JEWISH NEW NOSH JUNE 28, 2026

 

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Headlines June 28, 2026

Miriam Weiner Donates Her Five Decade Jewish Genealogy Collection Back To Her Own “Roots.” Unabashedly American and Jewish at 250 Fold3 Giving Free Access for 250 hours for Revolutionary War Records How to Find an Obituary for a Specific Person Polish archives making a large collection of Ukrainian records public by late 2026 From The United Kingdom: NHS Jewish BRCA testing program to become permanent The Lost Language Behind Judaism's Greatest Books A board game under development called Shtetl aims to introduce players of all ages to Jewish small-town life in the former Pale of Settlement A Jewish soldier died saving a Christian friend. Eighty years later, a grave reunited their families Prison guard at Nazi POW camp under investigation for ‘murder.’ New Treblinka research uncovers forgotten role of women in 1943 death camp revolt This is the music the Nazis tried to bury A klezmer virtuoso, Joseph Moskowitz was a cymbalist of Jewish progress in America. Nathan Straus made his fortune at Macy’s — and spent it fighting disease in New York and Palestine For Mel Brooks and generations of his admirers, 100 years is not enough The Jewish Dads of Television, Ranked

IAJGS AI VIRTUAL SUMMIT IS NOW ONLINE

 CLICK HERE FOR THE LINK TO THE VIRTUAL SUMMIT

 "The program featured two hour-long sessions - an overview of AI, and one focusing on using AI as a research tool. It concluded with a panel discussion featuring Little and Thompson, who cohost the podcast “The Family History AI Show;” Humphrey, who is CEO and co-founder of L’Dor V’Dor Foundation; professional genealogists Gil Bardige and Alec Ferretti, and moderator Jarrett Ross, who is known as the GeneaVlogger.

This was the first, but not the last, AI virtual summit planned by IAJGS. At least one more is in the works for later this year, according to Humphrey. And there are plans for what she calls a “rewind party,” to give those who view the recording a chance to ask questions of the speakers in a live forum."

 

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 THE NEWS NOSH

Headlines June 21, 2026

A Happy and Healthy Father’s Day to all of our fathers, grandfathers, and great grandfathers reading this newsletter! Did you know that over 70 countries worldwide celebrate Father’s Day the 3rd Sunday of June? ... Phil Goldfarb

International Association of Jewish Genealogy Societies (IAJGS) Artificial Intelligence Virtual Summit: Lessons in Using Artificial Intelligence in Jewish Genealogy Goethe University Frankfurt, Germany Judaic Holdings Introducing TreeLab: A New Free Genealogy Tool Hebrew University-linked study pushes evidence of human fire use back more than 1 million years Rare cultic stone from Israelite mansion may testify to King Hezekiah’s biblical reform The Radhanites: The Jewish Network Behind Medieval Global Trade ‘Once in a lifetime discovery’ of Roman-era statues in Israel archaeological dig Rare mother-of-pearl seal highlights movement of goods and ideas across Assyrian empire A priceless book of Yiddish songs from the Holocaust lay in a Sydney cupboard for decades – now it has been rescued Children's Homes for Holocaust Survivors The Tehran Children Archaeologists have begun excavations at the site of the pre-burial house and synagogue, which once stood at the entrance to Warsaw’s Okopowa st. Jewish cemetery 11 Old Yiddish Sayings You Can Apply to Modern Life Switzerland set to levy fines for public display of Nazi symbols The Jewish Mom Behind Frank Sinatra’s First Big Hit Mel Brooks: The first 100 years Billy Crystal Is Coming Back to Broadway With a Very Personal Show Your Favorite Sandals Are Named After a Hebrew Word

CRACKING THE CODE WITH SEARCH WILDCARDS AND PHONETICS

 

President’s Corner: Cracking the Code with Search Wildcards and Phonetics

As members of the Genealogical Society of Greater Miami, we all know that researching our family trees is rarely a straight line. Many of us are tracing ancestors whose names changed drastically as they crossed borders, passed through ports of entry, or were recorded by clerks who didn't quite catch the spelling. We’ve all hit that frustrating brick wall where we know a family member should be in a database, but their name just isn't popping up.

Because our ancestors' surnames were often translated, misspelled, or adapted over generations, flexibility is key when we search. A recent helpful thread on the JewishGen Discussion Group reminded me of two powerful tools we should all have in our genealogical toolkit—whether we are researching Eastern European roots, Sephardic lineages, or any family names that evolved over time.

Here is a quick breakdown of how to use Wildcards and Phonetics to break through your current brick walls.

President’s Corner: Cracking the Code with Search Wildcards and Phonetics

We’ve all hit that frustrating brick wall where we know a family member should be in a database, but their name just isn't popping up. Because our ancestors' surnames were often translated, misspelled, or adapted over generations, flexibility is key when we search.

A recent helpful thread on the JewishGen Discussion Group reminded me of two powerful tools we should all have in our genealogical toolkit: Wildcards and Phonetic Searches. Here is a quick breakdown of how to use them to break through your brick walls.

1. Mastering Wildcards: ? vs. *

Think of wildcards as placeholders for the letters you aren't completely sure about. Most databases support them, though it is always smart to check the specific site's search rules first.

• The Question Mark ? (Stands for exactly one letter): Use this when you are debating between a single or double letter, or a specific vowel.

  • Example: Searching for HARRIS but unsure if it has one 'R' or two? Search for HAR?IS.

• The Asterisk * (Stands for multiple letters): Use this to capture major spelling shifts or variations in the middle or end of a name.

  • Example: GREENBERG often appears in records as GRINBERG. Searching for GR*NBERG will capture both.

• Mix and Match: You can even use both at the same time. If you want to find Greenberg, Grinberg, Greenburg, or Grinburg, try searching for GR*NB?RG.

• The Vowel Strategy: A great tip passed down by fellow researchers is to use the * wildcard specifically to replace unpredictable vowels. For example, searching for a name like Shewalowitch using S*w*l*w* can successfully pull up Schawelowitz and Sawalowich all at once.

2. Exact vs. Phonetic Searches

When you look at a search dropdown menu on sites like JewishGen, Ancestry, or SteveMorse.org, you will often see options like "Exact," "Phonetic," "Soundex," or "Fuzzy." What do they actually mean?

• Exact Search: The database will only return results that precisely match the spelling you typed. If there is a one-letter typo in the record, you won't see it.

• Phonetic / Soundex Search: The system looks for names that sound like yours, even if they are spelled entirely differently. For instance, searching JewishGen using "Sounds like Savalovitz" will successfully bring up Shevalovitz, Schewalowitch, and Sevelovitz.

A Quick Bit of History: Some of us might remember the "old days" of visiting the physical archives, where we had to manually calculate Soundex codes by hand just to scroll through rolls of microfilm! We are incredibly fortunate that today's digitized databases handle that heavy lifting for us behind the scenes—though different archives (like NARA versus the NYC Municipal Archives) historically used slightly different indexing systems.

Put it into Practice

The next time you hit a dead end, try switching your strategy. If you are using a phonetic "Sounds Like" search and getting too much clutter, try switching to an "Exact" search but strategically placing a few * or ? wildcards to target the vowels.

Happy hunting, and may your next search bring you closer to your ancestors!

The Weekly News Nosh - June 14, 2026

 

Headlines Editor: Phil Goldfarb, Tulsa, Oklahoma, USA CLICK HERE TO VIEW NEWS NOSH June 14, 2026

MyHeritage Celebrates America 250: Explore Your Family’s Connection to U.S. History Funny, You Don’t Look Jewish – What happens when Catholic Hispano-Americans discover their Jewish heritage? IGRA Celebrates Historic Milestone: Over 4 Million Records Now Online Family Search: New Free Historical Records from 22 Countries | June 2026 Update A brand-new free cheat sheet: the International Archives Genealogy Resources guide Jewish Cemetery Clean-ups Ancient ‘time capsule’ cave near Haifa reveals rare pre-Neanderthal culture Ancient storage jars unearthed near Shiloh Tabernacle site Hope for the preservation of the long derelict synagogue in Abony, Hungary as the town takes over its management The synagogue is Pisek, Czech Republic will soon open to the public At the dawn of the World Cup, the story of the Jews who helped bring soccer to America How Freakonomics Author Stephen Dubner Found His Way Back to Judaism Her Father Was an Arab Prince. She Chose to Be Jewish ‘Dirty Dancing’ be damned. A new musical shows another side of the Borscht Belt Jerry Seinfeld and Larry David Reunite in ‘Life, Larry and the Pursuit of Unhappiness’ YiddishPOP can bring more diversity to American Jewish education A Yiddish favorite is among the top baby names in New York West Point graduated more Jewish cadets this year than ever before in its 224-year history NY Knicks win NBA Championship last night ending a 53 year drought!

The Weekly News Nosh for June 7, 2026

 

CLICK HERE TO READ THE WEEKLY NEWS NOSH https://ldvdf.org/wnn-20260607/ Headlines June 7, 2026

Immigrant Heritage Month Jewish Genealogy: IIJG Journal, Issue 3 now available online Finding Female Ancestors in The U.S. Genealogy…A Cheat Sheet! Who Knew? GEDmatch has a YouTube Channel! Before You Erase the Jews, Read This Patrilineal Genetic Ancestry of Moroccan Jews A secret bunker, tunnel and a Star of David tell a story of Jewish resistance in a Polish town 85 years after Baghdad’s Farhud massacre, last survivors fear story is being forgotten Seven Siblings Survived the Holocaust and Emigrated to the US Together Sicily’s Forgotten Jewish Legacy The Chmielnicki Massacre: Ukraine's Celebrated Hero Was a Mass Murderer of Jews The Ashkenazic Great Synagogue in the Black Sea port of Constanţa, Romania has been rededicated with a joyous ceremony after a full restoration Number of Nazi victims’ descendants given German citizenship jumped 61% in 2025 A decaying historic farmhouse finds a savior in Chabad An organ divided a synagogue. The fallout helped create Reform Judaism Five Jewish WWI soldiers receive Star of David headstones in France after a century beneath crosses 12-year-old finds ancient gemstone in Galilean Jewish village cursed by Jesus Jewish Museum London unveils first public exhibition space since closure Bneimitzvah service breathes Jewish life back into German shul not used since Kristallnacht Eight Amazing Jewish NBA Players You Need To Know About Marilyn Monroe would be 100 today. Are we making too much of her conversion? This Yiddish Word Fills Us With So Much Pride and Contentment Tower of David Museum wants your old Western Wall photos ‘I AM ISRAEL’ campaign launched to attract American tourists Finalists announced for lucrative Jewish literary award

The Weekly News Nosh - May 31, 2026

 

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https://ldvdf.org/wnn-20260531/

1. Free U.S. immigration records for Immigrant Heritage Month from MyHeritage

2. New in MyHeritage Ancient Origins: Discover Your Connection to Notable Individuals from History

3. New free database documents Nazi persecution victims within the Soviet Union

4. How to Back Up Your Ancestry Family Tree

5. What To Do With Old Letters

6. Can Ancestry DNA or MyHeritage DNA or FamilyTree DNA or 23andMe DNA Help Find Birth Parents?

7. A major new exhibit focuses on the discoveries made during the excavations of the site of the destroyed Vilnius Great Synagogue

8. At the edge of America, six Jewish graves endure

9. The First Blood Libel

10. Highlighting the JEWELS TOUR, an EU-funded project on the tourism potential of Jewish cultural heritage that is under way in six partner countries

11. New paths to German citizenship for families affected by Nazi persecution

12. ‘The Wanderers’ tells the story of Poland’s Holocaust survivors who fled to the Soviet Union

13. How 51 Boys Escaped the Gas Chamber in Auschwitz

14. New Woody Guthrie documentary is ‘Jewish film about very non-Jewish guy from tiny little town in Oklahoma’

15. Arthur Szyk: The Artist Who Fought Hitler with a Paintbrush

16. Yad Vashem to open first Holocaust education center outside Israel in Munich

17. A museum exhibit explores the Jewish fascination with the occult

18. Sir Isaac Newton and Judaism

19. How the 1919 solar eclipse made Albert Einstein famous

20. ‘10 Agams in Iran’: The secret story of Israeli and Jewish art in the regime’s hands

21. The Jewish Samurai: Joseph Trumpeldor's Japanese Odyssey

22. Garry Trudeau was a prep school kid from New England, but he identified with the Jewish outsider in ‘Doonesbury’

23. Miami restaurant becomes first kosher eatery to earn Michelin Star

The Weekly News Nosh for May 26, 2026

 

The Weekly News Nosh May 24, 2026

CLICK HERE TO READ THE Weekly News Nosh https://ldvdf.org/wnn-20260524/

1. Free military records for Memorial Day

2. Newspapers.com adds 133 new papers spanning nine states and seven countries

3. The JGS Toronto has launched a FREE AI Resource Library — and it's open to everyone

4. Interviews with Holocaust survivors reveal the richness of Yiddish

5. Wiener Library launches Britain’s first exhibition on Nazi camp slave labor

6. Legacy Family Tree Webinars

7. What does a swastika mean?

8. Medieval France’s Blood Libel Playbook

9. Israel acquires world’s first kosher cookbook

10. Restoration work on the synagogue in Seini, Romania has been completed

11. Swiss teens clean up graves in Jewish cemetery to ‘take care of memory’

12. Israel OKs $85 million investment in heritage sites across Judea and Samaria

13. UK launches Jewish Culture Month

14. A nostalgic glimpse into Shavuot celebrations in pre-state Israel

15. More On Shavuot from Aish

16. A Biblical Story That Passes the Bechdel Test? Yes Please!

17. Did medieval Jews hide a ‘secret synagogue’ in tarot cards? Boston exhibit turns over clues

18. As AI spreads, Jewish groups grapple with what it means for Torah study

19. For Bob Dylan’s 85th birthday, an 85-minute playlist

20. Mel Brooks to Donate His Expansive Career Archive to National Comedy Center in New York

21. Jackie Tohn’s Jewish Summer Camp Movie Is Finally Coming to Theaters

About The Weekly News Nosh

The Weekly News Nosh (NewsNosh) is the L’Dor V’Dor Foundation’s weekly Jewish heritage news digest—a curated set of links for anyone interested in Jewish family history, Jewish history, and Jewish heritage. NewsNosh is published on Sundays and shared on our website and social media platforms. “A Family Without The Understanding Of Their Past History, Foundation And Ethnicity Is Like A Tree Without Roots.” Subscribe to receive NewsNosh every Sunday, directly in your inbox. Browse past issues of our Jewish heritage news digest in the NewsNosh archive