Israel Religious Records

Christian Records
Parishes and Communities Source: Catholic Church in Israel, Wikipedia There are currently 103 Catholic parishes in Israel and the Palestinian Territories: There are additionally 8 language chaplaincies and 7 ethnic pastoral centers within the Latin Patriarchate: There are approximately 200,000 Christians in Israel. Jurisdictions of seven of the Catholic Churches overlap in Israel: The Armenian, Chaldean, Greek Melkite, Latin (Roman), Maronite, and Syriac. About 85% of the Catholics in Israel and the Palestinian Territories are Arabic-speaking.

Church Records (Parish Registers) Definition Church records (parish registers) are excellent sources of sufficiently accurate information on names, dates and places of birth / baptism, marriage and death / funeral. Church records contain records of births, baptisms, marriages, deaths and burials.

Baptisms

Children were usually baptized a few days after birth. Baptism registers usually give the infant's name, parents' names, status of legitimacy, names of witnesses or godparents, and baptism date. You may also find the child's birth date, the father's occupation, and the family's place of residence, the names of godparents, their residences, and occupations.

Marriages

Marriage registers give the marriage date and the names of the bride and groom. The registers may also indicate whether they were single or widowed and give the names of witnesses. Other information about the bride and groom is often included, such as their ages, residences, occupations, birthplaces, and parents' names. In cases of second and subsequent marriages, the registers may include the names of previous partners and their death dates. A note was often made if a parent or other party gave permission for the marriage.

Burials

Burials were recorded in the parish where the person was buried. The burial usually took place within a few days of death. Burial registers give the name of the deceased and the date and place of death or burial.

Records at the Family History Library

The Family History Library has some church records on microfilm for Israel.


 * a. Click on Places within Israel drop-down menu'''] and select your town.
 * b. Click on the "Church records" topic. Click on the blue links to specific record titles.
 * c. Some combination of these icons will appear at the far right of the microfilm listed for the record. FHL icons.png. The magnifying glass indicates that the microfilm 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 microfilm.

Writing for Records If microfilmed records are not available, you will need to write to a local parish church for records. Addresses How to Write a Letter This Letter Writing Guide for Genealogy will help with phrasing a letter to request church and synagogue records.
 * Greek Melkite:
 * Patriarchate of Jerusalem
 * Archeparchy of Akko
 * Archeparchy of Petra and Philadelphia
 * Latin Church:
 * Jerusalem
 * German and Austrian
 * Palestine
 * Israel outside Jerusalem
 * Hebrew Speaking Catholics
 * Maronite Churches:
 * Maronite Archdiocese of Haifa and the Holy Land
 * Patriarchal Exarchate of Jerusalem, Jordan and Palestine
 * Armenian Catholic Patriarchal Exarchate of Jerusalem
 * Syro-Catholic Patriarchal Exarchate of Jerusalem

Islamic Records
Muslim Records The country's second largest group of citizens are Arabs, at 20.8% (including the Druze and most East Jerusalem Arabs).[1] The great majority of Israeli Arabs are Sunni Muslims, including significant numbers of semi-settled Negev Bedouins; the rest are Christians and Druze. Source: Israel, Wikipedia
 * See, The Muslim Genealogy and Family Tree Page for tips on Muslim sources and research.
 * See, Islamic Genealogy at FamilyTree.com

Jewish Records
For more information about how to obtain records for Jewish denominations, visit this page: Jewish Records
 * Sephardic Resources - Israel

Religious Record Collections in the Online Databases of the Israel Genealogy Research Association Search Engine, click here.


 * Mohalim approved by the Chief Rabinate of Israel 1959
 * A list of 84 Mohalim approved by the Chief Rabinate of Israel published in Yalkut HaPirsumim (the official publication of the government of Israel) on the 25th of June 1959

Jewish Synagogue Records Records kept by officials of the synagogue varied from place to place. In the United States and some other countries these records often included:
 * 2013 A list of 397 Mohalim licensed to perform a Brit Milah (circumcision).
 * 2014 A list of 48 new Rabbis in various settlements.
 * 2016  A list of 1,755 Rabbis who may conduct marriage ceremonies. This list is from the website of the Ministry of Religious Services.
 * 2016 A list of 346 Rabbis overseeing Kashrut from the website of the Ministry of Religious Services.
 * 2016 A list of 423 Mohalim licensed to perform a Brit Milah (circumcision).


 * Minute books of congregational, board, and other meetings.
 * Account books containing lists of members.
 * Congregational and communal histories.
 * Vital records including birth, circumcision, bar and bat mitzvah (coming of age ceremony for boys and girls), marriage, and death records.

Not all synagogues have these types of records. Many have been lost or destroyed or never existed. Those that did survive may be with the synagogue or may have been deposited in a Jewish archive or historical society.

The term Synagogue Records is not a library catalog subject heading. Synagogue records that are part of the Family History Library are cataloged under the subject Jewish Records.

Records at the Family History Library

The Family History Library has some church records on microfilm for Israel.


 * a. Click on Places within Israel drop-down menu'''] and select your town.
 * b. Click on the "Jewish records" topic. Click on the blue links to specific record titles.
 * c. Some combination of these icons will appear at the far right of the microfilm listed for the record. FHL icons.png. The magnifying glass indicates that the microfilm 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 microfilm.

Writing for Records
 * Chabad-Lubavitch Centers (Hasidic Orthodox]
 * Progressive Judaism Synagogues (Reform)
 * Masorti Movement Synagogues, 2016) (Conservative)

Research Strategies
Effective use of church records includes the following strategies:


 * Search for the relative or ancestor. When you find his or her birth record, search for the births of brothers and sisters.
 * Next search for the parents' marriage date and place. The marriage record will often lead to the parents' birth records.
 * You can estimate the ages of the parents and determine a birth year to search for their birth records. If more than one possible candidate is found, search confirmation, marriage, and burial records to determine the correct individual. If available, census-type records or family books can be used as well.
 * Try to find the parents death/burial entries, since these records may give their age at death.
 * Use the above strategies for both the father and the mother.
 * If earlier generations are not in the record you are using, search neighboring parishes and other denominations.
 * Search the burial registers for all family members.