United States Holocaust Memorial Museum. Photo by Tatiana Rodriguez from Unspash

These are always hard ones. There is no way around it. And having spent days and days of research in Holocaust records doesn’t make it any easier. Every time I search for a family, I hope for some glimmer of good news somewhere, and I weep inside and out for what seems to be an endless sea of tragedy. And each time I think, “If it is this hard for me to search for the family of someone whom I have barely met, how could I possibly find the strength to search for my own among these records?”

We honor the strength of anyone who does their own Holocaust research. We understand if someone chooses not to.

The fact is, that even if we are willing to do our own searches, that not every record is available on online. Most archives are posting more records online all the time, but a great many records still exist only in paper form in a brick and mortar archive. And in a great many cases, the best way to access those records is through the expertise of an archivist who works with them on a daily basis.

This is where an archive inquiry comes in. All of the major Holocaust archives are eager to share their information. One of their primary missions is to assist those affected by the Shoah, and their family members through the generations, in their quest for information. These family members, or someone working on their behalf, such as us, can complete an online form that asks the archive to search its records for information about a specific person or persons. The archives do not charge for this service. However, because of the care they take in the process and the demand for their services, it can take many months before a reply is received.

We recently received a reply from the Arolsen Archives (formerly the International Tracing Service) with the results of an inquiry on behalf of a client. Although we had previously found a few records in their online archives, we were surprised to receive their reply containing over 70 documents for one parent and more than 90 for the other, bringing to light important information that had never been discussed in the family. Furthermore, the archivists had pieced together records with different names and birth dates that belonged to the same person—connections that we would have been very unlikely to make on our own.

A painful history is still a painful history, but as Miriam Wiener notes in the introductions to her landmark books, Jewish Roots in Poland, and Jewish Roots in Moldova and Ukraine, at some point the children, or children’s children, want to know what happened so they can make sense of who they are by better understanding where they came from. Generations have been shaped by these events, each in its own way. Similarly, it is the right of those who so desire in each generation to learn about the events that have shaped the lives that have been given to them. By so doing, they have access to power that allows them to shape their own lives, as well as the lives of others, with with increased insight.

Photo by Jean Carlo Emer from Unsplash

Those before us did hard things when hard things were thrust upon them. We can do hard things, too, including when we are uncertain about how hard or how long they will be. Or what form they may take at any point in time. Or exactly what will be required for us to be strong enough to survive, and ultimately thrive. 

Our present concerns probably focus on ourselves and our visible family members, and justifiably so.  Yet, we can look back a couple generations and not only learn a great deal from the lives of those who came before us, but also gain great strength from the examples of those who found a way to face the impossible, regardless of the apparent outcome of their efforts.

Little do we know what ultimate fruit our imperfect efforts in unforeseen circumstances may bear.  In the moment, it is appropriate to focus on meeting our own immediate needs and those of our loved ones. Yet, how little we are able to see, now, how our determination to carry on will influence those we cannot see—those whom we will yet live to see born, but even more, those who will come after them—who may know us, and those before us, only by the stories that we leave behind.

May we live stories that will lend strength to those who follow us. And, may we preserve the stories that we (and those who have come before us) have lived so that they may strengthen those who come after.

Our dad, watching his birthday parade. Photo by Matthew Halbert

These are definitely interesting times for everyone. For some they are terribly difficult. Our hearts go out to those of you who are carrying the heaviest burdens at this time. For many, it is also a chance to spend unprecedented time with family, in both our better and more challenging moments.

We all have an opportunity to capture some of the moments that will be gone sooner than we think.

For example, Lisa made 438 cloth masks. It doesn’t take too long for that to feel uninterestingly routine. Some of what you do may also come to feel humdrum.

On the other hand, our father turned 93, but because he is in senior housing, we obviously could not have a party for him there. So, my siblings who live nearby organized a parade. Yes, a parade through the parking lot that he can see from his balcony. It had grandsons wearing my father’s old uniforms. Cars with signs on them, sometimes people on top, and his favorite songs playing. Princesses of every age practiced their parade waves. There was a toddler fire fighter. A desert tortoise. A neighbor bringing my father’s favorite candy. A horse and rider (don’t even ask how our other sister pulled that one off!). And just what every parade must have—a grandson playing his trombone—while riding a unicycle in a deer suit!

Fortunately, another grandson captured these priceless moments on his camera.

Whatever your days may bring, consider how to capture their uniqueness. Perhaps in photos or videos, daily texts or blog posts, or even a traditional journal or hand-written note. After all, each day happens only once, regardless of whether it feels tediously routine or pricelessly unique.

A trombone-playing, unicycle-riding, deer-suited grandson. Yup, that’s our family! Photo by Matthew Halbert

Lorrie and Lisa at RootsTech, a huge family history/technology conference held every year in Salt Lake City, Utah. February 25-29, 2020.

We are just winding up four whirlwind days at RootsTech2020, a great place to collaborate with other genealogists and catch up on what is new in the field. We thought you might enjoy exploring a few links to websites of some of our genealogical colleagues. Each has something unique to contribute, and some may hold specific treasures of information that will shed light on your family. When we all contribute what we know and can do, we can accomplish amazing things!

Sephardicgen.com All things Sephardic.

Genealogy.org.il Extensive online collections of Israeli genealogy

FEEFHS.org Foundation for East European Family History Studies. Extensive resources, including many Jewish.

AHSGR. American Historical Society of Germans from Russia. Includes many Jewish records. Russia was to the Germans like Westward Expansion was to the United States in the 1800's. It was new territory waiting to be settled by people with pioneering spirit.

SteveMorse.org. Many useful tools for Jewish research, including calendar conversions, foreign alphabets, New York City vital records, US immigration records, etc.

JDC.org. Along with its extensive humanitarian work, JDC also maintains an extensive, searchable online archive of documents and photos.