"Without such a tool, searching has been extremely difficult, costly and relatively unproductive," said King, a Houston-area travel industry professional.

She said that while oral testimonies and lists of survivors have been collected over the years, no one had established a worldwide mechanism to help relatives reconnect with each other.

"Child survivors who don't even remember their surnames may enter whatever information they have in the hope of discovering their roots," said King.

"Anyone may add names or search for lost relatives who might still be alive. This registry will fill an information gap that has persisted for too long."

The Holocaust registry is accessible worldwide at the following: http://www.jewishgen.org