Sunday, June 8, 2014 at 11:00 AM
Adat Shalom Synagogue – Glass Room
29901 Middlebelt Road in Farmington Hills
Election, Brunch and Lecture – $35 per person
Catering by The Epicurean Group. This is a glatt kosher event
supervised by the Council of Orthodox Rabbis of Greater Detroit.
“My Mother’s Voice” with Judy Sima
Take a journey into the past with Judy Sima as she tells stories of her mother, Elsa Mosbach, including the compelling account of her encounter with the Gestapo on Kristallnacht, her escape from Germany during World War II and adjustment to her new life in America.
Following the storytelling, Judy describes her research to chronicle her mother’s journey. In the second part of the program, participants will be encouraged to tell stories about their own parents using a series of “Conversation Starters.” We will break up into smaller, more intimate circles where you can feel free to reminisce. After the event, take the “Conversation Starters” home to share your stories with loved ones. There are guaranteed to be smiles, laughter and possibly a few tears. Everyone leaves with a warm feeling in their hearts having brought memories back to life and knowing that others have enjoyed them, too.
Proposed Slate
President: Adina Lipsitz
VP, Programming: Position Open
VP, Membership: Richard Jaeger
VP, Publicity: David Goldis
Recording Secretary: Position Open
Corresponding Secretary: Diane Freilich
Treasurer: Irwin S. Alpern
Would you like to join the board?
We are also looking for an Editor for our award-winning publication, Generations.
Please contact John Kovacs at elections@jgsmi.org by June 1, 2014.
Judy Sima is an award winning storyteller, author, and educator. She has been featured at conferences and festivals, schools and libraries throughout Michigan and across the country. A retired middle school librarian, Judy has been telling stories since 1983. Considered to be the “Pied Piper of Storytelling in Metro Detroit,” Judy has introduced many young people and adults to the art of storytelling. She is the recipient of the Distinguished National Service Award from the National Storytelling Network and the current president of the Detroit Story League.
Read More...
Sunday, February 9, 2014
A longtime member of JGSMI, Gayle tirelessly dedicated nearly 20 years as our Librarian, and was a regular speaker at the IAJGS International Conferences on Jewish Genealogy. There seemed to be little she didn’t know about, and she was always ready to offer her knowledge and research assistance. She had a bachelor’s degree in sociology from Wayne State University, and later joined a PhD program at the University of Chicago. She spent an academic year in India, absorbing the myriad cultures and languages of that nation. In 2010, she was diagnosed with a brain tumor. She fought bravely and never lost her upbeat outlook and sharp wit. She died in December 2012, at age 69.
A professional genealogist and the founder of JGSMI, Betty served as our first President and Editor of the newsletter, and continues to serve as a Board member. A formal social worker and counselor, she received BA and MSW degrees from Wayne State University and the University of Wisconsin, respectively. She has lectured, written and taught Jewish genealogy for over 20 years. She has visited Israel (at least 27 times), Poland, Russia, Hungary, Georgia, Azerbaijan, Great Britain, Morocco, Egypt, Tunisia, Turkey, France, and the Czech Republic in search of Jewish records. An early childhood interest in China led her to an in-depth study of Jewish communities in China. After three journeys to China, she became a member of the Sino-Judiac Institute and attended their first conference at Harvard. She has been a frequent speaker at IAJGS conferences, and with her late husband Morris (z”l) have long sponsored the Morris (z”l) and Betty Starkman Annual Genealogy Lecture and Election of Officers, our annual meeting.
Sholem Rabinovitch was 15 years old when he wrote his first book, a Jewish version of Robinson Crusoe. He became one of the founders of modern Yiddish literature, the man behind “Tevye” and the author of some of the most memorable stories about life in the shtetl.
We all have ancestors came from somewhere outside of the United States. The difficulty is often determining exactly where that somewhere is. Often records such as Census records indicate only a country and family lore frequently identifies only a geographic area. Many of these ancestors who were part of the immigrants who came to the United States were naturalized. If that naturalization occurred after 1906, the process created records that contain a wealth of information. 