JewishGen Echo
FAQ - Frequently Asked Questions
Revision 1.5 - January 1, 1994
Warren Blatt
 
 
This document, "Frequently Asked Questions" (FAQ), attempts to
answer some of the basic questions about Jewish Genealogy posted
on this board.

TABLE OF CONTENTS:
   1)  GETTING STARTED
   2)  PUBLICATIONS
   3)  JEWISH GENEALOGICAL FAMILY FINDER (JGFF)
   4)  BOOKS
   5)  VENDORS
   6)  JEWISH GENEALOGICAL SOCIETIES (JGSs)
   7)  SEMINARS ON JEWISH GENEALOGY
   8)  NATIONAL ARCHIVES
   9)  VITAL RECORDS (BIRTHS, MARRIAGES & DEATHS)
   10) PASSENGER LISTS
   11) FINDING YOUR ANCESTRAL TOWN
   12) LDS (MORMON) FAMILY HISTORY CENTERS
   13) YIZKOR BOOKS
   14) JEWISH GENEALOGICAL PEOPLE FINDER (JGPF)
   15) JEWISHGEN ECHO
   16) GENEALOGICAL SOFTWARE DISTRIBUTION SYSTEM (GSDS)
   17) COMPUTER GENEALOGY PROGRAMS
   18) GLOSSARY, ABBREVIATIONS


1) GETTING STARTED:
 
   If you're just getting started researching your Jewish family
history, you should definitely begin by reading either of the
following books:
 
   Kurzweil, Arthur.  From Generation to Generation: How to
      Trace Your Jewish Genealogy and Personal History.  (New
      York: William Morrow, 1980).  353 pages.  ($13).
 
   Rottenberg, Dan.  Finding Our Fathers: A Guidebook to Jewish
      Genealogy.  (New York: Random House, 1977).  401 pages.
      ($14).
 
   These two were the pioneering works that helped inspire the
modern Jewish genealogical movement, in the late 1970's.  Both
books are a great inspiration for beginners.  However, some of
their sources are out-of date; Jewish genealogy has advanced a
great deal in the last dozen years.  More recent sources are
described below.  Both books are widely available, and should be
held by most public libraries, as well as available in paperback
from any good bookstore, and from the vendors listed below (Q#5).
 
   Start with what you know.  Work from the known to the unknown,
one small step at a time.  Work backwards from the present,
gathering facts as you go.

 - Interview your relatives.  Write or talk to your family
      members.  Ask them about family names, where they lived,
      when they immigrated, what town they came from.
 - Check the U.S. Federal Census.  Taken every 10 years.
      The 1920 Census is the most recent available, and is 
      fully indexed.  Available at the U.S. National Archives
      and all 12 branches (See Q#8), and at many libraries.
 - Check other records: City Directories; Birth, Marriage and
      Death records (See Q#9); Naturalization records;
      Passenger Lists (See Q#10); Probate records; deeds, etc.
 - Coordinate with other genealogists researching the same family
      names and towns -- consult the Jewish Genealogical Family
      Finder (JGFF - See Q#3).
 - Join a Jewish Genealogical Society (See Q#6).
 - Subscribe to Avotaynu (See Q#2).
 - Attend a Summer Seminar on Jewish Genealogy (See Q#7).


FAQ - Part 2 of 11

2) PUBLICATIONS:
 
   "Avotaynu: The International Review of Jewish Genealogy"
is a quarterly publication, founded in 1985, devoted to Jewish
genealogical issues: new record sources, tips on research, 
travel experiences, book reviews, "Ask the Experts" column,
summaries of articles in other sources, and more.  It is the
premier publication documenting the field today.  Avotaynu
subscriptions are $24 per year ($32 overseas), and back issues
($7 each) are available from the publisher: Avotaynu, Inc., 1485
Teaneck Road, Teaneck, NJ 07666.  Tel. (201) 837-8300.
 
   Many Jewish Genealogical Societies (JGSs, see Q#6 below)
also publish a journal or newsletter.  Some of the better ones
include "Dorot" (New York), "Mishpacha" (Greater Washington), 
and "Roots-Key" (Los Angeles).  A list of these publications,
with subscription information, is available in a file called
JGSNEWS.ZIP on GSDS (see Q#16 below).

 
3) JEWISH GENEALOGICAL FAMILY FINDER (JGFF):
 
   The Jewish Genealogical Family Finder (JGFF) is a computer-
indexed compilation of surnames and towns currently being
researched by over 2,000 Jewish genealogists worldwide.  It
contains over 28,000 entries: 10,000 ancestral surnames and 7,000
town names, and is indexed and cross-referenced by both surname
and town name.  The JGFF is maintained by Gary Mokotoff of the
Jewish Genealogical Society (New York).
 
   Researchers should search the JGFF for genealogists with
similar research interests, and can then contact them for ex-
change of information.  The JGFF is a great networking tool,
which is updated quarterly.  All Jewish Genealogical Societies
(JGSs, see Q#6 below) have a print-out copy of the JGFF.  The
JGFF is also available on over a dozen on-line bulletin boards
(see Q#15 on the Jewish Genealogy Echo for information on how to
obtain a listing of these BBS's).  It is also available for
purchase from Avotaynu, Inc. ($40 for hard-copy, $10 for
microfiche).

   Any member of a Jewish Genealogical Society (JGS) may
submit up to 16 names/towns for inclusion in the JGFF, free of
charge.  Additional names are $2.50 per 16 submitted.  To add
your ancestral surnames and towns to the JGFF, request the JGFF
application form from your local JGS, or send a SASE to: Jewish
Genealogical Family Finder, P.O. Box 1134, Teaneck, NJ 07666.  


FAQ - Part 3 of 11

4) BOOKS:

Other useful resources for Jewish genealogy include:

   Encyclopedia of Jewish Genealogy, Volume I: Sources in the
      United States and Canada.  Edited by Arthur Kurzweil and
      Miriam Weiner.  (Northvale, NJ: Jason Aronson, Inc.,
      1991).  226 pages.   A summary of North American record
      repositories and their holdings, with some useful appendi-
      ces.  ($40.00)
 
   Where Once We Walked: A Guide to the Jewish Communities
      Destroyed in the Holocaust, by Gary Mokotoff and Sallyann
      Amdur Sack.  (Teaneck, NJ: Avotaynu Press, 1991).  514
      pages.  A gazetteer of over 21,000 Central and Eastern
      European localities, arranged alphabetically and phoneti-
      cally, with references for each locality.  ($70.00)
 
   Zubatsky, David S. and Irwin M. Berent.  Jewish Genealogy: A
      Source Book of Family Histories and Genealogies.  (New
      York: Garland, 1984, 1991).  Two volumes: 422 pages, 452
      pages.   A guide to published and manuscript genealogies
      in archives and libraries, arranged by surname.  ($24.00)
 
   Guzik, Estelle, editor.  Genealogical Resources in the New
      York Metropolitan Area.  (New York: Jewish Genealogical
      Society, 1989).  404 pages.  A detailed guide to every
      agency in New York City and environs that could provide
      data useful to Jewish genealogical research.  ($30.00)
 
   Wolfman, Ira.  Do People Grow on Family Trees?  Genealogy for
      Kids and Other Beginners.  (New York: Workman Publishing,
      1991).  179 pages.  "The Official Ellis Island Handbook".
      A good introduction for people of all ages.  ($10.00)
 
   American-oriented genealogical guides are available at any
public library.  Beware that these works usually focus strictly
on Anglo-American ancestry, concentrating on such topics as
Revolutionary and Civil War records, land records, pioneer
trails, church and town records, the Colonial period, etc.  They
usually ignore sources important for Jewish researchers such as
immigration and naturalization records, but are useful for their
methodology.  Some recommended books are:

   Greenwood, Val D.  The Researcher's Guide to American Gene-
      alogy.  2nd edition.  (Baltimore: Genealogical Publishing
      Co., 1990).  623 pages.  ($25.00)

   Doane, Gilbert H. and James B. Bell.  Searching for Your
      Ancestors: The How and Why of Genealogy.  6th edition.
      (Minneapolis: University of Minnesota Press, 1992).  352
      pages.

   Eakle, Arlene and Johni Cerny, eds.  The Source: A Guidebook
      of American Genealogy.  (Salt Lake City: Ancestry, Inc.,
      1984).  786 pages.  ($40.00)

   Ancestry's Red Book: American State, County and Town Sources.
      Edited by Alice Eichholz.  Revised Edition.  (Salt Lake
      City: Ancestry, Inc., 1992).  858 pages.  ($40.00)

   Guide to Genealogical Research in the National Archives.
      (Washington, D.C.: National Archives and Records Service,
      1985).  304 pages.  ($35.00)


5) VENDORS:

The following firms sell genealogical books and supplies:

   Genealogy Unlimited, Inc.
   P.O. Box 537
   Orem, UT  84059-0537
   (800) 666-4363

   Ancestry, Inc.
   P.O. Box 476
   Salt Lake City, UT  84110-0476
   (800) 531-1790

   Genealogical Publishing Co.
   1001 N. Calvert St.
   Baltimore, MD  21202-3897
   (301) 837-8271

   Hearthstone Bookshop
   Potomac Square
   8405-H Richmond Highway
   Alexandria, VA  22309
   (703) 360-6900

   L'Dor V'Dor
   203 Commack Road, Suite 138
   Commack, NY  11725
   (516) 462-1191

   All of the books mentioned in this FAQ list are available
from one or more of the above vendors.

FAQ - Part 4 of 11

6) JEWISH GENEALOGICAL SOCIETIES (JGSs):

   There are over 50 Jewish Genealogical Societies (JGSs) world-
wide, in 40 U.S. cities, plus Australia, Brazil, Canada, France,
Germany, Great Britain, Israel, Netherlands, Romania, Russia and
Switzerland.  For the address of the JGS nearest you, send an
SASE to the Association of Jewish Genealogical Societies (AJGS),
1485 Teaneck Road, Teaneck, NJ 07666.  The addresses of all JGSs
are published annually in the Spring issue of Avotaynu (see Q#2
above). 
 
Here are addresses of some of the larger JGSs:
 - New York: JGS, Inc., P.O. Box 6398, New York, NY 10128
 - Los Angeles: JGS of LA, P.O. Box 55443, Sherman Oaks, CA 91343
 - Chicago: JGS of Illinois, P.O. Box 515, Northbrook, IL 60065
 - Washington, DC: JGS of Greater Washington, P.O. Box 412,
      Vienna, VA 22183-0412
 - Cleveland: JGS of Cleveland, 996 Eastlawn Dr., 
      Highland Heights, OH 44143
 - Boston: JGS of Greater Boston, P.O. Box 366, 
      Newton Highlands, MA 02161-0004
 - Philadelphia: JGS of Philadelphia, 332 Harrison Ave., 
      Elkins Park, PA 19117-2662
 - Toronto: JGS of Canada, PO Box 446, Station "A", Willowdale,
      Ontario M2N 5T1
 - London: JGS of England, 36 Woodstock Rd., Golders Green,
      London NW 11 8ER

Your local JGS is your best source for learning and sharing
research ideas.  Most JGSs hold monthly meetings and publish a
newsletter (see Q#2).

   In addition to local JGSs, there are also several "Special
Interest Groups" (SIGs), whose interest is a geographic region
of origin.  Currently formed SIGs and their publications are:

 - Germany: "Stammbaum", $20/year, c/o Harry Katzman, 
      1601 Cougar Court, Winter Springs, FL 32708.
 - Romania: "ROM-SIG News", $15/year, c/o Sam & Joy Elprin,
      27 Hawthorne Street, Greenwich, CT 06831.
 - Suwalk & Lomza gubernias (today southern Lithuania and
      northeast Poland): "Landsmen", $22/year, c/o Marlene
      Silverman, 3701 Connecticut Avenue NW, Apt. 228, 
      Washington DC 20008.
 - Galicia (today southern Poland and western Ukraine): 
      "The Galitzianer", $15/year, c/o Suzan Wynne, 
      3128 Brooklawn Terrace, Chevy Chase, MD 20815.
 - Hungary (and Hungarian-speaking regions): $7/year,
      H-SIG, c/o Louis Schonfeld, P.O. Box 34152, Cleveland, 
      OH 44134-0852.
 - Czech/Slovak: c/o Mindy Gottesgen, 733 Juniper Walk, 
      Apt. B, Goleta, CA 93317.
      
 
7) SEMINARS ON JEWISH GENEALOGY:
 
   Since 1981, an annual "Summer Seminar on Jewish Genealogy" has
been held, in a different city each year.  Upcoming seminars are:
 
   1994, Apr 29 - May 5:  Jerusalem
   1995, June 25 - 29:  Washington, DC
   1996, Summer:  Boston

   The 4th International Seminar on Jewish Genealogy, sponsored
by the Israel Genealogical Society and Avotaynu, will be held at
the Jerusalem Crowne Plaza, Israel, April 29-May 5, 1994.
Full registration including hotel and airfare is $1,645.
Registration alone is $300.  Details are in the Fall 1993 issue
of Avotaynu, pages 31-38.  For more information, write to
Avotaynu/1994 Seminar, P.O. Box 900, Teaneck, NJ 07666.

FAQ - Part 5 of 11

8) NATIONAL ARCHIVES:
 
   The U.S. National Archives in Washington, D.C. is the primary
source for Federal Census Records, Passenger Lists, Military
Records, and some Naturalization records.  The Archives is
located at 8th and Pennsylvania Ave. N.W., Washington, DC 20408.  
   In addition to the above-mentioned "Guide to Genealogical
Research in the National Archives", the National Archives in
Washington sells some publications which can be useful.  They are
described in the free booklet "Aids for Genealogical Research"
(29 pages), available from the National Archives Trust Fund
Board, Washington DC, 20408.  Among the publications offered are
a series subtitled "A Select Catalog of National Archives
Microfilm Publications", which list the reel-by-reel contents of
many of the National Archives microfilmed records.  These
inexpensive catalogs can be very useful for locating the correct
reel of microfilm on which to find a record of your ancestor.
 
   In addition to the main archive in Washington, the National
Archives maintains twelve "Regional Archives" across the country.
Each Regional Archives has the complete U.S. Census on microfilm
(All states, 1790-1920), selected microfilmed records (Military
records, Passenger Lists, Naturalizations), and local Federal
records for that region.  The twelve branches are:
 
 - New England (CT, ME, MA, NH, RI, VT):
      380 Trapelo Rd., Waltham, MA 02154
 - Northeast (NJ, NY, PR, VI):
      201 Varick St., New York, NY 10014
 - Mid-Atlantic (DE, PA, MD, VA, WV):
      9th & Market Sts., Room 1350, Philadelphia, PA 19107
 - Southeast (AL, GA, FL, KY, MI, NC, SC, TN):
      1557 St. Joseph Ave., East Point, GA 30344
 - Great Lakes (IL, IN, MI, MN, OH, WI):
      7358 S. Pulaski Rd., Chicago, IL 60629
 - Central Plains (IA, KS, MS, NE):
      2312 East Bannister Rd., Kansas City, MO 64131
 - Southwest (AK, LA, NM, OK, TX):
      510 W. Felix St., P.O. Box 6216, Ft. Worth, TX 76115
 - Rocky Mountain (CO, MO, ND, SD, UT, WY):
      Bldg. 48, Denver Federal Center, Denver, CO 80225-0307
 - Pacific Sierra (CA North, HI, NV, AS):
      1000 Commodore Dr., San Bruno, CA 94066
 - Pacific Southwest (CA South, AZ):
      24000 Avila Rd., P.O. Box 6719, Laguna Niguel, CA 92607
 - Pacific Northwest (ID, OR, WA):
      6125 Sand Point Way NE, Seattle, WA 98115
 - Alaska (AK): 654 West Third Ave., Anchorage, AK 99501
 
Nearly all National Archives microfilms are also available
through all LDS (Mormon) Family History Centers (see Q#12 below).


9) VITAL RECORDS (BIRTHS, MARRIAGES & DEATHS):
 
   In the U.S., vital records are maintained by the individual
states, not the Federal government.  The complete listing of
addresses and fees for each state is provided in the government
publication "Where to Write for Vital Records (Births, Deaths,
Marriages and Divorces)" (Washington: U.S. Dept. of Health &
Human Services, March 1993).  This 30 page booklet is available
for $2.25 from the U.S. Government Printing Office, Washington,
DC 20402-9325, Tel. (202) 783-3238.  This information is also
provided in "Ancestry's Red Book" (see Q#4 above) and Thomas J.
Kemp's "International Vital Records Handbook".  Some older U.S.
vital records (e.g. New York City, Mass., Ill., Calif.) are
available on microfilm through the LDS (see Q#12 below).


FAQ - Part 6 of 11

10) PASSENGER LISTS:

   Lists of passengers arriving at U.S. ports have been
maintained by the Federal government since 1820.  U.S. Passenger
Arrival Lists generally provide the name, age, and country of
origin for each arriving person.  Relatively few U.S. lists prior
to 1890 show the town or city of origin; later lists provide the
specific place of last residence and/or birthplace, and much
more.

   Passenger lists are arranged by port, and then chronologically
by date of arrival.  The National Archives in Washington (see Q#8
above) has custody of these lists, which have been microfilmed. 
Indexes to most ports were prepared by the WPA, but they are not
complete.  The following chart shows the five major U.S. ports of
entry on the Atlantic coast:

Port       Passengers   Lists       Indexes
New York       24.0 M   1820-1857   1820-1846, 1897-1948
Boston          2.0 M   1820-1943   1848-1891, 1902-1920
Baltimore       1.5 M   1820-1948   1820-1952
Philadelphia    1.2 M   1800-1945   1800-1948
New Orleans     0.7 M   1820-1945   1853-1952

The second column shows the number of passengers, in millions,
that arrived at each port between 1820 and 1920.  There are also
lists for several minor ports, as well as the Canadian border. 
As you can see, the large majority of passengers arrived at New
York, and there are large gaps in the indexes, especially for
periods of major Jewish immigration.

The following books are helpful for immigration research:

   Colletta, John P.  They Came in Ships.  (Salt Lake City: 
      Ancestry, Inc., 1989, 1993).  108 pages.  An easy to use 
      guide for beginners, step-by-step instructions -- 
      highly recommended.  ($10.00)

   Tepper, Michael.  American Passenger Arrival Records.
      (Baltimore: Genealogical Publishing Co., 1988, 1993).
      142 pages.  Scholarly, comprehensive guide.  ($20.00)

   Immigrant and Passenger Arrivals: A Select Catalog of
      National Archives Microfilm Publications.  (Washington:
      National Archives Trust Fund Board, 1983, 1991).  171
      pages.  Reel-by-reel listing of all microfilms of 
      passenger lists.  ($5.00 - see Q#8).

   Because passenger lists are arranged by port and then
chronologically, it's important to know when and where your
ancestor arrived.  This information can usually be found on
Naturalization papers.  The U.S. Census for 1900, 1910 and 1920
lists the year of immigration, and 1920 lists the year of
Naturalization.

   If you know the exact date and port of arrival, you can order
a copy of the ship passenger list directly from the National
Archives.  Submit National Archives Form NATF-81, "Order for
Copies of Ship Passenger Arrival Records", available from the 
   General Reference Branch
   National Archives
   7th and Pennsylvania Avenue NW
   Washington DC  20408
The search is free, and you will be billed $10.00 if you wish to
receive a copy of the passenger list.  These are large full-size
copies, 18" x 24", providing much information, especially for
20th century immigrants.

   The National Archives staff will also search the available
indexes for you, if you provide the passenger's full name, port
of entry, and approximate date of arrival.  However, always be
aware that no one can do your genealogy as well as you can -- no
one else will be as thorough, and check alternate spellings of
names, broader ranges of dates, etc.  It's always best to search
the original records yourself.  Use John Colletta's book as a
guide.  Searching passenger lists and indexes can be challenging
and time-consuming, but it pays off in the end.  You can find
your immigrant ancestor on a ship manifest, if you work at it.

(continues...)FAQ - Part 7 of 11

10) PASSENGER LISTS (con't):

   These passenger lists were filled out on board by the ship's
purser, and checked by customs or immigration authorities upon
arrival.  Thus the names on these lists are the European, pre-
Americanized versions of names.  The names were written down the
way that they sounded.  Do NOT expect to find your ancestor's
name spelled as it is today -- realize that your immigrant
ancestor wouldn't be able to recognize the written name even if
it were shown to him/her, if they read only Russian and/or
Yiddish/Hebrew.

   If you know the name of the ship upon which your ancestor
arrived, you can find the dates on which that ship arrived in the
"Morton Allan Directory of European Passenger Steamship Arrivals"
(1931, reprinted by Genealogical Publishing Co., 1987, 268 pages,
$15).  It lists names of vessels arriving by year, steamship
company and date of arrival at the ports of New York, 1890-1930,
and of Baltimore, Boston and Philadelphia, 1904-1926.  This can
help narrow down your search.

   If your ancestor arrived during a period for which the port is
unindexed, you have no choice but to search every list, line by
line, for that year.  The passenger list microfilms are available
at the National Archives in Washington, and portions are
available at the various Regional Archives (see Q#8).  All
passenger lists and indexes may also be borrowed through all LDS
Family History Centers (see Q#12).

   There are some published indexes to passenger lists, most
covering Colonial immigrants, or a particular ethnic group for a
small set of years.  See the bibliographies in Colletta or Tepper
for a complete list.  The most important of these for Jewish
research is "Germans to America", edited by Ira Glazier, which
covers arrivals of German passengers for 1850-1879.  This ongoing
series (34 volumes so far) is available at most major libraries.  

   There are no published indexes for Eastern European immigrants
thus far, but one is in the works, covering Russian arrivals,
1880-1887.  The LDS have also announced a major effort to index
passenger lists.  The next few years should see major progress in
this area.

   Finally, the port of Hamburg, Germany, maintained lists of
emigrating passengers for 1850-1934.  About 40% of Eastern
European Jewish immigrants (Polish, Russian, Hungarian, etc.)
left via Hamburg.  These lists contain the emigrant's town of
origin.  They are indexed by year and the first letter of each
passenger's surname, so some searching is required.  The lists
and indexes have been microfilmed, and are available through LDS
Family History Centers.  See the article by Daniel M. Schlyter in
"The Encyclopedia of Jewish Genealogy" (See Q#4), pages 9-12, and
the list of microfilm reel numbers on pages 163-167.


FAQ - Part 8 of 11

11) FINDING YOUR ANCESTRAL TOWN:

   One of the most important challenges of your genealogical
search will be finding your ancestors' town of origin.  Knowing
the exact location is very important in furthering your search,
because records in Europe were kept on a local, municipal basis. 
Your best source, as always, are home sources -- your relatives,
family papers, citizenship documents, passports, etc.  

   Be aware that when someone says their family was from, for
example, "Vilna" or "Minsk", this probably means that they were
from some small town in Vilna or Minsk gubernia (province), and
not the city itself (just as someone from "New York" is not
necessarily from Manhattan).

   After home sources, the best source for finding town of origin
are Naturalization papers.  All U.S. Naturalization papers after
1906 contain the new citizen's exact town of origin; papers
before 1906 may or may not, depending upon the court.  Many
Naturalization records are located at the National Archives
branches (See Q#8).

   Passenger Lists (See Q#10) after 1893 contain a column for
"Last Residence", which might be town, province, or country,
depending upon the ship.  Lists after 1906 always contain a
"Birthplace" column, city and country.  For earlier immigrants,
the Hamburg emigration lists contain town of origin.

Other potential sources for determining town of origin include:
 - U.S. Vital Records (Birth, marriage and death certificates).
      Some contain precise place of origin, depending upon state,
      town, clerk, etc.
 - Cemetery.  Many immigrants belonged to "landsmanshaftn",
      organizations of people from the same ancestral town.
      Synagogues were often comprised of members from the same 
      area of origin.  Check where your immigrant ancestor is
      buried.  Many used congregational or landsmanshaft plots.
      Tombstones might also yield clues.
 - Social Security Application.  Began 1937.  If you know the 
      Social Security Number (from SSDI or Death certificate),
      send $7.00 for copy of application; $16.00 if SocSec# is
      unknown.  See Q#12 for address.  Application form asks for
      "Birthplace" - sometimes town is filled in.
 - World War I Draft Registration Cards, 1917-1918.  For men 
      born between 1886 and 1897, gives exact place of birth -
      city/town, state/province, country.  See FHLC under 
      "UNITED STATES - MILITARY RECORDS - WORLD WAR, 1914-1918";
      or write to National Archives, Southeast branch (See Q#8).
      For large cities, a street address must be known.
 - Passport Applications.  For U.S. citizens traveling abroad.
      Optional until 1941, except during wartime.  Records before
      1925 at National Archives (and on microfilm at LDS, see
      FHLC under "UNITED STATES - EMIGRATION AND IMMIGRATION");
      records after 1925 at U.S. State Department, Passport
      Office, Washington, DC 20520.
 - Probate Records.  Wills and administrations can contain
      clues.  Filed on the county level.  "Ancestry's Redbook"
      (See Q#4) or E. P. Bentley's "County Courthouse Book"
      (Gen'l Publ. Co, 1991) have addresses of county courts.
 - Alien Registration.  Required of all non-citizens after 1941.
      Write to INS, Freedom of Information, Room 5114, 
      425 I Street NW, Washington, DC 20536.
 - Surname clues.  If your surname is very unusual, consult
      Alexander Beider's "A Dictionary of Jewish Surnames from
      the Russian Empire" (Avotaynu, 1993).  Some surnames
      are found only in a particular locality in Czarist Russia.

   Once you've determined your ancestral town, check "Where Once
We Walked" (See Q#4).  This gazetteer of Eastern and Central
Europe will help you pinpoint the town's exact location, and will
tell you what sources of information are available for that town. 
WOWW also contains a phonetic index, so even if you're unsure of
the correct spelling, you can find the town.

FAQ - Part 9 of 11

12) LDS (MORMON) FAMILY HISTORY CENTERS:
 
   The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints (LDS), also
known as the Mormon Church, operates the Family History Library
(FHL) in Salt Lake City, the largest genealogical library in the
world. Their collection contains over 1.8 million reels of
microfilm, 385,000 microfiche and 250,000 books.  The Church also
operates over 1,800 Family History Centers (FHCs) worldwide. 
Records on microfilm can be loaned from Salt Lake City to any
Family History Center for a small fee.  For a list of Family
History Centers in your area, write to the Family History
Library, 50 East North Temple St., Salt Lake City, UT 84150. 
Tel. (801) 240-2331.
 
   The Church's microfilming program makes copies of records
from all over the world, including Jewish records.  They have an
extensive collection of 19th-century Jewish records from Poland,
Germany and Hungary.  Listings of these records (over 5,000 reels
microfilmed as of 1985) were published in "Avotaynu" and "The
Encyclopedia of Jewish Genealogy".  New records are microfilmed
and added to the collection every year.  Four to five thousand
reels of microfilm are added to the collection each month.  They
have recently begun microfilming in the republics of the former
Soviet Union (Russia in 1992, Belarus in 1993), and these films
should be available within a year or two.
 
   The key to finding records in the Church's collection is the
Family History Library Catalog (FHLC), the card catalog of the
holdings of the library in Salt Lake, available on microfiche at
all Family History Centers.  The most important part of the FHLC
is the LOCALITY section, where records are organized by jurisdic-
tion: By Country, then State, then County/Province, then
City/Town.  They have instructional videos on "How to use the
FHLC" and "How to use a Family History Center".  ($5.00 each
from: Salt Lake Distribution Center, 1999 West 1700 South, Salt
Lake City, UT 84104, Tel. 801-240-2504).  Other research guides
are also available.  Ask for the "Family History Publications
List" (#34083).
 
   "FamilySearch" is a set of computer databases available at
most Family History Centers.  Most of the databases are useless
for Jewish researchers -- don't bother with the International
Genealogical Index (IGI) or Ancestral File.  One database, the
Social Security Death Index (SSDI), is extremely useful.  It is
an index of 40 million people who died between 1962 and 1988 and
had Social Security Numbers.  After you get someone's Social
Security Number, you can write for a copy of that person's
original application, $7.00 to Freedom of Information Officer,
4H8 Annex Building, 6401 Security Blvd., Baltimore, MD 21235 
Tel. (410) 965-3962.

13) YIZKOR BOOKS:
 
   Yizkor (Memorial) Books are published histories of individual
Eastern European Jewish communities, memorialized the town and
its Holocaust victims.  There is usually a narrative section on
the town's history, culture, institutions and rabbis, and some-
times a list of Holocaust victims, survivors, or emigrants.  Most
memorial books are entirely in Hebrew and/or Yiddish, though
some do have sections in English or other languages.  Yizkor
books have been published for over 700 towns.  The most complete
list is "Bibliography of Eastern European Memorial (Yizkor)
Books", Compiled by Zachary M. Baker (51 pages, July 1992),
available for $5.00 from the JGS of New York (see address in Q#6
above).  This list also contains call numbers at six libraries in
New York.  A previous version of this list appears in Estelle
Guzik's "Genealogical Resources in the New York Metropolitan
Area", pages 323-372.
 
   Most yizkor books were published in the 1950s and 60s in very
limited quantities, and are therefore usually difficult to find
and expensive to purchase.  Most books currently sell for $40 to
$100.  The following establishments sell yizkor books:
 
 - J. Robinson & Co., 31 Nachlat Benjamin St., P.O. Box 4308,
      Tel Aviv 65162, Israel
 - Moshe Schreiber, Mea Sharim St. 16, Jerusalem, Israel
 - Pinat Ha-Sefer, P.O. Box 46646, Haifa 31464, Israel
 - Central Yiddish Culture Organization, 25 East 21st St.,
      3rd floor, New York NY  10010
 - National Yiddish Book Center, P.O. Box 969, Amherst, MA 01004

 
FAQ - Part 10 of 11

14) JEWISH GENEALOGICAL PEOPLE FINDER (JGPF):

   The JGPF is a database of individuals on family trees
submitted by Jewish genealogists, somewhat like the LDS Ancestral
File.  While the Jewish Genealogical Family Finder (JGFF, see
Q#3) contains only surnames and town names, the JGPF contains
data on individual people: birth date and place, death date and
place, parents' names and spouse's name.

   Family trees in GEDCOM format (see Q#17) can be submitted for
inclusion in the JGPF without charge.  All Jewish genealogists
are encouraged to participate.  Send your diskettes to Avotaynu,
Inc. (see Q#2).  Copies of the JGPF (on 15 microfiche) are
available at all JGSs (see Q#6), and may be purchased from
Avotaynu, Inc. for $22.50.  The JGPF was first released in July
1992.  The 2nd edition contains over 230,000 individuals
submitted by over 200 Jewish genealogists (available late 1993).
It is NOT available online.
 

15) JEWISHGEN ECHO:

   The JEWISHGEN echo is a FIDOnet computer conference devoted to 
Jewish Genealogy, carried by over 150 Bulletin Board Systems 
(BBS's) around the world.  Users can request help with problems, 
post new sources of information, and network globally.  For a
list of BBS's that carry the echo, either: 1) download the file
JBBSyymm.zip or GBBSyymm.zip (where yy and mm are the most recent
year and month respectively, e.g. GBBS9311); or 2) Send a SASE to
Bruce Kahn, 265 Viennawood Dr., Rochester NY 14618, for a list of
BBS's in your area.  The JEWISHGEN echo is moderated by Bruce
Kahn and Susan King.

   The JEWISHGEN echo is now also available via Internet, using a
gateway set up by Susan King in September 1993.  To subscribe to
the conference, send an e-mail message to:
   "listproc@israel.nysernet.org",  containing the message
   "SUBSCRIBE JEWISHGEN <your-real-name>"
Your message will be handled by an automated list processor. 
This will result in 20-50 messages a day delivered to your e-mail
inbox.  To receive only one message per day, a "digest" of all of
today's genealogy messages concatenated, send the message
   "SET JEWISHGEN Mail Digest"  to the list processor
after subscribing.  This will greatly reduce your e-mail traffic.
All messages sent from either FIDOnet or Internet will eventually
appear in both networks, thanks to the gateway.  To submit a
message to the network, address it to:
   "JEWISHGEN@israel.nysernet.org".
To unsubscribe from the Internet list, send the message:
"UNSUBSCRIBE JEWISHGEN"; to get more information about the list
processor commands, send the message "HELP" to the list processor
(listproc@israel.nysernet.org).


16) GENEALOGICAL SOFTWARE DISTRIBUTION SYSTEM (GSDS):

   The GSDS is a network of files (primarily text files) that are
distributed throughout BBS's on the network.  There is a special
area for Jewish Genealogy files, GENEJEW.  For a list of BBS's
that carry the GSDS, consult the sources listed above for the
JEWISHGEN conference.


FAQ - Part 11 of 11

17) COMPUTER GENEALOGY PROGRAMS:

   There are many programs available to computerize your family
records, print charts and trees, etc.  There is an entire BBS
echo devoted to genealogical software issues, called GENSOFT;
these issues should not be discussed in the JEWISHGEN echo.
Most genealogy programs can be easily adapted for use by
Jewish genealogists, by adding custom fields for Hebrew name,
namesake (whom someone is named after), Yarzheit date,
immigration date, etc.

   Information about computers and genealogy can be found in:

   "Genealogical Computing", a quarterly, $25.00 annually.
      Ancestry, Inc., P.O. Box 476, Salt Lake City, UT 84110.

   Przecha, Donna and Joan Lowrey.  Guide to Genealogy Software.
      (Baltimore: Genealogical Publishing Co., 1993).  
      195 pages.  ($25).

   Pence, Richard A., editor.  Computer Genealogy: A Guide to
      Research through High Technology.  Revised Edition.
      (Salt Lake City: Ancestry, Inc., 1991).  258 pages.

There are dozens of programs on the market.  Whichever you
choose, be sure that the program includes a GEDCOM capability. 
GEDCOM is a file format that allows information to be exchanged
between programs and shared with others.  You also need GEDCOM in
order to submit your data to the JGPF (See Q#14 above).
My personal recommendations are:

- Family Tree Maker, version 3.0.  For DOS and Windows. 
   $59 from Banner Blue, P.O. Box 7865, Fremont, CA 94537 
   (510) 794-6850.  Available at most software stores.  
   Very easy to use.  Highly recommended for beginners.  
   A version for Windows was just released (Nov '93).
- Brother's Keeper, version 5.1.  For DOS. $ 45 shareware fee.
   John Steed, 6907 Chilsdale Rd., Rockford, MI 49341.
   Popular shareware program.  May be intimidating to beginners.
- Personal Ancestral File (PAF), version 2.2.  For DOS.  
   $35 from Salt Lake Distribution Center, 1999 West 1700 South,  
   Salt Lake City, UT 84104  (801) 240-2584.  The official
   software of the Mormon Church.  A bit outdated and not
   entirely appropriate for Jewish genealogy, but inexpensive
   and widely used.
- Reunion (for Macintosh); Reunion for Windows.  $149 from
   Leister Productions, P.O. Box 289, Mechanicsburg, PA 17055
   (717) 697-1378.  Very powerful programs, with graphical user
   interfaces.  Incredible chart-making capabilities.

More sophisticated programs include:
- Roots IV (Commsoft, Windsor, CA).  For DOS, Windows soon.
- The Master Genealogist (Wholly Genes Software, Elk Ridge, MA)


18) GLOSSARY:

- brit, bris [Heb] = circumcision ceremony.
- chevra kadisha [Heb] = burial society.
- guberniya [Rus] = province of the Russian Empire, pre-1917.
    There were 15 gubernias in the Pale of Settlement, and
    10 gubernias in the Polish provinces.
- kehilla (pl. kehillot) [Heb] = Jewish community.
- ketuba (pl. ketubot) [Heb] = marriage contract, document
    usually written in Aramaic.
- landsman (pl. landslayt) [Yid] = townsman, someone from the
    same town.
- landsmanshaft (pl. landsmanshaftn) [Yid] = township society;
    organization of people from the same ancestral town/village.
- shtetl (pl. shtetlach) [Yid] = town, village
- yarhzeit [Yid] = anniversary of death, using the Hebrew
    calendar
- yizkor [Heb] = memorial


ABBREVIATIONS:

- BBS:   Bulletin Board System (Q#15)
- EOJG:  Encyclopedia of Jewish Genealogy (Q#4)
- FHC:   Family History Center, LDS branch library (Q#12)
- FHL:   Family History Library, in Salt Lake City (Q#12)
- FHLC:  Family History Library Catalog (Q#12)
- GSDS:  Genealogical Software Distribution System (Q#16)
- JGFF:  Jewish Genealogical Family Finder (Q#3)
- JGPF:  Jewish Genealogical People Finder (Q#14)
- JGS:   Jewish Genealogical Society (Q#6)
- LDS:   Latter-Day Saints, the Mormon Church (Q#12)
- SIG:   Special Interest Group (Q#6)
- SSDI:  Social Security Death Index (Q#12)
- WOWW:  Where Once We Walked, the gazetteer (Q#4)
