Wednesday, March 23, 2011
Jewish Genealogy Special Problems
Condensed by Nadene Goldfoot
Usually we figure 25 years for a generation when figuring dna matches. The marriage age of Jewish people was ususally much younger than other groups probably up to 1900. Jews in Eastern Europe married very young. Boys married between ages 15-18 and girls could marry from age 14-16.
In the Middle Ages gentiles that were landlords or others would harass Jews by carrying off their girls. Later early marriages were the parents' cures to keep the children studying as they wouldn't be thinking of sex if they were married. Sometimes marriages were arranged very early but did not live together until later.
First cousin marriages were common. In 1875 7.5% of all English Jewish marriages were among first cousins. Of course the bible cites marriages with 1st cousins. Uncles could marry nieces, especially where there was a lack of suitors. This was found to be true even more so with Sephardic Jews.
Jewish families had larger families than most "to be fruitful and multiply". They had a lower mortality rate than other groups because of good hygenic conditions due to keeping kosher and ritual bathing practices. They also had very rare illigitimate births and more medical assistance. Where they had problems in staying alive was in the persecution mortality rate.
Both Ashkenazis and Sephardis named after their ancestors. This began in the age of the Maccabees of the 2nd Century BCE. 800 years later they began to use biblical names. After the 12th Century from living in Christian lands children had two names; Hebrew and Christian.
By the 19th century family or surnames came into being. In some cases it was up to individuals like people in Spain, Portugal and Italy who had them from the 14th century on. Many used the names of towns they came from. Emperor Joseph II of Austria was the first to require that Jews take surnames in Galicia in 1785. They had to buy names by paying for the registration fee. Goldstein and Rosenthal were expensive (gems and flowers). By 1808 Napoleon required surnames for Jews. The Baden Law of January 13, 1809 forced Jews to change their name if of biblical origin. Levites had been using Levi but now had to choose new names-basically ones that were place names. In Russia the laws of 1804 and 1835 allowed Jews to alter their family names, but by 1844 Russian Jews were first made to enter their names in the public register and they had to assume family names. In Poland this happened in 1821 but was not really enforced until 1844, so our surnames might not be very old. We shouldn't be surprised, then when we can't follow our family any earlier on Jewishgen.org.
Resource: Finding Our Fathers-a guidebook to Jewish genealogy by Dan Rottenberg
Usually we figure 25 years for a generation when figuring dna matches. The marriage age of Jewish people was ususally much younger than other groups probably up to 1900. Jews in Eastern Europe married very young. Boys married between ages 15-18 and girls could marry from age 14-16.
In the Middle Ages gentiles that were landlords or others would harass Jews by carrying off their girls. Later early marriages were the parents' cures to keep the children studying as they wouldn't be thinking of sex if they were married. Sometimes marriages were arranged very early but did not live together until later.
First cousin marriages were common. In 1875 7.5% of all English Jewish marriages were among first cousins. Of course the bible cites marriages with 1st cousins. Uncles could marry nieces, especially where there was a lack of suitors. This was found to be true even more so with Sephardic Jews.
Jewish families had larger families than most "to be fruitful and multiply". They had a lower mortality rate than other groups because of good hygenic conditions due to keeping kosher and ritual bathing practices. They also had very rare illigitimate births and more medical assistance. Where they had problems in staying alive was in the persecution mortality rate.
Both Ashkenazis and Sephardis named after their ancestors. This began in the age of the Maccabees of the 2nd Century BCE. 800 years later they began to use biblical names. After the 12th Century from living in Christian lands children had two names; Hebrew and Christian.
By the 19th century family or surnames came into being. In some cases it was up to individuals like people in Spain, Portugal and Italy who had them from the 14th century on. Many used the names of towns they came from. Emperor Joseph II of Austria was the first to require that Jews take surnames in Galicia in 1785. They had to buy names by paying for the registration fee. Goldstein and Rosenthal were expensive (gems and flowers). By 1808 Napoleon required surnames for Jews. The Baden Law of January 13, 1809 forced Jews to change their name if of biblical origin. Levites had been using Levi but now had to choose new names-basically ones that were place names. In Russia the laws of 1804 and 1835 allowed Jews to alter their family names, but by 1844 Russian Jews were first made to enter their names in the public register and they had to assume family names. In Poland this happened in 1821 but was not really enforced until 1844, so our surnames might not be very old. We shouldn't be surprised, then when we can't follow our family any earlier on Jewishgen.org.
Resource: Finding Our Fathers-a guidebook to Jewish genealogy by Dan Rottenberg
Labels: Jewish genealogy, Marriages, Names in Austria
