Jewish Genealogy Society of Cleveland
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May 5, 2021 |
"Researching Your Litvak Roots on LitvakSIG and More"
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April 7, 2021 |
"The History, Adoption, and Regulation of Jewish Surnames in the Russian Empire"
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March 10, 2021 |
"The View from Pittsburgh"
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February 10, 2021 |
"Never Give Up - Strategies for Taking
Your Genealogy Research to the Next Level
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January 13, 2021 |
Board Installation and ProgramFinding Your Kaplans
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December 9, 2020 |
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November 15, 2020 |
Why Cleveland? Immigration Stories Uncovered from
the Industrial Removal Office Co-sponsored by the Siegal Lifelong Learning Program of Case Western Reserve University If you ever wondered why your immigrant ancestor chose to live in Cleveland instead of Pittsburgh, Little Rock - not Los Angeles, or Memphis - not Miami, the answers might lie in the records of the Industrial Removal Office, a scary name for a good organization. Renée Carl examined the history of the Industrial Removal Office and its records. Then, using a case study, demonstrated how to use the online index, and how to navigate to find immigrant case files, correspondence, and reports. The IRO, founded in 1901, assisted immigrants in finding employment and better living conditions, and helped assimilate them into American society. IRO agents, often working in partnership with B’nai B’rith or other Jewish fraternal groups, spread around the USA securing jobs, and then immigrants would be sent to those locations to establish a new life. Records of the IRO, housed at the American Jewish Historical Society, include ledger books, case files and correspondence, as well as reports by local agents on the newly settled immigrants. Ohio, and specifically Cleveland, played outsized roles in the history of the IRO, and the talk included an Ohio-focused angle. |
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October 7, 2020 |
Why you should examine original records, and how to find them Russ Maurer As an experienced researcher, volunteer translator, and Coordinator for Records Acquisition & Translation for LitvakSIG, our speaker is all too familiar with the ways that a translated record may not fully or accurately reflect the original. In this talk he demonstrated what a researcher might be missing if he or she doesn't examine original records. He also offered some tips for locating online records if they are not directly linked to an index. |
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September 9, 2020 |
Getting the Most out of Family Tree Maker® A Virtual Presentation by Duff Wilson The presentation highlighted all the latest features of Family Tree Maker 2019 as well as older features you may not use, but should. 2019 marked thirty years since Family Tree Maker was born, and it's only fitting that this new edition takes this grand old brand to places its original creators could only have dreamed of. Where every change you make to your tree on your Mac or PC can be instantly and automatically viewed from your smartphone or tablet. Where you can turn back time to erase mistakes you made even a thousand changes ago. Where you can arrange for your tree to be passed on to a relative of your choice along with your Family Tree Maker license to ensure your legacy lives on. We saw all this and much more in this session. In addition, all attendees became eligible for a discounted price on Family Tree Maker by ordering through a special link that was provided during the program, and a complimentary copy of Family Tree Maker was presented to a member of the JGS of Cleveland that attended the session, in a virtual drawing at the conclusion of the webinar. |
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August 5, 2020 |
The Benefits, Limitations and Ethical Challenges of Genetic Testing in Health and Genealogy Settings Dr. Aaron Goldenberg As commercial genetic testing becomes cheaper and more available, many individuals and families are using these technologies to explore their own health, as well as their ancestry. However, the use of genetic testing also raises many ethical and social questions regarding the accuracy of genetic ancestry tests, the impact that genetic information may have on one’s identity, and the potential misuse of personal genetic data. This presentation explored the benefits, limitations, and ethical challenges of genetic testing in health and genealogy settings. |
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July 8, 2020 |
The Problem of “Grave” Errors in our Cemeteries Rabbi Akiva Feinstein The use of words, names and phrases on Jewish headstones is an ancient way of remembering a soul when they can no longer speak for themselves. Jewish custom is rich with traditions, insights and guidance on how to write these expressions. The presentation included a review of the common expressions, naming conventions, calculation of dates and certain other aspects while focusing on the need for accuracy and completeness. Our speaker, who worked as a chaplain for many years, shared his concerns and offered possible solutions to preserve this beautiful tradition for those unfamiliar with Hebrew names and conventions. Many examples were cited to highlight important laws and customs. Rabbi Feinstein demonstrated how even those who do not have a strong Hebrew background can learn how to decipher Hebrew names and dates on headstones. |
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June 3, 2020 |
FamilySearch.org: A Mid 2020 Review Betty Franklin Betty Franklin described many of the enhancements that have been made to the FamilySearch.org website. She explained that the goal is to have as many items free and available online as possible. In addition the spaeker described the site's learning centers, community groups, activities to involve the whole family and new ways to add sources to Family Tree or to merge individuals. The discussion included the changes that have been made, and some of the upcoming changes to FamilySearch.org. |
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May 13, 2020 |
Getting Started as a Search Angel: Robin Selinger discussed her volunteer work as a “search angel”. A member of the JGSC, Robin got started in family tree research as a hobby in 2007. As a search angel, she helps others locate long-lost parents, children and other family members. In just one year, she took on and solved three such cases including a woman whose father used a false name and disappeared when she was only four-years old. Robin discovered the father’s true identity and found two half-siblings who welcomed their long-lost sister into the family. |
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April 29, 2020 |
Ask Us Anything. . .About Genealogy! Three experienced JGSC genealogists gave answers to questions that members raised while conducting family research in a virtual interactive meeting. Topics propsed in advabce included these:
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March 4, 2020 |
Jewish Ballplayers in Major League Baseball Scott Longert Scott gave us a look at Jewish ballplayers and those that played or were part of the Cleveland Indians organization, including a discussion of some of the experiences of ballplayers that came from minority groups who faced a difficult time from rival players, fans and even teammates. The presentation covered ballplayers like Jonah Goldman, Cleveland’s first Jewish shortstop, Harry Eisenstat, Al Rosen and Hank Greenberg, who served as the Indians general manager starting in 1948, plus others such as Max “Lefty” Weisman, Indians trainer for twenty-seven years and Max Rosenblum, the leading supporter of amateur baseball in Cleveland. |
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February 9, 2020 |
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January 12, 2020 |
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December 8, 2019 |
Annual Meeting Dr. Martin taught as a Visiting Professor in the Institute of History at Jagiellonian University in Krakow, Poland, during the spring 2019 semester. He taught in a special, English-language program within the Institute, Studies in Central and Eastern Europe: Histories, Cultures and Societies. He taught twentieth century Central and Eastern European survey courses, with a focus on Jewish history. During his stay in Krakow he also spent time doing research on Polish Jewish history and re-acquainting himself with Kazimierz, the city's Jewish neighborhood. Martin told us about Jewish studies and Jewish life in Poland today and about his travels throughout the country and region. |
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November 17, 2019 |
Kirsten Fermaglich Two sessions co-sponsored by the Jewish Genealogy Society of Cleveland (JGSC,The Laura & Alvin Siegal Lifelong Learning Program of Case Western Reserve University, and the JCC Jewish Book Festival. Session 1: 1:30-2:30 p.m. We tend to think of name changing as something that only immigrants do—or perhaps movie stars—hoping to escape their families and find their way in a glamorous, rich New World. But beginning in World War I and intensifying during World War II, thousands of native-born American Jews in New York City changed their names together as family units. Why would these ordinary Jewish Americans seeking jobs not as actors or singers, but as businessmen, lawyers, and secretaries change their names? We discussed their motivations, their experiences, and their struggles. Session 2: 3:00-4:00 p.m. How did leaders in the Jewish community respond to name changing? How did Jewish comedians, writers, and directors respond? How did name changers' neighbors and co-workers respond? We talked about negative responses from Jewish leaders after World War II, who tended to assume that name changers were trying to escape the Jewish community. Quietly challenging these negative images, however, were the voices of Jewish name changers who continued to describe themselves as Jews, explaining they changed their names so that their Jewish identities would not impede their ability to get through daily life. |
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October 2, 2019 |
Getting Our Records Back Our guest speaker, Brooke Schreier Ganz, founder and president of Reclaim the Records, provided an update on her efforts leading Reclaim the Records, a not-for-profit group that files Freedom of Information requests to get public data released back into the public. Their goal is to get these record sets put online for free, open to everyone. And if the government doesn’t comply, they take them to court. To date, they have been successful in reclaiming over 25 million records. She reported Learn about the work of Reclaim the Records, including their most recent success stories and what is on their “To-Do” list. Brooke Schreier Ganz is the first genealogist to successfully sue a government archive for the return of records to the public. A computer programmer, she is also the creator of LeafSeek, a free open source records management platform and multi-lingual search engine that won second place in the 2012 RootsTech Developer Challenge. Her work has helped non-profit organizations like the Israel Genealogical Research Association (IGRA) and Gesher Galicia publish over 1.5 million unique genealogical records online for free use. She also designed and built one of the first public API’s for records sharing between non-profit genealogical organizations. |
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September 4, 2019 |
Report on the 2019 IAJGS conference in Cleveland Ken Bravo gave a report on the attendance and some of the programs at the conference. He was followed by Robin Selinger, Feige Stern, and Jaime Klausner, who each had not previously attended an IAJGS conference. They each spoke about their experiences and what they considered to be highlights of the event. |
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August 7, 2019 |
Genealogy Activities You Can Do With Your Kids
and Grandkids The best way to TELL family history often involves SHOWING it. In her presentation, Sunny Morton shared experiences that have inspired her own kids' interest in history and their family's place in it. These included activities that teach younger generations the value of their OWN stories; thoughts about finding the right "hook" for each person; how to tell a good short story (with an emphasis on SHORT); and hands on experiences that fire historical imaginations young and old. |
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July 28, 219
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IAJGS 2019 Over 1,000 attendees, exhibitors, volunteers, guests, and others, were hosted by the JGS of Cleveland at the annual IAJGS conference, held at the Hilton Cleveland Downtown. The attendees came to Cleveland from 16 countries on 5 continents, and those from the USA represented 36 states plus the District of Columbia. |
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July 10, 2019 |
A Town Called Brzostek
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June 19 & 24, 2019 |
In conjunction with the Kol Israel Foundation, we conducted a two-part beginner genealogy workshop geared to Second and Third Generation Holocaust descendants who know very little about their fa mily history. Topics covered included:
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June 5, 2019 |
Jane Rothstein is used to hearing genealogical questions like “was my ancestor a member?” and she generally answers by saying “maybe.” The Temple-Tifereth Israel Archives are a relatively untapped treasure for exploring Cleveland Jewish history and genealogy. Holdings include records from the congregation’s founding in 1850 through the congregation’s growth under Rabbi Moses J. Gries and Rabbi Abba Hillel Silver, and on to the present. Jane provided an overview of the Archives’ collection and discussed the type of records genealogists may find especially interesting. |
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May 15, 2019 |
How Jewish Ancestry Impacts Genetics Sarah Mazzola and Megan Quinlan, two board-certified genetic counselors with the Cleveland Clinic’s Center for Personalized Genetic Healthcare provided a general overview of common conditions in individuals with Jewish ancestry such as Hereditary Breast and Ovarian Cancer Syndrome due to BRCA mutations. They also provided helpful information for those who are considering meeting with a genetic counselor, and what to expect from genetic testing. Sarah's presentation focused on non-cancer related inheritable disorders such as Gaucher, and also touched on prenatal risk screening. Megan shared information related to inherited cancer risk in the Eastern European Jewish population. |
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April 3, 2019 |
Five members of the Jewish Genealogy Society of Cleveland shared their journeys to ancestral villages in Europe in conjunction with last year’s IAJGS Conference in Warsaw. Helen and Paul Wolf, Muriel Weber, Anne Lukas, and Henny Lukas Fierman have all gone to great lengths to trace their families' ancestral roots and identify unknown, missing and lost relatives over many years, if not decades. They reveaedl some of the twists and turns in the road that led to some amazing discoveries—not to mention a few surprises. |
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March 3, 2019 |
Peter J. Haas The Clubs: What Excelsior and Oakwood In 1872 about two dozen Jewish business men, excluded from other clubs in Cleveland, met to form their own social club. The result was the Excelsior Club which hosted Jewish high society life in Cleveland for the next nearly 60 years. Due to changing social, demographic and financial factors, the Excelsior Club voted in 1930 to end its separate existence and to merge into the newer suburban Jewish club, Oakwood. This Oakwood Club continued to be an important part of the Cleveland Jewish community until it was dissolved in 2010 and its membership combined with Mayfield Sand Ridge Country Club. This talk focused on the social history of our community from the character, trajectories and experiences of these two institutions. It also focused on how these clubs throw light on larger trends that were shaping North American Jewry. |
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February 3, 2019 |
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January 6, 2019 |
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