TEMPLE BETH AM SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 2, 2020

Sunday Salon: Beit Hatfutsot

Date: Sunday, February 2, 2020Time: 10:00 am - 12:00 pmLocation: Adult Reading Room/RAMBAM Center

Sunday Salon Series

Join us on most Sundays as we review books, movies and art. We meet at 10:00 am in the Adult Reading Room, located in our beautiful RAMBAM Center. Enjoy a light nosh with your friends too!

No charge, but please let us know you'll be joining us so that we have enough snacks for everyone. To RSVP or for more information contact Etta Gold, 786.264.6543 or egold@tbam.org.

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Rabbi Rachel Druck introduces
the Museum of the Jewish People,
Beit Hatfutsot

Join us for this unique presentation live from the Museum of the Jewish People—Beit Hatfutsot, in Tel Aviv. This event is a collaboration and brought to us by the Jewish Genealogical Society of Greater Miami using innovative technologies.

Beit Hatfutsot has launched a new robot tour that allows those who are unable to visit the Museum in person, to experience a full guided tour from the comfort of their own home (or our library). This robot is the first of its kind in Israel, and one of the only ones in use in museums around the world.

Visitors who take the robot tour enjoy a private guided tour with a guide who has been specially trained to use this new technology. During the tour, visitors can see the guide and the exhibitions via three cameras that allow a 360-degree view of the Museum. Visitors can also fully control the robot’s movements, and communicate directly with their guide, as if they were physically in the Museum. 

Join us for a noteworthy demonstration!

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This program is being brought to us by the Jewish Genealogical Society of Greater Miami.

SEPHARDI JEWS UNIVERSITY OF MIAMI EXHIBIT

Jan Meisels Allen Holocaust Remembrance

 
---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: <janmallen@att.net>
To: IAJGS Leadership Forum <leadership@iajgs.org>
Cc: 
Bcc: 
Date: Sat, 25 Jan 2020 17:38:25 -0800
Subject: [IAJGS Leadership] International Holocaust Remembrance Day

International Holocaust Remembrance Day is commemorated on January 27^th.  January 27, 2020 is the 75th anniversary of  the liberation of Auschwitz-Birkenau concentration, the ending of World War ll and the ending of the Holocaust.  2020 also marks the establishment of the United Nations, formed in response to atrocity crimes of the Holocaust and the Second World War, with the aim of building a world that is just and peaceful. Acknowledging the milestone year, the Holocaust and the United Nations Outreach Program has chosen as the theme for Holocaust education and remembrance in 2020, "75 years after Auschwitz - Holocaust Education and Remembrance for Global Justice". The theme reflects the continued importance, 75 years after the Holocaust, of collective action against antisemitism and other forms of bias to ensure respect for the dignity and human rights of all people everywhere.

Many governments have legislated that January 27 is an annual Holocaust Memorial Day to mark the date as an international day of commemoration to honor the victims of the Holocaust. The day was designated by the United Nations General Assembly Resolution on November 1, 2005. The Resolution establishing January 27 as International Holocaust Remembrance Day urges every member nation of the U.N. to honor the memory of Holocaust victims, and encourages the development of educational programs about Holocaust history to help prevent future acts of genocide.

To read what the United Nations will be doing on January 27, 28, 29 and January 30 for commemoration see:

https://www.un.org/en/holocaustremembrance/2020/calendar2020.shtml

To see Yad Vashem’s display go to:

https://www.un.org/en/holocaustremembrance/2020/calendar2020.shtml

The Wiener Holocaust Library in the United Kingdom has a program which may be found at:

https://www.wienerlibrary.co.uk/Whats-On?item=530

The United States Holocaust Memorial Museum commemorated on January 24. To see what they did go to:

https://www.ushmm.org/online-calendar/event/DIGFBCHINTLREMDAY0120

There are many other venues that will hold commemoration activities. Please look locally for any activities in your area.

Some countries memorialize the Holocaust on other days, for example, Yom Hashoah in Israel and in the United States is commemorated on the 27th day of Nisan, the anniversary of the Warsaw Uprising. In Hebrew, Holocaust Remembrance Day is called Yom Hashoah. In 2020 Yom Hashoah is observed on April 21^st (starting sunset the evening before). 

Jan Meisels Allen

Chairperson, IAJGS Public Records Access Monitoring Committee

DANIEL HOROWITZ DNA Kit Pre-Order Registration

MyHeritage DNA Kit Pre-Order Registration

Daniel Horowitz will be lecturing in Miami from February 17 till 23, 2020. MyHeritageDNA kits will be available for purchase at a reduced price of US $49, and delivered on the spot, saving you the cost of shipping. To pre-order DNA kits, please fill in the form below.

Payment will be collected at the event via a credit card. Kits will only be distributed once the credit card payment is processed.

To order kits go to this link:

http://bit.ly/MiamiDNA

DANIEL HOROWITZ MyHeritage Florida Tour

NOLAN ALTMAN

On January 19, 2020 we were treated to a lecture by Nolan Altman at the Greater Miami Jewish Federation.  The topic was:

Patronymic Naming and Cemetery Records

Their Importance in Jewish Genealogy

Yoram Millman (JGSGM VP Programming), Nolan Altman (VP of Data Acquisition of JewishGen.org), Paulette Bronstein (JGSGM President), and Ed Schwartz (JGSGM Treasurer)

" Nolan is the Vice President of Data Acquisition of JewishGen. Mr. Altman coordinates JewishGen's JOWBR (JewishGen's Online Worldwide Burial Registry), Memorial Plaque and Holocaust databases. He has presented his introductory genealogy and Importance of Jewish Burial Records programs at the university level and to numerous adult education classes and social groups." (Jewishgen.org)

Quoting the speaker

“With a presentation on cemetery records you wouldn’t expect to leave laughing, but I guarantee you will!”

Florida Premiere

HATE AMONG US

Directed by David McKenzie

USA | 90 minutes | 2019

Executive producers Dean Cain and Montel Williams shine a spotlight on the rising tide of anti-Semitism worldwide in this fascinating film that sounds the alarm about the societal forces that can lead to genocide in real-time. Over the last two decades, a rise in physical attacks and verbal assaults on Jews has been recorded in many countries around the world. This timely film depicts unique perspectives on anti-Semitism from young and old alike, from Jew and non-Jew, from within historic Jewish neighborhoods in Europe, to the streets of Charlottesville and Pittsburgh's Tree of Life Synagogue massacre. In portraying the resurgence of anti-Semitism, Hate Among Us presents an urgent, alarming look at the impact of this free reign of hatred on the lives of ordinary people and what it will take to return us to a more tolerant world.

Executive Producers Dean Cain & Montel Williams will be in attendance to introduce the film and participate in a panel discussion moderated by Greater Miami Jewish Federation CEO Jacob Solomon.

MIAMI JEWISH FILM FESTIVAL

MIAMI JEWISH FILM FESTIVAL

I hope you've had the opportunity to participate in the Miami Jewish Film Festival.  Don't forget to vote for your favorite films.

MENTOR SESSIONS

Dear Members,

Here is the schedule for future mentor sessions at the Northeast Miami-Dade Public Library Branch (2930 NE 199TH  Street, Aventura, FL 33180):

Wednesday, January 29th 1 to 3 PM

Tuesday, February 11th 1 to 3 PM

Tuesday, March 31st 12 to 2 PM

Tuesday, April 21st 2 to 4 PM

Wednesday, May 13th 10 AM to 12 PM

Thursday, June 11th 12 to 2 PM

I have reserved small conference rooms which seat 8 to 10 people.  I will be in Room 129 or Room 136.  These conference rooms are free to use once per month.  I can schedule individual mentor sessions in the library common area at a time more convenient to members.

Please contact me to if you would like to attend the mentor session.  You must confirm your participation with me.  Please call (786-200-2705) or email me (jgsgm.president@gmail.com).  

If you have any specific research questions kindly send the questions to me prior to the meetings.

With warm regards,

Paulette Bronstein

President

Jewish Genealogical Society of Greater Miami

ALEX KRAKOVSKY AND UKRANIAN ARCHIVES

---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: President - GHJGS <president@ghjgs.org>
To: leadership@iajgs.org
Cc:
Bcc:
Date: Fri, 27 Dec 2019 12:59:03 -0600
Subject: [IAJGS Leadership] Alex Krakovsky and Ukrainian Archives

A couple of weeks ago I sent individual emails out to all the JGS leaders that I could copy from the IAJGS Membership Guide. The email was to pass on the request from Alex Krakovsky for written emails, showing support from Jewish Genealogical Societies around the world, that he could take with him to his law suit of the Kiev archives for blocking access to Jewish records. Alex has been suing Ukrainian archives for a couple of years now. He is always successful in his lawsuits but archive ministers continue to throw up new and increasingly complicated rules to block him from accessing Jewish records.

The work that he is doing in Ukraine is active research and  is absolutely essential to our work as JGS leaders and researchers. Something like 40% of all Jews in the United states are descended from the Ukraine area! Collectively we are remnants of families torn apart by pogroms and war and in some cases many of our researchers don’t even know the names of their own grandparents.

I know we are all busy but it’s essential that we take a moment to support Alex in his stand against the Ukrainian bureaucracy that attempts to thwart him at every step.

You can send your email of support to alexkrakovsky@gmail.com. When you send Alex your email, make sure to mention the number of people in your organization so that the courts can see how many people we collectively represent. Let him know that it is essential to citizens of your country that the records remain open to researchers descended from Ukrainian families.

 Thank you again for your support of the vital work Alex is doing on our behalf in the Ukraine.

Here is a copy of his initial request:

Dear fellows,

Last year we won many lawsuits with Ukrainian Archives. We didn't lose any!

All these victories opened the door to copy and publish millions of priceless Jewish documents online for everybody. These great days of freedom and democracy changed the world of East European Jewish genealogy forever. Accessing these records made thousands of Jewish genealogy researchers happy all over the world. Most of these documents were never ever published anywhere and some not even known by researchers.

One of such great victories was over Central Historical Archives in Kyiv when we won the right to digitize ALL of the Kyiv Jewish records. A massive number of archival documents of one of the largest Jewish communities in the world back then. Descendents of these people now live all over the world.

We did it this summer. Now it all available online for you as it should be. Forever and ever.

Soon afterwards I sent a request to this archive to digitize the rest of Jewish documents of other towns of Kyiv gubernia.

I sent this request on August 13. To my surprise this archive instantly shut down ALL of the Jewish fonds and only because they actually Jewish on August 23. The only reason is “for technical reason”. They suddenly had to change boxes in which documents stored. They needed to check if documents exist etc.

Of course, the only real reason why they did this is just to not let me copy these documents. And do not let them be available for you online.

It’s always better to try to make a peaceful deal before actually going to the court. And I tried. I asked for a copy of official order to close ALL Jewish fonds. I got official response that this information is not public…

I personally had really high hopes for the new head of State Archive Service Mr. Anatoly Khromov. He went to the office couple of weeks ago. And I really hoped he will make the real change. And so the tide will be finally turning.

I sent him a letter asking for help and just to let me know the real date when that technical reason will be over and I could copy Jewish documents, including many documents about my personal family history. He has all the power to do it. Just days before that he publicly claimed that all of the restrictions will go and human rights in our archives will be protected.

To my surprise I got a response from him which is just a bitter end. He don’t know when it will be over. Archive has the right to close fonds for whatever reason. And lots of text ‘bout how many things archive was doing and how they all busy….. which is nothing but bla b la bla and has nothing to do with my simple answer which is “when”. When I will be able to make copies.

It’s a bitter lesson and disappointment. It seems that we now have no other option but to go to the court and sue this archive and State Archives Service once again. We even have a joke “it never happened before and here it comes again”.

Since copying these documents and making them available online is so much important to all of you. I want to ask you something to help me in court.

I ask Jewish genealogy societies all over the world to scribe a letter of support. A short one but to state how important this to you – having all of the Jewish documents of Kyiv gubernia online.

Send them to me and believe me it will help a lot.

Doing this is a good reason for our ancestors, so their voice can be heard and the songs they used to sing can be sung. For many years after us.

Good luck,

Peace and love to all of you.

Alex

Stefani Elkort Twyford

President GHJGS

president@ghjgs.org

281-639-8447

HAL BOOKBINDER PRACTICING SAFE COMPUTING ARTICLE

---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: "hal.bookbinder@ucla.edu" <HBOOKBINDER@roadrunner.com>
To: "'leadership@iajgs.org'" <leadership@iajgs.org>
Cc: 
Bcc: 
Date: Thu, 26 Dec 2019 19:54:03 +0000
Subject: [IAJGS Leadership] Discovering if your personal data has been exposed

Dear IAJGS Leaders,
(IMPORTANT: the link to the PDF of articles has changed. See below for details.)
This month’s Practicing Safe Computing article is "Discovering If You Have Been pwned". We regularly hear about breaches exposing personal data. The free website discussed in this article may let you know if your data has been exposed along with the specific breach in which this may have occurred. If you find that a password that you use has been exposed, you would be wise to immediately change it.
The article, the 50th in this series, has been published in the January 2020 issue of "Venturing into Our Past", the Newsletter of the Jewish Genealogical Society of the Conejo Valley and Ventura County (JGSCV). Current and prior newsletters are freely available at the Society's website, http://www.jgscv.org/
All Practicing Safe Computing articles published to date are available in a single PDF which includes an index. This resource is freely accessible using the following link: https://tinyurl.com/SafeComputingArticles (IMPORTANT: Please update the link shown on your site if your site continues to use the old link, without the word,"Safe")
We will continue to update this resource with monthly articles. Consider placing a link to it on your society's web site or otherwise sharing it with your members as an ongoing free resource, reminding them when new articles are available.
If you have any questions or suggestions for future articles, please contact me.
Hal
Hal Bookbinder
hal.bookbinder@ucla.edu
Los Angeles, CA

DONATION FROM KRISPY KREME FAMILY TO HOLOCAUST SURVIVORS FUND

---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: <janmallen@att.net>
To: IAJGS Leadership Forum <leadership@iajgs.org>
Cc: 
Bcc: 
Date: Sat, 21 Dec 2019 20:36:17 -0800
Subject: [IAJGS Leadership] Family of Krispy Kreme and Panera Bread Makers Donates Millions of Euros to Holocaust Survivors

    

The German family behind  Krispy Kreme Doughnuts, Panera Bread and Pret A Manger Reimann,  pledged 5 million Euros  ($5.5 million USD) to Holocaust survivors and another 5 million Euros to an assistance fund for Holocaust survivors after learning that the family business once used forced labor and supported the Nazi regime.  This was announced by the Conference on Jewish Material Claims Against Germany which will administer the fund through its Alfred Landecker Foundation.

The Claims Conference will absorb 100 percent of the administrative costs associated with management and distribution of the five million euros to ensure that the full amount of funding goes to Holocaust survivors. Funds will be disseminated to the Claims Conference over three years, starting in 2020 with $2.2 million (€2m), another $2.2 million in 2021, and the final installment of $1.1 million (€1m) in 2022.

To read more see:http://www.claimscon.org/2019/12/landecker/

and

https://www.nytimes.com/2019/12/12/world/europe/reimann-family-holocaust.html

I have no further information than what is included in the two articles above. Please do not ask me for any further information.

Jan Meisels Allen

Chairperson, IAJGS Public Records Access Monitoring Committee

MY HERITAGE NEW GERMAN RECORD COLLECTIONS

Hi Paulette

I’m pleased to share that MyHeritage has just published two historical record collections from Germany: the Hesse Birth Index (1874–1911) and Hesse Marriage Index (1849–1931). These collections, totaling 8.5 million historical records, are now indexed and searchable on MyHeritage.

In a shift from traditional church recordkeeping, in the mid-19th century, the German Empire began requiring the civil registration of births, marriages, and deaths for the entire population. These new collections are rich in detail, often providing biographical information that is far superior to that covered by church records. This makes them an excellent resource for German genealogical research.

You can read more in our blog and search now the Hesse Birth Index and Hesse Marriage Index.

Best regards,

Daniel Horowitz
Genealogy Expert

 

MyHeritage Ltd.,
P.O.Box 50, 3 Ariel Sharon St.,
Or Yehuda, Israel