Presenter: Debra Kay-Blatt; Warren Blatt
Format: Download MP4 video file of Slides with synchronized audio

Separate vital records registers for Jews did not begin in Congress Poland until 1826. However, a wealth of information can be obtained through research in the 1808-1825 Catholic parish civil registers. These records can give insight into the adoption of surnames and research with patronymics, as well as to the lifestyle of non-town or rural Jews, who often were innkeepers and liquor franchisees. The geographic limits of the register for each parish were often different and more extensive than the later Jewish ?town? boundaries. Two specific parish areas in south central and eastern Poland, will be discussed.