Prior Meetings
JGSSN features a variety of informative sessions!
Meetings held at the Sahara West Library (and via Zoom during the pandemic)
Meetings held at the Sahara West Library (and via Zoom during the pandemic)
May 16, 2021: Guest speaker, Marian Smith, will present "The What and When of US Immigration and Naturalization Records"
"The What and When of US Immigration and Naturalization Records"
Marian Smith will present an overview of three historical eras (1820-Present) of US immigration and naturalization records illustrated with documents of Jewish immigrants. Using a timeline tool (included in the handout), she will demonstrate how plotting an immigrant’s life events can identify what records may exist for that particular immigrant, and where to find them. A question and answer session follows the presentation.
Bio of Marian Smith:
Marian Smith retired in 2018 after thirty years as an Historian for the Immigration and Naturalization Service (INS), later US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS). She now speaks to groups on US immigration and nationality records and leads the I&N Records Fortnightly study group.
Comments:
"Very informative and I learned new research options"
"Lots of good information. Speaker obviously knows her subject well!"
"She knows so much...a gem"
"Complex topic presented clearly, with practical suggestions"
"It was super informative"
"The What and When of US Immigration and Naturalization Records"
Marian Smith will present an overview of three historical eras (1820-Present) of US immigration and naturalization records illustrated with documents of Jewish immigrants. Using a timeline tool (included in the handout), she will demonstrate how plotting an immigrant’s life events can identify what records may exist for that particular immigrant, and where to find them. A question and answer session follows the presentation.
Bio of Marian Smith:
Marian Smith retired in 2018 after thirty years as an Historian for the Immigration and Naturalization Service (INS), later US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS). She now speaks to groups on US immigration and nationality records and leads the I&N Records Fortnightly study group.
Comments:
"Very informative and I learned new research options"
"Lots of good information. Speaker obviously knows her subject well!"
"She knows so much...a gem"
"Complex topic presented clearly, with practical suggestions"
"It was super informative"
| 2021_may_16_smith_handout_jgssn.pdf |
April 18, 2021: Guest speaker, Emily Garber, will present "Town Counsel: Finding Your Ancestor's European Town of Origin"
“Town Counsel: Finding Your Ancestor's European Town of Origin”
One of the most important building blocks of Jewish genealogy research is determining our ancestors’ communities of origin, especially where those places are on today’s maps. Discovering an ancestor’s town of origin (either birthplace or last residence) may be one of our most exciting research findings because it could be the portal to allow us to push our family tree back several generations.
Because records were (and are) often kept at local, municipal level or regional levels, successful genealogical research depends upon knowing our ancestors’ correct communities of residence. One cannot successfully jump the pond to Eastern Europe with one’s research until one has established location information from immigrant ancestors’ and relatives’ records in their adopted countries.
Bio of Emily Garber:
An archaeologist by training (B.A., Vassar College; M.A., University of New Mexico), Emily Garber is a professional genealogy researcher, writer and speaker who specializes in Jewish genealogical research. She has researched both Eastern European and German Jewish communities and immigrants to the United States and Great Britain. She has toured family shtetlach (communities) and explored archives in Ukraine.
After retiring from her 30+ year career in natural resources management, Emily earned a certificate from Boston University's Genealogical Research program. She has spoken at eight International Association of Jewish Genealogical Societies conferences and at the National Genealogical Society’s virtual conference. She has presented talks and seminars throughout the United States, and in Israel and Poland. In the summer of 2020, she coordinated the week-long seminar at the Genealogical Research Institute of Pittsburgh, “Introduction to Jewish Genealogy.” She has authored three articles published in Avotaynu: The International Review of Jewish Genealogy and, for a client, completed two privately published volumes chronicling the 300-year history of a German Jewish family. She writes a family history blog, The Extra Yad (https://extrayad.blogspot.com/).
Emily serves on the board of the International Association of Jewish Genealogical Societies. She is also Chair of the Phoenix Jewish Genealogy Group and is on the boards of the Arizona Jewish Historical Society as well as JewishGen’s Ukraine and Romania Research Groups. She was one of the moderators of the JewishGen Discussion Group for about 10 years.
Comments:
"Excellent presentation, Emily. Organized, thorough, and a demonstration of the success one can achieve with persistence and open-minded research. Thank you!"
"Well organized presentation with visuals. Gave me insights in how to thoroughly research."
"Thank you for a brilliant lesson in persistence and an orderly approach to finding ancestral towns. I am sure that many of us will be re-energised in our searches."
"Very organized, super handout loaded with information"
"I’d like to hire her!"
"One of the best webinars on Jewish genealogy I've ever seen. I'd been looking for information on this subject for a long time and Emily's lecture and handout will be extremely helpful to me. I especially liked that it was very easy to understand and well organized. Kudos to her and to the JGSSN!"
“Town Counsel: Finding Your Ancestor's European Town of Origin”
One of the most important building blocks of Jewish genealogy research is determining our ancestors’ communities of origin, especially where those places are on today’s maps. Discovering an ancestor’s town of origin (either birthplace or last residence) may be one of our most exciting research findings because it could be the portal to allow us to push our family tree back several generations.
Because records were (and are) often kept at local, municipal level or regional levels, successful genealogical research depends upon knowing our ancestors’ correct communities of residence. One cannot successfully jump the pond to Eastern Europe with one’s research until one has established location information from immigrant ancestors’ and relatives’ records in their adopted countries.
Bio of Emily Garber:
An archaeologist by training (B.A., Vassar College; M.A., University of New Mexico), Emily Garber is a professional genealogy researcher, writer and speaker who specializes in Jewish genealogical research. She has researched both Eastern European and German Jewish communities and immigrants to the United States and Great Britain. She has toured family shtetlach (communities) and explored archives in Ukraine.
After retiring from her 30+ year career in natural resources management, Emily earned a certificate from Boston University's Genealogical Research program. She has spoken at eight International Association of Jewish Genealogical Societies conferences and at the National Genealogical Society’s virtual conference. She has presented talks and seminars throughout the United States, and in Israel and Poland. In the summer of 2020, she coordinated the week-long seminar at the Genealogical Research Institute of Pittsburgh, “Introduction to Jewish Genealogy.” She has authored three articles published in Avotaynu: The International Review of Jewish Genealogy and, for a client, completed two privately published volumes chronicling the 300-year history of a German Jewish family. She writes a family history blog, The Extra Yad (https://extrayad.blogspot.com/).
Emily serves on the board of the International Association of Jewish Genealogical Societies. She is also Chair of the Phoenix Jewish Genealogy Group and is on the boards of the Arizona Jewish Historical Society as well as JewishGen’s Ukraine and Romania Research Groups. She was one of the moderators of the JewishGen Discussion Group for about 10 years.
Comments:
"Excellent presentation, Emily. Organized, thorough, and a demonstration of the success one can achieve with persistence and open-minded research. Thank you!"
"Well organized presentation with visuals. Gave me insights in how to thoroughly research."
"Thank you for a brilliant lesson in persistence and an orderly approach to finding ancestral towns. I am sure that many of us will be re-energised in our searches."
"Very organized, super handout loaded with information"
"I’d like to hire her!"
"One of the best webinars on Jewish genealogy I've ever seen. I'd been looking for information on this subject for a long time and Emily's lecture and handout will be extremely helpful to me. I especially liked that it was very easy to understand and well organized. Kudos to her and to the JGSSN!"
| garbereh_towncounsel-handout_20210410.pdf |
March 21, 2021: Guest speaker, Hal Bookbinder, will present "Why Did Our Jewish Ancestors Leave a Great Place Like the Pale?"
"Why Did Our Jewish Ancestors Leave a Great Place Like the Pale?"
Jews had lived in Western Russia (the Pale) for centuries. At the turn of the last, two million left. This talk discusses how the Pale came to be, life in it and why the mass migration occurred. It breaks its 120-year history into periods of creation, confinement, repression, enlightenment, pogroms and chaos. There is more to the story than the horrific violence at the turn of the 20th century.
Bio of Hal Bookbinder:
Hal writes and lectures extensively on diverse genealogical topics, including border changes, migration, citizenship and practicing safe computing. He has identified over 4,000 relatives, tracing two lines to the mid-1700s in modern Ukraine. He has served as president of the IAJGS and has been honored with its Lifetime Achievement Award. Hal is a retired information technology director who continues to teach at the university level. He also directs a transition-to-work training program for individuals in addiction recovery. Hal and his family reside in the Los Angeles area. Check out his articles on safe computing at http://www.tinyurl.com/SafeComputingArticles.
Comments:
"Fantastic talk and wonderful Q&A! Thank you!!!"
"A wonderfully detailed explanation - thank you!"
"Wow wow wow"
"The best I have attended ever. So interesting and relevant""
"Extremely informative, clear, concise, well prepared, excellent display of material"
"Mr. Bookbinder was very informative and clear about the origins and historical development of the Pale. A complicated subject, to say the least. Thank you very much. I also learned a lot from the Q&A after the presentation."
"Why Did Our Jewish Ancestors Leave a Great Place Like the Pale?"
Jews had lived in Western Russia (the Pale) for centuries. At the turn of the last, two million left. This talk discusses how the Pale came to be, life in it and why the mass migration occurred. It breaks its 120-year history into periods of creation, confinement, repression, enlightenment, pogroms and chaos. There is more to the story than the horrific violence at the turn of the 20th century.
Bio of Hal Bookbinder:
Hal writes and lectures extensively on diverse genealogical topics, including border changes, migration, citizenship and practicing safe computing. He has identified over 4,000 relatives, tracing two lines to the mid-1700s in modern Ukraine. He has served as president of the IAJGS and has been honored with its Lifetime Achievement Award. Hal is a retired information technology director who continues to teach at the university level. He also directs a transition-to-work training program for individuals in addiction recovery. Hal and his family reside in the Los Angeles area. Check out his articles on safe computing at http://www.tinyurl.com/SafeComputingArticles.
Comments:
"Fantastic talk and wonderful Q&A! Thank you!!!"
"A wonderfully detailed explanation - thank you!"
"Wow wow wow"
"The best I have attended ever. So interesting and relevant""
"Extremely informative, clear, concise, well prepared, excellent display of material"
"Mr. Bookbinder was very informative and clear about the origins and historical development of the Pale. A complicated subject, to say the least. Thank you very much. I also learned a lot from the Q&A after the presentation."
| pale_handout_-_2020.pdf |
February 21, 2021: Guest speaker, Todd Knowles, will present "What's New at FamilySearch"
"What's New at FamilySearch"
FamilySearch is one of the largest genealogical websites and grows more every day. This presentation will show some of the newest features of FamilySearch and how best to utilize them to find your Jewish ancestors.
Bio of Todd Knowles:
W. Todd Knowles is an accredited Genealogist who specializes in English and Jewish research. For the past 20 years he has been a member of the staff at the Family History Library in Salt Lake City, where he currently serves as a Deputy Chief Genealogical Officer. He is past President of the Utah Jewish Genealogy Society (UJGS).
Todd has lectured all over the world and his articles have been widely published. His own genealogical search began at the age of twelve with the desire to find more about his family and grows every day. His quest to find more about his GGGrandfather, a Polish Jew, has led to the creation of the Knowles Collection, six databases that contain the records of the Jewish people. It currently (as of Jan 2020) contains the records of over 1.4 million people.
Comments:
"Amazing amount of information"
"Excellent speaker; clear and concise"
"Excellent webinar. Lots about FamilySearch that I didn't know before, but will use now!"
"Very detailed and informative"
"Todd is so knowledgeable and I learn something new every time I hear him speak"
"Great insights to help with my research"
"What's New at FamilySearch"
FamilySearch is one of the largest genealogical websites and grows more every day. This presentation will show some of the newest features of FamilySearch and how best to utilize them to find your Jewish ancestors.
Bio of Todd Knowles:
W. Todd Knowles is an accredited Genealogist who specializes in English and Jewish research. For the past 20 years he has been a member of the staff at the Family History Library in Salt Lake City, where he currently serves as a Deputy Chief Genealogical Officer. He is past President of the Utah Jewish Genealogy Society (UJGS).
Todd has lectured all over the world and his articles have been widely published. His own genealogical search began at the age of twelve with the desire to find more about his family and grows every day. His quest to find more about his GGGrandfather, a Polish Jew, has led to the creation of the Knowles Collection, six databases that contain the records of the Jewish people. It currently (as of Jan 2020) contains the records of over 1.4 million people.
Comments:
"Amazing amount of information"
"Excellent speaker; clear and concise"
"Excellent webinar. Lots about FamilySearch that I didn't know before, but will use now!"
"Very detailed and informative"
"Todd is so knowledgeable and I learn something new every time I hear him speak"
"Great insights to help with my research"
January 17, 2021: Guest speaker, Daniel Horowitz, will present "Location, Location, Location: Where Your Relatives Were"
" Location, Location, Location: Where Your Relatives Were"
You know what they say: location is everything. Maps, addresses, and places are some of the key points of genealogy research. Analyzing your facts and recognizing when the places you’ve recorded were misspelled, incomplete, or totally wrong can give your research a huge boost — paving the way for you to discover how, where, and why your ancestors lived and worked where they did. By using the correct tools and websites, you’ll find new clues and gain extraordinary insights... but only if you follow the right path. In this lecture, Daniel will show you the way.
Bio of Daniel Horowitz:
Daniel is the Expert Genealogist from MyHeritage. He speaks at genealogy conferences around the world. He has been dedicated to genealogy since 1986. He was the teacher and the study guide editor of the family history project “Searching for My Roots” in Venezuela for 15 years. Daniel is involved in several crowdsource digitization and transcription projects and holds a board level position at the Israel Genealogy Research Association (IGRA)
Comments:
"Excellent webinar. I have taken other webinars from JGSSN. They too were excellent."
"Very good resources. Daniel is, as always, on point."
"Lots of new information which will be useful in my genealogical research. Especially happy to know about using certain features of Google maps to find historical pictures. I look forward to trying out the various links on the handout. Thank you for this excellent presentation!"
"A wonderful presentation - and opens many new possibilities for research"
"Magnificent"
" Location, Location, Location: Where Your Relatives Were"
You know what they say: location is everything. Maps, addresses, and places are some of the key points of genealogy research. Analyzing your facts and recognizing when the places you’ve recorded were misspelled, incomplete, or totally wrong can give your research a huge boost — paving the way for you to discover how, where, and why your ancestors lived and worked where they did. By using the correct tools and websites, you’ll find new clues and gain extraordinary insights... but only if you follow the right path. In this lecture, Daniel will show you the way.
Bio of Daniel Horowitz:
Daniel is the Expert Genealogist from MyHeritage. He speaks at genealogy conferences around the world. He has been dedicated to genealogy since 1986. He was the teacher and the study guide editor of the family history project “Searching for My Roots” in Venezuela for 15 years. Daniel is involved in several crowdsource digitization and transcription projects and holds a board level position at the Israel Genealogy Research Association (IGRA)
Comments:
"Excellent webinar. I have taken other webinars from JGSSN. They too were excellent."
"Very good resources. Daniel is, as always, on point."
"Lots of new information which will be useful in my genealogical research. Especially happy to know about using certain features of Google maps to find historical pictures. I look forward to trying out the various links on the handout. Thank you for this excellent presentation!"
"A wonderful presentation - and opens many new possibilities for research"
"Magnificent"
| location_location_locations.pdf |
December 13, 2020: Guest speaker, Jennifer Mendelsohn, will present "Think Like a Reporter To Avoid Genealogy Mistakes"
"Think Like a Reporter To Avoid Genealogy Mistakes"
This talk will cover how more than two decades of journalism experience has helped me as a genealogist, both to zero in on reliable information and not to be duped by unreliable information. We’ll talk about using the “Law and Order” method (follow the “dun duns!”) to track down information and how relying on simple principles like Occam’s Razor – that the most likely scenario is the least complicated – and logic grids can help you get further. We’ll go over pitfalls like not blindly using Ancestry hints, assessing the credibility of sources, not being wedded to spelling, (hello, wildcard searches!) and why genealogy is like playing Concentration: you always have to remember the cards you’ve seen and turned over.
Bio of Jennifer Mendelsohn:
Jennifer Mendelsohn is a seasoned journalist and ghostwriter whose work has appeared in numerous local and national publications including The New York Times, The Washington Post, Time, People, Slate, and USA Today.
A native Long Islander now based in Baltimore, Mendelsohn serves on the board of the Jewish Genealogy Society of Maryland and is the administrator of Facebook’s Jewish genetic genealogy group. A member of the Association of Professional Genealogists, she is the creator of the movement known as #resistancegenealogy, a project that uses genealogical and historical records to fight disinformation and honor America’s immigrant past. Her work has received international media attention, including being featured on CNN.com, The New Yorker, and The Washington Post.
Comments:
"Exceptionally professional"
"Jennifer is wonderful - very helpful info."
"Jennifer's presentation was great -- informative, efficient, and it got me thinking about how I can approach some walls. I also appreciated how well organized the webinar info was, including the registration email and call management."
"Jennifer was very thorough (as you'd expect from a reporter), stories were engaging and well-presented".
"She was so well-prepared. I am a seasoned researcher and found many new ideas."
"Think Like a Reporter To Avoid Genealogy Mistakes"
This talk will cover how more than two decades of journalism experience has helped me as a genealogist, both to zero in on reliable information and not to be duped by unreliable information. We’ll talk about using the “Law and Order” method (follow the “dun duns!”) to track down information and how relying on simple principles like Occam’s Razor – that the most likely scenario is the least complicated – and logic grids can help you get further. We’ll go over pitfalls like not blindly using Ancestry hints, assessing the credibility of sources, not being wedded to spelling, (hello, wildcard searches!) and why genealogy is like playing Concentration: you always have to remember the cards you’ve seen and turned over.
Bio of Jennifer Mendelsohn:
Jennifer Mendelsohn is a seasoned journalist and ghostwriter whose work has appeared in numerous local and national publications including The New York Times, The Washington Post, Time, People, Slate, and USA Today.
A native Long Islander now based in Baltimore, Mendelsohn serves on the board of the Jewish Genealogy Society of Maryland and is the administrator of Facebook’s Jewish genetic genealogy group. A member of the Association of Professional Genealogists, she is the creator of the movement known as #resistancegenealogy, a project that uses genealogical and historical records to fight disinformation and honor America’s immigrant past. Her work has received international media attention, including being featured on CNN.com, The New Yorker, and The Washington Post.
Comments:
"Exceptionally professional"
"Jennifer is wonderful - very helpful info."
"Jennifer's presentation was great -- informative, efficient, and it got me thinking about how I can approach some walls. I also appreciated how well organized the webinar info was, including the registration email and call management."
"Jennifer was very thorough (as you'd expect from a reporter), stories were engaging and well-presented".
"She was so well-prepared. I am a seasoned researcher and found many new ideas."
| think_like_a_reporter_handout__jgssn.pdf |
November 8, 2020: Guest speaker, E. Randol Schoenberg, will present "Woman in Gold"
"Woman in Gold"
The remarkable true story of one woman’s journey to reclaim her heritage and seek justice for what happened to her family. Sixty years after she fled Vienna during World War II, an elderly Jewish woman, Maria Altmann, starts her journey to retrieve family possessions seized by the Nazis, among them Klimt’s famous painting Portrait of Adele Bloch-Bauer. Together with her inexperienced but plucky young lawyer Randy Schoenberg, she embarks upon a major battle which takes them all the way to the heart of the Austrian establishment and the U.S. Supreme Court, and forces her to confront difficult truths about the past along the way.
Bio of E. Randol Schoenberg:
E. Randol Schoenberg is an American lawyer specializing in complex litigation matters, and notably in cases involving looted art and the recovery of property stolen by the Nazi authorities during the Holocaust. He won the return of five famous Klimt paintings for his client, Maria Altmann. In 2007, Mr. Schoenberg received the California Lawyer Attorney of the Year award for outstanding achievement in the field of litigation. He also received the 2006 Jurisprudence Award from the Anti-Defamation League and the Justice Louis D. Brandeis Award from the American Jewish Congress.
Mr. Schoenberg served as President of Los Angeles Museum of the Holocaust from 2005-2015, during which time the museum constructed its new building in Pan Pacific Park. Mr. Schoenberg led the redesign of the permanent exhibit for the new museum. In 2013, he served as acting executive director while the Museum conducted a search for its new executive director.
He serves on the board of JewishGen, and the L.A. Jewish Symphony. He has been an avid genealogist since he was 8 years old, maintains a huge family tree both on JewishGen and Geni, and is the Co-Founder, Coordinator and Moderator for the JewishGen Austria-Czech Special Interest Group. He is the author of the Beginner's Guide to Austrian-Jewish Genealogy and the co-author of Getting Started with Czech-Jewish Genealogy.
Comments:
"This was an extraordinary presentation; clear, precise"
"Such a personal story. Well told and so valuable."
"Excellent presentation and presenter! Great to hear the additional stories and details (e.g. Justice Souter)."
"Extremely interesting and informative"
"Woman in Gold"
The remarkable true story of one woman’s journey to reclaim her heritage and seek justice for what happened to her family. Sixty years after she fled Vienna during World War II, an elderly Jewish woman, Maria Altmann, starts her journey to retrieve family possessions seized by the Nazis, among them Klimt’s famous painting Portrait of Adele Bloch-Bauer. Together with her inexperienced but plucky young lawyer Randy Schoenberg, she embarks upon a major battle which takes them all the way to the heart of the Austrian establishment and the U.S. Supreme Court, and forces her to confront difficult truths about the past along the way.
Bio of E. Randol Schoenberg:
E. Randol Schoenberg is an American lawyer specializing in complex litigation matters, and notably in cases involving looted art and the recovery of property stolen by the Nazi authorities during the Holocaust. He won the return of five famous Klimt paintings for his client, Maria Altmann. In 2007, Mr. Schoenberg received the California Lawyer Attorney of the Year award for outstanding achievement in the field of litigation. He also received the 2006 Jurisprudence Award from the Anti-Defamation League and the Justice Louis D. Brandeis Award from the American Jewish Congress.
Mr. Schoenberg served as President of Los Angeles Museum of the Holocaust from 2005-2015, during which time the museum constructed its new building in Pan Pacific Park. Mr. Schoenberg led the redesign of the permanent exhibit for the new museum. In 2013, he served as acting executive director while the Museum conducted a search for its new executive director.
He serves on the board of JewishGen, and the L.A. Jewish Symphony. He has been an avid genealogist since he was 8 years old, maintains a huge family tree both on JewishGen and Geni, and is the Co-Founder, Coordinator and Moderator for the JewishGen Austria-Czech Special Interest Group. He is the author of the Beginner's Guide to Austrian-Jewish Genealogy and the co-author of Getting Started with Czech-Jewish Genealogy.
Comments:
"This was an extraordinary presentation; clear, precise"
"Such a personal story. Well told and so valuable."
"Excellent presentation and presenter! Great to hear the additional stories and details (e.g. Justice Souter)."
"Extremely interesting and informative"
October 18, 2020: Guest speaker, Robinn Magid, will present "Finding your Eastern European Jewish Family on JRI-Poland.org"
Finding your Eastern European Jewish Family on JRI-Poland.org"
Join us for a presentation of some truly memorable stories from the JRI-Poland.org case file that highlight what this incredible database and website might do for your own research. For 25 years, JRI-Poland has served as the preferred finding aid for the Jewish records that survive in the archives of Poland today. This vast collection of 6.2 million records from over 550 towns includes information about towns and families from Poland, Ukraine, Belarus, Lithuania, Germany and the former territories of Galicia and Prussia. Through understanding the contents of the database and how to improve your search results to exploring preserved Holocaust-related records, this lecture will focus on the good things that can come out of a genealogical search. Come listen to stories of the people we’ve helped in the hope that you’ll get a useful new idea from our more surprising experiences.
Bio of Robinn Magid:
Robinn Magid is the Assistant Director of JRI-Poland.org and a recent recipient of the IAJGS Lifetime Achievement Award. She recently became the project manager of the JRI-Poland “NextGen Project” to redesign the JRI-Poland website, search engine and database. She a frequent speaker and writer on Jewish genealogy topics.
As the Lublin Area Projects Coordinator, she is responsible for coordinating the indexing of Jewish vital records for approximately 100 towns. Robinn’s genealogical work resulted in her being recognized by the City of Lublin, Poland – her grandmother’s hometown – with a medal from the mayor for inspiring the future and cultural identity of that city of 450,000 people on Lublin’s 700th birthday in 2017. Robinn has spoken at many IAJGS conferences on behalf of JRI-Poland and has served as the chair of two groundbreaking conferences: IAJGS 2018 Warsaw, Poland conference, and the IAJGS 2020 Virtual Conference on Jewish Genealogy. She is a member of the San Francisco - Bay Area JGS and has spoken to her group and to other societies. Robinn is sheltering-at-home in Berkeley, California with her husband, four children and new daughter-in-law!
Comments:
"Robinn presented a huge amount of information in a short time, and it was done professionally, clearly, and of use to us as researchers. Thanks."
"Not sure how I found JGSSN but am happy I did. As a new long distance member, I look forward to other virtual sessions."
"Thank you, this was excellent"!
Finding your Eastern European Jewish Family on JRI-Poland.org"
Join us for a presentation of some truly memorable stories from the JRI-Poland.org case file that highlight what this incredible database and website might do for your own research. For 25 years, JRI-Poland has served as the preferred finding aid for the Jewish records that survive in the archives of Poland today. This vast collection of 6.2 million records from over 550 towns includes information about towns and families from Poland, Ukraine, Belarus, Lithuania, Germany and the former territories of Galicia and Prussia. Through understanding the contents of the database and how to improve your search results to exploring preserved Holocaust-related records, this lecture will focus on the good things that can come out of a genealogical search. Come listen to stories of the people we’ve helped in the hope that you’ll get a useful new idea from our more surprising experiences.
Bio of Robinn Magid:
Robinn Magid is the Assistant Director of JRI-Poland.org and a recent recipient of the IAJGS Lifetime Achievement Award. She recently became the project manager of the JRI-Poland “NextGen Project” to redesign the JRI-Poland website, search engine and database. She a frequent speaker and writer on Jewish genealogy topics.
As the Lublin Area Projects Coordinator, she is responsible for coordinating the indexing of Jewish vital records for approximately 100 towns. Robinn’s genealogical work resulted in her being recognized by the City of Lublin, Poland – her grandmother’s hometown – with a medal from the mayor for inspiring the future and cultural identity of that city of 450,000 people on Lublin’s 700th birthday in 2017. Robinn has spoken at many IAJGS conferences on behalf of JRI-Poland and has served as the chair of two groundbreaking conferences: IAJGS 2018 Warsaw, Poland conference, and the IAJGS 2020 Virtual Conference on Jewish Genealogy. She is a member of the San Francisco - Bay Area JGS and has spoken to her group and to other societies. Robinn is sheltering-at-home in Berkeley, California with her husband, four children and new daughter-in-law!
Comments:
"Robinn presented a huge amount of information in a short time, and it was done professionally, clearly, and of use to us as researchers. Thanks."
"Not sure how I found JGSSN but am happy I did. As a new long distance member, I look forward to other virtual sessions."
"Thank you, this was excellent"!
| jri-poland_eastern_european_family_handout_10.18.2020.pdf |
September 13, 2020: Guest speaker, Yuri Dorn, will present "Jewish History & Research Strategy in Belarus ("White Russia") Archives"
"Jewish History & Research Strategy in Belarus ("White Russia") Archives"
Yuri Dorn will present a brief history of Jewish Belarus (often referred to as White Russia), followed by a description of the records available for research in Belorussian archives. He will explain which records you can expect to find and will suggest the best strategy for approaching one’s research. Remember that your Lithuanian, Ukrainian, Polish, etc. ancestors may have migrated from Belarus to these other areas. Or vice versa.
About Yuri Dorn
Yuri Dorn is a well-known genealogist, specializing in Jewish genealogy and ancestral tourism to Belarus. He founded Jewish Heritage Research Group in Belarus in 2002, which consists of professional historians, genealogists and certified English-speaking guides. Yuri and his staff are not only working in Belorussian archives and arranging ancestral tours to Belarus, but they also put a lot of effort into restoration and preservation of Jewish heritage in Belarus.
Belarus Ancestral Jewish Trips
If you are interested in Yuri and Irina Dorn's guided tours of Belarus, join their Facebook group at: https://www.facebook.com/groups/570680247004318/
Comments
"Thank you for the very useful programme today on Belarus. The information I gathered will be very useful."
Handout:
"Jewish History & Research Strategy in Belarus ("White Russia") Archives"
Yuri Dorn will present a brief history of Jewish Belarus (often referred to as White Russia), followed by a description of the records available for research in Belorussian archives. He will explain which records you can expect to find and will suggest the best strategy for approaching one’s research. Remember that your Lithuanian, Ukrainian, Polish, etc. ancestors may have migrated from Belarus to these other areas. Or vice versa.
About Yuri Dorn
Yuri Dorn is a well-known genealogist, specializing in Jewish genealogy and ancestral tourism to Belarus. He founded Jewish Heritage Research Group in Belarus in 2002, which consists of professional historians, genealogists and certified English-speaking guides. Yuri and his staff are not only working in Belorussian archives and arranging ancestral tours to Belarus, but they also put a lot of effort into restoration and preservation of Jewish heritage in Belarus.
Belarus Ancestral Jewish Trips
If you are interested in Yuri and Irina Dorn's guided tours of Belarus, join their Facebook group at: https://www.facebook.com/groups/570680247004318/
Comments
"Thank you for the very useful programme today on Belarus. The information I gathered will be very useful."
Handout:
| yuri_dorn_belarus_presentation_handout.pdf |
August 16, 2020: Guest speaker, Alex Krakovsky, will present "Jewish Documents Kept By Ukrainian Archives"
"Jewish Documents Kept by Ukrainian Archives"
Alex Krakovsky is a Jewish Ukrainian born in Kyiv. He is using the Freedom of Information laws and the court system in Ukraine to force archives to allow him to scan records. Alex became interested in learning about his roots after his mother’s death in 2011. He found references to his grandfather, whom the family knew almost nothing about in a book and some documents at the archive in Zhytomyr. He was asked to pay 116,000 hryvnia (about $4,600) for copies of the documents! He refused and continued to refuse until the archives decreased the fee to $2, which he paid. Alex later sued the archive, winning back his $2 plus an additional 100 hryvnia ($4) for the hassle the archive put him through.
The case also changed Alex's life. With no formal legal training, he has become a litigation machine—a hero of sorts to frustrated researchers and genealogists. Alex has sued more than a dozen archives with the goal of bringing Ukraine’s archives up to European standards. Among other things, he advocates for the publishing of inventories online so that people know what is in the archives. This would also help prevent the illegal sale of archival materials, which he suspects is ongoing. He also agitates for the right to freely photograph documents.
Alex has not lost a single case to date. He often wins, citing constitutional precedent. Recently, he faced his most powerful adversary. Alex filed suit against Ukraine’s Ministry of Justice. The Ministry has the state archives under its wing and issued a June 2018 order barring the copying of documents larger than letter-size, files thicker than 1 ½ inches, old printed books, listings of documents, and basically anything a researcher or genealogist might need to see.
About Alex Krakovsky
Alex was born at a very young age in 1982 in Kyiv. He graduated from the Kyiv Polytechnic Institute in 2005 with a degree in Flexible Computer Systems. He has been actively doing genealogy since 2011.
Alex has been digitizing records in Ukrainian Archives, including Jewish metrical books and other vital records, school records, revision lists, poll tax censuses, and more.
He then posts the records online to a wiki page which yields a massive amount of raw data for those interested in Ukrainian research. Alex uses high resolution scanning equipment to scan virtually all records in an archive. He has spent a great deal of time and his own money doing this important work and he is constantly battling a very difficult government system. Alex has received donations for the purchase of state-of-the-art scanners, which are now in use in most Ukraine archives.
You can access his main wiki page at this URL (use the Google Chrome browser to view the JGSSN site and Alex's link (as it can translate this Ukrainian Wikipedia page).
Comments
"It was a highly enriching meeting"
"Alex runs an amazing project. His success in getting various Ukrainian archives to allow him to scan and digitize their records will benefit those of us with Ukrainian roots."
"His Wikipedia page is a tremendous wealth of information for many, many shtetls in the Ukraine."
"Jewish Documents Kept by Ukrainian Archives"
Alex Krakovsky is a Jewish Ukrainian born in Kyiv. He is using the Freedom of Information laws and the court system in Ukraine to force archives to allow him to scan records. Alex became interested in learning about his roots after his mother’s death in 2011. He found references to his grandfather, whom the family knew almost nothing about in a book and some documents at the archive in Zhytomyr. He was asked to pay 116,000 hryvnia (about $4,600) for copies of the documents! He refused and continued to refuse until the archives decreased the fee to $2, which he paid. Alex later sued the archive, winning back his $2 plus an additional 100 hryvnia ($4) for the hassle the archive put him through.
The case also changed Alex's life. With no formal legal training, he has become a litigation machine—a hero of sorts to frustrated researchers and genealogists. Alex has sued more than a dozen archives with the goal of bringing Ukraine’s archives up to European standards. Among other things, he advocates for the publishing of inventories online so that people know what is in the archives. This would also help prevent the illegal sale of archival materials, which he suspects is ongoing. He also agitates for the right to freely photograph documents.
Alex has not lost a single case to date. He often wins, citing constitutional precedent. Recently, he faced his most powerful adversary. Alex filed suit against Ukraine’s Ministry of Justice. The Ministry has the state archives under its wing and issued a June 2018 order barring the copying of documents larger than letter-size, files thicker than 1 ½ inches, old printed books, listings of documents, and basically anything a researcher or genealogist might need to see.
About Alex Krakovsky
Alex was born at a very young age in 1982 in Kyiv. He graduated from the Kyiv Polytechnic Institute in 2005 with a degree in Flexible Computer Systems. He has been actively doing genealogy since 2011.
Alex has been digitizing records in Ukrainian Archives, including Jewish metrical books and other vital records, school records, revision lists, poll tax censuses, and more.
He then posts the records online to a wiki page which yields a massive amount of raw data for those interested in Ukrainian research. Alex uses high resolution scanning equipment to scan virtually all records in an archive. He has spent a great deal of time and his own money doing this important work and he is constantly battling a very difficult government system. Alex has received donations for the purchase of state-of-the-art scanners, which are now in use in most Ukraine archives.
You can access his main wiki page at this URL (use the Google Chrome browser to view the JGSSN site and Alex's link (as it can translate this Ukrainian Wikipedia page).
Comments
"It was a highly enriching meeting"
"Alex runs an amazing project. His success in getting various Ukrainian archives to allow him to scan and digitize their records will benefit those of us with Ukrainian roots."
"His Wikipedia page is a tremendous wealth of information for many, many shtetls in the Ukraine."
February 16, 2020: Guest speaker, Daniel Horowitz from MyHeritage
"Overview of MyHeritage Features"
Learn how to, navigate across the tree, invite and share information with relatives, take advantage of Statistics, PedigreeMap, Events, SearchConnect, Global Name Translation, and Consistency Checker; technologies MyHeritage uses to help you find long lost relative and historical records.
DNA Matching Technology on MyHeritage
DNA test can reveal valuable family history information and enable you to connect with relatives you never knew. The Theory of Family Relativity™ incorporates genealogical information from 10+ billion historical records and family tree, to offer theories on how you and your DNA Matches might be related, and The AutoClusters organizes your matches who likely belong to the same branch.
About Daniel Horowitz
Daniel is the Expert Genealogist from MyHeritage. He speaks at genealogy conferences around the world. He has been dedicated to genealogy since 1986. He was the teacher and the study guide editor of the family history project “Searching for My Roots” in Venezuela for 15 years. Daniel is involved in several crowdsource digitization and transcription projects and holds a board level position at the Israel Genealogy Research Association (IGRA)
Comments
"Daniel's presentation was particularly informative and very interesting!"
"I am so happy to learn about all the MyHeritage tools that can help me in my research."
"Daniel made it easy for me to understand how to use the DNA information."
"Overview of MyHeritage Features"
Learn how to, navigate across the tree, invite and share information with relatives, take advantage of Statistics, PedigreeMap, Events, SearchConnect, Global Name Translation, and Consistency Checker; technologies MyHeritage uses to help you find long lost relative and historical records.
DNA Matching Technology on MyHeritage
DNA test can reveal valuable family history information and enable you to connect with relatives you never knew. The Theory of Family Relativity™ incorporates genealogical information from 10+ billion historical records and family tree, to offer theories on how you and your DNA Matches might be related, and The AutoClusters organizes your matches who likely belong to the same branch.
About Daniel Horowitz
Daniel is the Expert Genealogist from MyHeritage. He speaks at genealogy conferences around the world. He has been dedicated to genealogy since 1986. He was the teacher and the study guide editor of the family history project “Searching for My Roots” in Venezuela for 15 years. Daniel is involved in several crowdsource digitization and transcription projects and holds a board level position at the Israel Genealogy Research Association (IGRA)
Comments
"Daniel's presentation was particularly informative and very interesting!"
"I am so happy to learn about all the MyHeritage tools that can help me in my research."
"Daniel made it easy for me to understand how to use the DNA information."
January 19, 2020: Guest speaker, Kory Meyerlink
"Proving Your Immigrant Ancestor"
Ancestry has 350 years of records that can identify your immigrant ancestors. From passport lists to naturalization records, and from family histories to passports, you are likely to find your immigrant on Ancestry. There are new sources, strategies, tools and techniques to uncover more of your family’s hidden history, especially their lives in the shtetl.
New York: A Genealogical Gold Mine: Almost every genealogist has one or more New York lines, and at least one appears to be a “dead end” line. How do I find my ancestor in New York?
This presentation introduces the key sources and records that can help overcome those questions and “brick wall” problems. We hope you will come to the meeting and join us for a most enjoyable and informative afternoon.
About Kory Meyerlink
Kory has been involved in almost every aspect of genealogy for the past 40 years. He is currently the Research Manager for Ancestry ProGenealogists and was one of the first Master Genealogists. He has written many print and online articles.
"Proving Your Immigrant Ancestor"
Ancestry has 350 years of records that can identify your immigrant ancestors. From passport lists to naturalization records, and from family histories to passports, you are likely to find your immigrant on Ancestry. There are new sources, strategies, tools and techniques to uncover more of your family’s hidden history, especially their lives in the shtetl.
New York: A Genealogical Gold Mine: Almost every genealogist has one or more New York lines, and at least one appears to be a “dead end” line. How do I find my ancestor in New York?
This presentation introduces the key sources and records that can help overcome those questions and “brick wall” problems. We hope you will come to the meeting and join us for a most enjoyable and informative afternoon.
About Kory Meyerlink
Kory has been involved in almost every aspect of genealogy for the past 40 years. He is currently the Research Manager for Ancestry ProGenealogists and was one of the first Master Genealogists. He has written many print and online articles.
November 17, 2019: Guest speaker, Richard Haynes
"The Holocaust Collection in Fold3"
The Holocaust Collection is found in Fold3, which is a division of Ancestry.com that provides access to military records from the Revolutionary War through current conflicts. The Holocaust Collection has over 3.3M records, including millions of names and 26,000 photos. Richard will also discuss the Fold3 World War II content and describe how to get free access to Fold3 records.
About Richard Haynes
Richard is a native Nevadan, born in Ely during World War II. He has had a lif-long interest in military history and has been teaching Fold3 at the Las Vegas FamilySearch Library for years.
Richard has a BA in Economics from BUY and an MBA and an MA in U.S. History from UNLV.
"The Holocaust Collection in Fold3"
The Holocaust Collection is found in Fold3, which is a division of Ancestry.com that provides access to military records from the Revolutionary War through current conflicts. The Holocaust Collection has over 3.3M records, including millions of names and 26,000 photos. Richard will also discuss the Fold3 World War II content and describe how to get free access to Fold3 records.
About Richard Haynes
Richard is a native Nevadan, born in Ely during World War II. He has had a lif-long interest in military history and has been teaching Fold3 at the Las Vegas FamilySearch Library for years.
Richard has a BA in Economics from BUY and an MBA and an MA in U.S. History from UNLV.
October 20, 2019: Guest speaker, Ann Gleich Harris (to be rescheduled)
"Uncovering Your Roots"
Today, more than at any other time, there is an explosion of available records and databases on the internet that can enable people to search for their family history from their home computer instead of writing letters to foreign archives or sending applications for vital records to various local authorities.
Many people are interested in finding out more about their family origins, but simply feel overwhelmed as to how to proceed, or they have tried and failed previously and have become discouraged.
What is needed is a guide who is experienced in genealogy research to show them how to get started or how to proceed. Our program will include information on how to choose a family history project, with handouts and resources. It will also show us how to use the resources found on the Gesher Galicia website.
The program will be interactive so that people will have the opportunity to share their interests and concerns, and to ask questions about their own current research.
About Ann Harris
Ann Harris, has been involved in family history research for over 30 years. She has been the CFO of Gesher Galicia for the past 7 years and was also a Board member of JGSLA. With the goal of making information accessible to researchers, she has translated information from a multitude of Yizkor books and tombstones. Her other outreach activities include helping to train beginning genealogists and giving community lectures.
"Uncovering Your Roots"
Today, more than at any other time, there is an explosion of available records and databases on the internet that can enable people to search for their family history from their home computer instead of writing letters to foreign archives or sending applications for vital records to various local authorities.
Many people are interested in finding out more about their family origins, but simply feel overwhelmed as to how to proceed, or they have tried and failed previously and have become discouraged.
What is needed is a guide who is experienced in genealogy research to show them how to get started or how to proceed. Our program will include information on how to choose a family history project, with handouts and resources. It will also show us how to use the resources found on the Gesher Galicia website.
The program will be interactive so that people will have the opportunity to share their interests and concerns, and to ask questions about their own current research.
About Ann Harris
Ann Harris, has been involved in family history research for over 30 years. She has been the CFO of Gesher Galicia for the past 7 years and was also a Board member of JGSLA. With the goal of making information accessible to researchers, she has translated information from a multitude of Yizkor books and tombstones. Her other outreach activities include helping to train beginning genealogists and giving community lectures.
September 15, 2019: Guest speaker, Scherry Lesanto
"DNA Topics"
Information on various DNA Topics Including:
About Scherry Lesanto
Born in East Tennessee into ancestral lines dating back 400 years from Virginia, North Carolina and Tennessee; originally from Ireland, Netherlands, Germany and Viking blood from Norway. She has traveled extensively in the U.S., as well as to countries in Europe, South America, Mexico and Canada. Her work experience includes federal, state and local positions: Record Researcher-FBI; Agency Dir. Human Resources- in Massachusetts; and Financial Board member North Reading, Massachusetts. Scherry is a member of the Daughters of the American Revolution, and Jonesborough, Tennessee and Clark County, Nevada Genealogical Societies.
A public oriented person, Scherry was a member of the Civil Air Patrol and is a graduate of the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department Citizens Police Academy. She currently serves in the Las Vegas Family Search Library. She began Genetic Genealogy Research using DNA over 12 years ago, and currently manages over 50 DNA kits to include the respective family trees, and monitors over 25 more kits and counting at several DNA sites. She conducts DNA classes at the Library, as well as, DNA presentations throughout the Las Vegas area and in Tennessee.
"DNA Topics"
Information on various DNA Topics Including:
- Genealogical Tree verses DNA Tree
- Beginnings of DNA testing
- Discussion on different DNA companies
- Benefits of each DNA company and their limitations
- What kinds of DNA are tested and what do they mean
- y-DNA; MtDNA; Autosomal DNA and X Inheritance
- What do I do with my DNA now that I have tested?
- 3rd Party Sites to upload DNA and their benefits
- Shared cM Project Chart; a discussion of centimorgans (cM)
About Scherry Lesanto
Born in East Tennessee into ancestral lines dating back 400 years from Virginia, North Carolina and Tennessee; originally from Ireland, Netherlands, Germany and Viking blood from Norway. She has traveled extensively in the U.S., as well as to countries in Europe, South America, Mexico and Canada. Her work experience includes federal, state and local positions: Record Researcher-FBI; Agency Dir. Human Resources- in Massachusetts; and Financial Board member North Reading, Massachusetts. Scherry is a member of the Daughters of the American Revolution, and Jonesborough, Tennessee and Clark County, Nevada Genealogical Societies.
A public oriented person, Scherry was a member of the Civil Air Patrol and is a graduate of the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department Citizens Police Academy. She currently serves in the Las Vegas Family Search Library. She began Genetic Genealogy Research using DNA over 12 years ago, and currently manages over 50 DNA kits to include the respective family trees, and monitors over 25 more kits and counting at several DNA sites. She conducts DNA classes at the Library, as well as, DNA presentations throughout the Las Vegas area and in Tennessee.