Seattle: Jewish genealogy society receives grant

Some time ago, Tracing the Tribe wrote about the grant program offered by Archives.com, and asked which Jewish genealogy group might be the first to receive one.

We are delighted to report that the newest $1,000 grant has been given to the Jewish Genealogical Society of Washington State (JGSWS), to allow the group to begin a digitizing project of the 120-year-old Jewish Transcript newspaper.

Anyone with roots in Seattle or other Washington state communities will find a wealth of information on the Jewish community. JGSWS has wanted to work on this digitizing project for many years but did not have the resources to carry it out.

Tracing the Tribe is especially interested to learn about our JASSEN family, which arrived in Seattle around 1923.

The pages of this venerable publication contain community news; birth, marriage and death announcements, life cycle events and historical news. Currently, the issues are in bound volumes held in the Seattle Public Library. The goal is to digitize the pages and make the records searchable online and accessible to interested researchers around the world.

For those researching Sephardic families, this publication will be of great interest as Seattle has one of the largest Sephardic communities in the US, with origins in Rhodes, Saloniki, and Turkey.

According to the Archives.com blog post:

Archives is pleased to contribute to this project which will clearly have a positive impact on anyone researching their family history in Washington State.

JGSWS President Nancy Adelson notes, "Because of this grant, Jewish Genealogical Society of Washington State will be able to start an important project that we've wanted to do for over seven years... Thank you so much for choosing us and our project! I can't tell you how much this means to the members of JGSWS and how it will help make Jewish genealogical research a bit easier."

For more information on JGSWS, view its website.

Is there a project that your group wishes to accomplish related to family history or preservation? Learn more and apply for a grant here.

Yad Vashem: International book prize estabished

Yad Vashem has established an annual international book prize of $8,000 to encourage Holocaust research.

Here's the press release:

(March 10, 2011 - Jerusalem) The International Institute for Holocaust at Yad Vashem announces the establishment of the Yad Vashem Book Prize for Holocaust Research, in recognition of high scholarly research and writing on the Holocaust and invites submissions for consideration.  The prize is presented thanks to the generous donation of Sabina Schwarzbaum, in memory of her father, Holocaust survivor Abraham Meir Schwarzbaum, and his family who was murdered in the Holocaust, and is aimed at encouraging excellent and new research about the Holocaust or its antecedents and aftermath.

The prize, $8,000, will be awarded annually to books containing new research on the Holocaust, or its antecedents and aftermath.  Research accuracy, scholarship, methodology, originality, importance of the research topic, and literary merit are important factors in judging the submissions.  The winning book will be chosen by a panel of judges made up of Holocaust historians and researchers. 

For more information on the prize, click here.

 For more information on Yad Vashem, click here.

Family Tree Magazine: 2011 best gen blogs

Tracing the Tribe hasn't checked email for two days as we are attending the Sephardic Memory and Movement Conference in Colorado Springs, Colorado.

Today, during a schedule break, we managed to get an internet connection and discovered that Tracing the Tribe has been named in the heritage category of Family Tree Magazine's 2011 Best 40 Genealogy Blogs.

Thank you to Family Tree Magazine and to the Family Tree 40 Panel of blogger colleagues for this honor which includes us among so many distinguished colleagues.

Due to a few technical difficulties, the graphic and the links cannot be posted immediately. They will be added when the technical glitch is fixed.

Books: AJL announces 2011 reference, bibliography awards

The Research Libraries, Archives, and Special Collections Division of the Association of Jewish Libraries (AJL) has announced the 2011 winners of its Judaica Reference and Bibliography Awards.

The awards will be presented at the AJL’s 46th Annual Convention banquet, on Tuesday, June 21, 2011 at the Marriott Montréal Château Champlain (Montréal, Québec).

Tracing the Tribe is also delighted to have been chosen to speak on Sephardic research at the conference. I’m looking forward to seeing our Montreal cousins and gen friends during my visit.

Reference

-- The winner is The Encyclopedia of Jews in the Islamic World (Brill). Edited by Dr. Norman Stillman of the University of Oklahoma, the five-volume work is the first English-language reference that deals with a part of Jewish history that is obscure and inaccessible for many readers. It opens a new window into this world and will inevitably generate more research and interest in the field. An online version is currently available as well. For more information, click here.

-- The Eerdman's Dictionary of Early Judaism, edited by John J. Collins and Daniel C. Harlow, received an honorable mention. It is an essential reference in a field of study that has rapidly expanded in recent decades. For more information, click here.

Bibliography

-- The winner is The Bibliography of Jews in the Islamic World (Brill). Edited by María Angeles Gallego, Heather Bleaney and Pablo García Suárez, it is an important contribution to the study of Jews in the Islamic World due to its thematic and geographical scopes, especially considering the difficulties in covering such a diverse field and multitude of languages. For more information, click here.

Dr. Greta Silver (New York City) and Eric Chaim Kline (Los Angeles) sponsor the annual awards.

For more information on the awards, including past winners, click here.

The awards committee includes Michlean Amir (United States Holocaust Memorial Museum), Yoram Bitton (Columbia University), Rachel Leket-Mor (Arizona State University), Daniel Rettberg (Hebrew Union College, Cincinnati), Pinchas Roth (Hebrew University), Rachel Simon (Princeton University), and Daniel Scheide, chair (Florida Atlantic University).

The AJL promotes Jewish literacy through enhancement of libraries and library resources and through leadership for the profession and practitioners of Judaica librarianship, while fostering access to information, learning, teaching and research relating to Jews, Judaism, the Jewish experience and Israel.

For more information on the conference, visit the AJL site.

Grant: Student genealogy grant recipient named

The recipient of the 2011 Suzanne Winsor Freeman Memorial Student Genealogy Grant was announced by Denise Levenick.

College sophomore Anthony Ray (Palmdale, California) will receive a $500 cash award and free three-day registration to the 2011 Southern California Genealogical Society Jamboree conference - June 10-12 - in Burbank, California.

The 2011 Grant is the first awarded by the Suzanne Winsor Freeman Memorial Fund, which was founded in 2010 to assist young genealogists seeking to advance their genealogical education.


Genealogists ages 18-25, attending school within the last year, and attending the SCGS Jamboree were eligible to apply for the 2011 Grant. In recognition of Suzanne Freeman’s enthusiasm for the nationally recognized Jamboree, this year’s award was directed to help a student attend the SCGS Jamboree genealogy conference.


“We are excited to find many young people becoming involved in genealogy and family history, and delighted to help a student attend a conference such as the SCGS Jamboree. We especially appreciate the Jamboree committee’s support of this project by donating a full three-day conference registration to the grant recipient,” comments Denise Levenick, daughter of Suzanne Freeman and genealogy writer/blogger The Family Curator.

Ray heads the Antelope Valley Genealogical Society cemetery indexing project and is a volunteer researcher assisting with Hispanic research at the Palmdale Family History Center. This will be his first time attending the SCGS Jamboree. He is a music studies sophomore at West Coast Baptist College in Lancaster, California.

Tracing the Tribe asks where are all the Jewish genealogical societies and personalities who should be encouraging our own young researchers in the same manner?

IAJGS: 2011 Awards Committee seeks nominees

Each year, the International Association of Jewish Genealogical Societies recognizes individuals and organizations with four awards for excellence in Jewish genealogy.

All nominations must be submitted online via a One-Step form. If additional "hard-copy" material is required, instructions will be found on that form.

New submitters may need some help in using the online form. If you are in that group, contact the awards committee chair Mark Halpern.

AWARD CATEGORIES:

• IAJGS Lifetime Achievement Award
• Outstanding Contribution to Jewish Genealogy via the Internet, Print or Electronic Product
• Outstanding Programming or Project that Advanced the Objectives of Jewish Genealogy
• Outstanding Publication by a Member Organization of IAJGS

For information on each award and previous winners, click here.

CAVEAT: Nominations can be made ONLY by IAJGS member organizations - NOT by individuals. However, individuals are encouraged to be part of the process by contacting their local society and suggesting worthy nominees. Click here for a list of all JGSs and SIGs.
Awardees for 2011 will be announced at the annual IAJGS conference banquet - this year in Washington DC on Thursday, August 18.

DEADLINE:  Nominees must be submitted by April 17.

2011 AWARDS COMMITTEE MEMBERS:

• Chair: Mark Halpern, West Chester, Pennsylvania - JGS of Greater Philadelphia
• Jan Meisels Allen, Agoura Hills, California -  IAJGS Board Member
• Michael Brenner, Las Vegas, Nevada -  IAJGS Board Member
• Paul Cheifitz, Tel Aviv, Israel - Israel Genealogical Society
• Laurence Harris, Middlesex, UK - JGS of Great Britain

If you have questions, contact Mark Halpern.

Books: National Book Critics finalists offer Jewish themes

The National Book Critics Circle - with some 600 book reviewers - was created in 1974 and offers an annual award to be announced on March 10. This year's finalists demonstrate numerous Jewish themes.

The NBCC list of five fiction finalists include:

-- David Grossman - "To the End of the Land"
-- Hans Keilson - "Comedy in a Minor Key"
-- Jonathan Franzen - "Freedom"

Among the five biography finalists are:

-- Tom Segev - "The Lives and Legends" (biography of Nazi hunter Simon Wiesenthal)
-- Kai Bird - "Crossing Mandelbaum Gate: Coming of Age Between the Arabs and Israelis, 1956-1978"
-- Christopher Hitchens - "Hitch-22" (who discovers as an adult that his mother was Jewish).

Click here for more information on the NBCC and here's the link for a complete list of the finalists.

Archives.com: First two grants announced

Just as Tracing the Tribe was walking out the door to the Family History Library, we received this announcement from Archives.com, naming their first two grant winners.

Are you or a group working on a special project? Would a $1,000 grant enable you or your group to complete the work? Read the announcement and apply online.

Here's the press release:

Archives Announces Two Grant Winners for January 2011 Grant Will Help Recipients to Digitize Historical Records and Explore Black Heritage

(PRWEB) February 8, 2011 -- Archives.com launched its Grant Program in early January and has received a terrific response. In the last 30 days Archives received over 100 applications, and has been extremely impressed with the caliber of project proposals. Archives is pleased to announce not just one, but two Archives.com Grant recipients for January 2011.

These are the first recipients of the Archives.com Grant, an award that will be given monthly. Archives is honored to help the two recipients achieve their goals. Both projects will contribute in unique ways to the preservation of family and community history, which is of central importance to Archives’ mission.

Winners of the January 2011 Archives.com Grant:

Columbia County Historical & Genealogical Society (CCHGS) - CCHGS is an organization dedicated to the preservation of Columbia County, Pennsylvania history. CCHGS would like to transcribe marriage license dockets 1921 to 1939, an estimated nine thousand bride and groom names. Once entered into an electronic database, the records will be made available on the CCHGS website and published in book form. This project will enable researchers worldwide to easily find information about their Pennsylvania ancestors.

CCHGS Vice President Andre Dominguez notes, “This index will be particularly valuable in the case of the bride's index, since the bride's birth name is provided, which could potentially solve a brick wall.”

Archives is honored to assist a project which helps to bring more valuable historical records online. Archives recently integrated a marriage collection from Alachua County, Florida, adding over 45 thousand records and images to its website from a similar time period. We applaud CCHGS’s effort, and are pleased to help them bring these records to the online community.

Myron McGhee - Myron is an amateur historian who would like to explore questions regarding his African-American heritage, and expand on his father’s considerable family history research. Specifically, Myron wants to investigate the hypothesis that his black ancestors were related to a nearby white family of the same name. Myron comments, “In ways yet unknown, I hope that exploration of the relationship between these extended families alters the manner in which typically polarized communities might engage one another.”

Myron seeks to travel to Alabama and interview residents, review deed transcriptions, and scan photographs which will help him to solve this mystery. Ultimately, he will compile and share both his and his father’s findings to honor his family’s proud tradition. Archives.com is delighted to make this second grant award to a project which will make a positive contribution to the research of African-American families in Alabama during this fitting time of Black History Month.

Each recipient will be awarded a $1,000 grant to pursue their projects. Archives believes the work accomplished will be of significance to their families and communities now and in the future.

Thanks to each and every grant applicant for taking the time to share their stories. Applicants from previous months will still be considered for future grant awards. If you have wanted to pursue a family history project but just need a little extra help, we encourage you to visit Archives.com and fill out a grant application.

Congratulations to both of the Archives.com Grant recipients! To read more about the recipients, visit the Archives.com blog where their stories will be posted soon.

About Archives.com

Archives.com is a leading family history Web site that makes discovering family history simple and affordable. The company has assembled more than 1.1 billion historical records – birth, death, marriage, divorce, census, obituary, immigration, military and more – all in a single location, and makes them available at a price that’s up to 80 percent less than the leading competitor. Archives also partners with other leading family history websites to provide integrated record collections, discounted memberships, official certificates and other special promotions – providing a comprehensive resource for researching your family history. Archives.com is free to try for seven days, allowing anyone to explore the benefits of membership without risk or obligation. For more information and to start discovering your family history, please visit www.Archives.com.

For more information or to apply, visit the website. Congratulations to the first two winners.

Tracing the Tribe hopes to see some Jewish genealogy projects on the winners' list in the future.

Archives.com: Family history grant program

Whether you are a newbie or professional research or connected to a library, historical society or archive, a new family history grant program may be just the ticket to help with your family history research or historical preservation project.

The Archives.com family history grant program will begin providing monthly awards of up to $1,000 at the end of January. US-based individuals and organizations are eligible to apply.

The mission of the grant is to help fund important individual and communal initiatives that contribute to the promotion and advancement of family history research and historical preservation. Project examples may include preservation of historical documents, restoration of culturally significant artifacts, transcription of records, promotion of awareness of historical events, or others.

CEO Matthew Monahan said “Now we are going one step further by establishing the Archives.com Grant Program so that valuable research projects do not perish due to lack of funding. We aim to level the playing field so that anyone can embark on the preservation projects that matter to them because family history shouldn’t be a hobby solely for the rich and famous.”

According to the press release:

Grant recipients may come from all walks of life, and may be individuals or community-based organizations. Specifically, Archives is seeking any project that contributes to the promotion and advancement of family history research and preservation. Examples include projects related to document preservation, artifact restoration, record transcription, and promotion of historical events.

Grant recipients will be chosen monthly and awarded up to $1,000 to fund their project. Archives encourages every person or organization in the U.S. to apply, whether a newbie, hobbyist, expert, or community group, like a historical society, library, or archive.

"Archives is excited to continue investing in the community, as we believe there are few things more important than the exploration and preservation of our history, culture, and heritage," said Director of Product Joe Godfrey. "Undoubtedly, the Archives.com Grant Program will prove to be an important resource for a diverse group of family historians and organizations."

Read the complete press release at the link above. For more information, click on the application page, the online process is simple, and asks for detailed answers to only four questions. If you have more questions, send an email.

Don't know what Archives.com is?

Archives.com is a leading family history Web site that makes discovering family history simple and affordable. The company has assembled more than 1.1 billion historical records – birth, death, marriage, divorce, census, obituary, immigration, military and more – all in a single location, and makes them available at a price that’s up to 80 percent less than the leading competitor. Archives also partners with other leading family history websites to provide integrated record collections, discounted memberships, official certificates and other special promotions – providing a comprehensive resource for researching your family history.

The site is free to try for seven days, allowing anyone to explore the benefits of membership without risk or obligation. Learn more at Archives.com.

Software: 2010 user awards

Louis Kessler has been a genealogist and programmer for more than three decades.

In 1997, he launched his Genealogy Software Links page which, in 2008, became the GenSoftReview site. He also developed the Behold genealogy program.

Kessler has just announced his 2010 Users Choice Awards for the most-liked genealogy programs for 2010.

The 2010 winners are: RootsMagic, Brother's Keeper, The Next Generation, Genbox Family History, Legacy, Personal Ancestral File, Reunion and MyHeritage.com 's Family Tree Builder. Seven are repeat winners from 2009.

Genealogists have gone to his site for more than two years to review and rate genealogy software.

According to his press release, it isn't easy to pick what program - of more than 550 - is best to use for your research. At his site, people can search for the program they want or for a specific program. They can read the reviews posted by users and see how the programs are rated by those users. The site is free and no registration is needed to add reviews.

After two years, over 720 reviews have been submitted. The end of year ratings for 2010 have now been tabulated and eight programs have been awarded a Users Choice Award. All the programs with a user rating of 4 or more out of 5 and at least 10 reviews are being awarded a GenSoftReviews Users Choice Award.

Says Kessler, "Everybody is different and has different needs. Choosing a genealogy program is like choosing a vacation hotel. What's best for one person is not necessarily best for another person." He says his site helps researchers decide on their genealogy tool, using consumer ratings to help them decide on a program.

Questions about the site or the awards? contact Kessler.

2011 Top 40 Blogs: Tracing the Tribe nominated

Tracing the Tribe is deeply honored to be nominated - in the Heritage category - for the 2011 edition of the Top 40 Best Genealogy Blogs, sponsored by Family Tree Magazine.

This year, the magazine enlisted top bloggers to help formulate the categories, qualifications, with nominations provided by readers. The results of the voting - the Family Tree 40 - will be announced in the July 2011 issue of the magazine.

The Family Tree 40 panelists included experts Lisa Louise Cooke (Genealogy Gems),  Randy Seaver (Genea-Musings), Myrt (DearMyrtle blog) and Thomas MacEntee (Geneabloggers).

The list includes excellent blogs in eight categories:

• Local/regional history and genealogy: Blogs focused on research in a specific county, state or region. Most library and archive blogs, as well as many local historical and genealogical society blogs, are here.

• Heritage groups: Blogs focusing on the family history of a specific ethnic, religious or national background (such as African-American, Jewish, Polish, etc.) [Tracing the Tribe is in this category]

• Research advice and how-to: Blogs that primarily explain how to research, analyze photos or perform various family history tasks. These offer tips, strategies and examples; explain genealogical concepts; and write about how to use new resources.

• Cemeteries: These feature content primarily about cemetery research and visiting cemeteries. Many feature tombstone photos and transcriptions, with information about those interred.

• “My Family History”: Blogs about the blogger’s own roots, including accounts of personal research, personal family photos and heirlooms, stories, recipes, etc.

• “Everything” blogs: Blogs that cover it all - genealogy news, research advice, opinions, local history, family stories, etc.

• New blogs: Blogs launched during the past year.

• Technology: Blogs focused on genealogy websites, software, DNA testing or other aspects of technology as it relates to genealogy.

Click here to vote in the Family Tree 40.

Vote for five blogs in each of the eight categories, through 11.59am, Monday, December 20. Voters may vote as often as they wish.

Tracing the Tribe is delighted to have been nominated.

IAJGS 2010: Achievement Awards

The annual IAJGS awards banquet was held last night.

Actor and singer Mitch Smolkin, accompanied by the masterful Nina Shapilsky, provided a nostalgic look back at the "Yiddish Frank Sinatra" - Samuel Rexite - who translated the Great American Song Book into mame loshn.

Following elections, the 2010-2012 IAJGS board includes:

President Michael Goldstein (Israel)
Vice President Michael Brenner (Nevada)
Secretary Joel Spector (New Jersey)
Treasurer Paul Silverstone (New York)

Directors at large:
Jan Meisels Allen (California)
Nolan Altman (New York)
Daniel Horowitz (Israel)
Kahlile Mehr (Utah)
Jackye Sullins (California)
Jay Sage (Massachusetts)

The Achievement Awards:

Lifetime Achievement Award: Hal Bookbinder (California)

Outstanding Contribution to Jewish Genealogy via the Internet, Print or Electronic Product:Judith Frazin (Illinois), for her Polish translation book.

Outstanding Program or Project that Advances the Objectives of Jewish Genealogy:"Philadelphia-area Jewish Genealogical Resource Guide" - JGS of Greater Philadelphia

Outstanding Publication by a Member Organization of IAJGS: "RootsKey" - JGS of Los Angeles

Stern Grant:Israel Genealogical Society

International Jewish Genealogy Month Poster:Jen Lowe, JGS of Colorado

This year's host society, the Jewish Genealogical Society of Los Angeles, is to be congratulated on producing an excellent event. It could not have been done without the leadership of co-chairs Sandy Malek, Lois Rosen and Pamela Weisberger and their legion of dedicated volunteers.

We're already looking forward to 2011, which will be hosted by the Jewish Genealogy Society of Greater Washington, August 14-18, in Washington DC. A preview of next year's conference will be held this morning.

Tracing the Tribe is leaving for El Paso (Texas) this morning for the 6th Sephardic Bnai Anousim Conference.

New York: Throw the first pitch!

Take me out to the ballgame. Buy me some peanuts and crackerjacks. Throw the first pitch for the New York Mets vs St. Louis Cardinals game on Wednesday, July 28.

The US Holocaust Museum's New York Next Generation Board thought up a great fundraiser.

For a minimum donation to the USHMM of $20,000, you can throw the first pitch at the game, set for 6pm at Citi Field. This chance of a lifetime is courtesy of the New York Mets.

The winner of this honor will be joined on the mound by a New York–area World War II veteran who helped defeat Nazi Germany and liberate Holocaust survivors, and will also be invited to a special private-suite Museum event commemorating the 65th anniversary of the liberation of the camps.

How to keep your eye on the ball:

The highest pledge received by Friday, July 23, gets the honor of the pitch and also of supporting the USHMM's efforts to promote human dignity, confront hatred and prevent genocide.

Interested? Learn more by contacting Jana Neil in the USHMM's northeast regional office.

Colorado: JGS honors Steinmetz

It is always good to read about genealogists receiving awards.

The Boulder Jewish News story, by Ellen Schindelman Kowitt (president of the Jewish Genealogical Society of Colorado), details the honoring of Boulder resident Howard Steinmetz with the first-ever "Spirit of JGSCO" at the group's annual meeting on June 13.

He received a heart-shaped glass award for representing the best characteristics of a Jewish genealogist and of an organization run 100% by volunteers. According to the awards committee chair Terry Lasky:

“Howard Steinmetz was recognized for his spirit as it positively influences others. His contributions, in this way, are something special that can’t be quantified – but are truly felt.”

Committed to and passionate about doing his own family history, Howard’s spirit is infectious. He is always willing to listen, offer advice to beginners or to participate in sharing resources with more advanced researchers. Howard’s attitude hasn’t ceased, even during very trying times.

This spirit has been so strong that it has gone well beyond his personal genealogical quests and made a special and positive effect on other JGSCO members.

An active member of the local JGSCO since 2005, Howard’s pursuit to continue learning about his family history has been a constant and steady endeavor.

In addition to Boulder and Denver genealogy lectures and workshops, he has attended annual Jewish genealogy conferences in diverse cities. Howard is also a leader of the Rohatyn Shtetl Research Group along with landsman he has met online through JewishGen.

JGSCO founding members (all Denver residents) received “Pillar of the Society"awards: Sandra Greenberg, Miriam Ohr, Myndel Cohen, Anne Fendrich and RitaJo Tensly.

Congratulations to all the honorees!

Youth awards: The way to go!

All genealogists know that new blood is the life of our passion and our commitment to learning about our ancestors.

Bringing new researchers into our world is the way to go. Even better is a determined effort to get young people involved.

In addition to learning about their individual family histories and ancestors, this pursuit increases and hones writing skills, personal interest in world history, language study and other additional skills.

Tracing the Tribe has talked for a number of years about a tiered award system for students (elementary, middle/junior, and high school). From local awards, winners could move to state or regional awards, and then a national award.

Such a competition - especially for Jewish genealogy, but equally applicable to all genealogy societies - would bring much-needed publicity and interest at all levels from students, parents and schools.

High school junior or senior winners could indicate the award on university applications, setting themseves apart from the sea of similar applicants, and this would also help elevate the study of family history in the eyes of academics at many universities.

Here's the announcement of the NGS Rubicam Award, given to 2009 winner Thomas Adams.

Dear Fellow Genealogist:

Young people with an interest in the history of their family, in search of a summer project, seeking to satisfy a school assignment or club project will want to see the videos of Thomas Adams, the 2009 winner of the National Genealogical Society Rubincam Youth Award.

Created by award winning filmmakers Kate Geis and Allen Moore, the videos go live today at the society’s website, http://www.ngsgenealogy.org/ and will soon appear on YouTube. The three short segments are:

· The Award: Genealogy puts history into personal perspective for high school student Thomas Adams, recipient of the Rubincam Youth Award.

· My Research: Young family history sleuth Thomas Adams talks about his "Eureka!" moment.

· Inspiring Others: Thomas' discoveries encourage his friends to follow their own
roots.

For more information, contact NGS President Jan Alpert.

What groups are willing to run with this idea to create more interest among young people in family history?

50 Best Blogs for Genealogy Geeks

Everyone's making a list!

Here are the 50 Best Blogs for Genealogy Geeks, compiled by OnlineUniversities.com.

Tracing the Tribe was happy to see many of our geneablogging colleagues listed - as well as ourself.

Americans are proud of their melting-pot culture, but genealogy is also a popular past-time and even profession, as family ancestry is complex and often hard to define. It takes a lot of research to untangle the web of genealogy in order to create a clear family tree, but as an online university student, you’re probably used to taking on similarly large projects. Either as a break from studying, a supplement to your history classes, or even for inspiration to start your own family ancestry research, check out these 50 blogs on genealogy.

General: Here you can learn how to get started with a genealogy project and read about the extraordinary stories that more seasoned researchers have to share.

DearMYRTLE’s Genealogy Blog
Ancestor Search Blog
FamHist
Genea-Musings
The ProGenealogists Genealogy Blog
Genealogy Gems
Tombstone Territory
Genealogy Lines
The "You Go" Genealogy Girls
Renee’s Genealogy Blog
Olive Tree Genealogy Blog
Those Old Memories
Paula’s Genealogical Eclectica
Family Tree Tips

Specific Research Projects: From African American genealogy to Cape Cod family ancestry, learn about specialized research here.

AnceStories: The Stories of My Ancestors
Anglo-Celtic Connections
Afro-American Historical and Genealogical Society New
Eastern Washington Genealogical Society Blog
Nebraska Roots and Ramblings
Cape Cod Genealogical Society
Steve’s Genealogy Blog
The Accidental Genealogist
Tracing the Tribe: The Jewish Genealogy Blog
Rowan’s Family Tree
Upstate New York Genealogy Blog
Genealogy in New South Wales
Runaway Slave Blog

Libraries and Resources: These blogs are from larger genealogical societies, libraries and other family history resources that can help you learn about the process or find specific information.

Ancestry.com Blog
CaliforniaAncestors.org
Florida Genealogical Society
Indiana Genealogical Society Blog
Creative Gene
KCGS
Genealogy Roots Blog
MoSGA Messenger
Southern California Genealogical Society Jamboree
The Ancestry Insider
Southern California Genealogical Society and Family Research Blog

News: Keep up with news, conferences, databases, data releases and more when you read these genealogy news blogs.

GenealogyBlog
Family Curator
Arlene Eakle’s Genealogy Blog
2010 NGS Family History Conference
Birmingham Genealogical Society Blog
Family History Expos
Legacy News
Eastman’s Online Genealogy Newsletter
GeneaBloggers
Genealogy Insider
Genealogy Blog – GeneaNet

See the links above for descriptions of each blog, and look at those which are less familiar. Of course, check all the categories as many blogs do not fit neatly into a single category.

50 most popular genealogy sites

ProGenealogists has named its 50 most popular genealogy websites for 2010.

The rankings were based on stats from the first quarter of the year, as measured by four major ranking companies.

Read the official press release here. For more on the selection process, see an article in the Digital Genealogist.

Here are the 50 sites as detailed in Kory L. Meyerink's blog post. In parenthesis after each site, see its 2009 and 2008 rankings. Eight new sites are also identified.

1- Ancestry.com $ - Leading genealogical data site, with some articles, instruction and reference help. (1>1)
2- FamilyLink.com – (New) One of the most popular FaceBook apps helps people identify and network with family.(80>72)
3- MyHeritage.com - Focuses on genealogy community building and networking.(3>3)
4- FamilySearch.org - Major data website (LDS Church sponsored) includes IGI, census records, library catalog and more, instruction and reference help. (5>5)
5- Genealogy.com $ - Major data site, with instruction and reference help.(2>4)
6- RootsWeb.com - Major data site, with free instruction and reference help. (4>2) 7- FindAGrave.com - More than 45 million cemetery inscriptions and photos. (7>7)
8- USGenWebArchives.net – (New) Large collection of free data, by state, and searchable across the entire collection. (not ranked)
9- OneGreatFamily.com $ - Primarily family trees sharing and collaboration website. (11>9)
10- GenealogyToday.com - Includes instruction, reference articles, and some unique data collections. (12>11)

11- AncestorHunt.com - Collected genealogy links. (11>12)
12- SearchForAncestors.com - Interactive directory of free genealogy websites and data.(19>21) 13- AccessGenealogy.com - Includes references to helpful articles, especially for Native American information, and some data. (14>13)
14- CyndisList.com - Huge subject catalog of genealogy webpage links. (17>15)
15- EllisIsland.org - Database of 24 million New York passenger arrivals free to search. Passenger list images can be printed/purchased. (20>14)
16- Interment.net - Transcribed, indexed cemetery inscriptions. (16>16)
17- WorldVitalRecords.com $ - Data collection by Family Link, more than a billion records, instruction and reference help. (13>10)
18- USGennet.org - Historical and genealogical web hosting service. (15>17)
19- GenealogyBank.com $ - Database with index and images of newspapers and early books.(31>41)
20- FamilyTreeDNA.com - DNA testing service focused upon family history test types. (26>27)

21- GeneBase.com - A DNA ancestry cataloguing project (24>24)
22- CensusFinder.com - Links to free census records. (29>40)
23- DeathIndexes.com - Lists of links to US death records, by state. (25>31)
24- Linkpendium.com – Nine million genealogy links organized by state/county and surname.(24>35)
25- Genealogytrails.com - Free data contributed by volunteers (35>NR)
26- JewishGen.org - Jewish, reference, instruction, coordination, databases. (32>28)
27- GenealogyBuff.com – (New) Free genealogy search site with hundreds of data sources.(134.NR)
28- FamilyTreeMaker.com - Ancestry.com's genealogical software homepage. (21>20)
29- KindredKonnections.com $ - Grassroots-created data site with compiled family trees, some extracted records. (22>19)

30- FamilyTiez.com – (New) A site where families can establish their own pages to share news, photos, events and genealogy with each other. (not ranked)
31- Geni.com - Web 2.0, focuses on genealogy community building and networking. (8>18)
32- HeritageQuestOnline.com $ - Census, PERSI (the periodical index), books. (39>39)
33- MyFamily.com - Hosts family websites for sharing photos, genealogy, and more. (5>5)
34- DistantCousin.com - Online archive of genealogy records and images of historical documents. (23>22)
35- TribalPages.com - Family trees hosting and charting program. (28>25)
36- PoliticalGraveyard.com - Comprehensive source of US political biography that tells where many dead politicians are buried. (33>34)
37- Footnote.com $ - With the US National Archives, it offers data, original records images and more. (9>8)
38- FamilyHistory101.com - Less than three years old, instruction/guidance for genealogists (47>107)
39- CousinConnect.com - Large free queries website. (27>23)

40- GenoPro.com - Genealogy software produces genograms (37>53)
41- Archives.com $ – (New) Major new subscription data site, launched July 2009, more than a billion names. (not ranked)
42- GenWed.com - Online marriage records, where to order, some indexes, and more. (43>42)
43- Dar.org - Largest lineage society; includes library catalog, 32-million name index. (49>67)
44- ThePeerage.com – (New) Genealogical survey of peerage of Britain and royal families of Europe. (53>58)
45- Genealogy.org – (New) Listing of 400+ registered websites, ranked weekly by hits. (69>56) 46- AncientFaces.com - Share genealogy research, community pages, family photos & records for free. (48>38)
47- ObitLinksPage.com - State-by-state directory of obituaries and obituary resources. (not ranked)
48- SurnameWeb.org – (New) Collection of surname website links; online since 1996. (62>26)
49- US-Census.org - Census abstracts (U.S. GenWeb Census Project) (45>37)
50- Genuki.org.uk - Large collection of genealogical information pages for England, Ireland, Scotland, Wales, the Channel Islands, and the Isle of Man. (34>32)

No longer in the top 50 (with their old rank):

Census-Online.com - (Down from 38)
GenealogyLinks.net - (Down from 50)
USGenWeb.com - (Down from 30)
Geneanet.org - (Down from 42)
Daddezio.com - (Down from 41)
GenCircles.com – (Down from 36)
ObitCentral.com - (Down from 29)
FindMyPast.com $ - (Down from 46)

It was interesting to see the ranking changes for each site over the past three years.

Tracing the Tribe was happy to see FamilyTreeDNA.com's rank move up to #20 (from#27). JewishGen.org also moved up to #26 (from #28).

Can't wait to see 2011's list!

NGS Awards: The complete list of honorees

The National Genealogical Society presented several awards to individuals in recognition of their contributions to the NGS or to the field of genealogy.

For more on each award and the honorees, click here for the NGS UpFront Blog post.

Three individuals received the President's Citation:

-- Peter Broadbent, in appreciation of his two terms on the NGS Board of Directors, assisting with the sale of Glebe House, for his work on Amending and Restating the Articles of Incorporation and ByLaws, and for his wise counsel on numerous issues which came before the board.

-- Connie Lenzen, CG, who has served two terms on the NGS Board, for her leadership as Chair of the Education Committee.

-- Elissa Scalise Powell, CG, for her ongoing promotion of genealogical events and broad support of the genealogical community as a whole.

The Award of Excellence: Genealogical Methods & Sources: Schelly Talalay Dardashti for her article in Family Tree Magazine (September 2009), "Ties That Bind: Jewish Research Strategies." The award is given to an individual or nonprofit organization for a specific, significant single contribution in the form of a book, an article, or a series of articles published during the past three years that discusses genealogical methods and sources and serves to foster scholarship and/or otherwise advances or promotes excellence in genealogy.

The NGSQ Award for Excellence:  Rachal Mills Lennon, CG, for her article “Jonathan Turner- More Than a Name: A Carolina Case Study in Dissecting Records,” which appeared in NGSQ (March 2009). It is given each year for a specific, significant, single contribution in the form of an article or series of articles that serves to foster scholarship and/or advances or promotes excellence in genealogy.

The Family History Writing Contest Award: Patrick Quigley from Ponco Pines, Pennsylvania, and his entry was titled, "The Quigley Family Searches for the American Dream." Contestants must compile a three- or four-generation family history. The  winner receives an expense-paid trip to the next NGS Family History Conference and possible publication in the National Genealogical Society Quarterly.

The Home Study Scholarship: Terri Hildreth of Madison, Alabama. It is given to encourage those pursuing a career in genealogy.

I am especially indebted to NGS for contributing to awareness of Jewish genealogy research through the Award of Excellence this year.

NGS: An honor in Salt Lake City

The National Genealogical Society has recognized an article I wrote for Family Tree Magazine.

"Ties That Bind," on Jewish research strategies, received the "NGS Award for Excellence: Genealogical Methods and Sources," at the Friday night NGS conference dinner in Salt Lake City.

The Family Tree Magazine article (see cover page right) appeared on pages 52-57 of the September 2009 issue.

Although I could not be there in person, my heart was certainly there. My good friend Daniel Horowitz accepted the award (see image left) in my absence.

I sincerely thank the NGS, headed by president Jan Alpert, and Family Tree Magazine's Allison Stacey, Grace Dobush and Diane Haddad for their foresight in encouraging this topic, and for creating its important visual context.

San Francisco: Jewish community's diversity

Listen to a radio interview by host Michael Krasny with Fred Rosenbaum on his book, "Cosmopolitans: A Social and Cultural History of the Jews of the San Francisco Bay Area."

The KQED Forum's 24-minute interview chronicles the diverse ways the Jewish community has shaped and enriched the region, from the first congregations to the Gold Rush to today.

Rosenbaum received the Anne and Robert Cowan Writers’ Award of the Jewish Community Endowment Fund, for exceptional achievement in giving voice to Jewish perspectives in the Bay Area.


Listen to the interview segment above or follow this link for information on ordering the book).