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GETTING
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There is no single list of Holocaust victims or survivors. Instead, researching family history around the Holocaust is a process of following trails and piecing together bits of information.
If possible, it is best if one knows the name of the town in which a particular individual resided prior to the war. The town name often provides the most fruitful entry point to the available resources by pointing to the proper archives for access to vital records. One can then refer to reference sources such as the Encyclopedia of the Holocaust, the Encyclopaedia Judaica, or The Encyclopedia of Jewish Life Before and During the Holocaust to get a general idea of the fate of the residents of that town.
Other valuable suggestions and concrete information can be found in Gary Mokotoff's How to Document Victims and Locate Survivors of the Holocaust (Teaneck, NJ: Avotaynu, 1995; USHMM Library Call Number: Ref D804.3 .M65 1995). This excellent reference book can guide you through the process and includes the addresses, phone numbers, and fax numbers of organizations, libraries, archives and other facilities around the world with notable collections of Holocaust materials.
JewishGen, a Web site devoted to Jewish genealogy, also provides guidelines for beginning family history research. See their Frequently Asked Questions page for an extensive discussion of methods and resources.
Please note: Because of the complexity of family histories and genealogical searches, Library staff members are unable to perform for you the substantive research required to construct your family history. However, the staff can assist you in identifying relevant sources in the Library, and can direct you to other departments within the Museum or to other institutions outside the Museum that might provide additional information.
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