Using the Lo Tishkach Database

USING THE DATABASE

How to Use the Database:

2. There are various ways of searching the database; by keyword, by ID number, by country, by town name, by cemetery name, by region and by district.

3. To search by keyword, enter in all or part of the cemetery name, town name, country name, region name or district name. Please bear in mind that while country, cemetery, region and district names are generally entered in the database in English only, all towns are also listed by their local, alternative and former names and these names can be entered into the search function. Local spellings are used for this purpose, including Cyrillic characters where necessary.

4. To search by ID number, enter in the Cemetery ID which can be found at the top of each cemetery and mass grave record. This function is for those who have already viewed the cemetery/mass grave record in question or who have been provided with the ID number.

5. To search by country, town name, cemetery name, region or district you must first choose a country from the ‘Country’ drop down menu. The page will then load and the other menus will populate with towns, cemeteries, regions and districts that can be found in that country only. If you are looking for a particular town, click on the arrow to the side of the ‘City/Town’ menu and this will bring up an alphabetic list of all cities, towns and villages in that country.

6. When you have chosen your search criteria, click on ‘Search.’

7. If your search has been unsuccessful, take a look at the possible reasons below and click on ‘Clear’ to clear the page and continue your search.

8. If your search has been successful, this will bring up a list of the cemeteries and mass graves that fulfil your criteria. The total number of items (records) can be seen at the top of the results chart, as can the number of pages. To move between pages use the arrows to the left and right of the page number (expressed as ‘1 of …..’).

9. To view a record click on its name. This will bring you to a page containing the basic information on the burial ground, including name, address, location, date established, whether it is currently in use, the ID number, links to Google Maps and any photographs or documents.

10. To view the full record, including empty fields, click on the link below the Google Maps buttons. To view the whole contents of the record you should click on the ‘+’, to the left of headings 2-11.

11. To submit corrections or further information on a record, note the ID number and then click on the link at the bottom of the page. This will bring you to our online Cemetery Update Form.

Search Hints:

To view all cemeteries and mass graves in the database, simply click ‘Search’.
For quicker searching when using drop-down menus, click on the arrow to the side of the menu and type the first few letters of the country/town/district etc that you are looking for. This will bring you to the correct section.
If you are unsuccessful using the ‘keyword’ search function, try entering in a fragment of the word only. This can be any part of the word, and does not need to be followed by any other symbol.
Remember that in certain countries, Ukraine in particular, there are sometimes a number of villages and towns with the same name and even in the same region (oblast, in the case of Ukraine). It is worthwhile to carry out some background research to find the district (raion in Ukraine) in which the town is located to avoid confusion.
Remember to note down the ID number if you are interested in returning to a cemetery or mass grave record, as this is the easiest way of finding the record.

Possible Reasons for an Unsuccessful Search:

Data on the cemetery that you are looking for may not yet have been added to the database. At present, we are completing basic data on all European Jewish burial grounds on a country-by-country basis. Only countries for which all of the basic data has been completed feature on the site – check the drop-down country menu for details.
Your search terms may be too narrow or too complex. Try broader, simpler criteria.
The cemetery or mass grave that you are looking for may now be found in the territory of another country. Check the listings for neighbouring countries.
While the Lo Tishkach project has made every effort to include all town/city name variations, there may be exceptions. If a name is not recognised, verify the spelling and try the current official name.

If your search is still unsuccessful, contact us for further assistance.