Jewish headstone inscriptions and burial records can provide crucial information to family historians. Hebrew name inscriptions that are based on patronymics can link together two generations of Hebrew names unlike any other source document. This can be especially helpful when trying to connect first generation American ancestors with their European families.

Using photographs and case studies, Nolan Altman will explain the symbols and details found on headstones and describe how this information can provide important data and context for your family research. He will also direct you to the major websites that can help you locate the burial sites of your ancestors.

The JGS of Long Island has made many YouTube videos with helpful lectures. The list of all of them is at: http://jgsli.org/youtube/
and the one about reading Hebrew tombstones is at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wl8e0nMUHvk&index=6&list=PLxjmsZhZJi52AonES_oSrNCPMzETlCPu8

Nolan Altman coordinates the JewishGen Online Worldwide Burial Registry (JOWBR) and is Vice President for Data Acquisition at JewishGen. He was bitten by the “genealogy bug” in 1996 when he wrote his family history in memory of his mother. After volunteering on several projects, he became the Coordinator for JewishGen’s Holocaust Database and for JOWBR. He makes regular presentations at international conferences and has written articles for Avotaynu, Dorot and other genealogy publications. He is a former President of the Jewish Genealogical Society of Long Island.

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

Download or print out our Year at a Glance Calendar.

Special Interest Group (SIG) Meetings

Pre-lecture: 12:30 pm – 1:20 pm
Belarus and Litvak-Baltic SIGs

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