The following is a brief guide to help you search for Holocaust survivors/victims and to let you know what resources are available here at the Holocaust Memorial Center Library-Archive. This information is a general outline. For specific questions, check with the reference librarian on duty and/or check the Library and Research area for additional resources.

PRELIMINARY SEARCHING

NAME - LOCATION - HISTORY:
Check the name of the person whom you are searching and the name of the town where the person originated. Locate the city on a map and note surrounding towns and area. Learn what happened to the city during the war and identify the governing bodies or occupying forces. If possible, ask relatives or persons who would know where the survivor/victim went and what happened. Get as much information as possible, including the European spelling of the person’s name, age, address and names of relatives.

INTERNATIONAL TRACING SERVICE, BAD AROLSEN, GERMANY:
The United States Holocaust Memorial Museum is accepting requests for tracing individuals in the ITS records.  Online form is available at itsrequest.ushmm.org/its/getting_started.php.  Priority given to survivors & families. 

RED CROSS HOLOCAUST AND WAR VICTIMS TRACING CENTER:
Call your local chapter of the Red Cross Holocaust and War Victims Tracing Center and ask for an application for each person you are searching. They will send you an application and will transfer your request to various international institutions.  In the Detroit metropolitan area, call: 1-313-833-4440, or, call 1-410-624-2090.

JEWISH GENEALOGY WEBSITE:
Check www.jewishgen.org website for names, locations, registers, and current research by topic and location. Pay special attention to the ‘Infofiles,’ Jewish Genealogy Family Finder areas and Special Interest Groups.

AVOTAYNU:
Search the www.avotaynu.com website for articles useful in your area of research. Use the latest Avotaynu CD to search by keyword. This is available in the Holocaust Memorial Center Library-Archive.

IN-DEPTH SEARCH

Check Memorial Books for the town(s) where the person originated and numerous registries. The HMC has a very extensive collection.

If the person was imprisoned in a concentration/slave labor camp write directly to the address or find out where the records are being kept, if available.

Write to Landsmanschaften societies. Place ad in their newsletters or ask the head of the society to speak with members regarding the person(s) in whom you are interested.

Contact the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum Registry of Holocaust Survivors Office to check the name of the person(s). The HMC has a copy of the latest edition of the Registry, arranged by name and location, before and during World War II. You may also call directly at 1-202-488-6130 or 1-202-488-0414.

Check with Yad Vashem, www.yadvashem.org, for
  - Dape Ed - Pages of Testimony, where persons have registered names of people who died in the Holocaust.  Click ‘Shoah Victims’ Database’.                                
  - Archival lists - Under ‘New on website’ click ‘Shoah Related Lists Database’
  - Archival records - Hire a researcher to check their extensive archival and photographic files as well as the digital images of the Bad Arolsen International Tracing Service documentation.   

Check displaced persons camps records and periodicals which appeared at the time.

Check HIAS Records, Location Service, 333 Seventh Avenue, New York, New York 10001, 1-212-613-1424.  Fax:  1-212-967-4442.   Email:  This email address is being protected from spam bots, you need Javascript enabled to view it     Fee per search.

To locate persons who may have gone to Israel, Mrs. Batya Unterschatz-Landsman conducts research for a fee.  Email is This email address is being protected from spam bots, you need Javascript enabled to view it . Address is 91 Derech Hazeitim, Moshav Beit Zeit, Israel 90815.  Fax 0972-2-5346573.  Be aware that the person’s last name my have been changed to a Hebrew version of a European name.

Also for Israeli inquiries, contact Ms. Elena Singer, International Affairs, Magen David Adom in Israel, 60 Yigal Alon Street, Tel Aviv, 67062 Israel.  She does tracing with connections to Ministry of Interior, Yad Vashem…

Place an ad in TOGETHER published by the American Gathering of Jewish Holocaust Survivors by emailing This email address is being protected from spam bots, you need Javascript enabled to view it This magazine has started a ‘Searches’ column and they accept notices for publication.    

Place an ad in Generations of the Shoah International Newsletter (www.genshoah.org) This email address is being protected from spam bots, you need Javascript enabled to view it