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Jewish Grodno Guberniya
The Newsletter of Grodno Genealogy Group
June 1999 Vol 2, Issue 1

Table of Contents

• Landsmanschaften
• Zetl Landsmanschaft Society in Israel by Dr. Robert Marshall
• A Visit to Amdur by Steve Amdur
• Jewish Organizations in Belarus
• Excerpt from correspondence with Eastern European Jewish HeritageProject

• Professional listings for Grodno and Grodno district from 1887 memorandum book
• Kahal Ballot Lists -- Amy Levinson see under "Inventory Section, below

• Overview of Fond 2 , Central Historical Archives of Belarus, Grodno division (EEJHP)
• Inventory of Delo 699 of Fond 2 (Opis 3)(Oleg Perzashkevich)
• Excerpt from Mormon 1994 inventory: resources available for Grodno district

Editors and readers: Amy Levinson, Nurit Kraus-Friedberg.

Email transmission: Linda D. Epstein

Copy editing and final review: Naomi Kassabian,

--------------------

Published twice yearly by Grodno Genealogy Group, Inc.

Officers: Ellen Sadove Renck, Jay Lenefsky, vice presidents; Amy Levinson, treasurer; Ellen Shaffer Meyer, secretary; Board member at large: Judith D. Bennett

Web site: http://www.javanet.com/~saltman

Copyright notice: This bulletin, as a whole, is copyrighted by Grodno Genealogy Group, Inc.

No part of it may be distributed by forwarding, copying, or any other form of reproduction without permission of the copyright holder. Their respective authors copyright individual articles.

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The shtetl "Zhetl" was a small village in Slonim district in Grodno guberniya in what is now Belarus. Its name means "woodpecker" and it was known as Zdzieciol in Polish and presently Dziatlava in Russian. The village had about 4000 Jews and only 400 non-Jews. The Jewish shtetl Zhetl no longer exists. However, its landsmanschaft continues to be vibrant.

At the turn of the century, when "Zhetlers" came to New York, they like other Jewish immigrants established a landsmanschaft. Landsmanschaften were the mutual aid and fraternal societies set up by those emigrating from Eastern European towns. They collected money and gave assistance to those Zhetlers in need. This was their chief tie to the shtetl Zhetl. My father still talks about how important it was to their family. As I researched my family Shlep, I found a rich history of this organization. My distant cousin, Anna Dashowitz, was the matriarch who kept the landsmanschaft functioning. Even into the 1940's, until her death, she was helping Zhetlers ease into life in New York.

After the war, the Zhetl society was still doing relief work. This time, it was mostly assisting in the resettlement of survivors in Israel. The entire community was destroyed by the Nazis in 1942; and the small remnant settled mostly in Israel. Effraim Shefer, the secretary of Irgun Zhetl, stated: "We in Israel, have been trying for over a half of a century to perpetuate the memory of our families who perished in Zhetl, by establishing various means and ways, to insure that the younger generations of the Zhetlers will remember what the Nazis have done to our families during World War II, and eternalize the holy names for ever in our hearts."

In 1957, they published their Yizkor Book in Yiddish. Later, Kalmun Manuskin, who is the Zhetl historian, produced a moving video documenting the story of the shtetl and its resistance to the Nazis. There is both an English and Hebrew edition. The Zhetl Society erected a symbolic monument on a grave in the cemetery in Holon, in which is buried a portion the earth from the mass graves in Zhetl. A service is conducted every year on the Yahrzeit of the first massacre in Zhetl in April 1942. They still meet every year on the Yahrzeit of the second massacre on the 23rd day of Av, the memorial date of the final liquidation of the Zhetler Jewish Community.

Their last project was to erect a fence around the cemetery in Zhetl. The Zhetl Society raised $10,000 for this project. The fence was finally completed in 1998. The group working not only with those in Israel and abroad, but also with those few remaining in Zhetl accomplished this. The landsmanschaft had become truly transnational, still serving its purpose to preserve its links to the past.

(c) Robert A Marshall, 1999

=======================

Contacting a Landsmanschaft may be an important activity of a shtetl group. It would be useful to know which of these societies had burial plots in which cemeteries. Some of this information is available through the International Association of Jewish Genealogy Societies'

Cemetery Project conducted by Arline and Sidney Sachs.

Grodno Group will soon publish an indexed list of burials in the Independent Slonimer Benevolent Society and Congregation Sheveth Achim Anshe Slonim sections of Mt. Zion Cemetery, Maspeth, Queens County, New York. Look for it on the Slonim web page and/or the GGG Inc. web page. The data have also been submitted to the IAJGS cemetery project.

If anyone wants to undertake a similar project, a list of New York cemeteries can be found on the web at http://www.geocities.com/Heartland/Woods/4900/JewishCemeteries.htm

Other references: Appendix Q, "Landsmanschaftn in Israel", from A Guide to Jewish Genealogical Research in Israel. Sallyann Sack, Ph.D., and Israel Genealogical Society. Revised Ed.

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According to our most recent information, there are several Jewish organizations operating in Belarus at this time. One of the two largest is the Union of Religious Jewish Congregations. The Union serves the Jewish population through a range of welfare programs and

provides religious education. It is also active in identifying, restoring and maintaining Jewish historical sites, which may make it helpful to those tracing their family history. It is involved in other activities as well and has a number of organizational affiliates, one of which is the East European Jewish Heritage Project. Private donations and international charities fund the Union. It is audited regularly by Arthur Anderson and Associates.

The second of the main groups is the Belarus Association and Communities, which is funded mostly by the Joint Distribution Committee. Not many details regarding this group's activities are available to us at this time, but we hope to provide more information in the future.

A newcomer on the scene is the World Association of Belarussian Jews, which has a very small membership at this time. Its mission is the preservation of cemeteries and the building of monuments commemorating historical sites, including those related to the Holocaust.

Lubavitch also is active in this area through Rabbi Gruzman of Minsk.

Compiled and edited from email reports by Nurit Kraus-Friedenberg

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The East European Jewish Heritage Project is the latest organization to become involved in Jewish research and site preservation in Belarus. Recently,it has taken title to the Volozhin Yeshiva.

The following is quoted from a message from its director, Frank Swartz: "W met on Thursday with Dr. Bubnovsky the Director of the Committee for the Preservation of Historical and Architectural Monuments. This is the presidential level committee responsible for the listing of historic sites. We met with them to have the Volozhyn Yeshiva listed. While there Dr. Bubnovsky asked us to undertake the restoration of the Slonin Synagogue. The Committee has now endorsed the East European Jewish Heritage Project and the Union of Religious Jewish Congregations of the Republic of Belarus jointly as the Jewish organizations competent for the restoration of Jewish sites."

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Data Section

Ellen Sadove Renck is translating an 1887 gubernia databook; this is full of information (Did you want to know how many sheep there were in Bialystok district?) and contains, among other items, lists of professionals for each Grodno district. Part of this reference may be found on the Grodno web page at http://www.javanet.com/~jsaltman
 
 

This is the section about professionals from Grodno town:

Professionals in Grodno and Grodno district 1887

All from Grodno town except those listed under a capitalized town name

Gubernia population :

Grodno district population: 44, 575

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TOWN	UEZD	OCCUPATION	SURNAME	First Name	Pharmacy Number
?Grodno	Grodno?	pharmacy manager	Ottovich	Felitsian	#2
Antopol	Kobrin uezd	pharmacy owner	Podolski		#44
Beliza		lawyer	Dmitrievich	Dmitri
Belostok	Belostok uezd	physician	Bomash	Yakov Efimovich
Belostok	Belostok uezd	physician	Fershteter	Ludvig Grigorjevich
Belostok	Belostok uezd	physician	Gaberling	Alezander Fridrihovich
Belostok	Belostok uezd	pharmacy owner	Gansetski		#16
Belostok	Belostok uezd	physician	Gronovski	Vladislav Ivanovich
Belostok	Belostok uezd	physician	Gurvich	Boruh Shlemovich
Belostok	Belostok uezd	physician	Gustch	Iosif Stanislavovich
Belostok	Belostok uezd	physician	Hazanovich	Osip Aronovich
Belostok	Belostok uezd	dentist	Iosem	Abram Shmueliovich
Belostok	Belostok uezd	physician	Iraga	Ippolit Ivanovich
Belostok	Belostok uezd	physician	Iserson	Saveli Lazorevich
Belostok	Belostok uezd	physician	Kabylinski	Ivan Domenikovich
Belostok	Belostok uezd	physician	Kopelman	Meer
Belostok	Belostok uezd	physician	Linshits	Gersh Iesahovich
Belostok	Belostok uezd	physician	Makovskaya	Maria Nikolaevna
Belostok	Belostok uezd	dentist	Makovski	Lev Yakovlevich
Belostok	Belostok uezd	pharmacy owner	Mastitski		#17
Belostok	Belostok uezd	physician	Smarchevski	Konstantin Petrovich
Belostok	Belostok uezd	physician	Tril	Ludvig Samuilovich
Belostok	Belostok uezd	physician	Triling	Ludvig Samuilovich
Belostok	Belostok uezd	dentist	Vaisman	Milah Boruhovich
Belostok	Belostok uezd	pharmacy owner	Vilbushevich		#18
Belostok	Belostok uezd	lawyer	Voloshinovski	Adolf Vladislavovich
Belsk	Belsk uezd	physician	Masjya	Izrael Mihelevich
Belsk	Belsk uezd	pharmacy owner	Shpitzbart		#26
Bereza	Pruzhany uezd	pharmacy owner	Sabotski		#47
?	Brest uezd	pharmacy owner	Blomkstein	Miletchitsy-manager	#41
Botki	Belsk uezd	physician	Verzhbitski	Adrei Feliksovich
Botzki	Belsk uezd	pharmacy owner	Namitkevich		#30
Botzki	Belsk uezd	pharmacy owner	Namitkevich		#30
Botzki	Belsk uezd	pharmacy manager	Vysokinski		#30
Brest	Brest uezd	physician	Filipovich	Kazimir Karlovich
Brest	Brest uezd	physician	Finshtein	Mikhail Ionovich
Brest	Brest uezd	pharmacy owner	Garski		#35
Brest	Brest uezd	physician	Grudinski	Vikenti Konstantinovich
Brest	Brest uezd	pharmacy owner	Klimashevski		#36
Brest	Brest uezd	pharmacy owner	Kosvena		#34
Brest	Brest uezd	physician	Lestchinski	Vladislav Leontjevich
Brest	Brest uezd	physician	Shereshevskaya	Galdina Samoilovna
Brest	Brest uezd	physician	Stanishevski	Victor Karlovich
Brest	Brest uezd	pharmacy owner	Suhetski		#37
Brest	Brest uezd	physician	Zaleski	Papel Pavlovich
Brest	Brest uezd	physician	Zdanski	Osip Alexandrovich
Briansk	Belsk uezd	pharmacy owner	Kusha		#27
Bryansk	Belsk uezd	physician	Tarashkevich	Ivan Ivanovich
Byten	Slonim uezd	pharmacy owner	Sobeshinski		#55
Byten	Slonim uezd	pharmacy manager	Valevich		#55
Deretchin	Slonim uezd	physician	Novitski	Vatslav Stanislavovich
Deretchin	Slonim uezd	pharmacy owner	Yavorski		#53
Dombrov	Sokulka uezd	pharmacy owner	Slavyanski		#13
Dragichin	Kobrin uezd	pharmacy owner	Priffer		#45
Drogichin	Belsk uezd	pharmacy owner	Neviarovski		#31
Drusgeniki	Grodno uezd	physician	Buyakovski	Valerian Ivanovich
Drusgeniki	Grodno uezd	physician	Vyrvich	Boleslav Antonovich
Drusgeniki	Grodno uezd	physician	Zbozhek	Ooma Ivanovich
Druzgeniki	Grodno uezd	pharmacy owner	belonged to the church		#5
Dyatlovo	Slonim uezd	pharmacy owner	Zbikovski		#52
Dytalovo	Slonim uezd	physician	Vinkler	Yulii Kazimirovich
Goniondz	Belostok uezd	pharmacy owner	Lenchevski	Liutzian	#22
Grodno	Grodno uezd	lawyer	Abramski	Lev Osipovich
Grodno	Grodno uezd	physician	Abramski	Savati Saveljevich
Grodno	Grodno uezd	dentist	Andres	Reihlya Berkovna
Grodno	Grodno uezd	lawyer	Bakinovski	Lutsian Semenovich
Grodno	Grodno uezd	physician	Benitski	Yulian Feliksovich
Grodno	Grodno uezd	lawyer	Bush	Oktavian Boleslavovich
Grodno	Grodno uezd	lawyer	Drazdovich	Vladislav Frantsevich
Grodno	Grodno uezd	lawyer	Eismont	Konstantin Osipovich
Grodno	Grodno uezd	physician	Gershun	Grigori Yakovlevich
Grodno	Grodno uezd	physician	Gozhanski	Samuil Lazarevich
Grodno	Grodno uezd	lawyer	Gushkovski	Ivan Lvovich
Grodno	Grodno uezd	physician	Hazanovich	Osip Abramovich
Grodno	Grodno uezd	physician	Iljitski	Kaetan Stanislavovich
Grodno	Grodno uezd	dentist	Issaakov	Alexei Mikhailivich
Grodno	Grodno uezd	lawyer	Kakoshko	Segizmund Mikhailovich
Grodno	Grodno uezd	lawyer	Kalenkevich	Ignati Ivanovich
Grodno	Grodno uezd	physician	Kamenski	Ferdinand Martinovich
Grodno	Grodno uezd	dentist	Kaufman	Veniamin Leizerovich
Grodno	Grodno uezd	physician	Kostyalkovski	Osip Ivanovich
Grodno	Grodno uezd	lawyer	Kramarov	Salomon Samoilovich
Grodno	Grodno uezd	lawyer	Linke	Yulian Ferdinandovich
Grodno	Grodno uezd	lawyer	Nagorski	Stanislav Stanislavovich
Grodno	Grodno uezd	physician	Poluto	Anton Antonovich
Grodno	Grodno uezd	physician	Ratenshtein	Issak Izrailovich
Grodno	Grodno uezd	lawyer	Senenko	Andre Andreevich
Grodno	Grodno uezd	physician	Tomashevich	Vikenti Ivanovich
Grodno	Grodno uezd	lawyer	Vasinevski	Richard Ksaverjevich
Grodno	Grodno uezd	lawyer	Yachinovski	Stanislav Stanislavovich
Grodno	Grodno uezd	lawyer	Yanovski	Girsh Haimovich
Grodno	Grodno uezd	lawyer	Yanovski	Oeofil Iliya
Grodno	Grodno uezd	physician	Zablodski	Boleslav Karlovich
Grodno	Grodno uezd	lawyer	Zaitsev	Oaddei Vepediktovich
Grodno	Grodno uezd	physician	Zamkovski	Geneh Tevelyavich
Grodno	Grodno uezd	pharmacy owner	belonged to the church		#1
Grodno	Grodno uezd	pharmacy manager	Feishner		#3
Grodno	Grodno uezd	pharmacy owner	Kandratovich		#2
Grodno	Grodno uezd	pharmacy owner	Nesterovich		#3
Grodno	Grodno uezd	pharmacy owner	Vinover		#4
Holstov	Volkovysk uezd	physician	Shenskovich	Mustafa Ivanovich
Indura	Grodno uezd	pharmacy owner	Natana	Ionessa	#8
Indura	Grodno uezd	physician	Vizgird	Stanislav Selvestrovich
Ivanovo	Kobrin uezd	pharmacy owner	Kalesinski		#43
Kamenetsk-Litovsk	Brest uezd	pharmacy owner	Sabishinski		#39
Kamenetsk-Litovsk	Brest uezd	pharmacy manager	Tochilovski		#39
Kartuz-Bereza, Pruzhany uezd	Pruzhany uezd	physician	Okolov	Tsezari Selvestrovich
Klestcheli	Belsk uezd	pharmacy owner	Gorbachovski		#33
Knyshin,	Belostok uezd	pharmacy owner	Izdebski		#21
Knyshina	Belostok uezd	physician	Ksenzhopolski	Eduard Ferdinand-Medar Frantsevich
Kobrin	Kobrin uezd	pharmacy owner	Miklashevich		#42
Kobrin	Kobrin uezd	physician	Raigrodski	Meer Veniaminovich
Kobrin	Kobrin uezd	pharmacy manager	Shidlovski	Vatslav	#42
Kosovo	Slonim uezd	pharmacy owner	Gladovski	Genrih	#54
Krinki	Grodno uezd	pharmacy owner	Tensushe		#6
Lunna	Grodno uezd	physician	Gustcha	Ivan Osipovich
Lunno	Grodno uezd	pharmacy owner	Hvenkovski		#7
Michailovo,	Belostok uezd	pharmacy owner	Tzensusha		#24
Mileitschitsy	Brest uezd	physician	Borisovski	Iosif Oomich
Mileitschitsy	Brest uezd	physician	Fogel	Haim Leibovich
Miletchitsy	Brest uezd	pharmacy manager	Blomkshtein owner		#41
Miletchitsy	Brest uezd	pharmacy manager	Sandberg		#41
Mogilevtsy	Volkovysk uezd	physician	Dzyakonski	Kazimir Evstafjevich
Nizbudka	Belostok uezd	physician	Dobrovoljski	Adam Mikhailovich
Orlya	Belsk uezd	pharmacy owner	Oginski		#32
Ozera	Grodno uezd	pharmacy owner	Gustavski-Gustateis		#9
Parozovo	Volkovysk uezd	pharmacy manager	Sabishinski		#60
Parozovo	Volkovysk uezd	pharmacy owner	Tochilovski	Ignati	#60
Peredel	Kobrin uezd	physician	Klinovski	Otton Kazimirovich
Peski	Volkovysk uezd	pharmacy manager	Dlugosh		#59
Peski	Volkovysk uezd	pharmacy owner	Saroseka	Ivan	#59
Piesk	Volkovysk uezd	physician	Bitner	Cheslav Nikolaevich
Podluzhe	Slonim uezd	physician	Dobopinski	Mikhail Domenikovich
Porozovo	Volkovysk uezd	physician	Mazurkevich	Vikenti Osipovich
Priluki	Kobrin uezd	physician	Mantselevich	Lev Grigorjevich
Pruzhany	Pruzhany uezd	physician	Patsevich	Avgustin Konstantinovich
Pruzhany	Pruzhany uezd	pharmacy owner	Yurkovski	Anton	#46
Ross	Volkovysk uezd	physician	Karo	Nikolai Eduardovich
Rozhanka	Slonim uezd	physician	Bomash	Meer Gershkovich
Rozhanka	Slonim uezd	pharmacy owner	Lyatski		#51
Semetichi	Belsk uezd	physician	Cherkovski	Ludvig-Mikhael Oomich
Semiatichi	Belsk uezd	pharmacy owner	Neviarovski		#29
Shereshevo	Pruzhany uezd	pharmacy owner	Kadevich		#48
Shereshevo	Pruzhany uezd	pharmacy manager	Krasinski		#48
Shereshevo, Pruzhany uezd	Pruzhany uezd	physician	Vladislavovich	Gerih
Skidel	Grodno uezd	pharmacy owner	Krauze	Bronislav	#10
Slonim	Slonim uezd	physician	Belski	Stanislav Ivanovich
Slonim	Slonim uezd	physician	Bomash	David Semenovich
Slonim	Slonim uezd	pharmacy owner	Kovarski	Hanon	#49
Slonim	Slonim uezd	physician	Pyasetski	Avraam Markovich
Slonim	Slonim uezd	pharmacy owner	Tegazo		#50
Sohovolya	Sokulka uezd	pharmacy owner	Leva		#14
Sokulka	Sokulka uezd	pharmacy owner	Dudkevich		#12
Sokulka	Sokulka	physician	Landau	Lev Yakovlevich
Sokulka	Sokulka	physician	Lazarbek	Anastasia Grigorjevna
Sokulka	Sokulka	physician	Pukshta	Edmund Pavlovich
Suprasl	Belostok uezd	pharmacy owner	Skrobetzki		#23
Supraslj	Belostok uezd	physician	Chenurkovski	Remigi Ivanovich
Svisloch	Volkovyski uezd	physician	Bitner	Vladimir Zdislavovich
Svisloch	Volkovyski uezd	pharmacy owner	Milgof		#57
Svisloch	Volkovyski uezd	pharmacy manager	Shidlovski	Karl	#57
Tehanovets	Belsk uezd	physician	Sventski	Pavel Rohavich
Trostjany	Belostok uezd	pharmacy owner	Lenchevskij	Stanislav	#25
Tzehanovetz	Belsk uezd	pharmacy owner	Loman		#28
Velikaya-Berestovitsa	Grodno uezd	pharmacy owner	Kachinski		#11
Vladavka	Brest uezd	pharmacy manager	Fabishevski		#40
Vladavka	Brest uezd	pharmacy owner	Pisarzhevski		#40
Volkovysk	Volkovyski uezd	physician	Krushevski	Yulii-Ivan Yulievich
Volkovysk	Volkovyski uezd	pharmacy owner	Tyminski	Andrei	#56
Vrotsenj	Belostok uezd	physician	Yavorovski	Vladislav Vikentjevich
Vysoko-Litovsk	Brest uezd	physician	Fainshtein	Boris Ionovich
Vysoko-Litovsk	Brest uezd	physician	Kobrinets	Karl Vasiljevich
Vysoko-Litovsk	Brest uezd	pharmacy manager	Starzhinski		#38
Vysoko-Litovsk	Brest uezd	pharmacy manager	Tyminski		#38
Yanovo	Belostok uezd	pharmacy owner	Chaikovski		#19
Yanovo	Sokulka uezd	pharmacy owner	Zhukovski	Petr	#15
Zabludov	Belostok uezd	pharmacy owner	Goldberg		#20
Zelva	Volkovysk uezd	pharmacy owner	Panotski	Ooma	#58
	Slonim uezd	physician	Gershkonf	Volf Samoilovich

© Ellen Sadove Renck 1998. All Rights Reserved. Permission Granted to GGG, Inc. to use material.

========

Editor's Note:

"Proprietors" of pharmacies were probably lessees of the rights to run a business. The town or nobleman who owned it owned the pharmacy, mill, tavern and certain other valuable franchises.

Note that at this date, few professionals were Jewish. This continues to be the case in the 1903 business data from Vsya Rossia, where the pharmacy proprietors are referred to as "arend" or lessee.

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INVENTORY SECTION
 
 

Following the International Meeting in July of 1998 we obtained from

Kahlile Mehr, representative of the Mormon church, a copy of the inventory

of Jewish records prepared for the Mormons in preparation for their filming

in Grodno archives. This consists of 31 pages in Russian, prepared for

the church by Dmitri Panov, a Russian genealogist. In addition Mr. Mehr

reviewed another inventory prepared by the archivist herself and gave us

two pages pertaining to military records.

The inventory lacks detail in many respects. It covers thousands of pages

of documents but gives the number of pages for only a few of the listed

items. Many descriptions refer only to the district and we need to know

what portions of the district are covered, as these are all partial

records. This is vital information for members who are inquiring whether

there is anything about their particular shtetl in Grodno archives.

From documentation I received during Oleg Perzashkevich's researches I knew

that Fond 2, which is only referred to by its number in the Mormon

documents, contains records of kahal elections in certain smaller districts

such as my grandmother's shtetl, Ruzhany. In a pilot project financed by

your dues we attempted to find out what other shtetls are covered.

Here is the listing in the Mormon inventory:

GRODNENSKOYE GUBERNSKOYE PRAVLENIYE (Grodno Gub. Administration)

Fond 2. 78980 Ed. Chr. , 1802-1916 (fond 2; 78,980 chronicles)

Following is part of the result of the pilot project, carried out by

archivists working for the East European Jewish Heritage Project (Minsk,

Frank Swartz, Executive Director):

Fond 2, op. 1. CONTENTS

1. Guiding materials

2. Materials on the question of peasantry

3. Materials about the development of capitalism in industry, trade and

agriculture.

4. Materials on the question of property.

1. About debt recovery.

5. Materials about moving , quartering the troops and carrying out the

military service.

6. Materials on the tsarist punitive policy.

7. Materials on the questions of censorship, press, subscription to

newspapers, magazines, books.

8. Materials on the personnel of gubernsky(provincial) institutions and

military units.

1. Enrollment and discharge.

9. Materials about migration of the population abroad and issuing passports.

10. Materials on the questions of everyday life.

1. Thefts.

Fond 2. Opis 1.(Inventory) PREFACE

The Grodno gubernskoye (provintial) Board was founded on 01.01.1820 with

the establishment of the Grodno gubernia (province) under the termsof «The

Institution for governing the gubernias (provinces)» of 1775. It was under the

authority of the Ministry of Home Affairs and served as an administrative

police body of the gubernia (province) which worked under the chairmanship

of a gubernator(governor); it was also its executive body.

Before 1806 the clerical work in the Board was conducted without any

structure. In 1806 4 tables (bureaus) were established. After 1816 the Board

consisted of two dispatch offices (departments) and 4 povytiyes

(tables,bureaus). In 1837 3 departments were established. After 1837 the

clerical work was divided into 4 departments; each of them had 2

tables(bureaus).

FUNCTIONS OF THE DEPARTMENTS

The 1st department drew up records of the gubernskoye(provincial) Board,

promulgated laws and resolutions, supervised their execution, collected

information about tax collection, about accidents in the

gubernia(province).It dealt with the questions of the personnel of the Board

and other uyezd institutions. It supervised the persons who were under police

surveillance. It led gentry and village elections. It was closely connected

with the 3rd department «The Private Office of His Emperor's Majesty».

The 2nd department was in charge of the questions of religion and public

order.

It supervised military units, issued passports, administered oath to foreign

subjects wishing to live in Russia. It controlled roads, bridges,

transportation, post-offices. It dealt with the questions of public health

services.

The 3rd department controlled the execution of judicial-police and

investigating cases in all municipal and zemsky police departments, the work

of gentry trusteeships and orphan courts. It dealt with the cases of not

wealthy gentry, sale of property for debts, staff premises, controlled

prisons.

The 4th department collected general information about the gubernia

(province): population, state of agriculture, trade, factory-and-works

industry. It controlled the structure of towns and villages. It dealt with the

appointment and control of tax collection. It approved the estimates of

municipal dumas and ratushas ( town halls). It was in charge of the

recruiting process, controlled the work of insurance companies and other

offices.

The gubernator ( governor) had a right to transfer the execution of some

cases from one department to another.

After 02.01.1845 the Board office was divided into 3 departments, each

department consisted of 3 tables(bureaus). There was a treasurer, a printing-

house, an archive, a gubernsky(province) architect, a land surveyor with the

drawing, a registry, corporal punishment and economic-administrative bodies

attached to the Board.

The cases were divided into administrative (with judicial-police) and

executive.

After 11.02.1867 the Medical board, the gubernsky(provincial) committee of

public health and the gubernsky (provincial) «ostenny» committee joined the

Board.

The structure of the Board consisted of:

The 1st department - the 1st-2nd , special and newspaper

tables(bureaus).

The 2nd department - the 3rd-4th tables(bureaus).

The 3rd department - the 5th-6th tables(bureaus).

The building department.

The medical department.

The gubernsky(provincial) drawing office.

In September 1915 the Board was evacuated to Kaluga. It was abolished

in February 1917.

In the Fond there are 78980 cases from 1802 till 1917; 39 records. The

materials are systematized according to departments and tables(bureaus) ,

years, then according to topic sections and subsections.

More detailed information about industry and trade is in opis (inventory)

11, 18, 21, 23, 27, 33, 34.

State of the peasantry - op.1, 7, 8, 21, 24, 31, 34-36.

Revolutionary movement - op. 22, 25.

War of 1812, revolts of 1831, 1863 - op. 30, 34, 36.

Improvement of the villages, income and expenditure of the towns -

op.31, 34.

Information about population , property status, the procedure of

electing officials to low-middle class boards and public administrative

boards, maintenance of the boards, recruiting, military kantonists,

citizenship , etc. - op. 9, 11, 12, 15, 17-34, 36.

About the personnel of gubernsky(provincial) institutions - op. 1, 3-9,

20, 24, 25.

Official lists of the employees of gubernsky (provincial) institutions -

op.37.

Records of the Board's sessions - op. 38.
 
 

NIAB (Gr) At the end there are a topical and non-graphic indexes.

F.2 (Grodno gubernskoye (provincial) Board)

op.1 (1802-1805), 333 entries

p. 1-5 -preface (structure of the Fond)

33 - on a complaint of the Novopolotsk kahal about the wrong spending of

town income by the magister . 1802-1809, 73 pages.(MCF)

39 - about approving of the «korobochny» (box) collection to pay off the

debts of the Jewish kahals. 1802-8,695 (MCF)

54 - on a complaint of mestchans Leibovich E and Janislevich L about the

seizure of their land by ks. Kanonik. 1802 (MCF)

55 - the same of the residents of the shtetl Novyj Dvor about the seizure

of their land by pomestchik(landlord) Andrushkevich I . 1802-1809 . 265 (MCF)

86 - about debt recovery from the titular counselor Rovits in favour of the

resident of Grodno E. Izraileva . 1802, 4.

88, 89 - the same of merchant A.Eselevich in favour of merchant A. Itskovich,

>from mestchanin A.Itskovich in favour of the resident of Grodno Trodsky.

1802-1810, 23,8 pages

240 - about perpetration of a theft by mestchans B.Kivovich and A.Movshovich

in a Jewish school. 1802-1810, 32

262 - about debt recovery of 8000 zlotys from the Pinsk kahal in favour of

the Vilzhynsk monastery. 1803-1808., 10 pages.

Fond 2, Opis 2 (1806-1815), 666 entries

24 - about voluntary migration of the Jews from one place to another.

1807-1809, 63.

69 - lists of the Jews missed when the register books were drawn up in

1804. 1809-1810, 126.

70 - on a complaint of the earl Viljegorskij about not paying him the

rent by the mestchant Leiba Poljakovich. 1809, 17.

75 - on a petition of the mestchans Dymer, Jankelevich, Shapiro and

others about recording them in register books. 1909, 7.

77 - the same of the mestchanin Volf Aronovich about registering him as

one of the mestchans of Lida. 1809-1810, 12.

203 - on a complaint of the Mstibovsky kahal on the assessor of the

Volkovysk zemsky court Rafanovich about illegal exaction of recruiting money
 
 
 
 
 
 

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Following is an inventory of Dyelo (Book) 699 of the same fond, giving

towns covered. This was purchased from Oleg Perzashkevich of Minsk

Genealogy Group.

Fond 2, Opis 3, Dyelo 699

From Oleg Perzashkevich
 
 
 
 

INDEX for Dyelo (Book) 699 of Fund 2, opis 3 of Grodno State Historical

Archive. The Documentation on Board Elections of Kahals of Grodno

Province for 1837-41.

Name of the settlement (kahal) District Town(?)

Pages
 
 

Berestovitsa Velikaya Grodno 4ds-5;

52-52ds; 388-

391ds

Bereza Pruzhany 156-161ds

Brest Brest

214-219ds

Kamenets Brest

363-364ds

Lida Lida 12-14; 381-381ds

Maletsh Pruzhany 168-170

Mstibov Volkovysk

345-346

Novogrudok Novogrudok

142-147

Novy Dvor Lida

399-399ds

Ostryna Lida 402-403

Pruzhany Pruzhany

23-27; 99-112

Radun Lida 414-417

Ruzhany Slonim

334-338ds

Selets Pruzhany

162-167; 171

Shchuchin Lida

400-401ds

Shereshov Pruzhany

153-155; 174-178ds;

232-238

Slonim Slonim

265-271ds

Vasilishki Lida

419-422

Volchin Brest

367-368

Volkovysk Volkovysk

134-140

Volkovysk district shtetles

Volkovysk 195-205

Voronovo Lida

382-382ds

Vysoko-Litovsk Brest

365-366ds

COMMENTARIES (by Perzashkevich)

I. The records in this book are the typical documentation on Russian

procedure of elections of Jewish officials, because each kahal had the

right for religious and some sort of economical self rule.

II. In the documents you can find:

1. The lists of elected persons (for each kahal);

2. The official papers, every Jewish official was to sign after had been

elected (for the majority of kahals);

3. The list of voters (for many kahals);

4. The details about economical status of elected person (for some kahals);

5. The ages of elected persons (for some kahals);

6. The list of candidates and the results of voting (for some kahals).

Finally, here is an example of contents of Dyelo 699. It is the record of

kahal elections for 1838 in Ruzhany (excerpted from data provided by

Perzashkevich, and the EEJHP).

1838 KAHAL ELECTOR NAMES

Fond 2, Opis 3, Delo 1703, page 179; Central Historical Archives, Grodno.

Information obtained from Minsk Genealogy Group and EEJHP

Transliteration by Frank and Galina Swartz , directors of EEJHP. [I

have not attempted to impose transliteration standards, nor have I guessed

that "Petkovsky" is the same as "Pitkovsky".--- The Editor (A.L.)]

Abramovich, Gertsko

Alpern, Abram Osherovich

Alpern, Mendel Dovydovich

Alpern, Mordukh Gershonovich

Alperg, Shmujlo Zalmanovich

Alper, Movsha Osherovich

Alperin, Jankel Mejerovich

At (Aps ? Ans ?), Mejer Sroliovich

Babich, Girsh Naftaliovich

Babich, Wolf Aizikovich

Babich, Wolf Medeliovich

Bas, Jankel Volfovich

Berman, Abram Girshovich Berman

Berman, Elia-Nota Berkovich

Berman, Orko Girschovich

Berman, Zusel Sroliovich

Breznitski, Dovid Mendelovich

Bulgach, Shumuilo Boruhovich

Epshteyn, Dovid

Epshteyn, Movsha Abramovich

Epshteyn, Movsha Yoseliovich

Epshteyn, Nissel Leyzerovich

Epshteyn, Shmujlo Rubinovich

Epshteyn, Yankel Meirovich

Epshteyn, Iosel Hononovich

Epshteyn, Yosel Osherovich

Fuksman, Abram Jankeliovich

Fuksman, Haim Movshovich

Fuksman, Hirsh Shimonovich

Fuksman, Leyzer Leibovich

Fuksman, Movsha Hirshovich

Gelman, Movsha Edidovich

Gubar, Dovyd Movshovich

Gubar, Jelja Mejerovich

Gubar, Leiba Morduhovich

Gubar, Zelman Dovidovich

Haidak, Shmujlo Berkovich

Jeliovich (Yeliovich ?), Abram Shanovich

Izralet, Symho Ioseliovich

Kaplinsky, Shimel Ovsenovich

Kazak, Abram Shmerkovich

Kibran, (Kobran), Sholem Leibovich

Kozak, Morduh Abramovich

Korpel, Mejer Shimonovich (Kornel ?)

Kotsyn, Sholem Fisheliovich

Kushner, Haim Genohovich

Kuznitz (Kusnetz), Movsha Khatzkelovich

Lepenitski, Moshe Abramovich

Levenbukh, Hirsch Itzkovich

Levitan, Abram S hmuilovich

Levitan, Israel Rubinovich

Levitan, Liber (?) Rubinovich

Levitan, Yossel Sohorovich

Liamets, Orko Dovydovich

Muzykant,Arija Ioseliovich

Petkovski, Itsko Ioseliovich

Petkovski, Geshel Leizerovich

Petkovski, Leibe Abramovich

Petkovski, Leybe Gesherovich

Pines, Mejer Leibovich

Pitkovsky, Jankel Haimovich

Ponchoshkin, Enokh Shliomovich

Ponchoshkin (?), Genari Shliomovich

Prinshtein, Mendel Rubinovich

Ruskin, Honon Hatskeliovich

Salemon, Jankel Dovydovich

Savolski, Berko Hershovich

Shamesh, Girsh Movshovich

Shatkhan, Leiba Nohimovich

Shepjatskij, Berko Nirshovich

Shereshevsky, Itzko Hershovich

Shereshevskij, Leiba Shimsheliovich

Shereshovsky, Leiba Zelikovich

Shereshevski, Yankel Itzkovich

Shimsheliovich, Leiba (?? )

Sokolovski, Srul-Nachman Vulfovich

Taran, Leizer Shevelevich

Yezernitsky, Meier Berkovich

Zakin, Abram Dovidovich

Zakin, Abram Gershonovich

Zakin, Abram-Leiba Movshovich

Zakin, Abram Movshevich

Zakin, Hirsh Yoselovich

Zakin, Hiel Nohimovich Zakin

Zakin, Leiba Gershonovich

Zakin, Leiba Tobijashovich

Zakin, Leizer Gershovich

Zakin, Movsha Iokelovich

Zakin, Yankel Gershonovich

Zakin, Yossel Nokhimovich

Zakliaty, Abram Leibovich

Zlotnik, Itsko Shliomovich

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The following is Perzashkevich's translation of a certificate from Fond 2,

opis 3, delo 699, Pages 290 - 291.

A Certificate, given to Itsko Ghirshovich Shereshevsky by Rozhany Jewish

Community In July, 1838.

After request of Jew Itska Ghirshovich Shereshevsky, the Ruzhany Jewish

Community gives him this certificate to prove, that, despite the Community,

according to the results of elections, took place in May-June 1838, elected

him as a member of the kahal board, the Community had no wish to do it and

was against such election; because this post duty has many difficulties,

and Itsko has serious health problems, so he is not able to be busy with

such duty; also he managers [sic] a state [sic] leather factory and should

pay daily salary to workers hired, and above all he can lose big part of

his capital, that is involved in this business, if he become the kahal

official; so the Community set him, Itsko Shereshevsky, free from the duty

of kahal official, and asks the authorities to substitute Itsko by somebody

else, who had been registered as a candidate to kahal board member in the

ballot list before elections took place.

(36 signatures)

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

As Itzko was a candidate for office, his income and assets are stated for

posterity:

House and leather factory, income 1000 rubles in assignations

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

NOTES: Observations about names --

The kahal electors were a rather inbred group. ( At this date, 1838, the

population of Ruzhany was about 1,400. There are 48 different surnames on

the list.)

Berman was a well known name in nearby Slonim, the district capital. Wolf

Berman at age 80 was chairman of the first Slonim Judenrat in 1941.

Zakin is in the Zak family , whose genealogy is documented in two large

volumes entitled "Scattered Seeds", by George Sackheim. The Zak family

is a very long line of rabbis. Their ancestor was invited to come from

Vienna to Ruzhany in the 17th century by Duke Leon Sapieha Lithuanian

owner of the town, to organize the duke's business operations.

Pines was also a large family which became numerous and prominent in

Ruzhany, Bialystok and many other locations within this part of the Pale

of Settlement. See: Pines, Wayne. The Sermons of Jerome Martin Pines:

with a partial genealogy of the Pines family. Publ. by W.L. Pines,

Washington 1978

___________________

The Pines family founded and maintained a yeshiva in Ruzhany; in late

19th century they had weaving mills located on the former Sapieha estate

and sold cloth in the town. (Vsya Rossia, 1895, 1899, 1903)

Yezernitsky was the original name of Yitzak Shamir, formerly Prime Minister

of Israel. See: Shamir, Itzak, Summing Up : an autobiography. Boston :

Little, Brown, c1994. Shamir's father was head of the Jewish community in

Ruzhany in the thirties. He and his family perished during World War II.

The Shereshevsky family were also prominent in business in Grodno, Ruzhany,

Slonim and in Lithuania. Wolf Shereshevsky was head of the Ruzhany

community during World War I. He and his family met the same fate as that

of Yezernitzky.

Sokolovsky was the original surname of the Yizkor Book editor for

Ruzhany, Meir Sokolovsky.

It is interesting to find that all these families had a presence in

Ruzhany as early as 1838.

=================

Further reading on election and service of rabbis under the czar:
 
 

Eliach, Yaffe There Once was a World. at p. 96. Little, Brown 1998.

ISBN 0-316-23252-1

Chayesh, Anatoli I. A List of Officers of Jewish Prayer Societies in

Russia, 1853-55. Avoteynu Vol. IX No. 2, page 25, summer 1993.

Singer , I.J., Of a World That is No More, p. 87. Vanguard Press 1970.

8149-0683- 4

Encycl. Jud. p. 862

Singer, I.B. In my Father's Court . Noonday Press, NY, 1967. ISBN

0-374-50592-6

Levinson, Amy. The Russian Government Rabbis. Shalshelet Vol. No.

Winter 1999 (Newsletter of JGS Oregon)

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Coordinators of Shtetl Study Groups or contacts for

Grodno uezds and towns:

GGG Inc. is trying to organize research activities by district. Each

district needs one or more people to coordinate activities:

Get together a list of interested parties. having such a list is

informative and fun Decide what activities will have priority

Raise money for research activities

Keep track of activities sponsored on behalf of shtetls within the

district

Keep track of projects undertaken by another organization:

JRI-Poland, Belarus SIG, the Yizkor Book

project, etc.

As an incentive to organization, GGG Inc. can make a small matching grant

of $100 to districts that have a coordinator, a list of participants,

priorities, a chosen project and at least $100 raised by members of the

group.

To date, Lida district qualifies for the matching grant. Brest district

will qualify as soon as it has raised its first $100.
 
 
 
 

Following is the list of district and shtetl coordinators as of June 10

1999.

Bialystok uezd 5308' 2309' --- No coordinator! However, Bialystok is

organized under JRI-Poland to translate vital records from

LDS films. Some records are in Bialystok Archives, Poland, and some are in

Central Archives of the Republic of Belarus, Grodno.

Zabludow at 5301 2321

Tilford Bartman <bartman@tiac.com>

website: http://www.tiac.net/users/bartman/zabludow/zabintro.htm

Knyshin Jackie Ziff

Bielsk Uezd: No Coordinator! Please volunteer to coordinate! Note: There

is one LDS (Mormon) film for Bielsk.

Drogicin 52011 2509 Benjamin M. Eisenstein

<Ben_E@compuserve.com> maintains a website at

http://www.jewishgen.org/ShtetLinks/drogicin/drogicin.html

Brest Uezd 52:06 23:42 -- Bernard & Phillip Rosinsky,

<rosinskyb@usa.net>

Grodno town and uezd 5341' 2350' --- No coordinator! Please volunteer to

coordinate!

Grodno town and uezd website under construction by Jim Yarin <jimyarin@aol.com>

Skidel 5335' 2415' Linda Hugle, <flute@cdsnet.net>

website: http://www.jewishgen.org/ShtetLinks/skidel/skidel.htm

NOTE: the Skidel web site contains material of general interest to those

from Grodno gubernia, including some Operation Reinhardt deportation

information.

Kobrin uezd 5213' 2421' -- No coordinator.

Lida uezd -- Ellen Sadove Renck: Phrases1@aol.com

website under construction then moving to ShtetLinks:

http://www.geocities.com/Vienna/Opera/7858/lida-site/lida-dist.htm

Eisiskes 5410' 2500': Judy Baston<JRBaston@aol.com>

Knyshin

Ivye 5356' 2546' :Steven Levine <levine@itis.com>

Lida town 5353' 2518': <newhoir@mail.auburn.edu>

Nowy Dwor 5348' 2434' -- Harriette Hinderstein, <HarrietH@aol.com>

Orliany/Orlowa 5330' 2459': Susan Stone: <Momteller@aol.com>

Ostryna 5344' 2432' -- Co-Coordinators: Bernard Anscher <bancher@aol.com>

and Dr. David Kaplan at <litvak@juno.com>

Radun 5403' 2500' --Sheila Tanenbaum<btbaum@earthlink.net >

Rozanka 5332' 2444' -- Ellen Sadove Renck, <Phrases1@aol.com>

Szczuczyn 5336' 2445' -- Gary Katz, <gmkatz@aimnet.com>

Vasilishki 5347' 2451' -- No Coordinator! Please volunteer to coordinate!

Voronovo 5409' 2519' -- Jack Gottlieb, <JGottlieb@worldnet.att.net>

website: http://www.367-safe.com/voronovo/

Zaludok 5336' 2459' -- Susan Stone, <Momteller@aol.com>

Zyrmuny 5401' 2513' --Judy Baston, <JRBaston@aol.com>

Pruzhany town and uezd 5233' 2428' -- Jay Lenefsky <hotdog@netvision.net.il>

2 websites:

http://www.jewishgen.org/ShtetLinks/pruzany/pruzany.html

and http://members.xoom.com/cpsa/cpsa.htm

Slonim uezd 5306' 2519' -- Coordinators: Joan Krotenberg <JoanK16157@aol.com>

Slonim website (Joanne Saltman): http://www.zah.ndirect.co.uk/slonim.htm

Molchad: Myrna Siegel <ssi448@nwu.edu>

Ruzhany 5252' 2453' -- Amy Levinson, <arl@teleport.com> and Ruzhany

website: http://www.teleport.com/~arl/index.html

Sokolka uezd 5325' 2330'---Please volunteer to coordinate!

Svisloch -- Mark Melnicove <THPub@aol.com>

Volkovysk uezd 53:10 24:28 -- No Coordinator. Please volunteer to coordinate!

vvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvv

Web page directory for Grodno gubernia

Most of these pages can be found by typing the subject into a search engine

and also through Jewishgen

Use of a search engine such as Metacrawler, which picks up from six other

engines, is most efficient.

http://www.metacrawler.com

Shetl web pages are listed in the directory of coordinators, above.

GGG Inc. web page (temporary site)

http://www. javanet.com/~saltman
 
 

Surname pages:

http://www.teleport.com/~arl/Shereshevsky.html -- surname Shereshevsky

http://www.mcs.net/~bobj2361 my genealogy page -- Bobby Jacobs

http://adams.patriot.net/~arielle/air/geneal.html --Arielle Masters

http://www.caliginous.com/family/ --- Dan Jacobs