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Past Programs - 2017
The following
programs and workshops were held in 2017; they are shown here so that
you may view the range of activities of JGSGW.
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January |
Sunday, January 8, 2017 |
Location:
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B'nai Israel,
Rockville, MD - Fanaroff Hall
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Workshop: |
Workshop (members only) (preregistration not required) |
Time: |
11:00 AM - Noon |
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As a
follow-up to the many thought-provoking questions that surfaced at our
December movie and program, we have asked our member and resident expert,
Jonina Duker to provide an in-depth dialogue on the subject of the B’nai
Anusim. Join us for what promises to be a most enriching workshop.
Throughout Jewish history, communities set up funds to redeem Jews captured
by oppressors; money redeemed captives. In our time, learning – specifically
genealogical knowledge – has become the means by which many descendants of
Jews forcibly converted in Spain and Portugal centuries ago are being
redeemed. Many such descendants now call themselves B’nai Anusim, Children
of the Forced Ones. These descendants have a phrase, “the blood calls”, to
describe how their Jewish souls find their way back to the mainstream of the
Jewish people. Topics include the history of the phenomenon; relevant DNA
studies; the differing experiences of Portuguese descendants in New England
(northeastern United States) and Spanish descendants in the Southwest
(United States); and stories of individuals’ journeys back to Jewish
identity.
Jonina Duker (Taibel bas Rachel Leah
v'Shlomo Yehoshua) presented at many IAJGS and other conferences. She
teaches genealogy, basic Judaism, history, literature, liturgy, text in
translation, and history. She helped found Kulanu (www.kulanu.org)
which reaches out to lost and dispersed Jewish communities and helped B’nai
Anusim research their background. She attended Yad Vashem's Judaic Educators
seminar and volunteers for the Names Recovery Project. She wrote JewishGen
infofiles, founded its Yiddish Theater and Vaudeville Research group, and
co-ordinated the Minsk yizkor book translation project. She contributed to
Avotaynu and other publications. Jonina has been an active member of JGSGW
since 1988. |
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Program: |
"Get them to say YES: Contacting
reluctant relatives, making cold calls, and how to use stories,
photos, and DNA to enhance your family tree"
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Time: |
1:00 PM - Maven Table and Schmooze
1:30 PM - Short Business Meeting, Announcements,
and Program
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Speaker: Mindie Kaplan (Click
here for Bio)
The first thing most people think of when
interviewing relatives is how many names, dates, or places that person can
provide. I turn that idea on its head to get "reluctant" relatives and
previously unknown relatives to get excited about being a part of YOUR
family tree. This lecture provides a series of concrete techniques for
reaching out to relatives, including those who are reluctant to meet with a
stranger, and provides examples of research successes to inspire and
encourage people to expand their research in new areas. I will be discussing
how to locate previously unknown relatives and prepare for meetings that
will get people to participate and even want to provide DNA samples. It will
also discuss why genealogists should be interested in adding stories,
photos, and DNA to their family trees. |
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Sunday, February 12, 2017 |
Location:
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Beth El Hebrew Congregation, Alexandria |
Program: |
“Debunking the Three Myths of Jewish Genealogy” |
Time: |
1:00 PM Schmooze and Mavens Table
1:30 PM Meeting and Program |
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Speaker:
Irene Hantman (bio) |
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For generations, three persistent myths
have needlessly blocked people from researching their Jewish ancestors:
• No one is left who knows anything about our family.
• All the records were destroyed in the Holocaust.
• Our surname was changed at Ellis Island.
Irene’s light-hearted presentation puts these ideas to
rest and illustrates some surprising findings waiting to be discovered.
If you are just beginning your research, the talk will reinforce your
decision, boost your confidence, and perhaps give you some ideas about
the path you are taking. If you have some experience under your belt,
you will enjoy this fresh look at how to think about your research. And
if you have pondered giving talks to other organizations, consider
stealing the template for this presentation. |
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Workshop: |
Beginner's Workshop (members only) |
Time: |
3:00 - 5:00 PM |
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Do you need some help in finding your ancestral home and
family? On Feb 12 , there will be a Beginners workshop of 5
experts to help you on your way. The format is arranged for personal
contacts in small groups.
The workshop
sessions will cover "Getting Started” - An Overall View, Online
Resources, DNA, JGSGW library resources, and Local and National
resources.
If not already a member, you may join at any time
before Feb 7.
Register as soon as possible. Membership information
is available at: http://www.jgsgw.org/membership.html.
Registration is limited to 20 and needs to be done in advance. To
register via email, click here:
Register by Feb 7. There is no charge for this
workshop but you must be a member of JGSGW to take advantage of this
opportunity. |
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March |
Sunday, March 5, 2017 |
Location:
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B'nai Israel,
Rockville, MD - Fanaroff Hall
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Workshop: |
Workshop - Remembering and Preserving the Architecture of Lithuanian
Synagogues (members only) |
Time: |
11:00 AM - Noon |
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Speaker: Aurimas Širvys
(click
here
for bio)
During the Second World War, many of the synagogues of
Lithuania and Eastern Europe were destroyed. After the war, the new Soviet
regimes typically “re-purposed” surviving synagogue buildings. Following the
collapse of the Soviet Union, there has been a growing interest in Lithuania
in restoring surviving historical buildings, including synagogues, churches,
and manor houses. Aurimas Širvys has studied the architecture of such
buildings and assisted groups seeking to restore them. He has also
researched the architecture of Lithuania’s destroyed synagogues and has
created two- and three-dimensional representations of these “lost”
synagogues that have been exhibited in Lithuania. In his presentation, Mr.
Širvys will discuss what he has discovered in his on-going study the
architectural history of synagogues in Lithuania and neighboring countries.
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Program: |
Finding Genealogical Gems in the
Historical Record
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Time: |
1:00 PM - Maven Table and Schmooze
1:30 PM - Short Business Meeting, Announcements,
and Program
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Speaker:
Dr.
Caroline Friedman: PhD
(click
here
for bio)
Census data, vital records, and immigration
records provide useful information to genealogists. Other types of
historical sources can being a historical period to life and make ancestors
and their lives (even seemingly uneventful lives) more meaningful to
researchers and their families. Newspapers, organizational records, local
ephemera, legal and even penal records all reveal details of day-to-day
experiences that bring dry facts to life. However, the volume and sometimes
inaccessible nature of these sources can be a challenge to researchers. Dr.
Friedman will discuss the range of historical sources available, share
techniques for finding little known resources, and discuss ways to integrate
this information into your research. |
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March |
Sunday, March 19, 2017 |
Location:
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Bender Jewish Community Center, Rockville, MD |
Program: |
A Place Where
Our Family Lived - Genealogy at the Jewish Historical Institute in
Warsaw |
Time: |
2:30 PM |
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Speaker:
Noam Silberberg
of the Jewish Historical Institute, Warsaw, Poland
For over twenty years, the Jewish Genealogy & Family Heritage Center at the
Emanuel Ringelblum Jewish Historical Institute in Warsaw has been assisting
families from all over the world to discover their roots in Poland and offer
a new point of view on the family story. During the presentation Mr.
Silberberg will give a brief history of the institute and his department’s
work, discuss myths and obstacles in genealogical research in Poland and how
it may be possible to overcome them.
Open to the
public, courtesy of the Heckman Fund. No guest or membership fee required.
To donate to the fund, visit our website by clicking
here. |
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May |
Sunday, May 7, 2017
NOTE LOCATION AND TIME CHANGE |
Location:
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Temple Beth Ami, Rockville
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Time: |
2:00 PM High Tea and
Treats w/ Maven’s Table |
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MEMBER CONTRIBUTIONS TO HIGH TEA AND TREATS - see
Last Name letter below
(Dairy Only)
A - H: Cake, cookies, brownies
I – R: Finger sandwiches, shmears & crackers
S – Z : Chip & dips, nuts, candies
Beverages will be provided by JGSGW
This event will replace the June luncheon we have held previously
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Program: |
“DNA Matching on MyHeritage – Where Genealogy
and Genetics Meet” |
Time: |
2:45 PM |
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Speaker: Daniel Horowitz (bio) |
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MyHeritage has launched an affordable,
easy-to-use DNA home testing kit that can reveal valuable family history
information and tell you more about your origins. MyHeritage DNA
provides two main features:
• The DNA Matching service enables those who use the MyHeritage DNA test
— or who have tested through other services — to enjoy MyHeritage’s
exceptional matching capabilities, displaying the possible relationship
between you and the other person. You can view your DNA Match tree or
profile, and make contact to exchange information and collaborate on
your research.
• A detailed ethnicity reports were you can see the percentage of your
DNA that comes from different populations around the world displayed in
a list or a world map, together with your family events. |
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June |
Sunday, June 11, 2017 |
Location:
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B'nai Israel, Rockville,
MD - Fanaroff Hall
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Workshop: |
Karen S. Franklin,
“Strategies for German Jewish Research” |
Time: |
11:00 AM |
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Join us in a
workshop in which Karen will share new strategies for German Jewish
research – online resources, accessible databases and trees, dna
updates, and how to find researchers in Germany in the towns your family
came from; also, how to find material on the Leo Baeck Institute’s
DigiBaeck online collections, what to do if you don’t know where your
family came from, and new plans for the GERSIG web site on JewishGen.
This is a members-only workshop. No
reservation required.
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Program:
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“The
Stedman Story: Mystery, Intrigue, Adoption and DNA – Jewish Genealogy
Strategies Unravel a Family Mystery” |
Time: |
1:30 PM |
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Speaker: Karen S. Franklin (bio)
Five years ago, Karen Franklin was hired
to organize the papers of Jon Stedman (1933-2009). Analysis of John’s
papers and a description of strategies developed to move forward on the
project highlighted the changing nature of family history research. This
is a true life story involving mystery, bigamy, adoption and DNA. The
secretive life of Jesse Oppenheimer, alias John Stedman (1887-1950) was
unraveled using family research techniques that are useful to all
genealogists. Though his DNA was tested in 2001, an upgrade in 2013
helped an adopted child find her birth mother, and a child conceived by
in-vitro fertilization almost 40 years ago, who is now working to find
his birth father. |
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