Women's Role
Continued from Page 7
s Find Missing Relatives
Through Search Bureau
By MIRIAM WEINER
For the past ten years, Batya Untershatz has brought joy and
happiness to hundreds of people looking for their relatives whose
whereabouts were unknown, in some cases, for over 40 years. Ms.
Untershatz works in Jerusalem for a division of the Jewish Agency
known as the "Search Bureau for Missing Relatives" which was set
up to assist in re-establishing contact between the Jewish survivors in
Europe and their relatives in pre-Israel Palestine and in overseas
countries. She is virtually a one-woman office and what she
accomplishes is remarkable.
"In one instance, a woman discovered she was adopted when the
woman she thought was her natural mother passed away. She came
to me asking for help in locating her natural mother and I was able to
find her. In another instance, a Polish nun came to my office while
visiting in Jerusalem. She had hid two young Jewish girls in her
church during the war and now wanted to see them once again. I was
able to locate both girls living here in Jerusalem.
Though she had seen the fruits of her labors many times, Ms.
Untershatz continues to share in the excitement and tears of reunions
between family members and friends.
Those who seek her services include emigres from the Soviet
Union looking for family members and their descendents who left
Russia in the early 1900s, genealogists, Holocaust survivors looking
for family members, and anyone who wonders if a branch of his or
her family could have gone to Israel and to this day, remain unknown
to them.
Keeping in mind that computers were not around in the late
1940s to record the names of the survivors, it is easy to understand
why it was virtually impossible to consult the many different lists of
names that were compiled. Many survivors did eventually make their
way to Palestine. Through the Search Bureau, it is possible to locate
those who did, if they are still living.
The Search Bureau maintains a computer file of records from
1948 to the present which includes the name and address of every
living Israeli citizen as well as those who have died within the past
five years. These individual records include the family name, first
name, parents' names, age, country of birth and date of arrival.
Sometimes the names of spouses and children are shown, along with
the name of the ship on which the person arrived.
An additional set of records includes an extensive collection of
search requests that includes the name and address of the person
initiating the request and in some cases, his or her place of birth and
parents' names.
Further records available to Ms. Untershatz include a register of
new immigrants compiled by the Jewish Agency's department of
immigration beginning in 1919. Names of immigrants in the registers
are ordinarily grouped together under the names of the vessels which
brought them to Palestine and are alphabetized for each vessel. In
addition to age, category of immigrant, name of vessel and date of
arrival, the registers sometimes provide information on the nationality
of the immigrant and his or her relatives already residing in Palestine.
In 1945, the Search Bureau published Vol. I, Register of Jewish
Survivors: List of Jews Rescued in Different European Countries,
(60,000 names of Holocaust survivors) and Vol. II, Register of Jewish
Survivors: List of Jews in Poland (58,000 names of survivors).
Bureau offices include a set of telephone books for all of Israel
and the names and addresses of the landsmanshaften societies there.
Ms. Untershatz also consults records maintained by the burial
societies, some dating back to 1839. In addition, she maintains a
close working relationship with the governmental agencies and has
access to much information not easily obtainable by the public, if at
all.
o search request can be done by mail and a sample form is
shown. After you have completed the form, mail it to: The
Jewish Agency, Search Bureau for Missing Relatives, P.O.B. 92,
Jerusalem 91920 israel.
There is no charge for an inquiry, however, contributions are
welcome.
quenched with great amounts of
demand that Jews would bow to
wine. When he was so drunk that
him, reject the Torah and eat pork.
he fell into a stupor she used his
Anyone who refused to do these
sword to cut off his head. This
things would be put to death.
demoralized the Greek troops to the
Phillip, his governor, arrested
point of making them vulnerable to
Chanah and her seven sons. Each
defeat at the hands of the Judeans.
of the boys, beginning with the
So, we have two Chanukah
oldest, was brought before
Antiochus. One by one they refused heroines: the martyred mother,
Chana, and the gutsy Judith.
to obey his new laws and spoke to
Why are they not an integral part of
him defiantly. They were tortured
the Chanukah traditions and stories
and murdered one by one before
we tell our children? Why is the
their mother's eyes. As he reached
Book of Judith, once read in its
the seventh, the baby, he tried to
entirety in early synagogue times,
bargain. For here, a mere woman
had achieved victory over Antiochus, rarely read in a Jewish context
through the inspiration she gave her today? And last, but not least, why
aren't we eating more cheese pizza
sons. Though he offered not only
for Chanukah?
life but honor to this last precious
boy, neither Chanah nor her son
were persuaded. They verbally spat
Dr. Eichner is director of education and youth
in his face. The youth was also
activities at Temple Emanu-El.
brutally murdered. Chanah prayed
over their bodies and "her soul
departed her and her spirit left her.
She fell over the bodies of her sons,
Tzdakah, the giving of
and lay upon the earth together with
charity and the performance of
them."
charitable acts, is deeply rooted
In another case, the High
in Jewish tradition. Our January
Priest, Yochanan, had a beautiful
issue of L'Chayim will offer you
and your family an opportunity
daughter, Judith, who was lusted
to learn more about this
after by one of the Greek
Next Month
commanders. In a carefully devised
tradition and provide meaningful
plan to protect herself she fed him
suggestions for developing your
cheese which caused him to have a
own tzdakah projects.
great thirst. This she helpfully
Relative Search Form
ABOUT YOURSELF Date
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FRIDAY, DECEMBER 11, 1987
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First name
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Birthplace & Date
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Place of residence before war
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ABOUT THE PERSON YOU ARE SEEKING
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Family name
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First name
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Birthplace & Date
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Profession
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Previous address (before immigration)
Parents' first name: father
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mother
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Last address in Israel
Family & Friends in Israel
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Date of immigration
Relationship to the inquiree
Miriam Weiner is an authority on Jewish genealogy and a syndicated columnist.
1006
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