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?

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.

FamilyTreeDNA.com: Another sale of sorts

Want to increase genetic genealogy databases? To enable the discovery of new haplogroup-defining elements? Have a few hundred dollars to spend for this sale?

From our good friends at FamilyTreeDNA.com to haplogroup project administrators:

Dear Haplogroup Project Administrator,

Family Tree DNA is excited to announce our Walk Through the Y sale! Based on recent improvements in our testing capabilities, and in order to spearhead further research in our field, we are pleased to offer our first discount on Walk Through the Y.

This test will be offered for a very limited time to approved applicants for $500 (normally $750). Please note, this special pricing will only be available to customers who elect to have their results made public.

Walk Through the Y is an advanced sequencing test focused on the discovery of new haplogroup-defining SNPs (Single Nucleotide Polymorphisms) on the Y chromosome. Walk Through the Y goes beyond the scope of deep clade testing, offering customers the opportunity to participate in testing at the forefront of Y chromosome DNA research.

This research can expedite the discovery of SNPs that help subdivide haplogroups, information that is fundamental to the continued success of our Y-DNA haplogroup projects.

Due to the advanced nature of this test, Walk Through the Y is by application only. Interested members can fill out application form here.

To read more about Walk Through the Y, including information about who to test, please read through our frequently asked questions.

It is a good opportunity to add to our knowedge and help past, present and future researchers by providing more information and expanding the practicality of the database.

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!!!

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.

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.

FamilyTreeDNA: Sale on full mtDNA test!!!

There's sale going on for genetic genealogists at Family Tree DNA.

If you have already tested for the HVR2 mtDNA test, you can upgrade to the full mtDNA sequence for $189 (normally $239). This test will help pinpoint more relevant genetic information for your maternal lines.

The catch: It's limited to the first 250 people who sign up - first-come, first-tested. - and pay with a credit card when ordering.

Here's the note from Family Tree DNA:

Dear Family Tree DNA Customer,

Last fall Family Tree DNA offered a significant discount for anyone who wanted to order the Full mtDNA sequence.

The response was overwhelming, and, as in prior Full mtDNA sequence sales, we crushed the lab. Despite the fact that we had more lab technicians and more equipment, the volume was far above what we could reasonable handle. As we have now caught up with the huge backlog, we are prepared to offer the Full mtDNA sequence test again at a promotional price, but with lessons learned!

We will offer this test at discount for a very limited amount of time, and we will limit the number of orders to 250 on a first come, first serve basis. Payment must be made by credit card at the time of the order. The sale will begin now and once we have sold 250 tests we will discontinue this sale price and return prices to the current level.

By limiting the quantity of this promotion, we expect results to be posted within 6 weeks.

We don’t have a way to show how many have been ordered, so price will be your notice.

HVR2 to Mega Was $239 Now $189

Bennett Greenspan
President
Family Tree DNA

Now's your chance, but you'd better hurry!

FamilyTreeDNA: 'Hitler ancestry questionable'

Journalists and the cybersphere out of control on a certain topic? Gee, where have we seen that before?

With the recent focus on Adolf Hitler's possible Jewish ancestry, there is now information refuting that claim from the person who released the initial report.

In a press release today, Family Tree DNA, the first and largest company in the genetic genealogy field, today said that certain media outlets' interpretation of Adolf Hitler's possible Jewish ancestry is highly questionable. The reports of that possibility were released by Jean-Paul Mulders and historian Marc Vermeeren.

Mulders himself confirmed the misinterpretation of his account with the following statement to Family Tree DNA:

"I never wrote that Hitler was a Jew, or that he had a Jewish grandfather. I only wrote that Hitler's haplogroup is E1b1b, being more common among Berbers, Somalian people and Jews than among overall Germans.

This, in order to convey that he was not exactly what during the Third Reich would have been called 'Aryan.' All the rest are speculations of journalists who didn't even take the trouble to read my article, although I had it translated into English especially for this purpose."

FamilyTreeDNA's chief Y-DNA scientist, Professor Michael Hammer, said that "scientific studies as well as records from our own database make it clear that one cannot reach the kind of conclusion featured in the published articles."

Based on the company's records, no more than 9% of the populations of Germany and Austria belong to the haplogroup E1b1b, and among those, the vast majority - about 80% - are not associated with Jewish ancestry.

"This data clearly show that just because one person belongs to the branch of the Y-chromosome referred to as haplogroup E1b1b, that does not mean the person is likely to be of Jewish ancestry," said Professor Hammer.

While many media outlets seem to run with the most sensational news, it will be interesting to see who picks up on the now-corrected information by Mulders and Hammer. Statistically, Tracing the Tribe believes it will be a much smaller number. We'll have to see if this correction gets any play in cyberspace.

Family Tree DNA is the prime source for anyone researching recent and distant ties. Founded in April 2000, Family Tree DNA was the first company to develop the commercial application of DNA testing for genealogical purposes that had previously been available only for academic and scientific research.

The company has more than 300,000 individual records in its Y-DNA and mtDNA databases - and a state-of-the-art Genomics Research Center in Houston, Texas.

Texas: FamilyTreeDNA.com conference, Oct. 30-31

FamilyTreeDNA.com's annual genetic genealogy conference for group administrators is set for October 30-31 in Houston, Texas.

Tracing the Tribe attended a few years ago and it was one of the highpoints of my involvement in the field with two family projects and as co-founder and co administrator - with Judy Simon - of our fascinating IberianAshkenaz DNA Project.

The increasing popularity of genetic genealogy is seen at genealogy conferences, some of which even have program tracks dedicated to the numerous presentations.

This will be the company's sixth conference and will be held at the Sheraton North Houston.

Each year, world renowned experts in genetics and science present cutting-edge developments and exciting new applications at this two-day educational forum which draws attendees from Family Tree DNA's Group Administrators from around the world. This year's conference will focus on the new Family Finder test which allows customers to find relatives across all ancestral lines.

As most of us in the genetic genealogy community know, the company was founded in April 2000, and was the first company to develop the commercial application of DNA testing for genealogy. Until then, tests were only available for academic and scientific research.

Ten years later, it remains on the cutting-edge of the growing genetic genealogy field.

Importantly for those who believe in how DNA assists genealogists of all skill levels - confirming or disproving or providing more clues to follow in their quest - FamilyTreeDNA has the largest DNA database in the field. What this means is that those who test with the company have more probability of finding genetic matches for recent and distant ties. The database grows daily with more than 300,000 individual records, 95,000 surnames and some 6,000 lineage and geographic projects.

Since 2005, it has also been the designated testing company for the Genographic Project, run by National Geographic and IBM, to study mankind's migrations. It has processed more than 300,000 tests alone for that project.

The names of FamilyTreeDNA-associated researchers and scientists are known to many genealogists, such as Dr. Michael Hammer, Dr. Doron Behar, and Thomas Krahn.

For more information on the conference, click here.

IAJGS 2010: Out on a limb with JTA

Edmon J. Rodman was out on a limb at the recent 30th IAJGS International Conference on Jewish Genealogy.

The JTA writer spent several days at the Los Angeles conference investigating his wife's family story that they - SHEINBEIN - are descendants of the Vilna Gaon (1720-1797). It is a common claim and hard to confirm a connection to the famed Talmudic scholar of his age.

Read about his adventure here.

Rodman was among more than a thousand Jews who gathered desperately seeking not only Susan but Esther, Yankel and Morris. He was looking for Moishe Sheinbein, with whom the family tree starts, as created by cousin Fred and Judy Sheinbein.

"It's a family story passed down from generation to generation," Fred Sheinbein said of the Vilna Gaon descendancy. "We have a silver kiddish cup that we think belonged to the Gaon that has been passed down in our family from eldest son to eldest son. On Passover we use it as Elijah's cup."

To begin, I checked out the Gaon's portrait. Looks can be deceiving, but staring back at me over the centuries were the same eyes, brows and nose familiar to me from our wedding photos of my wife's grandmother, Sylvia Bierman, nee Sheinbein.

Among the people Rodman consulted for information on Moishe, who lived in the mid-19th century in Osava, Ukraine, was FamilySearch.Com's Dan Schylter, who told Rodman that Jewish Ukraine records in the Mormon Family History Library are not that good.

Rodman learned - as most of us have - that tracing family depends on readable records, geography, spelling and a lot of mazal (luck).

The conference appeared to be a virtual hotbed of genealogical serendipity.

As a result of computer searches, sessions like "Social Networking: New Horizons for Genealogists" and even genetic tests, the conventions foyer was with plenty of newly found cousins talking and hugging.

"I just found a relative I never knew I had," said Ellen Mark, the conference's translator coordinator, who discovered that her maternal grandmother had a sister through a recent translation of a Russian letter she had long kept.

She and others suggested I dig deeper into the conference's resource room.

In the computer room, he consulted Ina Getzoff of Delray Beach, Florida and accessed Ancestry.com's databases, but received too many hits. Adding in Osova and another location, Kolki, didn't help.

In the vendor room, he saw Chaim Freedman's book,"Eliyahu's Branches, The Descendants of the Vilna Gaon." The cross-index of more than 20,000 names produced a Sheinfeld and a Sheingold- no Sheinbein.

Andrea Massion suggested DNA testing, and Rodman found himself speaking to FamilyTreeDNA.com's partner and vice-president Max Blankfeld. He was just one swab away but hadn't yet experienced the "happy dance" moment that others had.

When I spoke on the phone with Rodman at the conference, he did tell me of one serendipitious moment when he discovered his wife's Sephardic maiden name - HASSON - on a display of photos from the Los Angeles Historical Society. A 1928 photo of Victor Hasson showed him in a flower delivery truck. His wife's uncle Lou confirmed Victor's connection.

And, as so many researchers find, a thread of another hunt replaced his Gaon search.

Maybe Rodman will find what he's looking for at next year's 2011 conference in Washington DC?

JGSLA 2010: DNA test sale, and many sessions

The FamilyTreeDNA booth at Jamboree was jammed most of the time. It's aways like that whenever Bennett Greenspan and his team are at a conference.

The company also offered very attractive test prices for Jamboree attendees.

We can now announce that FamilyTreeDNA will again offer the same special prices, but only during the 30th IAJGS Conference on Jewish Genealogy, July 11-16, in Los Angeles.

Although the special prices expired June 30, Tracing the Tribe queried Bennett about offering them for the JGSLA 2010 conference attendees, and he agreed. Thank you, Bennett!

If you've been thinking of testing your DNA to find out more about your families, the Los Angeles conference is the place to do it. The special sale was instituted to grow participation in surname and geographic projects and to increase the overall database size.

Prices for July 11-16 only will be:

-- Y-DNA37: $119 (normally $149)
-- Y-DNA67: $199 (normally $239)
-- Y-DNA37+mtDNA bundle: $159 (normally $238)

Wondering about genetic genealogy? There will be 14 related sessions at JGSLA 2010.

For the complete program schedule, go to JGSLA2010.com, click on the "Program" tab and then click on the "complete program." Search by topic, session category, presenter's name and other parameters.

Here's a list of the DNA and genetic sessions:

SUNDAY, July 11

9.30-10.45am: "From DNA to genetic genealogy: Everything you wanted to know but were afraid to ask," with Steve Morse.

2.05-3.15pm: Having trouble understanding your test results? Make sure to attend Judy Simon's "Jewish Geography and DNA: A Player's Guide."

MONDAY, July 12

8-9.15am Breakfast with the Experts: "Jews, genes and genetics & Unlocking the medical secrets in your family tree," Adele Schneider and Gary Frolich. Session continues, 9.15-10.30am.

10.45-noon: "Beyond the Y chromosome, tracing your genealogy with the 'other' DNA," Bennett Greenspan.

10.45-noon: "Jewish genetic diseases: Ashkenazi and Persian (history, detection & education)," Drs. Richard Gladstein and David Rimoin.

1.50-3pm: Genealogy of the Jewish people (Lost and dispersed communities of India, Uganda, Peru, China, Nigeria, Southern Africa, Italy & Ethiopia)," Jonina Duker.

8.45-10pm: "Legacy: A genetic history of the Jewish people," Dr. Harry Ostrer.

TUESDAY, July 13

8-9.10am: "BOF: DNA project administration," Elise Friedman.

9.15-10.30am: "The Jewish HapMap: What genetics has given to Jews and what Jews have given to genetics," Dr. Harry Ostrer.

12.40-1.45pm, Lunch 'n' Learn: "Create a DNA Project: The IberianAshkenaz DNA Project, a case study," Schelly Talalay Dardashti.

WEDNESDAY, July 14

8.15-9.30am: "DNA and the Maharal of Prague," Herbert Huebscher.

2.15-3.30pm: "The captives return: Descendants of forced Iberian converts find their way back to Judaism," Jonina Duker.

THURSDAY, July 15

8.15-9.30AM: "21st Century Sephardic Genealogy," Schelly Talalay Dardashti.

11.15-12.30pm: DNA, Genetic Genealogy and Identity 101," Matthew Kapan.

See you in Los Angeles!

FamilyTreeDNA's sizzling sale starts today!

Have you been putting off testing for your DNA genetic genealogy? Perhaps this deal, which starts today, will prompt you to get moving.

Every summer, FTDNA offers great pricing which helps people get off the fence. Last summer's special was the most successful in the history of the company.

The offer is for FTDNA group administrators to persuade people to test, grow the projects and also grow the largest industry database. The more samples in the database, the more probability you may find genetic matches.

If you've needed an impetus to start a DNA project, this may help you get it off the ground.

The special price starts today, June 5, and ends June 25. Kits must be paid for by June 30.

The prices for this short period are:

Y-DNA37 for $119 (normally $149)

Y-DNA67 for $199 (normally $239)

Y-DNA37+mtDNA for $159 (normally $238)

Now's the time to learn more about your family!

Go to FamilyTreeDNA.com, check out which projects exist for your name, geographic area or topical interest, and contact the group administrator for that group to receive an invitation.

Many projects exist, such as New Mexico, Sicily, genealogical societies and more. Enter your name in the search box at FTDNA and see which groups might be a good fit.

On a very personal note: If your Eastern European Ashkenazi family has a family story of Sephardic origin, a Sephardic surname, Mediterranean medical condition or other indicator, please click here for an invitation to the IberianAshkenaz DNA Project. Judy Simon and I would love for you to join us in discovering more about all our families.

A busy schedule: Flying to the US

Tracing the Tribe wishes readers a happy holiday weekend with friends and family. Travel safely.

I'm off to Los Angeles in the early hours of Tuesday June 1, arrive the same day after a long flight, and jump right into a busy schedule. I'm looking forward to meeting Tracing the Tribe readers at every stop. Please make sure to come by and say hello.

• After a few days with good friend and fellow Mogilev researcher Hilary Henkin, I will be speaking on Sephardic research at the JGS of Conejo Valley (and Ventura County) at 1.30pm, Sunday June 6, at Adat Elohim in Thousand Oaks.
• From June 11-13, I will be at the Southern California Genealogical Society's 41st Jamboree at the Burbank Marriott - always an amazing event - where I'll be on the advanced bloggers' panel and also speak on our IberianAshkenaz DNA Project from the administrators' viewpoint. I'm looking forward to seeing many of my Geneablogger colleagues, Tracing the Tribe readers and will be blogging away all weekend. I'll also be helping out at the MyHeritage booth, as I also write the MyHeritage Genealogy Blog.
• On June 13, as Jamboree ends, I go north to Los Altos to visit good friends Rosanne and Dan Leeson and hope to also see friends in San Jose and Monterrey.
• July 4th weekend is at the Association of Jewish Libraries' conference, July 4-7, at the Fairmont Olympic Hotel., Seattle There are several family history sessions this year: history of names (Jewish European names, 18th-19th Centuries), researching Sephardi Jews (including Yeshiva University's Sephardic collections, and using social media in relation to Sephardic studies), Jewish archives, Jewish social history, social media, Seattle's Sephardic history, Jewish business in the Far West, Yiddish culture, in addition to many others on archives, libraries and more.
• To Los Angeles on July 8 to get ready for JGSLA 2010's big international Jewish genealogy conference from July 11-16. I'll be presenting on the wonderful world of genealogy blogging, our IberianAshkenaz DNA Project and how to create your own DNA project, on Sephardic research, speaking with Thomas MacEntee and Lisa Louise Cooke at a social media expert's breakfast, and much more. I'll be blogging from there all week attempting to attend as many as possible of the 150+ speakers presenting 300+ programs.
• On July 16, just as JGSLA2010 ends, I'm off to El Paso, Texas for the 7th Bnai Anousim Sephardic Conference, July 16-19, at Congregation Bnai Zion, where I will be speaking on Genealogy 101 and Sephardic research.
• Then to Houston to enjoy a few days with FamilyTreeDNA.com's Bennett Greenspan and his family.
• New York City is next to see family and friends for a few weeks.

Sounds like a lot of work with all those conferences, but how can we possibly call genealogy-related activities "work"? We love it!

Vacations are great, breaks are necessary but, after this one, I'm sure I'll need another "real" vacation!

While I'm trying to schedule in as many Tracing the Tribe blog posts to automatically publish, there may be some slow days due to travel arrangements or other activities.

It's the summer and everyone needs to kick back a little.

I'm already working on a travel schedule for October. I'm hoping to again attend the Mont Juic Institute's October 18-20 conference (in Barcelona and Valencia) on Catalan-speaking Jews, and the FamilyTreeDNA administrator's conference October 30-31. An East Coast speaking tour may also be in the works.

DNA: Bennett Greenspan in Dallas, May 26

Discover Jewish history through the lens of DNA testing, with expert Bennett Greenspan, at the Dallas (Texas) Jewish Historical Society, at 7pm, Wednesday, May 26.

The program is part of the Society's Harold A. Pollman Lecture Series, at its annual meeting and elections at the Aaron Family JCC, 7900 Northaven Road, Dallas.

A familiar favorite at Jewish and general genealogy conferences, his talks always fill to capacity.

His presentation will demonstrate the overlap between Jewish DNA found in Ashkenazi/Mizrachi and Sephardic populations and will shed light on the amazing stories that non-Jews - who have found a Jewish ancestry - share with him weekly. He'll also discuss the newest test for finding Jewish relatives out to fourth or fifth cousins.

If you haven't tested yet, Bennett's presentation will inspire you to find out more about who you really are. A limited number of DNA testing kits will be available for purchase following his talk.

With more than 255,000 records, Family Tree DNA - founded in 2000 - has the largest database of its kind in the world. Importantly for Jewish researchers, it also includes the largest Jewish DNA database to test against.

An entrepreneur and life-long genealogy enthusiast - since elementary school - Bennett turned his hobby into a full-time vocation. His effort and innovation created the ever-expanding field of genetic genealogy and all its possibilities.

A native Nebraskan with a University of Texas BA, he has spent years investigating his maternal grandfather's family, an obsession which led to the founding of the company and its association with Arizona Research Labs, led by Dr. Michael Hammer, a world authority on Y-DNA genetics.

Founded in 2000, FTDNA is the largest non-medical DNA testing company in the world, and 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

Admission is free and the program is open to the public. For reservations, call 214-239-7120 or send an email.

Click the Dallas Jewish Historical Society for more information on society holdings.

FamilyTreeDNA.com: New Family Finder test officially launched

As of today, FamilyTreeDNA.com's new Family Finder test has been officially launched.

The new test connects family members across all ancestral lines, not only paternal or maternal. It represents a major advancement over earlier genetic genealogy tests. Everyone, regardless of gender, can now look for connections including grandparents, aunts and uncles, half siblings, and first, second, third and fourth cousins.

The company's database numbers more than 290,000 individual records – the largest DNA database in genetic genealogy. This makes FamilyTreeDNA the prime source for anyone researching recent and distant family ties.

Importantly, for Tracing the Tribe readers, that database also includes the largest Jewish DNA database. This means that if you're looking for genetic matches sharing your genetic heritage, you should test against the largest Jewish DNA database. The same holds true for everyone interested in genetic genealogy. One should to test against the largest database available for the best probability of finding matches.

According to today's official press release:

The test utilizes Affymetrix’ recently launched Axiom™ genotyping technology and the GeneTitan® System to confidently match a wide range of family relationships within five generations.

Said FamilyTreeDNA founder/CEO Bennett Greenspan, in Houston, Texas:

"This is the most exciting genetic genealogy breakthrough since 2000, when FamilyTreeDNA launched its Y-DNA test to uncover relatives in the direct paternal line." 

“The comprehensive, genome-wide coverage of Axiom Arrays enables us to offer consumers the most advanced genealogical test available at a price that is attractive to our customers. In addition, the automated GeneTitan System allows us to process hundreds of samples at a time with minimal hands-on time for maximum efficiency.”

Said Affymetrix president/CEO Kevin King, in Santa Clara, California:

“The Family Finder test represents a huge step forward for the direct-to-consumer genetic genealogy market and the application of microarray technology, Now anyone can utilize the power of the Axiom Genotyping Solution and the GeneTitan System to find and connect with a broader range of family members than ever before.”

How does it work?

The test analyzes the DNA of two individuals using Axiom Array Plates containing nearly 570,000 genetic markers, including many that are relevant to genealogy. Family Tree DNA then analyzes the resulting data with internally developed algorithms to determine the closeness of the relationship. The complete Axiom Genotyping Solution includes array plates, complete reagent kits, and an automated workflow that enables scientists to process more than 760 samples per week.

FamilyTreeDNA.com offers counseling services, tutorials and other helpful tools to assist in the genealogy and matching process. Importantly, it provides names and email addresses of matched individuals whenever possible for easy communication.

For more information about the new Family Finder test, click here; for Affymetrix, click here.

Seattle: Bennett Greenspan, May 10

FamilyTreeDNA.com founder Bennett Greenspan will speak on the new genetic genealogy test at the next meeting of the Jewish Genealogical Society of Washington State on Monday, May 10.

The program is titled "The Y Chromosome and Beyond: Tracing Your Genealogy with the 'Other' DNA."

It begins at 7.30pm in the Stroum JCC Auditorium on Mercer Island. Doors open at 7pm, the JSWS library will be available, along with Wi-Fi.

Many genealogists have been using genetic genealogy, and specifically FamilyTreeDNA.com, to learn more about their ancestors and find relatives using Y-DNA for paternal lines and mtDNA for maternal lines.

The tests have been essential tools in exploring recent and early Jewish roots, including links among Ashkenazim and Sephardim (such as in the IberianAshkenaz DNA Project, co-administered by Judy Simon and myself).

Now there's a new test that uses autosomal chromosomes to look for close relationships along all ancestral lines, and can find links between male and female cousins across all family lines for the past five generations. Bennett will explain the new test in detail and provide exciting examples of new matches. He will also discuss the nuances of Y-DNA and mtDNA testing.

Born and raised in Omaha, Nebraska, Bennett is the founder/CEO of FamilyTreeDNA.com. He spent years investigating his maternal grandfather's ancestors - an obsession that turned into a full-time vocation and led him to become a founder of the growing field now known as genetic genealogy. FamilyTreeDNA and other cooperative ventures, including the National Geographic Society’s Genographic Project and AfricanDNA.com, now comprise the largest non-medical DNA testing program in the world.

Fee: JGSWS members, free; others, $5. For more information, click here.