Past meeting topics and handouts

Past meeting topics and handouts:

Michael Brenner of the Jewish Genealogical Society of Southern Nevada spoke about the upcoming IAJGS conference in Las Vegas in July. (4/2005)

Alice Gould spoke about the Jewish Cemeteries of Newark, NJ. (3/2005)

Bette Epstein from the New Jersey State Archives in Trenton spoke about the Genealogical Records in the archives. (11/2004)

Linda Cantor and Lucille Gudis spoke about their trip to Ukraine. (10/2004)

We discussed "Hitting a Brick Wall", and watched the movie "The Sweetest Sound". (8/2004)

Gary Mokotoff, co-owner of Avotaynu and a member of JGSBCNJ, discussed some very exciting books that Avotaynu will be publishing in 2004. (6/2004)

Arnie Lang talked about Searching Ellis Island Online Records. (4/2004)

Estelle Guzik, spoke on Naturalization Records. The lecture included HIAS (Hebrew Immigrant Aid Society) , and the IRO (Industrial Removal Office). (3/2004)

Karen Franklin spoke on German Jewish Genealogy. (2/2004)

An intimate discussion built around pictures, letters, postcards or household items. (1/2004)

Myrna and Paul Lewis discussed "Genealogy on the Cutting Edge: A presentation on the use of DNA testing for genealogical research." (11/2003)

Janet Isenberg spoke about 'Jewish Cemetery Research'. The talk discussed the Jewish cemeteries of Bergen County and what you need to know when doing research at them. Also covered was what you need to know when visiting cemeteries around the world. (10/2003) See our Fall 2003 newsletter for a recap of this lecture.

John Celardo, an archivist at the National Archives, talked about census records, passenger lists manifests, and naturalization records. (9/2003)

Roundtable discussion on different genealogy software programs. (6/2003)

Anna Olswanger spoke on "Jewish Ethical Wills: From Family History to Fiction" (5/2003)

Warren Blatt spoke on an "Introduction to Polish-Jewish Genealogical Research". The lecture included information on the border changes for Poland, Belarus, and Lithuania. (4/2003) Click here for more information

Edward Rosenbaum talked about "A beginners guide to Jewish Genealogy". We learned how the information in one document can help you find other pieces of information. (3/2003)

Ask the experts. Our panel included Gary Mokotoff, Michael Schutzel, and Edward Rosenbaum. (2/2003)

Rhoda Miller talked about 'Untangling the Web: Learn pathways through the maze of the Internet to enable you to trace the people, places, and social history of your family.' (1/2003) Click here for more information

Mark Halpern talked about "Jewish Records Indexing (JRI-Poland): 1,800,000 record indices and more". (12/2002) See our Winter 2003 newsletter for a recap of this lecture.

John Celardo of NARA (National Archives and Records Administration) discussed the 1930 census. (11/2002) See our Winter 2003 newsletter for a recap of this lecture.

Michael Schutzel talked about using the resources of the Family History Center in Emerson. We discussed what is there, where can you find it, and what you should bring with you. (10/2002)

Gary Mokotoff spoke on "Using the resources available from Avotaynu to help you research your ancestors". (7/2002)

Edward Rosenbaum spoke on using the resources of the Belarus SIG website to find your Belorussian ancestors, and locate their shtetls. (6/2002)

We had a "Sharing and learning session". Members talked about one of their family members who immigrated to this country and presented a case study on how they uncovered their information.   The membership then offered suggestions on how to get beyond any roadblocks. (5/2002)

Gary Mokotoff spoke on "Holocaust research; how to document victims and locate survivors of the Holocaust." (4/2002)

Barbara Krasner-Khait talked about "One Family--Connecting through Jewish Genealogy." (3/2002)

Janet Isenberg spoke about “Research at the New York Public Library”. The New York Public Library houses one of the largest genealogical and local history collections open to the public in this country. Janet discussed what is there, where can you find it, and what you should bring with you.   (2/2002)

John W. Konvalinka spoke on "The Use of Computers and The Internet in Genealogical Research". This was part 2 of the JGS's 2 part series on using the Internet to help with your research. (1/2002) Click here for more information

Edward Rosenbaum, president of the JGS of Bergen County and webmaster of the Belarus Special Interest Group, spoke on using the internet to research your Jewish genealogy. This was part 1 of the JGS's 2 part series on using the Internet to help with your research. (12/2001) Click here for more information

Arthur Kurzweil, noted author and genealogist, spoke on "From Generation to Generation - How to trace your family roots". (11/2001)

Arnie Lang discussed passenger ship manifests and immigration in the late 1800's and early 1900's. For more information, please visit Mr. Lang's "Research Guide to Immigration and Ship Passenger Lists" website at http://home.att.net/~arnielang. (10/2001)

Michael Brenner, past president of the New York JGS, lectured on the Family History Library...how to use it and on translating Polish documents found therein. (9/2001)

Eileen Polokoff, a professional genealogist and co-author of the "Ask the Experts" column for Avotaynu hosted an 'ask the experts' session. (8/2001)

Stephen Morse, creator of the "Searching the Ellis Island Database in One Step" website, talked about "Searching the Ellis Island Database with Fewer Tears". (7/2001)

Evan Stolbach of the North Jersey JGS spoke on what records exist, and what they can lead you to. (6/2001)

Gary Mokotoff previewed the film "The Lost Wooden Synagogues of Eastern Europe". (5/2001)

Rhoda Miller of the Long Island JGS give her presentation "Organizit". (4/2001)

Paul Silverstone of the JGS of New York spoke on the Alyah Bet (secret immigration) to Israel (then Palestine). (3/2001)
Before, during and after World War II, about 125,000 people traveled to Palestine on some 100 ships.   This dramatic movement of people, known as Aliyah Bet or secret immigration, was made more significant because of the constant opposition of the British government which administered Palestine. Some perished when ships sank but most made it successfully to the Jewish homeland.

Originally organized by the Revisionists, Haganah joined the rescue effort after Munich.   The first groups were escaping Nazi repression but during the war those leaving were in actual peril of their lives.   During the period 1938 to 1942, small, old tramp steamers were chartered to carry refugees desperate to escape Nazi persecution.    After the war, ships carried Holocaust survivors looking for a new life; larger ships carried more and more people culminating in the voyages of the Exodus and the Pan York and Pan Crescent.

The background and history of this secret movement is useful for people tracing family members who took these routes to Palestine.

Ada Greenblatt of the JGS of New York spoke about the New York Cemetery project. The presentation also includes pointers about the burials in Jewish cemetery landsmannschaft plots. (2/2001) Click here for more information

Miriam Weiner spoke on "Naviating the revolving doors of the former soviet union" (1/2001)
* An Update on Archive Access
* Newly-discovered documents in the archives
* Tips on preparing for on-site research

Mort Lenrow of the JGS of North Jersey talked about "Skeletons in the closet" (12/2000)

Lyn Slome, an archivist from the American Jewish Historical Society, will be speaking on their New York City resources (11/2000) Click here for more information

Ron Stiskin talked about how he found a cousin in Russia via the internet, and of the trip they took together through Russia and the Ukraine. (9/2000)

A recap of the 20th annual Jewish Genealogical convention, and an 'ask the experts' session (8/2000)

The Jews of Holland (6/2000)

NY Passenger arrival records...how to use them and their contents (5/2000)

How to organize all those papers. A roundtable discussion on what works for us, and what does not. (4/2000)

How to plan a trip to the 'old country'. (3/2000)

When is it time to hire a professional genealogist? (2/2000)

The Family History Center. We discussed what is there, where can you find it, and what you should bring with you. Highlighted were the records in the permanent collection of the Emerson FHC branch. (1/2000)

Visiting the New York City public library. We discussed what is there, where can you find it, and what you should bring with you. (12/1999) Click here for the handout

Visiting the National Archives on Varick Street. We discussed what is there, where can you find it, and what you should bring with you. (11/1999)

The recently completed Jewish Genealogical conference... What new discoveries we made... What new insights we had... What new avenues we need to research. (10/1999)

Shtetl geography. (7/1999)

Using desktop publishing to create your family history book. (6/1999) Click here for the handout

Holocaust research; how to document victims and locate survivors of the Holocaust. (5/1999)

Using the internet for genealogical research. (4/1999) Click here for the handout

The upcoming 19th Annual Conference on Jewish Genealogy. (3/1999)

Researching Rabbinical records. (2/1999)

Census records--U.S. and other countries. When you cannot find birth, marriage or death records, census records can provide valuable information about a family. (1/1999)

Vital Records: How to Get Them--What is Their Value. (12/1998)

Passenger Arrival Records: Why They Are Valuable to Genealogical Research. (11/1998)

Michael Brenner of the Jewish Genealogical Society of Southern Nevada spoke about the upcoming IAJGS conference in Las Vegas in July. (4/2005)
Alice Gould spoke about the Jewish Cemeteries of Newark, NJ. (3/2005)
Bette Epstein from the New Jersey State Archives in Trenton spoke about the Genealogical Records in the archives. (11/2004)
Linda Cantor and Lucille Gudis spoke about their trip to Ukraine. (10/2004)
We discussed "Hitting a Brick Wall", and watched the movie "The Sweetest Sound". (8/2004)
Gary Mokotoff, co-owner of Avotaynu and a member of JGSBCNJ, discussed some very exciting books that Avotaynu will be publishing in 2004. (6/2004)
Arnie Lang talked about Searching Ellis Island Online Records. (4/2004)
Estelle Guzik, spoke on Naturalization Records. The lecture included HIAS (Hebrew Immigrant Aid Society) , and the IRO (Industrial Removal Office). (3/2004)
Karen Franklin spoke on German Jewish Genealogy. (2/2004)
An intimate discussion built around pictures, letters, postcards or household items. (1/2004)
Myrna and Paul Lewis discussed "Genealogy on the Cutting Edge: A presentation on the use of DNA testing for genealogical research." (11/2003)
Janet Isenberg spoke about 'Jewish Cemetery Research'. The talk discussed the Jewish cemeteries of Bergen County and what you need to know when doing research at them. Also covered was what you need to know when visiting cemeteries around the world. (10/2003)	See our Fall 2003 newsletter for a recap of this lecture.
John Celardo, an archivist at the National Archives, talked about census records, passenger lists manifests, and naturalization records. (9/2003)
Roundtable discussion on different genealogy software programs. (6/2003)
Anna Olswanger spoke on "Jewish Ethical Wills: From Family History to Fiction" (5/2003)
Warren Blatt spoke on an "Introduction to Polish-Jewish Genealogical Research". The lecture included information on the border changes for Poland, Belarus, and Lithuania. (4/2003)	Click here for more information
Edward Rosenbaum talked about "A beginners guide to Jewish Genealogy". We learned how the information in one document can help you find other pieces of information. (3/2003)
Ask the experts. Our panel included Gary Mokotoff, Michael Schutzel, and Edward Rosenbaum. (2/2003)
Rhoda Miller talked about 'Untangling the Web: Learn pathways through the maze of the Internet to enable you to trace the people, places, and social history of your family.' (1/2003)	Click here for more information
Mark Halpern talked about "Jewish Records Indexing (JRI-Poland): 1,800,000 record indices and more". (12/2002)	See our Winter 2003 newsletter for a recap of this lecture.
John Celardo of NARA (National Archives and Records Administration) discussed the 1930 census. (11/2002)	See our Winter 2003 newsletter for a recap of this lecture.
Michael Schutzel talked about using the resources of the Family History Center in Emerson. We discussed what is there, where can you find it, and what you should bring with you. (10/2002)
Gary Mokotoff spoke on "Using the resources available from Avotaynu to help you research your ancestors". (7/2002)
Edward Rosenbaum spoke on using the resources of the Belarus SIG website to find your Belorussian ancestors, and locate their shtetls. (6/2002)
We had a "Sharing and learning session". Members talked about one of their family members who immigrated to this country and presented a case study on how they uncovered their information. The membership then offered suggestions on how to get beyond any roadblocks. (5/2002)
Gary Mokotoff spoke on "Holocaust research; how to document victims and locate survivors of the Holocaust." (4/2002)
Barbara Krasner-Khait talked about "One Family--Connecting through Jewish Genealogy." (3/2002)
Janet Isenberg spoke about “Research at the New York Public Library”. The New York Public Library houses one of the largest genealogical and local history collections open to the public in this country. Janet discussed what is there, where can you find it, and what you should bring with you. (2/2002)
John W. Konvalinka spoke on "The Use of Computers and The Internet in Genealogical Research". This was part 2 of the JGS's 2 part series on using the Internet to help with your research. (1/2002)	Click here for more information
Edward Rosenbaum, president of the JGS of Bergen County and webmaster of the Belarus Special Interest Group, spoke on using the internet to research your Jewish genealogy. This was part 1 of the JGS's 2 part series on using the Internet to help with your research. (12/2001)	Click here for more information
Arthur Kurzweil, noted author and genealogist, spoke on "From Generation to Generation - How to trace your family roots". (11/2001)
Arnie Lang discussed passenger ship manifests and immigration in the late 1800's and early 1900's. For more information, please visit Mr. Lang's "Research Guide to Immigration and Ship Passenger Lists" website at http://home.att.net/~arnielang. (10/2001)
Michael Brenner, past president of the New York JGS, lectured on the Family History Library...how to use it and on translating Polish documents found therein. (9/2001)
Eileen Polokoff, a professional genealogist and co-author of the "Ask the Experts" column for Avotaynu hosted an 'ask the experts' session. (8/2001)
Stephen Morse, creator of the "Searching the Ellis Island Database in One Step" website, talked about "Searching the Ellis Island Database with Fewer Tears". (7/2001)
Evan Stolbach of the North Jersey JGS spoke on what records exist, and what they can lead you to. (6/2001)
Gary Mokotoff previewed the film "The Lost Wooden Synagogues of Eastern Europe". (5/2001)
Rhoda Miller of the Long Island JGS give her presentation "Organizit". (4/2001)
Paul Silverstone of the JGS of New York spoke on the Alyah Bet (secret immigration) to Israel (then Palestine). (3/2001) Before, during and after World War II, about 125,000 people traveled to Palestine on some 100 ships. This dramatic movement of people, known as Aliyah Bet or secret immigration, was made more significant because of the constant opposition of the British government which administered Palestine. Some perished when ships sank but most made it successfully to the Jewish homeland. Originally organized by the Revisionists, Haganah joined the rescue effort after Munich. The first groups were escaping Nazi repression but during the war those leaving were in actual peril of their lives. During the period 1938 to 1942, small, old tramp steamers were chartered to carry refugees desperate to escape Nazi persecution. After the war, ships carried Holocaust survivors looking for a new life; larger ships carried more and more people culminating in the voyages of the Exodus and the Pan York and Pan Crescent. The background and history of this secret movement is useful for people tracing family members who took these routes to Palestine.
Ada Greenblatt of the JGS of New York spoke about the New York Cemetery project. The presentation also includes pointers about the burials in Jewish cemetery landsmannschaft plots. (2/2001)	Click here for more information
Miriam Weiner spoke on "Naviating the revolving doors of the former soviet union" (1/2001) * An Update on Archive Access * Newly-discovered documents in the archives * Tips on preparing for on-site research
Mort Lenrow of the JGS of North Jersey talked about "Skeletons in the closet" (12/2000)
Lyn Slome, an archivist from the American Jewish Historical Society, will be speaking on their New York City resources (11/2000)	Click here for more information
Ron Stiskin talked about how he found a cousin in Russia via the internet, and of the trip they took together through Russia and the Ukraine. (9/2000)
A recap of the 20th annual Jewish Genealogical convention, and an 'ask the experts' session (8/2000)
The Jews of Holland (6/2000)
NY Passenger arrival records...how to use them and their contents (5/2000)
How to organize all those papers. A roundtable discussion on what works for us, and what does not. (4/2000)
How to plan a trip to the 'old country'. (3/2000)
When is it time to hire a professional genealogist? (2/2000)
The Family History Center. We discussed what is there, where can you find it, and what you should bring with you. Highlighted were the records in the permanent collection of the Emerson FHC branch. (1/2000)
Visiting the New York City public library. We discussed what is there, where can you find it, and what you should bring with you. (12/1999)	Click here for the handout
Visiting the National Archives on Varick Street. We discussed what is there, where can you find it, and what you should bring with you. (11/1999)
The recently completed Jewish Genealogical conference... What new discoveries we made... What new insights we had... What new avenues we need to research. (10/1999)
Shtetl geography. (7/1999)
Using desktop publishing to create your family history book. (6/1999)	Click here for the handout
Holocaust research; how to document victims and locate survivors of the Holocaust. (5/1999)
Using the internet for genealogical research. (4/1999)	Click here for the handout
The upcoming 19th Annual Conference on Jewish Genealogy. (3/1999)
Researching Rabbinical records. (2/1999)
Census records--U.S. and other countries. When you cannot find birth, marriage or death records, census records can provide valuable information about a family. (1/1999)
Vital Records: How to Get Them--What is Their Value. (12/1998)
Passenger Arrival Records: Why They Are Valuable to Genealogical Research. (11/1998)