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Archiver > POSEN > 1999-01 > 0915423702


From: Steven Fischbach <>
Subject: [POSEN-L] Jewish Posen Resource List; Jewish Surnames
Date: Sun, 03 Jan 1999 23:21:42 -0500


Laura Kaatz's recent inquiries about Jewish surnames presents a good
opportunity to inform the list about an online resource list for doing
Jewish genealogical research in Posen that I put together. The resource
list is housed on JewishGen's website and it can be downloaded onto your
computer. The list contains a bibliography, links to website about Posen
(history, geography), links to Polish, German and Isreali archives, links
to german-english translation resources, etc. While the resource list will
be of most use to those doing research on Jewish ancestors, there will be
informaiton of use to those researching non-Jewish ancestors. I am already
working on a revised version of the resource list and hope to keep it
current. Please forward any comments, suggestions, additions, criticisms,
etc. to me.

To go to the resource list follow this link.
http://www.jewishgen.org/infofiles/PosenResources.html

Regarding Laura Kaatz's inquiry, I generally agree with everything that
Jerry Frank said, but wish to make a few additions.

It is quite true that Jews generally did not use surnames until the
Napoleonic era. And it is also true that when faced with the requirement
of choosing surnames, many Jews chose surnames used by gentiles. Thus, it
is impossible to identify from Laura's list those names which are
specifically Jewish. However, there are a few surmanes that I would say
have a nearly exclusive origin in Judaism, particularly variations of the
surname Cohen and Levy. Back in ancient Israel and carrying into the
diaspora there were three "classes" of
people: Kohanim (priestly class) Levites (assistants to the Kohanim) and
Israel (everyone else). Members of the Kohamin and Levite classes retained
their identity by adding on to their names the names Cohen or Levi (and
their variations), but these were more like titles not surnames. The name
"Katz" is an abbreviation of Kohain-Ha Tzaddik (closely translated, "Cohen
the righteous"). I've never seen Katz spelled with 2 a's, until I did a
soundex search using the Jewish Geneaology Family Finder (JGFF) (more on
this in the resource list). So that's the only name on Laura's list I can
clearly identify as being "Jewish."

I also find it very hard to believe that such a large proportion of German
families that emigrated from Posen in the 19th century to Wisconsin have
Jewish ancestors. Jerry Frank is correct to point out that there were very
few conversions from Judaism to Christianity. However, conversions did
happen. Intermarriage also occurred with increasing frequency, but was
still a very small number in Germany until the late 19th century and early
20th century.

So, Laura, it's quite possible that you have Jewish ancestors. Use JGFF to
find others researching the name Kaatz and see what you come up with. Good
Luck.

Steven Fischbach
Providence, RI

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