Genealogical Gems

My daughter, Anna, and I visited several cemeteries on Sunday after Liturgy. One was the Jewish Cemetery – Beth Israel. She pointed out the stones laid reverently atop the tombstone and said this was done instead of leaving flowers. I had no clue. Stones left on a grave may at first seem odd to those of us not raised or schooled in the Jewish Tradition. However, no surprise, the tradition dates back to the Old Testament when altars were made … you guessed it … of stones! In the days of the Old Testament, before the tombstones we are familiar with today, people marked graves by a mound of stones. It also reminds us that it was upon a stone that Abraham offers his son Issac up to the Lord. (Genesis 22: 1-19).   Christ Himself was laid in a tomb in which a stone was rolled in front of the entryway. (Matthew 27:59-60). “Stones are fitting symbols of the lasting presence of the deceased’s life and memory,” according to Shiva.com. Another site, MyJewishLearning.com, offers se...

It was On This Day in 1881 that the Russian city of Pinsk burned. Pinsk was, at that time, located in Minsk and was home to 18,000 residents. During that time period, many Russian cities, towns and villages were burned as the “red rooster” struck out against the Jews of Russia at that time. Pinsk remained part of the Russian Empire until 1915. Today Pinsk is part of Belarus and 130,000 souls call it home. The city itself dates back to 1097.    Source: Jacobs, J., Persecution of the Jews in Russia , 1881. London : Spottiswoode & Co.   Lancaster daily intelligencer. ( Lancaster , Pa. ), 24 May 1881. Chronicling America : Historic American Newspapers . Library of Congress.   On This Day is a prompt I started this month to further explore historical events.                  © Jeanne Ruczhak-Eckman, 2015

  This week I have to admit genealogy took a back seat. It was my first full week back to work (I work seasonally at a nursery – LOVE IT!) and my kids had some medical issues (one still does actually) but I did get some reading done. EIN Presswire sent me a news release concerning a new online Jewish database. The Knowles Collection links generations of Jewish families from all over the world. It has reached its one-millionth record milestone and is now easily searchable online. The vast majority of new contributions are coming from families and private archives worldwide. The free collection can be accessed at FamilySearch.org/family-trees . The National Genealogical Society conference is 13-16 May 2015 in St. Charles , Missouri . The early bird registration deadline is this Monday, 30 March 2015. For more information see the registration brochure . Blog posts worth reading: Dear Myrtle has finally published a How To that makes Hangouts easier to navigate. ...

It was this day in 1862 that Major-General Ulysses S. Grant issued his controversial General Order No. 11 . It was this order that called for the expulsion of Jews in Tennessee , Mississippi and Kentucky . That is, he ordered the Jewish people to vacate his military district.    “The Jews, as a class violating every regulation of trade established by the Treasury Department and also department orders, are hereby expelled from the department within twenty-four hours from the receipt of this order,” read the Order.   Word of the Order traveled slow. Cesar Kaskel, a Jewish gentleman from Paducah , KY , made haste to Washington and pleaded personally to President Abraham Lincoln. When Lincoln learned of this Order, he immediately ordered it repealed.   On This Day is a prompt I started this month to further explore historical events. I will make every effort to keep events localized to that of my research or research I am conducting for others. However,...

Last night I stumbled upon the Rosenbaum Bank. Okay - not literally! I was searching various names on Ancestry.com and stumbled upon a HRUSZCZAK listed in connection to this bank in Philadelphia. Anytime I see my maiden name I get excited since it is not exactly Smith or Jones! Now I can not place this Teodor. My great grandfather was Panko Hruszczak and he came into Ellis Island and stated his uncle Onifer Pomanko was waiting for him in Coatesville, Chester County, PA. Panko did marry in Coatesville in 1915 and settle there, and while I show him as having lived in Columbia, Lancaster County in 1917, he pretty much stayed in Coatesville. He never lived in Philadelphia. While his father was Theodore, I do not believe his father ever immigrated. In any case, what caught my attention - in addition to the name - is the source! Panko was not Jewish. Nor is any direct lineal ancestors (while I do have some Jewish family members scattered here and there, none are direct ancestors.). At...