RELEASE DATE: MAY 17, 2020
KINSEARCHING
by
Marleta Childs
P. O. Box 6825
LUBBOCK, TX 79493-6825
[email protected]
Besides updating versions of several earlier publications to highlight changes and advances regarding genealogical sources available on the internet, the ever-popular “Genealogy at a Glance” series continues to publish new titles. One of the most recent additions is Finding Eastern European Jewish Ancestors by Janette Silverman.
The guide’s aim is to aid individuals who are trying to trace Jewish ancestors who immigrated to the United States primarily between the years 1880 and 1924 from Eastern Europe. Approximately 2.5 million Jews, mainly from the Austrian, Russian, and Prussian empires, came to the U. S. during that time frame.
As researchers may know, the word Jewish can refer to an ethnic group, a religion, and a culture. Various aspects of Jewish culture, such as traditions, food, dress, music, and language may differ since they were influenced by the many countries in which Jews lived for hundreds of years. The term Ashkenazic commonly refers to European Jews.
Silverman begins by pointing out the many difficulties in trying to identify Ashkenazic ancestors. For instance, the majority of immigrants arriving in the United States likely changed their given name, their surname, or both. As a result, locating individuals in documents like immigration records is especially challenging.
Another obstacle to overcome is pinpointing the ancestor’s hometown. Over time, some Eastern European countries ceased to exist, encountered border changes, had lands ceded to other nations, or changed the names of towns into another language, depending on which country was in control at the time.
Another challenge comes from the immigrants’ inconsistency when recording their ages or dates of birth. The contradictions were due, in part, to the differences between the use of the Jewish lunar calendar and the Julian and Gregorian solar calendars, which have about a two-week variance in dating. Until World War I, sections of Eastern Europe still utilized the Julian calendar instead of the Gregorian calendar commonly used today.
After discussing the problems, Silverman offers advice about how to overcome the difficulties and tips for future reference. Among the various sources recommended to begin research are vital and cemetery records, censuses, and naturalization documents. An additional resource for discovering details about men are the World War I and World War II draft registrations.
One segment of the publication is devoted to the name, address, phone number, and website for major repositories located in the United States and Israel. The last portion deals with online resources for which the author provides the URL.
Like other titles in the series, an overview of the basics needed for tracing Ashkenazic forebears is condensed into four laminated pages for easy handling. The streamlined Finding Eastern European Jewish Ancestors offers valuable insights necessary for connecting American ancestors to their roots overseas.
To the guide's price of $9.95, buyers should add the cost for postage and handling charges. For U. S. postal mail, the cost is $5.50 for one item and $2.50 for each additional copy; for FedEx ground service, the cost is $7.00 for one copy and $2.50 for each additional item. The guide (item order 5375) may be purchased by check, money order, MasterCard, or Visa from Genealogical Publishing Company, 3600 Clipper Mill Rd., Suite 260, Baltimore, MD 21211-1953. For phone orders, call toll free 1-800-296-6687; fax 1-410-752-8492; website www.genealogical.com.