University of Miami Sousa de Mendes Event

Today I posted a Facebook message about our University of Miami screening of DISOBEDIENCE: THE SOUSA DE MENDES STORY.  Here is a copy of my post

Our JGSGM member, Robert Jacobvitz, is Chair of the Advisory Council of the Sousa Mendes Foundation (http://sousamendesfoundation.org/).  We are grateful to him for introducing us to the Aristedes de Sousa Mendes story.  The recent screening event at the University of Miami in collaboration with Dr. Haim Shaked (Professor of Middle East Studies) and the Jewish Genealogical Society of Greater Miami was a great success.  Rebecca Barber, daughter of visa recipient Otylia Lea Steppel (http://sousamendesfoundation.org/family/steppel) and Mr. John Tetzeli (http://sousamendesfoundation.org/family/kronacker-tetzeli), a visa recipient, participated in a panel discussion after a showing of the movie DISOBEDIENCE: THE SOUSA DE MENDES STORY (http://sousamendesfoundation.org/disobedience-the-sousa-mendes-story/).  Please spread the word about Aristedes de Sousa Mendes (http://sousamendesfoundation.org/aristides-de-sousa-mendes-his-life-and-legacy/).
Thank you.
Paulette Bronstein
President
Jewish Genealogical Society of Greater Miami

New York Times Sousa de Mendes Article

Photo copied from Sousa de Mendes Foundation

WHO WILL WRITE OUR HISTORY Book and Movie

WHO WILL WRITE OUR HISTORY is one of the featured documentaries at the Miami Film Festival.  I saw the film last night with our JGSGM members Lea and Bruce Reich. This incredible movie is based on the 2007 book Who Will Write Our History by Professor Samuel D. Kassow.  The book is based on the true story of the clandestine Oyneg Shabes group led by Emmanuel Ringelblum in the Warsaw Ghetto during WWII. A world wide screening of the film is scheduled for January 27.  Information about the film with links to film footage is available at the following link:

https://online.flowpaper.com/7b450788/WhoWillWrite/#page=1

Information about Emmanuel Ringelblum and the Oyneg Shabes group can be found at the Yad Vashem site and at the following link:

https://www.ushmm.org/educators/teaching-materials/national-history-day/research-topics/oyneg-shabes

Director Roberta Grossman was interviewed by Sharon Horowitz -

Execcutive Director of the Miami Beach Holocaust Memorial

Prague's Old Town Cobbled Streets

---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: Jan Meisels Allen <janmallen@att.net>
To: IAJGS Leadership Forum <leadership@iajgs.org>
Cc:
Bcc:
Date: Mon, 14 Jan 2019 18:30:26 -0800
Subject: [IAJGS Leadership] (Czech Republic) Cobbled Streets of Prague's Old Town are Fragments from Jewish Metzevahs

The cobbled streets of Prague, Czech Republic,  include cut cubes of granite from previous Jewish cemeteries. The cobbles are believed to have been cut from granite matzevot taken from a destroyed Jewish cemetery founded in 1864 in the village of Údlice, in northern Bohemia near the town of Chomutov.  

The cobblestones cut from Jewish gravestones were used to construct the pedestrian promenade at one end of Wenceslas Square-an upscale shopping mall. Pre-World War ll the Czech Republic had about 350,000 Jews living there, by 1946 it was reduced to 50,000, by the 1980's the Jewish population was reduced in number to 8,000.  Thefts came from 600 Jewish cemeteries and were paved over by the Communists after they took over post-World War ll.

There were two Jewish cemeteries in Udlice, both destroyed after World War ll; their headstones being used  as Jewish building material.  More than 150 Jewish communities in Bohemia and Moravia that were destroyed in the Holocaust.

See: http://jewish-heritage-europe.eu/2019/01/13/jewish-gravestones-as-paving-in-prague/

And

https://www.bbc.com/news/stories-46845131

Jan Meisels Allen

Chairperson, IAJGS Public Records Access Monitoring Committee

European Jewish Cemeteries Initiative (ESJF).

---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: Jan Meisels Allen <janmallen@att.net>
To: IAJGS Leadership Forum <leadership@iajgs.org>
Cc:
Bcc:
Date: Fri, 11 Jan 2019 10:30:28 -0800
Subject: [IAJGS Leadership] (European Union) Grant to European Jewish Cemeteries Initiative to Survey 1500 Jewish Cemeteries in Europe

The European Union has granted 800,000 Euros ($922,000 USD) to a project that will map and survey about 1,500 Jewish cemeteries in Eastern Europe.  The initiative is called, the European Jewish Cemeteries Initiative (ESJF).  The ESIF was established in 2015 with a German government grant and with that it helped 120 Jewish cemeteries in seven Central and Eastern European countries. There are over 10,000 Jewish cemeteries in Eastern and Central Europe that are in some degree of risk.

The mapping process will employ state-of-the –art  technology, including engineering drones and taking photographs from the air as well as centuries-old historical records research.

To read more about the grant see: http://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/257494

To read more about EJCI see their website at: https://www.esjf-cemeteries.org/

At the time of writing this announcement there was nothing about the EU grant on the website.

Thank you to Saul Issroff for sharing the information on the EU grant with us.

Jan Meisels Allen

Chairperson, IAJGS Public Records Access Monitoring Committee

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ITS - International Tracing Service

---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: Jan Meisels Allen <janmallen@att.net>
To: IAJGS Leadership Forum <leadership@iajgs.org>
Cc: 
Bcc: 
Date: Tue, 8 Jan 2019 00:11:47 -0800
Subject: [IAJGS Leadership] International Tracing Service: Dachau Concentration Camp Card Index Found; Changing Its Name

The International Tracing Service (ITS) uncovered a card index of photographs of survivors from the former Dachau concentration camp of about 2,000 photographs dating from the first year following the war. The card file had gone unnoticed for decades. It was created for those Nazi victims who needed certificates of their being imprisoned to receive support from relief organizations. The survivors had to provide two photographs of themselves, one for the files and one to be attached to the certificate. The documents have been indexed and digitized so that they are searchable by name or birthdate.  This new find will go online in the Spring of 2019.  To read more see: https://tinyurl.com/ybgukrj6

Original url:

https://www.its-arolsen.org/nc/en/latest-news/news/details/news/detail/News/faces-of-survivors/

Name Change

ITS announced as of April 2019 it will instead be called the Arolsen Archives-International Center on Nazi Persecution.  The new name points to the archives new goals. While knowledge about the Holocaust and Nazi dictatorship are disappearing, there is a worldwide spread of right-wing ideologies. The new name and new image  will address the public with projects, exhibitions, and education on the consequences of anti-Semitism, discrimination and racism. The Arolsen Archives will also publish the collection of documents from concentration camps and ghettos in its online archive.

The ITS was formed by the Allies following World War ll.

To read more see: https://tinyurl.com/y7y8eb2m

Original url:

https://www.its-arolsen.org/nc/en/latest-news/news/details/news/detail/News/its-changing-name-to-arolsen-archives/

Jan Meisels Allen

Chairperson, IAJGS Public Records Access Monitoring Committee

FREE WEBINAR - MARLIS HUMPHREY - HIDDEN GEMS OF JEWISH GENEALOGY

A free webinar offered through the Florida State Genealogical Society,"Hidden Gems of Jewish Genealogy”, Thursday, January 17 at 8pm EST. The speaker is Marlis Humphrey. Pre-registration is required at https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/register/1614022992530442755 .

17 Jan 2019 – Marlis Humphrey

Hidden Gems of Jewish Genealogy

·      Webinar Abstract: Jewish genealogy has many challenges but also a growing arsenal of special resources tuned to discovering Jewish ancestors that are available online. Jewish genealogy requires tools to overcome the challenges of doing research in multiple languages, with complicated naming conventions, and in locales which had been under often changing sovereignty. Some of these research resources are well known or easily discoverable - but many are not so obvious. This presentation is not a step-by-step “how to”, but instead will showcase more than a dozen resources that are "hidden gems" of Jewish genealogy. When we research our family history, we often get into a familiar pattern of looking for records in the same places and using the same methods. Whether an experienced researcher or one who is just starting the search for Jewish ancestors, you will find something(s) to aid your explorations - research resources that you may never have heard of or may have forgotten. 

·      Presenter: Marlis Humphrey is President of the Florida State Genealogical Society (FSGS) and immediate Past President of the International Association of Jewish Genealogical Societies (IAJGS). She served as co-chair of IAJGS Boston 2013 conference and is a worldwide renowned lecturer, and professional genealogist. Marlis is the foremost expert on family history publishing using technology advances to enrich our sharing of family history. Marlis has managed extensive technology portfolios for Harris Corporation, AT&T Bell Labs, and others. She currently is VP Marketing and Technology for BlueTube, Inc., a Florida-based environmental non-profit. Marlis holds a BA in Russian language and a MS in Management of Technology.

·      Webinar Registration: https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/register/1614022992530442755

JANUARY TO JUNE JGSGM EVENT SCHEDULE

MIAMI JEWISH FILM FESTIVAL - SEPHARDI VOICES

Information about the Miami Jewish Film Festival can be found at the following link
https://miamijewishfilmfestival.org/


Our member, Professor Henry Green, Green, the founder and Executive Director of Sephardi Voices, recommends viewing The Last Class in Baghdad.. Information about the organization can be found at this link: 
 http://sephardivoices.com/.


We are honored to have Professor Green as our member.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Henry_Alan_Green

GENIE MILGROM AVENTURA LIBRARY EVENT JANUARY 13 AT 11:00 AM

University of Miami Screening of DISOBEDIENCE THE SOUSA MENDES STORY January 28, 2019

FINDING YOUR ROOTS new season

The new season of FINDING YOUR ROOTS with Dr. Henry Louis Gates, Jr has been announced.  You can view the trailer at the following link:
FINDING YOUR ROOTS