An easy way to get a good grounding in family history research is to take a class with an experienced instructor. If you're looking for your Jewish ancestors, you'll need to learn specialized information, history, geography and other topics.
Taking a good class will help you avoid making false starts, teach you how to organize material, provide resources, special knowledge and more.
Genealogy classes are offered in person or online, are short term or longer; costs vary.
Readers in the Boston area may wish to take advantage of a course offered by the Jewish Genealogical Society of Greater Boston and Hebrew College in Newton Centre, who are collaborating to provide "Foundations of Jewish Genealogical Research."
The new eight-session course will meet from 7-9pm on Mondays, beginning February 25. The instructors are a team of experienced researchers, coordinated by Heidi Urich (JGSGB president) and Tom Weiss (JGSGB board member). Students must have basic computer skills.
According to the course description, "Students will gain a strong foundation in Jewish genealogy to enable them to research family origins. The course will include introductions to relevant world history, geography, methodology and knowledge of resources."
It will cover:
--Getting Started on Family History Research: Basic Steps, Strategy and Skills
--Technical Tools and Online Resources for Genealogy
--History of Jewish Migration, the Diaspora and Changing National Borders
--Identifying Your Immigrant Ancestors: Methods and Resources for Researching Family Members in the U.S.
--Finding Your Ancestors in European Records and Learning about Their Lives
--Identifying Holocaust Victims and Survivors. Finding Family Members Living in Israel
--DNA Research: The Next Frontier in Genealogy
--Using your Research: Making Connections and Publicizing Your Findings
The class is limited to 25 students; the cost is $250.
For more information, click here.
09 January 2008
Southern California Jamboree, June 2008
Some 30 national and international genealogists - a record number - will be speaking at the 39th Southern California Genealogical Society Jamboree set for June 27-29, 2008 in Burbank, CA.
The event has organized its own blog to keep everyone updated about the Jamboree.
I participated last year when some 1,000 area residents attended, making this one of the largest regional events and impressive in terms of both scope and excellent organization. The vendor room was packed and the technology center, offering free access to many subscription sites, was a popular destination.
In 2008, I'll be speaking again as part of a great group of people including gen-blogging colleagues and experts representing all aspects of genealogy and major websites.
The speaker list includes Elaine Alexander, Michael T. Booth, Jana Sloan Broglin CG, William “Bill” Dollarhide, Arlene Eakle Ph.D., Wendy Bebout Elliott Ph.D. FUGA, Dick Eastman, Colleen Fitzpatrick Ph.D., Bennett Greenspan, John T. Humphrey, Peter W. Landé, David Lifferth, Leland Meitzler, Cheri Mello, George G. Morgan, Stephen P. Morse Ph.D., Larry Proctor, Geoffrey D. Rasmussen, JoAnne Rockower, Beau Sharbrough, Drew Smith MLS, Eric Smith, Megan Smolenyak Smolenyak, Mindi Stevens, Cath Trindle CG, Tom Underhill, Pamela Weisberger and Pam Wiedenbeck.
The conference blog will introduce the speakers and their topics over the coming weeks, provide website links and where you can find books, articles and research guides.
For more about the SCGS, founded in 1964, click here.
The event has organized its own blog to keep everyone updated about the Jamboree.
I participated last year when some 1,000 area residents attended, making this one of the largest regional events and impressive in terms of both scope and excellent organization. The vendor room was packed and the technology center, offering free access to many subscription sites, was a popular destination.
In 2008, I'll be speaking again as part of a great group of people including gen-blogging colleagues and experts representing all aspects of genealogy and major websites.
The speaker list includes Elaine Alexander, Michael T. Booth, Jana Sloan Broglin CG, William “Bill” Dollarhide, Arlene Eakle Ph.D., Wendy Bebout Elliott Ph.D. FUGA, Dick Eastman, Colleen Fitzpatrick Ph.D., Bennett Greenspan, John T. Humphrey, Peter W. Landé, David Lifferth, Leland Meitzler, Cheri Mello, George G. Morgan, Stephen P. Morse Ph.D., Larry Proctor, Geoffrey D. Rasmussen, JoAnne Rockower, Beau Sharbrough, Drew Smith MLS, Eric Smith, Megan Smolenyak Smolenyak, Mindi Stevens, Cath Trindle CG, Tom Underhill, Pamela Weisberger and Pam Wiedenbeck.
The conference blog will introduce the speakers and their topics over the coming weeks, provide website links and where you can find books, articles and research guides.
For more about the SCGS, founded in 1964, click here.
08 January 2008
Conference: FEEFHS, August 2008
Many genealogy events are coming up. August will be a busy month, what with the Federation of East European Family History Societies, the 28th IAJGS International Conference on Jewish Genealogy and others.
I've already announced the Jewish genealogy conference. Remember that January 15 is the deadline if you'd like to submit a proposal. Check out the website for more information.
I attended the FEEFHS conference in Salt Lake City last year, enjoyed the programs and meeting the speakers, several of whom spoke at both FEEFHS and at the IAJGS event which immediately followed it.
This year, FEEFHS is August 1-3, 2008, in Pittsburg, PA.
Presentations by leading experts in the fields of Central and East European Genealogy, DNA testing, Online Databases, one-on-one research consultations and more are part of the program.
Friday morning's keynote speaker will be Dr. Stephen P. Morse, of the One-Stepwebsite, which was recently updated and which holds marvelous tools for all researchers.
The Saturday evening banquet will feature "Don't Stop for Red Lights: The Story of the Creation of the Nationality Rooms at the University of Pittsburgh's Cathedral of Learning" by Joseph Bielecki.
For more information on registration and program details, click here.
I've already announced the Jewish genealogy conference. Remember that January 15 is the deadline if you'd like to submit a proposal. Check out the website for more information.
I attended the FEEFHS conference in Salt Lake City last year, enjoyed the programs and meeting the speakers, several of whom spoke at both FEEFHS and at the IAJGS event which immediately followed it.
This year, FEEFHS is August 1-3, 2008, in Pittsburg, PA.
Presentations by leading experts in the fields of Central and East European Genealogy, DNA testing, Online Databases, one-on-one research consultations and more are part of the program.
Friday morning's keynote speaker will be Dr. Stephen P. Morse, of the One-Stepwebsite, which was recently updated and which holds marvelous tools for all researchers.
The Saturday evening banquet will feature "Don't Stop for Red Lights: The Story of the Creation of the Nationality Rooms at the University of Pittsburgh's Cathedral of Learning" by Joseph Bielecki.
For more information on registration and program details, click here.
Jewish Newspapers: Community resources
Jewish newspapers, nationally and internationally, are excellent sources for community information. In addition to current news, these papers' archives hold the history of a community, including engagements, marriages, births, deaths, obituaries and more.
There are a host of regional Jewish newspapers, some in major cities, some in smaller population centers. Almost all belong to the American Jewish Press Association, which lists member publications.
The Philadelphia Inquirer recently interviewed both Jonathan Tobin, editor of Philadelphia's Jewish Exponent and J.J. Goldberg, editor of New York's The Forward.
If your ancestors lived for a long period in a community with a Jewish paper, accessing its archives may prove a very valuable resource. In fact, many Jewish genealogical societies have undertaken projects to index their community papers and make them accessible online. Pittsburgh, Houston and Seattle come to mind - there are others.
The Philadelphia community is some 200,000 strong, has 100 synagogues and schools in a five-county area; the Exponent often has more than 70 pages.
Read more here.
There are a host of regional Jewish newspapers, some in major cities, some in smaller population centers. Almost all belong to the American Jewish Press Association, which lists member publications.
The Philadelphia Inquirer recently interviewed both Jonathan Tobin, editor of Philadelphia's Jewish Exponent and J.J. Goldberg, editor of New York's The Forward.
"This is the newspaper of record for the Jewish community of this region," continues Tobin, a native New Yorker. "Generations of people have had their births, engagements, weddings and obituaries published in our newspaper. . . . That's important."
If your ancestors lived for a long period in a community with a Jewish paper, accessing its archives may prove a very valuable resource. In fact, many Jewish genealogical societies have undertaken projects to index their community papers and make them accessible online. Pittsburgh, Houston and Seattle come to mind - there are others.
As 2008 begins, the Exponent, which hasn't missed an issue since debuting in 1887, comes off its 120th anniversary year in the black, with a circulation of about 50,000. The Manhattan-based Forward, having celebrated its own 110th anniversary as a Yiddish paper last year, continues as two weeklies: the Yiddish version, with a circulation "well under" 10,000, and the English-language version begun in 1990.
The Philadelphia community is some 200,000 strong, has 100 synagogues and schools in a five-county area; the Exponent often has more than 70 pages.
Robert Singerman, a University of Florida scholar whose "Jewish Press" article in "Jewish-American History and Culture: An Encyclopedia" surveys the field, writes that "approximately 2,500 dailies, weeklies, monthlies, quarterlies, bulletins and annual reports . . . have been published in most of the 50 states."
The oldest continuously published Jewish paper in the United States is Cincinnati's American Israelite, founded in 1854. Philadelphia papers have included Isaac Leeser's Occident and American Jewish Advocate (1843-69).
Read more here.
Update: Museum of Family History contents
Steve Lasky's Museum of Family History keeps growing with very useful resources . He's added and updated much information, according to his January 2008 report:
--Castle Garden: The First Entry Point of America. Before Ellis Island served as our immigrant ancestors' gateway into the US, most entered at a location at the tip of Manhattan named Castle Garden.
--More pre-war family photos from Europe, including Joniskis, Lithuania (some 30 families/surnames are represented).
--Holocaust Memorials of Canada - Victoria, British Columbia;
--Stories from our Ancestral Homes - Nemesany, Slovakia and its surrounds;
--The Habima in New York. The innovative Habima acting troupe left Russia in 1926 to tour European and US cities. This section covers their origins and time in New York, including costumed cast photographs, scenes from acts, reviews of five plays performed, and a letter of support by Russian playwright Maxim Gorky. The troupe left New York for then-Palestine and makes its permanent home in Tel Aviv, Israel.
--The Modjacot Marionette Theatre. New York City (c1920s), once billed as "the only Jewish puppet theatre in America."
All of this can be found here.
Steve's never one to rest, so stay tuned for future plans to include stars of the Yiddish stage (actors, playwrights, theatre history), the Catskills' Grine Felder enclave and the Yiddish Art Theatre.
--Castle Garden: The First Entry Point of America. Before Ellis Island served as our immigrant ancestors' gateway into the US, most entered at a location at the tip of Manhattan named Castle Garden.
--More pre-war family photos from Europe, including Joniskis, Lithuania (some 30 families/surnames are represented).
--Holocaust Memorials of Canada - Victoria, British Columbia;
--Stories from our Ancestral Homes - Nemesany, Slovakia and its surrounds;
--The Habima in New York. The innovative Habima acting troupe left Russia in 1926 to tour European and US cities. This section covers their origins and time in New York, including costumed cast photographs, scenes from acts, reviews of five plays performed, and a letter of support by Russian playwright Maxim Gorky. The troupe left New York for then-Palestine and makes its permanent home in Tel Aviv, Israel.
--The Modjacot Marionette Theatre. New York City (c1920s), once billed as "the only Jewish puppet theatre in America."
All of this can be found here.
Steve's never one to rest, so stay tuned for future plans to include stars of the Yiddish stage (actors, playwrights, theatre history), the Catskills' Grine Felder enclave and the Yiddish Art Theatre.
Reactions: "I'm a genealogist"
How do people react when you say you're a genealogist?
Do they ask how many babies you've delivered - thinking you said gynecologist; what caves or oil fields you've discovered - confusing you with a geologist; or simply think you are strange for happily shlepping through cemeteries looking for dead people (which, you must admit, is a good place to find them)?
This posting is also a challenge to my gen-blogging colleagues to write an entry about the strangest, funniest or most confusing reactions to what you do. Readers are invited to share their experiences through comments below.
I was once introduced to a room full of women, members of a large Jewish organization's branch in Israel, as the "gynecology columnist for the Jerusalem Post." After the laughter quieted down, I mentioned that - if you think about it - the two fields are related. Without gynecology, there wouldn't be genealogy.
Our daughter lived in Switzerland for a few years. On one of our visits, her friend's family offered their ski resort apartment. As they were leaving, they said "take a look at the books, if you get a chance," indicating a shelf of leather-bound books. We were busy trekking through the picturesque town; husband and daughter were skiing every day and I was enjoying the scenery. On our last day, I looked at the books and realized they held her friend's family history dating from the 15th century, compiled by his father!
This particular challenge came from reading a great column by genealogist James M. Beidler in the Lebanon (PA) Daily News:
Beidler describes the genealogy/geology confusion and some surprises along the way:
Beidler also mentions the rewards of talking about genealogy to people who had never done any family history research until they met him.
Read more here.
I'm looking forward to seeing my colleagues' responses to the challenge. All readers are also invited to comment as well on the reactions of family and friends to what can be a somewhat obsessive pursuit.
Do they ask how many babies you've delivered - thinking you said gynecologist; what caves or oil fields you've discovered - confusing you with a geologist; or simply think you are strange for happily shlepping through cemeteries looking for dead people (which, you must admit, is a good place to find them)?
This posting is also a challenge to my gen-blogging colleagues to write an entry about the strangest, funniest or most confusing reactions to what you do. Readers are invited to share their experiences through comments below.
I was once introduced to a room full of women, members of a large Jewish organization's branch in Israel, as the "gynecology columnist for the Jerusalem Post." After the laughter quieted down, I mentioned that - if you think about it - the two fields are related. Without gynecology, there wouldn't be genealogy.
Our daughter lived in Switzerland for a few years. On one of our visits, her friend's family offered their ski resort apartment. As they were leaving, they said "take a look at the books, if you get a chance," indicating a shelf of leather-bound books. We were busy trekking through the picturesque town; husband and daughter were skiing every day and I was enjoying the scenery. On our last day, I looked at the books and realized they held her friend's family history dating from the 15th century, compiled by his father!
This particular challenge came from reading a great column by genealogist James M. Beidler in the Lebanon (PA) Daily News:
When meeting people and the subject of “what do you do for a living” comes up, there’s an interesting mix of reactions.
The most popular response is a polite, “Oh, that must be very interesting,” oftentimes followed by some genealogy frame of reference: “My aunt (or uncle or cousin or fill-in-the-blank relative) has done a lot of work on that and traced us back to … .”
A lot of people then ask if I can really make a living doing genealogy writing, lecturing and researching, to which I explain to them that I do OK, but that it certainly helps that I also am a tax preparer for four months a year.
Some people respond by focusing on the relatively new DNA aspects of genealogy, which at least shows me that these folks keep up with the news.
Beidler describes the genealogy/geology confusion and some surprises along the way:
But as we were saying goodbye, I mentioned where I lived and she said, “Oh, you’re going to think this is really bizarre, but I’ve tromped on cemeteries around there — I’m a genealogist.”
She says the look on my face was one of bewilderment and connection as I explained that I didn’t think tromping on cemeteries was at all strange.
Beidler also mentions the rewards of talking about genealogy to people who had never done any family history research until they met him.
Read more here.
I'm looking forward to seeing my colleagues' responses to the challenge. All readers are also invited to comment as well on the reactions of family and friends to what can be a somewhat obsessive pursuit.
Steve Morse: Always improving
It's hard to keep up with Steve Morse and his One-Step website.
He's continually adding new utilities and tools, or updating and improving existing pages. There's so much here that a newcomer could get a bit lost. However, Steve has now made his site easier to use for all of us.
To avoid scrolling through the entire site, just look at the upper left corner menu of the site. Float your mouse over a category and see a drop-down menu of all pages in that category. Then just click on the item you need.
There's a new section on Genetic Genealogy and DNA, one of the fastest-growing segments of our field today. There are six DNA-related tools in this section, and you can check your page at Family Tree DNA, learn about haplogroups, build a DNA-group chart in one step, learn about migration details and see a nice migration map for each haplogroup.
For those checking for Soviet soldiers who died in World War II, Steve has added an English language front-end utility to an all-Russian database.
Those who are linguistically-challenged in Cyrillic couldn't read the directions, use the search engine or read the results (even if they got through the first two sections!). Steve has now provided help for all of this with his new utility, which offers transliteration of the results (not all fields are transliterated) into Latin characters.
While using the Russian form directly - if you can - limits the number of hits/page to 30, you can get 100 or more using Steve's form.
When I searched for my TALALAY family using Steve's form, I obtained 107 results including a large number of individuals previously unknown but probably related, as well as many from the non-Jewish branch. I recognized patrynomics of many relatives, but not the sons of those individuals, so this was a good source of new information. There were some 50 BANK entries as well, including some patrynomics I recognized.
Find this handy-dandy item in two sections: "Foreign Alphabets" and "Holocaust and Eastern Europe."
I also checked the utility for "Searching the Polish index of the Repressed" and found eight results for my grandfather's FINK family, with known given names and patrynomics.
Steve is always ready to assist users of his site who may have questions or comments. Contact him through the One-Step website; just click on his name at the top of the page.
He's continually adding new utilities and tools, or updating and improving existing pages. There's so much here that a newcomer could get a bit lost. However, Steve has now made his site easier to use for all of us.
To avoid scrolling through the entire site, just look at the upper left corner menu of the site. Float your mouse over a category and see a drop-down menu of all pages in that category. Then just click on the item you need.
There's a new section on Genetic Genealogy and DNA, one of the fastest-growing segments of our field today. There are six DNA-related tools in this section, and you can check your page at Family Tree DNA, learn about haplogroups, build a DNA-group chart in one step, learn about migration details and see a nice migration map for each haplogroup.
For those checking for Soviet soldiers who died in World War II, Steve has added an English language front-end utility to an all-Russian database.
Those who are linguistically-challenged in Cyrillic couldn't read the directions, use the search engine or read the results (even if they got through the first two sections!). Steve has now provided help for all of this with his new utility, which offers transliteration of the results (not all fields are transliterated) into Latin characters.
While using the Russian form directly - if you can - limits the number of hits/page to 30, you can get 100 or more using Steve's form.
When I searched for my TALALAY family using Steve's form, I obtained 107 results including a large number of individuals previously unknown but probably related, as well as many from the non-Jewish branch. I recognized patrynomics of many relatives, but not the sons of those individuals, so this was a good source of new information. There were some 50 BANK entries as well, including some patrynomics I recognized.
Find this handy-dandy item in two sections: "Foreign Alphabets" and "Holocaust and Eastern Europe."
I also checked the utility for "Searching the Polish index of the Repressed" and found eight results for my grandfather's FINK family, with known given names and patrynomics.
Steve is always ready to assist users of his site who may have questions or comments. Contact him through the One-Step website; just click on his name at the top of the page.
06 January 2008
Adding comments to postings
Hello, dear readers.
I do hope you're enjoying Tracing the Tribe.
I think you are, as I receive many private messages and questions from readers around the world.
While private messages and questions are always welcome and I try to answer them promptly, I'd like to suggest that readers also post comments directly to blog postings.
Let me know if there is something you really liked ... or didn't ... or a comment on a resource you have used with success ... or not.
I'm looking forward to reading your comments in 2008!
Thank you for contributing to the success of Tracing the Tribe.
With best wishes for a great year filled with genealogical success,
Schelly
I do hope you're enjoying Tracing the Tribe.
I think you are, as I receive many private messages and questions from readers around the world.
While private messages and questions are always welcome and I try to answer them promptly, I'd like to suggest that readers also post comments directly to blog postings.
Let me know if there is something you really liked ... or didn't ... or a comment on a resource you have used with success ... or not.
I'm looking forward to reading your comments in 2008!
Thank you for contributing to the success of Tracing the Tribe.
With best wishes for a great year filled with genealogical success,
Schelly
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