SFBAJGS - Calendar of Genealogical Events

Sunday, April 7, 2013

Genealogy Clinic: Brainstorming with the Mavens
Free. Anyone interested is welcome. Time and Place:: Noon to 2pm.; Jewish Community Library; 1835 Ellis Street; San Francisco, CA; Map; Free parking: enter parking garage from Pierce Street

Whether you're trying to find your great-grandmother's elusive town or your grandfather’s passenger manifest, take advantage of the Library's extensive reference collection and Internet connection to countless searchable databases — all with one-on-one guidance from experienced genealogists.

Longtime Library volunteer staffer Judy Baston and other veteran researchers from the SFBAJGS begin with a brainstorming and problem-solving roundtable, followed by individual attention using the Library's resources.

Bring your materials and your questions to the Library, generally the first Sunday of the month. Registration requested but not required; call (415) 567-3327, ext. 704.

Thursday, April 11, 2013

Meeting of interest to Jewish genealogists, co-sponsored by the SFBAJGS

Time and Place:

7pm; Jewish Community Library; 1835 Ellis Street; San Francisco, CA; Map; Free parking: enter parking garage from Pierce Street
Topic:: The Ger Mandolin Orchestra, Sneak Preview of Film and Presentation by Avner Yonai

Speaker:: Avner Yonai

In 2011, eleven of the world’s finest mandolinists came together to form the Ger Mandolin Orchestra, making their debut in Berkeley at the Jewish Music Festival, which had commissioned this extraordinary endeavor. The group was the brainchild of Avner Yonai, an Israeli-American businessman and member of the Board of Directors of the SFBAJGS. His search for his family roots had led him to a dusty photograph of his grandfather and other relatives playing in a pre-WWII Jewish mandolin orchestra in the town of Gora Kalwaria (Ger in Yiddish), Poland. The photograph inspired Yonai to create a contemporary version of the orchestra, as a memorial project for his own family and for an important, but nearly forgotten, tradition of Polish-Jewish musical life.

Six months after their performance in Berkeley, the new Ger Mandolin Orchestra traveled to Poland to perform in the town of Gora Kalwaria, filling the remains of the local synagogue with Jewish music for the first time in 70 years. This short version of an in-progress feature-length documentary about the Ger Mandolin Orchestra includes stunning live performance footage shot in both Berkeley and Poland, along with interviews with the major figures involved in its creation.

Avner Yonai will present the short film and share the story of this unique project. Additional information.

Sunday, April 21, 2013

Membership Meeting
Meetings are free and anyone interested is welcome. Time and Place:: Doors open 12:30pm, Program begins 1pm; Oakland FamilySearch Library; 4766 Lincoln Avenue; Oakland, CA; Map
Topic:: The Forgetting River: A Modern Tale of Survival, Identity, and the Inquisition
Speaker:: Doreen Carvajal

Despite growing up Catholic in the Bay Area and having vivid childhood memories of Sunday sermons, catechism, and the rosary, Doreen Carvajal never felt the familial connection with Catholicism. Unable to shake that feeling, and to understand why generations of her family left Spain and spread across Latin America, she moved to Arcos de la Frontera, a historic pueblo on the southern frontier of Andalusia. Through her research, Carvajal discovered that her family may be descended from conversos, Jews who were forced to renounce their faith and convert to Christianity during the Inquisition. Her search to find an answer included extensive interviews, DNA testing, and studying rare archives acquired by UC Berkeley from the time of the Inquisition. Recovering her family's secret Sephardic Jewish roots is the basis for her new memoir, The Forgetting River. This program will be repeated in the South Bay on April 22.

Doreen Carvajal is a Paris-based reporter for The New York Times and a senior writer for the International Herald Tribune with more than 25 years of journalism experience. She grew up in Lafayette, California and was an undergraduate at UC Berkeley and San Jose State University.

Monday, April 22, 2013

Membership Meeting
Meetings are free and anyone interested is welcome. Time and Place:: Doors open 7pm, Program begins 7:30pm; Congregation Beth Am Rm. 5/6; 26790 Arastradero Road; Los Altos Hills, CA; Map
Topic:: The Forgetting River: A Modern Tale of Survival, Identity, and the Inquisition
Speaker:: Doreen Carvajal

Despite growing up Catholic in the Bay Area and having vivid childhood memories of Sunday sermons, catechism, and the rosary, Doreen Carvajal never felt the familial connection with Catholicism. Unable to shake that feeling, and to understand why generations of her family left Spain and spread across Latin America, she moved to Arcos de la Frontera, a historic pueblo on the southern frontier of Andalusia. Through her research, Carvajal discovered that her family may be descended from conversos, Jews who were forced to renounce their faith and convert to Christianity during the Inquisition. Her search to find an answer included extensive interviews, DNA testing, and studying rare archives acquired by UC Berkeley from the time of the Inquisition. Recovering her family's secret Sephardic Jewish roots is the basis for her new memoir, The Forgetting River.

Doreen Carvajal is a Paris-based reporter for The New York Times and a senior writer for the International Herald Tribune with more than 25 years of journalism experience. She grew up in Lafayette, California and was an undergraduate at UC Berkeley and San Jose State University.

Thursday, May 2, 2013

Meeting of interest to Jewish genealogists, co-sponsored by the SFBAJGS

Time and Place:

7pm; Jewish Community Library; 1835 Ellis Street; San Francisco, CA; Map; Free parking: enter parking garage from Pierce Street
Topic:: Napa Valley Jews

Speaker:: Henry Michalski and Donna Dover Mendelsohn

Many Jews joined the throng rushing in to profit from California’s gold strike of 1848, not necessarily to mine but to sell merchandise to prospectors. Some settled in Napa Valley, a basin of rich agricultural land nestled between two mountain ridges. These pioneers conducted business, making significant contributions to the development of the Valley, and participated in cultural life, holding public office and leading organizations. Many also made fine wines, something perfected thousands of years ago as commanded in scripture. The authors of Napa Valley’s Jewish Heritage (Arcadia, 2012) will share stories and images of the Valley’s rich history.

Henry Michalski was born in Kazakhstan and emigrated with his Polish parents in 1949. He has taught history in the Napa public schools and at Congregation Beth Sholom in Napa for over 40 years. Donna Dover Mendelsohn came to California in 1961, settling in Napa in 1998. As cofounder of the Jewish Historical Society of Napa Valley, Donna coordinated the exhibit Jews of the Valley. Additional information.

Sunday, May 5, 2013

Membership Meeting

Meetings are free and anyone interested is welcome.
Time and Place:

Doors open 1pm, Program begins 1:30pm; For this meeting only, meet at the Tauber Holocaust Library
at Jewish Family and Childrens Services of Northern California; 2245 Post Street, San Francisco 94115 Map
Topic:: Field Trip to the JFCS Holocaust Center
Speaker:: Judy Janec

The Holocaust Center at Jewish Family and Children's Services of San Francisco, formerly the Holocaust Center of Northern California, has a new home on Post Street. Come take a tour of its holdings and see the valuable materials it offers for your genealogy research. The tour is designed specifically for the SFBAJGS and our interests. Judy Janec, Director of Library and Archives at the Tauber Holocaust Library, will lead the tour.

Monday, May 6, 2013

Special Presentation for San Francisco Bay Area Jewish Genealogical Society
Time and Place:: 1-3pm.; Oakland FamilySearch Library; 4766 Lincoln Avenue; Oakland, CA; Map
Topic:: Obscure Records of U.S. Citizenship and Nationality
Speaker:: Marian L. Smith

This presentation will focus on lesser-known federal records of derived citizenship, repatriation, and correspondence covering a variety of citizenship-related problems and topics. While the records discussed were created after 1906, some involve events that occurred years or decades before. In addition to case studies and examples, the presentation will provide guidance for researching the records at either USCIS or the National Archives.

Marian L. Smith is the Senior Historian of U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS, formerly INS). Her research focus primarily involves official immigration agency records held in the National Archives in downtown Washington, DC, and her articles appear in the National Archives journal Prologue, the FGS Forum, and other publications. Her depth and range of knowledge never fail to impress her audiences.

Sunday, May 12, 2013

Genealogy Clinic: Brainstorming with the Mavens
Free. Anyone interested is welcome. Time and Place:: Noon to 2pm.; Jewish Community Library; 1835 Ellis Street; San Francisco, CA; Map; Free parking: enter parking garage from Pierce Street

Sunday, June 2, 2013

Genealogy Clinic: Brainstorming with the Mavens
Free. Anyone interested is welcome. Time and Place:: Noon to 2pm.; Jewish Community Library; 1835 Ellis Street; San Francisco, CA; Map; Free parking: enter parking garage from Pierce Street

Sunday, June 9, 2013

Membership Meeting
Meetings are free and anyone interested is welcome. Time and Place:: Doors open 12:30pm, Program begins 1pm; Oakland FamilySearch Library; 4766 Lincoln Avenue; Oakland, CA; Map
Topic:: A Torn Family Reunited through Discovery of an Ancestor's Diary
Speaker:: Frederick Hertz

In 1884, at age 20, David Blumenfeld and his parents and younger siblings left Courland, Latvia, and moved to Minnesota. Shortly after David's death in 1955 his box of unpublished writing disappeared, only to be rediscovered in 2009 in the basement of a now-Episcopalian great-grandson in Seattle. The featured work of this newly discovered collection is "Diary", a semifictionalized story of the family's life in Latvia, their decision to leave for America, and the first 30 years of their life in their new world. "Diary" was published, with commentary and annotations, in 2012 by the Jewish Historical Society of the Upper Midwest.

This talk gives a personal view of David's family's life in Tukums, Latvia, supported by contemporary and modern postcards and photography. Fred visited Latvia and met with archivists and other researchers, gaining a better understanding of the opportunities and limits on genealogical research. The diary proposes many ideas for why Jews left Latvia/Russia and describes several vignettes of life in Tukums. This program will be repeated in the South Bay on June 17.

Frederick Hertz, one of David's many great-grandchildren, grew up in St. Paul, Minnesota and is a fifth-generation Minnesota Jew (with all eight great-grandparents living there by 1884). He has lived in the Oakland area since 1978 and is a lawyer, mediator, and author working on legal issues faced by unmarried couples, both gay and straight.

Monday, June 17, 2013

Membership Meeting
Meetings are free and anyone interested is welcome. Time and Place:: Doors open 7pm, Program begins 7:30pm; Congregation Beth Am Rm. 5/6; 26790 Arastradero Road; Los Altos Hills, CA; Map
Topic:: A Torn Family Reunited through Discovery of an Ancestor's Diary
Speaker:: Frederick Hertz

Sunday, July 21, 2013

Membership Meeting Meetings are free and everyone interested is welcome. Time and Place:: Doors open 1pm, Program begins 1:30pm; Rhoda Goldman Plaza Map; 2180 Post Street, San Francisco 94115; Parking Information: Rhoda Goldman Plaza has a private, locked garage on Sutter, between Pierce and Scott. It is in the middle of the block and large writing
on the building says "Parking for Rhoda Goldman Plaza". Pull up to the gate, press the RGP button on the box on the driver's side, say you are there for the genealogy society meeting, and the gate will be opened. Then drive down the ramp to RGP's visitor parking. Take the RGP elevator to the first floor, then make a right and a quick left turn, and walk down the hallway to the lobby. There you register and the front desk staff will direct you to the Olive Room on the same floor.

Topic:: Utilizing the Jewish Community Library as a Genealogical Resource
Speaker:: Judy Baston

Judy Baston, former SFBAJGS librarian and volunteer staff at the Jewish Community Library (JCL) for the past 20 years, will discuss the many ways in which the JCL's 30,000+ volume collection can aid in Jewish genealogy research. She will discuss the JCL's books on Jewish genealogy methods, name origins, reference works, Jewish community histories, bibliographies, and more.

Judy, a Board Member of LitvakSIG and of Jewish Records Indexing-Poland, was born in Oakland, California. Her father was born in Eisiskes (Eishishok), Lithuania, and her mother was born in Lomza Gubernia, Poland. Judy has been researching her family¹s history for 20 years, and she has traveled to Lithuania, Northern Belarus, and Poland.

Sunday, August 18, 2013

Membership Meeting
Meetings are free and anyone interested is welcome. Time and Place:: Doors open 12:30pm, Program begins 1pm; Oakland FamilySearch Library; 4766 Lincoln Avenue; Oakland, CA; Map
Topic:: Bring Your Own Brick Wall
Speaker:: Panel of SFBAJGS Experienced Researchers

Whether you are just beginning or have been working on your family history for many years, we all run into what genealogists call "brick walls", those questions or situations we just can't fathom how to scale. Do not fear, several Society members will try to offer suggestions based upon several years of their own research to help you break through, climb over, or get around those brick walls. Bring your questions and documents (no originals, please, make copies
first!), and let's see if we can't make that breakthrough. The library has several genealogy databases available, so we may be able to take advantage of this and locate almost instant answers. No promises, though!

Monday, August 19, 2013

Membership Meeting
Meetings are free and anyone interested is welcome. Time and Place:: Doors open 7pm, Program begins 7:30pm; Congregation Beth Am Rm. 5/6; 26790 Arastradero Road; Los Altos Hills, CA; Map
Topic:: A-Files at the National Archives
Speaker:: Marisa Louie

The National Archives maintains over 400,000 Alien Case Files or "A-Files" at its facilities in San Francisco, California, and Kansas City, Missouri. Created beginning in 1944, these files relate to non-citizen alien residents of the United States and are a potential wealth of genealogical information. At this presentation, you'll discover more about what's in the A-Files, who is documented in them, and how to find them at the National Archives.

Marisa Louie has been on staff at The National Archives at San Francisco (located in San Bruno, California) as an archivist since September 2009. She works with the facility's holdings of Immigration and Naturalization Service case files and is the project archivist for the Alien Files ("A-Files") transferred to her facility. Marisa holds a B.A. in American Studies and Environmental Studies from the University of California, Santa Cruz, and is a past participant in the "In Search of Roots" program.

Sunday, September 8, 2013

Membership Meeting Meetings are free and everyone interested is welcome. Time and Place:: Doors open 1pm, Program begins 1:30pm; Rhoda Goldman Plaza Map; 2180 Post Street, San Francisco 94115; Parking Information: Rhoda Goldman Plaza has a private, locked garage on Sutter, between Pierce and Scott. It is in the middle of the block and large writing
on the building says "Parking for Rhoda Goldman Plaza". Pull up to the gate, press the RGP button on the box on the driver's side, say you are there for the genealogy society meeting, and the gate will be opened. Then drive down the ramp to RGP's visitor parking. Take the RGP elevator to the first floor, then make a right and a quick left turn, and walk down the hallway to the lobby. There you register and the front desk staff will direct you to the Olive Room on the same floor.
Topic:: Napa Valley's Jewish Heritage
Speaker:: Donna Mendelsohn and Henry Michalski

As the world rushed in to profit from California’s gold strike of 1848, many Jews joined the throng, not necessarily to mine but to sell merchandise to prospectors. Some pioneers settled in the Napa Valley, where they conducted business, participated in cultural life, and held public office. Many also made fine wines, something perfected thousands of years ago as commanded in scripture. This is their story told through photographs.

Raised in Illinois, Donna Dover Mendelsohn came to California in 1961 and settled in Napa in 1998 with her husband. As cofounder of the Jewish Historical Society of Napa Valley and past president of Congregation Beth Sholom, she coordinated the permanent exhibit "Jews of the Valley" at the Napa Valley Museum.

Henry Michalski was born in Kazakhstan and came to America with his Polish parents in 1949. In 1968, he began teaching history in the Napa public schools and at Congregation Beth Sholom’s Sunday school. He is now retired.

Sunday, October 20, 2013

Membership Meeting
Meetings are free and anyone interested is welcome. Time and Place:: Doors open 12:30pm, Program begins 1pm; Oakland FamilySearch Library; 4766 Lincoln Avenue; Oakland, CA; Map
Topic:: Using City Directories to Further Your Research
Speaker:: Lisa Gorrell

Directories were not only for cities. Many counties and rural areas had directories, also. Learn what they contain and how they can be used to flesh out your family's lives.

Lisa Gorrell has researched her own family and her husband's family for nearly 20 years. City directories are her favorite resource. She is a board member of the California Genealogical Society and the Contra Costa County Genealogical Society.

Monday, October 21, 2013

Membership Meeting
Meetings are free and anyone interested is welcome. Time and Place:: Doors open 7pm, Program begins 7:30pm; Congregation Beth Am Rm. 5/6; 26790 Arastradero Road; Los Altos Hills, CA; Map
Topic:: Using Online Newspapers for Genealogical Research
Speaker:: Janice Sellers

Newspapers are valuable in genealogical research because you can find information about births, deaths, marriages, moves, business, naturalizations, court cases, and more. Millions of pages of the world's newspapers are now accessible online, but there is no one place to find them all. This class gives an overview of what is available online and techniques to help improve your chances of finding information about your relatives.

Janice M. Sellers is a professional genealogist specializing in newspaper and Jewish research, a board member of SFBAJGS, and the editor of ZichronNote and a second genealogy journal. She is a member of the Association of Professional Genealogists, Genealogical Speakers Guild, and the California Genealogical Society and a board member of
the California State Genealogical Alliance. Her company is Ancestral Discoveries, http://www.ancestraldiscoveries.com/.

Sunday, November 17, 2013

Membership Meeting Meetings are free and everyone interested is welcome. Time and Place:: Doors open 1pm, Program begins 1:30pm; Rhoda Goldman Plaza Map; 2180 Post Street, San Francisco 94115; Parking Information: Rhoda Goldman Plaza has a private, locked garage on Sutter, between Pierce and Scott. It is in the middle of the block and large writing
on the building says "Parking for Rhoda Goldman Plaza". Pull up to the gate, press the RGP button on the box on the driver's side, say you are there for the genealogy society meeting, and the gate will be opened. Then drive down the ramp to RGP's visitor parking. Take the RGP elevator to the first floor, then make a right and a quick left turn, and walk down the hallway to the lobby. There you register and the front desk staff will direct you to the Olive Room on the same floor.

Topic:: The Changing Borders of Eastern Europe
Speaker:: Marc Seidenfeld

Marc will discuss how the Prussian, Austrian, Russian, and Ottoman empires broke up and how we ended up with the present independent states and their borders. He will also talk about how the historically shifting geographical and political boundaries of Eastern Europe are significant in our genealogical research.

Marc Seidenfeld has been a member of SFBAJGS for many years and has researched his Galitizianer ancestry. He is an attorney in private practice with an emphasis on probate and real property matters.

Return to the Home of the SFBAJGS (San Francisco Bay Area Jewish Genealogical Society)

SFBAJGS - Calendar of Genealogical Events

Sunday, April 7, 2013

Genealogy Clinic: Brainstorming with the Mavens

Thursday, April 11, 2013

Meeting of interest to Jewish genealogists, co-sponsored by the SFBAJGS

Sunday, April 21, 2013

Membership Meeting

Monday, April 22, 2013

Membership Meeting

Thursday, May 2, 2013

Meeting of interest to Jewish genealogists, co-sponsored by the SFBAJGS

Sunday, May 5, 2013

Membership Meeting

Monday, May 6, 2013

Special Presentation for San Francisco Bay Area Jewish Genealogical Society

Sunday, May 12, 2013

Genealogy Clinic: Brainstorming with the Mavens

Sunday, June 2, 2013

Genealogy Clinic: Brainstorming with the Mavens

Sunday, June 9, 2013

Membership Meeting

Monday, June 17, 2013

Membership Meeting

Sunday, July 21, 2013

Membership Meeting

Sunday, August 18, 2013

Membership Meeting

Monday, August 19, 2013

Membership Meeting

Sunday, September 8, 2013

Membership Meeting

Sunday, October 20, 2013

Membership Meeting

Monday, October 21, 2013

Membership Meeting

Sunday, November 17, 2013

Membership Meeting