Sunday, January 19, 2020 at 10:00 AM Holocaust Memorial Center 28123 Orchard Lake Road in Farmington Hills Light refreshments will be served Free for members, $5 for guests Fees and dues may be paid at the door
This program will discuss how to get started in genealogy and family history to solve the “genealogy jigsaw puzzle.” We’ll cover a range of topics, and the discussion will be tailored as necessary depending on audience questions and background.
Expected topics to be covered:
Research using vital records (birth, marriage, death)
Discussion with family members
Research using Ancestry.com for census records, ship records, naturalization records, etc.
Digitized newspapers, locally using the Detroit Jewish News Foundation, and hands-on discovery using old Detroit City Directories at the Burton Historical Collection.
Sunday, December 29 at 1:00 PM Burton Historical Collection Detroit Public Library 5201 Woodward Avenue, Detroit Free
On December 15th, JGSMI Past President Marc Manson will have given a presentation introducing the audience to the Detroit City Directories at the Burton Historical Collection, which cover many of the years between 1837 and 1974.
This program will be a chance for you to apply what you learned at that event—it will be a hands-on program where you can do your own research and utilize all of the Burton’s genealogical resources (as well as those of the Detroit Public Library).
Breakfast option: Meet for breakfast at 11:45 AM Leo’s Coney Island 28595 Northwestern, Southfield (south of 12 Mile)
Car Pooling begins at Leo’s at 12:30 PM
If you prefer to skip breakfast and go directly to the event, the DPL opens at 1:00 PM. There is free parking in the employees’ parking lot South of the library.
Call Jim Grey at 248-739-9070 if you are interested in breakfast and/or carpooling.
The Burton Collection’s city directories cover the following years:
Sunday, December 15 at 10:00 AM Holocaust Memorial Center Refreshments will be served Free
Please join us as JGSMI Past President Marc Manson delivers an overview of the Detroit City Directories that are available at the Burton Historical Collection at the Detroit Public Library.
Two weeks later on December 29th, we will go on a field trip to the Burton so that you can apply what you’ve learned at the Collection itself.
Tuesday, November 12 at 4:00 PM 202 S. Thayer Street, Room 2022 Ann Arbor, MI
Speaker: Steve Weitzman, University of Pennsylvania
Genetic breakthroughs have created a newly scientific way to reveal one’s distant ancestors, and spawned a multi-billion dollar ancestry testing industry in the process. What does such research reveal about the origin of the Jews? Can it trace their ancestry all the way back to the biblical past? This presentation will survey recent efforts to use genetics to illumine the ancestry of the Jews, weighing its insights against the criticisms and fears of skeptics.
There is both an accessible elevator and gender-neutral restroom on the first and second floor. If you have a disability that requires an accommodation, contact judaicstudies@umich.edu or 734-763-9047.
Young adults are invited to join Jewish Family Service, NEXTGen Detroit, The Well, Repair the World and Hillel of Metro Detroit for JFS’s 23rd Annual Fall Fix Up at B’nai David Cemetery.
We’ll gather at B’nai David Cemetery at 10:00am on Sunday, November 10 to give back, clean up, and help to beautify this sacred space.
What to Expect:
Young adult crowd (for other activities, visit the JFS website.)
Breakfast provided, with service beginning at 10:30am
Wear clothes you don’t mind getting dirty, and layers are recommended as we’ll be outside!
Water bottles are encouraged!
Please register through the link below, and contact Lindsay Leder at lleder@jfsdetroit.org if you have any questions.
The 39th IAJGS International Conference on Jewish Genealogy took place in Cleveland, Ohio, July 28th through August 2nd at the Hilton Cleveland Downtown hotel.
Join other JGSMI Members as they discuss their favorite seminars and their experiences at the conference. There will be plenty of time for Q&A.
The next conference will be August 9-14, 2020 in San Diego: www.iajgs2020.org
Thursday, June 27 at 6:30 PM Temple Beth El 7400 Telegraph Road, Bloomfield Hills
$18 — Kosher dessert reception
History Distilled: Jewish Detroit During Prohibition
The era of prohibition was a time of tremendous growth and secrets in Detroit’s Jewish community. Join archivists Robbie Terman from the Leonard N. Simons Jewish Community Archives and Laura Williams from the Rabbi Leo M. Franklin Archives of Temple Beth El as they share stories of life during prohibition, from developments in the Jewish community to bootlegging and the Purple Gang. Then, take a stroll through a display of photographs and documents and put yourself in the shoes of a Jewish Detroiter during this infamous time.
If you do not wish to pay via Eventbrite and pay the Eventbrite fee, please email Adina Lipsitz and she will manually add you to the list and you can mail in a check (payable to JGS of Michigan) for $18 per attendee.
Mail to: JGS of Michigan P.O. Box 251693 West Bloomfield, MI 48325
Sunday, April 28 at 10:00 AM Holocaust Memorial Center – ABC rooms Light refreshments Free
Ken Bravo is a Past President of the Jewish Genealogy Society of Cleveland. As Co-Chair of the 39th International Conference on Jewish Genealogy in Cleveland, he will offer a preview of what to expect at this year’s conference.
In Hebrew, Limmud means “learning.” Limmud Michigan, an entirely independent 501(c)3 non-profit corporation, brings to our region a remarkable venture in Jewish learning. It emulates the phenomenally successful enterprise created in the U.K., echoed in 83 communities in 43 countries – each with its own unique flavor.
Limmud Michigan is an all-volunteer run festival and celebration of Jewish thought, culture, learning, teaching and fun! Dedicated to the Jewish experience and exploration in all its variety, Limmud is committed to harnessing the energy of people from across the Jewish community and across the region.
This year includes a wide and varied set of topics:
Won’t You Be My Neighbor? The Right to Privacy in Jewish Sources
Magical Moments: Passing on the stories, Jewish traditions and joys of life with your grandchild
Quantum Theology: Belief in an Age of Proven Uncertainty
The Right, Left, or In-Between: Understanding Anti-Semitism
The Old Neighborhood: Jewish Enclaves of Northwest Detroit
Jewish Views on Angels and Devils
Whatever Happened to Nice Jewish Boys? What Do Jewish Men Do After #MeToo?
A geographic, demographic, religiosity profile of Detroit Jewry, based on the 2018 community study
Encountering Israeli Poets and Poetry Through Music and Song
Jewish Theology for Atheists
In addition, our very own Jim Grey, Past President, will be speaking at the conference: Jim will be speaking – “The Genealogy Journey from Research to Reunion.” This program will covers how to get started in genealogy and family history to solve the “genealogy jigsaw puzzle,” encompassing research using vital records (birth, marriage, death); discussion with family members; research using Ancestry.com for census records, ship records, naturalization records, etc., and digitized newspapers, locally using the Detroit Jewish News Foundation, and hands-on discovery using old Detroit City Directories at the Burton Historical Collection. It briefly touches on DNA, and ends with the family reunion.
Sunday, March 24 at 10:00 AM Holocaust Memorial Center – ABC rooms Light refreshments will be served Free
Join us for a pre-recorded FamilyTree DNA webinar by Elise Friedman
Genealogists researching Ashkenazi ancestry often find a variety of challenges in our traditional research: young surnames, changed surnames, cousin marriages, short paper trails and more. These same situations can make understanding and analyzing our genetic genealogy results and matches challenging as well. This presentation discusses how these situations affect our genetic genealogy results, how to understand our results in light of these situations, and some best practices for getting around these challenges to make the most of our genetic genealogy experience.
