Los Angeles: Sephardic Genealogy, May 21

Descended from a long line of Sephardic rabbis going back to 14th century Kabbalists and authors - as well as Catalan blacksmiths and money lenders - Dr. Jeffrey S. Malka is a pioneer of Sephardic genealogy in the United States, a well-known lecturer/author, and the creator of www.SephardicGen.com.

Malka will present "Discovering Your Sephardic Ancestors and Their World," at 7.30pm, Wednesday, May 21, at Sephardic Temple Tifereth Israel in Westwood.

The program is hosted by the Jewish Genealogical Society of Los Angeles and co-sponsored by the Maurice Amado Foundation of Los Angeles and Sephardic Temple Tifereth Israel

Have you ever wondered if you had Sephardic ancestors lurking in the deep recesses of your family tree? This overview of Sephardic genealogy will show you where and how to look.

Taking us on a journey traversing environments as diverse as the Amazon Basin or the Ottoman Empire, Jeffrey Malka will explain how to trace Sephardic ancestry through archives as ancient as 12th century Spanish notarial records or as recent as today's modern repositories and online databases.

He will cover the origins of Sephardic surnames and clues derived from their meanings, along with their proper use in determining Sephardic ancestry. Also covered will be genealogical resources unique to Sephardim and recent exciting developments in Sephardic genealogy.

Malka, a retired professor of orthopedic surgery who lives in Virginia, is author of the award-winning book "Sephardic Genealogy: Discovering your Sephardic Ancestors and their World." Prior to creating his recently launched SephardicGen.com, he created JewishGen's Sephardic SIG site based on his earlier Sephardic Genealogy Resources website.

The program will include a 7pm dessert reception, followed by Arthur Benveniste's "Spotlight on Sephardim" introduction. The event is free to members, no charge for guests. For directions and more information, click here.