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The Online Names
Database:
Feedback Before the Launch
by Zvi Bernhardt and Nadia Kahan
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Jewish genealogists visit the
new Hall of Names |
As Yad Vashem reaches the closing stages of
development before launching its Central Database of Shoah
Victims’ Names onto the Internet, staff working on this unique and
vital resource were given a unique opportunity to test the site on
experts in the field: Jewish genealogists.
In recent years, genealogy has become increasingly
significant in strengthening Jewish identity worldwide. It is a
source of tremendous interest, and provides an outlet for
cooperation and creativity in the worldwide Jewish community. The
Internet is an ideal vehicle for networking and support in this
subject, with an astonishing amount of data on the personal
history of past generations being assembled in databases created
by genealogists. Today, for example, it is not uncommon to find
websites created by Jews around the world containing a wealth of
information on towns in Eastern Europe and their thriving Jewish
communities before the war.
While the Internet is a very useful tool in
obtaining and sharing information, face-to-face communication
remains significant. Each year the International Association of
Jewish Genealogical Societies holds an annual convention, which
attracts hundreds of participants. Every ten years—including this
year—the conference is organized by the Israel Genealogical
Society (IGS) and held in Jerusalem. Over 600 people, more than
half of them from abroad, participated in six days of workshops,
lectures, and research into Jewish family history.
With its invaluable and exclusive resources, it was
natural for to Yad Vashem co-sponsor the summer 2004 conference.
Even before their arrival at Yad Vashem, conference participants
had the opportunity to meet with Yad Vashem’s senior advisors
Bella Nahum and Rimma Lerman, who staffed a desk at the hotel and
provided information to participants, advising them on the most
effective way to conduct their research. During the week of the
conference, the reading rooms and databases of Yad Vashem’s
Reference and Information Services were made available to the
participants. In addition, the afternoon and evening sessions of
one day were held on site, where participants heard about Yad
Vashem’s research facilities, attended lectures on
Holocaust-related subjects and received an exclusive tour of the
site of the new Holocaust History Museum, due to open in March
2005.
For most participants, however, the high point of
their visit was the opportunity to search the Central Database of
Shoah Victims’ Names—the largest repository of its kind for
commemorating and gathering information about Holocaust victims.
The Information Technology Department allowed the genealogists
access to the newest versions of its programs, reserving for them
more than 50 terminals. In addition, a beta version of the
database’s new interface was launched during the conference, which
automatically translates information from Hebrew to Latin
characters, and incorporates many user-friendly features developed
in recent years. These new features enabled participants to
conduct most of their research independently—one of the main goals
of uploading the database onto the Internet.
Consequently, many people who had anticipated
spending a few short minutes on the computer found themselves
staying longer, as they provided and discovered additional
remarkable information about family lost in the Shoah. The
magnitude of the changes, and the speed with which they are
occurring, were not lost on the conference participants. One
commented: “It’s exciting to be here and feel that we are part of
the incredible changes that are happening at Yad Vashem.”
During the day at Yad Vashem, the IGS also called
on Jewish genealogists worldwide to submit Pages of Testimony for
Holocaust victims. “The campaign to redeem the names and
identities of all those whom the Nazis sought to destroy is
especially urgent today,” the Society declared. “The IGS urges
Jewish genealogists everywhere to join in this campaign to gather
and document names of Holocaust victims and to provide a testament
to their lives through Pages of Testimony in the Hall of Names.”
The Pages of Testimony submitted will be included in the Central
Database of Shoah Victims’ Names, scheduled to go on-line
in November.
Zvi Bernhardt is Deputy Director of Reference
and Information Services and Head of Data Processing in the Hall
of Names, and Nadia Kahan is Director of Reference and Information
Services
Copyright ©2004 Yad Vashem The Holocaust
Martyrs' and Heroes' Remembrance Authority |
