| |
Recommendations
Jerusalem Post Thursday 16 Aug 2001
IT'S ALL RELATIVE: English mysteries By Schelly Talalay Dardashti
(August 16) - The recent 21st international Jewish genealogy conference in
London was not only about listening to lectures, working with databases,
meeting with Eastern European archivists or visiting places of Jewish interest
in the UK. It also resulted in surprising discoveries for those with English
roots.
Among hundreds of international attendees who enjoyed the great city were Bobbi
Cohen of San Diego, California and Hilary Henkin of Atlanta, Georgia.
Bobbi's great success
IF it were not for JewishGen, the London conference and a wonderful
professional researcher, whose expertise is Manchester (UK) Jewry, says Bobbi
Cohen of San Diego, her new-found documentation would still be lost and buried
forever.
"I had my concerns about attending the conference because of the news reports
of mad cow disease and seriously considered not going," she says.
"But the knowledge that my paternal grandmother and six of her siblings were
born in Manchester, after her parents arrived there from 'somewhere' in Russia
before immigrating to America in 1903, was too seductive to ignore, so off to
London we went."
The search was made more poignant as Bobbi's grandmother Florence Marks Kovin,
who died in 1974, was, next to her mother, the single most important person in
her life.
When Bobbi's paternal grandfather died in 1951, her grandmother needed to get
an American Social Security card. She and six of her siblings hired a
Manchester attorney to obtain their birth certificates. He did find one or two,
but couldn't find hers, and it always bothered her.
Florence, a very modern woman, proclaimed that she might be a lot younger than
she thought because "In those days, whenever your mother tired of taking care
of you all day, she took you to school, said you were 5, and that became your
age," relates Bobbi.
More than a decade ago, her cousin and his UK-born wife went to Manchester to
try and find records, but hit a brick wall - except for Aunt Minnie's birth
certificate.
SEVERAL months before the conference, professional Man-chester researcher Ros
Livshin was recommended through Jewishgen's discussion group. Bobbi contacted
her and asked if she would be willing to do research side-by-side with Bobbi in
Manchester; Ros agreed.
When Ros asked Bobbi if she could do any preliminary research, Bobbi sent her
every piece of information and family story she knew, and clearly spelled out
her goals to Ros.
"I then sent copies of all information I provided to Ros to my few remaining
relatives, seeking any information anyone might have that might help to locate
records in Manchester."
Ros lectured on the Manchester community, and Bobbi and her husband Jerry were
there, and they met afterwards.
"Let me give you what I have for you," said Ros. "You have my Aunt Minnie's
birth certificate?" asked Bobbi. "I have them all!" Ros replied.
"For me, at that moment, the world stood still," says Bobbi. "How does one
explain the emotions? It is as if she returned this dear lady to me and all the
years of separation disappeared. My grandmother is right here, right now."
AFTER the conference, Bobbi and Jerry went to Manchester, where Ros spent three
days with them.
Ros took them to the Jewish museum there, and went to run an errand.
When she returned a few hours later, she took Bobbi to a closet in the museum
and came out holding the Infants Register - a school register - opened it at
random, and there was a listing for her grandmother, Florence.
"I had been in the same building with my grandmother and didn't know it," says
Bobbi.
She and Ros uncovered an additional birth certificate, examined more school
registers and followed the children for a good number of years.
"The school registers were a wonderful way to understand the community in which
they lived, to 'meet' their friends and neighbors, and it also gave their
father's name and home addresses," says Bobbi.
"I walked on the very streets where they lived, perhaps putting my feet on the
very same spot my grandmother put hers. What an emotional high!"
"MY grandmother was always upset that her birth certificate was missing," says
Bobbi.
Each time the subject came up, her Aunt Hilda - married to a brother and also a
first cousin - would say "some things are better off unknown." Over the years,
Bobbi's mother urged Hilda many times to tell "the secret."
Hilda never did, and "the secret" went to her grave with her.
"When we did obtain the birth certificates," says Bobbi, "We understood why it
had been so difficult for them to be found. It is only because we hired someone
- Ros Livshin - who understands the local ins and outs in Manchester that we
were successful."
Whatever "the secret" is, says Bobbi, it seems to surround her grandmother.
Still uncovered and still being researched, it remains another story for
another day.
Those with roots in Manchester may contact Bobbi for more information,
Rokoco1@aol.com; or Ros Rlivshin@bigfoot.com
Article in the Jewish Telegraph 15 Aug 1997
‘Beryl finds spreading branches on family tree’ By Marc Gaier
A Liverpool woman is hoping to trace even more family members after research
commissioned by a long-lost American cousin. Beryl Deacon from West Derby has
also learned how her grandmother died after a tragic accident at a Manchester
school. The journey of discovery began last autumn when Beryl, arrived home
from work and checked her telephone answering machine. She was almost
dumbstruck by what she heard. "There was a woman from Manchester telling me
that I had cousins in the United States who were searching for relatives in
Britain" recalled Beryl. "I just couldn’t believe it". As an only child,
believing she had no extended family, this was something of a shock".
Unknown to Beryl, Sarah’s (her father’s sister) family in Detroit were curious
about their British roots and one of her sons, Clifford Dovitz, wrote to the
Manchester Jewish Museum. His letter was passed on to local genealogist, Ros
Livshin, eventually leading to Beryl’s surprise phonecall. She quickly
contacted Clifford and the two first cousins spoke for the first time.
Since September there have been regular transatlantic phonecalls and e-mails
climaxing in an emotional visit to the USA by Beryl and Harold in March...
The meeting at Detroit airport was emotional. "I saw Cliff and we just started
crying" she confessed. If the meeting was tearful, Beryl said the parting was
even more so. "As we were driving to the airport, Clifford’s brother Doug said
to me ‘We’ll never be apart again. We are just a phonecall or an e-mail away’.
They wanted us as much as we wanted them".
Letter from the Jewish Telegraph, Friday 20 July 2001
‘Hole-in-one for the Matzes at roots conference.’
It was like scoring a hole in one the first time out on the course I was told.
A novice family historian, I went to the international conference on Jewish
genealogy held in London last week, the biggest ever of its kind ever.
At a lecture on Manchester research, local historian, Rosalyn Livshin, was
describing the many sources of information. Apart from the census and other
obvious records she had projected on the screen a Jewish school enrolment list
from 1890. I suddenly spotted in the parent list the hand-written name Jacob
Matz, residence 123 Stocks St. "That’s my great grandfather," I called out.
There was a stir in the room and cries of "Mazeltov."
My grandmother, aged 12 was listed on the paper as having had no previous
education in the country. This meant the family had just arrived in the country
crucial information for tracing our roots. And I now had an address and dates
of birth.
Rosalyn, a founder of Manchester Jewish Museum, was delighted by my chance
discovery." I’ve been waiting for somebody to spot a name like that and now
it’s happened," she told me later.
The following is taken from an article in Avotaynu, Vol 16, No. 1 by Ron Arons,
entitled ‘Using SD_ROM Databases and the Internet to Research England from
Afar’
Genealogists for Hire
Since hiring a genealogist can be expensive, I relied on one only after I did
considerable research myself. The Internet can be used to find a British
genealogist for hire (see The Society of Genealogists at
http://www.gmcro.co.uk/agents.htm). I hired Rosalyn Livshin, who lives in
Manchester. I contacted Ros via e-mail and in fewer that 24 hours, she found
everything I was seeking --probate records and an article about my great-great
grandfather - in a local Manchester Newspaper.
Thanks, Roslayn,
thanks ever so much. Now, having Charles' Hebrew name I can proceed with
comparing all my information on the Jacob Paikins I have in Latvia and
Lithuania. When the naturalisation papers come, I bet/hope it'll take me one
step further. Can't wait ;)
Looking forward to hearing from you again.
Best regards
Elsebeth Paikin, Copenhagen, Denmark,
29/12/2000
Dear Rosalyn,
Many thanks for the photocopies I received today. I am most grateful for your
help and professional expertise in undertaking this research for me.
With best wishes
Yours sincerely
Vanessa Rosenthal
Leeds
Thank you for all the research you’ve done on my behalf. Because of the
information you located, I now know things about my Pliskin family I never knew
before. My mother said she never heard her grandparents talk about " the
old country" and nobody ever asked about it much. I’m very excited about
all this and look forward to whatever else you’re able to find for me.
I appreciate all the research you’re doing on my behalf.
Nancy Maxwell
Austin, Texas
U.S.A.
20/6/1997
Dear Rosalyn Livshin
May I take this opportunity to thank you so much for obtaining the details
relating to my family, It is as though a current of electricity has flowed
through my uncle and myself.
27/8/1997
Dear Rosalyn
I would like to just update you on the current situation, since you phoned me
to confirm contact with my lost family. Most of my lost family have had no
contact for over 88 years, so when we recently met it was very moving. Can I
take this opportunity to thank you with all my heart for your work and I know
that when we all met we all commented on your fine work, so Rosalyn thank you
for putting back together a family after 88 years.
Regards
Carl
Farncombe
Surrey
2/7/97
Dear Mrs Livshin
I am the uncle of Carl and I am writing to say thank you for a job well done in
locating my long lost relatives. One of my first cousins has lived in Toronto
for 22 years. We met last Saturday for the first time. The family are delighted
that we are reunited once more. Thank you from the bottom of my heart.
Philip Miller
Ontario
Canada
|
