Jewish Roots In Poland
– Why are you crying, Mother? Because the house is burning?
– Yes.
– We shall build another. I promise you.
– It’s not the house, son. If I cry, it is because a precious document is being destroyed before our eyes.
– What documents?
– Our family history, it is illustrious you know.
– Don’t cry. I’ll give you another. I’ll start a new, I promise you.
At the time, Dov Ber was five.
– The Encyclopedia of Jewish Genealogy, vol. I, Northvale, New Jersey, 1991, p. XIX
“My name is Menachem Yehuda, the son of Moshe Yosef who the son of David who the son of Moshe Yosef who was the son of David who was the son of Shiya who was the son of Itzikel who was born in Kalisz, Poland in 1755. Getting to know these ancestors through Kamila Klauzinska’s professional genealogical research has enriched my life. Growing up as the son of Holocaust survivors I missed knowing my grandparents, aunts, uncles and cousins who perished. I find in genealogy a way to reach over to a time before the Holocaust and reconnect to my relatives and ancestors. This yearning has also drawn me to many trips to Poland to search for what remains of over 1200 abandoned Jewish cemeteries where my ancestors and millions of other Jews still rest. My most memorable trip has been documented in my film Hiding and Seeking in which you can see Kamila caring for my ancestors’ cemetery and doing genealogical research for my family. In the film I meet older Poles who risked their lives to save Jews during the Holocaust. In Kamila I have discovered a Pole of the post-Holocaust generation who is dedicated to saving and honoring the memory of Polish Jews."
- Dr Menachem Daum - documentary filmmaker, New York
Did genealogy change something in your life?
“Genealogy gives another perspective to your existence as a man, and in this case it helped define me as a non-religious Jews who enjoys Jewish tradition. It re-scaled my relation to my family. It gives a deeper sense of the time that passes. It gives a meaning to the word ‘memory’. It allows the meeting of different minds because genealogists have different backgrounds, languages, religious convictions, skin colors, traditions etc. but a common goal. It was a hobby first. It became a very cherished profession and a mean to meet wonderful people, a ‘life’s university’, where you learn ‘in-vivo’. We are all a big family. This includes some of the Polish people I have met, whom I feel very close to.”
- Prof. Daniel Wagner – Weizmann Institute in Israel, interview by Kamila Klauzińska, 2008Join!
Discover the country of your ancestors.
Start your own research with us.
Genealogical mystery
Would you believe it? We were asked to find the daughter of Dawid Krakowski [all names changed], who died in the 1970s in Łódź, as well as her possible children. First name and year of birth of the daughter unknown. In fact an impossible job as women generally take the surname of their husband when getting married. Yet, this must have been the quickest ever solved genealogical mystery.Dawid’s death certificate obtained from the Registry listed a Ms. Helena Zofia Wajs as a witness. Was this his daughter? A visit at the Citizen Registration showed that the maiden name of Ms. Wajs was Krakowska and that she was the daughter of Dawid. Our next address was the internet. As H.Z. Wajs turned out to have been a political activist in the underground movement against communistic ruled Poland, she was listed in an encyclopedia of protagonists of the resistance. She was already deceased, but had left behind a daughter, Pola.Pola was also in the resistance and had shared her activities with a woman who turned out to be a friend of one of us. Within half an hour we became Pola’s email address and learned that she was alive and well and had two children. The impossible case was solved and heirs were located. Within two days.No need to say that genealogical research usually takes longer. As a matter of fact it is a never ending story.
Who We Are
We are a Polish-Dutch researching team. For both of us Jewish genealogy has become a passion. Since more than 10 years we have been solving riddles, i.e. deciphering handwritten Polish, German and Old-Russian vital records, which has been only possible thanks to our knowledge of these languages. We perform professional genealogical research of your families back to its roots in the 18th century, taking you so on an exceptional journey to the past.
Mission Statement
Our mission is to provide high quality research on genealogy, as well as field tours for descendants of Polish Jews. For over 10 years we have been assisting individuals and families with Polish-Jewish roots, uncovering unknown aspects of their personal history and locating long-lost and sometimes unknown relatives. Our research experience is extensive, and we possess excellent command of several languages, and are familiar with many aspects of Polish and Polish-Jewish history, culture and customs. We often lecture about genealogy-related topics at international conferences and workshops, including in universities in Poland and abroad.
Our References
Being genealogical researchers for over 10 years has given us the unique opportunity to cooperate both with genealogists all over the world as well as with filmmakers, writers, and scientific institutions. From these contacts and meetings we have gained a great deal. We endeavor to use this knowledge and experience in our work. We therefore allow those who have trusted us and of whom we have learned a lot to speak.