Info needed for Russian Jews.

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I wonder if anyone can point me in a direction that could be of use. I am rying to find a site that deals with bmd in Russia, I am trying to find birth certs for Hyman Joseph ostrofsky and his wife Millie Gralnick. Both these people were Jewish and were sneaked out and to England sometime after their births, 1901 and 1905ish. There is a family story that they had been smuggled out and as Millie was very young her mother was told to keep her very quiet or she would give them away.
Hyman and Millie married in Hendon in 1926, and their surname changed to Osterley during the 2WW. Unfortunately their is no one to ask anymore about what happened.
What I wanted to know is if there are any sites that I could get their birth certificates from, or to look up siblings etc.
many thanks in advance.
Anne

[joyce341]

Hi Try.

 http://www.familysearch.org/

go to advanced search then just put in the surname,there is a ancestral file on there,click on and go to submitters,the name and address is usa,they might not be there now but worth a try.
Joyce

[joyce341]

 hi Put in Hyman Ostrofsky in the search engine,came up woth Ostrofsky Genealogy forum,interesting reading,seems on the surface to tie in with the IGI records,said Maurice had a older brother called Hyman.

Joyce

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Hi Joyce,
I had looked at that too, the only problem being that Maurice would have to be the older brother Hyman was born in 1901ish. I think that Hyman had a brother samuel and a sister Annie (from what I was told) and I have found an Annie born in England so I am ordering her certificate. These Ostrofsky's lived in Hendon in London.
Hyman went by the name Joseph and he was quite big in the Jews in London and I have googled him under this name and it make intersting reading, from when Churchill was Prime Minister.
Many thanks for your ideas though all help is appreciated. p.s. I was just told about Anne and Samuel.
Anne

[jorose]

http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/catalogue/ shows the index of Hyman's naturalisation information from 1927. A copy of this record should give you quite a lot of information about him.

It is also worth getting the marriage certificate, to see the names of their fathers and any witnesses, you might be able to find their family members in the UK also. freebmd.rootsweb.com shows other possible members of these families in London.

http://www.jeffreymaynard.com/LSyn31LR.htm - meanwhile this shows a J. Ostrofsky as an official at Old Castle Street Synagogue in 1931.

http://www.gazettes-online.co.uk/ - has a mention of Hyman at the time of his naturalisation - his occupation is 'Secretary of Registered Friendly and Approved Society'

The Times, Thursday, Oct 26, 1933; pg. 4; Issue 46585; col E
 - Osterley, Hyman Joseph, passed the bar examination at Gray's Inn (Criminal Law and Procedure)
The Times, Tuesday, Nov 19, 1935; pg. 5; Issue 47225; col G
- list of those called to the bar, includes H. J. Osterley, LLB, University of London (Gray's Inn)

So it seems he changed his name a bit earlier than WWII - possibly when he entered law school.


ETA: Have you tried having a look at the Jewish Chronicle archives?

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Hi Jorose, What a star you are. Yes that is Hyman. I have just spoken to his grand daughter and she said he was eventually quite a big man in the synagogue and held the key for many years. The only thing I think strange is on the NA Naturalisation it states Liverpool. I know that he married in 1923 in Mile end old town, London. Still people did move about. Unfortunately his Nationalisation is closed for 100 years, so I wont be able to download it.
I am going to order his marraige certificate as well, and as you say it will give his fathers name as well as Millies father as well.
Thank you so much for your help.
Anne

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Sorry I meant to say that he changed his surname to Osterley about the time of WW2, not his forename. His son was born Allan Ostrofsky, and it too was changed to Osterley as well.

Anne
Also can I be really thick and ask how you get into the Times as I cant seem to find anything.
Anne

[joyce341]

i,m afraid i,m tired and cant get the url right but two useful sites,one is a database similar to igi,put in traceing jewish roots in the search engine and you will find them.very informative.
lots in Free bmd from 1800,s but none on census,s?

lastly
Norah ostrofsky born 1898 died Brighton 1986,vol 18.page442/reg 386 if you dont know her and send for death cert,i obtained my picture here of my dad aged two,from a cousin by seeing who registered it and contacted them.
Joyce

[JustinL]

Hello Anne,

As practising Jews, Hyman and Millie would have sought a marriage authorisation from the Chief Rabbi. This document in English and Hebrew should state both their places of birth. The one I have from 1880 certainly does, although earlier ones do not.

Contact the United Synagogue (www.theus.org.uk), they should have a copy in their archives.

Regarding Hyman's naturalization papers I would recommend that you email or phone the NA explain the situation and ask for access - they can only say no.

Once you have established the birth places then the fun really starts. How's your Russian? I believe that a large number of records have survived form that era, but you'll need some expert advice. There must be near to a 100 people researching Ostrofsky from Russia, Ukraine, Belraus or Poland via JewishGen. Gralnick or variants throws up a similar number of researchers.

I'm quite excited.

Justin