Carol Clingan Debbie Lerner Carol Clingan and Debbie Lerner, who together have more than 30 years of genealogy research experience, will present a workshop tailored for beginners on the process of researching your family tree. The first half will present the resources, databases and records that are most helpful to begin researching your family history. The second half will apply this information to a case study, demonstrating what you can find and how you can use it to tell your family…

Before World War I, most Americans saw Jews as an alien population.  Gene Fax’s talk describes the Jewish transformation from “immigrants” to “Americans”, showing how America’s participation in World War I led to Jews being integrated into American life, becoming one of the many co-equal ethnic and religious groups. It also explains how the War began the destruction of Eastern European Jewry decades before the Holocaust. Gene Fax has researched the Jewish experience in World War I extensively. His book With Their Bare Hands was inspired…

Germany’s boundaries have changed markedly over time. This talk works backwards from today’s Germany to the early 19th century, emphasizing historical events and their impact on Jewish life. Before 1871, Germany was composed of dozens of separate states.  Where (in what states) were my ancestors located?  What records were kept where? What was the legal status of Jews? To properly research Jewish records there, you’ll need to answer these questions. Roger Lustig specializes in research on Jewish families of Prussian Poland.  He…

The Heidi Urich Annual Lecture on Jewish Genealogy cosponsored by JGSGB and Hebrew College Jewish immigrant bankers helped shape the mass migration of Jews from Eastern Europe and the development of 20th century American finance.  Entrepreneurial Jewish immigrants formed small banks to facilitate purchasing passage to America. Their innovative credit mechanisms gave immigrant Jews, who could offer no collateral, access to basic financial services. They encouraged immigrants to invest in new homes, contributing to the immigrants’ economic success and the expanding…

Designing and writing a family history book is a great way for you to put together the genealogy records and stories you have gathered, to enable you to share them with your family and with future generations. During this talk, you will learn techniques for organizing information, laying out pages, combining text with images, and using software for creating and self-publishing your book on the Internet or with digital media. Elayne and Steve Denker have researched their family histories and self-published seven hardcover books, including…

Research Sundays are an opportunity to: Consult experienced researchers for help with your research questions in 30-minute scheduled appointments Work with a strategist to plan your next steps Get translation help with documents written in various foreign languages in 20-minute scheduled appointments Learn how to read your DNA results or decide if DNA testing is for you Examine our extensive research collection of books and maps on your own or with the guidance of our librarians This event is for…

Representatives of the Massachusetts Archives, the Boston City Archives, the Jewish Heritage Center and the JGSGB describe the records they hold, discuss how these records can be useful in your genealogical research, and explain how you can access them. Marty Crilly is the Archivist for Reference and Outreach, at the Boston City Archives, where she manages their outreach program, social media initiatives, research services, and digital records program.  The Archives house Boston municipal records, including photographs and tax, voting, school, and institutional records. John Hannigan is…

Have you ever used the Russian Empire Revision Lists to research your ancestors? The lists contain census type data which may provide you with information not found elsewhere. Rhoda Miller’s presentation will discuss:  How to follow family histories between different Revision Lists and similar documents Research strategies involving multiple languages Historical and geographic changes to the area that is now Ukraine The difference between place of registration and place of residence Dr. Rhoda Miller is a Certified Genealogist, working in Jewish research,…

Many of us have ancestors who began their American Experience in New York City.  The five boroughs of the city offer many genealogical resources.  Between the American Revolution and the Civil War, NYC's population increased strikingly, from about 33,000 people in 1790 to more than one million in 1860.  This presentation by Michael Strauss offers a unique perspective on the various genealogical sources and records that are available in New York City. The Great War: Researching Your World War I…

Research Sundays are an opportunity to: Consult experienced researchers for help with your research questions in 30-minute scheduled appointments Work with a strategist to plan your next steps Get translation help with documents written in various foreign languages in 20-minute scheduled appointments Learn how to read your DNA results or decide if DNA testing is for you Examine our extensive research collection of books and maps on your own or with the guidance of our librarians This event is for…

Have you taken a DNA test to learn about your ancestry?  Are you confused by the results?  This workshop covers the kinds of tests available, the major DNA testing services and the differences between them, and how to interpret your results to get the most out of them. David Ellis is JGSGB Board member and leader of the Litvak SIG.  He discovered dozens of ancestors unknown to his relatives and initiated contact with distant cousins who were out of touch for many years. …

Genetic genealogy is particularly daunting for endogamous populations including Ashkenazi Jews and other groups who have married among themselves for generations.  Trying to identify actual relatives among the mass of distantly-related DNA matches can be frustrating.  Drawing on case studies, Lara Diamond will explain how you can succeed in spite of these obstacles.   Lara Diamond’s work has helped reunify family branches thought to have been killed in the Holocaust. Lara Diamond has researched her roots in Eastern Europe using records from the Russian and Austro-Hungarian Empires. She is…

Joint program of the JGSGB and the Polish Genealogical Society of Massachusetts Please note Framingham location below Program details coming soon. Dr. Andrew Zalewski is a cardiologist who has researched his Galician families and published two books on Galicia. Dr. Zalewski received his MD and PhD from Warsaw Medical School in Poland. In his two books—Galician Portraits: In Search of Jewish Roots and Galician Trails: The Forgotten Story of One Family—he writes about distant times and the amazing details he…