Nancy C. Levin, CG, “Jewish Family History Research I”

“Jewish Family History Research I”

Nancy C. Levin, CG

Recording: $69.99

 

 

This course will focus on Ashkenazi Jewish family history research through ca 1924. Brief overviews of cultural and religious traditions which are key to effective Ashkenazi Jewish genealogical research will be provided as will resources and research tools that can help the researcher track their families from the United States back into Europe. Specific topics include (but are not limited to) orthography and its affect on research; names and naming patterns; religious documents; gravestone inscriptions and landsmanshaftn burial societies; on-line research tools; JewishGen.org; SIGs (Special Interest Groups); and more. Some examples of early 20th century and 19th century overseas records will be provided.

The sessions will flow successively, with each evening’s material building on the material from the previous lecture. There will be handouts and homework which will require access to the Internet and Ancestry.com (a subscription-based website which is often available at local public libraries).

Nancy C. Levin, CG, is a full-time professional genealogist specializing in Jewish family history research. She has successfully traced 19th and 20th century United States immigrants and their descendants throughout the United States and then back into the “old country,” i.e., the Russian Empire (Lithuania, Belarus, Ukraine, Poland, Latvia); Alsace-Lorraine (France); Bavaria (Germany); Holland (the Netherlands); Galicia (Austria); England; and other locales.

Nancy has lectured internationally on topics pertaining to Jewish genealogy, immigration, and more. Past venues have included the International Association of Jewish Genealogical Society (IAJGS) annual conferences where Nancy led the Beginner’s Workshops in Jewish Genealogy for nine years. Nancy has written for AVOTAYNU: The International Review of Jewish Genealogy and is the author of two chapters in the Avotaynu Guide to Jewish Genealogy (Teaneck, NJ: Avotaynu, Inc., 2004). Nancy holds a Bachelor of Arts from the University of Vermont, a Master of Business Administration from Northeastern University, and has been certified by the Board for Certification of Genealogists (BCG) with a specialty in Jewish genealogy since 1997.

Course Schedule (all classes run 8:00pm–9:30pm U. S. Eastern)

Session 1

  • “Brief Review of Basic Genealogical Sources”
  • “Foreign Alphabets, Orthography, and Ashkenazi Naming Traditions and Patterns: Impacts on Your Research”

Session 2

  • “Cemeteries, JewishGen.org, Special Interest Groups, and other Fantastic Resources”

Session 3

  • “Locating the Ancestral Town: Landsmanshaftn Burial Societies, Gazetteers, and Historical Geography”

Session 4

  • “Overseas Research: What, How, Where, Why and Things to Consider”