JewishGen

10/05/2026

Miss the live lecture? Catch the replay! 🍎🍯

The High Holidays may be behind us, but the traditions that connect us back to generations of family heritage are timeless. One once-popular tradition- sending Rosh Hashanah greeting cards- offers a unique window into the robust, tumultuous world of our ancestors.

Join JewishGen Chief Genealogist, Caitlin Hollander Waas, as she explores politically charged, whimsical, and sometimes hilarious New Year cards from various collections, and demonstrates how these vintage greetings can actually help unravel your own genealogical mysteries.

As the High Holidays approach, many of us begin to prepare for the ...

09/16/2026

Join us at our parent institution, the Museum of Jewish Heritage: A Living Memorial to the Holocaust on October 1 at 7pm, for a talk on the book "Ghosts of a Holy War" with author Yardena Schwartz.

When a family in Memphis, Tennessee, discovers a box of century-old letters in their attic, a journey begins: not only to learn about the young man who wrote the letters from the holy city of Hebron in British Mandate Palestine, but about the massacre that took his life in 1929. Yardena Schwartz draws from these letters, along with extensive research and wide-ranging interviews of Israelis and Palestinians now living in Hebron, to tell a timely, captivating narrative. This meticulously researched examination of the Israel-Palestine conflict’s origins interweaves historical analysis with contemporary insights, providing crucial context for understanding today’s Middle East tensions.

Schwartz will discuss Ghosts of A Holy War with author and journalist Abigail Pogrebin.

Click here for tickets and more information: https://mjhnyc.org/events/ghosts-of-a-holy-war-book-talk/

09/13/2026

Miss the live lecture? Catch the replay! 📁

Documenting more than 18,000 cases of family abandonment and separation from 1911 to 1935, the National Desertion Bureau left behind a rich paper trail detailing migration, poverty, and personal resilience. From notices in the "Gallery of Missing Husbands" to international search efforts, these records offer a unique window into the daily lives of Jewish immigrant families.

Join Gavin Beinart-Smollan, Curator at the Museum of Jewish Heritage – A Living Memorial to the Holocaust, as he provides historical context for the Bureau's work and demonstrates how to effectively search the database.

This presentation introduces the National Desertion Bureau Card Cat...

09/06/2026

Miss the live lecture? Catch the replay! 🕎

During World War I, the Heidelberger family of Flehingen, Germany, celebrated Hanukkah using a simple menorah crafted from thinly pounded tin. Decades later, as the Third Reich bore down on Europe’s Jews, this humble object followed its owners into exile—becoming both a witness to history and an embodiment of an inextinguishable commitment to Jewish ritual.

Join Sara Softness, Director of Curatorial Affairs at the Museum of Jewish Heritage – A Living Memorial to the Holocaust, as she explores the story of the Heidelberger Menorah and how a single artifact can preserve a family's legacy of resilience.

During World War I, the Heidelberger family of Flehingen, Germany, ...

08/30/2026

Miss the live lecture? Catch the replay! 📖

Jewish ethics and genealogy are deeply intertwined, reflecting a rich tradition that places equal importance on moral responsibility and ancestral continuity. Genealogy in Judaism is far more than a historical record—it connects us to a collective story, reinforcing our ethical obligations toward family, community, and future generations while revealing how heritage informs our moral conduct today.

Join Arthur Kurzweil, leading voice in Jewish genealogy and author of From Generation to Generation and Jewish History for Dummies, as he explores how identity, memory, and morality intersect within Jewish life and thought.

Jewish ethics and genealogy are deeply intertwined, reflecting a tr...

08/23/2026

Tracing Jewish ancestors from Bessarabia or Moldova? 📜

If you missed Yefim Kogan’s webinar, the full recording is now available on our YouTube channel! Yefim Kogan, Leader and Coordinator of the JewishGen Bessarabia Special Interest Group (SIG), walks through how to navigate 19th- and 20th-century genealogical records- including revision lists, vital statistics, court documents, cemetery projects, and Yizkor books.

Whether you are starting your research or working to break through a long-standing brick wall, this talk provides practical guidance for searching JewishGen’s regional databases.

📺 Watch the full webinar here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DW4W6xXgUm8

Bessarabia has a unique history within the Pale of Settlement, shap...

08/17/2026

We’re currently experiencing a slight hiccup with our site, but don’t worry—our team is already on it! Everything should be back up and running smoothly very soon. Thanks so much for your patience!

08/16/2026

Miss the live lecture? Catch the replay! 🧬✨

How can DNA reveal 3,000 years of Jewish history, origins, and migration?

Join Adam Brown and Michael Waas, administrators of the Avotaynu DNA Project, for a fascinating update on the world’s largest academic collaboration solely devoted to the genetic history of the Jewish people. With a database of over 12,000 participants, the project has moved beyond simple haplogroups to build high-resolution “migration narratives” that illuminate the resilience and interconnectedness of the global Diaspora.

This webinar is co-presented by Avotaynu DNA.

📺 Watch the full presentation here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JGYHcA31I8g

Join Adam Brown and Michael Waas, administrators of the Avotaynu DN...

08/16/2026

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We’ve been working on something.

Any guesses?