| January |
Sunday,
January 10, 2016 |
| Location:
|
|
|
Workshop: |
Beginner's Workshop (members only) |
| Time: |
10:00 AM - Noon |
| |
The workshop starts with an
introduction to Jewish genealogy, beginning with basic guidelines and
strategies. Participants will then have small group sessions with four
different experts, covering DNA, online resources, local and national
resources, and the holdings of the JGSGW library at B'nai Israel. Attendees
will be given a copy of the JGSGW publication “Jump-Start Your Jewish
Genealogy Research: A Beginner’s Guide.”
The workshop is open FREE to members of JGSGW. Nonmembers may join JGSGW in
advance of the workshop and participate in the workshop if space is
available. The workshop will be limited to 20 enrollees. To register, email
- A great start for the novice...
-
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. |
|
Workshop: |
Private DNA Consultations (members only) |
| Time: |
11:00 AM - Noon |
| |
Leader: Bennett Greenspan
At the December 13 meeting, we will conduct a lottery among those
present to fill 4 private DNA consultations with Bennett Greenspan. |
|
Program: |
The DNA of the Jewish People
|
|
Location:
|
|
|
Time: |
1:00 PM - Maven Table and Schmooze
1:30 PM - Short Business Meeting, Announcements,
and Program
|
 |
Speaker:
Bennett Greenspan
Over the past few
decades, an attempt has been made to discredit Ashkenazi Jews by saying that
they are not descended from the historical Israelites of the Fertile
Crescent. For example, in “The Thirteenth Tribe” from 1976, Arthur Koestler
attempted to show that Ashkenazim descend from Khazars who converted to
Judaism prior to their migration into Eastern Europe. Other books and papers
published since then offer the same theory. In this presentation, Mr.
Greenspan will discuss the impact that direct-to-consumer DNA testing for
ancestry and genealogy has on the discussion.
Entrepreneur and genealogy enthusiast Bennett Greenspan founded Family Tree
DNA in 2000, the first company in the world to develop DNA testing for
ancestry and genealogical purposes as a commercial application. A Nebraska
native and University of Texas graduate, Mr. Greenspan’s business experience
includes photo-imaging/industrial photography and commercial real estate.
|
| |
|
|
| February |
Sunday, February
14, 2016 |
| Location:
|
|
|
Workshop: |
Workshop - Assisted Research (members only) |
| Time: |
11:00 AM - 12:30 PM |
| |
Have you hit a brick wall? Are you
struggling with organizing your research? Pre-register to meet with one of
our mavens on a one-on-one basis for up to one hour.
To register, email
Provide your name and a description (up to 50 words) of your problem,
question, or issues. Please do not send family trees or pictures, but feel
free to bring those with you if they relate to your research quandary.
Deadline for submission is February 1, 2016. Space is limited.
This is a members-only workshop. Pre-registration by February 1st is
required as described above. Please arrive at 10:45 for check-in – the
workshop will begin promptly at 11:00. Those who are not JGSGW members and
wish to participate in the workshop must join before February 1st and submit
the information about their question or problem, as described above by the
submission deadline. Dues may be paid online at the JGSGW website, or by
check; instructions at: http://www.jgsgw.org/membership.html
|
|
Brown-bag lunch |
12:30 PM - 1:00 PM
Bring your own dairy sandwich. JGSGW will provide beverages and
dessert. |
|
Program: |
Exploring the FamilySearch Website
|
|
Location:
|
|
|
Time: |
1:00 PM - Maven Table and Schmooze
1:30 PM - Short Business Meeting, Announcements,
and Program
|
 |
Speaker: Carol Kostakos Petranek
(click
here
for bio)
FamilySearch.org is the world's largest free
family history website. It is the repository of millions of U.S. and foreign
records. It also has a research wiki, a robust family tree, free online
classes, and social media connections. This presentation will give an
overview of the FamilySearch website, how to search its contents, and how to
access its many genealogical resources. Among the resources to be discussed
is the Knowles Collection, a quickly growing, free online Jewish genealogy
database linking generations of Jewish families from all over the world.
|
| |
|
|
| March |
Sunday, March
6, 2016 |
|
Location: |
|
|
Program: |
JewishGen’s JOWBR and The Importance of Jewish Burial Records
|
|
Time: |
1:00 PM - Maven Table and Schmooze
1:30 PM - Short Business Meeting, Announcements,
and Program
|
 |
Speakers: Nolan Altman (bio),
introduced by Rand Fishbein (bio) |
JewishGen is one of the most important
websites for those researching their Jewish roots. This presentation
will explore the JewishGen Online Worldwide Burial Registry (JOWBR), a
unique and important resource. Jewish headstone inscriptions and burial
records can provide crucial information to genealogists. Hebrew name
inscriptions, based on patronymics, can link together two generations of
Hebrew names unlike any other source document. This can be especially
helpful when trying to link first generation American ancestors to their
European families.
The JewishGen Communities Database contains information about 6,000
Jewish communities in Europe, North Africa, and the Middle East. This
database contains each community's name in various languages, and
political jurisdictions during different time periods. It is not
uncommon for our ancestors to reference their birthplace or residence
using the common Yiddish name. Use of this database enables the
researcher to correlate the Yiddish reference to the politically correct
name in the appropriate timeframe.
KehilaLinks (formerly "ShtetLinks") is a project facilitating web pages
commemorating the places where Jews have lived. KehilaLinks provides the
opportunity for anyone with an interest in a place to create web pages
about that community. These web pages may contain information, pictures,
databases, and links to other sources providing data about that place.
All information on KehilaLinks pages is provided by JewishGen
volunteers. Each site is the responsibility of the individual site owner
and each is unique in its content. |
|
| April |
Sunday, April 3, 2016 |
| Location: |
|
|
Workshop: |
Beginner's Jewish Genealogy Workshop: "Climbing Your Family Tree" |
| Time: |
10:00 AM to Noon |
| |
The workshop starts with an introduction to Jewish genealogy, beginning with
basic guidelines and strategies. Participants will then have small group
sessions with four different experts, covering DNA, online resources, local
and national resources, and the holdings of the JGSGW library at B'nai
Israel. Attendees will be given a copy of the JGSGW publication “Jump-Start
Your Jewish Genealogy Research: A Beginner’s Guide.”
The workshop is open FREE to members of JGSGW. Nonmembers may join JGSGW in
advance of the workshop and participate in the workshop if space is
available. The workshop will be limited to 20 enrollees.
Send registration requests to
|
| |
|
|
Program: |
Genealogy Software: Choosing the Right One for You
|
|
Time: |
1:00 PM - Maven Table and Schmooze
1:30 PM - Short Business Meeting, Announcements,
and Program
|
| |
Discussion Leaders: Bruce Brown and
Joanne Stone Wyman |
| |
Genealogy software gives researchers
unprecedented opportunities to organize, share, and protect their data.
But what are the options, and which should you choose?
Our program will begin with a webinar produced by the New England
Historic Genealogical Society. The genealogy programs that are discussed
are: Ancestral Quest, Brother's Keeper, Heredis, iFamily, Legacy,
MacFamilyTree, Reunion, and RootsMagic. The webinar teaches how to
select the software that is right for the individual and how to transfer
files from the old program to the new program.
Emphasis is on:
• The software interface –what does the computer screen look like for
each
• How does the software handle the essential functions – data entry,
individual and family views, and reporting
• How do I move files to a new program – challenges and cautions
The webinar will be followed by a lively discussion and questions. A
handout will be provided. |
|
| May |
Sunday,
May 15, 2016 |
|
Location:
|
|
|
Program: |
Exploring Ukraine Research and the
Ukraine SIG
|
|
Time: |
1:00 PM - Maven Table and Schmooze
1:30 PM - Short Business Meeting, Announcements,
and Program
|
 |
Speaker:
Janette Silverman, Ph.D.
(click here for bio)
Learn
how UkraineSIG assists researchers in overcoming the challenges of research
in the Ukraine and Ukrainian archives. We will explore the resources of
UkraineSIG, keys to interpreting notes on its webpages, talk about current
projects, and provide insights to discovering your family history.
BONUS UPDATE on the Seattle 2016 International Conference on Jewish
Genealogy. |
|
| May 16 |
Monday, May 16, 2016
Free and open to the public |
|
Location:
|
The Hebraic Section of the African
and Middle Eastern Division, The Library of Congress, and the Jewish
Genealogy Society of Greater Washington, in celebration of
Jewish-American Heritage Month present a lecture by Dr. Janette
Silverman.
Library of Congress, The African and Middle Eastern
Division Reading Room
LJ220, Thomas Jefferson Building (second Floor), 10 First Street, SE
Metro: Capital South
|
|
Program: |
“The
Blumenthals of the Upper-Lower Peninsula of Michigan”
|
|
Time: |
12 Noon - 1:00 PM Note: allow
time to clear security.
|
|
|
Speaker:
Janette Silverman, Ph.D.
(click here for bio)
In 1882
the first of three Blumenthal brothers left the Duchy of Courland,
today part of western
Latvia, bound for the United States. Within just a few years, all
three brothers, Sam, Philip and Barney, were living in Michigan and
traveling as peddlers. Ultimately they all settled in West Branch,
Michigan and opened the first dry goods store. By 1895, brother
Sam had moved, with his wife to Standish, in Arenac County. There
Sam established another dry goods store. Sam and his family moved to
the Detroit area by 1920 and within a generation, his descendants no
longer had contact with the Blumenthals of West Branch and Standish.
Within two generations, his grandchildren did not know that the
family had ever been in West Branch. We will explore the history of
the family and the resources used to reconnect the Blumenthals of
Detroit with those who remained in Standish and West Branch.
|
|
| June |
Sunday,
June 5, 2016 |
|
Location:
|
|
|
Program: |
Member Appreciation Luncheon
(members only, no guests)
|
|
Time: |
11:45 - Schmooze &
Luncheon
|
 |
Program, Part One: Kreplach & Dim Sum: Yes,
There are Jews in China
Speaker:
Cantor Robin Helzner (bio)
In this lively multimedia
presentation, renowned vocalist and storyteller Robyn Helzner shares
stories, photos, video, and music to explore the extraordinary history of
the Jewish communities in Beijing, Hong Kong, Shanghai and Kaifeng, and
traces their emergence as the fastest growing Jewish region in the world
today. Robyn served as the Cantor for the United Jewish Congregation of Hong
Kong and officiated at the first bar Mitzvah celebrated in Beijing, China.
|
| |
Program, Part Two: Up
a Tree: The Genealogy Game Show
All attendees are welcome to participate in Up a Tree: The Genealogy Game
Show. Two teams will compete to see which can guess the most popular answer
to a variety of interesting genealogy questions. There will be prizes! |
|
| September |
Sunday,
September 11, 2016 |
|
Workshop: |
Ron Arons: Finding Living People on the Internet |
| Time: |
11:00 AM |
| |
This talk will discuss the many
categories of websites that can be used to track down or discover living
relatives, including: professions, people directories, court records,
government records, “aggregation” websites, and, of course, social
networking websites. Using these websites synergistically can provide even
better search results.
The workshop is free to members of JGSGW. Nonmembers may join JGSGW in
advance of the workshop and participate in the workshop if space is
available. No preregistration is required. |
|
Program: |
What's in a Name? Trouble!
|
|
Location:
|
|
|
Time: |
1:00 PM
Schmoose and Mavens Table
1:30 PM Meeting and Program
|
 |
Speaker: Ron
Arons (bio) |
|
Ron will use the Genealogical Proof Standard to show how
identities can be merged and separated. In this example, five
individuals, all with the same name, all born in the same general
timeframe, and all living in the same place where one of the individuals
lived or claimed to live, all found trouble, either in business or with
women. Is this possible? If so, how? It defies probability and
statistics. A fun set of stories about multiple unrelated men who just
happened to share the same name and fate (trouble). |
|
| October |
Sunday,
October 9, 2016
|
|
Location:
|
|
|
Program: |
"Ask the Experts"
|
|
Time: |
1:00 PM - Maven Table and Schmooze
1:30 PM - Short Business Meeting, Announcements,
and Program
|
| |
Stuck behind a “brick wall” in your research? Come find out why “Ask the
Experts” is one of JGSGW’s most popular programs! Experienced genealogists
will answer audience questions on research methodology, finding records and
resources, and interpreting evidence. |
| |
|
|
| November |
Sunday,
November 13, 2016 |
| Program: |
36th Anniversary Celebration
|
| Location:
|
B'nai Israel, Rockville, MD -
Gudelsky Hall
|
| Time: |
1:00 PM - 4:00 PM
Attendance is by pre-registration only. |
 |
Speaker:
Arthur Kurzweil (click
here for Bio)
Genealogy as a Spiritual
Pilgrimage
Arthur Kurzweil is known
as America's foremost expert in Jewish genealogical research. You will be
moved and amazed by his humorous, emotional, eye-opening presentation on how
and why Jews of all ages can successfully climb their Jewish family trees.
His groundbreaking book From Generation to Generation has inspired
many to pursue the rewards and importance of Jewish genealogical research.
JGSGW will honor our Founder and First President, Sallyann Amdur Sack-Pikus.
Three course luncheon -Catering by Alan Weiss under the kosher supervision
of the Star K and the Rabbinical Council of Greater Washington.
JGSGW members $36; non-members/guests $50.
|
|
| December |
Sunday,
December 4,
2016
|
|
Location:
|
B'nai Israel,
Rockville, MD - Fanaroff Hall
|
|
Workshop: |
“Climbing Your Family Tree: A Beginners Workshop” |
|
Time:
|
10:00 AM - Noon |
|
|
The workshop starts with an introduction
to Jewish genealogy, beginning with basic guidelines and strategies.
Participants will then have small group sessions with four different
experts, covering DNA, online resources, local and national resources,
and the holdings of the JGSGW library at B'nai Israel. Attendees will be
given a copy of the JGSGW publication “Jump-Start Your Jewish Genealogy
Research: A Beginner’s Guide.”
The workshop is open FREE to members of JGSGW. Nonmembers may join JGSGW
in advance of the workshop and participate in the workshop if space is
available. The workshop will be limited to 20 enrollees. Register by email to
JGSGW.
|
|
Program: |
"Children of
the Inquisition," a documentary film in production
|
|
Time: |
1:00 PM - Maven Table and Schmooze
1:30 PM - Short Business Meeting, Announcements,
and Program
|
| |
Speaker: Joseph Lowett, Producer |
|
|
JGSGW is pleased to have been invited to
host a screening and discussion panels with already edited clips from
“Children of the Inquisition,” a 2 hour documentary film, immersive
website, and educational outreach project that unearths 500 years of
hidden history. The project looks at what happened to the families
forced to convert to Catholicism or flee during the Spanish and
Portuguese Inquisitions through the eyes of their contemporary
descendants. Many of them are just discovering their often nuanced
Jewish roots. Individual and family journeys blur the boundaries between
the personal and historical in revealing the once masked identities that
these Inquisitions forced from the ensuing diaspora. The discoveries of
these flights to safety allow our characters access to a fuller
understanding of how their lives were shaped by a perilous history.
This project has completed 6 years of shooting in 12 cities spanning 4
continents. Principal photography is complete and the producers are
fundraising to finish the edit on the broadcast film. “ Children of the
Inquisition” is more than just a film. It’s an opportunity to better
understand our complex world and identities.
|
|
|
|
|
|
