Thursday, January 19, 2012

“Russian Empire Genealogical Primer”


Jewish Genealogical Society of Greater Orlando Proudly Presents
Internationally Acclaimed Expert Kahlile Mehr

ORLANDO, FL, January 18, 2012 The Jewish Genealogical Society of Greater Orlando (JGSGO) proudly presents internationally acclaimed and highly regarded expert, Kahlile Mehr, as Speaker of the Month. He will present a "Russian Empire Genealogical Primer".

This presentation provides an essential foundation for those researching Jewish ancestors who once lived in the former Russian Empire. At the time of the 1897 census, the Russian Empire held the third largest population of the world, covered one sixth of the world’s landmass, and included modern day Ukraine, Belarus, Moldova, most of Lithuania, Estonia and Latvia, a large portion of Poland, and more.

Kahlile will help you understand the historical context, become acquainted with the best sources for genealogical research, the arrangement of records in an archive, options to acquire information from the sources, identify and use archival collections, and use the Internet to help do research.

Additionally, Kahlile will provide an update of what East European images have been made available on FamilySearch. FamilySearch, a service provided by LDS Family History, is the most heavily used free access genealogy site on the Internet with over 2 billion searchable names and more than 450 million digital images of historical documents.



Kahlile Mehr, MA, MLS, AG, has over thirty years experience working LDS Family History. Currently he is the manager of the Slavic Collection. He has visited archives throughout Eastern Europe. He has published twenty-three articles and a book on family and local history topics. He was the primary author for Tracing your Jewish Ancestors From the United States to Europe, 1850-1930 that can be downloaded from the FamilySearch website. He serves on the boards of the International Association of Jewish Genealogical Societies (IAJGS) and the Federation of East European Family History Societies (FEEFHS).

Kahlile will present to the group from Salt Lake City, Utah live via Skype. Whether beginner or expert in researching your Jewish family history, this is the meeting for you. Additionally, we will hold a raffle for a free one-year membership to GenealogyBank, the largest newspaper archive for family history research. Don’t miss out!

DATE: Tuesday, February 21, 2012
TIME: 2:00 P.M. – 4:00 P.M.
LOCATION: Congregation of Reform Judaism, Mini Sanctuary, 928 Malone Drive, Orlando, FL 32810
ADMISSION: Open to the public. $5.00 for non-members. Free for members.

About the Jewish Genealogical Society of Greater Orlando
The Jewish Genealogical Society of Greater Orlando (JGSGO) is a not for profit organization dedicated to sharing genealogical information, techniques and research tools with anyone interested in Jewish genealogy and family history. Anyone may join JGSGO. Annual dues are $25 for an individual and $30 for a family. For more information visit our blog at www.jgsgo.blogspot.com .

Monday, January 9, 2012

“JewishGen’s JOWBR Project – The Genealogical Value of Jewish Cemetery Records”

Jewish Genealogical Society of Greater Orlando Proudly Presents
Globally Known Expert Nolan Altman

ORLANDO, FL, January 5, 2012 The Jewish Genealogical Society of Greater Orlando (JGSGO) proudly presents globally known and highly regarded expert, Nolan Altman, as Speaker of the Month. He will discuss "JewishGen’s JOWBR Project – The Genealogical Value of Jewish Cemetery Records ".

Jewish headstone inscriptions and burial records can provide crucial information to genealogists.  Hebrew name inscriptions, based on patronymics, can link together two generations of Hebrew names unlike any other source document.  This can be especially helpful when trying to link first generation American ancestors to their European families.

Nolan Altman, JewishGen’s Vice President for Data Acquisition and coordinator for their JOWBR (JewishGen’s Online Worldwide Burial Registry) and Memorial Plaque databases, will explain the importance of Jewish cemetery records.  Through photographic examples and case studies, you will see what information and symbols are found on stones and how the information can help to create your family tree.



Nolan Altman was bit by the “genealogy bug” when he was inspired to write his family history in 1996 in memory of his mother. After making use of the valuable information on JewishGen, he volunteered to do data entry on various projects.  In time, he was asked to become the Coordinator for JewishGen’s Holocaust Database and subsequently the Coordinator for the JOWBR project. Nolan works with volunteers from around the world helping to grow both databases for the benefit of family members and researchers.   Nolan’s current focus is on growing the JOWBR and Holocaust databases.

Nolan has made various presentations and conducted computer workshops at the IAJGS (International Association of Jewish Genealogical Societies) annual conferences in Washington, D.C., New York City, Chicago, Philadelphia and Los Angeles. He continues to present his “How to Document and Research Your Family History” seminar to adult and continuing education classes as well as university Holocaust and European history classes.  He has published articles in Avotaynu, Dorot, Stammbaum, Shemot and the FEEFHS Journal.  He is on the Board of the IAJGS and is the President of the JGS of Long Island, where he coordinates their Yearbook, Cemetery, and Memorial Plaque Projects. Nolan is also a member of the JGS of New York.

This will be the JGSGO’s first evening meeting at the Southwest Orlando Jewish Congregation. New location, new time, great program! Nolan Altman is the expert in his field and this information can help you “cross the pond” and more. Nolan will present to the group from New York live via Skype. If you ever thought about starting on your family history research journey, this is the meeting for you. Don’t miss out!

DATE: Tuesday, January 17, 2012
TIME: 7:00 P.M. – 9:00 P.M.
LOCATION: Southwest Orlando Jewish Congregation, Social Hall, 11200 South Apopka Vineland Road, Orlando, FL 32836
FREE: Open to the public

About the Jewish Genealogical Society of Greater Orlando
The Jewish Genealogical Society of Greater Orlando (JGSGO) is a not for profit organization dedicated to sharing genealogical information, techniques and research tools with anyone interested in Jewish genealogy and family history. There is no charge to attend the meeting.  Anyone may join JGSGO. Annual dues are $25 for an individual and $30 for a family. For more information visit our blog at www.jgsgo.blogspot.com .