ENGLISH CORNER, CON LINDA JIMÉNEZ – This week’s trivia question: How did the dowries of Ashkenazi Jews compare with those of Jews coming from Spain, as reflected in the Livorno Ketubbot?

Alain Nedjar, Gilles Boulu, Liliane Nedjar and Raphael Attias are specialists in the genealogy of Jewish Livorno-Tunisian families.  Their recently-published book, Ketubbot Registers of Livorno (1626-1890) is a thorough study of these marriage contracts and offers a unique insight into the Jewish community of that Italian city. 

The authors’ objective is helping those interested in genealogy to find their ancestors and trace their Livornese heritage. They deciphered and analyzed almost all of the marriage certificates of the entire Jewish Nation of Livorno, from its creation at the beginning of the 17th century until the end of the 19th, altogether about 6,800 ketubbot.

They also analyzed the historical context in which these families led their lives. The genealogies and routes undertaken by families are the subject of an entire chapter, which makes it possible to closely follow, over several centuries, the movements of thirty Livornese Jewish families.

The book has been published in a bilingual French-English edition, making it more accessible to a wide international audience.

You can contact Alain Nedjar at apndesign@aol.com