• 5 researchers ordered more than 50 records.

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JRIJRI--Poland Poland Order Processing CenterOrder Processing Center

Mark Mark HalpernHalpernOrder System Processing CoordinatorOrder System Processing Coordinator

Michael Tobias Michael Tobias JRIJRI--Poland Database ManagerPoland Database Manager

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A Turning Point A Turning Point ––the story of Matthewthe story of Matthew

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JRIJRI--Poland has been recognized by Poland has been recognized by the international medical and the international medical and

scientific community because of the scientific community because of the potential benefit of the database for potential benefit of the database for Ashkenazi families trying to trace Ashkenazi families trying to trace their medical and genetic histories.their medical and genetic histories.

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Email from Daniel Email from Daniel SchlyterSchlyter“Stanley, I found the birth: “Stanley, I found the birth:

Child: Child: ElkaElka 18651865

Father: Father: ZyskielZyskiel SzachiSzachi, merchant age 28, merchant age 28

Mother: Mother: ChaiaChaia SzyferSzyfer, age 22 , age 22

with the names of her parents and their ages I checked the JRIwith the names of her parents and their ages I checked the JRI--Poland Poland

database and found the database and found the LublinLublin marriage of marriage of Elka’sElka’s parentsparents

SZAICKI Zyskiel 1865 M 138 1861 Mordko Sosia Wlodowa SZAICKI Zyskiel 1865 M 138 1861 Mordko Sosia Wlodowa SZYFMAN Chaja 1865 M 138 1861 Nuta Ruchla ZolodawieSZYFMAN Chaja 1865 M 138 1861 Nuta Ruchla Zolodawie

The The SzackiSzacki family originates from family originates from WlodowaWlodowa.”.”

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““The The SzackiSzacki family originates from family originates from WlodowaWlodowa.”.”

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Matthew Matthew to to

GerszGerszborn ca 1784born ca 1784

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WinnipegWinnipeg MontrealMontreal

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Email from Shawn HarrisEmail from Shawn Harris“…word is getting out. I sent an e“…word is getting out. I sent an e--mail to all of my mail to all of my contacts, along with a list of all living descendants contacts, along with a list of all living descendants of Hershel of Hershel ShatskyShatsky; so that they can forward the ; so that they can forward the information (about Matthew)… information (about Matthew)…

These are the things that really matter in life.”These are the things that really matter in life.”

ShawnShawn

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Search for SZACKI and ARBESS Search for SZACKI and ARBESS families leads to more dramatic families leads to more dramatic

developmentsdevelopments

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Warsaw, March 2004Warsaw, March 2004

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JRIJRI--Poland / Polish State Archives Poland / Polish State Archives Express Service for record ordersExpress Service for record orders

Trial Project Trial Project –– BialystokBialystok & & LublinLublin branchesbranches

Overhead scanner and Overhead scanner and Director of Technical Director of Technical Services, Services, LublinLublin ArchivesArchives

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• Fax order & credit card information to Order Processing Center

• Order e-mailed to PSA branch

• PSA branch processes order

• PSA e-mails record within 3 days

Express Service Express Service

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MissionMissionTo assist patient suffering from diseases To assist patient suffering from diseases

best treated by a matching stem cell donorbest treated by a matching stem cell donor

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...a perfect illustration of how ...a perfect illustration of how your work and our work mesh. your work and our work mesh.

““Our experience in working together on Our experience in working together on the ARBESS case is a perfect illustration the ARBESS case is a perfect illustration

of how of how youryour work and work and ourour work mesh. work mesh. As a result of your efforts, it has been As a result of your efforts, it has been

possible to reconstruct a large portion of possible to reconstruct a large portion of the family in just a few days”the family in just a few days”

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““In 1996, our second born child died of In 1996, our second born child died of an undiagnosed neurological disorder. an undiagnosed neurological disorder.

We learned that the disease We learned that the disease was was NiemannNiemann--Pick Type C. Pick Type C.

In 2001, our youngest child In 2001, our youngest child died of the same disease.”died of the same disease.”

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UrszalaUrszala JaworskaJaworskaBone Marrow Bone Marrow

Registry, WarsawRegistry, WarsawUrszalaUrszala Smok’sSmok’sBone Marrow Bone Marrow

Registry, Registry, KrakowKrakow

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SubjSubj: Re: Genealogy to help save lives. : Re: Genealogy to help save lives.

To: SMSDIAMOND To: SMSDIAMOND

Stanley,Stanley,

I met Mrs. I met Mrs. JaworskaJaworska of Bone Marrow Foundation. of Bone Marrow Foundation. She dreams about applying JRIShe dreams about applying JRI--Poland type researchPoland type researchto find closest family in those cases when there is no to find closest family in those cases when there is no match in her bank. She asked me whom she could match in her bank. She asked me whom she could ask to be of assistance to families struck with that ask to be of assistance to families struck with that problem. problem.

I figured that members of Warsaw Genealogy Society I figured that members of Warsaw Genealogy Society fit it best.fit it best.

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““She dreams about applying She dreams about applying JRIJRI--Poland type research”Poland type research”

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••

http://www.giftoflife.org/article.asp?ID=90

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Ministry of InteriorMinistry of InteriorAannualsAannuals letter of support for letter of support for

betabeta--thalassemiathalassemia research projectresearch project

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WarsawWarsaw

October 2001… October 2002October 2001… October 2002

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Our mission deserves the support Our mission deserves the support of the government of Poland…of the government of Poland…

Warsaw, March 2004Warsaw, March 2004

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To All Managers of Vital Records To All Managers of Vital Records Registry Offices:Registry Offices:

“I respectfully ask you to render “I respectfully ask you to render assistance to persons authorized assistance to persons authorized by the Jewish Records Indexingby the Jewish Records Indexing--Poland organization…”Poland organization…”

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LublinLublin Civil Records Office Civil Records Office 14 14 –– 16 June 200416 June 2004

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19041904--1905 1905 LublinLublin USC indices received USC indices received 4 July 2004, 11:15 pm4 July 2004, 11:15 pm

Russian Years converted to Polish

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ResponsibilitiesResponsibilities

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• Totally separate indices

• Limited access

• Controlled searches

• Formal applications

JRI JRI –– Poland Poland Medical/Genetic databaseMedical/Genetic database

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How can I get my How can I get my town’s records indexed?town’s records indexed?

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• 300,000 more indices online• Data from new sources, more archives, more towns• Express Service – records via e-mail• Access to records in Civil Records Offices (UCSs)• JRI-Poland medical / genetic database• Partnership with Gift of Life Foundation• Outreach to Bone Marrow Foundations in Poland• PSA commitment to help in life-saving matters• Data-checking macro

So, what’s So, what’s newnew in in Jewish Records Indexing Jewish Records Indexing –– Poland?Poland?

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The JRIThe JRI--Poland Poland Discussion GroupDiscussion Group

Click on the Click on the home page linkhome page link

Judy Judy BastonBaston

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JRIJRI--Poland OrganizationPoland OrganizationBoard of Directors

Web Team

E. WertheimerHoward Fink

H. Lipsius

ListservModerator

JudyBaston

Associate Director and Shtetl CO-OP CoordinatorHadassahLipsius

Special Projects

JudyBaston

Archive Coordina

tors

Data Manipulation

Team

Business DirectoryDatabase

CoordinatorHowardFink

Page RegistrarRoni SeibelLiebowitz

LDS FilmInventory

Coordinator

PositionOpen

Order Processing

Center

MarkHalpern

Judy BastonStanley Diamond Howard Fink Shirley Rotbein Flaum

Mark HalpernPeter JassemBarbara KhaitRoni Seibel Liebowitz

Hadassah LipsiusRobin MagidStuart RichlerVlady Rozenbaum

Sheila SaloMichael Tobias Daniel Wagner

Executive DirectorStanley Diamond

Legal CounselMichael Richman

JGS TorontoCopy Service

Stan Zeidenberg

Shtetl CO-OPLeaders

Shtetl CO-OPTeam

Web LDF FilmCoordinator

Roni Liebowitz

Volunteers Volunteers Volunteers Volunteers Volunteers

Database Mgr.

Michael Tobias

Jeffrey Cymbler

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JRIJRI-- Poland volunteers Poland volunteers In MemoriamIn Memoriam

AlizaAliza KolkerKolker1948 1948 –– 2003 2003

ChelmChelm Shtetl COShtetl CO--OPOP

Harold Harold NissenthallNissenthall1939 1939 –– 2003 2003

Toronto Copy CenterToronto Copy Center

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““I extended my family tree knowledge I extended my family tree knowledge three generations”three generations”

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““I found a treasure trove of relatives I found a treasure trove of relatives records indexed by JRIrecords indexed by JRI--Poland”Poland”

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“As someone who found wonderful records as a result of the enormous work you and your team have been doing, please accept my thanks.”

Helene Kenvin, Trembowla and Skala Podolskaya researcher

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““Many thanks to JRIMany thanks to JRI--Poland for Poland for providing genealogical information providing genealogical information in an instant…it in an instant…it itit truly a dream”truly a dream”

Esther Minars, AustraliaLublin PSA project supporter

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The role can playThe role can play

•• Shtetl COShtetl CO--OP CoordinatorOP Coordinator

•• Quality ControlQuality Control

•• Database ManipulationDatabase Manipulation

•• Archive CoordinatorArchive Coordinator

•• Town LeaderTown Leader

•• LDS Film InventoryLDS Film Inventory

•• Data EntryData Entry

youyou