2016, 36th IAJGS International Conference on Jewish Genealogy, SEATTLE, 7-12 AUGUST

Related to: General Bessarabia, 

Bessarabia SIG Meeting

At this year Bessarabia SIG Meeting, we saw a very important film about past and present of a Moldovan village which used to be a Jewish agricultural colony. Writed and director Matthew Mishory presented the film ABSENT to us.

In July 1941, the village was the site of an unimaginable atrocity. Seventy-four years later, few speak clearly or honestly about what happened. ABSENT is a cinematic portrait of the ghost village of Marculesti, its current inhabitants, and their very complex relationship to their own history. Working entirely on location, writer/director Matthew Mishory documents one of Europe's poorest, most remote, and least-visited places. Produced by Sabin Dorohoi, Edward Singletary, Jr., and Randall Walk. A Romania-Switzerland-US co-production.

This film helps us to understand why we need to preserve our Jewish Heritage in Bessarabia, why we need to photograph tombstones, cleanup the cemeteries. For more information about the film, preview, press material, screening, please see their website: iconoclasticmedia.com/absent.

Jewish Life in the Republic of Moldova: Past and Present, Amy Wachs
(cancelled)

The area formerly known as Bessarabia is today part of the European country of Moldova. My presentation will explain the history and geography of Moldova and the history of Jewish life there over the centuries. I lived in Moldova and taught law there as a Fulbright Senior Specialist during two years. During that time, I met with archivists at the state archives and toured the archive vault. I observed Jewish holidays and interacted with the Jewish community. My presentation will describe Jewish life today in Moldova and offer guidance for seeking Jewish records from the archives. I have also been to the separatist region of Transnistra and will address issues pertaining to research there.

Amy Wachs taught law in Latvia as a Fulbright Scholar and in Moldova as a Fulbright Senior Specialist. While living and working in Eastern Europe, she visited state archives in Lithuania, Poland, Ukraine, Moldova, and other countries.

Amy is President of the Jewish Genealogy Society of Cleveland. She serves on the Board of LitvakSIG and as LitvakSIG's Trakai District Coordinator. Amy is a member of the IAJGS Public Records Access Monitoring Committee and is an IAJGS representative to RPAC.

Bessarabian Maps from 18 century: from Military Topographic maps to town and shteitle maps, Yefim Kogan

The session is to show the variety of different maps available for Bessarabia and Moldova. What can be found at the Old Russian maps? Where can we get a local map for a town, shteitle with houses numbers and possible Surnames of the families living in that house?

What maps are available at Library of Congress for Bessarabia/Moldova?

The oldest found map for the Bessarabia (part of Russian Empire) was created in 1821 and it is great to find localities were our ancestors lived. The Russian Military Topographic map of 1846-1863 includes information on surroundings of the local. It may show the Jewish Cemetery in or close to the place, and more. The German maps of 1930 give number of Jews (and other nationalities) living in locality. They also mark Jewish Colonies.

What type of town, shteitle maps are available on our website, other places online, including Russian Internet.

Slides: [PDF]

When, Why and Where from the Jews arrived in Bessarabia/Moldova, Yefim Kogan

In 1812 there were only 20,000 Jewish people in Bessarabia, and by the end of 19c the number increased more than 10 times! We know where some of these 20,000 came from, because we have documents from 17-18 centuries regarding Jews in Moldova Principality. Under the Russian Empire there was a large influx of Jews into Bessarabia in 19c. Was it a better life for Jews in Bessarabia than in other places? The Jewish records give us some clues of where people can from in 19c. The birth records point to a place where father was registered in other Russian gubernia, or was a resident of other country: Austria(Galicia), Turkey, Holland. Jews in Bessarabia acquired surnames only in the beginning of 19c. Some surnames are pointing to the 'old' country/region of a family. We also have famous historians, researchers of 19c who provided information of migration of Jews into Bessarabia.

Slides: [PDF]

Yizkor Books in Translation-a Valuable Tool, Alexandra (Ala) Gamulka
(Cancelled - Ala could not come to Seattle)

Yizkor books in translation, and now in print, contain valuable information on our lost communities. The books were originally published in Hebrew and/or Yiddish by former residents of these towns. Translations by professionals and volunteers are available on jewishgen. The presenter has been involved in translations for many years and will discuss the process as it has evolved. What started as a curiosity became a labor of love and a desire to allow others to read and enjoy memories of their ancestors. The rich history of the lost communities is full of evidence of the daily life, culture, education and warmth of spirit. The Yizkor Books usually contain lists of names useful to researchers and genealogists.

Bessarabia SIG at ShareFair

At the Exhibit

Several photos from Seattle and surroundings