United States Passport Applications, 1795-1925

Passport applications have always been a great source of family information. Since they are filled out by living people who are providing current information regarding their own lives, they tend to be very reliable and a great source for people researching their families.
Familysearch has just added a new collection, United States Passport Applications, 1795-1925, which should make finding these records much easier. The collection, which is a combination of two different National Archives and records Administration (NARA) collections, has over 3 million images of which 1.9 million are indexed.
A great example of the information provided in the applicant is the record of Albert J. Cohen (shown below). From his application we learn that he was born on 31 Oct 1874 in Cairo, Egypt. He is married to Krisanti Cohen who was born in 1881 in Crete and that they have a daughter Mary who was born on the 27th of November 1903, also in Cairo. Further we learn the family arrived in the United States in August 1894 on the S.S. Rotterdam. The application also states that Albert was naturalized a U.S. citizen on 11 Mar 1902 in Charleston, South Carolina.

 As with all databases these passport records are available free of charge at www.familysearch.org

The Jews of Turkey

Recently, I posted about the records of Michigan, Detroit Manifests of Arrivals at the Port of Detroit, 1906-1954, available at www.familysearch.org.  In those records, well over 400 list themselves as being Jewish and having been born in Turkey. In addition, when one searches the records of border crossings into the United States from Canada and Mexico, there are also a good amount of people who come from Turkey.
The fact that Turkey had such an influence should not be surprising, as the Jewish history of Turkey is very long. As far back as biblical times, the people of Turkey were trading partners with the Israelites. During the time of the expulsion the Sultan Bayazid II of the Ottoman Empire offered refuge to the the Sephardic Jews being driven out of Spain and Portugal,  where they would be free from persecution. In fact, over hundreds of years before the expulsion, Jews fleeing many countries found refuge in the land. Some of them included;

• Early 1300's. Karaites from Europe.
• 1370's. Jews expelled from Hungary.
• 1390's. Jews expelled from France by Charles VI.
• 1400's. Sicilian Jews who were expelled.
• 1530's. Jews from Italy arrived

  For hundreds of year after the expulsion, the Jews of the Ottoman Empire were able to flourish, perhaps like they had never flourished before. The majority of the Jews lived in four major cities, Istanbul, Izmir, Safed and Salonica. By 1500, there were more than 1,500 Jewish households in the city of Istanbul and by the middle of the 1500's that number was more than 7500. The Jews became prominent in medicine, politics, business, arts and literature. In fact the Jews established the first printing press in the Ottoman Empire in 1493.
 The country of Turkey became an independent state in 1923, and have been able to maintain its history of neutrality and of being a refuge for those that need help. During World War II, Turkey became a safe haven for those fleeing the Nazis. Today the Jewish population of Turkey, which is over 90% Sephardic, numbers about 20-25,000. The majority are in Istanbul, but smaller communities are in places such as Izmir.
The Knowles Collection - Jews of Africa and the Orient is now beginning to add some records from Turkey. The records of Altindag Jewish Cemetery in the city of Izmir, are now being entered. These incredible records, thousands of them will soon be available.

New York, State Census, 1875 at FamilySearch

On 1 June 1875, the State of New York conducted a census of its residents. The records from that census are now being added to FamilySearch. That collection now has over 720,000 images available to be viewed. While there are some counties that are not included it is certainly a nice addition to the website.
The collection can be searched by name, and the results provide a good deal of information. Below, is the household of Jonas and Salina Cohen, and their eight children, who lived in Troy,  Rensselaer, New York.

By clicking on the view image tab, the original record can be viewed. The original document also shows us that two other families lived in the same home.

Russian Jews in the Australian Imperial Force (AIF)

At this time of year in the United States, we celebrate two major holidays, Veterans Day and Thanksgiving. The first honors all those who have served their country. The second holiday, Thanksgiving, gives us all a chance to pause and give thanks for all that we have. It is not surprising that to many of us, you can't have one without the other.
I am most thankful to those who have served, like my own father, who put his life on hold to serve as a proud member of the United States Marine Corps, without them we wouldn't have all the freedoms we enjoy.
A great example of others who have given of themselves through  their military service is the Australian Imperial Force (AIF). Australia formed it's regular army in 1901, which was backed up by an all volunteer militia. When World War I broke out, the Australian government committed to send 20,000 troops to support the British Military. The regular army formed in 1901 was only allowed for home defense, so a new overseas force was formed. That overseas force is the Australian Imperial Force.

The first of the AIF ships left Australia in November of 1914 bound for Egypt to receive training. Upon arrival the Australian Forces were combined with the New Zealand forces to form the Australian and New Zealand Army Corps (ANZAC). Some of these troops were sent to defend the Suez Canal, however most were sent to the Gallipoli Front. Of these troops, over 1/3 paid the ultimate sacrifice before they were ordered to withdraw at the beginning of 1916. After their withdraw from Gallipoli, most of the troops serving in the Anzac's were then sent to the western front, where they fought for about 2 years. Over the course of the First World War, no country lost more men that did Australia. Over 300,000 troops served and almost 60,000 of them gave their lives. For them I am thankful. 
It wasn't just Australian and New Zealanders who fought in the AIF, there were troops from many countries. The fourth largest national group were the over 1,000 Russian servicemen who fought in the AIF. Of these, about 130 were Jewish. Elena Govor, has written a book about the Russians who served and also has a website where these servicemen are listed. That website, www.russiananzacs.narod.ru, is a great resource for anyone searching for those who served. The website also has information about her book.
The website includes a list of all Jewish servicemen who were from Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Belarus, Ukraine and Russia. The information about each serviceman is amazing. Clicking on the name Wolf Dorfman, gives the following;

The information with the red links, takes you to the original records held in other archives and libraries. The genealogical information is very complete and thanks to Elana for all her hard work. May we never forget the incredible service and sacrifices that our ancestors made for us. We should all give thanks to them.

Finding Jewish families in the Border Crossing records into the United States.

As we all know, the United States of America became home to so many of our Jewish families in the period from the 1880's till after World War II. For this reason many of us begin our searches in records such as passenger arrivals at Ellis Island and U.S. census records. While these types of records are great sources for locating our families, they sometimes are lacking in the information they provide. Another wonderful source that should be used more often are the Border Crossing records of those arriving into the United States, from Canada and Mexico.

The records of the arrival on American soil from Mexico are available for various time frames for port of entry's in Texas, Arizona and New Mexico. The search able indexes to the record cards can be found on the Family Search website. They can be found in the catalog or www.Ancestry.com also has them available. The information that these records provide is amazing. The records of the arrival in Laredo of the Chayo family shows all the information that can be taken for each record.
On 26 Jun 1920, the family of Ezra and Farida Chayo arrived at Laredo, Texas. The record at left is the card for Ezra Chayo, a merchant. According to the record he is 35 years of age, born in Aleppo, Syria. His family is of Turkish descent and he is a Hebrew who speaks Yiddish. The record also states that they are on their way to Argentina via New York City. It is very doubtful that all of this information could be found on either a record from Ellis Island or a census record.
In addition to Ezra, the cards for his wife Farida, and children Nazilla, Elias, Marcos and Violet are found. The cards for Marcos (b.1917) and Violet (b. 1919) give Mexico as the place of birth while the others list Aleppo. All of this is wonderful information for tracing your family.
The border crossings for those entering the United States from Canada are also available through FamilySearch or Ancestry. many of the records, such as this one for the family of Abraham Abugou are taken from the passenger lists of those arriving at US ports from Canada. This one is from St. Albans, Vermont.
The record shows Abraham, his wife Sonia and their daughter all from Lithuania. It states that they will be living with his sister Eta Abugou Littman at her home in Worcester, Mass.
While this is still great information, it is not quite as detailed as the records from Mexico. Regardless of this, it is another reminder of how important it is to check every possible record when researching our families. The story these documents create can be most vital for researchers.

Lt. Gen. Milton J. Foreman, military hero

One of the newest additions to the Knowles Collection, the Foreman/Fuhrmann Family records includes the histories of some amazing people. The records document the family of Gerhard Fuhrmann and their journey from Dirmstein, Germany to the United States.
Once they arrived in the United States the family became well established in Chicago. The family can be found throughout the records of that wonderful city. Of all the great people in the family, one especially stands out, Lt. General Milton J. Foreman.
Milton J. Foreman, was born in Chicago to Joseph and Mary (Hoffman) Foreman. He studied and became a lawyer. He was admitted to the Illinois bar in 1899. He was active in politics and served on the city council. In 1895 he enlisted in the Illinois National Guard. He served as Captain , First Illinois Cavalry, Spanish American War. He worked his way through the ranks in the military and in 1920 was appointed Brigadier General. In 1921 he was named Major General and commanded the 33rd Division. He finally retired in 1931 and was promoted to Lieutenant General.
Lt. Gen. Foreman was a true American hero. From his service in the Spanish American War and World War 1, he was recognized for his actions. He was awarded for bravery the Distinguished Service Cross, the Distinguished Service medal, Silver Star citations, the French Legion of Honor and the Belgium Order of the Crown. Maybe the greatest award came when during World War II, a merchant ship was named the S.S. Foreman.
A truly great family and a remarkable man. The records of this family will be in the Knowles Collection after the next update.

From Spain to America, the family of Isaac Harby

Much has been written in this blog about the migration of Jews from Spain and Portugal, to Europe and eventually the Caribbean and then to the southern United States. Another wonderful example of this is the biography of Isaac Harby, which is contained in the collection. The biography, which was contained in the family bible was written in Isaac Harby's own handwriting. In his writings he first discusses his families beginnings, where he writes,

"My ancestors fled to Spain and then Portugal, where they remained until the pestilence of the inquisition drove them to Africa"

He further adds;

"I find my grandfather, Isaac Harbie, about the middle of the 18th century, employed in the business of a lapidary at Fez in Morocco and in his barbarian majesty's good confidence."

He then talks about the birth of his own father, Solomon, when he writes;

"Of this issue six children were born, the youngest of whom was Solomon, my father, born in London, 1762."

Then writing of their arrival in the United States he states;

"Solomon Harby emigrated to America and remained three years at Jamaica from 1778 to 1781. He married Rebecca Moses at Charleston, South Carolina, in 1787. She was the daughter of Myer Moses, a rich and patriotic Israelite who assisted his country during the Revolutionary struggle."

Like so many others, the Harby family travelled from Spain to Portugal, then to Africa and London before their journey to America by way of Jamaica. Further proof how important it is for all those researching early American Jewish families to carefully study the records of the Caribbean. The records of Isaac Harby and his family have now been added to the Knowles Collection- Jews of North North America database and will be available after the next update.

Lazarus David Family

One of the newest additions to the Knowles Collection, is the history of the Lazarus David family. Lazarus David was born in 1734, most likely in Swansea, Wales and died on 22 Oct 1776 in Montreal, Canada. He married Phoebe Samuel, daughter of Ezekial Samuel, of Rhode Island in 1761. The history which includes information on over 750 people is a wonderful documentation of an important Jewish family.

The lives of the members of this family touch many parts of the world. In addition to Canada and the United States other countries of influence include France, Italy, West Indies, England and Ireland. One of most amazing things is how many different people were involved in either the military or government affairs. These included;

1. Eleazer David, b. 8 Jun 1811 son of Samuel and Sarah (Hart) David. He married Eliza Lock Walker dau of Capt. Charles Walker formerly of 15th and 24th Regiments.


2. Golda Adela David, b.13 Jan 1846 in Piza, Italy dau of Eleazer and Eliza (Walker) David. She married John S. Dyde whose father was Aide de Camp to Queen Victoria.


3. Baruch Frederick Weber Hart, b. 22 Nov 1814, son of Benjamin and Harriot (Hart) Hart, he married a Miss Davis, niece of Jefferson Davis, President of the Confederate States of America.


4. William Solomons, b. 28 May 1777 in Montreal, son of Ezekial and Elizabeth (Dubois) Solomons. He was an Indian Department Interpreter. He had 4 children with an Indian girl, Agibicocoua before later marrying Marguerite Johnson and fathering ten more children.

The David family is truly a remarkable family full of service to various nations and peoples. These records have been added to the Knowles Collection -Jews of the Americas and will be available after the next update.

National Museum of American Jewish Military History

This year we are remembering the 150Th anniversary of the beginning of the American Civil War. While most everyone from school age on up can retell something about that event, not everyone is aware of the many Jews who played important roles on both sides. People such as Judah P. Benjamin, who was perhaps the highest ranking Jew in the Confederate Army and a man many considered to be the brains of the Confederacy. He sacrificed so much for his adopted country, before dying in Europe after the War.
So many have fought so hard for this country. Through their efforts, we enjoy peace and the freedom to live our life as we so desire, we owe them so much. Their sacrifices should never be forgotten, and thanks to The National Museum of American Jewish Military History they never will be.

The Museum, based in Washington D.C. provides a great source for educating ourselves about those who have served and died in the service of others. The museum has a wonderful website (www.nmajmh.org) which is easy to use and should be visit by all. It pays tribute to all who have served in the military, and serves as a reminder to us all of what we are so blessed to have. May they never be forgotten.

Thanks to Alexandra Goldberg for bringing this to my attention.

The Behr-Behrend Family of Germany and the United States

The records of Malcolm Stern have been discussed in this blog on different occasions. It is a wonderful archive of family records. One of the benefits of searching the collection is finding original family trees that were submitted by families looking for his help.

One of these incredible trees belongs to the Behr-Behrend family originally from Germany. In the tree below (FHL film #1013431 item #3) we find that between the fourth and fifth generations the family changed their surname from Behr to Behrend.

In the fifth generation, the oldest child of Itzig Behr (b. 1773) and his wife Rivka is their son Bernhard (Bough "A" on bottom left part of tree). Further in the family papers is listed the family of Bernhard. That tree (shown below) identifies the 14 children of Bernhard and his wife Eliza Heine.

Of the children shown for Bernhard and his wife Eliza in a search of the 1880 United States census shows their son Adajah and his wife Matilda with their 3 children and her mother all living in Washington D.C. In that census (FHL film #1254123, shown below) we also note that Adajah is a physician by occupation.

From the records above one would easily draw the conclusion that this man had a successful life, with few cares or worries. However, while his life may very well have been that way, at one time there were other concerns about him. At one point in his life, before marriage and family he joined the Union Army in the United States Civil War. As an immigrant to America, this could not have been easy but showed a desire to serve his new country.

When he enlisted he was not yet of the majority age, so his father was required to give his permission, which he did. However he still had concerns for his son, mostly that his service in the military would not interfere with his ability to worship in the Jewish faith. To share his concerns, he contacted the one person who he thought could help, President Abraham Lincoln. Parts of that letter are below, it reads;

To His Excellency Abraham Lincoln, the President of the United States.
. . . I gave my consent to my son, who was yet a minor, that he should enlist in the United States army; I thought it was his duty, and I gave him my advice to fulfill his duty as a good citizen, and he has done so. At the same time I taught him also to observe the Sabbath on Saturday, when it would not hinder him from fulfilling his duty in the army. Now I do not want that he shall be dragged either to the stake or the church to observe the Sunday as a Sabbath. Your Excellency will observe in this my writing that I am not very well versed in the English language, and if there should be found a word which is not right, pardon it, and never such a word shall be construed so as if I would offend your Excellency or the people; for I love my country, the Constitution, and the Union, and I try to be always a loyal citizen.
I remain, respectfully, your most obedient servant and fellow citizen,

B. BEHREND
Narrowsburg, Sullivan Co. N.Y. Dec. 4, 1862
From Jewish-American History Foundation online site:
http://www.jewish-history.com/civilwar/shabbat.htm

We do not know if a reply was returned, but we do know of a man's love for his son, a family's love for their new country and their devotion to their faith. All of these are the hallmarks America was built upon and a great reminder of the examples our forebears left for us.

The records of this family are in the Knowles Collection - Jews of the Americas database.

Marcus Baum of Prussia and South Carolina

In the early 1900's, Dr. Barnett A. Elzas compiled the records of the Jewish Cemeteries of South Carolina (FHL film #1013426 item #15). While most of the graves give just birth and death information, sometimes the information from the tombstones gives much more. Such is the case of the information for Marcus Baum.

"This Shaft is erected to Commemorate the Life and Death

of Marcus Baum, Born in Schwersenz, Prussia, on the 7th day of March 1833

The sterling qualities of his nature were illustrated by his brief career, to

which a glorious Death in defence of his adopted Country formed a fitting close.

In the Battle of the Wilderness on the 6th day of may 1864 he fell at the side

of his beloved Chief, Gen. J. B. Kershaw, a martyr to the "Lost Cause"

His bones now mingle with the dust upon that field of Honor, but his

memory is enshrined in the hearts of those who esteem it a privilege

to erect this humble momento."

From history we know that The Battle of the Wilderness, fought May 5–7, 1864, was the first battle of General Ulysses S. Grant's 1864 campaign against General Robert E. Lee.

Mordecai Sheftall of Savannah, Georgia

In the collection of the Family History Library, there is a most interesting document. On film #1013426 item #6, you will find the records from the Mordecai Sheftall family bible. In the pages of this book (such as the page at right), the vital records of the Sheftall family of Savannah, Georgia are recorded. While it is not many pages, it begins to tell the story of a wonderful family.


The story of Mordecai Sheftall is an important one in the history of the United States,and in the history of the early Jews in the United States. Some important information of his life, includes;

• 
  Born 2 Dec 1735 to Benjamin and Perla Sheftall, immigrants from England.


• At age 17 began his profession as a merchant, trading in deer skins.


• Age 18, bought 50 acres in Vernonburg, which was near Savannah.


• Married Frances Hart of Charleston in 1761, and by 1767 they owned about 2000 acres, where they began raising cattle.


• In 1772 he donated 11/2 acres for the establishment of Georgia's first large Jewish Cemetery.


• Took a very active part on the American side of the Revolutionary War. He was commissioned as a Colonel, making him the highest ranking Jew in the American Army.


• 1782, elected by Congregation Mickve Israel to its board of directors.


• In 1790 he was appointed President of the Congregation


• He died on 6 Jul 1797.

The story of the life of Mordecai Sheftall is one of service and charity. He gave all he had to others, included using his own funds to pay for the needs of the men who served under him in the war. He provided their food, clothing, uniforms and even their guns. He truly gave everything for what he believed in.

The French Connection

The city of New Orleans has always been known for its great French heritage, from its founding on 7 May 1718, by the French Mississippi Company till today with the strong influence of its French Quarter and French architecture. During the 1840's -1860's, New Orleans was one of the largest cities in the United States, and probably the largest in the south.

The large french influence was also felt among the Jews of New Orleans. In the marriage records of Congregation Gates of Prayer (FHL film #1012748 item #3), a large number of those being married list their nativity as being France. On the record below, Fanny Bacharach of New Orleans and Michel Schmulen of France were married on 18 Sep 1873. As we turn to the 1880 United States census (http://www.familysearch.org/) we find a little more about the family. Michel and Fanny Schmulen are living with their 2 daughters in St. Mary's parish. Their ages at the time of the census are 44 and 25. Therefore if those are correct they would have been 37 and 18 on the day of the wedding.

The records of the Jews of New Orleans can be found in The Jews of the Americas.

Humor in the American Jewish Archives

The American Jewish Archives, based in Cincinnati, Ohio is an incredible resource for those investigatng their Jewish families. It houses a large collection of records submitted by families around the world. In many cases researchers can find a lot of very usefull information about their families.
In the example at the right, the family of Ben Burgunder can locate his birth, death and even something about his business, Burgunder & Ambach. When the record of his marriage is mentioned however, it may provide future generations with more information than they had hoped for. In the top part of the record it states that he married Carlin Friedman, and "never thereafter opened his mouth".


The records of this family are located in The Jews of the Americas.

Samuel Levy (Berg)

In the southwest portion of the Salt Lake City Cemetery is found the B'nai Israel Jewish Burial Ground. In amongst the neatly groomed rows of headstones is found the marker of Samuel Levy of London. From the headstone, we find that he was born on 9 Nov 1841 in London. However, upon viewing the death certificate obtained from the Utah State Archives, we find the following.

On the 3rd of October 1904, Samuel Levy, aka Samuel Berg died in Salt Lake City. He was born in London, England on 16 April 1841. His parents, Jacob and Anna Levy were both born in England. This document also raises a few questions. What was Samuel doing in Salt Lake City? His occupation as listed on the death certificate was Cigar Dealer. This could not have been a major occupation in Salt Lake City at the turn of the century.
<>The 1900 Census of Utah raises even more questions. In the household which is listed as the same address as the death certificate, Samuel and his wife Marie and their children are listed. However Samuel is listed as being born in 1846 and his wife 1854. Neither of these dates match up with the previous documents. Further research, hopefully will answer these questions.

The records of this family are in The Jews of the Americas.

In January of 1976, the parents of a good friend, encouraged me to fill out a pedigree of my family. Little did I know, that what I did as a 13 year old would so greatly affect my life. I was instantly drawn to one ancestor in particular, my great-grandfather, Morris David Rosenbaum, a Polish Jew. The journey to find more about him and his life has not only become a time consuming hobby, it is also a most fulfilling part of my work.
Although Morris David Rosenbaum spent very little time in the British Isles, probably only enough time to gather himself before heading to the United States, learning more about the people he met and who may have ultimately had an influence upon his life has become a passion. From this search has come the Knowles Collection, a database of the records of the Jews of the British Isles.
It is my desire that through this blog the stories of the Jews of the British Isles can be told, and people from all parts of the globe will come together to keep the histories of our families alive.

This person is found in the Jews of the Americas.