Southern California: "Genealogy in the Round," July 17

"Genealogy in the round: Share your successes, failures, artifacts and brick walls" is the theme of the next meeting of the Jewish Genealogical Society of the Conejo Valley and Ventura County (JGSCV), on Sunday, July 17.

The meeting begins at 1.30pm. JGSCV meetings are co-sponsored by, and located at Temple Adat Elohim, 2420 E. Hillcrest Drive, Thousand Oaks. Meetings are free.

Come and share a genealogical success, failure, brick wall, or genealogical artifact!

This is YOUR meeting—We all learn from one another—take this opportunity to share your genealogical story—success or failure, ask questions about your brick walls, and more!

Each presenter will have 5-10 minutes to share, depending on the final number of presenters.

To participate in the program, contact JGSCV president Jan Meisels Allen.

For more information or to present at the meeting, contact Jan Meisels Allen.

Tel Aviv: Breaking brick walls, January 30

Te Aviv's English-speaking genealogists will have an opportunity to break through brick walls at the next meeting of the Israel Genealogical Society on Sunday, January 30.

The English-language meeting starts at 7.30pm at Beit Shalom, 2 Shir St., Tel Aviv.

Professional genealogist Michael Goldstein - president, International Association of Jewish Genealogical Societies (IAJGS) and former president of IGS - will discuss puzzles he has solved.

Input is sought from prospective attendees. Have a brick wall that you'd like Michael to tackle at the meeting? If so, email your personal puzzles to Hinda.

Fee:  IGS members, free; others, NIS 20.

For more information and directions, click here.

Florida: Internet goldmines for genealogists, Nov. 10

Gerald Naditch will present “Internet Goldmines for Genealogists” at the next meeting of the Jewish Genealogical Society of Palm Beach County on Wednesday, November 10.

The day begins with the Poland Special Interest Group from 11.30am–12.15 pm, a brick wall session at 12.30pm and the main program at 1pm, at the South County Civic Center, 16700 Jog Road, Delray Beach.

The presentation will review networking sites specifically directed to researchers of genealogy—blogs, e-zines, digests, forums, newsletters and more.

Some focus on helpful articles such as "How to Publish the Results of Your Genealogical Research" or "How to Make Proper Citations in Your Genealogy Program."

Others are in the form of a blog, which might be described as a stream of consciousness from a knowledgeable genealogist, often with comments from the general public.

Many are daily digests where researchers can exchange information, and websites such as Cyndi's List, a massive categorized and cross-referenced index to genealogical resources on the internet.

A computer expert, Naditch is the JGSPBC webmaster and vice-president of the Boca Raton Computer Society. He lectures frequently on topics of genealogical and computer interest.

Fee: JGSPBC members, free; others, $5.

The society is celebrating its 20th year. For more information, click here.

New York: More than the basics with John Colletta, Nov. 6

New Yorkers should put this special full-day program with John Philip Colletta on their calendars for Saturday, Nov. 6.

Colletta is presenting a special "beyond the basics" day from 10am-4.30pm at the New York Genealogical and Biographical Society (NYG&B), at the South Court Auditorium, New York Public Library, Stephen A. Schwarzman Building, Fifth Avenue at 42nd Street, New York.

One of  the country's most popular genealogical speakers, Colletta is based in Washington DC. For 20 years, he conducted workshops for the National Archives and taught at the Smithsonian Institute. He is a faculty member of the Salt Lake Institute of Genealogy.

This program is for whose who want to know more than the basics.

The day includes: 

-- Advanced problem solving with US passenger arrival records (1820-1950s).

-- Advanced problem solving with US naturalization records (1790-1920s).
-- Turning biographical facts into real-life events: How to build historical context

-- Breaking through brick walls: Use your head!

The cost to NYG&B members is $60, and $90 for others. Readers who are members of the Jewish Genealogical Society of New York will also receive the discounted rate.

For more information, or to register, click here or send an email.

Jamboree: A world of genealogy

The 41st Southern California Genealogical Society Jamboree spotlights the world of genealogy.

Taking place from June 11-13 at the Burbank Marriot, the event has attracted international attendees from Canada and Israel, as well as Arizona, California, Colorado, Hawaii, Iowa, Illinois, Indiana, Massachusetts, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, Nevada, New York, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Texas, Utah and Washington.

Jamboree is also a magnet for increasing numbers of geneabloggers. As many as 50 of us may be attending, so make sure to say hello.

The opening-day JamboFREE activities (Friday, June 11) will focus in part on the multi-topic Genealogy World round table discussions.

Some 20 different tables are scheduled in two time slots from 9am-12 noon on Friday, June 11. Tracing the Tribe will host the Jewish round table early session, and Daniel Horowitz will host the later session. Remember to bring family information, documents and questions, of course. If you need something translated, bring that along and Daniel or I will try to help.

The discussions are are intended as an information exchange and a great way to meet people interested in the same topics.

Geographic/ethnic tables are African-American, English, German, Jewish, Mexican, New England, Portuguese, Scottish, English-Canadian, French-Canadian, Hungarian, Irish, Norwegian, Swedish and Danish.

Topic tables are Adoption Research and Reunion, DNA, Energize your Society Membership and VolunteerismGenealogists in Second Life, Planning Great Programs and Events, Show and Tell, Society Newsletters, Archiving your Family Movies and Sound Recordings, and Publishing Your Family History.

Here's the complete list and descriptions of topics for both sessions.

Preregistration is requested but not required.

The free Genealogy World sessions will be in the big white tent -the Pavilion - east of the Convention Center, from 9am-noon.

We're looking forward to greeting old friends and new at Jamboree .

Family Tree Magazine: Brick Wall Solutions Webinar, June 15

Researchers often hit brick walls, and now there's a live webinar that can be accessed from everywhere to help with solutions to these problems.

Family Tree Magazine is offering a Brick Wall Busters webinar on Tuesday, June 15, from 7-8pm (US East Coast Time). Presenting will be FTM publisher/editorial director Allison Stacey and New England Historic Genealogical Society (NEHGS) online genealogist David Lambert.

According to the official description:

Sooner or later, every genealogist gets stuck. You run into an ancestor or family line you just can't trace any further. What do you do when you hit that dreaded "brick wall"? In this live, interactive Web seminar, Allison Stacy and David Lambert will walk you through strategies for getting around those research obstacles.

Participants will learn how to assess a research problem, tips for surmounting common brick-wall scenarios and professional genealogists' favorite methods for conquering research challenges.

Who may find this worthwhile: Genealogists looking for free and inexpensive ways to research online, genealogists who find themselves stuck with a research problem they cannot move past, beginning family history researchers, and "paper genealogists" who want to take advantage of online resources.

Registrants may submit their own brick wall problems and receive personalized advice from a professional genealogist. Some submissions will be tackled during the webinar. Although the magazine cannot feature all submitted brick walls during the event or guarantee results, every registrant who sends in a question will receive a personalized strategy email.

The early bird price is $39.99, and includes participation in the live presentation and Q&A, unlimited access to the recorded webinar, presentation slides PDF and a bonus handout.

For more information on this program, click here. For general information on webinars, click here.

Florida: Orlando's Online Forum II, May 25

The Jewish Genealogical Society of Greater Orlando will present its Online Research Forum II on Tuesday, May 25.

The program starts at 1pm, in the social hall of the Congregation of Reform Judaism, Orlando.

Building on the good results of the recent Research Forum I, "Sharing Successes in Genealogical Research" will emphasize brick wall solutions with Joanie Schirm and Shirley Michael.

The moderators will be Herb Adler, Irwin Feldman, Larry Morrell, Joel Nierenerg and Jose Valle.

The program will include Tom Hirsch's preview of the June 22 meeting, "Interesting Tips for Researching Ancestors and How To Organize Your Data."
 
For more information, click here.

Southern California: 'Genealogy in the round," May 2

"Genealogy In The Round: Share Your Successes, Failures, Artifacts and Brick Walls" is the topic at the next meeting of the Jewish Genealogical Society of the Conejo Valley and Ventura County, on Sunday, May 2.

It begins at 1.30pm at Temple Adat Elohim, 2420 E. Hillcrest Drive, Thousand Oaks.

Sharing problems, solutions and other aspects of family history research helps everyone. One person's experience may solve another's problem.

Come and share a genealogical success, failure, brick wall, or genealogical artifact! This is your meeting - we all learn from one another - take this opportunity to share your genealogical story - success or failure, ask questions about your brick walls, and more!

If you wish to participate in the program, contact Jan Meisels Allen at president@JGSCV.org. Each participant will be given 5-10 minutes to share - depending on the number of presenters. Whether you are a JGSCV member or a potential member - we'd love to hear your genealogical story.

There is no fee to attend this meeting.

WDYTYA: Lisa Kudrow, March 19

The March 19 episode of the US-version of Who Do You Think You Are? features the show's executive producer - actress Lisa Kudrow.

The episode includes Kudrow's trip back to Belarus and the answer to her father's lifelong question.

Since childhood, Lisa Kudrow ("Friends") has known that her grandmother Gertrude had it tough. Gertrude's mother, Meri, perished in the Holocaust.

Lisa's father recalls hearing about her death from a young Polish sailor, a cousin named Yuri who was last seen in New York in the late 1940s. Lisa's father never forgot Yuri for warning him and his family to leave their village for safety before the Nazi army invasion.

From Los Angeles to Belarus, to the actual village where Meri once lived, Lisa's journey reveals clues leading her to something neither she nor her father ever thought possible.

The show airs Fridays, 8-9pm ET on NBC.

Miami: Brickwalls Q&A, Jan. 10

Have brickwalls in your research? Want information on how to get over or through them?

Join the Jewish Genealogical Society of Greater Miami on Sunday, January 10 for its annual "Questions and Answers - Bring Your Brickwalls" event.

It starts at 10am at the Greater Miami Jewish Federation Building at 4200 Biscayne Boulevard, Miami. Networking starts at 9.45am.

The group's mavens are a well-versed group in different topics. Are your questions in the realm of DNA? Software? Members are ready to help and advise.

What might be a new question or difficult issue - for you - may be old-hat to these experts. If you don't ask those questions, you'll always wonder about what you could have done to make progress.

Tracing the Tribe knows that we were all beginners at some point in our genealogical lives. We each had a million questions. Along the way, we received help and advice from those who had been in that same place much earlier. The goal of genealogy is to pass on information so we can all learn.

As we are helped, we must then help others. In genealogy - as in life - what goes around, comes around. So bring your questions to this event and learn together.

NOTE: Remember about the secure parking and bring ID. The parking gate is now permanently closed. On the left is a yellow security box, press #001 to connect to security. Announce you are attending the JGS meeting, the gate will slide open and then close behind you.