Efim Melamed

Efim Melamed Member of the Jewish Genealogical Society of Russia and & Commonwealth of Independent States and Association of Professional Genealogists in Moscow.

3 Chapayev St., Apt. 4
Zhitomir, 10014, Ukraine

Tel.: (38 0412) 37-44-28 (home)
E-mail: mefim@online.zt.ua

Main Services

As an author and professional genealogist I specialize in Jewish history and genealogy mainly concerning the former Volhynia gubernia, which included 133 shtetls and several cities (among them Zhitomir and Novograd-Volynsk) of the so called Pale of Settlement. In particular I conduct on-site researches, viz. Jewish records searching, retrieving and documenting family trees, history of shtetls, separate events and so on.

My services also include:

Translation and provision of copies of historic documents;
Visits on behalf of clients (or accompanying them) to their ancestral towns;
Photos of local sites etc.

Instructions and Fees

1. Your initial step if you want me to track down your ancestry is to complete and return (by e-mail if possible) the following search form, one for each person you are interested in. The initial charge of US $25 should accompany each form.

Note: If two or several persons belong to the same family and descend from the same town or shtetl the charge is not increased.

2. After that I will examine your information and review my computerized database, which contains printed and archival sources about more than 100 towns and shtetls in the area and then inform you by e-mail whether a search is feasible in principle and which sources exist. If there are no available sources or your information is inadequate I will try to give you practical recommendations on what to do if you wish to continue the search.

3. The preliminary archival search that I undertake involves vital and civil registration records, census reports and other printed and archival sources. The task is to trace the main features of one family line. The result will be a report including transcription of discovered documents and considerations of possibilities for further research. Of course, you will have the option to order or not (for an additional charge) copies of newly found documents and their translations into English. The same is true as for comprehensive search (see below). When nothing is found I will provide a full report of the work which has been done and the reasons that I was unable to locate the needed information.

The retainer for this research is US $95 and it is nonrefundable.

Note: Tracing simultaneously two family lines from the same place has a fee of $145.

4. The comprehensive search may be undertaken if you are satisfied with the preliminary one and want to extend it further back in time or obtain more information about family members (their residence, occupation, social activity etc.). Such work will be paid on a per hour basis. The result is a new, detailed report with genealogical tables and, if you wish, a short local history of the area including photos as well as copies of documents and their translations into English, i.e., a sort of family book. The information can be also entered (without extra payment) into ŤThe Family Tree Makerť database.

Note: Certainly, there may also be some specific pieces of work the cost of which it's difficult to define in advance.

Time frame

3 - 7 days for the first reply after payment of initial fee.
15 - 45 days for the preliminary search and the report.
The duration of the comprehensive search depends on the amount and character of work and will be agreed upon in advance.

Payment Destination:

IIf you decide to make use of my services, please, send a check madeout to Efim Melamed for depositing to account #891-15j89 to the following address: Merrill Lynch, 2 World Financial Center, Floor 40, NY, NY, 10281, USA, Attn: Tracy Stein with a note stating to deposit money into this particular account with your name and notify me by e-mail that this has been done."

Genealogical search form

Please, complete these questions to the best of your ability:

1. Family surname in which you are interested in -

2. Place of family origin (residence):
a) city, town or shtetl -
b) circle or canton district (uezd) -

3. Name of the person to be searched:

a) first name -
b) patronymic (father’s name) -
c) last name (including maiden if married) -
d) all other names used at any time -

4. Place and date of birth -

5. Place and date of marriage -

6. If divorced, place and date of divorce -

7. Place and date of death -

8. Date of emigration (where appropriate)

9. Parents’ names, birthdates and dates of death -

10. Spouse(s) and his (their) dates -

11. Brothers’ and sisters’ and their spouses’ names and dates of birth and death -

12. Children’s birth and death dates -

13. Profession, occupation or trade and place of service or work of relevant persons -

14. Any other information that might help to identify the person to be searched (education, legal actions, membership in cultural or fraternal organization, etc.) -

The main goal of the search -

YOUR NAME:

Address:

Tel /fax:
E-mail:

Date: