Contest: AARP 'Discover Your Roots'

There's a family history sweepstakes contest for the 45-and-over crowd, sponsored jointly by AARP and professional genealogist Megan Smolenyak Smolenyak.

The grand prize - aimed at helping readers uncover the mysteries of your family's history - includes

•  Five hours of private consultation via phone with Megan, an internationally-renowned professional genealogist.

•  Signed copies of Megan’s books: “Who Do You Think You Are?” and “Trace Your Roots with DNA.”

•  One-time DNA ancestry testing through FamilyTreeDNA.com

•  A one-year subscription to Ancestry.com

•  $1,000 gift card

The grand prize value is $2,500.

The sweepstakes began May 24 and runs through August 15, ending at 11.59pm ET.

To enter, click here. Follow the links and instructions to complete and submit the free registration form. It is open to legal residents of the 50 US states and the District of Columbia who are at least 45 years old at time of entry.

Each entrant automatically receives one entry into the sweepstakes. Each entrant may enter only one time. Note that the rules preclude using methods to enter multiple times.

There's free registration, nothing to buy, and you just might win, so why not enter?

NGS 2011: Some stats

Tracing the Tribe spoke at the National Genealogical Society conference this year for the first time.

The NGS has distributed a short informational release with statistics pertaining to this year's event:

-- Attendance was 2,270 at NGS 2011 in Charleston, South Carolina.

-- More than 1,500 purchased full conference registrations, with more than 100 attending on daily registrations. Conference attendance included speakers, vendors, booth staff and volunteers from the South Carolina Genealogical Society (SCGS) and its local chapters.

--Ancestry sponsored a Saturday "Ancestry Day" program which brought in 575 people to the venue.

-- More than 2,000 meals were served at the convention center and social events sponsored by the SCGS.

-- Mark your calendars for the NGS 2012 Family History Conference (9-12 May 2012; Duke Energy Convention Center, Cincinnati, Ohio). The Hyatt Regency Cincinnati is the conference hotel; conference registration will open 1 December.

As a first-time NGS speaker, I found the experience excellent, and my DNA talk was well-received. A highlight of the week was staffing the MyHeritage.com booth, which provided an opportunity to meet with so many attendees and discuss matters of mutual interest.

On a personal note, it was enlightening to speak with numerous individuals who, while not Jewish today, know about their Jewish ancestry. Quite a few had only recently discovered that connection and needed guidance on where to go for more information.

If you haven't already visited Charleston, consider it for a vacation. It is a quaint town, with major Civil War history, Jewish history, very friendly people and fantastic food!

The only criticism pertained to the conference center's spotty internet connection and non-existent ATT cellphone signal. Other than that - and the $3.50 charge for a small bottle of water (there's nothing like a thirsty captive audience!) - things went swimmingly.

I'm looking forward to next year's edition.

Three conferences in 10 days!

Tracing the Tribe has just arrived home after speaking at three conferences in two countries in 10 days!

Each was very different in format and topics addressed, and Internet access - on a personal level - varied, significantly curtailing communications. Jet lag, surprisingly, wasn't an issue on this trip. Along with the events themselves, Tracing the Tribe also connected with family, old and new friends.

The Society of Genealogists' Centenary Conference (London, UK; Saturday, May 7), was followed by the Jewish Genealogical Society of Great Britain's Northern Regional Conference (Manchester, UK; Sunday, May 8). Just two days later, I flew to the exciting National Genealogical Society's event in Charleston, South Carolina.

At the SOG and NGS, my topic was the IberianAshkenaz DNA Study as a case study - administered by Judy Simon of New York and myself - at FamilyTreeDNA.com. Each time this topic is presented, there is more to update on results and participants. It aways changes.

In Manchester, I spoke on social media for 21st-century genealogists, also an evolving topic.

At SOG and NGS, DNA was an interesting topic as the number of Jewish attendees is traditionally rather small, although there were more who had Jewish ancestry, some recently discovered. It was a different audience, with different questions, and we believe that these two opportunities helped to raise awareness of genetic genealogy - and FamilyTreeDNA.com.

From questions asked in session Q&As to those fielded during the rest of the events (and later emails), it was obvious that people are fascinated by this rather amazing tool available to us. The presentation includes the nuts and bolts of creating a DNA project applicable to any ethnicity, religion or geographic region.

At the JGSGB event - with some really excellent topics presented - it was a privilege to help explain how genealogists (as well as genealogy societies and other institutions) can benefit from today's social media, such as Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, blogs and more.

Watch for separate posts on each conference.

Now back home in New Mexico, I still have a few weeks before the Southern California Genealogical Society's Jamboree 2011 (speaking on creating online ancestral communities) and the Association of Jewish Libraries' event in Montreal (speaking on Sephardic research) soon after.

What do I do when at home, other than reading accumulated email, getting some needed sleep and generally not travel farther than the supermarket? Well, there are articles to write, a stack of books to review, and local genealogy goings-on, including genealogy presentations at local senior centers.

The schedule includes even more as I am genealogy co-chair of the New Mexico Jewish Historical Society, and involved in the creation and organization of the new general Sandoval County Genealogical Society.

Tracing the Tribe firmly believes that all Jewish historical societies should join the International Association of Jewish Genealogical Societies (IAJGS), as the NMJHS has recently done. It always seems that genealogists understand the connection between what we do and history, but that historical societies don't always see that essential connection. More cooperation between local genealogical and historical societies provides more learning opportunities for members of both.

What's on the menu for these two societies? We'll soon begin working on the new program year for both groups and contacting prospective speakers.

The Sandoval County society will be meeting the first Saturday of each month, from 10am-12.30pm, and we are working on the timing for the NMJHS events, which will be on Sundays (to be scheduled) at the Albuquerque JCC.

Back to email!

DNA: Do you hold the Gift of Life?

In the past, Tracing the Tribe has written about the Gift of Life Foundation, which attempts to match donors of bone marrow with patients who need a life-saving match.

The best matches are often from those individuals who are genetically related. But only rarely do the families  looking for potential donors post the relevant geographical areas or surnames.

There is now a call for a bone marrow match for a New Jersey toddler, age 2. Fortunately, his grandmother - Karen Lefkowitz - is a long-time genealogist (her JewishGen researcher number has only four digits!).

She understands the need for ancestral information as tissue type is inherited. The best chance of finding a donor for her grandson lies with those of Eastern.European ancestry, particularly Polish and Hungarian.

Here are the towns and surnames associated with the child's ancestry:

Turkey: FRIEDMAN, SHAPIRO

Poland: Stopnica area: BORKENSZTAJN, ZISSER, SUSSER, KAFEL, LINDER; Tarnow and Szczucin area: SUSSER; Bialystok, Trzcianne, Goniadz area: BLACHER, PERLIS, BALABUS, BLOCK, LEVIN, DUDINSKY, GEDRES, COHEN; Nowogrod and Dobrylas area: LEFOWITZ (LEFKOWITZ), KIEK or KIJEK, COHEN, RUDZKA; Przasnysz: BLANK, MONKAR, MAKA

Moldava: Kishinev (Chisinau): FRIEDMAN, MEISENBERG, SHAPIRO, LEVITT

Ukraine: Zhitomir: MEISENBERG, TAUB; Chermerivtsi: GREENBERG

Hungary: Elmialfulva (Endrefalva or Ermihalyfalva?): KLEIN; Eger: BRAUN; Szikeoy (Cejkov?): BRIER; Balaton (Veladin?): BRAUN

Lithuania: Vilnus: VERSHOFSKY, BAUSC

Anywhere: LITTENBERG, STRASSNER

If these places or surnames are familiar, here's how you can help. Even if the names or places are not familiar, consider testing and joining the bone marrow registry so that others may receive the Gift of Life.

-- Potential donors must be age 18-60 and in general good health to join the registry.

-- Cheek swab test kits can be ordered online through Gift of Life Bone Marrow Foundation. Or find a bone marrow drive near you.

-- If you are above age 60, encourage family members and friends to join the registry.

-- If you live outside of the United States and Canada, send an email for more information.

-- For more information, click here or send an email.

--Shayne Pilpel is this project's Gift of Life coordinator and will be happy to answer questions about the Foundation.

Check the list of towns and names again. Do you know someone with those surnames from those areas? If so, ask them to get involved and join the registry.

Connecticut: 'An 800-year Sephardic Journey,' April 17

Dr. Daniel Laby will be speaking on his family's eight century journey from Aragon (Spain) to Massacusetts, for the Jewish Genealogical Society of Connecticut on Sunday, April 17.

The program starts at 1.30pm, at the Godfrey Memorial Library, 134 Newfield Street, Middletown.

Dan and I share some roots in Lerida (Lleida) in Catalunya, the same great researcher (Maria Jose Surribas) and a Persian connection. The Lerida archives provided him with a document dated 1204, while our earliest document from the same archive is dated 1353.

Dan is a great speaker and his family's story is fascinating. A few years ago, his family went on a roots trip to Spain. He presented a multi-media program on that trip to the Jewish Family Research Association (JFRA) in Israel. I was privileged to also meet his parents during the 2006 IAJGS conference in New York.

"From Aragon to Massachusetts" follows Dan's family history (Laby de la Caballeria or Cavalleria) from western Massachusetts and New York’s Lower East Side back to the Ottoman Empire and pre-Inquisition Spain.

Dan will describe how he traced his family to 13th-century Spain using both modern DNA analysis and microfilms. He shares his story because he hopes to make Sephardic Jewish genealogy more widely known.

An assistant clinical professor of ophthalmology at Harvard Medical School, Dan is also a sports vision specialist, working with the Boston Red Sox and several other professional and Olympic teams. His search for his family predates his medical practice.

For more information, click on the JGS of Connecticut website.

Dan's story is worth telling to many more family historians and genealogists, and not only because it is Sephardic story. If your JGS can convince him to speak - if he has time - it will be worth it.

Seattle: 'Jews, Genetics & the DNA Shoah Project,' April 11

"Jews, Genetics, and the DNA Shoah Project" with Matthew Kaplan is the next program of the Jewish Genealogical Society of Washington State, on Monday, April 11.

Doors open at 7pm for the 7.30pm program at the Stroum Jewish Community Center, 3801 East Mercer Way, Mercer Island. Admission: Free for JGSWS members and one guest per year; others, $5.

Kaplan will present research findings from studies of Jewish genetics and Jewish population history. He’ll start with a short review of some basic principles of human genetics and the biology behind DNA testing.

He'll also talk about the DNA Shoah Project, a unique humanitarian effort to reunite survivors of the Holocaust.

Following the lecture there will be time for questions. Volunteers will be on hand to assist those interested in contributing their DNA (free) to the DNA Shoah Project.

Kaplan is a staff scientist at the University of Arizona Genetics Core laboratory (UAGC), which provides genetic testing services for academic researchers and the private sector. He personally developed the genetic testing pipeline for FamilyTreeDNA, the leader in the genetic genealogy field.

The laboratory currently provides genetic testing services for FamilyTreeDNA and for public participants of National Geographic’s and IBM’s Genographic Project.

Kaplan has worked with Dr. Michael Hammer on research projects using the Y chromosome and mitochondrial DNA to investigate the population genetics and population history of Jewish populations for more than 10 years. Kaplan and Hammer are working together on the DNA Shoah Project.

For more information and directions, see the JGSWS website.

NGS: "Where the Past is Still Present," May 11-14

The National Genealogical Society (NGS) 2011 event is set for Charleston, South Carolina, from May 11-14. This year's theme is "Where the Past is Still Present."

Tracing the Tribe is proud to be among more than 75 speakers presenting more than 180 programs at this year's event, and looks forward to greeting readers in Charleston.

NGS issued the following press release:

The National Genealogical Society (NGS) selected Charleston, South Carolina, for its 2011 Family History Conference in part to commemorate the 150th Anniversary of the Civil War which began with Confederate artillery firing upon Fort Sumter 12 April 1861.

If a member of your family served for the Union or Confederate forces, the NGS 2011 Family History Conference will provide a number of lectures about researching Civil War records and learning more about the lives of your ancestors.

The four-day conference, 11-14 May 2011, will be held at the Charleston Area Convention Center, 5001 Coliseum Drive, North Charleston, SC 29418.

More than 75 nationally recognized speakers will provide over 180 lectures on a wide variety of topics including research in South Carolina and the surrounding states, migration patterns, ethnic research, religious records, research methodology and problem solving.

Lectures about Civil War research will include: records of the Confederate conscription office, life on the battlefields, the service of Native Americans and African Americans, the Southern Claims Commission, confederate pardon and amnesty records, prisoner of war records, Civil War pension records, facilities for disabled soldiers, and analysis of photographs from the war.

Two lectures will also review many of the websites available for military research.

The NGS banquet on Friday night will feature Stephen B. Bacon, Major USAF (retired), speaking on “Separating Fact from Myth: A Look at the US Civil War from Both Sides.”

For more details and a copy of the conference registration brochure, click here.

An exhibit area with more than 100 exhibitors will be open and free to the public Wednesday through Saturday and will include the latest in genealogical software, online research providers and DNA testing services.

Founded in 1903, the National Genealogical Society is dedicated to genealogy education, high research standards, and the preservation of genealogical records.

The Arlington, VA-based nonprofit is the premier national society for everyone, from the beginner to the most advanced family historian, seeking excellence in publications, educational offerings, research guidance, and opportunities to interact with other genealogists.

For more information, visit the NGS Pressroom.

Tracing the Tribe looks forward to greeting readers in Charleston.

FamilyTreeDNA.com: 40% off for only 24 hours!

Have you been sitting on the DNA fence to utilize genetic genealogy because of the cost? Need more family members to test, but found that cost was a factor?

If so, don't wait any longer! Here's your chance to get those tests.

FamilyTreeDNA.com has announced a 24-hour only 40% off sale on their Facebook page in celebration of receiving 5,000 "likes" on the company's fan page.

The offer is for new kits only. See the company's Facebook page for more details.

Joining Facebook or "liking" the page is not necessary to receive the discount.

Discounted tests include:

• Y-DNA37
• mtDNAPlus
• mtDNAFullSequence
• Y-DNA37+mtDNAPlus
• Family Finder
• Family Finder+mtDNAPlus
• FamilyFinder+Y-DNA37
• Comprehensive Genome
• Warrior Gene

The coupon code is 5000FACES. This is only valid for new kits and can't be used on existing kits. Enter the code while ordering at www.familytreedna.com. It expires 24 HOURS from now!

[NOTE: Depending on where you live in the US, the discount will end Thursday morning - February 17 - at 7.40am (West Coast) to 10.40am (East Coast).]

Tick tock...tick tock...tick tock!!!

RootsTech: Day 2

RootsTech' day two - Friday - was perhaps even busier than opening day.

One innovation at this event was the Microsoft Playground, a large space filled with billiards and ping pong tables, Wii screens and aso offering back massages. It was very popular!

My DNA presentation - It's In Our Genes: Revealing History via Technology ( A DNA Project Case Study - was delivered to a nearly full large room. One geneablogger - Joan Miller of LuxeGen - was tweeting my talk. It is always a great pleasure to talk about our IberianAshkenaz DNA Project at FamilyTreeDNA.com and explain the history behind it and how it can be used as a model for others to set up their own DNA projects. People who attended it were meeting me the rest of the day and commenting how much they enjoyed it.

Many conference attendees who are regulars at other annual events commented on the absence of FamilyTreeDNA.com at RootsTech, and wondered why they hadn't attended.

I also participated in a blogging panel, moderated by our own Thomas MacEntee, along with  A.C. Ivory (one of our youngest geneabloggers at only 23 years of age), Lisa Alzo and Pat Richley AKA Dear Myrtle. There was much discussion and many comments by the panel with questions by attendees and the hour flew by before we knew it.

Sessions at RootsTech are only 60 minutes (45 minutes presentation followed by 15 minutes of Q&A), and that time really goes fast!

Some of today's presentations included several by Steve Morse as well as:

• "Playground Rules for the Genealogy Internet Collaborative Space," with Janet Hovorka
• "Powerpoint 2010 for Presenters" (several labs), with Barbara Renick and Gena Philibert Ortega
• "Digital Images for Genealogists and Technologists," with Geoff Rasmussen
• "Names in Stone: Unique Approach to Cemetery Research," with DAvid Day and Bruce Cheney
• "Enhanced Smart Matches and Social Networking Technologies Applied to Facilitate Collaboration between Familes and Researchers," with Daniel Horowitz
• "Use Your Android Phone for Genealogy and Family History," with David Lifferth
• "Security and Disaster Recovery," with Kaeb J. Albee
• "Finding Your Family's Stories Online," with Tami Glatz
• "Genealogy Blogs: Impact and Influence in the Genealogy Commmunity," with Thomas MacEntee
• "Collaborating with Genealogists to Redesign a Digital Library," with Kathleen Murray
• "Easy Digital Newsletters," with Dear Myrtle
• "Google News and Timeline," with Dan Lynch

That's only a few of today's nearly 50 sessions.

This evening, many of us went to the Family History Library for a late night schedule, including the newest Who Do You Think You Are? segment, with Tim McGraw. 

Tracing the Tribe is not really into country music, so I'm the first to admit I barely recognized his name and didn't know much about him. I was rather impressed in that he came across as a really nice guy who was interested in his connections.

Of course, the show makes it seem so simple. Each time, one of the researchers told Tim, "I have this document for you," the audience of genealogists laughed. We all knew the number of hours it took to be able to say that one short sentence!

One researcher had connected him back eight generations, his ancestors were mentioned in George Washington's journal - GW was then only 16 and on a surveying team in the Shenandoah Valley where he met Tim's Hite family.

Although some geneabloggers have reported that Tim seemed disinterested or disengaged, our group didn't feel that way. Indeed, we felt that Tim came across as a modest person who felt very connected to his ancestors and their place in history.

We were a tired bunch when we got back to our hotel!

The general comments among attendees and geneabloggers were that we were all looking forward to RootsTech 2012, which is set for February 2-4. You might want to mark it on your calendar now!

DNA for Beginners: Free webinar, February 1 and 3

Following her first free webinar - Genetic Genealogy for Beginners - Elise Friedman will be repeating that class on Tuesday, February 1, and Thursday, February 3, by popular demand.

"Genetic Genealogy for Beginners: DNA is the "Gene" in Genealogy!" covers the following topics:

-- What is Genetic Genealogy? 
-- What tests are available?
-- Which one should I order? 
-- How much does a Genetic Genealogy test cost? 
-- Do I need to be a geneticist to understand my results?

The webinar is perfect for those who are beginners to genetic genealogy and want answers to these basic questions and more.

Learn the history of the field, get an introduction to DNA basics and inheritance paths, different types of DNA tests for genealogy and resources to make the most of your experience.

The two sessions are geared to different time zones, making it more accessible to more people.
-- Tuesday, February 1:  6pm GMT (1pm Eastern, 10am Pacific)
-- Thursday, February 3:  8pm Eastern (5pm Pacific)

The webinars are free but advance registration is required. Click here for more information, to register, and to learn about additional future offerings.

Elise hopes to repeat the beginner session during the first week of each month, and is also working on offering intermediate and advanced genetic genealogy webinars.

Florida: Palm Beach JGS celebrates 20th anniversary

February will be a busy month for the Jewish Genealogical Society of Palm Beach County (Florida).

FamilyTreeDNA's CEO Bennett Greenspan will speak at the Sunday, February 9 membership meeting, and the JGSPBC will hold its 20th anniversary luncheon from 11.30am-3pm on Sunday, February 27, at the Renaissance Boca Raton Hotel (members, $30; others, $35).

Founding pioneer in DNA genetic genealogy, Greenspan will present "Beyond the Y-Chromosome: Tracing Your Genealogy with the Other DNA," at the membership meeting.(Fee: members, free; others, $5.)

An entrepreneur and life-long genealogy enthusiast, since elementary school, Greenspan has turned his hobby into a full-time vocation. A native Nebraskan with a BA from the University of Texas, he spent years investigating his maternal grandfather's family, which led to the 2000 founding of FamilyTreeDNA and its association with Arizona Research Labs, led by Dr.Michael Hammer, a world authority on Y-DNA genetics.

With more than 320,673 records (as of January 24, 2011), Family Tree DNA, has the largest database of its kind in the world. It is important for Jewish researchers, as it also includes the largest Jewish DNA database available for matches.

FTDNA is the largest non-medical DNA testing company in the world. It includes other cooperative ventures such as the National Geographic Society’s Genographic Project and AfricanDNA.com, and is now involved in DNATraits.com, a new medical genetic testing company.

Prior to the main event, the Ukraine SIG will meet from 11:30 am-12:15 pm. Genealogy mentors will be available after the main program. From 12.30-12.55pm, a Brick Wall session will take place; attendees are invited to submit questions in advance.

Mark your calendar: A beginners' workshop - with Phyllis Kramer - will be held Wednesday, March 9, from 9.30-11.30am, at the South County Civic Center. Registration ($15) is limited to 25 attendees; make reservations in advance.

For luncheon registration and more information on meetings and workshops, visit the JGSPBC website.

Geneabloggers.com: 33 more blogs revealed!

Here are another 33 blogs focused on genealogy and family history just discovered by Geneabloggers.com's Thomas MacEntee. There are now 1,662 genealogy blogs on the site.

This week's varied topic crop includes individual family history, UK, photography, US, Poland, Canada, Sweden, Hawaii, education, vendor, roots travel, Civil War, military, African-American, cemetery, library, Georgia, Australia, surname, Minnesota, Pacific Island, Kentucky, diary and crafts.

Ainscough Family History-Mawdesley
Individual family history, UK genealogy

Belden Family Alliances: From Then Til Now
Individual family history

Bigger Families, Faces from the Past
Photography blog

Blundering Blindly Backwards
Individual family history, UK genealogy

Byron City Cemetery, Peach County, Georgia
Cemetery blog, Georgia genealogy

Campaspe Genealogy
Australian genealogy, Genealogy library blog

Census Junkie
Genealogy education, Individual family history

Climbing the Genealogy Tree
Genealogy education

Families of Old Hawaii
Hawaiian genealogy, Individual family history, Pacific Islander genealogy

Hawaiian genealogy sure has come a long way from the days when I 1st started searching the web back in 1998. There were a handful of personal sites with info on Hawaiian genealogy back then and some are still around, the same site from the nineties frozen in time. Some are updated and some vanished never to be seen again. Here’s a list of the personal pages (now called blogs?) I have bookmarked, that are still around…

Family History Alive
Individual family history

Finding the Feitner Family
Individual family history (FEITNER, Germany->NY)

A Forest of Oakes
Individual family history (OAKES)

Hearts Turned
Individual family history (LAMOREAUX, HOLLADAY, CLUFF)

The author just turned 19 and says "Too often our generation procrastinates this great work or puts it on others’ shoulders, but there is much we can be doing now. It is our responsibility just as much, if not more, than the older generations."

Heritage Heart
Crafts blog, Genealogy education, Individual family history

Family history can be exciting for today’s generations and it is my quest to offer ideas and solutions for making it fun! No more boring facts, but great stories and ideas for incorporating family heritage into our personal spaces as a reflection of who we are today.

Highland Experience SCOTLAND
Genealogy vendor, Scottish genealogy

The author (now living in New York) runs a custom tour company - Highland Experience Tours USA - focusing on Scottish roots.

Kendricks of San Francisco
California genealogy, Individual family history (KENDRICK)

Kentucky Kinfolks
Individual family history, Kentucky genealogy

Let Freedom Ring!
African-American genealogy blog, Individual family history, US Civil War blog

150th Year anniversary of the American Civil War ~ a blog documenting my personal journey and research riscoveries of the people, places, events, and other things related to the Civil War era.

May Hill’s WWII Diaries
Diary blog, UK genealogy

Blog editor Tom Ambridge is the grandson of May Hill, an English seaside villager who wrote wonderful diaries and poetry during WWII. Her diary began November 27, 1940. Each entry appears exactly 70 years after the original was written.

Minnesota Native Daughter
Individual family history, Minnesota genealogy

My Genealogy Obsession
Individual family history

My Journey Back
Canadian genealogy, Individual family history

My Savage Family
Individual family history (SAVAGE, UK->US)

Ontario Genealogist
Canadian genealogy, Individual family history

Polish families from Żywiec-Zabłocie, Polska
Individual family history, Polish genealogy

My Polish great grandpa was orphaned during the Chicago flu epidemic of 1918 & spent his life looking for all of his siblings. Some family stayed in Chicago & some returned to Poland. Some family was Catholic, & some are believed to be Jewish.

Prairie Bluestem
Individual family history

Saint Cross Upheaval
Individual family history

Stray Bones
Individual family history

Tipton Tales and Trails
Individual family history (TIPTON)

Vintage Aerial Blog
Genealogy vendor blog

Vintage Aerial connects personal memories and family history to photos of the places where the memories were made and the history took place. ... Our collection of over 25 million photographs spans the second half of the 20th century, documenting a time in American history when life revolved around rural communities and small farms. ... It uses the latest in digital imaging and data storage technology to preserve these heirlooms. We are saving yesterday’s memories with today’s technology, for the tomorrows to come.

Whispers From The Past/Tales Told
Individual family history (TOMLINSON-HEPWORTH-KIDGELL-CASHMORE-BURNS-MACDUFF-PERRINS-PHIPPEN-HUDSON, etc.)

Witch Genealogist with a Black Cat
Individual family history, Swedish genealogy

WorldFamilies.Net
DNA genealogy, Genealogy vendor blog, Surname blog (BARTON)

One of the largest Surname DNA Projects (250+ members) in the world, as well as a Barton family-wide historical society, newsletter, database, website. Evolved into World Families Network (2004) to help other Surname Projects by sharing learning and providing general information. ...

Read much more about each blog here at Geneabloggers.com, or visit those in which you may have an interest.

DNA: Revealing more Jewish roots

It's always reassuring to read that major Jewish publications are carrying stories on what Tracing the Tribe and many others already know. A case in point is the new Forward story on how DNA tests are revealing hidden Jewish roots.

The story by Elie Dolgin - "Newer DNA Tests Uncover Hidden Jewish Bloodlines" - discusses both 23andMe and FamilyTreeDNA.

It covers University of Chicago genetics doctoral student Joseph Pickrell's DNA odyssey along which revealed similar results to an Ashkenazi Jew, New York attorney Dan Vorhaus. Pickrell was raised Catholic but his results led him to ask his mother about the results.

She did some sleuthing among other relatives, revealing that:

"her father’s father — Pickrell’s maternal great-grandfather — had been raised Jewish in Poland before moving to the United States, where he married a Catholic woman and left his Jewish upbringing behind.

“It’s amusing that using genetics, I could wrestle this out of the bushes,” Pickrell said.

The story also mentioned FamilyTreeDNA.com's tests to uncover Jewish origins. Many Hispanic Americans descended from Jews forced to convert or hide their religion more than 500 years ago in Iberia. 

The story does explain 23andMe's test and why it produces those results.

A molecular anthropologist in Estonia, Richard Villems, is quoted as cautioning against jumping to conclusions based solely on DNA unless there is corroborating evidence, like Pickrell's ancestor.

Another section goes further, answering in part the question about what happens once a person discovers such a link.

Pickrell said he has no plans to start going to synagogue. And since “genes do not define the Jews,” according to Edward Reichman, an Orthodox rabbi and physician at Yeshiva University in New York, the Jewish community at large probably won’t embrace him, either. But according to Bennett Greenspan, president and CEO of Family Tree DNA, many people who learn of Semitic ancestry through DNA often end up converting to Judaism.


Elliot Dorff, a conservative rabbi and ethicist at American Jewish University in Los Angeles, welcomes these conversions. “We would really want to encourage such people to rediscover their Jewish roots,” he said. Although people who find Jewish origins through DNA are not strictly Jewish, halachically speaking, Dorff noted that many people in this situation already feel a deep-seated connection to the religion.

The comments, as always on this type of article, are always interesting and cover the spectrum of belief. One, by "Jack," reads:

Bennett Greenspan regularly presents the services of Family Tree DNA at Crypto-Jewish studies symposia. Also in attendance at these events are Hispanic Americans interested in the potential Jewish ancestry of their families. It would not be an overstatement that a Levantine genetic signal only confirms the Jewish background that many of the test subjects either already suspected or were convinced of. The DNA test is merely a confirmation, not a revelation, afterwards conversion to Judaism is a small step.

Read the complete story and all the comments at the link above.

Tracing the Tribe always recommends that those with known or suspected Jewish roots test with FamilyTreeDNA because it has the largest DNA database, which also includes the largest Jewish DNA database. Nearly all Jewish genealogists test with the company because of the large number of samples, which increases the probability of genetic matches.

There's a related 2010 Forward story covers how Rabbis and Halacha Grapple With Advances in DNA Technology:

Advances in genetic analysis and its medical applications are bringing unprecedented, if uneven, change to the world of Jewish law. Most often, the matter of genetics is considered in the context of issues on either end of life’s spectrum: those that relate to fertility and to the identification of post-mortem human remains.

“DNA analysis is gradually meandering its way through the halachic literature,” said Dr. Edward Reichman, an Orthodox rabbi and associate professor of emergency medicine at Albert Einstein College of Medicine, where he is also an associate professor of bioethics and education.

“Science has opened up a huge area of research and treatment in the area of the genetic code that just didn’t exist 25 years ago. All of those developments have required authorities in Jewish law to consider what effect it has on their approach,” said Rabbi Avram Reisner, spiritual leader of Baltimore’s Congregation Chevrei Tzedek and a bioethicist who sits on the Conservative movement’s Committee on Jewish Law and Standards.

Read that complete story at the story link above.

Webinar: Beginning genetic genealogy, January 18

Interested in genetic genealogy and how it can help you in your ancestral search, but wish you understood more about it?

Tracing the Tribe's good friend Elise Friedman (Boca Raton, Florida) - who works with and speaks on genetic genealogy - now has a website Relative Roots, a companion blog, and is beginning a series of free webinars, starting tomorrow.

Elise plans to host genealogy webinars several times a month beginning this month. She's starting with genetic genealogy and will offer others focusing on other topics in the future.

Participation is free, but requires pre-registration; click here to register. The software she's using is currently limited to 100 people per webinar - first-come, first-served - so consider registering right away.

The first session is for beginners:

Tuesday, January 18  (8pm East Coast, 5pm West Coast)
Genetic Genealogy for Beginners: DNA is the “Gene” in Genealogy!

If you don’t know the first thing about Genetic Genealogy, or even if you’ve heard about it, but don’t know which test you should take, this presentation is for you! Attendees will learn about the history of genetic genealogy, be introduced to DNA basics and inheritance paths, learn about the different types of DNA tests available for genealogy (Y-DNA, mtDNA and Autosomal), and learn about resources that will help you make the most of your Genetic Genealogy experience.

The next scheduled webinar is for beginners/intermediates:

Thursday, January 27 (8pm East Coast, 5pm West Coast)
Genetic Genealogy Demystified: Reading and Understanding Your Family Tree DNA Results

You’ve taken the plunge and ordered a genetic genealogy DNA test, but now that you have your results, you don’t understand them? This class is for you! Those who haven’t tested yet can also benefit from this class by getting a preview of what their results could look like. Attendees will get a tour of the MyFTDNA account, and detailed explanations of how to read and understand their Y-DNA, mtDNA and Family Finder results and matches.

See the webinar schedule here.

Elise Friedman is a professional genealogist, specializing in Jewish genealogy, genetic genealogy, and technology. She has given lectures and workshops at a variety of venues, from local genealogy and community meetings to international Jewish genealogy conferences. She has researched her own family history for more than 10 years, and has roots in Belarus, Russia, Poland and Ukraine (formerly Galicia).

Active in genetic genealogy, she is JewishGen’s DNA Projects Coordinator, manages several DNA studies at FamilyTreeDNA.com, and co-authored a genetic genealogy case study published in Avotaynu and Forum journals.

A member of the Association of Professional Genealogists, Genealogical Speakers Guild, International Society of Genetic Genealogy and Jewish Genealogical Society of Palm Beach County, Elise has a BS in Computer Engineering (Pennsylvania State University) and is a former information technology professional.

New York: DNA -The Player's Guide, January 16

Jewish geography and DNA, with Judy Simon, is the program at the next meeting of the Jewish Genealogical Society of New York, on Sunday, January 16.

The meeting begins at 2pm at the Center for Jewish History, 15 West 16th Street, New York City, New York. Members, free; others, $5.

Understand more about genetic genealogy with Judy's presentation, "Jewish Geography and DNA: A Player's Guide."

Judy and I co-administer the IberianAshkenaz DNA Project at FamilyTreeDNA.com, just one of Judy's DNA projects, and we've done dual presentations at conferences. She really knows what she's talking about, and I've learned much from her. If you've avoided doing testing because you're not sure what genetic genealogy is, what it does, what the results mean - this is the program for you.

You receive an e-mail saying your DNA results came in.  You open the message with great expectations that this is the answer to all your unsolved genealogical mysteries, and within a few minutes you are drowning in alphabet soup: DYS#, HVR1,Hg, E-M35, Y-DNA, R1b12a1b, mtDNA, K1a1b1a, TMRCA, RAO.

Help!

If you can relate to the above, or if you haven't had your DNA tested yet for fear of the above, this presentation is for you. Using questions that have been posed to her by DNA beginners during the six years that she has been administering DNA projects, Dr. Simon will demonstrate how DNA testing can help with your family history research, what you can and cannot expect to learn from it, and how to make sense out of your results.

She will draw on examples from the Iberian Ashkenaz Y-DNA and mtDNA projects, the Jewish Ukraine West and Glassmaking Families projects and the Brosgol, Lefkowitz, and Olstein surname projects.

Judy Simon is a social worker in Suffolk County, N.Y. With a background in biostatistics and epidemiology, and a doctorate in epidemiology from Harvard School of Public Health. She's been researching her family history for as long as she can remember, and has been doing genetic genealogy for seven years. She administers several projects at FamilyTree DNA.

For more information, click JGSNY.org.

Boston: DNA of the Jewish People, January 16

Professor Robert Weinberg will present "The DNA of the Jewish People: Similarities and Differences," at the next meeting of the Jewish Genealogical Society of Greater Boston on Sunday, January 16.

The program begins at 1.30pm at Temple Emanuel, 385 Ward Street, Newton Centre. Admission: JGSGB members, free; others, $5.

Pioneer cancer researcher Professor Weinberg has held research positions at the Weizman Institute and the Salk Institute. He has received the National Medal of Science, Wolf Prize of Medicine and was named 1982's Scientist of the Year by Discover magazine.

JGSGB board member Jay Sage will also describe the FamilyTreeDNA.com Family Finder test. Weinberg and Sage wil discuss the Family Finder tests as to its value in helping researchers find cousins and determining how closely they are related. 

For directions, click here.

Michigan: Genetics of Jewish populations, Jan. 9

Genetic studies of the relationships among Jewish populations is the focus of the next meeting of the Jewish Genealogical Society of Michigan, on Sunday, January 9.

Noah Rosenberg of the University of Michigan - Associate Professor of Human Genetics, Biostatistics, and Ecology & Evolutionary Biology - is the speaker. The program begins at 11am at the Holocaust Memorial Center, 28123 Orchard Lake Road, Farmington Hills.

He will examine recent developments in the field of Jewish population genetics, with a focus on studies conducted in an ongoing partnership between our laboratory at the University of Michigan with scientists at Tel Aviv University and the Hebrew University of Jerusalem. Rosenberg earned a BA in mathematics (Rice University), an MS in mathematics and a PhD in biological sciences (both Stanford University), and completed a postdoctoral fellowship in the molecular and computational biology group at the University of Southern California.

Since the early days of the field of human genetics, it has been recognized that genetic tools can provide insight into the nature of the relationships between different Jewish communities.  To what extent do different Jewish populations share a common genetic ancestry?  How does the level of genetic similarity of Jewish populations with each other compare to that between Jewish populations and their non-Jewish historical neighbors?

Now that studies of the human genome have dramatically enhanced our ability to understand patterns of human genetic variation and their history, it is becoming increasingly possible to investigate relationships among Jewish populations, with finer and finer resolution.

His research focuses on mathematical and statistical problems and evolutionary biology and human genetics, with a focus on the analysis of human genetic variation.  He is the author of some 60 peer-reviewed scientific publications, which have appeared in such journals as Bioinformatics, Evolution, Genetics, Nature, Science, and Theoretical Population Biology. 

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

For more information and directions, click the JGSMI website.

RootsTech: Official blogger

Tracing the Tribe is an official RootsTech conference blogger.

In addition to assisting in the effort to get the word out about this new event, which runs from Thursday-Saturday, February 10-12, in Salt Lake City, Utah, I will be presenting on genetic genealogy and participating in a geneablogger's panel (moderated by Thomas MacEntee).

The many presentations demonstrate the increasing role of technology in our quest for information. The sessions cover searching for information, storing it as we find it, and the newest technology available now or coming down the road.

The conference organizers are also extending assistance to the geneabloggers in terms of dedicated spaces to conduct audio interviews and podcasts, video recording of scheduled video interviews with copies to post on our blogs or websites, office space to access the Internet, recharge equipment and assistance in scheduling interviews with speakers and VIPs.

For more information about the event, including registration and the sessions, click here.

Tracing the Tribe hopes to see you in Salt Lake City.

FamilyTreeDNA.com: New customer sale!

Trying to decide whether to get involved in genetic genealogy?

Perhaps this special sale will help you make that leap.

For a limited-time only, new customers of FamilyTreeDNA.com can take advantage of a two special bundles:

Family Finder + Y-DNA12 (Regular Price: $388) - NOW $299

Family Finder + mtDNA (Regular Price: $388) - NOW $299

See what the Family Finder can do for you! Regardless of gender, it can find cousins back to six generations on an individual's paternal and maternal lines.

The regular Family Finder price alone is $289, so for only $10 more (a total of $299), test for Y-DNA 12 (for males only) or mtDNA (HVR1) (for males and females).

Only credit card payments will be accepted for this special offer.

For more information, click here, and scroll down to "Combined tests for male and female lines."

Genes & Teens: Family DNA analysis

Everyone - even teenagers - are interested in DNA these days.

The Wall Street Journal carried a great "teens and genes" story.

Ann West, 17, of Cupertino, California can be called somewhat obsessive about analyzing her family's DNA.

The self-taught teen has been decoding her family's genome and has spoken at major conferences

Her father was diagnosed with a pulmonary embolism in 2003, which encouraged him to get the family's genes sequenced using advanced technology at Illumina, Inc. The cost: $160,000 for the four people in the family. He wanted to know if anyone else in the family might be at risk for the same condition.

In 2007, they tested with 23&Me and received a break as Anne's father worked at Illumina, which offered a testing discount for employees. But he wanted to know more, and went for the full-genome testing for everyone.

Anne is the one analyzing the reams of data that is not interpreted by most testing companies. According to the story, it doesn't usually matter as most clients are academic scientists who have a cadre of assistants and the newest computers to do the work.

The teen - without those resources - decided to do it the "old-fashioned" way, by hand, on the family computer, using a Microsoft Excel spreadsheet to sort the information.

She's presented at major genetics conferences in Boston and New York, where scientists gave her their business cards, and her research led to a summer job at the lab of a prominent Harvard and MIT scientist.

She then created a series of formulas, using Excel's help function when she got stuck. One formula separated which portions of genetic data came from Mr. West's side of the family and which came from Mrs. West's side. That information helped her to plot graphs to see how genetically close she and her brother are to each other, and to each of their parents.


The next step was to look more closely at one of the 20,000 genes we all have. Anne focused on the Factor V gene. She inherited the same mutation that her father has, putting her at increased risk for embolisms.


She decided to see if she had any other additional mutations on the same gene from her mother's side of the family—something that might increase her risk even more. She discovered that she does have other mutations, but that researchers don't believe they will cause any health issues.

What's next on her agenda? Well, she says she hasn't yet taken driver's ed.

Read the complete story at the link above and read Anne's comment following the story.