THE ROOTS OF FAMILY
Genealogical searches can yield satisfying results

PAULINE YEARWOOD
Senior Staff Writer

"Genealogy reaches back into the past and forward into the future," says Morton, the Arizona Jewish Historical Society's archivist/curator. "After my generation is gone, who's going to remember everything for future generations?"

For another Phoenix woman, Mildred Starr, her grandmother's tales of coming West in a mule train, recounted to Starr as a child, had long sparked an interest in family history. But it wasn't until years later she found herself with time on her hands, that she was able to dip into that history.

Starting with writing letters to likely sources of information, Starr has now traced one branch of her family as far back as 18th century Poland.

The TV mini-series "Roots" was a catalyst for many Americans to begin to trace their own family histories. But for American Jews, the task wasn't always easy.

"How-to guides on genealogy were mostly directed at individuals who had Revolutionary War ancestors -- or wished that they had," writes Arthur Kurzweil in a new book, "From Generation to Generation: How to Trace Your Jewish Genealogy and Family History" (HarperCollins, $18). "However," he continues, "no guidebook or advice was available for the Jewish person who was curious about his or her family history."

From his own experiences in tracing his family's roots, Kurzweil developed his know-how into a comprehensive volume giving advice and listing sources as diverse as yizkor books, the Encyclopedia Judaica and the LDS Family History Library in Salt Lake City, Utah.

Special chapters treat Jewish names, Holocaust research, visits to "The Old Country" and searches in Jewish cemeteries. A family history workbook and comprehensive bibliography offer further assistance.

Starr, the Phoenix woman whose interest in family history was sparked by tales her grandmother told her during her childhood, says her research has brought her many surprises, including the discovery of relatives throughout the United States.

"I thought when I began that the name Binnard, my grandmother's maiden name, was at an end, but I recently found three young people from that branch of the family with the name -- and one of them lives in Scottsdale," says Starr. "I'm still finding new relatives all over the West."

Her next challenge is to find someone who can translate the old Polish script on her family's records that date back to the 1700s.

And she anticipates discovering more about her husband's family, who came from Russia, as archives that were inaccessible under the Soviet Union begin to see the light of day.

For those who want company -- and advice -- as they search for their roots, the Arizona Jewish Historical Society offers a genealogy group that meets monthly to compare sources and give aid and encouragement.

The Historical Society's Morton notes that a software program and a video on Jewish genealogy are available at the Temple Beth Israel library.

Morton says that for those whose roots extend into the former Soviet Union, it's an exciting time to dip into family history, as formerly sealed archives are beginning to be opened to public scrutiny.

"You've got to find a place to start" in tracing a family history, she says. Find that place, and the hard work -- and fun -- begins.

"From Generation to Generation" is available at Israel Connection in Phoenix and other local bookstores.

Contact the Greater Phoenix Chapter of the Arizona Jewish Historical Society at 241-7870.