Volume 1 (1997)
Volume 2 (1998)
Volume 3 (1999)
Volume 4 (2000)
Volume 5 (2001)
Volume 6 (2002)
Volume 7 (2003)

Kielce-Radom SIG Journal

Contents of Volume Five (2001)

The Kielce-Radom Special Interest Group's journal, The Kielce-Radom SIG Journal, began publication in 1997. With more than 200 pages of genealogical material annually, it is one of the most informative, instructional and useful publications available to Jewish genealogists, especially to those researching these two southern gubernias of the Kingdom of Poland.

Volume V, Number 1:

Partial contents of the seventeenth issue, published in January 2001:

"Personnel Records of Rabbis of Radom Gubernia, 1867-1914", by Adam Penkalla. Translated from the Polish by Gordon McDaniel. A fascinating article on the application process to become a rabbi in the Kingdom of Poland, and the records of those proceedings in the gubernia administration files at the State Archives in Radom. From "Akta Personalne Rabinów Guberni Radomskiej z lat 1867-1914", an article from Biuletyn Zydowskiego Instytutu Historycznego (BZIH), the Bulletin of the Jewish Historical Institute in Warsaw. Edited by Warren Blatt.
Kielce-Radom landsmanshaftn records at YIVO, by Debra Braverman. An inventory of the records of various landsmanshaft organizations for towns in the Kielce-Radom region, now held in the archives of YIVO, at the Center for Jewish History in New York.
Complete extracts of all Jewish births in the city of Radoszyce, 1851 to 1884, transcribed from the Polish and Russian-language civil vital records, by Dolores Lee Ring. The town of "Radoshitz" was in the Konskie district of Radom gubernia. For each of these over 1,300 births, our published data contains: Year and document number, surname, given name, father's name and age, mother's name (including maiden name) and age, and city/village of birth.
"Hitting a Moving Target - My Danziger-Naiman Ancestry", by Robert Heyman. A description of the author's research process, and how he discovered records of his ancestors in nine different towns throughout southern Kielce gubernia.
Book Notes: Documents Concerning Jews in the Radom State Archives (1815-1950), Compiled by Adam Penkalla. A review and excerpts from Akta dotyczace Zydów w radomskim Archiwum Panstwowym (1815-1950). (Warszawa: Centralne Archiwum Historii Narodu Zydowski, Jerozolima [Central Archives for the History of the Jewish People, Jerusalem], Zydowski Instytut Historyczny, Warszawa [Jewish Historical Institute, Warsaw], 1998). Book Notes by Warren Blatt; Summary by Adam Penkalla; Table of Contents translated from the Polish by Fay and Julian Bussgang.
Complete extracts of all Jewish marriages and deaths in the town of Olkusz, 1810 to 1825. Extracted from the Roman Catholic civil register of Olkusz, by Robert Heyman. For each marriage, includes the year, record number, date of marriage, surname, given name(s) and ages of bride and groom, city of birth/residence, and fathers' and mothers' names. The death records include year and record number, date of death, surname and given names of the deceased, age, parents' names and ages, and names of survivors.
Pinczów -- from Pinkas HaKehillot - Polen. A history of the Jewish community of Pinczów ("Pinchev"), by Rachel Grossbaum-Pasternak. Translated from the Hebrew by Jerry Tepperman. From Volume VII of the Poland series of Yad Vashem's Hebrew-language Encyclopedia of Jewish Communities, (Jerusalem, 1999).
Excerpt from the Chmielnik Yizkor Book. "The History of Jews in Chmielnik", by Dr. N. M. Gelber. Translated from the Yiddish by Mark Froimowitz. From Pinkas Chmielnik: Yizker-bukh nokh der horev-gevorener Yidisher kehile, edited by Efraim Shedletsky. (Tel Aviv, 1960).
Complete extracts of all Jewish births in Bogoria, 1861-1869, by Warren Blatt. A continuation of our series of extracts from the Jewish civil vital records of this town in Sandomierz district. For each birth, the extracted data includes the year and record number, surname and given name of child, father's name and age, mother's name (including maiden name) and age, and town or village of birth.
Miscellany: Map of the Kielce-Radom region, with powiat (district) borders, 1867-1917; Letters; Polish pronunciation guide; Glossary.

Volume V, Number 2:

Partial contents of the eighteenth issue, published in April 2001:

Complete extracts of all Jewish marriages in the town of Przedbórz, 1855 to 1886. Over 1,000 marriages, extracted from the Jewish civil register of Przedbórz, by Dolores Lee Ring. For each marriage, includes the year, record number, surname, given name(s) and ages of bride and groom, city of birth/residence, and fathers' and mothers' names. The Przedbórz marriages include brides and grooms from the neighboring Kielce-Radom towns of Konskie, Radoszyce, Wloszczowa, Gowarczów, Opoczno, and Zarnów, as well as many Piotrków gubernia towns, such as Radomsko (Nowo-Radomsk), Sulejów, and Piotrków.
Special section on Stopnica. The focus of several pieces in this issue is the town of Stopnica ("Stabnitz", in Yiddish), in southeastern Kielce gubernia. There has been no Yizkor Book published for Stopnica, and no extant vital records before 1875. But we have pulled together several diverse articles about Stopnica, translated from Hebrew, Yiddish, and Polish:
* A translation of the Stopnica article from Yad Vashem's Hebrew-language Pinkas HaKehillot, ["Encyclopaedia of Jewish Communities"], Polen, Volume VII (Jerusalem: Yad Vashem, 1999). The article is by Daniel Blatman, and was translated by Manuel Silver.
* Alek Silver's "Memorial Anniversary for a Jewish Town in Poland", from the Yiddish magazine Der Onheib (Number 21, 1992), translated by Mark Froimowitz;
* A recollection of the extermination of the Jews of Stopnica, as told by a Polish witness, from Kartki z przeszlosci ruchu ludowego w bylym powiecie stopnickim [Pages on the History of the Peasant Movement in the former Stopnica county] (Warszawa, 1965), by Franciszek Faliszewski, translated from Polish by Halina Brown.
* A transcription of the 1929 Business Directory entries for Stopnica, from Ksiega Adresowa Polski (Wraz z w.m. Gdanskiem) dla Handlu, Przemyslu Rzemiosl i Rolnictwa.
Radom Archives Catalog Excerpts. Sections from two guides to the holdings of the Polish State Archives branch in Radom, translated from the Polish by Gordon McDaniel. In this issue, we provide translations of the descriptions of two Radom gubernia administration collections –- the "Rzad Gubernialny Radomski" -- the records of the provincial-level government. These inventories reference specific documents concerning the Jews in towns throughout the region – including some in towns for which there are no vital records. The two catalogs are:
* Archiwum Panstwowe w Radomiu: przewodnik po zasobie archiwalnym [State Archives in Radom: Guide to Archival Materials], Warszawa, 1996, edited by Helena Kisiel.
* Akta dotyczace Zydów w radomskim Archiwum Panstwowym (1815-1950) [Documents Concerning Jews in the Radom State Archives (1815-1950)], Warszawa 1998, compiled by Adam Penkalla.
The Last Impressions of my Home Town, by Abe Zuckerman. An excerpt from the Wierzbnik Yizkor Book, Sefer Wierzbnik-Starachowice (Tel Aviv, 1973), translated from the Yiddish by Vivian Glass Felsen.
Complete extracts of all Jewish births in the city of Radom, 1842-1844, by Florence Weingram. A continuation of our series of extracts from the Jewish civil vital records of Radom. For each birth, the extracted data includes the year and record number; surname and given name of child; father's name, age, and occupation; mother's name (including maiden name) and age, and town or village of birth/residence.
Busko Zdrój: Where my Father Vacationed in the 1920s, by Selig A. (Sy) Taubenblatt. The story of a recent trip to the resort town of Busk, in the Stopnica district. Includes visits to Nowy Korczyn, Stopnica, Chmielnik, Pinczów, Polaniec, Szczucin, Kielce, and Staszów.

Volume V, Number 3:

Partial contents of the nineteenth issue, Summer 2001, published in June 2001:

Complete extracts of all Jewish marriages in the town of Szczekociny, 1847 to 1865. Extracted from the Jewish civil register of Szczekociny, by Leah Jordan Bisel. For each marriage, includes the year, record number, surname, given name(s) and ages of bride and groom, city of birth/residence, and fathers' and mothers' names. Marriage partners from Lelów, Pilica, Pinczów, Wolbrom, Wloszczowa, Zarnów, and other Radom and Kielce gubernia towns appear frequently. Szczekociny was near the border with Piotrków gubernia, so there are also partners from some Piotrków gubernia towns, such as Bedzin, Koniecpol and Zarki.
Special section on Lagów. The focus of many pieces in this issue is the town of Lagów ("Lagov", in Yiddish), in the Opatow district of Radom gubernia, located halfway between Kielce and Opatow. There is no Yizkor Book published for Lagów, and no extant vital records. But we have pulled together several diverse articles about Lagów, translated from Hebrew, Polish, and Russian, as well as original material:
- A translation of the Lagów article from Yad Vashem's Hebrew-language Pinkas HaKehillot, ["Encyclopaedia of Jewish Communities"], Polen, Volume VII (Jerusalem: Yad Vashem, 1999). The article is by Shmuel Levin and Rachel Grossbaum-Pasternak, and was translated by Seymour Baltman.
- A translation of the Lagów article from Slownik Geograficzny. Translated from the Polish by Gordon McDaniel.
- J. B. Salsberg's recollections of "Growing Up in Lagov", from the Canadian Jewish News.
- Several maps of Lagów and the surrounding area.
- A transcription of the 1929 Business Directory entries for Lagów, from Ksiega Adresowa Polski (Wraz z w.m. Gdanskiem) dla Handlu, Przemyslu Rzemiosl i Rolnictwa.
- A petition from the Lagów Jewish community, 1859. Found in the administrative collections of the Ministry of Internal and Religious Affairs, at the Polish State Archives in Warsaw. Translated from the Polish by Peter Jassem.
- Extracts from 150 "Pages of Testimony" for persons born in Lagów, from Yad Vashem's Hall of Names.
- A summary of vital records for Lagowers found in other nearby towns.
- Reports on Lagów landsmanshaft organizations in Toronto and Chicago, including membership lists and individual photographs of members.
- "A Visit to Lagów - May 1996" by Jerome Hershman. Impressions of this town today.
- Survey report on Lagów's Jewish cemetery.
- Bibliography of miscellaneous references to the Lagów Jewish community.
"Surname Variation in early 19th-century Olkusz", by Robert Heyman. Some theories and research methodologies, concerning the author's family in this town in southern Kielce gubernia.
Complete extracts of all Jewish births in Klimontów, 1840-1865, extracted by Ronald Greene. For each birth, the extracted data includes the year and record number; surname and given name of child; father's name, patronymic and age; mother's name, patronymic, and age; exact date of birth; and town or village of birth. Also includes registrations for Koprzywnica.
Extracts of all Jewish births in Staszów, 1864, extracted by Jean-Pierre Stroweis. The year 1864 was unindexed on the original microfilm. For each of the 151 births, the extracted data includes the year and record number; surname and given name of child; father's name, occupation and age; and mother's name, maiden surname, and age.
"Jewish Organizations in Kielce Province (1918-1939)", by Maria Kaczmarkiewicz. Translated from the Polish by Gwido Zaltkes. A survey Jewish organizations registered with the Polish authorities in inter-war Kielce province. "Stowarzyszenia Zydowskie w Wojewodztwie Kieleckim (1918-1939)", an article from Biuletyn Zydowskiego Instytutu Historycznego (BZIH), the Bulletin of the Jewish Historical Institute in Warsaw. Edited by Warren Blatt.
Articles from Evreiskaia Entsiklopediia, translated from the Russian by Gordon McDaniel. The 16-volume Evreiskaia Entsiklopediia [Jewish Encyclopedia] published in St. Petersburg (Brokhaus-Efron, 1908-1913) contains articles on all aspects of Jewish life in the Russian Empire. Translated here are the articles for the cities of Radom and Kielce, and the gubernias of Radom and Kielce. The gubernia articles are accompanied by many statistical tables based upon the 1897 Imperial Census.
Miscellany: Cyrillic alphabet chart; Polish pronunciation guide; Glossary.

Volume V, Number 4:

Partial contents of the twentieth issue, Autumn 2001, published in October 2001:

Complete extracts of all Jewish marriages in the town of Ksiaz Wielki, 1847 to 1865. Extracted from the Jewish civil register of Ksiaz Wielki, by Shabsa Lis. For each marriage, includes the year, record number, surname, given name(s) and ages of bride and groom, city of birth/residence, and fathers' and mothers' names. These newly discovered records include registrations for a larger region, including the residents of the towns of Miechów, Slomniki and numerous small villages. Marriage partners from Bedzin, Dzialoszyce, Pinczow, Szczekociny, Wolbrom, Wodzislaw, and Zarnowiec appear frequently.
Special section on Opatów. The focus of several pieces in this issue is the town of Opatów ("Apt", in Yiddish), in Radom gubernia. We present several diverse articles about Opatów, translated from Hebrew, Yiddish and Polish, as well as original material:
- A translation of the extensive article on Opatów from Yad Vashem's Hebrew-language Pinkas HaKehillot, ["Encyclopaedia of Jewish Communities"], Polen, Volume VII (Jerusalem: Yad Vashem, 1999). The article is by Shmuel Levin and Rachel Grossbaum-Pasternak, and was translated by Jerry Tepperman.
- Translated excerts from the Opatów Yizkor Book Apt (Opatow): Yizkor Bukh Tsum Andenk fun Undzer Geberts-Shtut in Poylen Velkhe iz Mer Nishta (Tel-Aviv, 1966). Articles on Opatow's history by Moshe Greenstein, translated from the Yiddish by Mark Froimowitz.
- A translation of excerpts from the Opatów article from Slownik Geograficzny. Translated from the Polish by Roman Kowalski.
- A transcription of the 1929 Business Directory entries for Opatów, from Ksiega Adresowa Polski (Wraz z w.m. Gdanskiem) dla Handlu, Przemyslu Rzemiosl i Rolnictwa.
- Painted Memories: A Jewish Childhood in Poland Before the Holocaust, by Mayer Kirshenblatt and Barbara Kirshenblatt-Gimblett. Excerpts and illustrations from a forthcoming memoir.
Restoring the Cemetery of Ozarów, by Dr. Norman L. Weinberg. Part I of an article describing this project to restore and re-dedicate the 400-year-old Jewish cemetery of Ozarov.
Complete extracts of all Jewish deaths in the city of Chmielnik, 1876 to 1884, transcribed from the Russian by David Price. This includes all Chmielnik death records microfilmed by the Mormons. For each of the over 750 death records, our published data contains: Year and document number, surname, given name, age, father's name, and mother's name (including maiden name).
The Lis and Lubliner Families and the Riddle of the Slomnik Records, by Shabsa Lis. A genealogical research odessey, demonstrating how clues from a variety of sources can be used to reconstruct a family history.
Complete extracts of all Jewish births in the city of Opoczno, 1848 to 1851, transcribed from the Polish by Debra J. Kay. The Opoczno Jewish vital records also include registrations for the towns of Drzewica, Gielnów, Odrzywol, as well as many surrounding villages. For each birth record, our published data contains: Year and document number; surname; given name(s); father's name, age and occupation; mother's name, maiden name, and age; and town/village of birth.
JRI-Poland -- Pinczów Archives Project, by Susan Javinsky. The Archive Coordinator describes this new project to index all non-microfilmed Jewish vital records in the Polish State Archives branch in Pinczów -- for the towns of Busko-Zdroj, Chmielnik, Dzialoszyce, Nowy Korczyn, Pacanów, Pinczów, Stopnica, Szydlów and Wislica. Includes inventories.
Miscellany: List of Contributors for 2001; Polish pronunciation guide; Glossary.
Index of all articles in Volumes I-V.

Contents of Volume One (1997) | Contents of Volume Two (1998) | Contents of Volume Three (1999) | Contents of Volume Four (2000) | Contents of Volume Six (2002) | Contents of Volume Seven (2003)