The Jewish Museum in Prague has launched an informative web site with online exhibits about the eclectic material discovered in genizas in a dozen synagogue buildings that have been researched in the country since the 1990s.

The web site, in Czech and English, grows out of its “Secrets in the Attic” project, which — as we posted last year — has displayed geniza material in two thematic exhibitions mounted in regions where the findings come from.

 The current exhibition, at the West Bohemian Museum in Plzen, is up until June 25.

Genizas are depositories of worn out or disused ritual and other objects which for religious reasons cannot simply be thrown away. Sometimes they are buried in Jewish cemeteries; often they are hidden away in the attics or walls of synagogues.

Since the 1990s, researchers from the JMP surveyed 13 sites in Bohemia and Moravia and obtained more than 3,000 finds, the oldest from the 16th century and the most recent from the 19th century.

You can read more in an article in the jewish-heritage-europe.eu web site at: https://jewish-heritage-europe.eu/2023/06/01/czech-republic-geniza/. 

From an article by Ashley Zlatopolsky published in the thejewishnews.com web site:

In Judaism, we often hear the expression “may his or her memory be a blessing” when someone passes away.

I don’t recall where I first heard it, but someone once told me that as long as we continue to remember those who have since passed on, they remain alive. It’s only when we forget, that people — and eventually memories — begin to slip away.

It’s a guiding principle, along with the Jewish belief to honor the deceased, regardless of whether that person lived 20 or 200 years ago, that fuels my passion for genealogy and family history. By learning about our past — and the names and stories behind it — we continue to keep these precious memories alive for many generations to come.

JewishGen is the world’s leading organization in preserving this history. As the largest digital repository for Jewish family history information in the world, this free and searchable website houses millions of Jewish records from countries around the world, some of which are hundreds of years old. On JewishGen, people can search their family history to find ancestors, make genealogical trees and even discover living relatives.

Now, JewishGen Ukraine Research Division — which focuses solely on Ukraine records — is on a mission to preserve and digitize 1 million records in Ukraine by summer 2023.

These records, which are some of the last remaining documentation of hundreds of thousands of Jews who lived in the former Russian Empire (which included Ukraine), are at risk of disappearing forever.

No. 1 Carlos Alcaraz has taken the tennis world by storm. The reigning US Open champion, who is attempting to win his first French Open title in Paris, actually has French family roots.

MyHeritage.com has traced and can confirm that Carlos Alcaraz’s maternal grandmother’s line goes back to his 3rd great-grandparents, Jean-Nicolas Egler and Marie Eugénie Jeannenot, who married in 1858 in Baume-les-Dames, in Doubs, in the Bourgogne-Franche-Comté region in Eastern France. Marie Eugenie was born in the same area, in Besancon, in 1840 while Jean Nicolas was born in Gondrexange, in Moselle in 1835.

Carlos Alcaraz Family Tree

Jean-Nicolas Egler was a railway labourer, and his parents were weavers. After France lost the war against Prussia, people born in the territories annexed by the German Empire had the option of choosing to retain French nationality. In August 1872, Jean-Nicolas Egler chose to keep his French citizenship, while he was already living in Malaga, Andalusia, Spain. His son, Carlos Egler Yeanot (Yeanot a Hispanization of his mother’s French family names, Jeannenot), who lived and died in Sevilla, Andalusia, Spain, was Carlos Alcaraz’s great-great-grandfather.

With his French roots in tact, Alcaraz continues to be a fan-favourite not only in Paris, but around the world as well.

The following is from an article by George Aghjayan and published in The Armenian Weekly:

The impact of genocide lingers long after the initiation of the crime. Genocide scholarship today delves into the more nuanced ways in which victims are subjected to genocidal acts in addition to murder. Sexual violence against women and de-ethnicization of children are just two examples. Entire societies are destroyed through genocide and the surviving remnants separated and scattered, resulting in the magnitude of the crime being difficult to quantify.

While research into a person’s ancestry was traditionally reserved for nobility, and in the United States there were societies devoted to descendants of specific groups, for example Daughters of the American Revolution or Mayflower Descendants, since the 1970s there has been an explosion of genealogical research into all ethnic groups regardless of societal class. The publication of Roots: The Saga of an American Family and the television mini-series based on the book brought forth tremendous interest in genealogy, the family history of African Americans, specifically, and all ethnic groups universally. 

In addition, there was controversary over the accuracy of the oral history included in Roots and the ability to document through source records the family history of victims of slavery that is equally relevant for all victims of genocide. 

Initially, my involvement in genocide education focused on demographics and the ways in which a numbers game is utilized in genocide denial. A primary recurring theme in the denial of genocide and ethnic cleansing is to minimize the victim population. Presumably, if less Armenians were alive and living in the Ottoman Empire in 1914, that would mean that less were subjected to murder, rape, slavery, etc.

My research has focused on three aspects. First, I work on documenting the location and previous Armenian population of the villages of Western Armenia, given the destruction of many of these locations and the Turkish government’s changes in names and locations. Second, there is a common misconception that the various source documents are in conflict over the pre-genocide number of Armenians living in the Ottoman Empire. Instead of viewing them in conflict, my research has attempted to show under what assumptions the sources can be brought into agreement. Lastly, I have used micro-studies to better evaluate the quality of the various sources. 

This story is documented in a YouTube video at: https://youtu.be/RF4iW7L5-n4.

Genealogy mystery writer Nathan Dylan Goodwin is teaming up with FHD Forensics and its sister organization Genealogy For Justice™ to raise funding for genetic genealogy investigations.

Goodwin is inviting his fans to support his campaign to underwrite cold cases and have fun doing it. Among the prizes are signed books and naming the villain in the next Venator series novel.

"Nathan has generously joined our online fundraising team in order to help underwrite cases for the Dean and Tina Linn Clouse Memorial Fund," said Board of Advisors Chairman, Allison Peacock, President of FHD Forensics.

Winners will be chosen based on either their own single donation, or by funds raised as a team member with a personalized page on the Genealogy For Justice team on the crowdfunding website GiveButter.

Already known for the exploits of his well-loved character, British genealogist Morton Farrier, Goodwin recently launched the Venator Cold Case series set in the U.S. These stories feature a female investigator based in Utah that uses genetic genealogy to solve murder cases around the U.S.

"I have been a great supporter of investigative genetic genealogy ever since first hearing of its incredible power to bring closure to the families of murder victims and to restore the names to unidentified human remains," explained the author.

"Despite my being a writer of fiction, the real people involved in these tragic cases that are unearthed during the process of IGG are of great importance to me. This Genealogy For Justice campaign will help fulfill my firm hope that many more cases will be solved using this unique and powerful forensic approach," Nathan continued.

About Genealogy For Justice

Genealogy For Justice began as a simple online fundraiser in late 2021 called "The Hope For Holly DNA Project." It was circulated as a way to help the families of newly identified 1980 murder victims Dean and Tina Linn Clouse to search for their lost daughter, last seen with them as an infant in 1980.

After daughter Holly Marie was found alive and well in June 2022, the fund was renamed and repurposed as a memorial to Dean and Tina. The 501c3 sister organization was officially launched in October of 2022 with a goal to help other families of the unidentified become reunited with missing loved ones through closure of their cold cases.

The organization recently announced its first case closure in the case of Virginia Higgins Ray, a North Carolina native who died in a Columbia, South Carolina hospital in 1982.

About Nathan Dylan Goodwin

Genealogical crime mystery author Nathan Dylan Goodwin has been doing genealogy research since he was a boy. So it comes as no surprise that when he combined this with his love of writing, an acclaimed genre-bestselling Forensic Genealogist series was born.

In addition to his well-loved Farrier books, Nathan recently launched the Venator Cold Case series set in the U.S. Two free downloads of Nathan Dylan Goodwin's work can be found on his website.

The following press release was written by Library and Archives Canada:

Library and Archives Canada (LAC) is proud and excited to offer access to the digitized 1931 Census of Canada, 92 years after it was conducted. This is the first time that LAC has provided online access to census content on the first day permitted by law. The 1931 Census data delves into where people lived, but also how they lived; it is an extremely valuable tool for genealogy and research since it captures people and their relationships, the languages they spoke and how and where they lived—whether with extended families, within their immigrant communities or in institutions and rooming houses.

The release of the 1931 Census data is taking place in two phases. Today marks the public launch of phase one, which includes 234,687 digitized images and an interface for users that allows them to browse by district and sub-district.

Phase two involves transcribing the entire census to offer an intuitive and user-friendly search experience. As soon as the fall of 2023, all users—regardless of their level of genealogical or research expertise—will be able to search the census by name or place using Census Search. To accomplish this work in record time, LAC has been working and will continue to work collaboratively with its partners Ancestry® and FamilySearch International.

Stay tuned for the latest updates via LAC’s web page Preparing the 1931 Census.

About Library and Archives Canada

The mandate of Library and Archives Canada is to acquire and preserve the documentary heritage of Canada for the benefit of present and future generations and to be a source of enduring knowledge accessible to all, contributing to the cultural, social and economic advancement of Canada. Library and Archives Canada also facilitates co-operation among communities involved in the acquisition, preservation and diffusion of knowledge and serves as the continuing memory of the Government of Canada and its institutions.

About Ancestry®

Ancestry®, the global leader in family history, empowers journeys of personal discovery to enrich lives. With its unparalleled collection of more than 40 billion records, over 3 million subscribers and over 23 million people in a growing DNA network, customers can discover their family story and gain a new level of understanding about their lives. For over 40 years, Ancestry® has built trusted relationships with millions of people who have chosen it as the platform for discovering, preserving and sharing the most important information about themselves and their families. 

About FamilySearch

FamilySearch International is the largest genealogy organization in the world. It is a non-profit, volunteer-driven organization sponsored by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Millions of people use FamilySearch records, resources, and services to make joyful, personal, and family discoveries. To help in this great pursuit, FamilySearch and its predecessors have been actively gathering, preserving, and sharing genealogical records worldwide for over 100 years. Patrons may access FamilySearch services and resources free online at FamilySearch.org or through over 5,000 FamilySearch centres in 129 countries, including the main FamilySearch Library in Salt Lake City, Utah.

Quotes

“Ninety-two years ago, Canadians filled the 1931 Census and wrote their name in history. It is with great pride that Library and Archives Canada marks this date by giving access to its digitized images to our users. Historic data allows users to connect with their family’s history and all of those interested in uncovering their memories. I would also like to thank our partners, Ancestry® and FamilySearch, for embarking on this important work and helping us rapidly give access to yet another fascinating chapter of our story.” 

Leslie Weir, Librarian and Archivist of Canada

(Tweet this quote.)

“FamilySearch is honored to have been invited by LAC to help Canadians find their ancestors through the online publication of the 1931 Census of Canada. LAC’s collaboration with FamilySearch and Ancestry allows us to combine our efforts and technologies to more efficiently create a searchable version of the census that is both accurate and complete. We anticipate that millions of people will be able to find loved ones and answer significant questions about their families through these records.”

Stephen Valentine, Senior Vice President, FamilySearch International

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“Ancestry is honoured to be a key partner in making the census easy to search in record-breaking time. For the first time ever we will apply our proprietary Handwriting Recognition AI technology to transcribe a Canadian census – so you can find your family members even faster. The census provides a fascinating snapshot of an era in Canada’s collective history. Taken as a whole, it shows fascinating trends across the country, but the magic of the census happens as you look closer, learning rich details about your own family’s life at the time.”

For the first time, the U.S. Census Bureau has created an interactive map of national, state and county building permit data.

The recently released tool allows quick access and insight into the dynamics of permits issued for new residential construction.

Why does it matter? Because markets for new housing can vary — hotter in some states, colder in others — and understanding trends in new residential permits is crucial to those following the market.

Among the reasons:

• They are a leading indicator. Since permit issuance is the first step in any new residential construction project, the Building Permits Survey (BPS) data serve as a leading/early indicator of future residential construction activity.
  
  
• They are reliable. Response rates for the BPS are quite high, there is no sampling error in the estimates, and average revisions to the data are relatively low.
  
  
• They are detailed. BPS is our most detailed source of construction estimates, providing monthly data with complete coverage for the nation, regions, divisions, counties and places.

The new tool allows users to follow changes in data over the past few years and to drill down to more detailed data and geographic areas.

It shows a U.S. map of housing units authorized and year-over-year change based on the size and color of circles on the states of the map. By hovering over the map, users can see the amount of change with state and county historical data going back to 2010. A forthcoming visualization will show metro area data back to 2014.

The tool also provides new data for each of the nation’s 3,143 counties and shows how many single family, multi-family and total housing units were authorized in each one.

This tool arrives on the heels of the Census Bureau release of the final 2022 annual estimates of housing units authorized by building permits. The annual building permit data include estimates by nation, census region, census division, state, metropolitan area, county and permit-issuing place.

The annual BPS provides national, state, and local statistics on new, privately owned residential construction. The survey covers all places that issued building permits for privately owned residential structures. More than 99% of all privately owned residential buildings constructed are in permit-issuing places.

The following is a press release written by the (U.S.) National Archives and Records Administration:

WASHINGTON, JUNE 1, 2023 – The National Archives is improving visitor experience by redesigning the permanent galleries and the learning center, as well as upgrading the theater at the National Archives Museum in Washington, DC, in partnership with the National Archives Foundation. 

Renovations of the Boeing Learning Center will begin on June 15, 2023, and the renovations of the Public Vaults will begin on July 5, 2023. We look forward to welcoming visitors back to these two areas when we reopen in the summer of 2025.

During the renovation of the Boeing Learning Center, our Education staff will continue to facilitate on-site education programs for K-12 classes and teacher professional development sessions. Reservations for both programs should be made by emailing fieldtrips@nara.gov.

The National Archives Rotunda—home to the Declaration of Independence, the Constitution, and the Bill of Rights—will remain open during the renovation. The Lawrence F. O’Brien Gallery, the David M. Rubenstein Gallery, and the National Archives Store will also remain open. 

Entry to the National Archives Museum is free and reservations are not required. Timed entry tickets are available 90 days in advance. You may reserve up to six tickets per reservation and there is a non-refundable $1.00 convenience fee per ticket. To reserve tickets to the National Archives Museum please go to Recreation.gov.

The renovation is scheduled to be completed in the summer of 2025, ahead of the National Archives' celebration of the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence in 2026. The last major renovation to the National Archives Museum took place in 2013, when the David M. Rubenstein Gallery was opened. The Public Vaults opened to the public in 2004, and this will be their first renovation.