Click here for recent WBUR interview with Arther Obermayer.

Karen Franklin will show us how to “get into the archives” to find our German-Jewish ancestors.  She will explore how to mine the archives for family collections, correspondence and interviews, and will demonstrate research techniques with case studies.  She will also describe the extraordinary Obermayer German Jewish History Awards, established by Arthur Obermayer, a long-time member of our Society and a leader of the American Jewish Historical Society. These awards are highly respected in Germany and are an untapped resource for Jewish family historians.

Karen Franklin is Director of the Family Research Department at the Leo Baeck Institute in New York, Vice-President of the Obermayer German Jewish History Awards, and chair of the Memorial Museums’ Committee of the International Council of Museums (ICOM).  She is a leader in the world of Jewish Genealogy where she served as President of the International Association of Jewish Genealogical Societies and as Co-chair of the Board of Governors of JewishGen.

William Weitzer, Executive Director of the Leo Baeck Institute, will provide an overview of the Institute and its activities to engage families and support the research of family historians. The Institute is a research library and archive that documents the history and culture of German-speaking Jewry going back to the middle ages.

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

Research Help

12:30 pm – come early to join the following discussion groups:

Bessarabia Special Interest Group
Litvak-Baltic Special Interest Group
Poland Special Interest Group

3:00 pm (approx) – stay after the lecture to join the following discussion groups:

Belarus Special Interest Group
Ukraine Special Interest Group