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Past Programs - 2007
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The following programs and workshops
were held in 2007; they are shown here so that you may view the range of
activities of JGSGW. |
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December |
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Program: |
Ralph N. Baer, Ph.D., "Researching Pre-World War II German-Jewish Genealogy" |
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Jewish research in Germany can best be divided into three eras: prior to
about 1800, from about 1800 to soon after German unification in the 1874,
and post-unification. It is simplest to start from the most recent and
work backwards. Copies of vital records starting in 1876 can be obtained
from the local Standesamt (registrar's office) but are currently only
available to direct descendants. In the middle period, vital records usually
started to be kept at approximately the time permanent family names were
adopted in the Kingdom, Principality, Duchy, etc., of interest. This date
depends upon the place but is usually prior to the 1830's. The content and
form of these records greatly vary. In some regions, Jewish records were
kept separately from Christian records, and in some cases they are together
with them. Prior to this day there is even more variability, and almost
every town has different types of records available. Examples of records
will be shown and methods of obtaining them will be discussed.
Ralph N. Baer was born in New York City in 1948. His parents, grandparents,
and last living great-grandparent fled their native Germany in the 1930's.
He has a doctorate in mathematics and has worked as a research scientist
in the Acoustics Division of the Naval Research Laboratory in Washington,
DC, since 1974. His interest in personal genealogy was piqued by a vacation
in Germany in 1977, and he has been there to research his family on several
subsequent occasions. Dr. Baer is a charter member of JGSGW and has given
several previous presentations to the Society. He is the author of about a
half dozen articles which have appeared in Stammbaum, the Journal of
German-Jewish Genealogical Research, and has also written for Avotaynu
and Mishpacha.
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Workshop:
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Marlene Bishow and Jeff Miller,
"Beginner's Workshop" |
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Jewish family history does not have to be a mystery. We all leave a paper
trail that can unravel the story of our families for many generations,
across the ocean and into the smallest of shtetls.
Join us for our FREE Beginner's Workshop, for members only:
- A great start for the novice, or
- Even if you have been a member of JGSGW for a while. A great way to
get back to the basics..........
This will be a 2-hour session jam-packed with resources, helpful hints
and motivation.
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November |
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Program: |
Wendy Turman, "Preserving Your
Family's or Synagogue's History (Tips on Safeguarding Family Treasures)" |
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In this joint program, co-sponsored
with the Jewish Historical Society of Greater Washington (JHSGW), Wendy
Turman will talk about a variety of ways to preserve and care for family
history materials such as photographs, scrapbooks, old letters and
documents, highlighting some of the current preservation issues in the
Society's collections. She will also provide an overview of the
Society's archival collections and their use in genealogical research.
Wendy Turman, who holds an advanced degree in museum studies, has been
the archivist/ curator of the Jewish Historical Society of Greater
Washington for the past seven years. She manages the archival,
photographic, and object collections and is responsible for preservation
as well as accession and loan documentation, archival processing, and
cataloging. Her previous museum positions include working with the
National Museum of Health and Medicine, the Smithsonian Institution's
America's Smithsonian Exhibit, and National Museum of American History.
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Tour: |
Optional tour of the award-winning
exhibit, Jewish Washington: Scrapbook of an American Community, at the
nearby 6th & I Historic Synagogue. |
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Workshop: |
Marlene Bishow, "Family TreeMaker
for Beginners" - Using FTM 16 (not FTM 2008) |
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We will be demonstrating the basics
of using FTM 16. Participants should have the software at home for
follow-up on the instruction. This course will cover installation of the
software, and building a family tree, including tips on how to start
data entry. There will be an overall review of the features of the
software, including basic reports. This is PC software and is not
available for the Mac. Students should have a basic understanding of the
PC, keyboard, mouse, etc.
Marlene Bishow has been doing genealogical research for 51 years and has
used Family TreeMaker (FTM) since v.1 came out in the late 1980's. She
earned a BS in Education from SUNY and did graduate work in Special
Education at Penn State. She completed an MS in Information Science at
the University of Pittsburgh. |
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October |
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Program: |
Logan J. Kleinwaks, "Searching
Online Historical Directories" |
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Many pre-World War II Central and
Eastern European business and address directories have been scanned and
made available online as part of library digitization programs.
Unfortunately, they are presented online as images, not as searchable
text. Logan will describe how to use a search engine he developed based
on optical character recognition (OCR) software to search these
directories, with an emphasis on how to find what you are looking for
despite errors introduced by the OCR process. The OCR-based approach
allows data from print sources to be made searchable very quickly, with
little manual intervention. Its applications to other Jewish genealogy
projects will be discussed also.
As a bonus, there will be a brief presentation of a new tool to reunite
families separated by the Shoah, which allows email addresses to be
associated with Pages of Testimony found on Yad Vashem's website, and
automatically matches people associated with same Pages.
Logan Joseph Kleinwaks, Coordinator of the JewishGen
Danzig/Gdansk SIG, is a
hobbyist genealogist living near Washington, D.C. with a research
background in physics and mathematics. He is the creator of the online
tools www.ShoahConnect.org,
for Page of Testimony research, and
www.kalter.org/search, for
searching historical business directories, as well as the general
genealogy site
www.FamilyTreeRegistry.org. His broader genealogical interests
include the photographic documentation of Jewish cemeteries, improving
Internet access to genealogical information, and privacy. |
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Workshop: |
Dr. Michael Matsas, "The Jews of
Ioannina", and movie, "The Last Greeks of Broome Street" |
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In Manhattan, a small shul on the
Lower East Side has been named a “National Treasure.” It was built in
1926 by the descendents of Jewish slaves who were deported to Rome in
the early days of the Diaspora. Their stopping point was Ioannina, then
Greece during the reign of Alexander the Great (356-323 BCE), a part of
the Roman Empire. The earliest reported evidence of Jews in Ioannina is
1319. It was there that they developed a litany written in Greek and
Hebrew and developed customs unique to their sect. They are neither
Sephardic nor Ashkenazic. The filmmaker, Ed Ashkenazi, son of one of the
founders of Kehila Kedosha Janina, tells the story of its founding and
of the attempts by members of the community to retain the rich
traditions of the place of their birth.
Dr. Michael Matsas, a retired dentist, was born in Ioannina, Greece in
1930. After we view the movie, he will talk about the city of Ioannnina
and its Jewish community--where the Jews came from, what were their
occupations, their way of life, and what happened to them in 1944. He
has spoken at the United States Holocaust Museum, Kehila Kedosha
Synagogue in NY, the JCC, and other places about the Greek Jews in
relation to the book he wrote called "The Illusion of Safety, the Story
of the Greek Jews during the Second World War." Mike is the husband of
our JGSGW Treasurer, Eleanor Matsas. |
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September |
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Program: |
Jeffrey Malka, M.D., "Sephardic
Genealogy: Resources, Similarities and Differences" |
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In this presentation, Dr. Malka will
discuss getting started in Sephardic Jewish genealogy, where the records
are found, and surnames. Resources will be identified that are
especially relevant to pre-expulsion Spain. He will discuss the
similarities and differences between Sephardic and Eastern European
Jewish genealogy. The role and uses of DNA and the differences found
between Sephardic and Ashkenasim will be presented.
A retired professor of orthopaedic surgery, Jeffrey Malka is the author
of the prize-winning book "Sephardic Genealogy: Discovering your
Sephardic Ancestors and their World" (Avotaynu, 2002) and the creator of
JewishGen's Sephardic SIG website based on his own popular Sephardic
Genealogy Resources website. Descended from a long line of Sephardic
rabbis going back to 14th century cabbalists and authors (as well as
Catalan blacksmiths and money lenders), he is one of the pioneers of
Sephardic genealogy in the United States and a well known lecturer on
the subject. Dr. Malka has been an invited lecturer at the Library of
Congress, several IAJGS annual conferences, Washington Jewish Historical
Society, and numerous Jewish Genealogy Societies in the U.S., Canada,
and Spain. |
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June |
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Event: |
Member Appreciation Event -
Members Only - Annual potluck luncheon and installation of officers |
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Flory Jagoda, "Sephardic
Culture and History as Experienced Through Music" |
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Flory Jagoda provides a historical lecture
journey to a Sephardic community in the small town in Bosnia
where she grew up. Her presentation is highlighted by stories of
daily life in the community and holiday songs, ballads and
romances. Slides of the village and her musical family before
World War II provide a true view of a vanished culture.
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Singer composer Flory Jagoda
maintains one of Judaism's richest cultural traditions through
her performances of authentic as well as original compositions
of Sephardic songs. She was born into the musical Altarac family
in Sarajevo, Bosnia and learned the songs from her grandmother.
Ms. Jagoda is internationally known as The Keeper of the
Flame for her untiring commitment to her family's musical
heritage. In 2002, she was honored with a NEA National Heritage
Fellowship. She serves as a Master Artist in the Folklife
Apprenticeship Program at the Virginia Foundation for the
Humanities. Ms. Jagoda gives lectures and concerts worldwide.
her music is circulated through records and in The Flory
Jagoda Songbook. The Key from Spain, a documentary
about her life has been featured in national and international
film festivals. In 2003, Ms. Jagoda was invited to sing in a
ceremony at Auschwitz, Poland to commemorate the sephardim who
died there during the Holocaust. |
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May |
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Program: |
Bennett Greenspan, "The Role of
DNA in Advancing Genealogical Research" |
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Have you gone as far as you can go
genealogically in your paper search? There is another tool,
i.e., DNA, which can be used effectively to determine
relationships. Bennett Greenspan, President and CEO of Family
Tree DNA, will explain the use of DNA in genealogical research.
Information on how family relationships are determined and what
to do when the paper trail ends will be presented. He will
highlight the science of DNA and what can be tested and learned
from this process. The details of collecting DNA and what you
can learn from the results will be covered. The numbers that are
presented as a result of the testing may be the key to answering
the question of "are we related." Mr. Greenspan will conclude
with a discussion of the future of DNA testing. |
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Bennett Greenspan, an entrepreneur and
life-long genealogy enthusiast, recognized the value of and
potential for genetic genealogy when he encountered a paper
trail roadblock in his own family genealogy. Not willing to be
sidetracked he turned to molecular anthropology to find an
answer to his genealogical dilemma. In 1999, Mr. Greenspan
founded Family Tree DNA, turning a hobby into a full-time
vocation. |
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After the program, Bennett Greenspan
will meet with the participants in the JGSGW DNA Project for a Q&A.
Members are encouraged to bring their test results and questions. |
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April |
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Program: |
Dr. Richard Roth, "A Clueless
Amateur Visits Galicia" |
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In the late spring of 2006, Richard
Roth and his then 13-year old daughter traveled to Poland and the
Ukraine on a very personal search for the ancestral shtetls of Dr.
Roth’s grandparents. They traveled without a group, but at some points
with a guide, for two weeks. The experience was captured in the
photographs and notes he wrote for himself and his family. This program
will explore the preparations, expectations and the experience, as seen
through his eyes.
After the presentation, a panel of JGSGW members who have made shtetl
trips will discuss their experiences, preparation and answer questions
from the audience.
Dr. Richard Roth is an Associate Professor in the Department of Mass
Communication at Franklin Pierce College. He has taught communication
courses in higher education full-time for twenty years. He has also
worked, full-time, in public broadcasting as an associate producer. His
own education has been interdisciplinary, and has always had a liberal
arts underpinning. He spent his sabbatical year in 2005-6 in Ireland and
it was during this time that he decided to pursue his ancestral shtetl
trip. |
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Workshop 1: |
Arline Sachs, "Beginner's
Workshop" |
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Join us for a Beginner's Workshop.
Even if you have been a member of JGSGW for a while you can get back to
basics. Jewish family history does not have to be a mystery. We all
leave a paper trail that can unravel the story of our families for many
generations, across the ocean and into the smallest of shtetls.
Join one of JGSGW's past-presidents, Arline Sachs, for a 2-hour session
jam-packed with resources, helpful hints and motivation. |
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Workshop 2: |
Jonina Duker, "Getting the
Most Out of the JewishGen Website" |
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Participants will look systematically
at the overall JewishGen website. The organized approach will facilitate
participants' ability to navigate among its many current features and to
understand and integrate future offerings without getting overwhelmed.
Jonina Duker wrote JewishGen infofiles on what to do with published and
unpublished research; founded the JewishGen Yiddish Theater and
Vaudeville Research Group; and coordinated the JewishGen translation of
the Minsk yizkor book. |
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Workshop 3: |
Jeff Miller, "Enhancing Your
Research Using the Steve Morse One-Step Portal" |
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Participants will have a chance to
use research their families using the Steve Morse one-step portal. Jeff
Miller will help in the formulation of search strategies.
Jeff has been researching his families for eight years and has found
information about his ancestors arrival in the United States, and
connected with numerous cousins through judicious use of the Steve Morse
one-step portal and other online resources. |
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March |
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Program |
Mike Karsen,
"Write your Family History NOW" |
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We genealogists are very good at
doing research and collecting many facts about our families. For any of
a number of reasons, however, most of us delay publishing the results of
this research. Mike Karsen shows how you can publish your findings in
books that vary from a simple 30 page document to one that contains
detailed biographies and places your family in historical context. Your
goal should be to organize your findings and share them with your family
as soon as possible.
A professional genealogy
speaker/instructor and researcher, Mike Karsen is a member of the
Association of Professional Genealogists (APG), the Genealogical
Speakers Guild (GSG), and the National Genealogical Society (NGS). He
speaks on genealogy topics locally and nationally, teaches classes in
genealogy, and is on the faculty of Newberry Library and the Spertus
Institute of Jewish Studies. Mike has presented at state, national and
international conferences. He is the author of
Chicagoland and has published several articles on genealogy. |
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Workshop: |
Leon Taranto, "Migrations from
Sepharad - Communities in Exile" |
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While Christian Europe struggled
through its Dark Ages, a Jewish Renaissance took root in Islamic Spain
with the Moorish conquest of the Iberian Peninsula in 711. It culminated
in the Golden Age of the Sephardic communities flourishing there over
the next four centuries. This civilization produced such luminaries as
Yehuda Halevi, Abraham Ibn Ezra, Solomon Ibn Gabriol, and the
incomparable Maimonides. With the mid-12th century invasion of the
Almohades, Islamic fanatics who ruthlessly destroyed Jewish communities,
many Sephardim fled to the Christian kingdoms of northern Spain and
Portugal while others left altogether. The expanding kingdoms of
Christian Spain continued as the center for Jewish learning for hundreds
of years, but conversionary pressures in the 13th century gave way to
massacres by the mid and late 14th century. By the end of the 15th
century, the Spain Inquisition, Ferdinand and Isabella's expulsion
decree of 1492, and forced conversions in Portugal forced the Sephardim
to seek refuge across the Mediterranean Basin, and later in the port
cities of western Europe, and even in the Americas. This workshop will
trace their migrations and identify genealogical sources for the
communities they established. |
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February |
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Program |
Iris Posner, "Looking for the Only
Unaccompanied Children Rescued from the Holocaust by America" |
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Between 1934 and 1945, private
American organizations and individuals rescued approximately 1000
unaccompanied children from the Holocaust by bringing them to the U.S.
to be placed with relatives and other foster families. In 2000,
One Thousand Children,
Inc. was formed to find out who these children were, how they were
rescued and resettled, and locate as many as possible. Using archival
materials, the internet and other resources, the names of virtually all
the children have been obtained, and to date, over 500 found. This
presentation is the story of that undertaking.
Iris Posner, a former social science
researcher, is the co-founder and President of One Thousand Children,
Inc. (OTC). As President of OTC, she established the first archives of
materials dedicated to the OTC rescues and co-edited the first book of
memoirs of the OTC children and rescuers, entitled, "Don't Wave
Goodbye." |
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January |
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Program: |
Dr. Miriam Isaacs, "Yiddish
Language and Culture: Understanding the Context of Our Ancestors' Lives" |
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Yiddish was the language spoken and
written by so many of our ancestors. They also immersed themselves in
Yiddish culture even as immigrants to the United States. Our
grandparents/parents spoke Yiddish but most of us no longer speak nor
understand the language except for a few phrases or words. This
presentation will help us to understand better the life our ancestors
lived. Dr. Isaacs will focus on Yiddish cultures as a transnational
culture. She will speak about the history of Yiddish and will then
focus on names, personal and place names and Jewish geography. To get
the most out of the presentation Dr. Isaacs recommends that we read in
advance some Jewish literature, in English translation, which connects
to our families' places of origin, e.g. Sholom Aleichem stories
Miriam Isaacs holds a Ph.D. in Linguistics from Cornell University. She
is currently a visiting associate professor in Yiddish Language and
Culture. Dr. Isaacs is a native speaker of Yiddish and was born in
Germany in a displaced persons camp. She has translated her father's
and stepmother's memoirs and hopes to publish them. She has published
some personal essays as well as many academic articles and lectured both
nationally and internationally. |
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Workshop: |
Jeff Miller, "Internet Research:
Making the Most of the Steve Morse Website" |
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Participants will learn about the
one-step utilities available at the Steve Morse site, and will see a
demonstration of their use for personal research. |
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