UK: Jewish exhibits and museums in London, 1887-1932, February 17

The British Association of Jewish Studies (BAJS), in conjunction with the Jewish Historical Society of England, will offer a lecture on London's Jewish exhibits and museums (1887-1932) on Thursday, February 17.

The program - "Jewish exhibitions and museums in London: From the Anglo-Jewish Historical Exhibition of 1887 to the Foundation of the Jewish Museum in 1932" - begins at 7pm, in the Court Room (Senate House) of the Jewish Historical Society of England, University of London. Refreshments follow.

To register or for additional information, contact the  Jewish Historical Society of England.

San Francisco: "'What's new at FamilySearch.or," February 13

Learn what's new at FamilySearch.org at the next meeting of the San Francisco Bay Area Jewish Genealogical Society, on Sunday, February 13.

Doors open at 12.30pm, the program starts at 1pm. The venue is the Oakland Regional Family History Center, 4766 Lincoln Avenue, Oakland.
Margery H. Bell will detail some major changes at FamilySearch.org which will take place over the next few months. Some are now available, others are coming soon.

Get the inside scoop on what has happened, what is going to happen, what the future holds, and how it will help with your research. Learn some techniques to more effectively use the Bay Area Family History Centers online catalog. Following the program, attendees may use the library until 4pm.

A genealogist for some 35 years, Bell has worked in the Oakland Regional Family History Center for about 27 years and is now an assistant director. She teaches throughout the Bay Area and authored "Line upon Line: A Beginner’s Guide to Genealogy," published with Ancestral Quest software.

For more information and directions, click the San Francisco Bay Area Jewish Genealogical Society website.

Litvak SIG: Recent translated records update

If your ancestors lived in Lithuania, take a look at recently-translated records available on Litvak SIG. The updates represent thousands of records and lines added to available records.

The records were translated during October, November and December 2010, and will be added to the All Lithuania Database (ALD) 18 months after being received. Currently, they are available in various LitvakSIG District Research Group (DRG) websites. Click here for more information and click District Research.

District coordinators are Aaron Roetenberg (Kaunas Gubernia), Dorothy Leivers (Suwalki Gubernia) and Joel Ratner (Vilnius District)

From the LVIA:
Kaunas city - Births 1896-1906
Svencionys District 1874/1875, 1899/1908 ARL (Svencionys, Svir, Linkmenys, Lentupis, Adutiskis, Daugeliskis, Zhodishki, Kobylniki, Komaie)
Vilijampole (Kaunas) births  -1893-1895
Kaunas deaths - 1902-1906
Vilkija Marriages, Divorces-1922-26
Vilkija Deaths - 1922-1926
Svencionys JC-1858
Vilkaviskis (Suwalki) Births -1810-1811
Nemunatis (Trakai)  1851-1857
Kudirkos Naumiestis (Suwalki) 1874, 1882 Births
Kudirkos Naumiestis (Suwalki) 1874 Deaths
Vilijampole (Kaunas) births  1896-1909
Plunge deaths -1862 - 1887
Seirijai (Suwalki)Marriages - 1922-1926
Seirijai (Suwalki) Deaths - 1922-1926
Veisiejai(Suwalki) - 1922-1924,1926 - marriages, divorces
Taurage (Raseiniai) marriage records
Veisiejai (Suwalki) - 1922-1926 - deaths
Pilviskiai (Marijampole) Deaths - 1922-1926
Taurage (Raseiniai) 1922-1939 Deaths
Virbalis (Suwalki) Marriages/Divorces - 1922-1939
Virbalis (Suwalki) Deaths -1922-1939
Kybartai (Suwalki) Marriages/Div - 1922-1939
Kybartai (Suwalki) Deaths - 1922-1939
Preniai (Suwalki) marriages 1893-1914
Kaunas rabbinate marriages 1932-1934
Zemaiciu Naumiestis (Raseiniai) Marriages/Div- 1922-1939
Zemaiciu Naumiestis (Raseiniai) Deaths- 1922-1939

From  the Panevezys County Archive:
(PCA) Panevezys Jewish Property - 1940s
Prienai (Suwalki) Deaths - 1839-1863
Sakiai (Suwalki) Births - 1842-1847

From the KRA (Kaunas Regional Archive):
Pakruojis 1856-1858 - Rabbi Electors
Troskunai (Ukmerge) 1893-1915 postal bank records- Part 2
Ukmerge 1910-1915 - certificates - with photographs
Kraziai (Raseiniai) 1845-list of residents who suffered from fire
Rietavas (Raseiniai) 1854 - testimonies
Skirsnemune (Raseiniai) 1868 - real estate owners
Rietavas (Raseiniai) 1866-community representatives
Birzai (Panevezys)1845 taxpayers-unable to pay
Joniskelis (Panevezys)1845 taxpayers-unable to pay
Krekenava(Panevezys)1845 taxpayers-unable to pay
Linkuva(Panevezys)1845 taxpayers-unable to pay
Pakruojis (Panevezys) 1845 taxpayers-unable to pay
Kavarskas(Ukmerge) 1906 -rabbi electors
Zelva (Ukmerge) 1889 - rabbi electors - 59 lines
Zelva(Ukmerge) 1907-1910 - Muni electors
Zelva (Ukmerge) 1910 -  Muni electors
Utena (Ukmerge) 1896 - rabbi electors
Ukmerge (Ukmerge)1919  residents
Svedasai (Ukmerge) 1896 el-r
Taujenai (Ukmerge) 1906  el-m
Troskunai (Ukmerge) 1898 el-r
Ukmerge (Ukmerge) 1892 el- m
Utena (Ukmerge) 1844 taxpayers-unable to pay
Kavarskas (Ukmerge) 1847 box taxpayers
Troskunai (Ukmerge) 1912 box taxpayers
Kvetkai (Zarasai) 1912 municipal electors
Zelva (Ukmerge) 1844 - taxpayers unable to pay
Ukmerge District -1913- Jews living out of towns
Ukmerge  District -1847-3rd Guild merchants
Utena (Ukmerge) 1896-1908 passport registration books
Ukmerge District 1915-passport issuance book

Internal Passport Records:Some 3,000 additional translated lines added for Utena lists (Ukmerge), Alytus City, Panevezys and Marijampole.

Central Archive (Vilnius):
Jewish Prisoners-Lithuanian Prisons - 1922-1940

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.

Washington DC: USHMM Babi Yar lecture, February 9

Babi Yar (Ukraine), the site of mass murder near Kiev, is the subject of the annual Shapiro annual lecture at the USHMM, on Sunday, February 9.

Babi Yar in Kiev is the site of the largest single Nazi shooting of Jews in the Soviet Union and Ukraine’s largest mass grave of Nazi victims. Drawing from newly available sources, Dr. Karel C. Berkhoff will discuss the process of mass murder, the response of the victims and others, and the treatment of the ravine since 1945.

The program - "Babi Yar: Site of Mass Murder, Ravine of Oblivion" - runs from 7-8.30pm in the Helena Rubinstein Auditorium.

Speaker Karel C. Berkhoff is Associate Professor at the Center for Holocaust and Genocide Studies of the Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences and teaches at the University of Amsterdam, where he is coordinator of the Holocaust and Genocide Studies track of the MA program in history.

He is the author of "Harvest of Despair: Life and Death in Ukraine under Nazi Rule" (2004), which won the 2001 Fraenkel Prize in Contemporary History, Category A, and has published several scholarly articles on the Holocaust in Ukraine.

A reception follows the lecture. Reservations are requested; RSVP online.

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.

New technology: Now we're cooking!

The January Electronics Show often showcases fascinating new gadgets and technology with applications for many uses.

Forbes just showcased its top picks - and there's one this year with genealogy applications.

Have you ever burned dinner because you were trying to find family information on a new website and lost all sense of time?  Tracing the Tribe is guilty of that, so one of the Forbes picks really spoke to us.

We loved the iGrill, a Bluetooth wireless cooking thermometer that works with an iPhone or iPad. You stick the sensor in the meat or other food and sync it with your iGadget of choice. Monitor your food from up to 200 feet away and never burn dinner again.

Your non-genealogically-involved significant other may decide to get one for you!

Now all I need is an iPhone or iPad. They are on my wish list.

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.