Who is Pnina Gutman? Using DNA and Documents to Search for a Holocaust Survivor’s Identity
Pnina Gutman is a 77-year-old great-grandmother living in Israel. In 1942, as an infant, she was smuggled out of the Warsaw Ghetto. She has lived her life without knowing her birth identity. Colleen Fitzpatrick tells the story of Pnina’s search for who she was at birth through documentation and DNA analysis. Several cousins and other relatives have been discovered, but Pnina’s birth name remains unknown. The search is ongoing.

Holocaust Survival and Reunion Stories
During the Holocaust, Jewish and non-Jewish organizations helped transport some Jewish children to safety and hide others with Christian families.  About 10,000 children were rescued in all.  After the war, the efforts to save children continued, reuniting many of them with their families and the families who had saved their lives.  This talk describes the rescue and reunification attempts, featuring the personal stories of several child survivors who rediscovered their roots decades later, keeping in mind that many did not know their original name nor details about their birth family.

Colleen Fitzpatrick, PhD, the founder of Identifinders International, is an internationally recognized forensic genealogist. Her work in genetic genealogy has helped solve multiple cold case homicides, expose Holocaust literary frauds, and identify the unknown child on the Titanic. She lectures widely in the US and abroad and has authored three books.

Special Interest Group (SIG) Meetings

Pre-lecture: 12:30 pm – 1:20 pm
Ukraine SIG

Post-lecture (approx. 3:30 pm)
Belarus and Poland SIGs

Admission is free for members, $5 for non-members. Refreshments will be served.