Chaim Caran’s Frisian / Friesland Data Base
Introduction
Chaim Caran, a senior researcher of Akevoth has among other topics
extensively researched the early settlement of Jews in the Dutch
northern province of Friesland, which resulted in his article ‘Relationships
among some early Jewish settlers in Dutch Friesland’, Avotaynu, Vol XX,
3, 2004.
The article describes the life and activities of descendants of Uri
HaLevi, the first rabbinical teacher in Holland, and their relations
with Friesland.
Mr. Caran is actively involved in genealogical research for several
decades.
Through his endeavours three formerly unknown mohelbooks were discovered
in Amsterdam, Cincinnati and Jerusalem (private collection), concerning
the Frisian community.
He was as well instrumental in the organization of the 200 years
anniversary of the founding of the Leeuwarden synagogue, on occasion of
which he gave a key lecture.
Although a reasonable amount of genealogical data about Friesland can be
found in the data base of the Northern Provinces, (the NDB),and other
sections of Akevoth’s Dutch Jewish Genealogical Data Base, this regional
database will supply a lot of additional information.
Special attention has been paid to data from Jewish sources and from
sources of the period before the beginning of the civil administration
in 1811. Special focus has also been put to the Leeuwarden community in
the decade before the Holocaust.
It thus enables an overview of the Jewish communities in Friesland
region where our ancestors lived , and to identify their contemporaries.
It will supply information about the social functions they held as
rabbi’s , cantors, teachers , members of religious societies as Gmiluth
Chassadim, Talmud Torah, and Chesed VeEmet , mohalim (circumcisers ),
gaba’im ( collectors for the Holy Land, or regulators in the synagogue)
, members of burial societies (Chewre Kadisha) , sofrim (scribes) ;
whether they were honored as “Chawer” , or ruled the community as parnas
or manhig.
Since the data will be added gradually, it is recommended to visit this
database regularly, to keep track of updates. As a starter the details
of about 1700 deceased are published, namely those whose tombstones
still exist in the towns of Bolsward (1831-1909) , Gorredijk
(1807-1939), Harlingen (1869-1962) , Heerenveen (1826-1931) and De Knype
(1860-1883) , Leeuwarden (1682-1975) , Lemmer (1817-1938) ,Noorwolde
(1815) , Sneek (1823-1964) and Workum (1676-1714). For the photo’s of
the tombstones one can contact Tresoar, the Frisian State Archive (
www.tresoar.nl ) .
According to plan, the database will contain, when completed, the
following data:
● Memor-book Harlingen.
● Circumcisions before 1811 included
sandakim (the godfathers, who hold the boy during the ceremony) in
Friesland, with addition of 2 newly discovered circumcision books
by Juda Levy, Philip Leeuwarden , Isaac Levy Leeuwarden and his son Levy
Segal
for the period 1697- 1754.
● Marriages or pre-marriages before 1811, in
Friesland and of Frisian Jews.
Index on the books by Hartog Beem “De Joden van Leeuwarden “(The Jews of
Leeuwarden)and “De Joodse Gemeente te Sneek” (The Jewish Community of
Sneek)
at first the names of those who lived before 1813.
● Index on the adoption of a family name
about 1812, including spouses, in Friesland
● Deceased in Friesland of those lacking a
tombstone.
● Index of those mentioned in the 28
articles of Fenno L. Schoustra in “’T Kleine Krantsje” about “Vijftien
jaar Joods leven in Leeuwarden 1930-1945” (Fifteen years Jewish Life in
Leeuwarden 1930-1945); and the full text of the articles themselves.
● Births in Leeuwarden after 1811
● Births outside Leeuwarden after 1811
● Marriages and chupot in Friesland after
1811
“The scrolls of Leeuwarden” film
“Bi-centenial of the Leeuwarden synagogue May 2005 film
“Bi-centenial of the Leeuwarden synagogue Adar 1 5765 (parashat Sheqalim)
in Kfar Batya,Israel;slides
The speech of Chief Rabbi Berlinger and of Hartog Beem at the ceremony
of the transfer of the interior of the Leeuwarden synagogue to Kfar
Batya, Israel, December 6, 1965.
● The Leeuwarden circumcision book of Aron
Joseph van Gelder that
made its way to and came to rest in Jerusalem.
● Update on the article “Relationships Among
Some Early Jewish Settlers in Dutch Friesland” originally published in
Avotaynu , the International Review of Jewish Genealogy, (Volume XX,
number 3 , Fall 2004) ; including Hebrew version; by the
author of the Friesland database Chaim Caran.
Questions and remarks about the database can be forwarded to the
database submitter through the webmaster.
