SOUTH African Jewish Orphanage, Arcadia, is celebrating its centenary.

More than 3,000 children have lived at the home with an even greater number of children who were never in residence.

It is estimated that two-four per cent of the South African Jewish population would have a direct connection with Arcadia and they or their parents or grandparents would have lived in or received help from Arcadia.

Also it is estimated that in the earlier days 50 per cent of the South African Jewish families would have been financial members of Arcadia. Arcadia still exists in Johannesburg.

More than 120 'children' (including a number now living in the UK) have recorded their memories of Arcadia in the book 100 Years of Arc Memories.

For details on the book visit www.arcadia.ca.com.au or contact author David Sandler on 00618 93062753, write to 41 Bebich Drive, Wanneroo, WA, Australia or email sedsand@ca.com.au

ON HER list

MARGARET Fullarton Mark of Australia wants to know if any of the following have descendants still living in Manchester or elsewhere in England.

The people listed were married in the late 1800s or early 1900s in either Manchester or Telsiai (Telz), Lithuania.

Leah Mark and Solomon Levy; Annie Toff and Louis Goldblatt; Annie Sewelson and Hyman Auerbach; Janie (Jeanie) Mark and Morris Massel; Rachel Mark and Fred Jenkins; Joe Mark and Mary; Solomon Mark and Anne Myers; Barnett Mark and Bessie; Hannah Sewelson Leibermann (a chemist in Cheetham Hill Road); Ellis Mark and Katie.

Write to PO Box 123, Oaklands, NSW, Australia 2646 or email Margaret at fullmark@bigpond.net.au

SHRENSKI SEARCH

STEVEN Morgan of North Carolina wants to know what happened to the Shrenski family.

His paternal grandmother, Goldie Levi Morgan, was born in Leeds on February 24, 1890 to Isaac Levi and Rebecca Shrenski.

Her parents died in 1897/98 and she lived with her aunt Fanny and uncle Jacob Levi with whom she emigrated to New York in 1905.

She left behind three brothers, Harry Levi, born 1885, Fred Levi, born 1888 and Louis Levi born 1895.

Steven's father remembers letters coming from Yorkshire until the start of World War II when they apparently stopped. Rebecca Shrenski was one of at least nine children: Emanuel, Leah, Rose, Philip, Henry, Sarah, Israel and Joseph.

Rebecca's mother was Caroline Myers Shrenski who died in 1930 at the age of 92.

Around 1910 the surname seems to disappear.

Wrote to 5513 Chelon Avenue, Wilmington North Carolina 28409, USA, telephone 001-910-452-7554 or email Steven at morgansr@ix.netcom.com

SAVED FATHER

ALEXANDER Burstein of Vienna is looking for a woman who looked after his father when he fled Nazi Germany on the kindertransport.

The last address Alexander has for Barbara Birly is 7 Brackley Court, 40A Longley Lane, Northenden, Manchester M22 4JJ.

Alexander has not heard from Barbara for two years.

She was the bailer for his father who in 1939 came to England from Germany on the kindertransport.

Write to Mommsengasse 33/9, A-1040 Wien, Austria or email Alexander at Alexander.Burstein@sanova.at

Online database

EDDIE Meltzer of Kansas City, Missouri, is looking for any online searchable databases that can give ships' passenger information for Jews travelling from England to the US by specific date or ship.

His grandmother emigrated to the US around the turn of the century as a child.

"The database provided by ellisisland.org was most helpful in determining her arrival date and ships information," he said. "However, the manifest lists their last place of residence as London.

"I suspect that she was born in Russia/Poland stayed in London for a few years before ending up in the USA."

Telephone 001816 333-6299 ext 128 or email ed.meltzer@securitassystems.com

Relative value

ALAN Hertzberg, of the Wirral, is looking for information about his relatives Tevel and Hannah Davies; Harris, Dinah and Ben Hertzberg; and Maurice and Leah Quest.

All lived in Liverpool. Mortie Hertzberg was the son of Harris and lived in Leeds in the 1930s. Telephone Alan on 0151-608 6815.

Musical search

PIPPA Reid of Pinner is trying to find out information on the Younkman Balalaika Orchestra.

They toured England around 1937 and made their home in Manchester. Pippa had relatives in the band.

Write to 12 East Towers, Pinner, Middx HA5 1TL or email her at pippasong@hotmail.com

Glasgow descendants

AMERICAN Jim Yarin is looking for descendants of Noah Chaim Miscovsky, who died in 1950 in Cathcart. He was the head of Glasgow Beth Din. His wife was probably Rebecca, who died in 1958, also in Cathcart. Noah Chaim was the son of Dina (nee Katz) and Baruch Ben Zion Mishkovsky.

Jim is also seeking descendants of Noah's brothers or sisters. One brother, Avram Ezra, named after his grandfather, the rabbi of Amdur (Indura) Poland, also moved to Glasgow. A sister, Rebecca, married in 1892 in Glasgow to a Benjamin (last name unknown), also related to Bialablotsky. The mother of Dina was Haiche (Etche) (Nee Efron) Katz and the father was Rabbi Avram Ezra Katz of Amdur.

Write to 248 Central St, Acton, MA 01720, USA, telephone 001 978/263-6383 or email jimyarin@verizon.net

Tiny village of Bot river

ANN Rabinowitz, formerly of Manchester, is researching the Jews of the tiny dorp or village of Bot River, South Africa, where her father's Bdil and Choritz family settled after leaving Kupiskis, Lithuania.

One of the small number of families that also settled there was that of Fred Cohen from Manchester, England. He is known to have worked in 1928 for the general dealers, Choritz and Jaffe, who were Ann's relatives. Many of those who came to Bot River were from north eastern Lithuania and were related to each other.

Write to PO Box 398964, Miami Beach, FL 33239-8964 or email annrab@bellsouth.net

Originally from Sulita

CAROL Rotaru of Ashkelon is searching for his cousin Derek Moss.

The family of Carol, whose Hebrew name is Haim Azriel, is originally from the village of Sulita, in the Botosani County. The family name used to be Cohen.

Write to Kiryati 6, Ashkelon 78469, Israel or email soring0412@gmail.com

Close to the Hertz

MARTHA McDonald of Texas wants information about Ivor Hertz who changed his name to Isaac Hart/s. He was born about 1908 in London. His parents were Ruben and Hannah Hertz. He married Maisey Grant and had children, Pauline, Adrian, and Rodney. He had sisters Becky, Golda and Rosa.

His mother and Martha's grandmother were sisters. Write to 3009 Padre Ct, Plano, TX, 75075, USA or email marthamcdonald@verizon.net