Representatives of the Massachusetts Archives, the Boston City Archives, the Jewish Heritage Center and the JGSGB describe the records they hold, discuss how these records can be useful in your genealogical research, and explain how you can access them. Marty Crilly is the Archivist for Reference and Outreach, at the Boston City Archives, where she manages their outreach program, social media initiatives, research services, and digital records program.  The Archives house Boston municipal records, including photographs and tax, voting, school, and institutional records. John Hannigan is…

Have you ever used the Russian Empire Revision Lists to research your ancestors? The lists contain census type data which may provide you with information not found elsewhere. Rhoda Miller’s presentation will discuss:  How to follow family histories between different Revision Lists and similar documents Research strategies involving multiple languages Historical and geographic changes to the area that is now Ukraine The difference between place of registration and place of residence Dr. Rhoda Miller is a Certified Genealogist, working in Jewish research,…

Many of us have ancestors who began their American Experience in New York City.  The five boroughs of the city offer many genealogical resources.  Between the American Revolution and the Civil War, NYC's population increased strikingly, from about 33,000 people in 1790 to more than one million in 1860.  This presentation by Michael Strauss offers a unique perspective on the various genealogical sources and records that are available in New York City. The Great War: Researching Your World War I…

(Feldberg Meeting Room, lower level) Research Sundays are an opportunity to: Get help with using your genealogy software. (NEW) Consult experienced researchers for help with your research questions in 30-minute scheduled appointments Work with a strategist to plan your next steps Get translation help with documents written in various foreign languages in 20-minute scheduled appointments Learn how to read your DNA results or decide if DNA testing is for you Examine our extensive research collection of books and maps on…

Have you taken a DNA test to learn about your ancestry?  Are you confused by the results?  This workshop covers the kinds of tests available, the major DNA testing services and the differences between them, and how to interpret your results to get the most out of them. David Ellis is JGSGB Board member and leader of the Litvak SIG.  He discovered dozens of ancestors unknown to his relatives and initiated contact with distant cousins who were out of touch for many years. …

Genetic genealogy is particularly daunting for endogamous populations including Ashkenazi Jews and other groups who have married among themselves for generations.  Trying to identify actual relatives among the mass of distantly-related DNA matches can be frustrating.  Drawing on case studies, Lara Diamond will explain how you can succeed in spite of these obstacles.   Lara Diamond’s work has helped reunify family branches thought to have been killed in the Holocaust. Lara Diamond has researched her roots in Eastern Europe using records from the Russian and Austro-Hungarian Empires. She is…

Joint program of the JGSGB and the Polish Genealogical Society of Massachusetts Please note Framingham location below Andrew Zalewski’s presentation introduces genealogical discoveries and presents several research tools, focusing on multiethnic Galicia during the Habsburg rule (1772–1918).  With the richness of information in cadastral population surveys, we get unique insight into the diverse neighborhoods, from the capital city of Lwów (Lemberg) to small towns, where Polish nobility and members of Jewish Enlightenment (Haskalah), as well as commoners, lived and interacted.  Employing detailed archival…