On Feb. 08, 1911 she arrived at Ellis Island from Antwerp on the S.S.
Kroonland. She was listed as 18 years old, a tailor, and last residing
in Vilnius. Her nearest living relative was listed as a "parent",
M. Markowitz, living in Vilnius. She was going to her brother Abram
Markowitz in New York (possibly Harlem).

Bertha later married Anthony Kerensky and lived on Greene Avenue in
Brooklyn. Kerensky worked as a baker at Levy & Sons Bakery in Brooklyn.
Bertha became known as Mary and had three children in Brooklyn: Peter
in
1916 (my father), Anthony in 1918, and Bertha (Betty) in 1920.

Any information about the family would be appreciated. Also, any
thoughts
about the usefulness of writing to Vilnius to obtain a copy of passport
records from 1911 would be very welcome. Thanks,
Marcia Kerensky

Subject: re:[litvaksig] SAWONIA ul., Vilna
To: LitvakSIG litvaksig@lyris.jewishgen.org

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Hope Gordon asked about a street name in pre-war Poland. There is a
historical street name listing as well as numerous maps of Vilna on the
JewishVilna GoogleGroup. Hope, I will send you an invitation to join this
group to make this available to you.

Joel Ratner

I am trying to figure out if
SAWONIA 40, Wilna Poland
is a street address in Vilna, in what was then Poland.

MODERATOR'S NOTE: Other researchers interested in the JewishVilna
group may write Joel privately at < Joelrat1@hotmail.com >
LitvakSIG (litvaksig@lyris.jewishgen.org) is hosted by JewishGen

LitvakSIG is a non-profit 501(c)3 corporation. Contributions to LitvakSIG
may be made online at http://www.litvaksig.org/HTML/donate.htm and
are tax-deductible as provided by law. Contributions may also be mailed
to LitvakSIG, Inc., c/o Eden Joachim, 1204 Hillside Terrace, Pomona, NY
10970. Contribution forms may be faxed to 845-623-1708. Please specify town
(for vital records) or district research group (and town of interest) for
other types of records, and include your e-mail address with your
contribution.

The mother of Tsvi Hirsh KATZENELLENBOGEN, one of my ancestors
(1795-1868) was Gitel bat Shlomo Yehuda LIMA, and I suppose it was
the same family. In fact, Gitel appears in the 1816 Revision List as
daughter of Shloma and in the book "Ir Vilna" as the daughter of
Yehuda LIMA.

Thanks a lot for any information you could provide about the family,

Nathalie Ried

http://frugaltraveler.blogs.nytimes.com/2008/07/16/tracing-family-roots-in-vilnius/index.html
*

My mother's family came from Vilnus. My grandmother worked in the NYC garment industry sweat shops until cancer from the fibers filled her lungs and she died at 67. Today her name is engraved along the fence at Ellis Island overlooking the Statue of Liberty. Special indeed because my grandmother was my Statue of Strength!

Though I am now 55, I know little of my Lithuanian history as my grandmother (my two grandfathers - she remarried after her first died- died young so I did not know them) never learned to read or write in English.

So I have little to go on. Some of my clients had been survivors of the camps in Poland. From all I shared with them, they told me that my heritage may have been as a Litvak forced to change faiths in order to survive anti-Semitic Lithuania.

Today I am slowly gathering information to find my family's history wherever it leads. Your journey to Vilnus is inspirational and encouraging.

Thank you. And light a candle or say a prayer for those brave souls who ventured west to an unknown land called America and for those who remained behind only to face the worst atrocities inflicted by mankind.

— Posted by Bob Marino
*
9.
July 16th,
2008
2:00 pm

Along with numerous (extended) family members, I visited in Lithuania four years ago. We based ourselves in Vilnius (the B&B was on a little street off Pilies Street in Old Town) and were able to travel across the entire country. In fact, we even went to my mother's birthplace. After the Germans took over, and then the Soviets, my family was forced to flee. The manor house became an orphanage and later a school for midwives. Once Lithuania was independent again, the property reverted to my mother and her 2 brothers. They donated the house, the adjoining buildings, and all the land to state. The manor house became the district school.

But one of the most compelling memories was of the tour my brother and son and I took shortly before leaving the country. It was a tour of the KGB museum in Vilnius. The building was at one time a KGB facility so we were able to see actual cells and prisoner facilities. We had headphones and recordings in English to guide us. Had we requested it, the museum could have provided us with a personal tour guide who would conduct the tour in Lithuanian BECAUSE HE HAD BEEN HELD THERE. On the blocks of the exterior of building facing the street were etched names of those who had died in the facility. The whole thing was chilling. That tour put a hole in my heart. We must not forget what happened.

— Posted by Anna
* names of the many prominent Jews who lived in Vilnius, like Yascha Heifetz, Andre Kostelanitz, Romain Cary, Bernard Berenson, Irving Berlin…, or translate the varied and colorful names of the Jewish quarter in the heart of Old Town. It's hub was Stikliu, or Glass Blower's, Street.

— Posted by Algis
*

My family history reads much like yours… Jews from Vilnius and the surrounding towns. Any sense of romanticism I had though about the old country vanished about 25 years ago after two events.

First I read a book which I believe was called Ghetto in Flames (The Vilna Ghetto) by a survivor then living in Israel, Itzhak Arad (or Irad). He documented the holocaust in that region and described how most of the killing in all of those horrible palces was comitted not by the Germans but by our Lithuania neighbors. He detailed every imaginable and terrifying event, from victims being wounded and thrown alive into burial pits to babies being smothered by their parents to prevent the families - who were hiding in basements, etc, from being caught. I was researching holocaust stores at the time for some writing projects.

To confirm Arad's stories, I contacted my mother's cousin, Sima, the only member of the extended family to escape. I told her about the book and asked her if she knew Arad. She said, "Of course," we went to high school together. She then proceeded to put names to each of the deaths Arad had described, including the smothered babies. The names were all from my family, people I'd never known, including my great-grandmother, cousins, great aunts, uncles, etc., people I would never know nor would anyone else in the world.

The holocaust suddenly became real in a way decades of research had never been.

Life goes on, the world changes and the terror of past events fade away. But that day changed my life. I stopped my research - it was all too personal to be academic. A small part of me still mourns mankinds inhumanity to mankand every day since.

Sima told me that my grandmother's house was still standing in Vilnius. When I asked my own parents if they would ever like to go back to see the "old county" (they were both born here and are now in their ninties) they simply asked, "Why would we?" For them - between the Nazi's, the Russians and the Lithuanians - there were no "good" stories to remember.

— Posted by Howard Smith
*
16.
July 16th,
2008
2:23 pm

Matt, A great post. It is a search that many have undertaken with sometimes less successful results. It gives one pause. If you have the opportunity, Daniel Mendelsohn's The Lost: A Search for Six of the Six Million is a compelling read in giving face to the untold masses who perished.

Richard

— Posted by Richard Kurjan
*
17.
July 16th,
2008
2:26 pm

Dear Matt,

I am so happy for you, and grateful that you managed to find some answers.

Millions of us cannot go on this same journey, although we need to, very much. Words cannot explain the pain that is left, even generations after the genocide, because they also destroyed so much of the trail to earlier generations and hope to easily re-connect to the few who survived. It's a haunting legacy that continues in the maiming of new generations, each of which live without answers.

It is also every bit as deep and hurtful as that which is more usually highlighted in the plight of Black Americans whose families' connections vanished with enslavement. Now, for them, many have been successfully investigating in more depth, for the records here in America were clearer and preserved.

Whereas, every part of our Jewish heritage was disrespected — lives, bodies, homes and buildings, sacred space, cemeteries, possessions and even records — by the Nazis and their collaborators, who still enjoy all that they robbed. A museum here and there and a memorial don't "make up for the loss", or absolve them.

My Uncle by marriage, known as "Jack", died last year, and as a youngster of about 10, along with one brother, managed to be the sole survivors of their whole extended family in Vilnius. They existed on frozen potatoes in the fields; did their best to avoid conscription into the Russian army as it began to fight the Nazis and finally walked out of Russia, to relocation camps and then to Israel for the brother, and Australia for "Jack", for whom the war and trauma erased all of his family memories, name, birthday, everything.

But, for me, my Uncle Jack was amazing as he triumphed over all that the heinous world of that time threw at him, and his children signify that he returned to a life filled with the present and future, and he never looked back.

— Posted by Margaret
*
18.
July 16th,
2008
2:34 pm

For those who have known ancestors from Eastern Europe, and are curious whether they may be of true Jewish/Mideast descent (disregarding possible conversions in the past few centuries), a much cheaper and more objective solution is not travel to Eastern Europe, but a saliva Y chromosome DNA test at FTDNA or the National Genographic Project. Check their websites!

— Posted by Raymond Sidry
*
19.
July 16th,
2008
2:39 pm

As of some ten years ago, the sign indicating that visitors were near the remnants of the great Vilnius Ghetto was posted almost invisibly in a side street too far away as if Vilnius was ashamed of the place. Continued anti-semitism? It is true that the Lithuanian Sate archives have done a huge job of recuperating family histories largely due to a very devoted Russian lady there.Of course, the prices keep the Archives alive but it is well worth it. See "Landsmen" out of Wahingston D.C. for details

— Posted by nt
*
20.
July 16th,
2008
2:41 pm

Matt,

looks like you still do not understand the history when you talk about "the twin assaults of the Holocaust and the Soviet era". The difference for the Lithuanian Jews between the Soviet rule and the German occupation was very simple, life or death. Try to learn that.

— Posted by Len
*
21.
July 16th,
2008
2:46 pm

Matt -

As a descendant of both Lithuanian Jews and non-Jews, I'm inspired by your incredible journey to learn more about my ancestry.

— Posted by Chris
*
22.
July 16th,
2008
2:49 pm

What a wonderful story to pop up on my computer screen today. My father's side of the family is Lithuanian but we have been unable to find out much information over the years because he died when my father was only 11. We have no idea what our last name may have originally been, hindering any further research. It was so interesting to see others facing the same ambiguity of their pasts.

— Posted by Carly
*
23.
July 16th,
2008
2:58 pm

It's amazing to see this article! My husband and I just returned from a Heritage Tour to Lithuania, and in particular Vilnius. Regina was our wonderful guide too and she's continuing to research my family.
The experience was very emotional. I was walking the streets my ancestors once walked.I feel like now I know my grand-father and his ancestors a little better for having been to his beloved "Vilna". I can understand even more the heart wrenching pain they must have experience when forced to make the decision to leave, or probably to die. My family and I are so greatful for the choice they made.
Judy Paris

— Posted by Judy Paris

Thank you so much for writing this article! I grew up listening to my parents' stories of growing up in Eastern Europe (Slovakia/Hungary) and surviving the Holocaust. It is so important for us to know where our roots are planted. I have newly dedicated myself as a filmmaker to this cause. We make documentary films about your family that can be passed down generation to generation. My biggest regret in life is that my father passed without recording his amazing life story. Thank you for aiding in my plight to help those never regret and be firmly planted in where they came from.
-Andrea (www.rewindpics.com

— Posted by Andrea
#
32.
July 16th,
2008
3:43 pm

you should know that Lithuania is now conducting a 'probe' of 3 former Jewish partisans on grounds of murdering Lithuanian civilians in 1944. Two are women and the other is Yitzhak Arad, former head of Yad Vashem.
Here is an excerpt from a recent article in the Forward, where you can read the rest with the URL below.
The probe appears to focus on Yitzhak Arad, former chairman of Yad Vashem. Arad was appointed in 2005 by Lithuania's president to a high-level commission examining past war crimes. As a part of his work, Arad drew the ire of right-wing groups when he publicly asked that the country address the role of Lithuanians in the murder of Jews during the Holocaust. After a number of attacks on Arad in right-wing Lithuanian newspapers, Lithuania's chief prosecutor opened a pretrial investigation of Arad's wartime actions in Kaniûkai. A Polish institute had earlier found that 38 people in the town were killed in 1944 by a Soviet anti-Nazi unit consisting of 120 to 150 people, including both Jews and non-Jews.
"The murderers are now becoming national heroes," Arad told the Forward, "and we, the few surviving victims who took up arms and fought the murderers, are being under investigation as criminals."
http://www.forward.com/articles/13704/

— Posted by Froma Zeitlin
#
33.
July 16th,
2008
3:49 pm

Matt, what a great article!

Quite a few years ago, after the Velvet Revolution in the Czech Republic, I was part of a group that a travel agent friend organized to Prague which included 1 day to find the grave of his sister who died before he was born.

My friend's mother, who was also on the trip, was a Latvian refugee who was temporarily living with her baby girl near the town of Most (at the time I think it was called Dux) in the far west of what's now the Czech Republic when her daughter tragically died. She had no choice but to leave her remains there at a crematorium before she had to flee to the west.

Amazingly enough, with the help of an excellent driver, we found the town and the crematorium. When we arrived, there was no one around so I went looking for help and found 2 workers having a cigarette break and persuaded them (OK, bribed them with $10 each) to help out.

So, somehow between her fractured German, their bare knowledge of German my quickly remembering that the Russian word for German was "nemetsky" we actually were able to locate the general area where the girls ashes were probably burried and it was quite moving considering the many decades that had passed between the last time her mother had been to the site.

I well know what you were feeling in the graveyard…

Thanks again for sharing such a personal story with us

— Posted by Randy
#
34.
July 16th,
2008
3:55 pm

Anyone who visits Vilnius should go to the KGB museum - haunting and raw. The torture there was real for all Lithuanians.

Also, the beach in Klaipeda is beautiful and low key.

— Posted by Kate F
#
35.
July 16th,
2008
4:19 pm

Frank Zappa? Not a Jew.

— Posted by paul feldsher
#
36.
July 16th,
2008
4:21 pm

actually, matt gross seems to have not realized the ongoing controversies - disregard for sites of Jewish heritage - graveyards, the slandering of Jewish partisans as war criminals, and this - an article by Michael Casper, a former Fulbright fellow to Lithuania.

http://www.forward.com/articles/12634/

— Posted by christopher
#
37.
July 16th,
2008
4:23 pm

"But I do have a feeling your relatives were not eating the Lithuanian food with the bacon…."

— Posted by S."
Most certainly not the Mitnagdim.

— Posted by anna

Home Page: WWW.NOTTHEMUSICSTORE.COM

Message: My maternal grandparents (Bezdansky) came from Vilna as did first
cousins of my mother's APT & Magun--any information about that that I could
forward to my mother and aunts (and grandmother who is still B'h alive) would be
most appreciated, thank you and Shana Tova
-------------------------
From Yad Vashem:
Aleksandrovich Masha
Masha Aleksandrovich nee Bezdanski was born in Bistriwicz to Sara.
She was a housewife and married to Moshe. Prior to WWII she lived in
Wilno, Poland. During the war she was in Wilno, Poland. Masha perished
in the end of 1941 in Wilno, Poland at the age of 53. This information
is based on a 1999 Page of Testimony by her daughter Fruma Zipelovitz
(nee Aleksandrovich) of Beer Sheva Gamal Street number 5, phone number
on the report

Aleksandrovich Moshe
Moshe Aleksandrovich was born in Grodno. He was a binder and married
to Masha Bezdanski . Prior to WWII he lived in Wilna, Poland. During
the war he was in Wilna, Poland. Moshe perished in 1941 in Wilna,
Poland at the age of 55. This information is based on a Page of
Testimony (displayed on left) submitted on 22-Apr-1999 by his daughter
Fruma Zipelovitz (nee Aleksandrovich) of Beer Sheva Gamal Street
number 5, phone number on the report

THE 5th JEWISH EYE FESTIVAL
The festival will take place at the cinematheque of the International
Conference Center of the Ashkelon Academic College, which has allowed
us to use its luxurious halls and state-of-the-art cinema equipment.

The 2008 festival will last nine days, during which 80 Jewish films
from 24 different countries will be screened in the frame of a
prize-bearing competition. The films are divided into three
categories: full-length feature films; full-length documentaries; and
short dramas and documentaries.

Exhibitions: This year we will hold two exhibitions: one of photos of
Jewish community life in pre-World War II Vilnius (courtesy of the
Lithuanian Embassy in Israel), and one of oil paintings on Holocaust
themes by Australian painter Ruth Rich, that will arrive at the
festival along with the artist. These paintings are part of the film
"Bloodlines" by Australian director Cynthia Connop, that will also be
screened in the festival.

As we do every year, this year too we will note some major milestones
in the history of the Jewish people and the State of Israel. This
festive evening will include the screening of a film on a specific
theme and a reception at which a guest connected to that theme will
deliver a speech. Among the themes:

Israel celebrates its 60th anniversary- Salute to the Israeli and
Jewish Cinema.
A SPECIAL EVENING WITH YAD VASHEM to mark 70 years since Kristallnacht
and 100 years since the publication of "The Protocols of the Elders of
Zion";
A retrospective of movies by Lithuanian filmmaker Saulius Ber?inis,
who in the recent decades has been documenting the glorious past of
the Jewish community of Lithuania, which was almost entirely
annihilated in the Holocaust;
An evening to mark UNESCO's declaration of Vilnius as 2009 cultural
capital of Europe "From Ashkelon to Yerushalayim deLita". The evening
will include a performance by the colorful song and dance group
Anachnu Kan("We are here"), comprised of Israeli descendants of
Lithuanian Jews.
An evening dedicated to the Moroccan Jewish community, including the
premiere screening of a film (Morocco-Canada).
A special premiere of the Australian documentary "Bloodlines," one of
whose protagonists is Bettina Goering, grandniece of Hermann Goering,
who will be among the guests of the festival.

I am pleased to announce the 1911 edition of Vsia Vilna as well as the 1929
and 1937 Vilna telephone directories have been made available to Vilna
researchers via the JewishVilna GoogleGroup. Vilna researchers who have not
yet joined JewishVilna and wish to access these directories should reply to
me privately.

There was an inquiry a few days ago about the availability of directories
for other cities. Some of the ones I am familiar with are as follows:

City directories:

Ves Peterburg

Vsia Moskva

Vsia Vilna

Ksiegi adresowe Ksiega adresowa Polski 1937

Ksiegi adresowe Ksiega Adresowa Polski i Gdanska 1926-1927

Ksiegi adresowe Ksiega Adresowa Polski i Gdanska 1928

Ksiegi adresowe Ksiega Adresowa Polski i Gdanska 1929

Ksiegi adresowe Ksiega Adresowa Polski i Gdanska 1930

Ksiegi adresowe Ksiega adresowa przemyslu fabrycznego w Królestwie Polskiem
na rok 1904

Russian Empire:

Vsia Rossia [All Russia]

Gubernia and oblast directories:

Adres-kalendar Bessarabskoj gubernii 1910
Adres-kalendar Estlyandskoj gubernii, 1913
Adres-Kalendar Permskoj gubernii, 1915
Adres-kalendar Semipalatinskoj oblasti, 1910
Adres-kalendar Yakutskoj oblasti, 1905
Adres-kalendar Zabajkalskoj gubernii, 1908
Adresno-spravochnaya kniga Ferganskoj oblasti, 1912
Pamyatnaya kniga Amurskoj oblasti, 1916
Pamyatnaya kniga Ekaterinoslavskoj gubernii, 1915
Pamyatnaya kniga Elisavetpolskoj gubernii 1910
Pamyatnaya kniga Enisejskoj gubernii, 1915
Pamyatnaya kniga Erivanskoj gubernii 1914
Pamyatnaya kniga Grodnenskoj gubernii, 1910
Pamyatnaya kniga Irkutskoj gubernii, 1914
Pamyatnaya kniga Irkutskoj gubernii, 1915
Pamyatnaya kniga Kalishskoj gubernii 1912
Pamyatnaya kniga Karsskoj oblasti 1914
Pamyatnaya kniga Kazanskoj gubernii 1916
Pamyatnaya kniga Khersonskoj gubernii 1910
Pamyatnaya kniga Kievskoj gubernii 1915
Pamyatnaya kniga Kurskoj gubernii 1894
Pamyatnaya kniga Kyuletskoj gubernii 1905
Pamyatnaya kniga Lomzhinskoj gubernii 1914
Pamyatnaya kniga Minskoj gubernii, 1909
Pamyatnaya kniga Minskoj gubernii, 1915
Pamyatnaya kniga Nizhegorodskoj gubernii, 1865
Pamyatnaya kniga Nizhegorodskoj gubernii, 1880
Pamyatnaya kniga Nizhegorodskoj gubernii, 1914
Pamyatnaya kniga Novgorodskoj gubernii 1914
Pamyatnaya kniga Oblasti vojska Donskogo 1915
Pamyatnaya kniga Orlovskoj gubernii 1915
Pamyatnaya kniga Penzenskoj gubernii 1915
Pamyatnaya kniga Petrokovskoj gubernii 1913
Pamyatnaya kniga Plotskoj gubernii 1909
Pamyatnaya kniga Podolskoj gubernii, 1885
Pamyatnaya kniga Podolskoj gubernii, 1909
Pamyatnaya kniga Radomskoj gubernii 1914
Pamyatnaya kniga Ryazanskoj gubernii, 1914
Pamyatnaya kniga Samarskoj gubernii 1915
Pamyatnaya kniga Sedletskoj gubernii 1910
Pamyatnaya kniga Simbirskoj gubernii 1868
Pamyatnaya kniga Smolenskoj gubernii 1915
Pamyatnaya kniga S-Pb gubernii 1915
Pamyatnaya kniga Stavropolskoj gubernii 1916
Pamyatnaya kniga Suvalkskoj gubernii, 1910
Pamyatnaya kniga Tavricheskoj gubernii 1917
Pamyatnaya kniga Tobolskoj gubernii, 1911
Pamyatnaya kniga Tomskoj gubernii, 1915
Pamyatnaya kniga Tulskoj gubernii 1909
Pamyatnaya kniga Tverskoj gubernii, 1916
Pamyatnaya kniga Uralskoj gubernii 1914
Pamyatnaya kniga Varshavskoj gubernii 1913
Pamyatnaya kniga Vilenskoj gubernii, 1915
Pamyatnaya kniga Vitebskoj gubernii, 1890
Pamyatnaya kniga Voronezhskoj gubernii 1915
Pamyatnaya kniga Zakaspijskoj gubernii, 1915

Followers of the LitvakSIG VRT project and the website at
http://mysite.verizon.net/vzeol99x/litvaksigvitalrecordstranslationproject
may recognize the gubernia and oblast directories from the link on the VRT
site to a searchable database of these directories. The site containing this
database is in Russian, so one needs to transliterate surnames into Russian
in order to use it.

Enterprising researchers can also search the catalog of the National Library
of Russia which may prompt one to pay a visit. There are other directories
to be found elsewhere, but this list was already in hand.

Joel Ratner

LitvakSIG (litvaksig@lyris.jewishgen.org) is hosted by JewishGen

LitvakSIG is a non-profit 501(c)3 corporation. Contributions to LitvakSIG
may be made online at http://www.litvaksig.org/HTML/donate.htm and
are tax-deductible as provided by law. Contributions may also be mailed
to LitvakSIG, Inc., c/o Eden Joachim, 1204 Hillside Terrace, Pomona, NY
10970. Contribution forms may be faxed to 845-623-1708. Please specify town
(for vital records) or district research group (and town of interest) for
other types of records, and include your e-mail address with your
contribution.

Both books are in DjVu format and require a plugin. A DjVu plugin can be
found at the Celartem website at
http://www.celartem.com/en/download/djvu.asp

These books may be accessed at the following URLs:

"The Story of Wilno" http://www.sendspace.com/file/d4ljsr

"Vilna and the Land of Vilna" http://www.sendspace.com/file/r2pct2

Joel Ratner

LitvakSIG (litvaksig@lyris.jewishgen.org)

I have no precise idea of what such a function in such a numerous community implied: I guess it was a prestigious position and that he was considered a "parnass" but what could his activities be, concretely? Thanks for any information or references.

Nathalie Ried (Marseilles, France)

Steve Orlen Tucson Arizona

She lived in Vilnius from 1946 to 1972, then emigrated to Israel.
Where can I get info?

In advance,thanks and happy new year.

Christine Usdin
France

I found a lot of information re "my" MARGOLIS family in this book.

Ggfather of my wife, rav Nakhman Idel MARGOLIS (rabbi in Mitava) was
a son of rav Eliezer Lipman MARGOLIOT (rabbi in Vilnius).
Information on the both Nakhman Idel and Eliezer Lipman I had before
from the archival sources. From "Nakhlat Avot": "R. Eliezer Lipman
MARGOLIOT was a son of Idel MARGOLIOT from Parichi. Idel MARGOLIOT
was a son of R. Josef MARGOLIOT, Av Bet Din in Glusk and rabbi in
Slutsk. R. Josef was a son of R. Mendel MARGOLIOT, Av Bet Din in
Pinsk. R. Mendel was a son of Moshe Zeev, Av Bet Din in Minsk and in
Galilee (???). He was a son of R. Idel, Av Bet Din in Kovel and
author of "Kol Iehuda". R. Idel was a son of R. Moshe, who was a son
of R. Zvi Hirsh SABA, who was a son of R. Iosef IOSKA, Av Bet Din in
Lublin. Iosef IOSKA was a grandson of MaHaRal."

1) Can I trust the information of R. Avchinsky? Is it reliable?

2) Can I believe that Moshe Zeev really was Av Bet Din in
"Galilee"?

I'd like to add that R. Avchinsky called himself "the pupil" of "my"
Nakhman Idel and spent few years in his home in Mitava. Later
R. Avchinsky replaced R. Nakhman Idel as Av Bet Din in Mitava
(Jelgava).

Thank you in advance,
Dmitry Shirochin,
Moscow, Russia

"My Germany" is available on-line from the usual book sellers; it was
published by the University of Wisconsin Press.

Lev Raphael

http://www.levraphael.com
author of MY GERMANY
due April 2009 in the U.S. &
September 2009 in Germany

Please take a minute to look over this link about the program that
describes it in great detail and includes links to lodging
possibilities and such.

http://www.sumlitsem.org/lithuania/jewishlithuania.html

Danielle Weiner
Dallas, TX

Checking the Paberze records I came across some records for FAIN which
may be related (Feiga's surname in the US was always listed as FINBERG
except on records related to her oldest son, where it was listed as
PEANEN, which if spoken quickly sounds close to FA-IN?).

From Paberze vital records:
David (son of Israel) FAIN was married to Itka (daughter of Ber)
ARNOVITZ. Their children included Feiga (b.1861), Avram (b.1864),
Shmul Khayim (b.1859), and Khaya Lea (1863-1866). What is interesting
is that this Feiga is the correct age to be my GGM and her mother's name
Ida would be correct for the Itka here. The only part that doesn't fit
is David versus Eliyahu/Eliasz as Feiga's father, so I would surmise as
a working hypothesis that either these are cousins of my GGM or the
father had the double name David Eliasz and this could in fact be
my GGM's birth in 1861.

If any of this sounds familiar, please contact me privately at
<MandJMeyers@
Martin H Meyers

You will find a write-up on another Lithuanian Righteous among the
Nations at:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kazys_Binkis

And a Wikipedia site has a whole list:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lithuanian_Righteous_among_the_Nations

There is now also a book published by the State Jewish Museum in Vilnius
that lists more than 2,500 Lithuanians who helped save Jews during the
Holocaust (though whether all have been recognized by Yad Vashem I don't
know.) I had some correspondence a few years ago with Viktorija Sakaite,
who was working on this book. At the time, a book had come out by a
Lithuanian, Antanas Gurevicius, listing more than 10,000 Lithuanian
rescuers. Sakaite was attempting to verify as rescuers the people named in
Gurevicius' book. It's obvious that she was able to do so with only about
25% of those listed by Gurevicius. See:

http://www.ncsj.org/AuxPages/022602Rescuers.shtml

Marjorie Rosenfeld

Just because your ancestors left Lithuania before 1915, it does not
mean these 1919-1940 records hold no interest for you. Your immediate
family may have left but, in most case, other family members and
relatives remained there. In 1915, the majority of the Jews in
Lithuania were forced to go deep into the Eastern part of Russia.
After 1919, most of those Jews returned to Lithuania and had to
apply for an Internal Passport. Many researchers have had great
success with the Internal Passport records.

Every time I receive another group of translated Internal Passport
records, it never ceases to amaze me about the outstanding information
presented. Several examples from this group of Panevezys records will
illustrate my point.

(1) Leib NEMAS / [NEMM], son of Yankel. Born 1877 in Baisogola. Applied
for his Internal Passport on 14 December, 1921. (This is an indication of
the date he returned to Panevezys from Russia because he had to apply
within 30 days of his arrival back in Lithuania). He lived at Ramygalos
st. 60 in Panevezys and was a Merchant. He was married. He died 18 July
1927. His Military Service Certificate Nr. 5151, issued in Siauliai in
1899 and his Internal Passport are in the file. His wife was Hinda
FARBERAITE / [FARBER] born in 1883, daughter of Yovel. They had three
children - Yosel - Born 1908, Tauba - Born 1909, and Rakhel - Born 1914.
(Baisogola, Panevezys, Siauliai - you can see the possibilities this
opens up to find more records. Also, his Military Service Certificate
may offer the information needed to find his Russian military records).

(2) Basia MILSTEINAITE / [MILSHTEIN], daughter of Abraham and Rebecca.
Born 1903 in Vilnius. She was single when she applied for her Internal
Passport 28 August 1920. (Upon reaching the age of 17 she had to apply
for her own Internal Passport). She lived with her parents at Kranto st.
10 in Panevezys. Her mother's maiden name was BIGELYTE / [BIGGEL] and
she was born in 1869 in Vidzai, Ezerenai Uyezd. Her father was born in
1868 in Vidzai, Ezerenai Uyezd. He was a carrier. The German passports
for Basia and her father were issued 29 May 1916 in Vilnius and her
mother's German passport was issied in Panevezys 19 May 1917. All three
German passports are in the file. Basia got married to Hirsh DOLBERGAS /
[DOLBERG] on 8 August 1926 in Kaunas. In addition to Basia, Abraham and
Rebecca had three sons. Alter - born 1908, Shimon - born 1911, Jacob -
born 1913. (Again, the records not only provide a wealth of information
but also present an opportunity to do further research in the records for
Vidzai, Vilnius, Panevezys, and Kaunas).

Howard Margol
Coordinator, Internal Passport Project 1919-1940

With best wishes,

Vlad Grausbard

General Director

"RENDERMEDIAPRODUCTION"LLP

050002, Kazakhstan, Almaty,

Zhibek Zholy st. 50 #915

tel./ +77272718451

tel/fax./ +77272718459

mob./ +77772990858

vlad@render.kz

www.render.kz

Dovid Katz wrote: The remarkable TSILE ZHIBURKIENE (Cilia Ziburkiene); inimitable, powerful, fearless, multicultural icon of modern Vilnius; proud veteran of the war against Hitler; who told us so much about the Vilna days of Chaim Grade, Avrom Sutskever and Noyakh Prilutski; passed away on Friday (aged 93). Farewell is on Tuesday 11 May, Seskine Jewish Cemetery, 2 PM (1400) 2010. Feelings going out to Jonas, Juozas, Judita and all the family.

Rabbi Barry Marcus of the Central Synagogue, London, has asked me to
inform Litvaks and anyone else interested that they are hosting a
function to honour Holocaust Survivor Joseph Levinson from Vilna,
Lithuania, for all his years of work memorialising Lithuanian Jewry.

This is on Wednesday 1st September 2010 at 7:30pm

For the full flyer please reply to me privately <saul65@gmail.com>

Joseph Levinson traveled the country and extensively investigated the
massacres. He located more than 200 Jewish mass graves and cemeteries
in Lithuania for commemoration. He organised and supervised their
restoration and maintenance, as well as the erection and documentation
of Jewish memorials which led to him writing and publishing his 'Book
of Sorrow'. Skausmo Knyga (Vilnius: Vaga Publishers,)

They will also honour and acknowledge Survivors, here in the London area.

There is no charge for the event, but for catering and security
purposes, kindly RSVP to Raquel Amit at
raquel@centralsynagogue.org.uk or 020 7580 1355.

Saul Issroff

http://holocaustinthebaltics.com/jewish-communitys-faina-kukliansky-gives-powerful-address-at-ponar-commemoration-near-vilnius/1973
This year's commemoration ceremony at Ponar (Paneriai) was held today,
attended by government officials, the diplomatic corps, and a sizable
crowd of mostly Jewish participants. Ponar is the mass grave site near
Vilnius where 100,000 civilians -- around 70,000 of them Jews of Vilna
and its environs

From Jewishgen:
Dear all,
One of my Grandfather's sisters; Roza SHUB, born Usdin ( c1894)
married Solomo, son of Haim SHUB. He was born in 1892 in Latvia.Their
children:
- Simen, born in 1920 in Poland
- Bella, born in 1932 in Poland

. .( during the war they escaped to the Soviet Union).
From 1946 to 1974, they lived in Vilnius
For more information and pictures;
http://www.premiumorange.com/rigavitalrecords/usdinrosa.html

Haim SHUB is buried in the Jewish cemetery of Vilnius. He died in 1974.

Do you have info?
Any help will be appreciated.

Christine Usdin
France

From: Sender <harrystruman@me.com>

I am trying to locate relatives. I believe that my paternal grandfather migrated to the US circa 1900.. His name was Kalman Borensthain [bernstein] I think from Kovno, until the name was changed to Berns in the 1930's. My patrilineal heritage is that of being a Kohen. My matrilineal heritage is my grandfather Mordechai Antonos of Vilna, who migrated circa 1918 from Paris to the US.
Can you please give me some guidance on how to find any relatives, however distant, who may still be alive.....

Yerachmiel Berns

From: Norman Jacobs <normanjacobs@hotmail.com>

Dear All

Great website. Really interesting and moving.

I am just wondering if anyone knows the names of the Magid Family shown on Vilna os-91. I believe, though I am not certain, that the young man sitting low down at the table to the right of the photo could be my aunt's father, Barnett (Barney). Also, does anyone know the date of the photograph? If it is Barnett, I am also interested in tracking down when he came to the UK. He was born about 1895 in Vilna and naturalized British in 1920, but I don't know when he left for the UK.

Any help would be much appreciated.

I am attaching a later photograph of Barnett and his brother Abraham.

Best wishes

Norman Jacobs

From: Rick Rauschenbach <rickrauschenbach@yahoo.com>

Researching my Grandmother, Marie Goldt, b. 21 Dec 1883.

I thought in Riga, but I found a 1914 Ship’s Passenger List, where she
listed Wilno as her home.

Her father could have been David Goldt. Supposedly she was a
Lady/Chamber Maid for someone connected to the Czar’s family… and was
in England and never returned /nor saw her family. She was to have
come from a large family

She eventually wound up in New York City. Attached is her Reisepasse.
If anyone can translate the writing and provide clarity as to cities,
location, destination.

Any information appreciated

Rick Rauschenbach

rickrauschenbach@yahoo.com

My father's name was Lev Maximovich Bengis of the Vilna Bengis family.
It is my understanding that the Chief Rabbi of Vilna was a Bengis, but
am unsure of the connection. My father's family, parents, two sisters
and brothers were all killed in the holocaust, some in Ponar and some
in the camps. I have photos of the family, and am interested in
finding any family connections. I have heard from several people with
the same name, but believe that they are not related. Who is? I don't
know. I would be happy to make copies of the photos and send them to
you.

Ingrid Bengis Palei

Some Yad Vashem reports:Eliasz Bengis was born in Wilno to Shlomo and
Lea. He was a ????? ????? ????. Prior to WWII he lived in Wilno,
Poland. During the war he was in Wilno, Ghetto. Eliasz was murdered in
the Shoah. This information is based on a Page of Testimony (displayed
on left) submitted by his cousin, a Shoah survivor
Salomon Bengis was born in Vilna in 1884 to Moshe and Gitel. He was a
tanner and married. Prior to WWII he lived in Vilna, Poland. During
the war he was in Vilna, Ghetto. Salomon was murdered in Vilna,
Ghetto. This information is based on a Page of Testimony (displayed on
left) submitted by his nephew, a Shoah survivanor Moshe Shutan. More
Details...

Elcze Bengis was born in Wilno in 1911 to Shlomo and Chaia. She was
married to Miriam. Prior to WWII she lived in Wilno, Poland. During
the war she was in Wilno, Poland. Elcze was murdered in Wilno, Poland.
This information is based on a Page of Testimony (displayed on left)
submitted by her sister-in-law Rachel Holtzman

Mirjam Bengis was born in Wilno in 1914. She was married to Elchia.
Prior to WWII she lived in Wilno, Poland. During the war she was in
Wilno, Poland. Mirjam was murdered in the Shoah. This information is
based on a Page of Testimony (displayed on left) submitted by her
sister Rachel Holtzman
Yisrael Bengis was born to Elchia and Mirjam. He was a child. Prior to
WWII he lived in Wilno, Poland. During the war he was in Wilno,
Poland. Yisrael was murdered in the Shoah at the age of 2. This
information is based on a Page of Testimony
Szlomo Bengis was born in Wilno in 1887. He was a shop owner and
married to Khaia. Prior to WWII he lived in Wilno, Poland. During the
war he was in Wilno, Poland. Szlomo was murdered in the Shoah. This
information is based on a Page of Testimony

From: <HOMARGOL@aol.com>
Visit our home page at http://www.litvaksig.org

The first group of translated Vilnius Internal Passport Records,
1919-1940, have been received - a total of 305 records. To receive
these records, as well as the records translated in the future, please
contribute a minimum of $100.00 to LitvakSIG.

Go to www.litvaksig/contribute and select Internal Passports in the
Special Project Section. In the NOTES block, key in Vilnius. You can
use your credit card as the site is secure.

The file containing the Vilnius internal passports is huge so it will
take time and money to translate all of it. With your help and
cooperation, I am sure we can get it done.

If your family left Lithuania prior to World War I, do not overlook
these records even though it is for the post war period of 1919-1940. Your
immediate family may have left but not everyone. In many cases, siblings,
Aunts, Uncles, cousins, etc., remained and my be included in the internal
passport files.

Howard Margol
Founder - Coordinator - Internal Passport Project
LitvakSIG Research and Records Acquisition Coordinator

The database and discussion group of LitvakSIG
(litvaksig@lyris.jewishgen.org) are hosted by JewishGen

LitvakSIG is a non-profit 501(c)3 corporation. Contributions to LitvakSIG
may be made online at www.litvaksig.org/contribute and are
tax-deductible as provided by law. Contributions may also be mailed
to LitvakSIG, Inc., c/o Eden Joachim, 41 Country Club Lane, Pomona, NY
10970. Contribution forms may be faxed to 845-623-1708. Please specify town
(for vital records) or district research group (and town of interest) for
other types of records, and include your e-mail address with your
contribution.

YIVO Institute in NYC is the major repository outside Lithuania
holding historical Jewish records.

To commemorate the year of remembrance for the victims of the
Holocaust in Lithuania they are holding a series of events, at YIVO
Institute at the Center for Jewish History, 15 West 16th Street - NYC.
see http://www.yivoinstitute.org/events/index.php?tid=181&aid=858

THURSDAY 22 SEPTEMBER 2011 at 7PM
CONCERT Co-sponsored by the Embassy Series in cooperation with the
Lithanian Consulate and the Lithuanian Delegation to the United
Nations.
Guest of Honor - His Excellency Audronius Azubalis, Minister of
Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Lithuania

FOR BACKGROUND INFORMATION regarding this please contact me
privately.<saul65@gmail.com>

In commemoration of the year of remembrance for the victims of the
Holocaust in Lithuania, Jerome Barry highlights songs composed in the
Jewish Ghetto in Vilnius during World War II and cantorial music.
PROGRAM

Opening Remarks - Jonathan Brent, Executive Director of YIVO.
Performers: Jerome Barry, baritone, Edvinas Minkstimas, piano, Yuval
Waldman, violin

Geto. A Song written in the Vilna Ghetto by Kasriel Broyde
(1907-1945), author and director of theatre revues and concerts in the
ghetto.
Es vet zikh fun Tsvaygl. Song of the Vilna ghetto by Kasriel Broydo.
Music by Yankl Trupianski (1909-1944), teacher, composer, who was
deported from the ghetto to Estonia for hard labor. He died in a
concentration camp in Germany.
Friling.A song of the Vilna ghetto by S. Kaczerginski (1908-1954)
written after the death of his wife in April, 1943. It was first sung
in the theatre revue Di Yogenish in Fas. Later it was sung in other
ghettos and concentration camps. Kaczerginski joined the partisan
forces following the liquidation of the ghetto in September, 1943.
After the war he complied a collection of several hundreds ghetto
songs. He survived the war to meet his death in a plane crash. Music
is by Abraham Brudno who, following the liquidation of the ghetto,
September, 1943, was deported to a German concentration camp in
Estonia, where he died.
Tsi darf es azoy zayn. Song written in the Vilna ghetto by Kasriel Broydo.
Ernest Bloch (1880-1959)
Baal Shem Suite for Violin and Piano.Vidui (Contrition), Nigun
(Improvisation), Simchat Torah (Rejoicing). Todros Greenberg
R'tse (Cantorial).This poignant prayer of longing for the Holy Temple
in Jerusalem has been recited for many centuries and expressed the
Jews' yearning for a rebirth of Israel.
Sholom Secunda.Kiddish for Festival
Shtiler, shtiler. A song of the Vilna ghetto. An eleven-year old boy
Alex Wolkoviski wrote this prize-winning melody in a ghetto contest.
Wolkoviski, presently called Alex Tamir, is a composer in Israel.
Schmerke Kaczerginski then set words to the tune.
Unter dayne vayse shtern. Song written in the Vilna ghetto by Abraham
Sutskever (1913- ), a well-known poet before the war, first performed
in the play Die Yogenish in Fas in the ghetto theater. After the
liquidation of the ghetto, Suskever joined the partisan fighters. He
lives in Israel andedits the literary quarterly Di Goldene Key. Music
is by Abraham Brudno.
Froyen. The song was written by Kasriel Broydo while in the Vilna
ghetto. Composer unknown.
Yisrolik. This song was first presented at the second public theater
performance in the Vilna ghetto in February 1942. Words by Leyb
Rozental.

YIZKER & MEMORIAL LECTURE on SUNDAY 25 SEPTEMBER 2011 , 1PM
Nusakh Vilne Yizker & Memorial Lecture at YIVO, share the experience
of paying tribute to the lost Vilne and vicinity Jewish community.
The guest speaker for the event will be David E. Fishman, professor of
Jewish history at The Jewish Theological Seminary in New York City.
Dr. Fishman also serves as director of Project Judaica, a Jewish
studies program based in Moscow that is sponsored jointly by JTS and
Russian State University for the Humanities.
Dina Gutkowicz-Krusin and Lily Gutkowicz, daughters of Raisa and
Yankel Gutkowicz, will light the memorial candles. Their parents
helped renovate the Jewish Museum in post-World War II Vilna. A
musical interlude will be provided by actor-singer Yelena
Shmulenson-Rickman, accompanied by Binyumen Schaechter.

THE PARTISANS OF VILNA on TUESDAY 11 OCTOBER 2011 | 7PM
This extraordinary film tells the story of the men and women who
formed the Jewish partisan movement in Vilna, Lithuania, during World
War II. Using rare archival film footage dating from 1939 to 1944 and
contemporary interviews with 40 partisan survivors (including Abba
Kovner, a founder of the partisan movement and one of Israel's leading
poets) the film explores the difficulties of organizing under the
anarchic conditions of the ghetto. Includes a discussion with Josh
Waletzky, director and editor, and Aviva Kempner, producer, moderated
by Dr. Annette Insdorf.

Saul Issroff
(London)

stacy reines <ycats2@bellsouth.
I've been trying to find anything about Yitzhak Mayer REINES and his
wife Leba Kovarsky REINES and family in Smorgonie or Vilnius. I haven't
found any mention of them. If anybody has anything, please let me know!

Thanks so much!
Stacy Reines
Florida

founded George Hyman Construction, which built some of the most
important structures in America, including the Orioles Stadium at
Camden Yards, the National Archives Building, and McCormick Place, the
giant convention center in Chicago. When he died in 1959, his wife,
SADIE HYMAN, became president of the George and Sadie Hyman
Foundation, which gave generously to Hopkins. She was an early
advocate of United States recognition of China and an early supporter
of the Asian Studies Program at SAIS. She remained that department's
key benefactor until her death in 1978.
Name: George Hyman
Home in 1930: Washington, Washington, District of Columbia

Age: 54
Estimated Birth Year: abt 1876
Birthplace: Lithuania came to the U.S in 1889
Relation to Head of House: Head
Mother's name: Fannie Zumser
Spouse's Name: Sadie Hyman
Race: White
Occupation; president of a construction company
Age at first marriage:38 wife was 21

Parents' birthplace: Lithuania, Yiddish speaking

Household Members:
Name Age
George Hyman 54
Sadie Hyman 35
Fannie Zumser 70

BENJAMIN T. ROME,Grandson of the Jewish Rommi family from Vilna
(publishers) Engr 1925, generous in his support of Johns Hopkins, was
chairman and president of the George Hyman Construction Company,
founded by his uncle. Mr. Rome was an architect and a philanthropist
who was instrumental in the creation of the China Studies Program at
SAIS. One of the great honors in his life was investiture by Pope Paul
VI with the rank of Knight Commander in the Order of Saint Sylvester,
one of the highest church honors granted to a lay person. Mr. Rome
died in 1994 at the age of 88.

From: A Cohen <childofalithuaniansurvivor@yahoo.com>
Date: Fri, Sep 16, 2011 at 8:57 AM
Subject: Event at YIVO Thursday Sept. 22, 2011
To: "egl.comments@gmail.com" <egl.comments@gmail.com>

I am a child of survivors from Lithuania. I am outrage that YIVO is sponsoring this event and feel that it should be boycotted for the following reasons:

1) YIVO has invited the Foregin Minister of Lithuania to attend; nothing wrong with this except YIVO's director Jonathan Brent has listed the Foreign Minister as a 'guest of honor." For the record, the Foreign Minister has made openly anti-Semitic remarks and as such , should not be treated as a guest of honor at any Jewish event, especially one relating to the Holocaust

2) Jews risked their lives smuggling books which were part of the YIVO pre-war library in Vilna out of the Vilna Ghetto for safe keeping. When Lithuania became indpendent in 1990, it was announced that 8,000 books were saved and hidden for 50 years. Lithuania has for the past 20 years refused to return these books to YIVO, which is now headquartered in New York. The new YIVO Director, Jonathan Brent, who after being wined and dined by Lithuanians during his visit to that country in July of 2011, has agreed to surrender ownership of these books to Lithuania on the condition that they be housed in a separate room which a sign reading "YIVO ROOM." So in other words, YIVO is permitting the theives to keep stolen property, of which Jews risked their lives to save. By the way, the cost of this room estimated at $300,000 which be paid for not by the Lithuanian Gov't but by New York and South Africa rich Jews.

3) YIVO Director Jonthan Brent has issued several statements recently insulting Holocaust survivors who object to both his plans to honor the openly anti-Semitic Lithuanian Foreign Minister and his surrender of YIVO's 8,000 books as "helpless and ageing", and insult to survivors and as such, prove that Brent is not fit to lead YIVO, an organization dedicated to preserve the Yiddish Language and Culture which was practically destroyed during the Holocaust. Please note, that over 95% of Lithuanian Jewry were killed; most of the Jews were murdered in the summer months of 1941 by local Lithuanians without the instigation nor presence of Germans.

4) YIVO's Brent has become an apologist for the Lithuanians stating the several elderly Jewish partisans who are under investigation have nothing to fear if they returned home to Lithuania. But the truth is that they will be arrested and that is why Rachel Margolis has been visiting her daughter in Tel Aviiv for the past five years. Two weeks ago, Lithuanians opened an investigation into Joseph Melamed for publishing a book listing thousands of Lithuanian war criminals with Jewish blood on their hands. Although this was published 15 years ago, the Lithuanians are unhappy that 9 who are listed are up to being honored as Lithuanian Freedom Fighters. YIVO's Brent claims in a statement to his staff that one of the 9 did not commit the murder of a Jewish Rabbi, although it is written that the Lithuanian murderer who is about to be honored by the Lithuanian Govt chopped the Rabbi's head off and then proceeded to walk around the town with the Rabbi's head in his hands.


I could write more and more but one needs to boycott this event and everything to do with YIVO as long as Brent is its director.

One can research Dovid Katz's e\website for more info or read Yossi Meleman's recent articles on this subject in Haaretz. Also The Forward has an article from a couple of weeks ago along with many comments from survivors.

From: Donna Brody <sbrody2@suddenlink.net>

My husband is a decendant of Ephim H Jeshurin of Vilna. I am searching for photos or other historical documents about his family. I found a photo of a nephew on your site. What a wonderful resource. If anyone has more informaiton, please let me know.
Thank you,
Donna Brody

From: Gloria Pariser <pgoldie1836@...l.com>
Date: Thu, Dec 8, 2011 at 10:47 AM
Subject: Family from Vilna
To: egl.comments@gmail.com

I have been searching for family members from Vilna of the name Berman or Solomon. My grandmother's name was Rivka(Rae) Solomon she married Joseph Berman and they lived in Boston. She had a sister named Dina Milna and she lived in Johannesburg. There was also an uncle by the name of Shea Solomon who had a farm in Yorktown Heights NY. One of his son's was Solomon Solomon and his wife's name was Rose. They had 3 children- Helene, Linda and Harvey. Rivka and Joseph divorced and he went to California where I think he started another family. As far as I know he was a fund raiser for charities. If you could be of any help to me in finding my family I would appreciate it. I also have pictures of the family that perished in Vilna and if you would like I cpould e-mail them to you.
Thank you for any assistance you may be able to give me.
Gloria Pariser

Eilat,

First off, I love your name and the place in Israel!

I am Myra Rothenberg currently near Seattle (grew up in LA). My GM was Sophie Brodie ( Brudne) from the city of Vilna, who married Morris Wasserman.

Years ago, I paid a researcher to help me gather my direct line of Brudnes and Wassermans. Well, I now have tons of small family-ettes of Brudnes/nos/noys/neys/nyaks/, etc. etc.

Recently, I have been working with a guy who is re-researching and editing that book of Clevelanders of Brudnos. I hear tell there are some Brudno folk in Israel also. I have kids in the West Bank and my daughter-in-law is a new teacher this year, English. My son is a Captain in the IDF, psychologist.

I’ve known about your website ( fabulous) for a long while now.

A couple of years back, maybe 2?, I started to try and find more of these Brudnos and came upon lots of families in Australia and in London and in South Africa and various parts of America.

I can send you my tree as it is and you can see what I have. I have a Brudno back to 1700, Mousha.

Ancestry has 100 spellings of Brudne, some we wouldn’t recognize at all, but soooooo many others. There was a different spelling for every little part of Lithuania and Belarus, etc.

Perhaps you know all this already.

I’d love nothing more than to piece all of our parts together into one big tree!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I’m tossed as to how the heck this o would ever happen. First off, I am going to receive the Clevelander disc and see what I comes up.

Thoughts?

Myra

From: Kim Meyers <kmeyers1@gmail.com>

These are my ancestors. I would love to get better copies of these photos.
Can you please tell me where you got them?

I found them on http://www.eilatgordinlevitan.com/vilna/vilna_pages/vilna_portraits3.html

Thank you!

~Kim Meyers
The pictures are from the Yivo collection and you could order them online "People of 1000 Towns, a Photographic Encyclopedia of Jewish Life in Eastern Europe, 1880-1940," http://yivo1000towns.cjh.org/default.asp