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Finding Jewish Ancestors in Belarus: Difference between revisions
Finding Jewish Ancestors in Belarus (view source)
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== Introduction to Routes to Roots Foundation == | == Introduction to Routes to Roots Foundation == | ||
[[File:Minsk | [[File:Miriam with Torah in Minsk.png|alt=|left|thumb|400x400px|Miriam in Minsk Archives with Torah: Photo Credit: Vitaly Chumak.]] | ||
The Routes to Roots Foundation was created by [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Miriam_Weiner_(genealogist) Miriam Weiner,] who is a genealogist specializing in the research of Jewish roots in Poland and the former Soviet Union. In her 30+ years of experience in Eastern European archives, she collected vast amounts of information and material. Much of her data was originally published in ''[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jewish_Roots_in_Ukraine_and_Moldova Jewish Roots in Ukraine and Moldova]'' and ''[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jewish_Roots_in_Poland Jewish Roots in Poland],'' but is now available online through the Routes to Roots Foundation website. The site includes many resources to help you research your Jewish roots including a town-by-town index/inventory of surviving Jewish records in archives, maps, surname and Holocaust list databases, informative articles, and much more! | The Routes to Roots Foundation was created by [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Miriam_Weiner_(genealogist) Miriam Weiner,] who is a genealogist specializing in the research of Jewish roots in Poland and the former Soviet Union. In her 30+ years of experience in Eastern European archives, she collected vast amounts of information and material. Much of her data was originally published in ''[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jewish_Roots_in_Ukraine_and_Moldova Jewish Roots in Ukraine and Moldova]'' and ''[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jewish_Roots_in_Poland Jewish Roots in Poland],'' but is now available online through the Routes to Roots Foundation website. The site includes many resources to help you research your Jewish roots including a town-by-town index/inventory of surviving Jewish records in archives, maps, surname and Holocaust list databases, informative articles, and much more! | ||
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See the [https://www.rtrfoundation.org/admindist.shtml Administrative Districts and Divisions] article on Routes to Roots Administrative to learn more about jurisdictions in the Russian Empire and their modern-day equivalents. | See the [https://www.rtrfoundation.org/admindist.shtml Administrative Districts and Divisions] article on Routes to Roots Administrative to learn more about jurisdictions in the Russian Empire and their modern-day equivalents. | ||
[[File:Pinsk 1 Map.png|alt=|left|thumb|500x500px|'''Pinsk''' Soviet-era Town Plan Map example from Miriam Weiner's Routes to Roots Foundation. '''Source:''' Miriam Weiner Archives. To see the full version of the Pinsk-1 map click [https://www.rtrfoundation.org/gugk/Pinsk_1/ here.] To see the Pinsk-2 map click [https://www.rtrfoundation.org/gugk/Pinsk_2/ here.] ]] | |||
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=== Maps of your Ancestor's Town === | |||
Miriam Weiner's website offers select '''[https://www.rtrfoundation.org/tiled.shtml historical maps of Belarus]''', as well as a variety of '''[https://www.rtrfoundation.org/imagesearch.php historical images]''' from towns in Belarus that may prove useful in your family history. | Miriam Weiner's website offers select '''[https://www.rtrfoundation.org/tiled.shtml historical maps of Belarus]''', as well as a variety of '''[https://www.rtrfoundation.org/imagesearch.php historical images]''' from towns in Belarus that may prove useful in your family history. | ||
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==Miriam Weiner's Surname Databases== | |||
Over her 30+ years of working in Eastern European archives, Miriam Weiner collected vast amounts of material that can be searched using the '''[https://www.rtrfoundation.org/newwebsite/lnintro.shtml Surname Databases.]''' There are two surname databases - the Standard Surname Database and the OCR Surname Database. You may also be able to use the surname databases to help narrow down a more specific location for where individuals lived who shared your ancestor's surname. | Over her 30+ years of working in Eastern European archives, Miriam Weiner collected vast amounts of material that can be searched using the '''[https://www.rtrfoundation.org/newwebsite/lnintro.shtml Surname Databases.]''' There are two surname databases - the Standard Surname Database and the OCR Surname Database. You may also be able to use the surname databases to help narrow down a more specific location for where individuals lived who shared your ancestor's surname. | ||
=== Standard Surname Database === | |||
[[File:Belarus Surname Search example.png|alt=|left|thumb|400x400px|'''Standard Surname Search''', [https://www.rtrfoundation.org rtrfoundation.org.]]] | |||
[[File:Belarus Surname Results Example.png|thumb|400x400px|'''Standard Surname Search Result''', [https://www.rtrfoundation.org rtrfoundation.org.] ]] | |||
[[File:Belarus Standard Surname search results example.png|left|thumb|448x448px|Example of a Standard Surname Database search result. https://www.rtrfoundation.org. |alt=]] | Use the [https://www.rtrfoundation.org/newwebsite/lnsearch.php Standard Surname Database] if you know your ancestor's given name, surname, or town name. This database is comprised of name lists from local historians and heads of Jewish communities, name lists from books, and name lists from various archives. Most collections in this database cannot be found online elsewhere. | ||
To search, enter a surname, given name, and/or town name into the search box. Collection results will then appear. The first column lists the collection type, while the second column contains the Collection Description (CD). The Collection Description includes information such as how the collection was acquired, references to Miriam Weiner's first visit to the town, photos (current and pre-World War I), links to other resources for the town, and/or document examples. The final column lists the number of records associated with the search term(s). Click on the blue hyperlinked number to view records, then click on the blue hyperlinked surname to see more details about the record.[[File:Belarus Standard Surname search results example.png|left|thumb|448x448px|Example of a Standard Surname Database search result. https://www.rtrfoundation.org. |alt=]] | |||
[[File:Vitebsk, Belarus - Family List, 1874.png|thumb|575x575px|Vitebsk, Belarus - Family List, 1874. Source: Miriam Weiner Archives. |alt=]] | [[File:Vitebsk, Belarus - Family List, 1874.png|thumb|575x575px|Vitebsk, Belarus - Family List, 1874. Source: Miriam Weiner Archives. |alt=]] | ||
[[File:Belarus 8-up.jpg|alt=|none|thumb|550x550px|Example of documents you may find through the Standard Surname Database. Source: Miriam Weiner Archives. ]] | [[File:Belarus 8-up.jpg|alt=|none|thumb|550x550px|Example of documents you may find through the Standard Surname Database. Source: Miriam Weiner Archives. ]] | ||
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=== OCR Surname Database === | |||
* Use the [https://www.rtrfoundation.org/newwebsite/ocrsearch.php OCR Surname Database] (optical character recognition) to search for your ancestor's surname. This database is comprised of information from business directories, address calendars, telephone books, typed name lists, and name lists from books and from archives. | * Use the [https://www.rtrfoundation.org/newwebsite/ocrsearch.php OCR Surname Database] (optical character recognition) to search for your ancestor's surname. This database is comprised of information from business directories, address calendars, telephone books, typed name lists, and name lists from books and from archives. | ||
**To search, type in the surname, and you'll find an automatic translation of the surname into Cyrillic appear in the second search box. Repeat the search twice - once using the Latin Letter search, and again using the Cyrillic Letter search. Searches may yield different results. Once search results appear, you may want to use Google Translate to help you navigate search results. If using the Chrome browser, right-click anywhere on the page and select '''Translate to English'''. Keep in mind if you are looking at a telephone directory, the original directories have been donated to the U.S. Library of Congress. View the original by selecting the '''Get Page Scan''' button. | **To search, type in the surname, and you'll find an automatic translation of the surname into Cyrillic appear in the second search box. Repeat the search twice - once using the Latin Letter search, and again using the Cyrillic Letter search. Searches may yield different results. Once search results appear, you may want to use Google Translate to help you navigate search results. If using the Chrome browser, right-click anywhere on the page and select '''Translate to English'''. Keep in mind if you are looking at a telephone directory, the original directories have been donated to the U.S. Library of Congress. View the original by selecting the '''Get Page Scan''' button. | ||
==Find Records for your Town== | ==Find Records for your Town== | ||
[[File:Archive | [[File:Belarus Archive Database Search Example.png|left|thumb|400x400px|'''Archive Database Search''', [https://www.rtrfoundation.org rtrfoundation.org.]]] | ||
[[File:Belarus Archive Database Result Example.png|thumb|400x400px|'''Archive database entry''', [https://rtrfoundation.org rtrfoundation.org.] ]] | |||
===Miriam Weiner's Archive Database=== | ===Miriam Weiner's Archive Database=== | ||
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This database contains documents such as army/recruit lists, family lists and census records, Jewish vital records (birth, marriage, death, divorce), immigration documents, voter and tax lists, property and notary records, Holocaust documents, police files, and pogrom documents, school records, occupation lists, local government, and hospital records. | This database contains documents such as army/recruit lists, family lists and census records, Jewish vital records (birth, marriage, death, divorce), immigration documents, voter and tax lists, property and notary records, Holocaust documents, police files, and pogrom documents, school records, occupation lists, local government, and hospital records. | ||
'''Accessing the Records''' | |||
For information about the repositories referred to on Miriam Weiner's Archive Database, see the [https://www.rtrfoundation.org/webs.shtml '''Archives in Eastern Europe'''] page which includes archival contact information. Contact/visit the respective repository for details on their holdings. For instructions on contacting archives and accessing records, see Q11 on [https://www.rtrfoundation.org/archdta11.shtml#Q10 this Routes to Roots page.] For help writing in inquiry in Russian, see the [[Russia Archives and Libraries]] page. | |||
[[File:Belarus Holocaust Lists Example.png|alt=|left|thumb|400x400px|'''Holocaust Lists Database Search''', [http://www.rtrfoundation.org rtrfoundation.org].]] | |||
[[File:Belarus Holocaust Lists Result Example.png|alt=|thumb|400x400px|'''Holocaust Lists Database Entry''', [http://www.rtrfoundation.org rtrfoundation.org.]]] | |||
=== Miriam Weiner's Holocaust Lists Database === | |||
Use the new '''[https://www.rtrfoundation.org/holocaust.php Holocaust Lists Database]''' at Miriam Weiner's Routes to Roots to determine the location of Holocaust documents such as victim and survivor lists, survival testimonials and more. Database entries include information about which archive the records are stored in and the archival file number. This information will help you locate the original record in the archive. | |||
Also, after you have determined that Holocaust documents for your town are available, consider searching for your surname in the Surname Database. Miriam Weiner has digitized many Holocaust lists and they are accessible through the Surname Database. Keep in mind that this is an ongoing project, so check back often for new information and updates. | |||
To request a search from the relevant archive (identified in the search results), click on the archive name which will lead to a list of archives and you can then choose the exact one. Contact that archive to request a search of the specific documents (provide year and files numbers) for your surname(s). | |||
=== Belarus Jewish Records === | === Additional Belarus Jewish Records === | ||
See the '''[[Belarus Jewish Records]]''' page for more information and resources for accessing genealogical records in Belarus. | See the '''[[Belarus Jewish Records]]''' page for more information and resources for accessing genealogical records in Belarus. | ||