documenting maine jewry mainejews

From generation to generation to generationSolomon Schechter Day School (Upper School)Nov 14, 2010

Documenting Maine Jewry www.MaineJews.org

Documenting Maine JewryA community-based history project

providing information on Jewish citizens of Maine

through a state-of-the-art genealogical and historical resource

reflecting the Jewish traditions of memory, remembrance and inter-generational learning

DMJ Minyan coordinating group

What are we trying to do ?

Community-based history Not just a genealogical / cemetery record file

Genealogical data yes but also Occupations / Education / Community Service

Organizational involvement yes but also Organizational histories

Preserving historical information yes but also Figuring out how to the internet and PC change the

way we see our own history (virtual visiting to cemeteries)

Hard data yes but also Oral Histories (Stories & recollections)

How are we trying to do it ?

Build on the work of family historians Family trees / oral histories

Link up with Jewish institutions around the state Membership/ Yarhzeit / cemetery / memorial boards /

newsletters and commemorative booksSupport regional town and city groups

Each community gabbiim and group has its own unique in its approach and style

Establish partnerships with everyone DMJ as the virtual museum : MJM as physical exhibition place DMJ as the hard data resource : Colby U. as the research

team DMJ as the state genealogical umbrella : JewishGen / GBJGS /

Experiment Follow up dialogues with those who register for the website Virtual visits to cemetery Mystery photographs Matching census and other official records with family

knowledge

People genealogical info

What’s next for data on individual Maine Jews?

Contributions under way by DMJ-related historians 1880 – 1930 Federal census and resident data for Waterville

With new resources Support family genealogists to build their own family records

and to share these records with other via DMJ’s website Analyze the information that will be collected on ‘mad lib

cards’ from the MJM exhibition

People Genealogical infoCommunity ties

OrganizationsHistory

Key Leaders

What’s next for data on Maine Jewish Organizations?

Contributions in progress by current DMJ-related historiansan Index of Jewish businesses in Bangoraccounts of Jews in Maine’s shoe industry

With new resourcesSupport to local synagogues, community organizations,

cemetery associations, and social organizations in building their own organizational histories and sharing the outcome of their efforts via the DMJ’s website

PeopleGenealogical infoCommunity Ties

POB, Lived In, POD


Key Leaders Locations

PlacesLocal Home

PagesMaps

DMJ's town/city/county Gabbiim (regional coordinators)

Auburn-Lewiston - Phyllis Graber Jensen Augusta - Rabbi Sue Bulba Carvutto and Natalie E Cohen Bangor - Marcia Lieberman, Ruthanne Singal & Judy

Gatchell Bath - Fred Weinberg & Nathan Cogan Biddeford-Saco - Jenny Aaronwitz & Beth Strassler Greater Portland – Annette Elowitch, Judy Halpert & Steve

HirshornGreater Rockland – Deborah Weisgall Old Town & Orono – Beth Hillson Waterville – Peter and Joan Beckerman & David Friedenreich Rural Maine - Barry Tracy

What’s next for data on Maine Jewish cities & towns?

Contributions underway by DMJ-related historiansRecords on the Bangor Jewish community from the

Bangor Public LibraryStories on ‘sub-Minyan sized’ Jewish areas in the state

With resources, Re-structuring the on-line website to give greater

visibility to local Jewish portals A fund could support grants to local Jewish history

groups to collect information on their communities

People Genealogical infoCommunity TiesPOB, Lived In,

POD


Key LeadersLocation

PlacesLocal home pages

Maps

Oral Histories / Biographie

s

What’s next for oral histories?

Contributions underway by DMJ-related historiansRelease of 80+ Greater Portland oral histories on the

website of the Portland Public LibraryPrivate collections from long time Bangor residents

With new resources Support to other Maine Jewish communities to do their

own collection of oral histories An audio index to the 80+ existing oral histories could be

created that would allow listeners to jump to the precise track that included a discussion of a particular theme


POB, Lived In, POD

Images


LocationImages


Maps


s

Photographs /

Documents

What’s next for original documents & photographs?

Contributions underway by DMJ-related historiansYiddish minutes from the Portland Vaad 1909 – 1919 c Photographs from the Bangor Public Library and the

Jewish Community Alliance With new resources

Revision of website to enhance on-line editing and the contribution of documents

Upgrade of the behind-the-scenes Access database routines


POB, Lived In, POD

Significant EventsImages


LocationSignificant Events

Images


Maps


s

Photographs /

Documents

Years Significant

EventsWorld As it

Was


POB, Lived In, POD


Burial records



Images


Maps


s

Photographs /

Documents

Years Significant

EventsWorld As it

Was

CemeteriesBurial info

Public Index

What’s next for cemetery data?

Contributions under way by DMJ-related historiansHeadstone images will be taken next spring at the Beth

Abraham (Auburn) cemetery Headstone census at Mt Sinai is being completed by a

professional engineering company who added GPS markings for each grave site

With new resources Headstone images could be taken for the remaining Maine

Jewish cemeteries An updating of burial records for all the Maine Jewish

cemeteries


POB, Lived In, POD


Burial records



Images


Maps


s

Photographs /

Documents

Years Significant

EventsWorld As it

Was

CemeteriesBurial info

Public Index

Sources &Software

What’s next for sources and software?

Contributions under way by DMJ-related historians1909 – 1919 c Portland Vaad records in YiddishPrivate collections from long time Bangor residents

With new resources Revision of website to enhance on-line editing and the

contribution of documents Upgrade the behind-the-scenes Access database routines Share the methodology and software with other

communities (ethnic, religious or cultural in Maine and Jewish communities outside of Maine)

DMJ Project with theMaine JewishMuseum, located at the restored Etz Chaim (Portland)

Why undertake this task?

• Jewish traditions• Our naming tradition : Beget beget beget• Uses the PC-world to support memories of our

ancestors

• Maine and Jewish sense of history• People should ‘own’ their own history• Where we have been helps to define where we are

going

• Fun and a mitzvah at the same time• Re-uniting family members and friends• Preserving strands in our Maine history that should

not get lost (Arbeiter Ring)

documenting maine jewry mainejews

Documents

maine jewish organizations

resident data

cemeterieshard data

maine jewish cities

jewish institutions

community organizations

family records

individual maine jews