Boston: Genealogy and Yiddish programs

If you live in the Boston area, there are some great programs coming up!

Encourage your own congregations to present similar programs with the cooperation of local Jewish genealogical societies. To see a list of societies worldwide, visit the International Association of Jewish Genealogical Societies.

Congregation B’nai Torah in Sudbury is offering a program series open to the community.

Oct. 29: "Finding Jewish Memories: Genealogy Basics and Resources" will teach the basics of tracing attendees’ family trees; with Jay and Daphna Sage, past presidents of the Jewish Genealogical Society of Greater Boston

Dec. 10: "Preserving Jewish Memories with Your Family's Legacy" will discuss how to interview family members and incorporate interviews, old photos and music to create a family history video or DVD; with Hal Slifer, Hal Slifer Video Productions.

Feb. 11: "Collecting and Connoisseurship of Jewish Memories" will address the fine points of collecting Judaica (Jewish art and antiques), and provide no-charge appraisals of up to two items per person; with Kerry Shrives, director of Judaica, Skinner, Inc.

To register or for more information, click here.

At the Brookline Main Library, Jay and Daphna Sage will offer a free program, “Introduction to Jewish Genealogy,” at on Oct. 24 at 7 p.m. They will describe the joys of discovering relatives, debunk common myths, and show how easy it is to begin research.

This program is in conjunction with the library's exhibit, “Discovering Your Jewish Roots,” on view through November 1, sponsored by the JGS of Greater Boston, which includes original documents the society has collected (ship manifests and passports; European and American birth, marriage and death records from Europe and the U.S.; census records, maps and photographs).

Also in Brookline, the Workmen’s Circle is offering “Deciphering Yiddish Handwriting,” with Dovid Braun, on the evenings of Dec. 4 and 11.

This is a valuable class for researchers who come across letters and photographs in Yiddish. Students are encouraged to bring in perplexing handwriting samples.

Braun has years of experience working with Yiddish manuscripts and family letters, and has taught Yiddish at Harvard University, the University of Pennsylvania, Hebrew University, Gratz College, YIVO summer programs and the Jewish Historical Institute (Warsaw).

For more, email The Workmen's Circle or go to Yugntruf.