From David Mink
To the Phila Conference Committee Chairs,
If the comments on the digests mean
anything, then the Conference was a huge success. The hard work in
planning and the dedication at the conference to your areas of
responsibility resulted in a wonderful experience for a lot of people,
and they appreciated the effort. I am proud of everyone's contribution
and we did "set the bar very high for JGSLA".
For our own benefit, and in case JGSLA
asks us, please take a few minutes and tell me the high points and the
low points of your experience, what would you do differently, and any
advise for next years organizers. Please also include any thoughts for
the general welfare.
We had 1000 registrants and we delivered a
great product in a hamish environment. We did it Philly style. Thank
you for all of your hard work and cooperation. You were a great team
and you made my job easy. Now we can turn our energies into building
our own society.
Yours,
David
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From Anne Feder Lee and David Mink
Thanks to everyone who came to the
conference and to those of you who told us at the conference and/or have
written telling us how much you enjoyed the experience! We are truly
gratified that you joined us and that you benefited from the learning,
sharing, and networking that are so important to those of us devoted to
family research.
In co-hosting this conference, the
International Association of Jewish Genealogical Societies (IAJGS) and
the Jewish Genealogical Society of Greater Philadelphia (JGSGP) worked
extremely well together and we are much indebted to many individuals who
have so generously given their time and efforts.
Thanks to the following for their work
before and during the conference:
Jan Meisels Allen, Fred Blum, Hal
Bookbinder, Harry Boonin, Michael Brenner, Evan Fishman, Stacia
Freidman, Mark Halpern, Mark Heckman, Daniel Horowitz, Bill Israel,
David Kleiman, Kahlile Mehr, Stanley Merves. Jim and Cindy Meyers, Selma
Neubauer, Mike Posnick, Joan Rosen, Shelda and Stan Sandler, Steve
Schecter, Lois Sernoff, Joel Spector, Renee Steinig, Jackye Sullins,
Jeff Vasser, Pamela Weisberger and the many who volunteered time helping
on-site.
We also thank the Sheraton Hotel staff,
our meeting planners Bonnie Wallsh and Nadine Fox, all the speakers,
exhibitors, Beth and Ben from E-show who made registration a breeze, the
registration workers from PhillyTemps, and the security personnel.
Finally, we wish to express our deep
appreciation to all those who so generously helped make the conference a
success through financial contributions.
With very best wishes for your continued
family research,
Anne Feder Lee (IAJGS) and David Mink
(JGSGP)
Philly2009 Co-Chairs
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FROM FOUNDING PRESIDENT -- HARRY
BOONIN
As the founding president of the Jewish
Genealogy Society of Philadelphia, which is the original name of the
outfit, I am not sure that enough has been said about all of you and
what a great job that was done for the Conference.
My feelings were best stated by Mark
Twain, the greatest of America’s greats. He wrote: “I have been
complimented many times and they always embarrass me; I always feel they
haven’t said enough.”
I, also, sort of a “me too,” feel that not
enough has been said about all of you and the efforts that all of you
put into the Conference. I guess David Mink said it best. About a week
before the Conference began, I asked David how things were going. David,
in his usual laid back, off-the-cuff-with-smile-and-a-wink look said:
“I’m having a blast.” I wonder how many co-chairs of a conference, one
week before the conference when all little things are magnified 100% out
of proportion, could say those words, sincerely, and mean them. David,
it was easy to see, was having a blast.
And I looked at the faces of most of you
and I think you all mimicked David’s words and attitude. For I think it
was the attitude of everyone involved that I was most impressed with.
Smiles were on everyone’s face. Dedication to the task at hand, whatever
it was, was undertaken with a song and a smile.
Maybe not enough has been said, but I
don’t know how to say more, than, thank you for everything. It was
certainly part of your lives that you will all look back upon with great
satisfaction.
Harry
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FROM NU? WHAT'S NEW?
Gary Mokotoff, Editor
Volume 10, Number 16 | August 16, 2009
This edition is going to 8,489 subscribers
Philadelphia Conference: A Remarkable
Event
For each of the past 15 years, I have
attended two major conferences of American genealogy, those of the
Federation of Genealogical Societies and the National Genealogical
Society For the past 29 years I have attended virtually every Jewish
conference now titled the “International Conference on Jewish Genealogy”
Having just participated in the 29th International Conference held in
Philadelphia, I can say that the quality and quantity of the Jewish
conferences now surpass American national conferences
There were 275 sessions including
lectures, computer workshops, a film festival, and working breakfasts
and luncheons Almost all lectures were given as PowerPoint
presentations, the standard for a number of years More than 160
presenters and meeting coordinators participated in the program The six
hour-and-a-quarter time slots during the day had eight concurrent
sessions plus the computer workshops and the film festival The resource
room had about 30 laptops with Internet access, free of charge, to most
major fee-for-service genealogical databases The US Holocaust Memorial
Museum allowed online access to databases normally available only at the
museum through controlled access by their personnel The Exhibit Hall
included nearly 20 vendors At the Avotaynu booth, Google Your Family
Tree was the best seller
For years, the conference has a
significant person as the keynote speaker at the Sunday evening opening
session This year, it was Father Patrick Desbois, the Roman Catholic
priest who is best known for his work in searching for and uncovering
mass graves of Jews in Ukraine Monday-Thursday, the program started at 7
am with “Breakfast with the Experts” and lasted until 10 pm
More and more, the Jewish conferences are
including experts beyond the genealogical community to educate attendees
on family history research Two European archivists, the head archivist
of Romania and the deputy archivist of Ukraine, gave lectures At least
five speakers were university professors
Nearly 1,000 people attended because
Philadelphia can attract attendees from the major Jewish population
areas of New York and Washington, DC Next year’s conference in Los
Angeles will attract a similar number of people as well as the
Washington, DC, conference in 2011
Conference planners reported that some of
the attendees comments included the words broad-based, robust, high
quality, excellent, fantastic, interesting and informative.
In 2010, the 30th International Conference
on Jewish Genealogy will be held July 11–16 at the new Marriott Los
Angeles at LA LIVE which opens in February 2010 The hotel is located in
the heart of the city.
====================================================================================
FROM SISTER JEWISH GENEALOGICAL
SOCIETIES
On behalf of JGS, Inc (New York), I want
to congratulate the JGS of Greater Philadelphia and IAJGS on a
conference that was well-done, well-run, and chock full of interesting
and informative programming. Kudos go to David Mink, Anne Lee, and Mark
Halpern, who all deserve a well-earned rest.
Linda Cantor
President, JGS, Inc
================================================================================
Now that the conference has concluded,
we'd like to congratulate and thank the JGS of Greater Philadelphia and
the IAJGS for organizing an excellent week of programs, resources and
activities for the rest of us. We heard that over 900 people attended!
Despite minor glitches (like airports shutting down on our arrival days
!), the conference proceeded smoothly and provided fantastic
opportunities to learn from and connect with other genealogists.
Yasher Koach!
Heidi Urich
on behalf of the JGS of Greater Boston
=================================================================================
FROM CONFERENCE ATTENDEES
Just wanted to say this was my first
conference and my first experience with genealogy, and I was very
impressed with the sessions. Great Job! I learned so much.
=================================================================================
Congratulations to the JGSGP for producing
a high-calibre conference
==================================================================================
The conference was the first I attended. I
can not imagine that any previous conference could have been as well put
together and managed. Every aspect of the conference was well done; the
program, the facility, the organization and management. You and the
others who put it all together did a wonderful job and deserve all the
credit I know you will receive from those of us interested in Jewish
Genealogy.
==================================================================================
WOW! My head is still spinning from the
conference. Having never been to one before, I had no idea what to
expect, but thought the program looked incredibly rich and varied. It
was far better than that. There wasn't just something for everyone -
there was a lot for everyone. The depth and breadth were overwhelming.
I found myself trying frantically to make use of every minute. I went
with a list of goals to help me not get distracted, and ended the week,
not only having met my goals (except for finding the elusive documents)
but I also managed to see several films; learn a lot of history; get
some great creative and practical ideas; have a conversation with
someone from a religious group about my concerns (and learned it's worse
than I thought); get a letter translated which told me not only what
happened to my family and their shtetl during the Holocaust, but also
named more family members(!!); meet some fascinating people; and have a
few good cries and a few good laughs. I'm sure I'm forgetting some
things. I have been to many professional conferences, and I have never
seen one run so smoothly and pleasantly. It seemed that every detail
was thought of to make the experience as easy and rewarding as
possible. Thank you for the tremendous amount of work so many people
had to put into this event to achieve such outstanding results.
Bobbi Weintraub
Philadelphia, NYC
=====================================================================================
I would also like to add my thanks to the
IAJGS and Philadelphia for a wonderful conference. Each year they get
better and better! I can echo what Bobbi Weintraub said about her head
still spinning after attending her very first conference. I have
attended about 25 of them and as more and more information becomes
available thru all of our volunteer efforts - the brain does go into
overload. There is so much to learn. So to the organizers, a big thank
you for another marvelous and carefully thought out program.
Freya Blitstein Maslov
Morton Grove, IL
======================================================================================
To add my congratulations to what others
are saying - thank you to all those who worked so hard to produce this
superbly successful conference.
Bravo to all the officers, members of the
JGSGP planning committee and all those who participated for a job well
done!
Merle Kastner
Montreal, Canada
====================================================================================
It is without a doubt a privilege to add
my voice to those who have voiced infinite praise for the Philadelphia
committee in charge of the just completed Conference. The sessions were
stimulating and it was wonderful meeting the dozens of people I have met
through email over the years and who were not at the 2004 Conference in
Jerusalem. It is clear that nothing so wonderful could have been created
by a single person. As a rabbi who served in synagogues in the United
States before coming on Aliyah, I know the dire consequences if a name
is left out when complimenting a group. However, there were some people
with whom I was in frequent contact who were most helpful and I want to
use this forum to personally thank – Mark Halpern – you can now say with
relief “free at last, free at last, thank God, I’m free at last,” Steve
Schecter and his daughter – Steve’s guide to Philadelphia is a
remarkable achievement, Harry Boonin – whose special award honored us
all, Evan Fishman – who organized minyanim, a tribute not only to the
Conference but also to the ancestors that many at the Conference are
researching, Shelda & Stan Sandler – always there to help out in any way
they could, Fred Blum – for the BOFs he led and especially for
introducing me to his 90-year old mother who knew people I knew from way
back when in Darby, Joan Rosen – for her endless help in many ways. Of
course the list can go on. These fine people along with many others
helped put Philadelphia back on the map. Thank you for a memorable
experience.
Shalom Bronstein, Jerusalem
