United States Jewish Research

Introduction
The United States does not have many records specific to the Jewish people. However, researching Jewish ancestors is possible in the United States through the use of many different records. The following will detail important record types to look in to find Jewish ancestors.

Census
In the United States, search the census for all years the Jewish ancestor was in the country. Search both national and state censuses. It is important to search for variant spellings of the given name and surname. Check the following books for alternate spellings:
 * Beider, Alexander. A dictionary of Jewish surnames from the Russian Empire. Bergenfield, New Jersey: Avotaynu, 2008. (FHL call no. 947 D46)
 * Beider, Alexander. A dictionary of Jewish surnames from the Kingdom of Poland. Teaneck, New Jersey: Avotaynu, 1996. (FHL call no. 943.8 D46)
 * Beider, Alexander. A dictionary of Jewish surnames from Galicia. Bergenfield, New Jersey: Avotaynu, 2004. (FHL call no. 943.86 D46)

If the ancestor cannot be found in the index, check the City Directory. If they are in the directory, locate someone with an address near the ancestor. Then find that person in the census. The ancestor should be located on the same page or within a few pages from this neighbor.

Social Security Death Index
The Social Security Death Index contains over fifty million records of deaths reported to the Social Security Administration from 1937 to 1998. The bulk of the records are from 1962 and later. The index provides the decedent’s names, birth date social security number, state where the social security card was issued, month and year of death, state of residence at death, zip code, and state where the death benefit was sent. For more information see the U.S. Social Security Death Index Wiki page.

Vital Records
Also search for birth, marriage, and death certificates. Birth certificates generally give the parents' names and ages and often give the parents' birthplaces. Look for birth certificates of brothers and sisters also. Marriage certificates could contain names of parents and the mother's maiden name. Check marriage records of all siblings or other relatives. Death certificates can help locate the cemetery records or tombstone. Check with the funeral home if the information is available. Also check obituaries, probate records, and land and property records.

Probate Records
To find probate records, search in the FamilySearch Catalog by County under the word PROBATE. Probate records give the names of the heirs, including married names of the children and their location.

Naturalization Records
Declaration of Intent. This document sometimes gives the name of the town the ancestor immigrated from. Petition. Beginning in 1906, this record usually gives: date of arrival and port, name of ship, name of town of birth, birth date, and date of naturalization. Before 1906, the record sometimes gives date and port of arrival and the name of the ship. Oath of Allegiance. This document will give the date of naturalization.