International Association of Jewish Genealogical
Societies
www.iajgs.org
Dear Synagogue Trustees,
The International Association of Jewish Genealogical Societies (IAJGS), in partnership
with JewishGen, has launched the Worldwide Memorial Plaques Indexing Challenge.
The goal of the Memorial Plaques Indexing Challenge event is to preserve Jewish
ancestral records and create a valuable source of local data for researchers and family
members worldwide.
The IAJGS sponsors the annual International Jewish Genealogy Month (IJGM), which
will take place this year between October 25th and November 22nd; corresponding to the
Hebrew month of Cheshvan. This year, our chosen project for IJGM is to add tens of
thousands of new entries to JewishGen’s Memorial Plaques Database, which collects
information from memorial plaques found in synagogues throughout the world. Our goal
is to recruit 5,775 volunteers to photograph Yahrzeit plaques from synagogues and
collections worldwide.
JewishGen, a non-profit organization, began this database last year, and they have
already added nearly 60,000 records from Synagogues throughout the United States,
Canada, Israel and Morocco. The records can be accessed at no charge at:
http://www.jewishgen.org/databases/memorial/
Please help the Memorial Plaques Indexing Challenge collect and preserve this data
invaluable to discovering Jewish family history. We would like permission to visit your
synagogue to take pictures of any Memorial Plaques you might have.
Once we have finished taking the pictures, the data will transcribed and submitted to
JewishGen, who will make sure to give your Synagogue full credit, along with any other
information about your Synagogue that you feel would be noteworthy.
To give you a sense of why this project is so important, please consider this:
1. Permanency. JewishGen is the premier online resource for Jewish
genealogy. Thousands of people search its collections every day, and this
database will serve as a permanent repository for memorial records for
current and future generations to use.
2. Genealogical Information. Many of the plaques contain Hebrew patronymic
names, the deceased and their father’s name. This information is very
important to those researching their Jewish ancestors because it documents
a link between two generations. That parental link may provide a clue to help
a researcher trace their ancestors back to another country.
3. It’s a Mitzvah. Plain and simple, it's a mitzvah. In the figurative sense, it
offers help to those who are concerned with preserving their Jewish past.
Exodus 20:12 says, "Honor thy father and thy mother...", and Jewish tradition
offers loving guidance through deepest grief and a gradual return to the living,
through the mitzvot of comforting mourners and providing dignity to the
deceased.
4. An Online Source for Yahrzeit Dates. Hebrew dates of death can be used for
Yahrzeit observances. This database will make it easier for relatives to
access Yahrzeit dates whether they are travelling or living throughout the
world.
Some Other Points to Consider
1. Free and Available to All. JewishGen, the IAJGS or its members, or
individuals participating in the Memorial Plaques Indexing Challenge will
never charge anyone to use this database. Our interest is to provide useful
information to those seeking their Jewish ancestors. The information will be
available to anyone with an internet connection.
2. Paper to Digital Conversion Assistance. Once we complete the transcription,
I/We would be glad to give you a copy of the records, which you can use
internally to help find information on site.
3. Ownership of the Information. JewishGen, the IAJGS or its members, or
individuals participating in the Memorial Plaques Indexing Challenge will use
the information from the plaques on a non-exclusive basis. This means that
your Synagogue will always maintain ownership of the data,
4. Privacy. JewishGen will not include information pertaining to living relatives
that could impinge on someone’s privacy.
I/We would like to visit the synagogue on xxxxxxxxxxx 2014 to take the pictures, and
I/we would greatly appreciate if someone could please let me know if I/we have your
permission to do so. We will ask for your written authorization to make the memorial
data accessible (see attached form.)
Thank you in advance for your consideration. I/We look forward to hearing from you.
[Name(s) of person(s) making the request]
[Contact Info for Person(s) (email and phone number)]
[Name of Organization being represented – e.g. JGS of Long Island]
[Website of organization]
attach:
Flyer
Donor Agreement Form
Press Release