Understanding the JRI-Poland Database
What is the JRI-Poland Database ?
What vital records are in the Polish State Archives ?
What towns and years are included in the JRI-Poland Database today ?
Where did the data in the JRI-Poland Database come from ?
Who can add data to the JRI-Poland Database ?
How can I get indices for my shtetl into the JRI-Poland Database ?
Q: What is the JRI-Poland Database ?
A: The Jewish Records Indexing - Poland Database is primarily a collection of index entries from the vital registers from the Jewish records in Poland from the 19th century. It does not contain actual records, but is an Internet-searchable index of original vital records which are largely either available on microfilm through LDS Family History Centers or can be ordered directly from the Polish State Archives.
Q: What vital records are in the Polish State Archives ?
A: The Polish State Archives holds civil record registers with records that are at least 100 years old. Civil records less than 100 years old are held by the Civil Records Office (Urzad Stanu Cywilnego [USC]) of the town. For information on obtaining records less than 100 years old, please refer to Warren Blatt's InfoFile PolandV.
Q: What towns and years are included in the JRI-Poland Database today ?
A: Since this project is based on the participation of hundreds of volunteers worldwide, the database list is constantly changing. At latest count, there were more than 1.5 million index entries covering the years from the early 1800s through the early 1900s. This represents data from more than 260 towns.
Read our data contents page for a complete listing of records already included in the database. Also read about the many towns in progress in our Shtetl CO-OP initiative.
Q: Where did the data in the JRI-Poland Database come from ?
A: The data has been submitted by individual and groups of volunteers (Shtetl CO-OPs) around the world working from indexes of the vital records of the Jews of Poland. See Question:
Q: Who can add data to the JRI-Poland Database
?
A: Volunteers submit data to JRI-Poland Transliteration and Shtetl
CO-OP Coordinator, Hadassah Lipsius. Before
being added to the database, all data is reviewed by a Quality Control Team under the
supervision of the Transliteration Coordinator.
To participate in the project, whether for one of your towns or just to be part of a group from any town, please contact Hadassah Lipsius, the JRI-Poland Transliteration Coordinator.
Q: How can I get indices for my shtetl into the JRI-Poland Database ?
A: The JRI-Poland "Shtetl CO-OP Initiative" is the organized mechanism for indexing the available Jewish records for each Polish town and getting these indices into the JRI-Poland Database. There is a recommended procedure for entering data that is described in a "step-by-step guide."
The complete process and description of how data gets into the JRI-Poland Database is included in the "Shtetl CO-OP Coordinator’s Step-by-Step Guide".