Translation of
“The Book of Jadow”

Project Synopsis

This project is being initiated in order to fund the translation of the Hebrew and Yiddish pages into English. The book is 472 pages, a portion of which is in English. The Necrology will not need translating as it is already in the possession of the Yizkor Book project coordinator. Sefer Jadow was published in Jerusalem in 1966. The goal is to provide a complete translation of this book to JewishGen. The translation will appear online at http://www.jewishgen.org/yizkor/jadow/jadow.html.

Key Audiences

Jewish genealogists seeking to trace their roots to Jadow and its region constitute the primary audience for the material. However, the material has the potential to be of broader appeal to scholars interested in the region or specializing in Jewish history and society.  In particular, as has been the case with other such books, Polish gentiles with an interest in the Jewish community of Jadow or the general history of Jadow will likely take interest in the book.

Project Importance

Yizkor books are unique sources of information on once vibrant towns, primarily in central and Eastern Europe, whose Jewish populations were destroyed in the Holocaust. Written after World War II by émigrés and Holocaust survivors, yizkor books contain narratives of the history of the town, details of daily life, religious and political figures and movements, religious and secular education, and gripping stories of the major intellectual and Zionist movements of the 20th century. The necrologies and lists of residents are of tremendous genealogical value, as often the names of individuals who were taken to extermination camps or died in the forests are not recorded elsewhere.

Prior to the outbreak of WWII, Jadow had a Jewish community of approximately 1500 souls, which was 75% of the total population. The community, 31 miles ENE of Warsaw, was wiped out and was not reconstituted after the war. Survivors, descendents of survivors, as well as descendents of those who emigrated from Jadow prior to the war are known to exist in Israel, the United States, Canada, Australia, UK and other places. This Yizkor book is the major formal source for documented history of the town, and will result in the creation of the primary English language source of information for anyone doing research on the town and its Jewish community.

Project Description

As funds become available, all pages in Hebrew or Yiddish will be translated into English. To accomplish that JewishGen will hire a professional translator. The translator will likely be Gloria Berkenstat Freund, a translator known to JewishGen.

The project coordinator will select the order in which the chapters will be translated and will work closely with the translator to ensure a grammatically and idiomatically correct translation. Those who donate money to the project will be given the opportunity to select the chapters of interest for priority in translation. Specific tasks the project coordinator will perform include proofreading, editing, and preparing the work for submission to the Yizkor Book Project.

Estimated Cost

$12,000

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Updated 18 Nov 2024 by LA