Jewish Family Research Challenges

A primer on how to find synagogue records, what genealogical material they include, and what they look like. Finding synagogue records can be problematic and time consuming as there are errors in catalogs and a variety of ways materials are described. JewishGen’s Shul Records America, a finding aid pointing to the location of American synagogue records includes more than 650 collections held at over 60 repositories or websites, with about 20% including URLS for digitized materials. Not only a historical resource but important as modern-day synagogues merge or close, Shul Records America encourages congregations to preserve records with genealogical value.

The landscape of Canada is extensive, and so are our genealogy resources! In this presentation we'll take a look at accessing some of the most common Canadian genealogy documents available online including census, immigration, military, and vital records. We'll also explore the abundant number of Canadian Jewish specific resources including archives and heritage organizations, newspapers, and digitized books.

Strategies and resources to document the earliest Jews in America 1654-1880. Learn how to navigate early American secular records and Jewish institutional materials to create a successful research plan. Land, military, languages used, and historical collections will be featured. A timeline will help identify when to look for Jewish synagogue, burial, or other Jewish community documentation, and when only government-generated records will fill the gap.

Join Ellen Kowitt as she provides an update about what’s new when researching Jewish ancestry on familiar websites including JewishGen, Steve Morse, and Miriam Weiner’s Routes to Roots Database. Hidden gems and lesser-known resources will also be provided in this information-packed webinar.

English speakers can now learn details about what happened to relatives or a community in the Holocaust by Bullets. Review documentation from this important era including access to Russian Extraordinary Commission files; German Einsatzgruppen Reports; Yahad-In Unum eyewitness video; USC Shoah Foundation and other recorded survivor testimonies; Yizkor Books; Yad…

This covers customs and traditions often observed, without knowing why, in Hispanic families with Jewish ancestry (whether known, unknown, or denied). The results of a DNA test are the first indications of this heritage for many individuals, and this presentation gathers these observances and explains them to those who have long forgotten why they are still done and what they mean.

Learn about Jewish record collections across Ancestry.com, FamilySearch, Findmypast and MyHeritage--and JewishGen! This comparative analysis tells you not only what records are where, but recommends best versions of similar record collections and additional tools on each site that are especially relevant to researching Jewish ancestors. Sunny Morton, expert on…

Debbie Kroopkin will explain the structure and purpose of the many components of the website. She will address how to connect with other researchers, how to identify and learn about your town overseas, and how to search for ancestors. Her presentation will provide details that will help researchers glean as…

MyHeritage Search technology has been thoroughly updated recently. Join MyHeritage expert genealogist Daniel Horowitz in a fast-paced session on this new technology. Learn how it works, and how it can benefit your Jewish research. Learn how to effortlessly cover thousands of important repositories in a single search.