Recognitions

2020: JGSGB Receives International Award for Research Sundays

IAJGS Award 2020August 2020. The Jewish Genealogical Society of Boston has been awarded the 2020 IAJGS Outstanding Program Award for its Research Sunday Program. The award was presented Aug. 12 at the International Association of Jewish Genealogical Societies (IAJGS) 40th International Conference, held virtually.

Research Sunday was recognized for the help it offers to members with their family research and for being a model for other societies to adopt.

The Research Sunday program was created, nurtured and organized by Judy Izenberg and the virtual Research Sunday was an addition developed by Jonathan Rappaport.

Since its inception in 2014, Research Sunday volunteer experts have shared their time and knowledge to help our members break down brick walls, learn how to do country-specific research and interpret DNA results, as well as offer their translation skills in 11 languages.

2015: JGSGB Receives International Award for Memorial Plaques

2015 Outsanding Project Award
Heidi Urich, President JGS Greater Boston accepting the Outstanding Project Award

July 2015. The Jewish Genealogical Society of Greater Boston (JGSGB) received the Outstanding Project Award from the International Association of Jewish Genealogical Societies at its annual meeting. The award recognized the Society’s work in gathering valuable historical data from Memorial Plaques in synagogues across Massachusetts as a model for Jewish genealogy societies worldwide.

To date JGSGB volunteers have recorded information from 40,396 plaques from 65 synagogues and Jewish institutions. They plan to collect data from every Memorial (“Yahrzeit”) Plaque in every former and existing synagogue in the state. The information is available to genealogists and other researchers on JewishGen.org, the world’s leading Jewish family history website.

“Information on Memorial Plaques is another tool to help family historians piece together their unique stories. By gathering and recording them, our society contributes to the preservation of Jewish history and expands resources for all who are searching for their family histories,” said Heidi Urich, President of the JGSGB. “And it gives our members an opportunity to participate in the cooperative spirit that characterizes the world of Jewish genealogy.”
Read the story of JGSGB’s Memorial Plaques Project

2009: JGSGB Receives IAJGS Award for Outstanding Program

Outstanding Program Award - Mass-Pocha
Heidi Urich, JGSGB President

“Outstanding Program Award presented to Jewish Genealogical Society of Greater Boston for creating and teaching an innovative seventeen-hour course at Hebrew College that moves students from the basics to finding ancestral records in Europe. The course uses technology effectively to deliver online all information presented in live lectures. Extensive coordination and cooperation of multiple instructors ensures a seamless curriculum. Student feedback has been highly positive; some have joined the Society and become leaders. The program is available to others for establishing Jewish genealogy as a recognized academic study program.” (IAJGS, August 2009)

2006: JGSGB Receives IAJGS Award for Outstanding Publication Mass-Pocha

Mass-Pocha Outstanding Publication AwardJGSGB received the “Outstanding Publication by a Member Organization of IAJGS″ award for our journal, Mass-Pocha from the IAJGS.