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 L 8 - FRIDAY, DECEMBER 11, 1987 50 'Da DE Vr7Mtri 1"0 =won or Family name OVTI First name rryini Birthplace & Date Parents' name: father 2241 mother 0241 : T11171 01p13 olmnn mow tan' mn , 205 nnInnn Place of residence before war T13111D11 Present address ABOUT THE PERSON YOU ARE SEEKING v71=1,: n rmoron DV Family name 1 0101 First name - nom P2771 own Birthplace & Date q13pc, Profession rra rtmlnni Previous address (before immigration) Parents' first name: father Win mother CK1 Last address in Israel Family & Friends in Israel :ov..onn mow n ,*% Date of immigration Relationship to the inquiree Miriam Weiner is an authority on Jewish genealogy and a syndicated columnist. 1006 Form No. 50 Reference No. 062/ r12i2 ;131111X11 nninn run Ilvnol 1 , a11p rplann nnnpn ort ,