Dear Jeremy, Thanks for pointing out the fact that I need to be cautious - I think I am being very cautious and feel a total feeling of non-believing. The Certificate I have (brand new from the Registrar General) is hand-written (caution 1). She was probably new off the boat from Russia (caution 2). Neither Leah nor Abraham could write, as they both left their mark (caution 3). The certificate was corrected 24 years later for the details of Abraham (caution 4). I too, did a Google search of the name and came up with zero results. I think I've been in this game a wee bit too long to be taken in by a certificate. This is an excellent example of when to sit back and start asking as many questions as can be done about this. By the way, my next move in this to contact the London Beth Din and get a copy of the registration document for the marriage. Do you think that is a good move? > Miriam Pollak raises several interesting questions concerning her > "find" of her great grandmother's last name apparently being SFERDLIN > as recorded on the marriage certificate. Naturally she is excited but > as always a measure of caution ought to be thrown into the pot. Is > this name real? Is it possible there might have been an error. Miriam > didn't say whether the certificate was hand-written or typed. > > > Jeremy > -- >