Hourglass Chart

To build an hourglass Chart:
  1. Start with yourself
  2. Find the immigrant ancestor
  3. Based on ages you know, estimate the age of those ancestors that did not immigrate.
    • Use these guidelines: (age at marriage females 14-20 - males 20-28)
    • Decide where your immigrant ancestor was in the line of sibings: first, last or in the middle
    • Use 25 years between generations

If you want to research in the “old country” you need names, dates and places.

  • From the United States records find the original surname
  • Find the Yiddish or Hebrew given name
  • Find the place of last residence
  • Find relatives
  • Find parents’ names

Use these Sources:

8 Ways to Find Your Ancestral Town, by the Jewish Genealogy Society of Long Island

8 Ways to Get the Most Out of JewishGen’s Communities Database, by the Jewish Genealogy Society of Long Island