Sunday, February 7, 2021

1:00 pm   Check-in, Chat, and Schmooze.   

1:30   Official meeting start time

Producer: Ron Arons, Author and Genealogy

1:00 pm   Check-in, Chat, and Schmooze.   

1:30   Official meeting start time

Ron has presented at 14 of the past 18 IAJGS conferences on a wide variety of subjects and has also been behind the scenes at 4 IAJGS conferences to help produce "Game Show Night/Jewish Genealogy Jeopardy". Ron has traced his roots to Lithuania, Poland, Romania, England, Belarus, and the Ukraine. In 2006 Ron appeared on the PBS TV series The Jewish Americans. He has published three books including The Jews of Sing Sing and, most recently, Mind Maps for Genealogy. Ron earned a B.S. in Engineering from Princeton and an MBA from the Univ. of Chicago.

Show: Game Show Night Schpiel of Fortune

Game Show Night is almost a tradition at the IAJGS Conference. Specifically, 'JewPardy' (Jewish Genealogy Jeoprady) has been conducted at six previous IAJGS conferences to much acclaim. JewPardy is a takeoff of the standard game of 'Jeopardy' with certain twists to make more germain for Jewish genealogy audiences. Today, we will play “Schpiel of Fortune,” Ron’s spin-off of Wheel of Fortune. The result is an evening of education, jokes, mishaps, and LOTS of laughter. Not to be missed.Our meetings are for members of our society only. Please check out our website for more information about membership.

"Three Giants of Czech and Slovak Architecture: Architects who made a difference beyond their homelands"

Join our Webinar on Saturday, January 30, 2021 from 10 am - 12:45 pm CST

Where: on your computer, tablet, or smartphone (presented via online webinar)

CGSI will take a look at notable architects from the Czech and Slovak lands, and their work around the world and the impact they made in late 19th and early 20th centuries, including buildings in China, Japan, the Caribbean, and the United States.

Program:

Leopold Eidlitz: From Prague to the Empire State
Presented by Dr. Kenneth Jacobs of PDP Architects, Philadelphia
10 – 10:45 am CST

Ladzlo Hudec: The Man Who Built Shanghai after Escaping Siberia
25-minute film followed by a discussion with journalist Virag Csejdy from Budapest
11 - 11:45 am CST

Antonin Nechodoma: The Czech Frank Lloyd Wright of Puerto Rico
20-minute film followed by a discussion with architect Jorge Rigau from San Juan
12:00 - 12:45 pm CST

No charge for CGSI members. $10 suggested donation for non-members.

Sharon Taylor graduated from Cornell University with a Bachelor of Science Degree in Industrial and Labor Relations. For ten years, Taylor worked for the University of Colorado School of Medicine as a Professional Research Assistant. 

Taylor and her husband live outside of Philadelphia where Taylor continues writing and researching her family and the Jews of Galicia. She is a member of Gesher Galicia, and the Jewish Genealogical and Archival Society of Greater Philadelphia. Her articles have been published in their journals, on The National Library of Israel Blog, and in Jewish newspapers in Philadelphia and Arizona.

Topic: Extra! Extra! Read All About it: Using Newspapers.com to Research Family History

Sharon Taylor’s roots lay in Mariampol, a typical small town in eastern Galicia (today western Ukraine), and in Philadelphia. No vital records are known to exist for the time Taylor’s family lived in Mariampol. In Philadelphia, it was rumored that Taylor’s family was involved in organized crime, an activity that strives to leave no trace. Turning to Newspapers.com Taylor explored the tale of her great-uncle's kidnapping by the Russian Army. She'll share her results and methodology as she tracks the struggles of Mariampol during the First World War, and finds evidence of her family’s colorful life in Philadelphia in the 1930’s.

Our meetings are for members of our society only. Please check out our website for more information about membership.

Chuck is a Past President of the Jewish Genealogy Society of Long Island and co-chair of the 2016 Conference in Seattle. A family historian for over 25 years, he has spoken on a variety of topics in past Conferences. He has done extensive research on the Shoah and is writing a book on a town in Moravia that was devastated by the war.

Topic: Choosing a Genealogy Software – A Comparison

There are several major software companies and each has slightly different strong points. This lecture will focus on MyHeritage/Family Tree Builder and Ancestry/Family Tree Maker as well as options for Macintosh. We will examine the advantages of each and together build a small family tree, find relevant documents/images, attach these to the tree and build reports and charts.

Our meetings are for members of our society only. Please check out our website for more information about membership.

StLGS Jewish Special Interest Group: "Finding Your Ancestors at the Missouri Historical Society Library and Research Center"

Featuring Dennis Northcott, associate archivist, MHSLRC

Sunday, 13 December 2020, 1:00 p.m.

VIRTUAL MEETING ON ZOOM

TO REGISTER, email [email protected] by Thursday, 10 December.

All StLGS meetings are free and open to the public. All attendees must register to receive a link to the Zoom meeting.

Description: The MHSLRC holds a wealth of resources that tell the stories of our St. Louis-area ancestors. Join us for an entertaining and informative look at the genealogical treasures stored at the Library and Research Center.

Note: This meeting will be livestream only and will not be recorded.

Jarrett Ross is the Lead Forensic Genealogist at DNA Labs International. He began seriously researching his family history in 2009 while finishing his undergraduate degree, quickly building an extensive family tree and connecting with thousands of relatives all across the World. Jarrett has since worked on hundreds of family trees, finding a specialty with Dutch Jewish ancestry, Jewish Agricultural Societies of Southern New Jersey, and Genetic Genealogy. Jarrett is also a volunteer curator on Geni.com, has served as the Vice President of the Triangle Jewish Genealogical Society since 2018, and is a board member of the Alliance Colony Foundation.

Topic: The Soil From Which They Grew: A History of The Alliance Colony

The Alliance Colony was the first successful Jewish agricultural colony in America, founded in Vineland, New Jersey in 1882. The community was originally settled by 43 families who were part of the Am Olam society which pushed to create Jewish agricultural societies in America. Alliance flourished with more families settling in the Colony over the decades, growing into more colonies and creating an amazing legacy through its many descendants. Many Alliance descendants are still in touch after many generations and even have reunions with over 600 descendants attending. This presentation will discuss the History of Alliance and how collaboration between descendants has been a genealogical goldmine.

Speaker: Edward Janes, Founder, Friends of Jews from Przasnysz Poland along with Maggie Goralczyk

Topic: Planning and Executing a Cemetery Restoration Project in Poland

I wanted to bring to your attention the story of how a man living in the Philly metro area led a Jewish cemetery restoration project more than 4,000 miles from home.  This work was the product of a 40+ year family history research effort that connected the man, not only to his “roots” but, his ancestor’s tragic fates tied to the Holocaust; and to “righteous” Poles whose thankless efforts restored dignity not only to a cemetery, but brought honor to an entire community.

Our meetings are for paid members only. Please consider joining us!

Annette Burke Lyttle provides professional genealogical services in research, education, and writing. She speaks on a variety of genealogical topics and loves helping people uncover and share their family stories. She was a faculty member at the Genealogical Research Institute of Pittsburgh in June 2020 and is course coordinator for "Researching Our Ancestors' Migrations in America" for the Salt Lake Institute of Genealogy in January 2021. Annette is a member of the board of directors of the Association of Professional Genealogists. You can learn more about her at heritagedetective.com

Classes include:

• Genealogical Proof for the Everyday Genealogist
• How Research Plans Can Up Your Genealogical Game
• Find Your Family History in Free Online Newspapers
• Chasing Uncle William Through the Wilds of Cyberspace 

Read more about Annette Burke Lyttle here.
Members: $45, Non-Members: $55
Thank you to Jackson County Cultural Coalition & Oregon Cultural Trust for your support!

St. Clair County resources in the Society's holdings at the Belleville Public Library

Join us on Saturday, October 31, 2020 from the comfort of your own home while you attend our LIVE, virtual day-long conference via zoom. Learn about genetic genealogy and what DNA can do for your research!

Highlights include:

• Our featured speaker – Blaine Bettinger, Ph.D., J.D., nationally recognized expert on Genetic Genealogy, will speak on a variety of DNA-related topics. .
• 8:00am – 4pm Eastern Time Zone

Topics:

   Morning sessions

• Working with Testing Company Results
• Formulating a DNA Testing Plan
• Identifying and Examining DNA Outliers

   Afternoon sessions

• Are You Doing Everything to Identify Your DNA Matches?
• Using DNA Painter to Map and Analyze Your Autosomal DNA
• Question & Answer Session until 4pm

Cost: members $35/ non-members $40