Jewish Genealogy: Five Reasons Why Jews Changed Their Names

Yonah Paley has more than a decade of experience in genealogy. Through hard work, learning, and a strong knowledge of record-finding, he has managed to trace multiple lines back to the 1700s and excels at piecing together descendants and lost branches of families that were split up through emigration waves of the 1880s-1920s, as well as the Holocaust.

He specializes in researching Jews of Eastern Europe and the Baltic states and has localized specialties in parts of:

• Lithuania/Latvia
• Galicia (portions of modern-day Ukraine, Poland)
• Slovakia/Hungary
• Belarus
• The USA

And much, much more!

In this video he explains five ways in which European Jews changed their names from long Jewish sounding names to shorter versions or versions that had a more American or generic sound.

He counters the often cited claim that the original name was changed by a clerk in Ellis Island at the completion of the journey to America. Some of the changes are easily understood as they retain the basis of the original name, but others are completely unrelated. 

What was your original family name, and how was it changed by a parent or grandparent? If you're into genealogical research, you might find some surprises in your background.

Enjoy!

Comedian Larry David Discovers His Polish Jewish Roots and His Mother's Secrets

Comedian Larry David appeared on the PBS program Finding Your Roots and was shocked to discover family secrets about his notoriously tight-lipped mother – including her real name! 

Watch Larry’s astonishing reaction after learning about his mother’s mysterious past and origins in conversation with Henry Louis Gates Jr.

A SPECIAL NOTE FOR NEW EMAIL SUBSCRIBERS:  THE VIDEO MAY NOT BE VIEWABLE DIRECTLY FROM THE EMAIL THAT YOU GET EACH DAY ON SOME COMPUTERS AND TABLETS.  YOU MUST CLICK ON THE TITLE AT THE TOP OF THE EMAIL TO REACH THE JEWISH HUMOR CENTRAL WEBSITE, FROM WHICH YOU CLICK ON THE PLAY BUTTON IN THE VIDEO IMAGE TO START THE VIDEO.

Comedy Special: Modi Comments on His Genetic Results from "23 and Me"

23 and Me is an at-home genetic testing service that delivers a report showing a person's ancestry by percentages.

Comedian Modi sent a sample to 23 and Me to reveal his ancestry. Here's his report on the findings, as described in a stand-up act at the Comedy Cellar in New York last year.

Enjoy!

A SPECIAL NOTE FOR NEW EMAIL SUBSCRIBERS:  THE VIDEO MAY NOT BE VIEWABLE DIRECTLY FROM THE EMAIL THAT YOU GET EACH DAY ON SOME COMPUTERS AND TABLETS.  YOU MUST CLICK ON THE TITLE AT THE TOP OF THE EMAIL TO REACH THE JEWISH HUMOR CENTRAL WEBSITE, FROM WHICH YOU CLICK ON THE PLAY BUTTON IN THE VIDEO IMAGE TO START THE VIDEO. 

Gwyneth Paltrow Finds Another Rabbi in Her Lineage and Plans a Conversion to Judaism

Actress Gwyneth Paltrow, after joining the ranks of Hollywood stars who have become entranced by the mystical esoteric teachings of Kabbalah, has decided to convert to Judaism. And all this time we thought she was already Jewish and descended from rabbis. 

As Emily Smith wrote in the Page Six column of the New York Post,

The actress is quietly converting after years of following Kabbalah, which originated in Judaism, and being friends with Michael Berg, co-director of the Kabbalah Centre.

While Paltrow’s rep didn’t respond to numerous requests for comment, her late father was film producer Bruce Paltrow, a Jew, while her mother, Blythe Danner, is a Christian. The “Iron Man” star has previously revealed that she was raised both Jewish and Christian, which “was such a nice way to grow up.”

Ordinarily we wouldn't reprint this Hollywood gossip, but we thought that the accompanying video clip of Paltrow's exploration of genealogy and discovery of her roots would be of interest to our readers.

(A SPECIAL NOTE FOR NEW EMAIL SUBSCRIBERS:  THE VIDEO MAY NOT BE VIEWABLE DIRECTLY FROM THE EMAIL THAT YOU GET EACH DAY ON SOME COMPUTERS AND TABLETS.  YOU MUST CLICK ON THE TITLE AT THE TOP OF THE EMAIL TO REACH THE JEWISH HUMOR CENTRAL WEBSITE, FROM WHICH YOU CLICK ON THE PLAY BUTTON IN THE VIDEO IMAGE TO START THE VIDEO.)