JCR-UK FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS (FAQS)

1.  What is JCR-UK?

Jewish Communities and Records - United Kingdom, known as "JCR-UK", is a project which records genealogical and other related information about Jewish communities within the UK, and makes this information freely available to all those interested via the internet.

JCR-UK is a joint project of the Jewish Genealogical Society of Great Britain and JewishGen Inc.

The website is intended to contain a webpage for each Jewish Community that exists/existed and a database of genealogical records from many of these communities.

JCR-UK also has an active online E-mail Discussion Group. It is free to join. Many participants find this a valuable way getting general research questions answered quickly and keeping up to date with the latest genealogical developments. Most questions posted are answered within 24 hours. All the messages go into a searchable archive that is an invaluable research source. For further details click here.
 

2.  Please tell me about JGSGB.

The Jewish Genealogical Society of Great Britain (JGSGB) was formed in 1992 with beginners and experienced researchers joining forces to:

• Help one another to learn and discover more about genealogy

• Encourage genealogical research

• Promote the preservation of Jewish genealogical records and resources

• Share information amongst members

The Society is open to all those interested in Jewish genealogy.

The scope of our members' interests covers all Jewish Communities world-wide although, as you would expect, we are the 'Centre of Excellence' for UK Jewish Genealogy.

Our library has the most comprehensive collection of Anglo-Jewish genealogy books, microfilms, databases and other relevant reference materials. Please note, however, that access to the Library is restricted to JGSGB members only. If you are not a Member of JGSGB then you may arrange research/lookups to be undertaken on your behalf at the Library by a professional researcher who is a member of the Society. See question 5  below.

JGSGB holds the following main categories of databases:

• Data it donates to the JCR-UK project which is freely available to the public on the JCR-UK website.
   

• Members Only access databases available from the JGSGB Members' Corner area of the JGSGB website. These include:

  • UK Birth, Death and Marriage Certificates donated to the Society by its Members

  • 1903 Jewish Guide and Directory of London

  • Death and Stone Setting Announcements extracted from the Jewish (1995-2001)

  • London Jewish Traders 1769-1839

  • Edmonton (Federation) Cemetery - Headstones Index (12,000 records).

• Data and databases accessible at the JGSGB Library (such data is normally only accessible in person by Members of the Society).

For further information please visit our website at www.jgsgb.org.uk

In particular, you may wish to read the JGSGB FAQ page at http://www.jgsgb.org.uk/faqs
 

3.  Does JCR-UK have a Family Finder Service?

No. However we suggest the following:

• Use of the JewishGen Family Finder at http://www.jewishgen.org/jgff

4.  What tips do you have for those starting Anglo-Jewish Genealogy research?

• Carefully explore this website.

• Go to the Jewish Roots section of the Moving Here website http://www.movinghere.org.uk/galleries/roots/jewish/jewish.htm for good background information and overview of this topic.

• Explore the JGSGB website at www.jgsgb.org.uk

• Explore the JewishGen website at www.jewishgen.org

• Explore other relevant websites. Click here for a suggested list.

• Join a Jewish Genealogical Society such as JGSGB (or one more local to you if you are outside the UK) where you can learn various research techniques. If you live outside the UK but you are interested in researching Jewish Genealogy or ancestors from England, Ireland, Scotland or Wales then you will probably also find overseas membership of JGSGB useful.

• Purchase a book introducing you to Jewish Genealogy. For further details of the JGSGB publication "Jewish Ancestors - A Beginner's Guide to Jewish Genealogy in Great Britain" go to the JGSGB on line shopping for books page  http://www.jgsgb.org.uk/catalog/shop which also contains details of the other publications in the series.

5.  I am prepared to pay for a professional Researcher to assist with my research. Can JCR-UK help?

• Neither JCR-UK nor JewishGen nor the Jewish Genealogical Society of Great Britain (JGSGB) is able to recommend any specific researcher. However, JGSGB does maintain a Register of Professional Researchers and Translators who are members of its Society, and who may well be able to assist you. This list is available on request. If your computer can read an Adobe Acrobat (pdf)file then e-mail Sidney Moss requesting the document in that format. Alternatively, send a stamped self-addressed envelope (overseas enquirers should include two International Reply Coupons) to Sidney Moss, JGSGB, PO Box 13288, London N3 3WD.
   

6.  Can you recommend any other websites?

Click here for a list of suggested website links.
 

7.  How can I help with donating data or transcribing data

The JCR-UK project can only grow if we have volunteers to provide information about the various communities and congregations, and also to assist with transcriptions. If you would like to find out more about how you could help please click here.
 

8.  How can I make a donation to support JCR-UK?

If you consider that we have assisted you with the data or information on JCR-UK, or you are keen to support the activities of JCR-UK, then you have two alternative donation options:

• If you would like your donation to be applied to the activities of obtaining, transcribing and preserving the records of the UK Jewish communities, then please email enquiries@jgsgb.org.uk requesting a JCR-UK project donation information/form.

• If you would like your donation to be applied to supporting the infrastructure costs (e.g. provision of a website, database and e-mail discussion group), then please make your donation at the JewishGenerosity web page.

• If you would like to sponsor a community page, then please click here
   

9.  My family name is xxxxxx. Is my family or family name Jewish?

Our Jewish Ancestors moved around and changed their names, often with great frequency. To answer this question you need not just names but times and places. Try to find out which towns, or at least regions, your ancestors lived in. The best way to identify if a person or family was Jewish is to work backwards to see if you can find records associating them with a Jewish event such marriage in a Synagogue or burial in a Jewish cemetery. Other clues, but usually not conclusive, can sometimes be ascertained from the name, occupation or place of residence.

Reformatted: 8 November 2011
Latest revision or update: 12 December 2011
 

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