Inspiration: Vote for this Jewish genealogy video

"Genealogy is roots, connections, wanderings, imaginings, hearts, souls and minds," says one participant in a short inspiring video that all genealogists - Jewish or not - should see (and vote for now).

Developed by the Jewish Genealogical Society of Colorado and produced by the multi-talented Ellen Shindelman Kowitt, this video has the potential to influence a large audience of young people and bring them into the field.


But the JGSColorado needs the help of Tracing the Tribe's readers to do it. Watch the video here as it reveals to viewers concisely and precisely what Jewish genealogy is, why we do it and some advice for beginners.

It takes only eight minutes to view the video and a few seconds to vote for the full five stars it deserves.

Ellen is one of the most dedicated and passionate genealogy people that I know. Her work focuses on the preservation and connectivity of the Jewish community in Colorado and throughout the world. Her passion for our favorite topic has brought people to their roots and revealed stories that would have been lost forever.

The video was produced as part of a larger JGSColorado project, and the group needs your help in a grass-roots video contest.

If the video wins any final position from first to fifth place, it will be announced at the Jewlicious Festival - the largest Jewish student and young adult festival in the world - in southern California February 19-21. It is the only video with a genealogy theme in the competition.

As genealogists, we are always talking about how we can bring in younger people. Imagine if this video were played to that huge young audience? How may this video impact the future of the Jewish genealogy world?

Be a part of this dream and help the JGS of Colorado - and perhaps the entire field of Jewish genealogy - by voting for this video.

Let's win one for Jewish genealogy! Vote now!

Send this announcement to the members of your family, to the members of your genealogy societies, to your friends who understand your passion to this field, and ask them to vote as well. This post will be on Facebook and on Twitter, so if that's your thing, please "LIKE" it and retweet it to let people know about it.

Go here or http://www.leadel.net/jews-that-do-contest/videos/connecting-your-roots

Some relevant quotes from the video:

According to Rabbi Josh Rose of Congregation Har HaShem:

"It isn't just accumulating information about your [ancestors], but being drawn into the process and being affected by it. Genealogy is you. Both what we discover and the very process of discovering is at the core of what we are. Link this to the study of Torah and you are learning the story of our people, the genealogy of our people. It is not only what we discover but the process, how that learning informs you, changes you, draws you in."

Martin Mandelsberg, a Holocaust artist, notes that genealogy asks (and sometimes answers): "Where did I come from? How far can I go back? Are there people like me? I had to come from somewhere - who am I?

Terry Lasky, who has documented 22,000 Jewish burials in Colorado, advises viewers of two important points: "Have patience. Don't expect to find everything in an hour," and "Never give up."

Go to the link above, see the full video, be inspired and vote for it now.