Category: Jewish

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Solomo Aleichemo ORT School Vilnius

Students sing Zog Nit Keynmol for me:

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Pre-Internet Viral: Songs of the Vilna Ghetto – Lithuanian Jewish Community

by Geoff Vasil

Source: www.lzb.lt/en/2017/05/31/pre-internet-viral-songs-of-the-vilna-ghetto/

The Bar & Batmitzvah Ceremonies:

The Choral Synagogue:

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The Community Centre:

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Report by Geoff Vasil with my images

Annual ORT Sholem Aleichem Gymnasium Bar/Bat Mitzvah Ceremony – Lithuanian Jewish Community

Source: www.lzb.lt/en/2017/05/31/annual-ort-sholem-aleichem-gymnasium-barbat-mitzvah-ceremony/

Vilniaus Šolomo Aleichemo ORT gimnazija

„Paskutinė mano valia skirta įpėdiniams: tarpusavyje gyventi draugiškai, nekaupti savyje priešiškumo, palaikyti vieniems kitus sunkiu laiku, prisiminti šeimą, užjausti vargšą… Vaikai, didžuokitės mano taip sunkiai užsitarnautu žydišku vardu.“

Source: www.jewishschool.lt/

World Ort Videos:

ORT Videos

We feature videos made especially for this project by schools belonging to the World ORT network.  See below. To find out more about World ORT, the world’s largest Jewish education and vocati…

Source: Http://elirab.me/ort

 

 

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Israel-Litvak Roots

IGRA Meeting on 12 June in Raanana, Israel

Israel-Litvak Roots
From: Elena Bazes

Monday, June 12th in Ra’anana, Israel

Join us for the next meeting of the Israel Genealogy Research
Association (IGRA).

Eli Rabinowitz will be speaking on “In the Footsteps of Zalman Tzoref:
Tracing 200 Years of Litvak Family History and Legacy”.
This presentation follows Zalman Tzoref’s footsteps and goes beyond!
In 1811, Tzoref left Keidan, Lithuania for Jerusalem where his mission
was to rebuild the Ashkenazi community in the Old City. Eli will
discuss Tzoref’s life and achievements through his 20,000 descendants.

In 2011, Eli returned to the town, now called Kedainiai, and
re-established his family connections with Tzoref’s birthplace. He
will also speak on how he has become active in building bridges in
this town.

Eli Rabinowitz, born in Cape Town, has lived in Perth Australia since
1986. An economist by profession, Eli is involved in a wide range of
Jewish community activities, including filming events, research,
education, arranging exhibitions and lecturing on Jewish cultural
heritage and family history. Eli writes and manages 75 Kehilalinks
websites for JewishGen, and blogs on Jewish life, his extensive
heritage travel and photography. He also arranges customized Litvak
heritage tours and has published stories in various genealogical
publications.

Location: Bet Fisher, 5 Klausner Street, Ra’anana

Doors open at 19:00   Meeting begins at 19:30.

Cost: IGRA members-Free Admission     Non-members-NIS 20

To join IGRA, go to http://genealogy.org.il/membership/

Elena Biegel Bazes
IGRA Publicity Chairperson

Home – Israel Genealogy Research Association

The Israel Genealogy Research Association (IGRA) is bringing new technology, new energy and new excitement to genealogy in Israel, and across the world. In order to receive increased access to the Israel Genealogy Research Association’s web site, and to stay informed on the society’s activities, be sure to register for this site. Registration is free. Press the big “Register Now” button to the right to register now!

Source: genealogy.org.il/

LitvakSIG | About LitvakSIG

LitvakSIG is the primary internet resource for Lithuanian-Jewish (Litvak) genealogy research worldwide. SIG stands for Special Interest Group.

Source: www.litvaksig.org/about-litvaksig

 

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Warsaw – Day 3

Warsaw Spire – Wikipedia

The Warsaw Spire is a complex of Neomodern office buildings in Warsaw, Poland constructed by the Belgian real estate developer Ghelamco. It consists of a 220-metre main tower with a hyperboloid glass facade, Warsaw Spire A, and two 55-metre auxiliary buildings, Warsaw Spire B and C.[3] The main tower is the second tallest building in Warsaw and also the second highest in Poland.

Source: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Warsaw_Spire

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Warsaw Uprising Museum – Wikipedia

The Warsaw Uprising Museum (named Warsaw Rising Museum, Polish: Muzeum Powstania Warszawskiego),[2][3][4][5][6][7][8] in the Wola district of Warsaw, Poland, is dedicated to the Warsaw Uprising of 1944. The institution of the museum was established in 1983, but no construction work took place for many years. It opened on July 31, 2004, marking the 60th anniversary of the uprising.

Source: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Warsaw_Uprising_Museum

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Warsaw Old Town – Wikipedia

The Warsaw Old Town (Polish: Stare Miasto, and collectively with the New Town, known colloquially as: Starówka) is the oldest part of the capital city. It is bounded by the Wybrzeże Gdańskie, along with the bank of Vistula river, Grodzka, Mostowa and Podwale Streets. It is one of the most prominent tourist attractions in Warsaw.

Source: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Warsaw_Old_Town

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Church in Wilanow

With Michael and Ruth Leiserowitz

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Warsaw Day 2

A brilliant tour of Polin with my host Michael Leiserowitz, official guide.

POLIN Museum of the History of Polish Jews – Wikipedia

POLIN Museum of the History of Polish Jews (Polish: Muzeum Historii Żydów Polskich) is a museum on the site of the former Warsaw Ghetto. The Hebrew word Polin in the museum’s name means, in English, either “Poland” or “rest here” and is related to a legend on the arrival of the first Jews in Poland.[1] The cornerstone was laid in 2007, and the museum was first opened on April 19, 2013.[2][3] The museum’s Core Exhibition opened in October 2014.[4] The museum features a multimedia narrative exhibition about the living Jewish community that flourished in Poland for a thousand years up to the Holocaust.[5] The building, a postmodern structure in glass, copper, and concrete, was designed by Finnish architects Rainer Mahlamäki and Ilmari Lahdelma.[6]

Source: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/POLIN_Museum_of_the_History_of_Polish_Jews

 

With Lisa & Samuel Kassow & Michael Leiserowitz

Temporary Exhibition – Jukebox, Jewkbox

Jukebox, Jewkbox! – history of popular music written on gramophone records

Newsletter

Source: www.polin.pl/en/news/2016/07/06/jukebox-jewkbox-history-of-popular-music-written-on-gramophone

The Resource Centre

Aleks and Magda

Praga – Wikipedia

Praga is a district of Warsaw, Poland. It is located on the east bank of the river Vistula. First mentioned in 1432, until 1791 it formed a separate town with its own city charter.

Source: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Praga

Praga

The streets of Warsaw

 

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Warsaw Day 1 – Tour 17

My first day in Warsaw on this tour with my hosts Michael & Ruth Leiserowitz.

Michael is an official guide at POLIN and Ruth is an eminent German historian.

Ruth Leiserowitz – Wikipedia

Ruth Leiserowitz (born Ruth Kibelka, December 25, 1958, in Prenzlau, Brandenburg) is a German historian. Her work and study primarily deal with the wolf children, a group of German children orphaned at the end of World War II in East Prussia. Since 2009, she has been the deputy director of the German Historical Institute in Warsaw. In 2014, she was awarded the Cross of Merit First Class of the Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany by German president Joachim Gauck.[1]

Source: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ruth_Leiserowitz

Michael and Ruth work with me on the the Kaliningrad and Sovetsk KehilaLinks Jewish websites for Jewishgen.org

Kaliningrad, Russia

Source: kehilalinks.jewishgen.org/kaliningrad/Home.html

Visit their Jews of  East Prussia site:

Seiten zur jüdischen Geschichte in Ostpreussen – Jewish History in East Prussia

Source: www.judeninostpreussen.de/

Two updated important booklets for Warsaw and the Jewish Warsaw map.

Our first stop is Wilanow Palace

Wilanów Palace – Wikipedia

Wilanów Palace or Wilanowski Palace (Polish: pałac w Wilanowie, Polish pronunciation: [ˈpawat͡s vvilaˈnɔvjɛ]) is a royal palace located in the Wilanów district, Warsaw. Wilanów Palace survived Poland’s partitions and both World Wars, and so serves as a reminder of the culture of the Polish state as it was before the misfortunes of the 18th century.

Source: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wilanów_Palace

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The Palace of Culture and Science

Palace of Culture and Science – Wikipedia

Constructed in 1955, the Palace of Culture and Science (Polish: Pałac Kultury i Nauki; abbreviated PKiN) is a notable high-rise building in Warsaw, Poland. It is the center for various companies, public institutions and cultural activities such as concerts, cinemas, theaters, libraries, sports clubs, universities, scientific institutions and authorities of the Polish Academy of Sciences. Motivated by Polish historicism and American art deco high-rise buildings, the PKiN was designed by Soviet architect Lev Rudnev in “Seven Sisters” style and is informally referred to as the Eighth Sister.

Source: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Palace_of_Culture_and_Science

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Warsaw – Wikipedia

Warsaw (Polish: Warszawa [varˈʂava] ( listen); see also other names) is the capital and largest city of Poland. It stands on the Vistula River in east-central Poland, roughly 260 kilometres (160 mi) from the Baltic Sea and 300 kilometres (190 mi) from the Carpathian Mountains. Its population is estimated at 1.750 million residents within a greater metropolitan area of 3.101 million residents,[3] which makes Warsaw the 9th most-populous capital city in the European Union. The city limits cover 516.9 square kilometres (199.6 sq mi), while the metropolitan area covers 6,100.43 square kilometres (2,355.39 sq mi).[4]

Source: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Warsaw

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The Nozyk Synagogue

Nożyk Synagogue – Wikipedia

The Nożyk Synagogue (Polish: Synagoga Nożyków) is the only surviving prewar Jewish house of prayer in Warsaw, Poland. It was built in 1898-1902 and was restored after World War II. It is still operational and currently houses the Warsaw Jewish Commune, as well as other Jewish organizations.

Source: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nożyk_Synagogue

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Zog Nit Keynmol – The Poem

Here is an idea for your school students or youth group:

Recite the poem, Zog Nit Keynmol, written by Hirsh Glik 20, in the Vilna ghetto in 1943.

Do it in your own language!

And then SHARE it with us!

The song is the anthem of the Survivors. With their rapidly diminishing numbers, we want our youth to continue the legacy.

Be creative like Giedrius Galvanauskas of Atzalynas Gymnasium in Kedainiai, Lithuania.

Inspired by his English teacher, Laima Ardaviciene, Giedrius used a Lithuanian translation, background music on (1) viola and (2) piano, with a backdrop of old images of his hometown, Kedainiai, and even added English subtitles.

The viola was played by Tzvi Friedl of Perth Australia.

Translated by Roza Tzvi Ben Litay and Sergey Kanovich

Wouldn’t it be great if you recited it in your own language and chose photos from your heritage town and then shared it around the world?

The viola version

The piano version

Here is Aaron Kremer’s English version by Freydl Mrocki of Shalom Aleichem College, Melbourne, Australia.

Tzvi Friedl on the viola

Atzalyno Gimnazija, Kedainiai, Lithuania

The students take me on a multicultural tour of Kedainai, the last stop being the two former synagogue complex, one of only a handful in Lithuania. The centre is run by Rimantas Zirgulis, director …

Source: elirab.me/my-bond-with-atzalyno-gimnazija-a-school-in-kedainiai-2/

 

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The Partisan Song in Australia

Sydney

Last week I was given the opportunity to talk to Year 10s at Moriah College.

My thanks to Jewish studies teacher Hilary Kahn for setting this up.

The presentation was on The Partisan Song Project.

Here are some selected slides from my presentation:

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Some photos from Moriah College:

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David Borecki at the Yom Hashoah Commemorations

Melbourne

Phillip Maisel

Freydi Mrocki

Perth

With Heiny Ellert

Limmud Oz – Perth

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Dylan Kotkis

Tzvi Friedl

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The Partisan Song Project News

Zog Nit Keynmol

ORT CIM Mexico

New videos have arrived:

ORT Compilation

Mexico CIM ORT

King David High School Victory Park, Johannesburg

Press reports:

Australian Jewish News 27 April 2017

Lithuanian Jewish Community

From the SASIG Newsletter

SA-SIG – Southern Africa Jewish Genealogy: SA-SIG Newsletter

The SA-SIG Newsletter

Source: www.jewishgen.org/safrica/newsletter/index.htm

 Including:

Update on Southern African KehilaLinks sites

A reminder that there are a number of South African KehilaLinks pages which can be found on the JewishGen’s KehilaLinks project web site. (The KehilaLinks project provides a set of web pages which commemorate the places throughout the world where Jews have lived.)

The full list of South African KehilaLinks pages can be found at:

http://kehilalinks.jewishgen.org/Asia.html

The list now includes the following towns: Benoni, Bloemfontein De Aar, Cape Town, Germiston, Graaff Reinet, Grahamstown, Kwekwe (Que Que) in Zimbabwe, Johannesburg, Kimberley, Muizenberg, Oudtshoorn Pietersburg, Port Elizabeth, Pretoria, Springs, Stellenbosch, Uniondale, Upington, and Witbank.

Eli Rabinowitz, who has created and maintains most of these KehilaLinks sites, is currently in the process of setting up the following new pages: Paarl, South Africa; Maputo, Mozambique; and Mauritius, Africa.

Eli invites you to send him your stories, memories, photos, family biographies, and articles on Jewish life in any of these places, or for any of the existing pages. As examples of the kind of material he is looking for, Eli suggests you refer to the following links:

http://kehilalinks.jewishgen.org/kimberley

http://kehilalinks.jewishgen.org/graaff_reinet/We rtheim.html

http://kehilalinks.jewishgen.org/nasielsk/Kurtz.ht ml

You can find more information on Eli’s complete set of KehilaLink pages at:


You can contact Eli at eli@elirab.com

For reference, the KehilaLinks project home page can be found at:

http://kehilalinks.jewishgen.org/

and

Lions Shul is a special place

The Lions shul is Johannesburg’s longest standing synagogue, still a vibrant, active, and dynamic congregation. The 108 year old synagogue is in pristine condition and the chavershaft (solidarity/equality) is warm and family-oriented. The services are inspirational and the ambiance magnificent.

A video about the synagogue can be found at:

A description of the synagogue on the Johannnesburg KehilaLinks page can be found at:

http://kehilalinks.jewishgen.org/johannesburg/Li ons_Shul.html

and

FIRST COUSINS REUNITED

The story of how Eli Rabinowitz finally found his first cousin, Zara Smushkovich, after being separated for over 35 years

We love hearing stories of families reunited through Geni. Recently, Eli Rabinowitz finally found his first cousin Zara Smushkovich after being separated for over 35 years! The discovery was made thanks to the help of a friendly person on Facebook who found the family tree on Geni.

Read the SA SIG newsletter link for more.

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Updates to the Partisan Song Project

The Lithuanian Jewish Community

San Diego Jewish World

Smookler – South Africa

Eli is a Genealogist of note……….. Eli Rabinowitz – ‘Gib A Kuk’ at his blog…E-mazing news from ‘Der Heims’ & The ‘Beloved Country’…. http://elirab.me/

“Continue the Legacy of the Jewish Partisans and Survivors “From generation to generation” With less than a week to go to Yom Hashoah on 23/24 April, show your solidarity with Survivors by reciting the Partisan Song, Zog Nit Keynmol, in your own language” ……………….. YOM HASHOAH take place

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Let’s Recite the Partisan Song on Yom Hashoah

Continue the Legacy of the Jewish Partisans and Survivors

With Don Krausz
“From generation to generation”

With less than a week to go to Yom Hashoah on 23/24 April, show your solidarity with Survivors by reciting the Partisan Song, Zog Nit Keynmol, in your own language.

Even better, record & share it on Facebook or Twitter. You can also Dropbox or email it to me at eli@elirab.com and I’ll upload it for you!

It can also be in a combination of languages such as Yiddish, Hebrew and English

Here are 15 different language versions for you to choose from:

http://elirab.me/lyrics/

Here is an example of a recitation:

Freidi Mrocki, a teacher at Shalom Aleichem College in Melbourne, recites Aaron Kremer’s English translation:

Want to sing or recite it in Yiddish, Hebrew & English?

Encourage participation by your children and grandchildren by learning the song and its meaning.

Encourage your school or shul choir to learn and to sing it.

With Veronica Phillips & Barbara Berman

We are inspired by Phillip Maisel:

More details at

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