Society of Australian Genealogists

 

Solomon and Associated Families Reunion 2018 10-12 March 2018 Melbourne, Australia

  On 4 August 1817, Emanuel and Vaiben Solomon were convicted at the Durham Assizes and sentenced to seven years of transportation. On 22 December 1817, the vessel Lady Castlereagh, loaded with 300 prisoners, including the Solomon brothers, sailed out of Portsmouth, headed for Australia. They arrived in Sydney on 1 May 1818. 
In honor of the upcoming 200th Anniversary of the arrival of the Solomon family in Australia, it is now time for theSolomon Family Reunion 2018. I had the honor to attend the Great Solomon Reunion in 2012, which was held in Melbourne, Australia. It was such a delight to meet some of the nicest people I have ever met. This years reunion will also be held in Melbourne, at the Parkview Hotel Melbourne.

Melborne Synagogue

What a wonderful opportunity for the Solomon and related families worldwide to come together to honor their ancestry. In addition to reunited with old family and friends, the reunion, to be held the 10-12 of March, will include great food and 2 days of talks and presentations about the Solomon family. What a great chance to get out of the cold and snow that many places will be dealing with and head to the warmth of beautiful Melbourne.
All information about the reunion can be found at the Solomon Family Reunion 2018 website.

Holocaust Remembrance Day (Yom Hashoah)

Thursday, May 5th is the date set aside as Holocaust Remembrance Day or Yom Hashoah. It is the day that we remember the over 6,000,000 who were murdered during the Holocaust. It is a time that we can bring our families together in hopes that the memories will never be lost.

"FORGETTING THEM MEANS LETTING THEM DIE AGAIN"
                                                                   Elie Wiesel
 While the murders did indeed take place in Europe, there may not have been any place on earth that

Marriage of Meyer/Wittkowski

was not influenced by the Holocaust. This year I will remember some of my own family members, people such as Philip Myer and his wife Mabel Wittkowski.
Philip and Mabel were married on  7 Dec 1889 in Berlin, Germany (doc at left). Philip was born in Fordon, Poland the son of Gumpel Meyer and his wife Rosa Auerbach. At the time of this wedding both of his parents were living in Salt Lake City, where the family was involved with the Auerbach Department Stores. Mabel was born in Ballaart, Australia, the daughter of the late Isidor and his wife Lina Kronfeld.
Philip had spent time back in Utah prior to his wedding, he was the architect of one of the first synagogues in Utah, however he lived with his bride in Berlin. During the war, Philip and Mabel were taken to the Theresienstadt Concentration Camp, were their murders were recorded in Oct of 1943.


This year I will also remember those who lost their lives as they fought to free people from the hands of evil. Many of the soldiers who died had never been to Europe before but volunteered because they knew what was happening was not right, and that everyone should have the right to worship as they wanted. I will remember Deyon Frantz Knowles, a Naval Seaman 2nd Class, who died when his ship went down in the Atlantic Ocean in Nov 1943. 
Seaman Deyon Frantz Knowles was my uncle and because of his bravery and service I was never able to meet him, and I refuse to forget him.  His memory is recorded in the Manila American Cemetery and Memorial, which is located within the grounds of the former Fort William McKinley, in Manila, Philippines.

 
We may not be able to reverse what happened during the Holocaust, but we can help our families remember those who were murdered and those who died trying to help. By doing so we may be able to keep their memories alive, that it may never happen again.



 

Australia, New South Wales, Cemetery, Military, and Church Record Transcripts, 1816-1982

This database, which is really a mixture of a few different types of records is now available at FamilySearch. As of today their are over 160,000 images of cemetery transcripts, various military records and Church records. The original collection is the work of Clarice (Taylor) Cubbins who passed away last year. For those researchers with Jewish ancestry the cemetery transcripts will be the most useful.

The collection is very easy to use.  As I always try to use the same surname when doing a beginning search, I entered the name Cohen in the search box and had 235 results returned. The first page of those results is below. 

I selected Rosa Cohen from the list. The results page (below) gave me most of the vital information, such as age at death and location of the burial.

To see if anything else could be gathered from the original source I followed by clicking the "View the Document" tab. I was then able to view the original, which came from FHL Film # 1363955. That original (below) also provided me with the names of Abraham and Sophia Cohen, the parents of little Rosa.

New Zealand, Archives New Zealand Probate Records, 1848-1991

Familysearch has just published a collection of probate records held by Archives New Zealand for the time period 1848-1991. The records come from various courts throughout New Zealand. The published collection has over 2.7 million images, however the images for probates issued during the past 50 years are not available for viewing.
The collection is very easy to use as it is name search able. Searching for the name Cohen, there were 158 different probates for that name. The record below is for Siegmund Cohen, whose will was probated in 1903 in the court of Wanganui. The index information (shown below) gives all the vital information.

 

The original record can be found by clicking on the "View the Document" linked located in the upper right corner. The wills are very easy to read and in the case of Siegmund Cohen give a lot of good family information. The record below is page one of the will which gives the name of his wife, Mathilda,  the names of their four sons,  Maurice, Louis, Edward and Leon, and their sons.

Page two of the will also provides the names of his two daughters, Clara and Lena. This collection may not have as many Jewish families as a European collection but it does give great help to those with ancestry in the Pacific.

Solomon and Associated Families Reunion 2015

In the many years I have been doing family history work, I have been very blessed to travel to many beautiful places and meet some incredible people. One such time was in 2012, when I was able to speak at The Great Solomon Reunion in Melbourne, Australia. The organizers were wonderful people and I made many new friends. It was one of the best organized events I have ever had the pleasure of attending.

Well, now the time has come for the Solomon family to get together again. Word is out that on the 7th and 8th days of June 2015, the Solomon and Associated Families will gather at Wesley College in Melbourne. A new website is now available to fill in all the details. It can be found at solomonfamilyreunion2015.weebly.com

If you are a Solomon or had family that married into the Solomon's, or just want to meet some great people, make your plans now to attend. It will be a wonderful weekend.

Russian Jews in the Australian Imperial Force (AIF)

At this time of year in the United States, we celebrate two major holidays, Veterans Day and Thanksgiving. The first honors all those who have served their country. The second holiday, Thanksgiving, gives us all a chance to pause and give thanks for all that we have. It is not surprising that to many of us, you can't have one without the other.
I am most thankful to those who have served, like my own father, who put his life on hold to serve as a proud member of the United States Marine Corps, without them we wouldn't have all the freedoms we enjoy.
A great example of others who have given of themselves through  their military service is the Australian Imperial Force (AIF). Australia formed it's regular army in 1901, which was backed up by an all volunteer militia. When World War I broke out, the Australian government committed to send 20,000 troops to support the British Military. The regular army formed in 1901 was only allowed for home defense, so a new overseas force was formed. That overseas force is the Australian Imperial Force.

The first of the AIF ships left Australia in November of 1914 bound for Egypt to receive training. Upon arrival the Australian Forces were combined with the New Zealand forces to form the Australian and New Zealand Army Corps (ANZAC). Some of these troops were sent to defend the Suez Canal, however most were sent to the Gallipoli Front. Of these troops, over 1/3 paid the ultimate sacrifice before they were ordered to withdraw at the beginning of 1916. After their withdraw from Gallipoli, most of the troops serving in the Anzac's were then sent to the western front, where they fought for about 2 years. Over the course of the First World War, no country lost more men that did Australia. Over 300,000 troops served and almost 60,000 of them gave their lives. For them I am thankful. 
It wasn't just Australian and New Zealanders who fought in the AIF, there were troops from many countries. The fourth largest national group were the over 1,000 Russian servicemen who fought in the AIF. Of these, about 130 were Jewish. Elena Govor, has written a book about the Russians who served and also has a website where these servicemen are listed. That website, www.russiananzacs.narod.ru, is a great resource for anyone searching for those who served. The website also has information about her book.
The website includes a list of all Jewish servicemen who were from Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Belarus, Ukraine and Russia. The information about each serviceman is amazing. Clicking on the name Wolf Dorfman, gives the following;

The information with the red links, takes you to the original records held in other archives and libraries. The genealogical information is very complete and thanks to Elana for all her hard work. May we never forget the incredible service and sacrifices that our ancestors made for us. We should all give thanks to them.

St. Kilda Cemetery, Melbourne, Australia

Recently, while visiting the beautiful city of Melbourne, Australia to speak at the Great Solomon Reunion, I was lucky enough to have my hotel close to the St. Kilda Cemetery. As I walked to my talk I passed by the front gate of this beautiful resting place for so many Jews of the area.
Following the day's activities I was able to return to this burial ground and document the valuable information contained on these stones. This information is now being added to the Knowles Collection - Jews of the British Isles, and will be available after the next update.

West Terrace Cemetery, Adelaide, Australia

Its been a very busy and last month or so as I have travelled Australia, speaking to various groups and representing FamilySearch at conferences. The month began with me visiting Melbourne and having the great chance to address the Great Solomon Reunion. That reunion by descendants of Solomon Moss Solomon honored the great legacy that started in Australia almost 193 years ago.
Solomon Moss and his wife Esther followed their sons Emanuel and Vaiben to Australia and eventually the family included ten children.
Now, some three weeks later I find myself in Adelaide, Australia speaking at the 13th Australasian Congress on Genealogy & Heraldry. Today after the first full day of presentations, I found myself accompanied by John Kitzmiller, Stephen Young and Dan Poffenberger as we visited the West Terrace Cemetery. Its a beautiful place which houses the final resting place of so many of the groups which make up Adelaide's rich cultural history.
While visiting the Jewish section of the cemetery, it was a wonderful surprise to be able to visit the graves of so many of the Solomon family,including Esther wife of Solomon Moss. One a nice way to end a great day, reconnecting with a great family, both those who arrived so many years ago and the wonderful people who carry on the legacy today. I will not soon forget the wonderful experience of meeting so many of them.

The Great Solomon Family Reunion 10-12 March, 2012

On the 10th-12th of March 2012, I will have the honor of attending and speaking at The Great Solomon Reunion, to be held in Melbourne, Australia. It has now been almost 200 years since the Solomon's settled in Australia, and what better way to celebrate than having a great reunion? With family expected from many countries, it will be a great chance to meet new family, and say hello to old friends. I hope to see you there.

The far reaching influence of the Fordon Jews part 4

As part of my ever continuing plan to document the Jews of Fordon, Poland, I was most curious to find the following entry from a headstone at the Rookwood Cemetery just outside Sydney, Australia.

On that headstone are listed a husband and wife and their daughter. It says;

Marianne Levy Nelson born at Liss, Prussia died 29 Jul 1892 age 50.

Abraham Levy Nelson J. P. born at Fordon, Prussia. Died 4 May 1893 age 54.

Erected by their daughter Julia Nelson.

Once again I am amazed at the influence one small community can have throughout the world. I am sure eventually the people of Fordon will have left their mark on the majority of the world.

Henry Raphael of London and Melbourne

The story of Henry Raphael is a very interesting one. It actually is two very different stories that when combined tell an incredible story. The first takes place in London, where in 1825, Henry is born to Phillip and Grace Raphael. Not a lot is known of his life in London, except that on 4 Jun 1851, in the Great Synagogue, he married Caroline Simmons.

Caroline was the daughter of Simon and Catherine Simmons of Edgeware Road, London. Apparently the two families got along well as her sister, Esther married Henry's brother Ralph. The census below, taken in 1851, shows Caroline living with her parents (http://www.findmypast.co.uk/).

The second part of the story of Henry Raphael takes place in the far away land of Australia. In his incredible book These Are The Names: Jewish Lives in Australia 1788-1850 (FHL book #994 K3l), John S. Levi, documents his life in Australia. The original source should be looked at as it is a wonderful history, however a few of the highlights are:

• Arrived in 1842
• Founding member of the Melbourne Hebrew Congregation in 1843.
• Reputation as a heckler and trouble maker.
• Left Melbourne to"find a wife", but returned before 1854, when he was accused of calling the officers of the synagogue "a set of thieves", because of this he was fined and his membership cancelled from 1 Jan 1854.
• A son, Joseph George Raphael was born on 21 Jun 1861.
• Became involved in the creation of the East Melbourne Synagogue in the 1870's.

This most colorful story ended when Henry Raphael died on 3 May 1894. His wife Caroline died on 3 March 1896, at the age of 62.

The records of this family can be found in The Jews of the British Isles.

These Are the Names: Jewish Lives in Australia 1788-1850

It is not very often that a source comes along that can cover the Jewish community of an entire country.For Australia, that has indeed happened.

In his book These Are The Names: Jewish Lives in Australia 1788-1850 (FHL book # 994 K3l), Rabbi John S. Levi, lays the foundation of the history of the Jewish people in Australia. Regardless of whether they came free or as convicts, Ashkenazim or Sephardim, man or woman, there stories are beautifully told here. The book even provides the references to other sources vital to family researchers.

In his own words, I believe Rabbi Levi, in the Author's Note section, tells us what makes this book so important. he says " These Are The Names is written for the layman to pick up and read. I hope the references will lead investigators to do their own research. I have tried to provide the clues. I for one, believes he has been most successful.