JewishGen: Yizkor book project, August update

During the past year, JewishGen's Yizkor book project has added 71 new books, 83 new entries and updated an average of 20 existing projects each month.

During August alone, the tally included eight new projects, two entries and updates for 22 existing projects.

Organized below by country, note NP (new project), NE (new entry) or U (update to existing project).

BELARUS
- Stolin NP (Stolin; a memorial to the Jewish communities of Stolinand vicinity)
- Lakhva U (First ghetto to revolt, Lachwa)

HUNGARY
- Fehergyarmat NP (Our Former City Fehergyarmat)
- Miskolc NP (The martyrs of Miskolc and vicinity)

LITHUANIA
- Dotnuva U (Letters from Dotnuva)
- Rokiskis U (Yizkor book of Rakishok and environs)

POLAND
- Belchatow NP (Belchatow: Publication of the Society of Residents of Belchatow in Argentina)
- Pruszkow NP (Memorial Book of Pruszkow, Nadzin and Vicinity)
- Siedlce NP (On the ruins of my home; the destruction of Siedlce)
- Czestochowa U (The Jews of Czestochowa)
- Dabrowa Gornicza U (Book of the Jewish community of Dabrowa Gorniczaand its destruction)
- Garwolin U (Garwolin Memorial Book)[Polish]
- Goniadz U (Our Hometown Goniondz)
- Grajewo U (Grayewo Memorial Book)
- Katowice U (Katowice: the Rise and Decline of the Jewish community;Memorial Book)
- Kutno U (Kutno and Surroundings Book)
- Lowicz U (Lowicz; a Town in Mazovia, Memorial Book)
- Ostrow-Mazowiecka U (Memorial Book of the Community of Ostrow-Mazowiecka)
- Piotrkow Trybunalski U (A Tale of One City)
- Serock U (The Book of Serock)
- Staszow U (The Staszow book)
- Tykocin U (Memorial book of Tiktin)
- Zelechow U (Memorial Book of the Community of Zelechow)[Polish]

SLOVAKIA
- Senica NP (The History of a Community)

UKRAINE
- Kolki NP (Summoned from the Ashes)
- Korolowka NE (Pinkas Poland)
- Bilcze Zlote NE (Pinkas Poland)
- Rafalovka U (Memorial book for the towns of Old Rafalowka, NewRafalowka, Olizarka, Zoludzk and vicinity)
- Rava-Ruska U (Rawa Ruska Memorial Book)
- Sokal U (Memorial Book of Sokal, Tartakow and Surroundings)
- Terebovlya U (Jewish Communities of Trembowla, Strusow, Janow and Vicinity)
- Volodymyr Volynskyy U (Wladimir Wolynsk; in memory of the Jewish community)

See all of August's additions and updates here.

JRI-Poland: New FAQ, online contributions

Jewish Records Indexing-Poland executive director Stanley Diamond of Montreal advises readers that two additions have been made to the site.

There's a completely new FAQ and online credit card contributions will now be accepted.

Friends and supporters can make credit card contributions online and designate the town indexing projector projects to support at the same time.

See the JRI-Poland website, and the direct link to the contributions page.

The new FAQ has been rewritten by JRI-Poland Board Member Susan Stone and includes considerable additional information and detail.

Check JRI-Poland frequently for updated town information.

Yizkor Book Project: July 2010 updates

July was another active month for Yizkor Book Project activity.

According to project manager Lance Ackerfeld, a new feature is the Yizkor Book Master Name Index (YBMNI) Project, which will collect all names appearing in the translations (except necrologies) into a searchable database to direct researchers to the translated pages of interest.

YBMNI's project manager is Osnat Hazan who, with a group of vollunteers, has begun organizing this data. Volunteers are needed. If you have time, work well with Excel and would like to help, contact Osnat via the URL above.

The Yizkor Book Project has added nine new projects, two new entires and updated 31 existing projects. See below for these items (NP=new project, NE=new entry, U=update) arranged by country:

BELARUS
- Byten (Memorial book of Byten) U
- Dzyarzhynsk (Koidanov; Memorial Volume of the Martyrs of Koidanov) NP
- Lipnishki (Memorial Book of the Community of Lipniszki) NP
- Svisloch (The community of Swislocz, Grodno District) U
- Svir (There once was a town Swir; between the two world wars) NP
- Narach (Memorial Book of Kobylnik) U
- Pruzhany (Memorial Book of Pruz'any and its Vicinity) U

LITHUANIA
- Dotnuva (Letters from Dotnuva) U
- Gargzdai (Gorzd Book; A Memorial to the Jewish Community of Gorzd) U
- Svencionys (Svinzian region; memorial book of 23 Jewish communities) U
- Valkininkai (Olkeniki in flames; a memorial book to the community of Olkenik in the Vilna district) U
- Trakai (Troki) NP
- Utena (Memorial Book of Utyan and Vicinity) NP

MOLDOVA
- Leova (Our House in Leova) U

ROMANIA
- Halmeu (In memory of the communities of Halmin-Turcz andvicinity) NP

POLAND
- Bedzin (A Memorial to the Jewish Community of Bedzin) U
- Biecz (Memorial book of the Martyrs of Biecz) U
- Chorzele (Memorial Book of the Community of Chorzel) U
- Czyzew-Osada (Czyzewo Memorial Book) U
- Dabrowa Gornicza (Book of the Jewish community of Dabrowa Gornicza and its destruction) U
- Garwolin (Garwolin Memorial Book) U
- Goniadz (Our Hometown Goniondz) U
- Gostynin (Book of Gostynin) U
- Grajewo (Grayewo Memorial Book) U
- Kutno (Kutno and Surroundings Book) U
- Lowicz (Lowicz; a Town in Mazovia, Memorial Book) NP
- Ostrow-Mazowiecka (Memorial Book of the Community of Ostrow-Mazowiecka) U
- Piotrkow Trybunalski (A Tale of One City) U
- Ryki (A Memorial to the Community of Ryki, Poland) U
- Serock (The Book of Serock)
- Sosnowiec (Book of Sosnowiec and the Surrounding Region in Zaglebie) U
- Tykocin (Memorial book of Tiktin) U
- Wierzbnik (Wierzbnik-Starachowitz; a Memorial Book) U [Whole book online]
- Zelechow (Memorial Book of the Community of Zelechow ) U [Added photos to Polish section]
- Zychlin (The memorial book of Zychlin) U

UKRAINE
- Glinyany (The tragic end of our Gliniany) U
- Gliniany (Pinkas Poland) NE
- Rozhishche (Rozyszcze) (Rozyszcze, My Old Home) U
- Rafalovka (Memorial book for the towns of Old Rafalowka, NewRafalowka, Olizarka, Zoludzk and vicinity) NP
- Shumskoye (Szumsk, memorial book of the martyrs of Szumsk) U
- Volodymyr Volynskyy (Wladimir Wolynsk; in memory of the Jewish community) NP
- Peremyshlyany (Pinkas Poland) NE

See the entire list of books here. Donations to assist with professional translations are always welcome.

Yizkor Book Project: May 2010 update

During May, the JewishGen Yizkor Book Project added five new projects, 12 new entries, updated 18 existing entries, and added two new translation fund projects.

See the list by country below, with entries. They are marked NP for new project, N for new entry or U for updated.

BELARUS
- Svir (Our Townlet Swir) NP

LITHUANIA
- Batchuska (Pinkas Lita) N
- Bendzingai (Pinkas Lita) N
- Berzai (Pinkas Lita) N
- Berzgainiai (Pinkas Lita) N
- Berzininkai (Pinkas Lita) N
- Berzole (Pinkas Lita) N
- Betygala (Pinkas Lita) N
- Boruvka (Pinkas Lita) N
- Budvietis (Pinkas Lita) N
- Butkunai (Pinkas Lita) N
- Dieveninskes (Devenishki book; memorial book) U
- Padubysys (Bazilionai) (Pinkas Lita) N
- Lithuania (Volume II) U
- Svencionys (Svinzian region; memorial book of 23 Jewish communities) U
- Valkininkai (Olkeniki in flames; a memorial book to the community of Olkenik in the Vilna district) NP
- Valkininkai (Olkeniki: a Town that Existed) NP

MOLDOVA
- Tighina (Bendery Community Yizkor Book) U

POLAND
- Wierzbnik (Wierzbnik-Starachowitz; a memorial book) N
- Bedzin (A Memorial to the Jewish Community of Bendin) U
- Bialystok (The chronicle of Bialystok) U
- Brzeziny (Brzeziny Memorial Book) U
- Goworowo (Govorowo memorial book) U
- Katowice (Katowice: the Rise and Decline of the Jewish community; Memorial Book) U
- Krynki (Memorial Book of Krynki) U
- Kutno (Kutno and Surroundings Book) U
- Serock (The book of Serock) U
- Tarnobrzeg-Dzikow (The Community of Tarnobrzeg-Dzikow) U
- Zelechow (Memorial Book of the Community of Zelechow ) - added pictures to Polish section U

ROMANIA
- Dorohoi, Romania (Generations of Judaism and Zionism in Dorohoi, Saveni, Mihaileni, Darabani, Herta, Radauti-Prut) N

UKRAINE
- Berezhany (Brzezany Memorial Book) U
- Kremenets (Memorial Book of Krzemieniec) U
- Ratno (Ratno; Story of a Destroyed Jewish Community) U
- Shumskoye (Szumsk, memorial book of the martyrs of Szumsk) U

YUGOSLAVIA
- Novi Sad, Serbia (Pinkas Yugoslavia) N

Two new translation fund projects are for Divenishok (Dieveniskes), Lithuania and Koidonov (Dzyarzhynsk, Belarus), to fund professional translations of these books for online access.

Readers interested in contributing to these projects or others should click here.

Also find the new additions and updates here.

Jerusalem Post: Tracing the Tribe, other gen resources mentioned

David Shamah, who writes on Internet and technology for the Jerusalem Post (print/online), published a roots column today listing various Jewish and general genealogy resources.

"Hi-Tech 101: At the roots of it all" noted that "If you’ve thought about the idea of putting together a family tree, the Internet can be a great friend."

Sources mentioned for tips, information and how to peel away the layers of the past included:

-- Google's cache, Google Earth and Google News
-- Genealogy Gems podcast and the regular site.
-- Cyndi's List
-- Tracing the Tribe (happy dance!)
-- Roots TV's Jewish Roots channel
-- Yad Vashem
-- JewishGen
-- Ellis Island
-- Tribal Pages

In my opinion, there were two major omissions: SephardicGen.com and MyHeritage.com.

Shamah noted links to a page of common genealogical research mistakes at ShoestringGenealogy. A link (broken) was given to a page that I hope refutes the myth that anyone's name was changed at Ellis Island - if we only had a penny for each time this myth has been perpetuated by people who should know better.
 
Read the complete article at the link above.