We regret to inform you that due to illness our January 9th event with Noah Rosenberg has been cancelled. We hope to reschedule for the near future and will alert you to those details.

Sunday, January 9, 2011 at 11:00 am, Holocaust Memorial Center

Since the early days of the field of human genetics, it has been recognized that genetic tools can provide insight into the nature of the relationships between different Jewish communities. To what extent do different Jewish populations share a common genetic ancestry? How does the level of genetic similarity of Jewish populations with each other compare to that between Jewish populations and their non-Jewish historical neighbors? Now that studies of the human genome have dramatically enhanced our ability to understand patterns of human genetic variation and their history, it is becoming increasingly possible to investigate relationships among Jewish populations, with finer and finer resolution. This talk will examine recent developments in the field of Jewish population genetics, with a focus on studies conducted in an ongoing partnership between our laboratory at the University of Michigan with scientists at Tel Aviv University and the Hebrew University of Jerusalem.

Noah Rosenberg is Associate Professor of Human Genetics, Biostatistics, and Ecology & Evolutionary Biology at the University of Michigan. He received his B.A. in mathematics from Rice University and his M.S. in mathematics and Ph.D. in biological sciences from Stanford University, and he completed a postdoctoral fellowship in the molecular and computational biology group at the University of Southern California. Rosenberg’s research focuses on mathematical and statistical problems and evolutionary biology and human genetics, with a focus on the analysis of human genetic variation. He is the author of over 60 peer-reviewed scientific publications, which have appeared in such journals as Bioinformatics, Evolution, Genetics, Nature, Science, and Theoretical Population Biology.

Sunday, February 6, 2011 at 11:00 am, Holocaust Memorial Center

The presentation will be targeted to non-technical users, and will focus on the most popular genealogy programs for Windows, Macintosh, and the web.

Each product will have a brief introduction and overview of its key features, comparision of its relative strengths and weaknesses.

If people want to submit questions in writing in advance, Steve will try to have answers ready. February 1 is the deadline for emailing questions to programs@jgsmi.org.

Steven Klein was a computer hobbyist in his teenage years, and parlayed his knowledge into a 25 year career in the IT field, having worked in as a Help Desk support specialist, an educational IT Specialist, a Network Engineer, and most recently as an IT Manager. He’s interrupted his professional career to pursue a BSIT degree at Lawrence Tech, and expects to graduate this summer.

His interest in genealogy was sparked last year when one of his cousins invited him and several family members to the myheritage.com website to build out the family tree of their maternal grandparents. Over the year they’ve added antecedents, siblings, descendants and spouses, and now they have 216 people listed.

Sunday, March 13, 2011 at 11:00 am, Holocaust Memorial Center

In the middle of the twentieth century, the numbers of petitions for name changes in New York City rose dramatically. In numbers disproportionate to the Jewish population in the city, the majority of name-change petitioners in NY bore Jewish names. This rise in Jewish name-changing has not been studied by historians and offers us a valuable window into American Jewish life during this era. Name-changing reflected both Jewish success and weakness in the American economy. Indeed, a close reading of New York City name change petitions allows us to reconsider the process by which American Jews became middle class during the twentieth century.

Kirsten Fermaglich (Ph.D. History, New York University) has taught at Michigan State University since 2001. Her book on American social scientists and Holocaust imagery, American Dreams and Nazi Nightmares: Early Holocaust Consciousness and Liberal America, 1957-1965, was published by Brandeis University Press in 2006. She has also published articles in American Jewish History, the Michigan Historical Review, and Southern Jewish History; her article on Mel Brooks’ The Producers is forthcoming in American Studies. She is currently researching the history of Jews and name-changing in the twentieth century for a book-length project tentatively entitled, “A Rosenberg By Any Other Name.” Fermaglich co-curated a 2002-2003 MSU museum exhibit, “Uneasy Years: Michigan Jewry During Depression and War” that was recognized by the Michigan Council for the Humanities as among the top 30 projects the Council supported in the past 30 years.

Sunday, April 3, 2011 at 11:00 am, Holocaust Memorial Center

Co-sponsored with the Polish Genealogical Society of Michigan (PGSM)

This practical and interactive presentation will first briefly discuss unique factors which impact 19th-century Polish research. Then, with audience participation, it will walk attendees step by step through the process of translating one 19th-century Polish document, and possibly two, if time permits. Documents will be passed out at the workshop.

About Judith R. Frazin
Ms. Frazin is the author of three editions of A Translation Guide to 19th-Century Polish-Language Civil Registration Documents (including Birth, Marriage and Death Records). In 2010, the IAJGS granted Frazin its award for Outstanding Contribution to Jewish Genealogy via the Internet, Print or Electronic Product. The Polish Genealogical Society of America recognized her contribution to the field of genealogy by selecting her to receive its Wiglia award in 2000. A genealogist for forty years, she was program chairperson for the 1984 national seminar on Jewish genealogy, served as president of the JGS of Illinois for ten years, and served as a member-at-large on the Board of the IAJGS for three years.

May 1, 2011 at 1:30pm at the Farmington Community Library, Conference Room A (Main Branch)

Three JGS of Michigan members, each relating his or her start and subsequent research in Jewish genealogical pursuits. Come and hear them recount their research experiences, sharing their individual successes and tips.

Jonathan Haber
Jon will discuss what he has accomplished researching his grandmother’s 9 siblings and their descendents.

Richard Jaeger
Richard has discovered a large number of relatives he didn’t know a thing about through a large collection of photographs given to him.

Alexandra Goldberg
Alexandra will talk about her breakthrough in finding the missing link affirming her descendancy from a Rabbinical family with possible roots going back to King David.

At this event, we will be holding a vote of the membership on proposed amendments to the JGSMI Constitution and By-Laws. Each member in good standing who attends should sign an attendance sheet before entering the meeting room. A member of the Constitution and Bylaws committee or an alternate will advise the membership of the modifications and call for a vote.

A summary of the proposed changes are below. You can read the entire amendment here.

1. Article V of the Constitution authorizes the President of the Society to appoint from two currently to four Members at Large and as approved by majority vote of the Board of Directors.
2. Article VI of the Constitution states that no member shall be elected consecutively more than three times to the office of President unless approved by the majority vote of the Board of Directors.
3. Article II Section 5 of the Bylaws specifies the duties of the library committee and states that the library of the Society will be at a designated location instead of a specific location in order not to have to amend the bylaws each time the location of the library is changed.
4. Article III of the Bylaws describes the current duties of the members at large and further adds duties as assigned by the President.

Refreshments will be served.

Sunday, May 22, 2011
11:00 am Preglow, 12:00 pm Film
Berman Center for the Performing Arts at the Jewish Community Center
part of the Lenore Marwil Jewish Film Festival

JGSMI invites you to our popular annual fundraiser event. This year we are co-sponsoring Winston Churchill: Walking With Destiny at the Lenore Marwil Jewish Film Festival. The movie starts at noon and we will be having a preglow for fundraiser ticket buyers only at 11:00 am.

The newest production from the Moriah Films Division of the Simon Wiesenthal Center focuses on the years 1940 and 1941, when the Swastika flew over continental Europe. Only England with her back to the wall, under Winston Churchill, remained defiant.

httpvh://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qsOzPMrqVxE

Walking With Destiny highlights Churchill’s years in the political wilderness, his early opposition to Adolf Hitler and Nazism, and his support for Jews under threat by the Nazi regime. As historian John Lukacs explains, Churchill may not have won the War in 1940, but without him, the War most certainly would have been lost.

Sir Martin Gilbert, historical consultant for the film and Churchill’s official biographer, adds that had Churchill’s warnings about Nazi Germany’s racial policies towards Jews been heeded in the early 1930’s, the Holocaust may never have occurred.

The film examines why Winston Churchill’s legacy continues to be relevant in the 21st Century and explores why his leadership remains inspirational to current day political leaders and diplomats.

The new Berman Center for the Performing Arts at the Jewish Community Center in West Bloomfield

Please Note
You may skip the form below and simply mail us a check amounting to $18 a ticket, thereby avoiding the Eventbrite fees.

Make your check payable to and mail to:
Jewish Genealogical Society of Michigan
P.O. Box 251693
W. Bloomfield, MI 48325

Sunday, June 26, 2011 at 11:00 am,
Holocaust Memorial Center

State of the Art: Restitution and Resolutions

Special Guest Karen Franklin will discuss genealogical research techniques used to unite Nazi-era art with its rightful owners.

She will present an overview of looted art issues in US and European Jewish museums, and demonstrate how the international Jewish genealogical community is helping to solve ongoing European cases. Franklin will share some of the genealogical research she used to help solve prominent cases in the Netherlands, Germany and Ukraine.

Karen is guest curator of the exhibition, The Morgenthaus: A Legacy of Service, currently on display at the Museum of Jewish Heritage – a Living Memorial to the Holocaust in Manhattan. A co-chair of the Board of Governors of JewishGen.org, she is a past president of the International Association of Jewish Genealogical Societies and a past chair of the Council of American Jewish Museums. Karen serves on the board the International Committee of Memorial Museums of ICOM (International Council of Museums) and many other boards. A researcher on looted art, she has worked on cases for the Origins Unknown Agency in the Netherlands, the Commission for Looted Art in Europe, and the U. S. Treasury Department. She was recently appointed to the Advisory Council of the European Shoah Legacy Institute.

If any member of JGSMI would like to nominate themselves or another member for any of the above positions, please contact John Kovacs at 248-851-3481 or elections@jgsmi.org prior to June 17, 2011.

Dietary laws observed.

Sunday, October 17, 2010 at 1:00 pm

My mother was an only child. That’s what she told everyone, sometimes within minutes of meeting them. When I heard that my mother had been hiding the existence of a sister, I was bewildered. A sister? I was certain that she had no siblings, just as I knew that her name was Beth, that she had no middle name, and that she had raised her children to, above all, tell the truth.

Part memoir, part detective story, part history, Annie’s Ghosts revolves around three main characters (my mom, her sister and me as narrator/detective/son), several important secondary ones (my grandparents, my father and several relatives whom I found in the course of reporting on the book), as well as Eloise, the vast county mental hospital where my secret aunt was confined—despite her initial protestations—all of her adult life.

As I try to understand my mom’s reasons for hiding her sister’s existence, readers have a front-row seat to the reality of growing up poor in America during the 1920s and 1930s, at a time when the nation’s “asylums” had a population of 400,000 and growing. They will travel the many corridors and buildings of Eloise Hospital, a place little known outside Detroit but which housed so many mentally ill and homeless people during the Depression that it become one of the largest institutions of its kind in the nation, with 10,000 residents, 75 buildings, its own police and fire forces, even its own dairy.

Through personal letters and photographs, official records and archival documents, as well as dozens of interviews, readers will revisit my mother’s world in the 1930s and 1940s in search of how and why the secret was born. The easy answer—shame and stigma—is the one that I often heard as I pursued the story. But when it comes to secrets, there are no easy answers, and shame is only where the story begins, not ends.

Whenever the secret threatened to make its way to the surface, Mom did whatever she could to push it back underground. Just as Annie was a prisoner of her condition and of the hospital that became her home, my mother became a virtual prisoner of the secret she chose to keep. Why? Why did she want the secret to remain so deeply buried?

Employing my skills as a journalist while struggling to maintain my empathy as a son, I piece together the story of my mother’s motivations, my aunt’s unknown life, and the times in which they lived. My search takes me to imperial Russia and Depression-era Detroit, through the Holocaust in Ukraine and the Philippine war zone, and back to the hospitals where Annie and many others languished in anonymity.

For me, it was the quest of a lifetime.

Excerpt taken from http://steveluxenberg.com/content/book.asp?id=story

Location: Holocaust Memorial Center, Farmington Hills. Register below.

Monday, November 8, 2010 at 8:00 p.m. at the West Bloomfield JCC

Join us as we co-sponsor Jake Ehrenreich, author of A Jew Grows in Brooklyn: The Curious Reflections of a First-Generation American, at the 59th Annual Jewish Book Fair this November.

“Barnum” and “Dancin’” star Jake Ehrenreich takes readers on a poignant journey through the past as he tells childhood stories, coming-of-age lessons and tales from the lives of his immigrant, Holocaust survivor parents.

A companion to his popular Broadway musical comedy, A Jew Grows in Brooklyn is filled with memories of baseball, popcorn and realizing the American dream. A documentary about Ehrenreich’s life is in the works for release later this year.

Co-sponsored by the Birmingham Temple, Institute for Retired Professionals (IRP), the Jewish Genealogical Society of Michigan and ORT America-Michigan Region

About the Author

Brownsville Memoir-Growing up in Brooklyn, in the shadow of the Shoah.

When Jake Ehrenreich was growing up in Brownsville in the 1960s, he wanted nothing more than to be an American. But his Yiddish-speaking parents, who failed to understand the game of baseball or make sense of rock music, made it difficult for him to feel part of the mainstream culture. In his new one-man show, “A Jew Grows in Brooklyn,” directed by Jon Huberth, Ehrenreich explores how his family history, dominated by the shadow of the Holocaust, shaped the man he turned out to be.

Ehrenreich, 50, has appeared on Broadway in “Dancin,” “Barnum” and “They’re Playing Our Song.” He has also performed Yiddish music in two Off-Broadway productions, “Songs of Paradise” and “The Golden Land.”

His father’s Hasidic family had been one of the wealthiest in Poland, but during the war both he and his wife ended up in a work camp in Siberia, where one of their daughters was born. After spending time in a displaced persons camp, the family came to America, where they tried to give their children a life free from the taint of victimhood.

But it was not to be. Ehrenreich and his two sisters grew up feeling, as he put it, that existence was “tenuous” and that the “world could end at any moment.” Yet he also shares many wonderful memories of his youth, from playing stoop ball to attending Shea Stadium to vacationing in the Catskills, where Ehrenreich began performing in a band at the tender age of 12. Indeed, Ehrenreich tells much of his life story through music; he is backed by four instrumentalists, playing songs ranging from “Brooklyn Roads” to “Doo Wah Diddy.” One striking moment in the show occurs when Ehrenreich recalls learning that almost all of his favorite composers were Jewish like him.

“I don’t want to bring people too far into the black hole of the Holocaust,” Ehrenreich said, noting that his show is mostly upbeat and optimistic. “If people in the audience laugh,” he concluded, “it means that they trust me not just to take them to a more serious place, but to bring them out and make them joyous and grateful when they leave.”

For Ehrenreich, his show is ultimately a “celebration.” He quotes Billy Crystal, who quipped that performing a show about his life was like “a visit with my family every night.”

About the Author was taken from http://www.jakeehrenreich.com/about-the-author.html and can be attributed to The Jewish Week.

Sunday, November 14, 2010 at 11:00 am

WANTED! U.S. Criminal Records is your one-stop reference for information sources about criminals from America’s past. WANTED! lists archives, libraries, courts and online sites containing numerous sets of criminal information.

• Prison Records
• Court Records
• Parole Records
• Pardon Records
• Execution Information
• Investigative Reports
• Police Reports

In this 388-page reference book you also get examples of documents you can find online and in repositories across the country. The book also includes a primer on how to conduct genealogical research on criminals, including various tips learned from the author’s vast experience in this field.

WANTED! shows you where to find the piece of the puzzle of a criminals life. It’s the perfect complement to The Jews of Sing Sing, which shows you how to fit such pieces together as well as providing an unprecedented view into the topic of New York Jewish criminal history.

Book description taken from http://www.ronarons.com/wanted.php

Location: Holocaust Memorial Center, Farmington Hills. Register below.