Our library will be available for your research before and after the programs.

*Speaker will present in person. You may attend in person or on Zoom.
Try to attend in person for a more interactive experience.

Is it the journey or the destination? Many enjoy the process and camaraderie that comes along with the act of doing genealogy research. Others have goals to answer a specific question, find a living relative, build a family tree, or publish a book. But, what happens to your hard-earned and meaningful genealogy material if you do not finish the project or depart before completion? How would heirs, relatives, and friends find and navigate your online passwords, final version of a family tree, photos, acquired documents, translations, instructions on next steps, or a manuscript in process? We’ll explore big picture questions about setting expectations, create a planning checklist to ensure your intentions are honored, and start organizing today for tomorrow. The lecture will allow time for participants to share best practices.

Please note: “End Game Genealogy” will NOT be recorded.

Speaker Bio:

Ellen Kowitt, a professional genealogist, specializes in American records and Jewish ancestry. She has presented at national conferences and published numerous genealogical articles. While accepting clients, she also volunteers as JewishGen’s USA Research Division Director and as D.A.R’s Jewish Specialty Research National Vice Chair. In 2022, she launched Shul Records America for JewishGen, a finding aid for locating synagogue records in over 130 repositories.

Spotlight Talk:

This brief presentation will describe the finding aid for “Shul Records America” (SRA) which helps locate elusive synagogue record collections with genealogical value (over 1,250 collections!). These are often buried deep within websites and not easily found. SRA includes materials from the 1600s through the present day in the American colonies, United States, Canada, and the Caribbean. Not only is the SRA a historical resource, but it is especially important as modern-day synagogues merge or close, “Shul Records America” encourages congregations to preserve records with genealogical value.

The spotlight talk will be recorded and available in the member portal.