Moldova Jewish Records

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Historical Background
At the time your Jewish ancestors lived in what is now Moldova, it was known as Bessarabia.The following articles will provide you with historical background and context:


 * Read the Wikipedia.org article History of the Jews in Moldova, by clicking here.

Find the Town
In order to research your family in Moldova, it is essential that you have identified the place where they came from. It is not enough to know only 'Moldova' or 'Bessarabia;' you must know the town or shtetl that they came from. In addition to research in the records of the country they immigrated to, you may also want to examine the following sources to help you determine possible town locations.

JewishGen Family Finder

 * The Family Finder is a database of both ancestral hometowns and surnames that have been researched by their descendants world wide. The Family Finder allows you to connect with others who are researching similar ancestors and origins and collaborate your research. To add the surnames and locations you are researching, click on Modify (Edit your existing entries) or Enter (Add new entries). Type in the surnames and/or locations of interest and hit Submit. To search the database and see if you can connect to family members and other researchers, choose Search (Search the database) from the Town Finder home page. You can search for a surname and/or a town. Search results will appear in a chart format giving you the surname, town, country, and researcher information (often includes contact information) and the date they last logged into JewishGen.

Miriam Weiner's Surname Database
Over her 30+ years of working in Eastern European archives, Miriam Weiner collected vast amounts of material and can be searched using the Surname Database. You may also be able to use the database to help narrow down a more specific location for where individuals lived who shared your ancestor's surname.
 * Use the Standard Surname Database if you know your ancestor's given name, surname, or town name. This database is comprised of name lists from local historians and heads of Jewish communities, name lists from books, and name lists from various archives.
 * Use the OCR Surname Database (optical character recognition) to search for your ancestor's surname. The search of the database is done using Cyrillic spellings, but the search form allows you to enter the name in Latin letters and automatically transliterates it into Cyrillic for you. This database is comprised of information from business directories, address calendars, telephone books, typed name lists, and name lists from books and from archives.

JewishGen Gazetteer

 * The JewishGen Gazetteer is a useful online gazetteer for locations in Eastern Europe. Note that wild card searches are not supported. To view an entry page, click on the Jewish star to the left of the town name. Entry pages provide jurisdictions for before WWI, the interwar period, after WWII and modern-day. Alternate names and Yiddish and Russian spellings are also included. In the center, you'll find a map and a list of additional Jewish communities located nearby. Finally, under Additional Information and in the green box at the top, you'll find links to references and additional resources that may help you in your research.

Bessarabia Geographical Dictionary
Bessarabia Geographical Dictionary available through the Bessarabia Special Interest Group (SIG) is a list of places Jews lived or conducted business. The gazetteer is available to download in both Excel and PDF format.

Spiski Naselennykh Mest Rossiiskoi Imperii
The Spiski is a Russian langauge gazetteer that lists the populated places in Imperial Russia. The Bessarabia Gubernia (Province) Spiski is available online. For help reading this gazetteer, see the Spiski Gazetteer "How to" Guide.

Maps of your Ancestor's Town

 * Miriam Weiner's website offers select historical maps of Moldova, as well as a variety of historical images from towns in Moldova that may prove useful in your family history.


 * JewishGen Bessarabia SIG Military-Topographical Maps explore the other map options under the Map tab on the Bessarabia SIG website.
 * To view present-day Moldova at Google Maps, click here.
 * For a Jewish population density map of Europe in 1900, click here.
 * For a map showing the percentage of Jews in the Pale of Settlement and Congress Poland, c. 1905, click here.
 * To view an additional historical map showing the historical percentage of Jews in governments, click here.

Revision and Family Lists
Revision lists are enumerations of the taxable population (most Jews in the Russian empire fell into a taxable social class). There were ten revisions taken sporadically from 1772-1858. These records are a foundational source in genealogical research as they provide names, ages, and relationships.

Supplemental Lists, also known as Family Lists, can be found ranging from about 1860 through the end of the nineteenth century. They are similar in format to revision lists and are often grouped with revision list records in an archive.

JewishGen (indexed records)
Many revision list records have been indexed and are available through the JewishGen Romania-Moldova Database. To see translation/indexing projects in progress, see the Bessarabia SIG Project Search Form.

FamilySearch (digital images)
There may also be records available through the FamilySearch Catalog.


 * a. Click here to access catalog entries for Moldova.
 * b. Click on Places within Moldova and a list of places will appear. You may need to click on a district and then select the Places within feature again.
 * f. Click on the Taxation or Census topic. Click on the blue links to view specific record titles.
 * e. Icons will appear at the far right of the listing for the record. The magnifying glass indicates that the record is indexed. Clicking on the magnifying glass will take you to the index. Clicking on the camera will take you to an online digital copy of the records. A camera with a key on top means the record is viewable but with certain restrictions that may mean the record can only be viewed at the Family History Library in Salt Lake City, a Family History Center, or FamilySearch Affiliate Library. Take a look at the Family History Center Finder to discover a location near you.

Revision List Finding Aids
If you are unable to locate records online, there are several resources to help you determine what records are available for your town and which archive they are currently stored in. Revision list records are referred to as "census" records, and may be translated as "Revision tales" or "Fairy tales." See the Additional Resources- Finding Aids and Records Inventories heading in this Wiki article for more information.

Vital Records
Throughout the Russian Empire, birth, marriage, divorce, and death records were required to be kept by the Jewish community beginning in 1835. Jewish records were generally kept in a tabular format with the left-side of the page in Russian and the right-side of the page in Hebrew. Vital records are available online in both indexed and digital image formats.

JewishGen (indexed records)
Many vital records have been indexed and are available through the JewishGen Romania-Moldova Database. To see translation/indexing projects in progress, see the Bessarabia SIG Project Search Form.

Ancestry (indexed records)
Birth records, 1829-1910, are available as indexes from Ancestry in the Bessarabia (now Moldova), Births, 1829-1910 Collection. Indexes may contain a Family History Library microfilm number, and images may be accessible online. Use the FamilySearch Catalog and search using the Film/Fiche Number to see about record availability.

FamilySearch (digital images)
There may also be records available through the FamilySearch Catalog.


 * a. Click here to access catalog entries for Moldova.
 * b. Click on Places within Moldova and a list of places will appear. You may need to click on a district and then select the Places within feature again.
 * f. Click on the Jewish Record topic (it may be found at either the town or uyezd level). Click on the blue links to view specific record titles.
 * e. Icons will appear at the far right of the listing for the record. The magnifying glass indicates that the record is indexed. Clicking on the magnifying glass will take you to the index. Clicking on the camera will take you to an online digital copy of the records. A camera with a key on top means the record is viewable but with certain restrictions that may mean the record can only be viewed at the Family History Library in Salt Lake City, a Family History Center, or FamilySearch Affiliate Library. Take a look at the Family History Center Finder to discover a location near you.

Vital Records Finding Aids
If you are unable to locate records online, there are several great resources to help you determine what records are available for your town and which archive they are currently stored in. See the Additional Records - Finding Aids and Records Inventories heading in this Wiki article for more information.

Cemeteries

 * JewishGen Online Worldwide Burial Registry contains 230,000 burial records for Romania and Moldova.
 * Bessarabia SIG Cemeteries Projects has a list of 79 cemeteries where Jews were buried in Bessarabia/Moldova. Many tombstones have been transcribed, and with a donation you may be able to recieve a photograph of the grave. The SIG also manages restoration and cleaning projects for cemeteries. See also Cemeteries Collections.

Holocaust Lists Database at Routes to Roots
Use the new Holocaust Lists Database at Miriam Weiner's Routes to Roots to determine the location of Holocaust documents such as victim and survivor lists, survival testimonials and more. Holocaust Collections included in this database are from select towns in Belarus, Lithuania, Moldova, Poland, and Ukraine.

Database entries include information about archive the records are stored in and the archival file number. This information will help you locate the original record in the archive.

To determine what holocaust lists may survive, simply search the database by town. Click on an entry to view additional information about the record and its location. After you have determined that Holocaust documents for your town are available, consider searching your surname in the Surname Database. Miriam Weiner has digitized many Holocaust lists and they are accessible through the Surname Database. Keep in mind that this is an ongoing project, so check back often for new information and updates.

Additional Webstes

 * JewishGen Romania-Moldova Database contains Holocaust specific collections.
 * European Holocaust Research Infrastructure Online Portal offers information on Holocaust archival material held in institutions in Europe and throughout the world.
 * Arolsen Archives, also known as the International Center on Nazi Persecution, is one of the largest archives on the victims of Nazi persecution. Many of their holdings are available to research online.
 * Yad Vashem Central Database of Shoah Victims' Names is a database of victims of the Holocaust.
 * The Nizkor Project collects information about the Holocaust in Bessarabia, Moldova, Romania, and Transnistria.
 * Holocaust in Bessarabia - JewishGen Bessarabia SIG contains useful links to information about the Holocaust in Bessarabia, as well as links to area specific memorials and mass graves.

Yizkor Books
Yizkor books are memorial books commemorating a Jewish community that was destroyed during the Holocaust. Books are usually published by former residents and records the remembrance of homes, people and ways of life lost during World War II. Most books are written in Yiddish or Hebrew, but in recent years, many have been translated and made available online. You may wish to refer to the Glossary of Yizkor Book Terms list to help you.


 * Take a look at the JewishGen Yizkor Book Project to locate a translation or Yizkor book for your locality of interest.
 * Also consider the Bessarabia SIG Yizkor Book Translations Collection to locate translations. To see the status of translations of Bessarabian Yizkor books, see the Bessarabia SIG Yizkor Book Translations Project.
 * Use Genealogy Indexer to find indexes to over 364 Yizkor books.
 * The New York Public Library has a large collection of Yizkor books, and many have been digitized.
 * The Family History Library has copies of many Yizkor books. Check the FamilySearch Catalog for availability for your town.

Historical Photos
The Image Database on Miriam Weiner's website contains photographs and postcard views of many towns and cities throughout Ukraine, Belarus, Moldova, Lithuania, Poland, and other select countries dating back to the early 1900s. These include pre-WWI and current town views, photos of synagogues, Jewish cemeteries, and Holocaust memorials. Even if you are unable to find a picture of your ancestor's town, it may still be interesting to see what other towns in the area looked like, which will allow you to a get a feel of what life may have been like for your ancestor.

Additional Records - Finding Aids and Record Inventories
Additional records such as city directories, school records, additional tax records, etc. may exist for your locality. Use some of the sources listed below to help you locate those records. Many of these records may be located in an archive. To learn more about archives in Eastern Europe, read the YIVO article, Archives, by Miriam Weiner.

JewishGen (indexed records)
The JewishGen Romania-Moldova Database contains indexes of additional records including Soviet Repression records, business and commercial directories, WWI information, voter lists, and more!

Miriam Weiner Routes to Roots Foundation
Use the Archive Database to locate what records exist for your ancestor's town, and where to find them. Search for the name of your ancestor's locality, and the database will provide results for known surviving records from that location, and where the records are held. (Remember to adjust the search criteria for Soundex options or spelling variations).

This database contains documents such as army/recruit lists, family lists and census records, Jewish vital records (birth, marriage, death, divorce), immigration documents, voter and tax lists, property and notary records, Holocaust documents, police files, and pogrom documents, school records, occupation lists, local government and hospital records.

For information about the repositories referred to on Miriam Weiner's Archive Database, see the Archives in Eastern Europe page which includes archival contact information. Contact/visit the respective repository for details on their holdings. For instructions on contacting archives and accessing records, see Q11 on this Routes to Roots page. For help writing in inquiry in Russian, see the Russia Archives and Libraries page.
 * See Routes to Roots Foundation and hover over Belarus for a Genealogical and Family History guide to Jewish and civil records in Eastern Europe.

Jewish Roots
The Еврейские Корни (Jewish Roots) site is an excellent resource to help you locate archival documents. The website is in Russian, but if you are using the Google Chrome browser, simply right click anywhere on the page and select Translate to English. Search using the name of the town (find the Cyrillic spelling of the town on JewishGen Town Finder) to see what archival records might be available for your location. In addition to the database, use the Forum to connect with other researchers and find other potential resources for your location.

Bessarabia.ru
The Sources for Genealogical Searches tab at Bessarabia.ru contains information about the types of records available in archives. The site is available in English, but as you explore, consider using the Russian version of the site, as in some cases, more information is available. If you do not read Russian, use the Google Chrome browser, then simply right click anywhere on the page and select Translate to English. You may also wish to use their Forum to inquire about records and connect with other researchers.

Reading Records
Moldovan/Bessarabian Jewish records are most commonly written in Russian or Hebrew. Use the resources in this list to help you learn how to read the records. You may also consider using a free translation service such as the FamilySearch Community (Be sure to post in the Russian Empire Genealogy Research group or tag @RussianEmpireGenealogyResearch in your question) or JewishGen View Mate.

Russian

 * The Russian Alphabet "How to" Guide
 * Deciphering the Handwriting and Understanding the Grammar "How to" Guide
 * Russian Genealogical Word List
 * FamilySearch Learning Center - Russian Handwriting Courses

Hebrew

 * Reading Hebrew Tombstones
 * National Jewish Outreach Program Hebrew Resources
 * Hebrew Naming and How to Read Hebrew Headstones (YouTube Video)

Additional Resources

 * JewishGen Bessarabia SIG
 * Bessarabia SIG Names Database


 * Bessarabia.ru
 * Migration to Bessarabia/Moldova Presentation by Yefim A. Kogan.