Finding Your Italian Jewish Roots
GenTracer in the US and the IjCCC in Calabria Can Help
Have you wondered if you have Jewish ancestors? Does your family history include stories of Jewish heritage or Jewish traditions? Some experts state that as much as 50% of the populations of Calabria and Sicily (the most Southern regions of Italy) were Jewish before the Inquisition.
During the Inquisition, some of these families moved north in Italy and then east into Greece and Islamic countries to pursue their religion without fear of death. Some were already inter-married with Catholic families and were blending into that society and not openly practicing the Jewish religion so they didn't need to move. Some were converted to Christianity as adults to stay in their towns and keep their lives.There is a Jewish congregation in Salonika (Greece) dating to the Inquisition, so that now most of them aren't even aware of their Italian roots! Rabbi Barbara (see below) has traced her family as it traveled around the Mediterranean and eventually settled in Calabria. Some of these traveling families returned to Italy after the Inquisition, some didn't. Knowing that among the emigrants to the US, the Italians were the most likely to return to their homeland, I suspect the same applies to these people.
How to Begin
If you are brand new to searching your roots and even if you are not sure of the town of your Italian family s origin, we can help you. Begin by contacting Kathy Kirkpatrick of GenTracer at www.gentracer.com/italy.html. The birth, marriage, and death records are kept at the town level in Italy, so if you don't know the town, even if you do know the names, this is the place to start.
Level I: The GenTracer basic research process begins here. For a fee of $200 Genealogist Kathy Kirkpatrick will search records available in the United States to determine your town of origin. Payment can be made through this PayPal link:
Level II: GenTracer will continue the research project by examining the microfilmed civil and church records available through the Family History Library (www.familysearch.org). This work will continue to extend your family lines back in time. This basic research project includes a presentation of 6 9 documents (which vary depending upon the accessibility and the legibility of the records). The fee for the Level II documentation is $200. Payment can be made through this PayPal link:
Payment can be made through check or money order sent to one of the addresses below if you prefer.
The research can be complicated but we are ready to help you. We can also access many Catholic Church records which document such obscure events as the adult baptisms of Jews during Inquisition times, special marriage taxes levied against Jewish couples and anecdotal stories of how Jewish families moved all around the Mediterranean in their efforts to escape persecution. Other documents indicate families who inter-married and thus blended into local communities.
In addition for those who are interested in learning more about how specific family traditions, practices and even superstitions related to Jewish culture and religion, Rabbi Barbara Aiello will assist you in this endeavor. Learning more can give you a greater understanding of the lives of your ancestors or be a part of your own personal spiritual journey.
For more information write or call:
Kathy Kirkpatrick
GenTracer
PO Box 11955
Salt Lake City, UT 84147
www.gentracer.com
gentracer@gentracer.com
The IJCCC The Italian Jewish Cultural Center of Calabria
Rabbi Barbara Aiello
Dr. Enrico Mascaro
Prof. Vincenzo Villella
Via Scaramuzzino 36
88046 Lamezia Terme (CZ)
Italy
www.rabbibarbara.com
rabbi@rabbibarbara.com
Kathy is scheduled to present at an assortment of conferences and meetings in 2024, see www.gentracer.com/schedule.html. Descriptions of family history presentations are located at www.gentracer.com/presentations while WWII presentations are at www.gentracer.org/wwpresentations.
Jewish research includes the Jewish origins of Italian-American, Italian-British, and Italian-Australian families to document their Jewish roots before converting to Catholicism. Also work at the Concentration Camp at Ferramonte (Tarsia) Italy and the Jewish Museum at Bova Marina housing the artifacts from a 3rd century synagogue nearby.
If you have further questions, please don't hesitate to ask through the email link below. I look forward to hearing from you.
© Kathy Kirkpatrick 1997-2024
Level I: The GenTracer basic research process begins here. For a fee of $200 Genealogist Kathy Kirkpatrick will search records available in the United States to determine your town of origin. Payment can be made through this PayPal link:
Level II: GenTracer will continue the research project by examining the microfilmed civil and church records available through the Family History Library (www.familysearch.org). This work will continue to extend your family lines back in time. This basic research project includes a presentation of 6 9 documents (which vary depending upon the accessibility and the legibility of the records). The fee for the Level II documentation is $200. Payment can be made through this PayPal link:
Payment can be made through check or money order sent to one of the addresses below if you prefer.
The research can be complicated but we are ready to help you. We can also access many Catholic Church records which document such obscure events as the adult baptisms of Jews during Inquisition times, special marriage taxes levied against Jewish couples and anecdotal stories of how Jewish families moved all around the Mediterranean in their efforts to escape persecution. Other documents indicate families who inter-married and thus blended into local communities.
In addition for those who are interested in learning more about how specific family traditions, practices and even superstitions related to Jewish culture and religion, Rabbi Barbara Aiello will assist you in this endeavor. Learning more can give you a greater understanding of the lives of your ancestors or be a part of your own personal spiritual journey.
For more information write or call:
Kathy Kirkpatrick
GenTracer
PO Box 11955
Salt Lake City, UT 84147
www.gentracer.com
gentracer@gentracer.com
The IJCCC The Italian Jewish Cultural Center of Calabria
Rabbi Barbara Aiello
Dr. Enrico Mascaro
Prof. Vincenzo Villella
Via Scaramuzzino 36
88046 Lamezia Terme (CZ)
Italy
www.rabbibarbara.com
rabbi@rabbibarbara.com
Kathy is scheduled to present at an assortment of conferences and meetings in 2024, see www.gentracer.com/schedule.html. Descriptions of family history presentations are located at www.gentracer.com/presentations while WWII presentations are at www.gentracer.org/wwpresentations.
Jewish research includes the Jewish origins of Italian-American, Italian-British, and Italian-Australian families to document their Jewish roots before converting to Catholicism. Also work at the Concentration Camp at Ferramonte (Tarsia) Italy and the Jewish Museum at Bova Marina housing the artifacts from a 3rd century synagogue nearby.
If you have further questions, please don't hesitate to ask through the email link below. I look forward to hearing from you.
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