| The majority of Jews today naturally do not live | | | | where their ancestors may have lived. Ask them |
| where their ancestors did 100's of years ago in | | | | if they remember any cousin's names, schools |
| the family tree. Because of the centuries of | | | | and the names of synagogues, they may have |
| injustice and recently the Holocaust, many Jews | | | | attended. |
| believe it is an impossible task to try to trace | | | | When you have as much information as you can |
| their Jewish roots back to the old country. That is | | | | get from your relatives the next course of action |
| false. With the technology of today, you can | | | | is locating the following records. Census records |
| trace your Jewish ancestry. There are resources | | | | will give you information. In the U.S. from 1900 on |
| that can help with specific Jewish culture. | | | | the census records, include year of immigration. |
| Jewish families started using permanent family | | | | After that, you can then try passenger arrival |
| surnames as early as the 10th century. They | | | | records, as well as naturalization. Passenger Arrival |
| were used mostly be the Sephardic Jews in | | | | list-When arriving in the U.S, these lists after 1893 |
| Portugal, Spain and Italy. Not until much later did, | | | | contain last residence. With that kind of |
| the Ashkenazi Jews of Eastern Europe and | | | | information, you may be able to find the town, |
| Germany begin that practice. | | | | province or country your relative came from. It |
| Many Orthodox Jews today still use the traditional | | | | will depend on the ship and what records they |
| naming pattern. Those are when family names | | | | kept. |
| are passed down from generations. It is traditional | | | | The good news for anyone looking for |
| in Easter Europe and Germany's Jewish families to | | | | information after 1906 those records will show |
| name a baby after a deceased relative. This is a | | | | birthplace, town or city and country. Naturalization |
| way of showing respect and honoring that | | | | Records in the United States will show information |
| person's memory. | | | | on the country of origin. Like the passenger arrival |
| It can make tracing your Jewish roots a little | | | | list after 1906, these records should be a great |
| harder, because the name may not be identical to | | | | help in your genealogy search. Many of these |
| the deceased relative just similar in some way to | | | | records will show place of birth; residence in the |
| the ancestor's given name. Many times the name | | | | old country, the date, port and ship arrival in the |
| just sounds like the ancestors. | | | | U.S. The immigrant's name is listed on the |
| That is the difference between the Ashkenazi and | | | | passenger list. Many immigrants including Jews |
| Sephardic Jewish families who choose to name | | | | changed their names after arriving. |
| their babies after living relatives. Many surnames | | | | Therefore, if you are lucky enough to obtain any |
| are reserved for specific locations in Eastern | | | | records after 1906 they may be able to tell you |
| Europe. | | | | what name your family used in the old country. |
| Here a just some basic steps you can use to | | | | As with all family tree searches marriage records |
| begin your Jewish family tree. | | | | along with old letters and photographs are always |
| The number one place for all genealogy research | | | | very useful. So are probate records and obituaries |
| to begin is at home. Start talking to your family | | | | in the newspapers. |
| elders. They will love the attention and by sitting | | | | Every family tree is a great educational tool. It |
| down with pen and pad you can ask them about | | | | shows all of us what our ancestors have gone |
| their past. Do they remember their grandparent's | | | | through to give everyone who came after a |
| names and where they came from? Find out if | | | | better life. |
| they may remember a specific town or village | | | | |