Some medieval maps show the city of Jerusalem as the center of the world. Thanks to modern technology, this is becoming more and more of a reality when it comes to Jewish genealogical research. Many archival collections that have gathered dust for decades or were accessible only in situ now are being scanned. In the future, many collections may be accessible to the researchers on their own computer. Some archives, previously known only to the advanced researchers, will become more widely understood by all as a primary source for vital information.

The Central Zionist Archives in Jerusalem (CZA) is just such an institution. Its holdings span one of the most tumultuous hundred-year periods of Jewish history, that is, from the last decades of the 19th century to 1970. The CZA webpage, which is in English as well as Hebrew, is <www.zionistarchives.org.il>. Every effort is made to inform the reader of the scope of this extensive collection. No detail is overlooked–—including instructions on how to conduct oneself when visiting the archives. An easy click on one of the many frequently asked questions that are conveniently listed provides researchers with the e-mail connection to the right department. Instructions on how to donate material to the archive also are given.

“The Central Zionist Archives in Jerusalem (CZA)… holdings span one of the most tumultuous hundred-year periods of Jewish history, that is, from the last decades of the 19th century to 1970.”

Genealogists should go to Family Research and read the first fact sheet, which contains general information on genealogical services available at the CZA. Next, peruse the other fact sheets and note that some material is open to the public while access to other items is restricted to the CZA staff. Israel has strict privacy laws that sometimes can frustrate researchers.

Background

In the spring of 1919, historian Georg Herlitz accepted an offer to serve as the archivist in the Zionist Executive offices in Berlin. Until the Nazis rise to power in 1933, this office accumulated material from the many Zionist organization offices throughout Europe. Books, photographs and periodicals dealing with Zionism and the return to Eretz Yisrael were added to the collectible items. In 1933, Herlitz, his assistant and the archives all relocated to Jerusalem. The following year, the constantly expanding collection that now included personal archives of key figures in the Zionist movement and the Yishuv (the pre-State Jewish community of Eretz Yisrael) reopened to the public. In 1955, Dr. Alex Bein, the author of numerous books on the renewed Jewish settlement of Eretz Yisrael and a biography of Theodor Herzl, became the director. One of his objectives was to add to the archives collections and personal papers that survived the Holocaust. A year later the collection was further expanded when all the offices of the Zionist movement and the Jewish Agency throughout the world were required to transfer to Jerusalem all those files not needed for their daily operation. In the fall of 1987 the CZA moved to its present location near the Jerusalem central bus station, easily reached by public transportation.

Genealogical Collection

The CZA has undertaken a tremendous task in scanning all of its genealogical material. With nearly two million names, it is a gold mine of information that offers every Jewish genealogist an opportunity to discover unknown details.

Although some people appear on more than one list, this is an astounding achievement. Currently, 17 different databases of genealogical importance are scanned and accessible on the staff computers at the CZA. Recently, the Deputy Director of Archival Affairs, Rochelle Rubinstein, spent more than an hour with me, demonstrating some of the results of the tremendous effort that has been made to scan the data and develop these databases. Although most of the databases and files are not available to the public for research, Rubinstein says that CZA staff members are happy to check those closed to the public. Clear instructions on how to complete applications for material appear on the CZA web page. Before submitting an application, however, remember that the more information one provides, the better the chances for success. Requests may be sent by mail, fax or e-mail. Check the CZA webpage to learn which material is open to the researchers on location and what must be ordered.

With the exception of the Aliyah List database, only the CZA staff is currently permitted to access the other genealogical databases. The collection holds applications of the tens of thousands of Jews who applied to settle in Eretz Yisrael before World War II. Thus, it is possible to find detailed information about individuals who perished in the Holocaust.

Ms. Rubinstein asked me for a name. I have done extensive research on my paternal grandmother’s family, some of whom survived the Holocaust and came to Eretz Yisrael right after the war. One member was a passenger on the famous ship Exodus. I gave her the name Dimmerman, which she typed into the computer. A few seconds later the name appeared on the screen with numbers next to the database reference number. This preliminary working screen indicated in which database the Dimmerman name appeared and where it did not appear. When Ms. Rubinstein clicked on the database indicated as having information, cards listing family members, some of whom I had met, appeared on the screen. The cards provided data about these individuals. Since I was familiar with them, it verified and expanded the information I already knew. Next, we searched the other databases that indicated listings for people whose last name was Dimmerman. One was a card from Argentina and another from South Africa; both referred to individuals searching for people with that last name. These names were unknown to me, so now I have some additional paths to trace.

Immigration Records—Aliyah Registers, (1919–69)

The database that is open to researchers at the CZA in its Jerusalem home is Record Group S104/ISA1. The term aliyah literally means “going up” in Hebrew. It is the word that is universally used to describe those who immigrated to Eretz Yisrael. These are aliyah lists, that is, lists of individuals who immigrated to Eretz Yisrael between the years 1919 and 1969. To use the files effectively, however, a reading knowledge of Hebrew is necessary. I checked files S104/551 and S104/552. These held alphabetical listings of people who arrived between 1919 and 1924, but the data was not recorded in any uniform pattern. Some records include the name of the immigrant, age, occupation and city of origin as well as the names of relatives already living in Eretz Yisrael. Others list only the head of the family and the number of people who came with him—but not by name. Interestingly, some individuals were listed as people of means. Most immigrants came by ship, but there are some who are recorded as having arrived by train.

Additional Genealogical Databases

Not all of the following items have been scanned to date, but the process is continuing. For anyone researching individuals who fit into the following categories, the CZA should be put on the must contact list. Again, the CZA web page has detailed instructions on how to order information found in these databases. Each of the following listings, which are divided by topic, includes title of the database, years covered by the database, call number of the database, and the number of names recorded in each unit.

Immigration

• Immigration registers, 1948–70, S104/ISA1, 700,000 (discussed above)
• Card index and files of candidates for immigration and list of immigrants who came through the Jewish Agency Immigration Department, 1919–69, SP6, 457,000
• Statistical card index of the Jewish Agency Immigration Department, 1919–48, SC6, 200,000
• Card index of immigrants from Yemen, 1949–50, SC120, 7,200
• Questionnaires of immigrants of the Jewish Agency Immigration Office in Paris, 1948–50, LC10, 7,000
• Card index of detainees in Cyprus, 1947–49, JC21, 2,000;
• Forms and questionnaires of the Eretz Yisrael Office in Rome, 1945–47, LC16, 2,000
• Card index of the Eretz Yisrael office in Riga for immigrants from Latvia, 1920–39, LC21, 2,000
• Forms and questionnaires of immigrants of the Eretz Yisrael office in Morocco, 1950–54, LC28, 500

Family Research

The Jewish Agency opened a Search Bureau for Missing Relatives in 1947 that functioned until 1999 when it was closed and some of its functions transferred to the CZA. This Bureau fielded requests from people all over the world who were attempting to locate relatives and acquaintances with whom contact had been lost because of World War II. Over the years, a card catalogue was compiled of requests to the Bureau. In the 1990s, this catalogue was computerized, although the cards themselves were not preserved. The CZA holds this database (in Hebrew), which lists over one million requests for information to the Bureau, from the 1940s to the 1970s. Each entry provides details about the enquirer and the person being searched for and may include the enquirer’s name and address, and the name, country of origin, age/birth date, and names of family members of the person being searched for. Record group: Index of appeals to the Jewish Agency’s Search Bureau for Missing Relatives, SP104

Youth Aliyah

Founded in 1933 by Recha Freier to rescue Jewish youth from Nazi Germany, Youth Aliyah brought some 5,000 teenagers to Eretz Yisrael before World War II. With the backing of the World Zionist Organization and with Henrietta Szold supervising its activities in Jerusalem, while Recha Freier did so in Germany, Jewish children, upon completion of elementary school, underwent a short training period in Germany before being placed on kibbutzim (collective farms) in Eretz Yisrael. There they learned Hebrew and farming, eventually taking their places in society. After the Holocaust, under the supervision of Youth Aliyah, some 15,000 youngsters, mostly survivors, arrived in Eretz Yisrael, where they lived in specially developed youth villages or kibbutzim.

• Card index of Youth Aliyah children [in Hebrew], 1935–95, SPH75, 305,000
• Card index of Youth Aliyah children, 1946–49, SPE75, 127,000
• Card index of children in Youth Aliyah institutions, year not specified, SCM75, 107,000
• Card index of Youth Aliyah Teheran Children, 1942–43, SCT75, 900
• Card index of German Youth Aliyah Children, 1933–36, SCG75, 3,000
• Card index of enlistees of the Recruiting and Demobilization Offices of the Jewish Agency, 1942–45, SC37, 25,200

Enlistment Records—World War II

During World War II, young men and women in Eretz Yisrael joined the British Army to fight the Nazis. The Zionist leadership actively solicited the enlistment of as many Jewish volunteers as possible. Information on those people who served may be found in the database of the Recruiting and Demobilization Office of the Jewish Agency. The Jewish Agency in pre-state Eretz Yisrael served as the government of the Jewish community. Record group: Card index of enlistees of the Recruiting and Demobilization Offices of the Jewish Agency, 1942–45, SC37, 25,200

Others

The Jewish Territorial Organization (ITO), founded in 1905 by Israel Zangwill, held that a Jewish national home could not be established in Eretz Yisrael. Its members sought alternative locations to settle Jews, sponsoring the Galveston Plan that sought to bring immigrants to Texas. It disbanded in about 1925.

• Card index of emigrants in the papers of the Jewish Territorial Organization, London (ITO), 1913, AC36, 4,300
• Card index of the Eretz Yisrael office in Warsaw, 1918, AC121, 5,600

Fees

The staff will search a given family name for NIS50 or $20. If the inquirer is a lawyer or professional genealogist, the rate is NIS80 or $30. Costs to mail copies of documents outside of Israel is 25 cents per page plus $5 for postage.

Summary

Family researchers are always on the lookout for untapped resources. For anyone who had a family member who moved to, or intended to move to, Eretz Yisrael, the CZA in Jerusalem is an important resource. Aided by the most up-to-date technology, nearly two million records are in the process of being scanned. The information contained in them is available through application to the CZA. Full details, including the fees involved, are posted on the Archive’s web page, <www.zionistarchives.org.il>.