Ed,

Since you are very familiar with the area around Lancut, I have some questions. My grandmother, Hendel STERN, was born in Bialobrzegi. Just before her emigration to the U.S. in 1912, she lived in Goszina according to her passenger manifest (most likely Kosina, near Lancut). In the mid-1920s her parents and several siblings lived in and around Lancut. Her parents were living on Ringstrasse in Lancut, not far from a Catholic church. They were Jews. My great-grandfather, Josef was a kosher butcher. I was told that he always delivered fine cuts of meet to the local Catholic priest who was a friend. His wife, Esther (ROTHKOPF) STERN was a fine baker, often hired to bake wedding cakes and pastries, and a midwife.

Can you tell me anything about the places I've mentioned? Perhaps a description of these communities? Do you know where I might find Jewish records of births, marriages, and deaths? I wonder whether the Catholic church may have kept records of local Jewish families.

Aside from my grandmother and one older brother who emigrated, neighbors reported that the rest of the family was killed in the Holocaust. After WWII my mother tried to locate them. For years, I've tried to learn more.

Any suggestions you might offer would be most welcome.

Susan