Jewish Genealogy round the World Part 3 Poland/Russia

Following Diane’s emergency operation, things are gradually getting back to normal.

I think the time has come to spend some time researching my family and Diane’s Dad’s family who all appear to have originated from “The Pale” or “White Russia” whatever name you prefer and which is now in Poland.

Over the years we have looked at numerous websites but have not so far been able to trace any of our family beyond the time they arrived in England. Some of these websites are listed below.

 

The History of Jews in Russia

http://www.friends-partners.org/partners/beyond-the-pale/index.html

This portrays the history of Jews in Europe and in Russia to help understand their life, religion and culture.

The Institute for Polish-Jewish Studies

http://www.polishjewishstudies.pl/index.html

This is a non-profit, educational institution devoted to the history and culture of Polish Jewry. It is an associated institute of the Oxford Centre for Hebrew and Jewish Studies.

Jewish Records Indexing - Poland

http://www.jri-poland.org/

The award winning searchable database of indices to Jewish records of Poland.
Launched in early 1995, JRI - Poland is the largest fully searchable database of Jewish vital records accessible online. 4 million records from more than 500 Polish towns are now indexed. More are being added every few months

Lodz Area Research Group (LARG)

http://www.shtetlinks.jewishgen.org/Lodz/LARG.htm

The Group aims to provide researchers with a forum, clearinghouse and resource for the collection and dissemination of genealogical and historical information relating to the Jewish communities of Lodz, Poland, and the surrounding area. This research group is dedicated to the rescue and preservation of materials relating to the Jewish communities of the Lodz area and as a living memorial to our ancestors' impact on, and contribution to Poland's second largest city

Jewish Genealogical Resources in England (A to C)

British Jewry

http://www.british-jewry.org.uk/

You'll find many basic questions on researching British-Jewry here.
You will also find a positive treasure trove of databases, links and other information.
 

Cassini Maps

http://www.cassinimaps.co.uk/shop/tna1.asp

The National Archive Registration District Historical Maps. Find any location in England and Wales. Maps from 1805 to the present day  Create personalised site centred maps See how the landscape has changed over time

Cassini Publishing, in partnership with The National Archives, has made available on-line digital versions of the original Registration District maps from the 1871 census. This set of maps is the only known collection of this type in the world.

Corporation of London

https://www.cityoflondon.gov.uk/Corporation/LGNL_Services/Leisure_and_culture/Records_and_archives/london_generations.htm

London Generations is a database compiled from genealogical sources held at London Metropolitan Archives. It can, for example, tell you which parish registers are held for Saint James Clerkenwell, which workhouse registers are held for the Kensington area and how many admission and discharge registers are held for Shelburne Road School. The registers date from the sixteenth century to the present day, so you could find registers which mention several of your own London Generations.

Charles Booth Online Archive

http://library-2.lse.ac.uk/archives/pdf/Jewish_notebooks.htmlhttp://library-2.lse.ac.uk/archives/pdf/Jewish_notebooks.html

Four notebooks from the Charles Booth collection relating to the Jewish community in London in the 1880s and 1890s have been digitised and are available online.

This is only part of the archives held on his survey into life and labour in London (1886-1903) which can be found at  http://booth.lse.ac.uk/

These sites are useful for anyone researching English ancestors.

Things to do in London

The Jewish Genealogical Society of Great Britain (JGSGB) has alerted members to the following:

For those visiting London in March or April this year, there are two exhibitions worth visiting.

Firstly, in partnership with the Museum of London Docklands, JEECS (the Jewish East End Celebration Society) is organising an exhibition "London Under Siege: Churchill and the Anarchists, 1911."
This exhibition is now open and marks the centenary of the Houndsditch murders and consequent Siege of Sidney Street, an iconic East End event that had a big impact on the Jewish community.

The exhibition runs at the Museum until the end of April and entry is free.

The Docklands museum is at West India Quay, Canary Wharf, London, E14 4AL
and is served by many bus routes and the Jubilee tube line. 

Secondly, The Old Jewish East End: Journey through a Vanished Shtetlis an exhibition being held at the Tower Hamlets Local History Library and Archive (Bancroft Road) and curated by the Jewish East End Celebration Society.
Running from March 1st until April 16th, the previously unseen collection of photographs and rare archives illustrates the experiences of Jews in Tower Hamlets over one hundred years ago."

The Bancroft library can be found at 277 Bancroft Road, London E1 4DQ
Tel:020 7364 1290

Journey to Auschwitz

The past few days have seen snow arrive in London for the first time this winter. Putting on my walking boots reminded me of the reason I had bought them.

Over the past few years I have wanted to go on a trip to Auschwitz, but it never seemed to be convenient. So when my son first asked if I was interested in going and that my oldest grandson would be going, I immediately said yes, since I thought that if I don’t do it now, at the age of 70, I never will.

As the day got nearer, I did become apprehensive – leave home at 3am, get home at midnight, take plenty of warm clothing, take food because we can’t stop for meals, take a torch, the list goes on. What have I let myself in for?

Came the day, and everything went well. The taxi arrived, everybody got picked up on time and we arrived at the airport early. The flight went well and then we were in Kracow. The next 10 hours were probably the most moving and emotional time of my life. I am sure that everyone finds it hard to put into words the emotions that flow whilst you are in the death camps.

I must admit that I found Auschwitz very emotional at the time, but it was only when we went to Birkenau that the full horror of what had happened to Jews in Europe really hit home. The sheer vastness of the camp and the way in which Jews were systematically murdered was brought home to you.

Our gathering near the memorial, the Rabbi’s talk, the prayers, the blowing of the shofar and the walk back along the railway lines added to the emotions that we all felt.

Arriving back at the airport we found that Poland was covered in fog. No flights for at least 24 hours. We decided as a group to go home by coach. A 1000 mile trip across Europe. The next 24 hours in many ways added to the emotions we all felt, because it allowed the whole group to bond together in a way that is not normally possible.

If you want to learn more about Auschwitz go to:

http://www1.yadvashem.org/exhibitions/album_Auschwitz/intro.html

My wife's family

My wife Diane’s family were Ashkenazi Jews and her mother was born Leah (Lily) Hart. We were both surprised when we found out that Diane’s grandmother Dinah Bittan, was from a Sephardi family. Our 3 sons now want to know if they can have rice at Pesach. The Hart side I have traced back to Diane’s 3 x great grandfather Meir Hart born about 1770.

The Bittan side linked with the Nunes Martinez family in 1834 and with the Mendoza family in 1764 when Abigail Mendoza born in London in 1744 married Isaac Nunes Martines born in London in 1745.

Abigail Mendoza’s father Aaron was born in Amsterdam in 1709 and probably came to England about 1730. Aaron’s father Daniel Mendoza was born in Seville in Spain in 1685. Daniel’s father David was also born in Seville in Spain in 1650. In 1685 he married Abigail Castro de la Penta in Holland. Abigail was born in Seville in Spain in 1665.

David Mendoza’s father the Patriarch de Mendoza was born in Seville in Spain in 1624 and the trail ends there for the time being. Abigail’s family can be traced back to her great grandparents Franciscus Fernandes de la Penta born 1550 in Spain and Bianca Fernandes born 1558 in Spain who married in 1579.

The search continues.