Communal Histories¹
Khevra Kaddishah (Burial Society) Records
Khevrah Kaddishah (F2) records and tombstone inscriptions
are traditionally a valuable source of genealogical
information. For the Jewish genealogist in particular
these sources has both advantages and disadvantages.
Jewish death records traditionally provide not only the
name and date of death, but also the father's name as
part of the deceased's Hebrew name. The journal in which
Khevrah Kaddishah records are kept is called a Pinkas.
In countries and at periods of time where the Jewish
community was largely composed of immigrants, the Pinkas
may record the town of origin of the deceased. On the
other hand, genealogists seeking material from European
communities are often frustrated either by the ravaging
effects of war, particularly after the Holocaust, or by
access restrictions to certain countries, in much of
eastern Europe, prior to the dismantling of the Soviet
Union.
For these reasons, of particular value are those records
which have found their way into libraries and archives.
Such material includes original manuscripts of Khevra
Kaddishah Pinkassim (F3) (or printed versions of them) and
published books which record a survey of tombstone
inscriptions. Often this recording was carried out
before either the cemetery or the records were
destroyed.
In addition community histories written in the
nineteenth century often include lists of tombstones and
genealogies of prominent personalities.
However readers should not think that such manuscripts
abound. The main repository in Israel for several Pinkassim is the Manuscripts Department of the
National
Library at the Hebrew University in Jerusalem.(F4) A
study of the catalogue reveals a number of Pinkassim,
including an immense volume from Slutsk covering about
300 years.(F5) Additional Pinkassim are held in
The
Central Archives for the History of the Jewish People in
Jerusalem and access can be obtained to overseas
holdings through microfilms held at both of the above
libraries.
Use of Khevra Kaddishah material requires experience in
deciphering Hebrew handwriting and a familiarity with
relevant terminology and abbreviations. Usually the
material is arranged chronologically and has no
alphabetical index. Research must be carried out by a
painstaking survey of all the material (unless
approximate dates are known). This can often be
rewarding since additional information about the
deceased’s occupation and family may be included,
depending on the custom of each individual Khevra
Kaddishah. Often people may be discovered whose identity
as relatives was previously unknown. Through marital
ties, indicated by the discovery of parent’s-in-law,
entirely new family lines may be uncovered. During the
perusal of Khevra Kaddishah records one may discover
unknown siblings who died young, as well as solving the
eternal problem of tracing female lines. Researchers of
Jewish genealogy are often plagued by the dearth of
information about their female ancestry. Often the only
sources of their names and those of their fathers are in
Khevra Kaddishah and cemetery records. In these
documents, the name of the husband may be recorded with
that of the wife. Use of the Khevra Kaddishah records
requires a recognition of the arrangement of the
entries, as in certain cases, there are separate lists
for males, females, children, and prominent members of
the community.
Khelkat Mekhokek by Asher Leib Brisk is a
published work which contains about 3000 inscriptions of
tombstones of those who are classified
Ashenazim-Perushim, and who were buried in the "Old
Section" on the Mount of Olives in Jerusalem until about
1914. One large Sefardi Block is recorded. For those
families who have Israeli connections, current sources
include the functioning Khevrah Kaddishah of each city.
Whilst their material follows the unindexed
chronological system, efforts are being made in several
cities to computerize the information.
For other cemeteries in Israel a series of pamphlets was
compiled in the mid-1930s by Pinkhas Grayevsky, giving
tombstone lists for Jaffa, Rishon-Letzion, Nes Tziona,
Petah Tikvah, Zikhron Yaakov, Ekron, and the Chabad
section of the Mount of Olives. The old cemetery of Tel
Aviv is listed in a published book Lekorot Beit Ha'almin
Hayashan BeTel Aviv, covering the period until the mid-1930s.
Most of the classic sources for Eastern European
rabbinical families, as distinct from the more modern
Yizkor books, were community histories published towards
the end of the nineteenth and early twentieth century.
They include many cemetery records and genealogies. The
books have been described above.
Most of these books were written at a time when
genealogical information was considered worth recording,
in contrast to the modern Yizkor books, where precise
personal details are rarely available. The above classic
books record the prominent and not so prominent members
of the community, often deriving the material from
gravestones, most recording selected inscriptions.
A number of books are devoted specifically to recording tombstone inscriptions:
Nakhalat Olamin (Warsaw), Avnei Zikaron (Poland, Eastern
Europe), Mishpakhot K"K Prague
(Prague/Praha),
Ketovot Mibeit Ha'almin Hayehudi Ha'atic Beprag (Prague/Praha), Mishpakhot K"K Shklov
(Shklov),
Lekorot Beit Ha'almin Hayashan BeVilna (Vilna/Vilnius) 1935), Stary Cmentarz Zydowski w Lodzi
(Lodz).
Many people have grandparents who settled in the "New World" and since their deaths, no sources have been apparently available. A visit to a long forgotten grave may yield surprising information as to ancestor's names and places of origin, often the only source for such information. This sphere of research can be complimented by photography should the services of a competent researcher be
required to assist in translating or interpreting the inscriptions.
A full description of over 1,000 Yizkor books is outside the scope of this
article. Suffice it to state that most Yizkor books devote a chapter to the
rabbis and scholars of the community. The amount of genealogical information
varies from a simple list of rabbis to those books which include detailed
biographies and dynastic relationships. The Yizkor books are a guide to
rabbinical genealogy but are a secondary source to the more detailed sources
described in this guide.(F6)
Reference Books (Encyclopedias)
Pinkas Hakehillot. Multi-volume project published
progressively by Yad Vashem, Jerusalem, Israel. (F7)
Whilst particular stress is given to the Holocaust period, the historical
background and development of the communities is summarized. For many towns,
this material constitutes the only extant source due to the dearth of
information about a particular town.
Volumes published to date include Poland, Germany, Rumania, Lithuania,
Latvia and Estonia, Holland, Greece, Libya. Some of these countries
encompass several volumes.
Pinkas Hakehillot presents initially a general regional introduction
covering the historical, economic and cultural background over various
periods, including statistical data.
Each town article opens with a statistical chart showing the Jewish and
general population of the town at various periods. Then follow details of
the general history of the town, the earliest Jewish settlement and
personalities who were prominent in the economic development and in the
leadership of the community. Included are lists of the rabbinic leadership.
Each article is divided into periods: up till the First World War; between
the two wars; the Second World War and the Nazi occupation; the modern
period where relevant. A number of interesting and rare photographs are
included.
Although Pinkas Hakehillot does not present rabbinical genealogies in
a formal genealogical structure, this important work of Yad Vashem
has considerable value for rabbinical genealogical research. Each town entry
includes a list of the rabbis who occupied the rabbinical seat over the
period of Jewish settlement in the town. If there was an element of familial
succession to this post, then the familial detail supplied, even if
incomplete, is one of the sources for research. Where Chassidic dynasties
held court in a town then the familial succession to the title of "Admor"
or "Rebbe" is given considerable coverage. Individual
scholars appear even if they held no official position.
So the genealogist should refer to Pinkas Hakehillot, realizing that
the information, while valuable is incomplete.
Chaim Freedman
Petah Tikva, Israel
Footnotes
1. Excerpted from: Freedman,
Chaim. Beit Rabbanan: Sources of Rabbinic Genealogy.
Petah Tikva, Israel: self-published, 2001. Used with
permission. (return)
2. Khevra Kaddishah = burial society. (return)
3. Pinkassim = plural of Pinkas. (return)
4. Cemetery records held in Israeli libraries are
described in Printed Books on Jewish Cemeteries in the
Jewish National and University Library in Jerusalem,
Mathilde A. Tagger, published by The Israel Genealogical
Society, Jerusalem, 1997. (return)
5. Pinkas of the Slutsk Khevra Kaddishah - translation
project, Harry Boonin, Yosef Dov Luban. (return)
6. Editor's note: For
further information, see the JewishGen Yizkor
Book Project (including online translations of Yizkor
books and chapters from Pinkas Hakehillot) and a list
of towns with published Yizkor books. (return)
7. Editor's note: For more encyclopedias, see the Rav-SIG
Bibliography. (return)
|
