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Jewish Genealogy Society
of Cleveland

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We research and support programs by renowned genealogy experts and offer free monthly educational programs. We meet on Zoom (and occasionally in-person following COVID regulations) typically on the first Wednesday of the month at 7 pm ET.  Advance registration is required for all programs and must be posted by noon on the day of the program.  Please contact our Vice President for Programming to discuss speaker opportunities and program ideas.

You can also check out the IAJGS Calendar for a listing of Jewish Genealogy Events.



Upcoming events

    • 06/18/2023
    • 06/23/2023
    • Zoom

    Genealogists of all levels will find the GRIP week-long courses to be of interest whether novice, intermediate, advanced, or professional.

    WANT TO LEARN MORE about SCHOLARSHIPS? The various opportunities described need you to apply this year for awards for next year. Do not delay – Deadline for the Donn Devine Memorial Scholarship is January 30!

    GRIP TO BE HELD June 18-23, 2023, on Zoom and July 9-14, 2023, in-person! To see the title of the courses offered each week, download the 2023 GRIP Flyer.

    Registration for the institute opens on February 22nd.


    • 07/05/2023
    • 7:00 PM - 8:30 PM
    • Zoom
    Register

    U.S. Synagogue Records as a Genealogical Resource with Ellen Kowitt

    Date & Time:  Wed, July 5, 2023 at 7:00 - 8:30 PM ET

    Location:  Zoom

    Program:  Join us for a primer on how to find synagogue records, what genealogical material they include, see examples, and hear about JewishGen's new Shul Records America: the first-of-its-kind inventory of American synagogue records.  See https://www.jewishgen.org/sra/.


    Finding synagogue records can be problematic and time consuming as there are errors in catalogs and a variety of ways materials are described. To make it easier, and in one place, JewishGen starts the search for you with Shul Records America. This new finding aid points to the location of American synagogue records. Launched in fall 2022 with over 500 collections held at 50 repositories (including the Western Reserve Historical Society) or websites, about 20% include URLsfor digitized materials. Not only a historical resource but important as modern-day synagogues merge or close, Shul Records America encourages congregations to preserve records with genealogical value.


    Speaker:  Ellen Kowitt is Director of JewishGen’s USA Research Division and National Vice Chair of the Daughters of the American Revolution Jewish Specialty Research Team. She is past president of Jewish Genealogical Societies in Colorado and Greater Washington, DC, and she served for three years on the IAJGS board of directors. Ellen publishes articles in Family Tree Magazine, she has completed the ProGen Study Group, attends genealogy institute programs, and is a member of the Colorado Chapter Association of Professional Genealogists. For upcoming lecture dates or more information, visit www.EllenKowitt.com


    Registration:  Required and free.  A zoom link will be emailed to you the day before the program.

    • 07/09/2023
    • 07/14/2023
    • LaRoche University, Pittsburgh, PA

    Genealogists of all levels will find the GRIP week-long courses to be of interest whether novice, intermediate, advanced, or professional.

    WANT TO LEARN MORE about SCHOLARSHIPS? The various opportunities described need you to apply this year for awards for next year. Do not delay – Deadline for the Donn Devine Memorial Scholarship is January 30!

    GRIP TO BE HELD June 18-23, 2023, on Zoom and July 9-14, 2023, in-person! To see the title of the courses offered each week, download the 2023 GRIP Flyer.

    Registration for the institute opens on February 22nd.


    • 07/30/2023
    • (BST)
    • 08/03/2023
    • (BST)
    • London, England

    The International Association of Jewish Genealogical Societies regulates the annual conferences on Jewish Genealogy, and the ever-increasing quality of these meetings has proven to be a boon to those researching their Jewish heritage by bringing together those interested in Jewish Genealogy to learn, to research, and most importantly, to share.  Visit the conference website for more information on the 2023 IAJGS Annual Conference scheduled in London, England.

    • 08/09/2023
    • 7:00 PM - 8:30 PM
    • Zoom
    Register

    The ABC's of Vital Records: Birth, Marriage, & Death with Deborah Abbott, PhD

    Date & Time:  Wed, Aug 9, 2023 at 7:00 - 8:30 PM ET

    Location:  Zoom

    Program:  Vital records are an integral part of family history and should be considered the cornerstone of genealogical research. Birth, marriage, and death records are great resources that may provide clues needed to solve genealogy brick walls. The practice of recording vital statistics developed slowly throughout the United States which sometimes makes finding and accessing these records problematic. Therefore, depending on the state, vital records may not have existed prior to the early 1900’s. Learn how and where to locate these valuable resources, as well as what to do when the records do not exist. 


    Speaker:  Deborah A. Abbott, PhD, is a professional genealogist specializing in genealogical methodology, manuscript collections, and African American family research. She is a member of the Cuyahoga County (OH) Archives Commission, the Lakeview Cemetery Community Outreach Committee (Cleveland, OH), past president of the African American Genealogical Society, Cleveland, Ohio, and a retired professor of Counseling from Cuyahoga Community College in Cleveland. She holds both the BS and MEd degrees from Tuskegee University and the PhD degree from Kent State University.

     

    Dr. Abbott is coordinator of both the African American Track at the Institute of Genealogy and Historical Research (IGHR) in Athens, Georgia, and the Genealogical Research Institute of Pittsburgh (GRIP). She teaches at the Salt Lake Institute of Genealogy (SLIG) and the Texas Institute of Genealogical Research (TIGR).

     

    Dr. Abbott has articles published in the Ohio Genealogy News and FamilyTree magazines. She can be found teaching African American genealogy in a segment entitled “Needles & Threads” on Ancestry Academy, an educational video course for Ancestry.com. She also teaches monthly classes entitled “Using Ancestry.com in Genealogy Research” at the Lakewood (Ohio) Public Library and coordinates the “Genealogy and Family History Clinic” for the Cleveland Public Library.

     

    She is a member of the National Genealogical Society (NGS), the Association of Professional Genealogist (APG) and the Genealogical Speakers Guild (GSG).

     

    A Cleveland, Ohio native, Dr. Abbott is a life member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc., the Tuskegee University National Alumni Association, and Antioch Baptist Church in Cleveland.


    Registration:  Required and free.  A zoom link will be emailed to you the day before the program.

Copyright 2023.  The Jewish Genealogy Society of Cleveland, Inc. (JGSC) is a non-profit 501(c)(3) organization (EIN: 34-1648203).  All Rights Reserved.