Subject: Genealogy #84
Reply-to: IsraelP@pikholz.org
Date: Tue, 28 Jul 2015 08:10:58 +0300

Dear Cousins,

The preorder discount for my book "ENDOGAMY: One Family, One People" will expire on 3 
August. (The discount coupons for those of you who tested for the project are good for a 
year.)  We plan to ship the preordered books on 10 August, both from the US and from 
Israel. "ENDOGAMY: One Family, One People" can be ordered at 
www.endogamy-one-family.com

I am leaving for the US on 11 August and will be speaking about genetic genealogy in the 
following places: Baltimore MD, Wayne NJ, Huntington WV, Hazel Crest IL, Los Angeles CA, 
Phoenix AZ, Plainview Long Island NY and maybe one other. Times and locations are on the 
book's website - http://www.endogamy-one-family.com/speaking-engagements/  Books will 
be available for purchase. A couple of the organizers have asked if I'll have family members 
coming so they can arrange a discount on entrance fee. So let me know please. 

(The genetic genealogy T-shirts and tote bags will not be available at my talks - only from the 
website. My personal favorite is "DNA - My Kind of Acid.")

I am also speaking at the Jewish Genealogical Society of New York.on 1 September. They 
are at a smaller venue than usual, 36 West 44th Street, so they are not publicizing the event. 
Nonetheless they will probably have room for some family members. If you are interested, 
please contact Joy at jkestenb@gmail.com, after the first of August.

The DNA testing goes on and six more Pikholz descendants have ordered tests, two from 
Rozdol, four from Skalat. I will have some test kits with me specifically for family members. 
The tests are not free but you'll save a bit on the shipping, not to mention the convenience.

While in Chicago, I will be meeting with a Pikholz descendant, the last of her generation in 
her line. I have very high hopes for what we can learn at that meeting with particular 
relevance to my own family.

Now that that is out of the way, I have a bit of news to report. First several Pikholz 
descendants from Russia/Ukraine, rather that Galicia.

There is a Pikholz family from Poltava in Ukraine, who did both a Y test on the male line and 
a Family Finder. The Y did not match either our Rozdol or our Skalat men, so it may well be 
that the Pikholz name in this family came from one of the grandmothers. The Family Finder 
did not yield strong matches, but after we get the data onto GEDmatch, I may be able to say 
more.

Last week, I found a Pikholz descendant named Abraham Izen who was born in 1882 in 
Kharkov Ukraine. He later lived in the US. I haven't a clue who he is, but he died in Los 
Angeles County in 1942. (California says he was born 1888.) We have one Pikholz family 
who lived in Kharkov and later in Los Angeles, but my contact there dropped off my radar 
some years ago.

Benjamin Weinstein and Sheva / Sadie Pikholz had at least three children in Nemerow 
Podolia (now Ukraine) - Abraham, Samuel and Mollie. All three of those lived in the US and I 
have just opened contact with Mollie's granddaughter. We have one other family from 
Nemerow - now living in Kansas City. The connection between the KC family and the other 
Pikholz families has been unclear and the one DNA test has shown weak matches. The 
mother of this new group, Sheva, seems likely to be a sister of the KC matriarch. Mollie died 
in 2001.

We also found a Karl (Kalman) Shapiro, the son of Elias Szapiro and Sophia Pickholtz, born 
1916 in Skalat and died in Florida in 2001. No idea who he is and just getting started looking 
for family and background.

One final item, particularly for those of you who did DNA tests.  Our genealogy cousin Adam 
Brown had invited you to participate in the Avotaynu Jewish DNA project, a central address 
for Jewish genealogical DNA studies.  Experts in Jewish genealogy, many of whom I know 
personally and with whom I will collaborate, will compare your results to thousands of others 
in the Avotaynu database to help link you to other Jewish families around the world.

Our entire family is encouraged to participate.  To link your existing DNA results to the 
project, 

     1. Go to your Family Tree DNA page,
     2. then click "Join",
     3. then search for "Avotaynu",
     4. then click "Avotaynu",
     5. then "Join",

Or simply send me an email indicating that you wish to participate and I will set you up with 
the project  from here.

That's all for now.

Israel P.

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