ABC of genealogical search of Jewish ancestors from Poland
fot. M. Starowieyska / Muzeum Historii Żydów Polskich
Where to start with your genealogical search? →
You can find a lot of advice on the Internet on how to start your family search. To get started, we recommend checking out the compendium prepared by the Head Office of The State Archives in Poland. In it, you will find basic information about the first steps in genealogy, the types of documentation which may prove useful in your search and how to find such documentation. You will also find links to databases run by the Head Office and instructions on how to use the archives.
GJewish genealogy is rather specific, which is why you should also familiarise yourself with a compendium dedicated exclusively to it. A good place to start is with the InfoFiles on the JewishGen website, where you will find beginner's tips, guides to different types of sources and literature on the subject, and many useful tools such as a database of Jewish names, a locality finder, or a calendar calculator to convert Jewish calendar dates into Gregorian ones.
Are there databases useful in a search for ancestors from Poland available on the Internet? →
Yes, there are numerous databases available on the Internet to help in the search for Jewish ancestors from Poland. Below is a selection of the most useful ones:
Can scans of documents, useful in the search for Jewish ancestors from Poland, be found on the Internet? →
Yes, there are many sites on the Internet that publish scans of archival documents. Below are examples of some of them with links.
Are there any organisations you should turn to when searching for your Jewish ancestors from Poland →
The following organisations are also worth turning to in your family search:
If you would like to obtain a birth certificate from the past 100 years and/or a marriage and death certificate from the past 80 years, you should contact the relevant Registry Office. In the link below you will find the contact details of the individual offices.
