Sunday, November 15, 1pm Pacific
Speaker: Alan Shuchat
Tracing a Family from Brooklyn to “Russia” – Step by Step
Description: How can a researcher begin with only a few names from “Russia” and family gravestones—and reconstruct a family’s journey across continents and generations?
Using his own family as a case study, Alan Shuchat will demonstrate a systematic, step-by-step approach to tracing Jewish ancestors from the United States back to the Russian Empire. Beginning with records created in New York, he will follow a trail of clues through London, Antwerp, Talnoye, Bremen, Philadelphia, Odessa, Jaffa, and Jerusalem.
Along the way, participants will learn how to move beyond searchable indexes to locate and interpret original record images; recognize names obscured by spelling variations and indexing errors; evaluate conflicting dates and places; and use each discovery to identify the next logical research step.
The presentation will feature U.S. and Ukrainian census records, naturalization and draft documents, marriage records, passenger manifests, special inquiry records, Russian consular files, an immigrant ship ticket, a passport application, archival records from Palestine, and cemetery documentation from New York and Jerusalem. It will also show how familiar genealogical websites can be combined with lesser-known databases, archival collections, maps, and cemetery resources to solve difficult research problems—and even investigate a long-standing family mystery.
So get your list of documents and questions ready, so you can learn how to use these techniques to trace your family back to your ancestral roots.
About Alan Shuchat
Alan Shuchat is a retired professor of mathematics who has been researching his family history for several decades. An active member of the Jewish Genealogical Society of Greater Boston, he coordinates its Ukraine Special Interest Group and teaches in the society’s annual genealogy course. He has presented at IAJGS conferences and other venues on Jewish migration patterns, locating records from the Russian Empire, and the history of Jewish agricultural colonies. He has also contributed to translation projects for JewishGen databases.
Non-members pay $5.00 Zoom link will be sent the week of the event. Members automatically receive a Zoom link.
Sunday, December 13, 11am Pacific
Speaker: Avrohom Krauss
Beyond Your Shtetl: Advanced Landsmanshaft Research
Description: You know your hometown. You have researched European ancestors. What is next?
Move beyond your shtetl! Our ancestors were not static; they frequently moved.
Family branches spread out beyond known territory. How to recover missing pieces of the family puzzle? Become a shtel maven! This presentation will show, through examples, how to integrate your information and connect “sister” towns using the “town triangulation” technique.
Triangulating towns is the idea of identifying and connecting towns that were homologous, that is, communities sharing structural or functional similarities. Our ancestors did not live in a vacuum, in one solitary location. They were part of a larger territorial network. A landsmanshaft name therefore should not simply point us to one isolated shtetl but to a cluster of interconnected communities. For ultimate success in shtetl research, we must, at times, adjust our approach by ‘moving the goalposts’-beyond our respective shtetls. Here we show how.
About Avrohom Krauss
Avrohom Krauss is a Jewish educator, genealogist, writer and speaker, specializing in landsmanshaftn and underutilized resources. He is the creator of CAHJP Landsmanshaft Inventory and the Philadelphia Landsmanshaftn Inventory. His articles have appeared in Avotaynu, Dorot and Gesher Galicia. Topics include landsmanshaftn, immigration, relief organizations, vital records, the Hebrew calendar and name changes. Krauss is a frequent presenter at IAJGS conferences and at regional JGS societies. He has featured on the Ordinary Extraordinary Cemeteries and on the Yeshiva of Newark-On Principle podcasts. A native of Elizabeth, NJ, Avrohomresides in Telz-Stone, Israel.
Non-members pay $5.00 Zoom link will be sent the week of the event. Members automatically receive a Zoom link.
Sunday, January 10,
1pm Pacific
Speaker: Hailey Thompson and Guest appearance Alex Krakovsky
Utilizing Ukrainian Genealogy Tools
Description: Ukrainian research can be complicated due to record loss, record access issues, language barriers, and more. This class will use a case study to show
not only what resources to use, but how and when to apply them to your Ukrainian Jewish research. Attendees will be equipped with a deeper understanding of the research process, as well as specific tools and resources for finding documents and interpreting them. The class will include a focus on the collections provided by Alex Krakovsky. Study materials will be available a few weeks before the presentation. Alex Krakovsky shares the Ukrainian Archives Project Updates, recently scanned collections, towns, districts, and regions for which additional material has become available; the effect of the war on archives, preservation, and access; and priorities and plans for the next stages of the project.
We invite you to submit a question to Alex in advance at Membership@scjgs.org
About Hailey Thompson
Hailey Thompson is an accredited genealogist who specializes in Eastern European research. Hailey received a bachelor’s degree in Family History and Genealogy from BYU, with a minor in linguistics. Her passion is teaching others about tools and tactics that make genealogy accessible for everyone. When Hailey is not digging into family stories, she enjoys playing the piano, trying out new recipes, and most of all, spending time with her husband and son.
About Alex Krakovsky
Alex was born in Kyiv in 1982. Alex Krakovsky is one of the most influential figures in modern Jewish genealogy. Most notable is his goal to digitize and publish online all of the Jewish records in Ukraine. He has spent years in Ukrainian archives finding previously unknown Jewish list made available by taking the government to court using the Freedom information act. He has won many lawsuits with Ukrainian archives to make records open and available to everyone.
Non-members pay $5.00 Zoom link will be sent the week of the event. Members automatically receive a Zoom link.
Sunday, February 7, 1pm Pacific
Speaker: Dr. Adina Newman, EdD
More Than Just Browsing: Best Practices In Using A Chromosome Browser
Description: You have heard about the merits of a chromosome browser. But what is it? Where can you access it? How does it work? If you have ever had questions related to chromosome browsers, this presentation is for you! Topics will include the purpose of a chromosome browser, how to utilize it at the major commercial testing and third-party sites, when to use it, and best chromosome browser practices in your genealogical research. Case studies will illustrate the practical benefits of using a chromosome browser effectively.
About Adina Newman
Dr. Adina Newman, EdD, the creator of My Family Genie, is a professional genealogist and educator. Her specialties include Jewish genealogy, genetic genealogy, social media, and New England, and she presents on these topics in a variety of venues, from major genealogy conferences to local genealogy societies. Her findings have received international media attention, such as mentions in The Daily Mail, Washington Post, AP News, TODAY, People, and The Times of Israel, and she has made appearances on several news outlets such as NPR and I24NEWS. She co-founded the Holocaust Reunion Project, a program to raise awareness about the
potential of DNA testing within the Holocaust survivor community and provide survivors and their children with commercial DNA tests. She volunteers as a Team Lead for the DNA Doe Project, which uses investigative genetic genealogy to identify unidentified deceased persons and as a moderator for a popular Jewish genetic genealogy Facebook group. She was also a 2020 recipient of the AncestryProGenealogists scholarship.
Non-members pay $5.00 Zoom link will be sent the week of the event. Members automatically receive a Zoom link.
Sunday, March 21, 1pm Pacific
Speaker: Alec Ferretti
Novel NYC Records
Description:
Explore the wealth of lesser-known New York City records that can uncover details about your ancestors unavailable in traditional genealogical sources. Beyond vital records, censuses, and passenger lists, New York City’s government agencies, courts, schools, and other institutions created an enormous variety of records documenting the lives of ordinary New Yorkers. Many of these collections remain underutilized by genealogists, and some are not readily accessible online.
This presentation examines a wide range of overlooked sources, including voter registration and election records, public school records, medical examiner and coroner files, marriage contracts, civil-service and municipal employment records, court proceedings and district attorney files, property and land records, and other specialized municipal collections. These records can reveal previously unknown family relationships, residential addresses, occupations, employers, educational histories, financial circumstances, causes and circumstances of death, and encounters with the city’s legal and administrative systems.
Learn how to identify which records may have been created for your ancestors, determine which agencies and repositories hold them today, and navigate the procedures for requesting access. The presentation will also explore practical research strategies for locating records that are unindexed, undigitized, restricted, or otherwise difficult to obtain, including the use of archival finding aids and New York’s Freedom of Information Law (FOIL). Through examples, discover how these unconventional sources can help solve genealogical mysteries, fill gaps in family histories, and reconstruct the everyday experiences of New Yorkers across generations.
About Alec Ferretti
Alec Ferretti is a New-York-City-based professional genealogist, who has worked for the Wells Fargo Family & Business History Center, researching family histories for high net worth clients. Alec specializes in the history of 20th century immigrants to the United States, focusing on the Italian Diaspora. He is a regular lecturer at genealogical societies and conferences. He serves as the President of the New York Genealogy & Technology Group, serves actively on the Board of Directors of the Association of Professional Genealogists, and on the Board of Reclaim the Records, a nonprofit dedicated to wrangling public records from obstinate government agencies.
Non-members pay $5.00 Zoom link will be sent the week of the event. Members automatically receive a Zoom link.