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Jewish Family History Foundation
A 501(c)(3)
nonprofit corporation
P.O. Box 16305,
Encino, CA 91416
Website:
http://www.jewishfamilyhistory.org
Our major goal
is the preservation, acquisition and dissemination of 18th
century and older Jewish records from archives in Eastern Europe. As a means of
researching ancestors on these documents which lack surnames, we also support
the acquisition and translation of early 19th century revision lists
and other records. These documents will be of interest to various Special
Interest Groups, and eventually will be shared with JewishGen and other
nonprofit groups.
18th
Century Records and the Grand Duchy Project:
The Grand Duchy of Lithuania and the
Kingdom of Poland were joined as a Commonwealth from 1569 through the 18th
century. More than 80% of the Jews in the world today descend from
ancestors who once lived in Lithuania-Poland. The responsibility for the
collection of taxes for the Lithuanian-Polish Commonwealth was transferred from
a centralized council to the individual communities in 1764. A census was
ordered to determine the tax assessments for the Jewish communities or kahals.
The tax was increased in 1784 and another census was ordered. Our goal is
to obtain copies of these censuses from several eastern European archives,
translate them, and create a searchable online database.
Research groups
are being organized around groups
of Jewish communities (kahals) within 18th century districts:
Researchers are joining together to
raise funds to acquire and translate records, and volunteering for translation
from Old Polish and Hebrew. Donors will receive the translated data in the form
of Excel spreadsheets, in advance of its placement in the publicly accessible
database. If you have 17th or 18th century documents that you would like to
contribute, please contact us. For more details about the organization of
specific research groups, and progress on aspects of the project, consult the
website
periodically.
Visit our
website for articles about successful research using 18th
century GDL records:
·
18th Century Links to the Family of the Vilna Gaon, by
Chaim Freedman
·
Hadassah Lipsius’ Charney Family of Mir, Belarus (connecting an
1836 Warsaw marriage record to an 1816 Mir revision list to the 1784 GDL census
for Mir)
·
The Komisaruk Family of Raseiniai, by Chaim Freedman, (connecting
an 1858 revision list of Ekaterinoslav Province, to an 1847 application to
become a farmer, to an 1846 list of people too poor to pay box taxes, to an 1816
revision list for Raseiniai, to the 1784 GDL census for Girtagola, to the 1765
GDL census)
· Eric Goldstein
Uses a Late 19th Century Will to Trace Shabashevich Family of Raseiniai,
Lithuania (connecting a 1875 will, to the 1858 revision list, to an 1816
revision list, to the 1784 GDL census for Vidukle)
·
Ada Green Discovers the Relationship Between Two Branches of Her Grushka
Family In Krakes, Lithuania
(connecting cemetery tombstones in
South Africa and New York, to death records in Lithuania, to an 1874 family
list, to an 1816 revision list, to the 1784 GDL census for Krakes)
·
David Hoffman’s Friedland Family of Ariogala, Lithuania (beginning
with family lore and an 1882 Kaunas birth certificate, connecting to an 1874
Ariogala family list, to an 1848 taxpayers list, to an 1846 candle tax list, to
an 1816 revision list, to 1784 GDL census for “Eryogolla”, to 1765 GDL census
for “Eyrogola”)
What Records are in the GDL Censuses?
The 1784 Census
of the GDL covered districts or provinces in what later became Poland, Belarus,
and Ukraine, as well as Lithuania. The earlier 1765 Census included a
significantly larger area. Each district included many separate Jewish
kahals, sub-kahals, towns, villages, taverns and inns. At this time many Jews
lived in the rural inns and taverns surrounding towns as well as in the towns
themselves. What follows is a list of the 18th century districts included in the
1784 census. To illustrate the more detailed information on our website, we show
the many towns, and kahals that were included in the 1784 census for Grodno (now
in Belarus and Zemaitija (now in Lithuania):
1) Grodno Powiat (District):
Alytus, Bakalarzewo,
Baranowo,
Dambrowa,
Filipow, Grodno,
Indura, Janowa, Jeziory,
Kamionka,
Korycin,
Krasnopol, Krasnicki,
Krynki, Kuznica,
Leipalingis, Lipsk,
Lishkov, Lunna, Malego
Lipska, Mosty, Novy Dvor,
Odelsk,
Przerosl,
Raczki, Sejny,
Sidra, Skidel, Sokolka, Sopockin,
Suchowola,
Sztabin,
Veisiejai, Wasilkow,
Woli, Zabludov (This part of the census is only
partially translated and when fully translated may include more towns).
2) Zemaitija
(Samogitia) Duchy:
Akmene, Baisogala,
Batokai, Cekiske, Darbenai, Dotnuva,
Erzvilkas, Gargzdai, Gaure, Girtagola, Grinkiskis,
Josvainiai,
Jurbarkas, Keidaniai,
Kelme,
Klykolai,
Krakes,
Kraziai, Kretinga,
Kurdikos Naumiestis, Kursenai, Kurtuvenai, Kvedarna,
Laizuva,
Lechava,
Luoke,
Lyduvenai, Nemakskiai, NovoZagare, Palanga, Papile,
Pasile, Plunge,
Raseiniai, Rietavas, Sakai,
Salantai, Saukenai,
Seda, Seredzius, Siaudininkai, Siaulenai, Siauliai,
Silale, Siluva, Skaudvile, Skuodas, StaroZagare,
Sveksna, Taurage,
Telsiai, Tryskiai,
Tytuvenai, Upyna, Uzventis, Vainutas, Varniai,
Veliuona, Vidukle, Vieksniai,
Vilkija, Virbalis, Zemaiciu Naumiestis.
The other
Powiats/Districts and Provinces in the 1784 Census
(for 18th century & alternative
spellings consult the website):
3)
Breslav powiat,
4) Brest province, 5) Kaunas powiat, 6)
Lida powiat, 7) Minsk province, 8) Mozyr powiat, 9)
Novogrudok province, 10) Orsha powiat, 11) Oshmiany powiat, 12)
Pinsk powiat, 13) Polock province, 14) Rechytsy poviat, 15)
Slonim powiat, 16) Trakai province, 17) Ukmerge (later
Vilkomir) powiat, 18) Upyte (later Panevezys) powiat, 19) Vilnius
province, 20) Volkovysk powiat.
Other 18th
Century and Earlier Records:
The archives,
libraries, and private collections in Eastern Europe are filled with many other
“ancient documents” including kahal records, which illuminate and document the
active religious, communal, and secular life of Jews going back to the early
1500s. Individual landlords, often nobility (or magnates) kept detailed records
of many types about the Jews who leased lands from them for their kahals or
towns, or worked on their estates. These records are
found in the collections of papers of noble families. One of our projects
involves creating an inventory of documents in archives and libraries of the
early documents to ensure they are preserved.
As with all such extremely frail
documents, they are in danger of rapid deterioration, and there is urgency in
these preservation efforts. The Jewish Family History Foundation will coordinate
its efforts with the upcoming program for digitalization of archival collections
in these countries.
“Bridge Records”
are a combination of Vital Records,
early 19th Century revision (census) and
tax lists, mid-19th Century wills and other court records, with
family units that provide surnames. These serve as bridge documents to identify
ancestors on 18th century census and tax lists that lack surnames.
The Jewish Family History Foundation has acquired and translated many of these
lists, and our webpage will guide you to JewishGen and other genealogical
databases where you can find other lists.
A database of the 1816 Revision Lists for the following towns in
the Raseiniai-Kaunas district appears on our website:
Batokai,
Cekiske, Datnuva, Davkinlava, Erzvilkas, Gaure, Girkalnis, Grinkiskis,
Josvainiai, Jurbarkas, Kvedarna, Labunava (also 1811 list), Nemaksciai, Siline,
Pojure, Raseiniai, Reitavas, Seredzius, Silale, Sveksna, Taurage, Upina,
Vainutas, Veliona, Vidukle, Vieverzenai, Vilkiya, Zemaiciu Naumiestis.
The Foundation
hosts and provides support to family and shtetl research groups:
For more information, contact
us.
Jewish Family History Foundation Board of Directors:
David B. Hoffman, Ph.D.,
President, Sonia R. Hoffman, N. Biederman, Nancy Collier Holden, Tom Parry.
Advisory Board: Vitalija Gircyte, Eric Goldstein, Ph.D., Ada Green
(formerly Greenblatt), Chaim Freedman, and Mark Halpern.
E-Mail: GDLProject@aol.com
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