San Francisco: Jewish life in Tsarist Kiev, May 3

Learn about Jewish life in Tsarist-era Kiev with Natan M. Meir of Portland State University on Tuesday, May 3, at a meeting co-sponsored by the Jewish Community Library and the San Francisco Bay Area Jewish Genealogical Society.

Meir's talk - "A 'Russian Zion' or a Jewish Nightmare? Jewish Life in Tsarist Kiev" - will be presented in Russian at 4pm and in English at 7pm, at the Jewish Community Library. There is no admission fee for the two talks.

The JCL is at 1835 Ellis Street, in San Francisco; there is free parking.

From a small group of merchants in the early 1860s, the Jewish population of Kiev grew rapidly until it became one of the largest urban Jewish communities in the Russian Empire.

Meir - author of "Kiev, Jewish Metropolis: A History, 1859–1914"- will chart the growth of this vital community from its founding until the outbreak of World War I and the Bolshevik Revolution. He will discuss the external and internal challenges that it faced, including pogroms, intracommunal divisions, and the 1913 Beilis affair, in which a Ukrainian Jew was accused of ritual murder.

Meir received a Ph.D. in Jewish history from Columbia University in 2003 and is now the Lorry I. Lokey Assistant Professor of Judaic Studies at Portland State University (Oregon). He is co-editor of the recently published "Anti-Jewish Violence: Rethinking the Pogrom in East European History" and is currently working on a study of vulnerable and marginalized groups among East European Jews in the 19th century. He is a consultant for the Russian Jewish Museum of Moscow, now in its development stages.

For directions and more information, click here.

Southern Caifornia: Family History Library research, March 6

The Jewish Genealogical Society of the Conejo Valley and Ventura County has arranged an assisted research afternoon at the Los Angeles Family History Library on Sunday, March 6.

This special program runs from 1-5pm, at the library, 10741 Santa Monica Blvd. West Los Angeles. Parking is free. It is open only to current paid JGSCV members, although anyone may join or renew memberships at the door.

This special program is open only to current dues paid members of JGSCV! Anyone may join or renew their membership with JGSCV at the door.

Experienced JGSCV members and Family History Library volunteers will be available to help attendees get the most out of the ibrary's resources, including computer assistance with popular genealogical databases including Ancestry.com, Footnote.com, Heritage Quest, World Vital Records, Godfrey Memorial Library on-line resources and more.

The recently-renovated facility has increased the number of computers.

Resources include Eastern European Jewish microfilms (and others), maps, gazetteers and the JGS of Los Angeles' library. Bring research documents with you. along with a flash drive to download electronic images of online images. Hard copying is also available.

Library volunteer and JGSLA librarian Barbara Algaze will provide an introduction to the resources.

Please note that the program is open only to current dues-paid members of JGSCV. Anyone may join at the door. Annual dues are $25 for an individual and $30 for a family.

For more information, visit the JGSCV website.

UK: Manchester research session, January 30

The Manchester branch of the Jewish Genealogical Society of Great Britain is planning a research afternoon on Sunday, January 30.

The meeting starts at 2pm at the Meade Hill Road (United) Synagogue, 88 Meade Hill Road, Manchester.

The program will provide access to the group's reference library. The plan is to have small groups working on the rich content and information available on  JewishGen, JGSGB, National Archives, Manchester Central Library Jewish Archives, Jewish Chronicle, Historical Directories, various BMDs and other resources.

An advance list of books is available. Write to Lorna Kay to receive the list and to make reservations for the day.

Lorna informs Tracing the Tribe that CD copies of John Cowell's book on the history of the Jews of Preston are available for purchase for £5.25 plus £1.50 if ordered by e-mail. Copies will be available at the meeting.

Admission: JGSGB members, free; others, £5.

PLAN AHEAD:

The Manchester group's Ninth Full Day Conference is set for Sunday, May 8. I will be speaking there - my first time in that city - and looking forward to seeing many UK genealogy friends.

An event highlight will be the release of new databases for Manchester records.

Questions? Write to Lorna at the link above.

Texas: 'Our Jewish Ancestry,' Oct. 17'

The Rio Grande Valley Hispanic Genealogical Society will present "Our Jewish Ancestry," on Sunday, October 17.

The program takes place from 2-4pm, in the Harlingen Public Library auditorium, in Harlingen, Texas.

The speaker is Diana Sotelo-Zertuche, a journalist, author, historian and speaker. The flyer for the event shows the speaker with a bubble quote, "Hace mucho eramos Judios" (A long time ago we were Jews).

For more information, send an email.

Russians ordered to return Jewish library

A US judge ordered the Russian government to return a Jewish library, according to the World Jewish Congress website.

A federal judge in Washington, DC issued a ruling against the Russian government for its refusal to return a library of historic books and documents to the Chabad-Lubavitch movement. Seized by the Nazis, the library was transferred by the Soviet Red Army to the Russian State Military Archive.

The order was filed July 30 and published August 4.

Justice Royce Lamberth told the Russian government to surrender the complete collection of religious books, manuscripts, documents and other items to either the US Embassy in Moscow, or to Chabad representatives.

He ordered the defendants to assist and authorize the transfer of the collection and to provide the necessary security and authorization to insure prompt and safe transportation of the collection to a destination chosen by the plaintiffs.

“This victory is a triumph for justice for the Jewish people and others who abhor the Nazi and Soviet exploitation of victims of genocide, and the unlawful and immoral suppression of religious faith by the current Russian government,” said Seth Gerber, one of the lawyers representing Chabad.

Last year, lawyers for the Russian government argued that US judges had no authority to tell Russia how to handle the matter.

Under the US Foreign Sovereign Immunities Act, a sovereign nation is not immune to lawsuits in cases where property is taken in violation of international law. Lamberth found that the religious group had established its claim to the material.

During the 1990s, as documented in court papers, Russian President Boris Yeltsin told US Secretary of State James Baker that the Russian government would return the library to Chabad-Lubavitch.

Read more here.

JGSLA 2010: Conference makes NBC news!!!

JGSLA 2010 made NBC News Los Angeles' around town event page.

Read all about it here - as if Tracing the Tribe's readers didn't already know that more than 1,000 researchers and experts from around the world will be meeting from Sunday, July 11-Friday, July 16, at the JW Marriott at L.A. Live, in downtown Los Angeles.

The NBC conference story covers the event's attraction for local Jewish families to research their backgrounds and emphasizes that Sunday is targeted to those just beginning the quest for family with how-to sessions, workshops, a Market Square, Klezmer concerts and much more.

The Market Square Fair on Sunday will include craft displays and demonstrations, a daylong film festival and more.

For all conference information and to see the program online, click here.

An opening day (Sunday) pass is $105, and $85 daily for the balance of the conference. Tickets are available online.

See you at the conference!

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.

Canada: Yiddish oxen, tractors in Saskatchewan

The Yiddish Book Center (Amherst, Massachusetts) sends out periodic newsletters on books and events.

The latest update, just received by Tracing the Tribe, has several interesting items, particularly a Yiddish book on a Saskatchewan farming community and an update on the Hania, Crete synagogue fire and attempts at rebuilding its destroyed library.

Learning how our ancestors lived is key to understanding who they were and how they coped with local conditions.

When, in 1911, Michael Usiskin arrived in the Jewish settlement of Edenbridge, in northeastern Saskatchewan, he and the other pioneers struggled.

Weather conditions, isolation and other factors contributed to their attempt to form Jewish cultural life. He recorded this life in his 1945 Yiddish book, Oksn un motorn (Oxen and Tractors).

To learn more about this book, click here.

Readers may remember the devasting fire at the Hania, Crete synagogue that destroyed its library. Many people have already donated books to rebuild that important resource. The drawing at left is part of director Nikos Stravroulakis' drawing of the town.

Click here to read the thank you message from Stavroulakis and his staff. Read the names of those who donated books and see an interactive map, as well as a list of books they still need.

Subscribe to the National Yiddish Book Center's newsletter.

San Francisco: Hidden Jewish Heritage, April 26

How would you react if you realized an important family secret had been kept from you?

What happens when adults discover their hidden Jewish heritage?

Find out on Monday, April 26, at 7.30pm, at a program co-sponsored by the Jewish Community Library (JCL) and the San Francisco Bay Area Jewish Genealogical Society (SFBAJGS), at the JCL, 1835 Ellis St., San Francisco.
Four people from very different backgrounds discuss the discovery of their Jewish heritage, the circumstances surrounding the revelation, and how it affected their lives, their relationships, and their identities.

"Sudden Jews: When Adults Discover Their Hidden Jewish Heritage" brings together Marny Hall, Irene Reti, Jim Van Buskirk and Cecilia Wambach to discuss this topic, at the Jewish Community Library, 1835 Ellis Street, San Francisco.

Irene Reti is the daughter of two Holocaust refugees who hid their Jewish identities. She is the author of "Keeper of Memory: A Memoir and Kabbalah of Stone," a novel about hidden Jews (conversos) in 15th century Spain. Reti is the director of the oral history research office at UC Santa Cruz.

Jim Van Buskirk, book group coordinator at the Jewish Community Library, is the co-editor of "Identity Envy: Wanting to Be Who We're Not." He is currently working on an intergenerational family memoir about discovering his Jewish heritage at age 54, "My Grandmother's Suitcase."

Marny Hall discovered she was Jewish at age 30. She is a sex therapist and author whose books include The Lavender Couch, Sexualities, and The Lesbian Love Companion. Hall is also the co-author of Queer Blues.

Cecelia Wambach is professor emeritus of mathematics education at San Francisco State University. For almost eight years, she has been involved in a project to research her father's ancestry, which has taken her to the Czech Republic, Israel and Uruguay and is the subject of her forthcoming book, "Hide and Go Seek: The Search for My Father's Family."

The discussion is free and open to the public.

For more information, visit the JGS San Francisco website.

Seattle: Gen library treasures, April 12

Jewish genealogical societies often have excellent reference libraries built up over the years. Researchers in a locality where such a society exists should investigate the library's holdings.

The Jewish Genealogical Society of Washington State will offer an overview of the hidden treasures in its library on Monday, April 12, at 7pm.

The venue is the auditorium at the Stroum Jewish Community Center, Mercer Island, Seattle. Wi-Fi is available, so bring your laptops.

The society's library will be available in its entirety. The evening will be spent browsing books and researching. JGS "mavens" will be available to answer questions, and there will be some extra computers available for internet research.

For directions and more information, visit the JGSWS website. Fee: JGSWS members: free; others, $5.

Los Angeles: Sephardic Choir concert, Dec. 10

If Ladino and Sephardic music are on your radar screen, don't miss this performance of the Kol Sephardic Choir, on Thursday, December 10.

The performance of Ladino and liturgical music begins at 6.30pm at the Will & Ariel Durant Branch Library 7140 Sunset Blvd, LA, CA 90046. For information, call 323-876-2741 or 310-557-1096.

The choir is billed as "an upbeat, unique and inspirational musical choir and ensemble comprised of a diversified group of singers from the community," and their repertoire is primarily Sephardic romanceros sung in Ladino and religious songs in Hebrew with Sephardic melodies.

It is the only Sephardic choir in California and has performed in synagogues and community centers through Los Angeles.

The director and founder is Raphael Ortasse; the music director and conductor is Avliav. The primary song arranger is Daud Perez. The group has produced a Ladino song CD and should be distributed soon. A second CD will include liturgical religious songs in Hebrew.

The goal of Kol Sephardic Choir is to disseminate the culture of the Sephardic Jews originating in Spain prior to the 1492 Expulsion and later in the Balkan countries, such as Turkey, Greece, Italy, Yugoslavia, Bulgaria, North Africa and in Israel.

View the group's interesting website (read pages on Sephardic history, music, genealogy links and more) here.

Los Angeles: JGSLA celebrates 30th, Dec. 6

It's a party!

The Jewish Genealogical Society of Los Angeles is celebrating its 30th anniversary with a Chanukah party and film festival, on Sunday, December 6.

The event runs from 1.30-4pm at the University Synagogue.

Join the group at a pre-holiday celebration to schmooze with friends and browse the library while enjoying latkes and applesauce, jelly donuts and other holiday treats.

Learn about exciting JGSLA 2010 conference plans and watch some of the great films shown at the Philly 2009 conference, followed by discussions.

Make sure to reserve, so they'll have enough yummy munchies.

Screenings include:

ALIEN VI (OBCY VI)

When a young Jewish man appears in a tranquil Polish village years after shameful local memories of WWII have long since faded, the villagers react with a surprisingly disparate variety of ways, reflecting their own ambivalent attitudes toward their collective past.

Unwittingly, the visitor reminds the local inhabitants of a world that has been out of existence for so long that many had thought it right to believe it never existed. People begin to confide with him, as if they sought to clear their minds of their memories or second-hand stories. When he leaves, the town will never be the same again. 30 minutes.

Who Do You Think You Are? - The Zoë Wanamaker Story

Zoë Wanamaker was born in New York, but when she was three her father, American actor Sam Wanamaker, fled to the UK to escape the anti-communist McCarthy witch-hunts. Hoping to better understand her father's decision, Zoë heads to Washington DC where she visits the FBI headquarters and under the Freedom of Information Act, Zoë gains access to her father's FBI file.

Wanting to explore the roots of her father's left-wing politics, Zoë next looks into the life of her grandfather Maurice Wanamaker, an émigré Russian Jew. Zoë is moved to discover that, soon after his arrival in Chicago, Maurice suffered a series of personal tragedies and hardships that almost destroyed his American dream. Finally, Zoë travels to Nikolaev in Ukraine where she discovers the original form of her unusual surname and the reason why her family left for America. 60 minutes.

Toyland (Spielzeugland)

2009 Oscar for best live-action short film. Set in the early 1940s in Germany, Toyland explores the guilt, the responsibility, and the small and big and lies during one of the most heinous periods in European history. In order to protect her son, Marianne Meisner tries to make him believe that the Jewish neighbors are going on a journey to "Toyland." One morning her son disappears, along with the Jewish neighbors. 15 minutes.

Suggested donation towards the incredible edibles is $10/member, $18/guest, payable at the door.

The JGSLA traveling library will be open from 1pm.

Reservations are essential so there'll be enough for everyone at this festive occasion. Make your reservation (name and number of people) with an email to Pamela Weisberger.

Illinois: Maxwell Street film, Nov. 22

If you can get to Skokie, you'll be able to see a great documentary called "Maxwell Street: A Living Memory," on Sunday, November 22.

The Jewish Genealogical Society of Illinois is hosting the film at 2pm, at Temple Beth Israel.

I saw the 2001 film when it was shown at Beth Hatefutsoth in Tel Aviv several years ago and interviewed filmmaker Shuli Eshel. Whether or not your family's roots are in old Chicago, it is a wonderful homage to long-ago days.

Read about the Maxwell Street Foundation, dedicated to preserving, interpreting and presenting the multicultural history of some 150 years of the old Maxwell Street Market and neighborhood in Chicago.

In 1994, when the University of Illinois at Chicago and the City of Chicago teamed up to move the market and begin the neighborhood's final destruction, there were many pockets of resistance. A coalition formed consisting of property owners, neighborhood businesses, street vendors, residents, blues musicians and fans, and historic preservationists.

The group was formed in 1997 as the Maxwell Street Historic Preservation Coalition. In 2004, with the destruction and redevelopment of the neighborhood nearly complete, it became the Maxwell Street Foundation. When the last residents and businesses were remove, the new focus became preserving the area's history.

With Eshel, it co-produced the 30-minute documentary which captures the Maxwell Street Market through memories of the children and grandchildren of Eastern European Jewish immigrants who built it, incorporating some rare film and photographs.

In association with the Chicago Historical Society, the group also produced a book of photographs - "Chicago's Maxwell Street," and a book of oral histories, Jewish Maxwell Street Stories. (both by Arcadia Publishing).

The JGSI meeting will open at 12.30pm, so that members and guests can use the genealogical library, get help with genealogy websites or ask related questions before the film is screened.

For more information, view the JGSI website.

UK: London Jewish genealogy conference, Oct. 25

Will you be in London or elsewhere in the UK in late October? If so, the Jewish Genealogical Society of Great Britain's 16th London Conference is set for Sunday, October 25.

Only 19 days to go, for this full-day conference. It runs from 10am-4.30pm, at 33 Seymour Place, W1, and includes a light buffet Lunch with the Experts and two refreshment breaks.

The event sells out every year, so register quickly; the link has the conference newsletter and registration form.

For speaker bios and program abstracts, click on the newsletter link. The speakers are:

-Dr Ruth Levitt: Jews in the Netherlands: Researching the Wiener Library's Dutch Collection.

-Dr Carol Reeves: Tracing your Ancestors through Medical Records.

-Prof. Tony Kushner: Anglo-Jewry since 1066: Place. Locality and Memory.

-Elaine Collins: Findmypast.com's director will demonstrate how to get the most from this website including major online databses, 1911 census and outbound passenger lists.

Make sure you have a seat and avoid the waiting list! Register today.

The cost: Register by Friday, October 9, for £30; After that date, £35. There is a vegetarian lunch option (see registration form for details).

San Francisco: Geneablogging workshop, Oct. 10

The California Genealogical Society and Library is celebrating October Family History month with numerous events.

My good friends and geneablogging buddies, Thomas MacEntee and Craig Manson, will present "Blog Your Genealogy: Why, How, Do's and Don'ts," from 1-4.30pm Saturday, October 10 at the California Genealogical Society and Library in Oakland.

Are you curious about genealogy blogs? Or have you dismissed them as fluff and not worth your valuable time? Two experts will show why blogs are more than just "the latest fad" and how they are a valuable way to enhance your genealogy research.

The three-session afternoon presentation is suitable for teens and up, so bring along your younger family members - who already know everything about blogs, but perhaps not that much about genealogy!

Both Thomas (always smiling, creative and ebullient) and Craig (calm, reasoned and a true gentleman) are renowned geneabloggers who will share their expertise and have some fun. The Thomas and Craig duo should go on the road more often! They will show why blogs are more than just “the latest fad” and how they are a valuable way to enhance your genealogy research.

Thomas is a genealogist specializing in the use of technology and social media to improve genealogical research and as a means of interacting with others in the family history community. With more than 25 years of experience in the information technology field, Thomas writes and lectures on the many ways blogs, Facebook and Twitter can be leveraged to add new dimensions to the genealogy experience. As the creator of GeneaBloggers.com, he has helped organize and engage a community of more than 600 bloggers who daily document their own journeys in the search for ancestors.

Craig is Distinguished Professor and Lecturer in Law at the Capital Center for Public Law and Policy (University of the Pacific McGeorge School of Law, Sacramento). He teaches administrative law and has been a lawyer for 28 years. In 2004, he began the study and practice of genealogy. He writes the popular blog, GeneaBlogie and a weekend column called Appealing Subjects on the highly-regarded magazine Shades of the Departed. Although GeneaBlogie focuses on genealogy, Craig often writes about legal topics of interest to genealogists.

The program:

1-2pm: How to Use a Blog. Start with the ABCs of blog use in a basic introductory demo. Leave with a list of great genealogy blogs to read, tips on how to best use the information found in blogs and wonder why you didn’t start following blogs sooner!

2:15-3:15pm: Building a Genealogy Blog. With the help of an audience member, Thomas will create an individual family history blog right before your eyes.

3:30-4:30pm: Blogging and the Law. Learn about copyright laws and how to protect your information on your blog.

Only 30 can attend what will be a very popular session (quick registration advised!). It is free for CGS members, while others pay $10, which can be applied toward membership on the day of the workshop. Registration (email) required, no walk-ins permitted.

For other October events at CGS, click here. For a map, click here.

Australia: Schindler's List found in Sydney library

The BBC reported that the original Schindler's List has been found at the New South Wales Library in Sydney, Australia.

The typed list of 13 pages features 801 people by name and nationality. It was prepared on April 18, 1945.

Oskar Schindler's Krakow factory used Jewish labor. He was appalled by the Nazis' conduct, and tried to persuade them that his factory workers were essential to the war effort and should be spared.

The typed list was found between Australian author Thomas Keneally's research notes and German newspaper clippings. The library bought six boxes of material from a book dealer in 1996; no one knew the list was there.

Some 30 years ago, Keneally was given the list by Leopold Pfefferberg in Los Angeles. Pfefferberg was worker 173 on the list, and he wanted the author to write Schindler's story. It was originally published as Schindler's Ark, on which the Oscar-winning film was based.

Uploading the library: YouTube, iTunes, Flickr

Digital media is the way to go, and the Library of Congress (Washington DC) is doing just that.

It is loading audio archives to iTunes, posting YouTube videos, and has already loaded photo archives, in January 2008, to Flickr.

The photo archive has been viewed about 15.7 million times; 3,100 photos were uploaded at first and added about 50 a week since then. iTunes has received 39 uploaded podcasts, and plans are to upload 100 videos to YouTube .

Those resources include early films, author interviews, first-person oral history and LOC resources.

All of this means that the LOC's resources - which includes some 15.3 million digital items - are becoming easier to use and more accessible to people around the world.

"The Library of Congress launched the first U.S. agency-wide blog two years ago and continued its pioneering social-media role with initiatives such as the immensely successful Flickr pilot project," said Librarian of Congress James H. Billington. "We have long seen the value of such interaction with the public to help achieve our missions, and these agreements remove many of the impediments to making our unparalleled content more useful to many more people."

To keep on top of LOC's plans and announcements, follow its Twitter page, sign up for RSS feeds or email alerts, and follow its blog.

For more information go to LOC.gov, and a new individualized website myLOC.gov.

Look for other federal agencies as well to participate in new media. On March 25, The General Services Administration announced agreements with Flickr, YouTube, Vimeo and blip.tv that will allow other federal agencies to participate in new media. GSA plans to negotiate agreements with additional providers.

New York: Jon Entine, Dec. 9

Jon Entine, author of "Abraham's Children: What DNA Reveals About Jewish History," will speak at 1.30pm, Tuesday, December 9, at the Central Queens YM/YWHA in Forest Hills.

Like a microscope, DNA offers revolutionary ways to answer historical mysteries. To what extent are most of today’s Jews descendants of converts? What does DNA reveal about the genetic bonds between Jews and Arabs? In his recent book, Entine explains what the new field of genetic research reveals about Jewish history, Jewish migrations, and personal family history.

A best-selling author and journalist, Entine is an Emmy-award winning former television news producer. He has produced news magazine programs at ABC News and CBS News, and was Tom Brokaw’s long-time producer at NBC News, where he was also the executive in charge of documentaries.

His talk is in the series of Fall Author Events sponsored by the Rabbi Simon Hevesi Library, 67-09 108 Street, Forest Hills.

All events are open to the general public, $4 donation requested.

For more information, call 718-268-5011 ext. 151, or email.

Jerusalem: Saving the Russian Library

For many of its patrons, Jerusalem's Russian Library is a cultural and spiritual home. The largest public Russian-language library outside the FSU holds some 100,000 volumes and it is the largest depository of books translated from Hebrew to Russian.

The library's history, resources and relocation fight are detailed in this Jerusalem Post story.

Among its resources:

- The only archive of Russian newspapers published in Israel since 1990.

- Early 20th century collections brought by Russian Jews, including books now out of print and destroyed during the Revolution and Stalin.

- Books translated from Yiddish to Russian.

- Russian-language books published in Israel in literature, theater, art, music, mathematics, philosophy, history, Judaism and more.

- Famous mathematician Isaak Yaglom's personal collection.

- A section devoted to Yiddish theater director Solomon Mikhoels, murdered by the KGB, who performed Shakespeare for Stalin.

- A 5,000-item rare books collection.

- A self-help book collection.

- Collections of rare Soviet journals from Stalin's time.

- A section of anti-Semitic Soviet books from the 1970s, many written by Jews.

The library also offers many clubs and events. Israeli writers present translations of books, and Russian-language writers from abroad present new books. After school activities attract hundreds of children.

How did this institution develop? Established by library director Clara Elbert (who made aliyah in 1990) with 300 personal books, she also received donations from individuals and such institutions as Yad Vashem, the National Library and the Joint Distribution Committee. She fought to establish a library and literary center like the one she worked at in Moscow, a gathering place for artists and writers.

Because so many people bring in books today, the library sends duplicates to Tel Aviv's Russian government cultural center, and even to Russian libraries in the US and Russia. Some books brought to Israel no longer exist in the FSU, and Moscow's Lenin and foreign libraries have established loan programs with the library.

And it has just completed a fight for the proper relocation of its resources.

"This library is the symbol of 100 years of Russian-Jewish life," explains Dina Kazhdan of Shatil, the New Israel Fund's empowerment and training center for NGOs. Shatil worked with the Coalition for the Survival of the Russian Library, a group of cultural organizations and figures fighting for the library's proper relocation.

"Russian Jewry didn't bring out gold when it left Russia, it brought its libraries. Without them, there's no way for us to understand the core of Russian Jewry," she adds.

The battle started when its current location was supposed to be vacated by September 1 and, although the city had a year to plan the move, no appropriate location for the collections and its activities had been found.

According to Belotsky, the municipal Library Department had first planned to transfer the contents of the three-and-a-half-story Zuckerman building into a not-yet-renovated supermarket warehouse in the Shukanyon on Rehov Agrippas. In that scenario, the books would not have been on display and the building would have served as a storage facility. At one stage, the municipality was even asking the library's members to take home 20 books each, which would have effectively dispersed the collection.

Read the complete story, and a possibly hopeful resolution, at the link above.