Jewish Genealogical Society of Great Britain Blog

Our next meeting in the JGSGB Virtual Meeting Programme is the JGSGB Annual General Meeting (AGM) by Zoom. • Date: Sunday 1 Aug 2021 • Time: 14:00 London; 09:00 New York; 16:00 Jerusalem; 07:00 Salt Lake City • Title: JGSGB Annual General Meeting • Description: The full papers for the meeting are now available on the members’ section of the Society’s website at https://www.jgsgb.org.uk/jgsgb-constitution-and-bye-laws . To see them, you need to log on to the website with your JGSGB username and password in the usual way. The papers include the full agenda, the annual report and accounts for 2020, the minutes of last year’s AGM, the proposed new constitution with an explanation of the changes, and a summary of the Society’s strategy for 2021–2025. The agenda includes the motion on the way the Society licenses and shares databases. To join the AGM itself, please register in advance by going to: https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZIodeusrzMrE9Z8ZDG...

The Manchester Regional Group is hosting its FIRST online mini-conference. As already announced, we have arranged a mini-conference for SUNDAY 25 JULY 2021 which will be Zoomed into the homes of attendees. The programme (a full version of which can be found on our website) will be: https://www.jgsgb.org.uk/content/manchester-regional-group-mini-conference-20212 1.30pm Welcome Leigh Dworkin (Chairman JGSGB) 1.40pm Robert Dyson - From Budapest to Switzerland via Belsen: My Hungarian grand-mother's escape 2.50pm William Pimlott - YIVO (Vilna, New York, London): An archive and its British Jewish holdings 4.00pm Anna Douglas & Errol Gross - From Vilkaviskis to Salford: The Schoolboy and The Photographer 5.15pm Closing remarks – David Jacobs (JGSGB President) 5.25pm Close There will be a small charge for registration to cover the Society’s costs. This will be £5 for members and £10 for non-members. The charge will cover all persons within a household and using the same ele...

Our next Sunday meeting in the JGSGB Virtual Meeting Programme is from the JGSGB Eastern European Special Interest Group (EE SIG) on a Belarusian theme by Zoom. • Date: Sunday 18 Jul 2021 • Time: 14:00 London; 09:00 New York; 16:00 Jerusalem • Title: Archive searches and a Jewish Cultural Route - joining the dots in Belarus and beyond • Speaker: Debra Brunner • Description: Debra Brunner of The Together Plan Charity will be speaking about their Belarus archive service, how it grew during the pandemic, the complexities and challenges of looking for records in Belarus, how it all connects to the building of a Jewish Cultural Trail through the country and why it matters. After the talk, there will be an opportunity for Q&A and discussion on the talk. After a short break, we will reconvene for our ever-popular Eastern European Workshop, where mentors will be on hand to answer your questions. About Debra Brunner ==================== Debra has ...

Our next meeting in the JGSGB Virtual Meeting Programme is from the JGSGB DNA Special Interest Group (DNA SIG) by Zoom, but all JGSGB members are of course welcome. I am sending out the invitation to register a bit early to give you time to send in your questions beforehand by 8 July. • Date: Sunday 11 July 2021 • Time: 14:00 London; 09:00 New York; 16:00 Jerusalem; 07:00 Salt Lake City • Title: DNA testing for family history • Speaker: Debbie Kennett • Description: DNA testing is an essential tool for the family historian and has the potential to provide answers which can’t be found from the paper trail alone. Nearly 40 million people around the world have now taken a DNA test and the large databases are helping to reunite long-lost cousins and break down long-standing brick walls. In this talk we will look at the three different types of DNA test and how they can be used to help with your family history research with a particular focus on the chall...