Jewish Genealogical Society of Illinois
@jgsofillinois.bsky.social
The Jewish Genealogical Society of Illinois (JGSI) is a non-profit, volunteer-driven organization established in 1981 and now with over 300 members. JGSI is a member of IAJGS, the International Association of Jewish Genealogical Societies.
"How to Find Any Shtetl on Topographic Maps" by Andrew Kapochunas will be hosted online by the Jewish SIG of the St. Louis Genealogical Society at 1 p.m. CST, Sunday, Dec. 7, 2025. Go to stlgs.org/about-us-2/s... to register to receive the Zoom link for this Jewish genealogy webinar.
Jewish Special Interest Group - St. Louis Genealogical Society
The Jewish Special Interest Group (J-SIG) of St. Louis Genealogical Society began in June 2005 as a revival of the Jewish Genealogical Society of St. Louis, formerly associated with United Hebrew Cong...
stlgs.org
November 11, 2025 at 2:47 AM
"How to Find Any Shtetl on Topographic Maps" by Andrew Kapochunas will be hosted online by the Jewish SIG of the St. Louis Genealogical Society at 1 p.m. CST, Sunday, Dec. 7, 2025. Go to stlgs.org/about-us-2/s... to register to receive the Zoom link for this Jewish genealogy webinar.
RootsTech, the annual genealogical conference hosted by FamilySearch, will take place March 5-7, 2026. Go to www.familysearch.org/en/rootstech... for more details and to register. Note: this will be a hybrid event, taking place in person in Salt Lake City, Utah, as well as online.
FamilySearch.org
Discover your family history. Explore the world’s largest collection of free family trees, genealogy records and resources.
www.familysearch.org
November 6, 2025 at 6:21 AM
RootsTech, the annual genealogical conference hosted by FamilySearch, will take place March 5-7, 2026. Go to www.familysearch.org/en/rootstech... for more details and to register. Note: this will be a hybrid event, taking place in person in Salt Lake City, Utah, as well as online.
JGSI member Martin Fischer will present his updated lecture "Write It! Tips for Saving and Sharing Family History in Written Form" at 2 p.m. CST, Friday, Nov. 7, 2025, hosted online by the Library of the Chathams. Go to chathamlibrary.librarycalendar.com/event/write-... to register.
November 5, 2025 at 6:05 PM
JGSI member Martin Fischer will present his updated lecture "Write It! Tips for Saving and Sharing Family History in Written Form" at 2 p.m. CST, Friday, Nov. 7, 2025, hosted online by the Library of the Chathams. Go to chathamlibrary.librarycalendar.com/event/write-... to register.
"Introduction to Autosomal Genetic Genealogy" by retired doctor Tim Janzen will be co-presented online by the Jewish Genealogical Society of Oregon and the San Francisco Bay Area Jewish Genealogical Society at 1 p.m. CST, Sunday, Dec. 7, 2025. Register at us06web.zoom.us/meeting/regi...
Welcome! You are invited to join a meeting: Introduction to Autosomal Genetic Genealogy. After registering, you will receive a confirmation email about joining the meeting.
This presentation will cover basic background about autosomal DNA and analysis of matching segment data that every genetic genealogist needs to understand. The most important features of the major au...
us06web.zoom.us
October 26, 2025 at 10:28 PM
"Introduction to Autosomal Genetic Genealogy" by retired doctor Tim Janzen will be co-presented online by the Jewish Genealogical Society of Oregon and the San Francisco Bay Area Jewish Genealogical Society at 1 p.m. CST, Sunday, Dec. 7, 2025. Register at us06web.zoom.us/meeting/regi...
An informative article about the 1880 U.S. Census has been posted by the St. Louis Genealogical Society on its blog at: stlgs.blogspot.com/2025/10/secr...
Secrets of the Census, Part 5: 1880
A blog about genealogy in St. Louis.
stlgs.blogspot.com
October 20, 2025 at 10:19 PM
An informative article about the 1880 U.S. Census has been posted by the St. Louis Genealogical Society on its blog at: stlgs.blogspot.com/2025/10/secr...
"Sunrise, Sunset: Beginning Your Journey into Ashkenazi Jewish Genealogy" by Caitlin Hollander Waas, JewishGen’s chief genealogist, will be presented online by JewishGen at 1 p.m. Central Time, Wednesday, Oct. 22, 2025. Go to 898a.blackbaudhosting.com/898a/tickets... to register.
Museum of Jewish Heritage -A Living Memorial to the Holocaust
898a.blackbaudhosting.com
October 12, 2025 at 10:44 PM
"Sunrise, Sunset: Beginning Your Journey into Ashkenazi Jewish Genealogy" by Caitlin Hollander Waas, JewishGen’s chief genealogist, will be presented online by JewishGen at 1 p.m. Central Time, Wednesday, Oct. 22, 2025. Go to 898a.blackbaudhosting.com/898a/tickets... to register.
“Clued-In: The Stories Are in the Details” by Ava Cohn, AKA "Sherlock Cohn, Photo Genealogist," will be hosted online by the Northeast Indiana Jewish Genealogy Society at 1 p.m. Central Time, Sunday, Nov. 9, 2025. Go to us02web.zoom.us/meeting/regi... to register for this free webinar.
Welcome! You are invited to join a meeting: Sherlock Cohn, photo genealogist. After registering, you will receive a confirmation email about joining the meeting.
Photo genealogist, Ava "Sherlock" Cohn, will present "Clued-In: The Stories are in the Details," demonstrating by example how to find clues in our photos to further our genealogical research. Registe...
us02web.zoom.us
October 12, 2025 at 10:29 PM
“Clued-In: The Stories Are in the Details” by Ava Cohn, AKA "Sherlock Cohn, Photo Genealogist," will be hosted online by the Northeast Indiana Jewish Genealogy Society at 1 p.m. Central Time, Sunday, Nov. 9, 2025. Go to us02web.zoom.us/meeting/regi... to register for this free webinar.
“Goldmines & Landmines: What to Look for in Genealogy Research” will be presented by genealogist Sharon Roth at the Sunday, Oct. 19, 2025, Jewish Genealogical Society of Illinois hybrid meeting. Register/RSVP at: jgsi.org/event-6289355
October 10, 2025 at 11:39 PM
“Goldmines & Landmines: What to Look for in Genealogy Research” will be presented by genealogist Sharon Roth at the Sunday, Oct. 19, 2025, Jewish Genealogical Society of Illinois hybrid meeting. Register/RSVP at: jgsi.org/event-6289355
Explore the Jewish Genealogical Society of Illinois website at jgsi.org for information about great future events as well as a fascinating collection of family history research resources and tools.
October 10, 2025 at 11:22 PM
Explore the Jewish Genealogical Society of Illinois website at jgsi.org for information about great future events as well as a fascinating collection of family history research resources and tools.
Jewish Genealogical Society of Illinois members: To access dozens of recordings and handouts from past JGSI events, log into jgsi.org, click the EVENTS tab, and select PAST EVENTS RECORDINGS AND HANDOUTS. Then select the video of interest to you and click on the video to view it.
JGSI Jewish Genealogical Society of Illinois - Home
jgsi.org
September 10, 2025 at 10:27 PM
Jewish Genealogical Society of Illinois members: To access dozens of recordings and handouts from past JGSI events, log into jgsi.org, click the EVENTS tab, and select PAST EVENTS RECORDINGS AND HANDOUTS. Then select the video of interest to you and click on the video to view it.
In honor of Labor Day in the U.S., MyHeritage is opening up access to a massive collection of historical records — over 892 million U.S. and Canadian census records — completely free from Aug. 27–Sept. 2, 2025.
Starting Monday, go to www.myheritage.com/research/cat... to search U.S records.
Starting Monday, go to www.myheritage.com/research/cat... to search U.S records.
Census & Voter Lists - MyHeritage
Easily search billions of historical records from around the world including birth, marriage, death, census, and immigration records, and much more
www.myheritage.com
August 26, 2025 at 11:28 PM
In honor of Labor Day in the U.S., MyHeritage is opening up access to a massive collection of historical records — over 892 million U.S. and Canadian census records — completely free from Aug. 27–Sept. 2, 2025.
Starting Monday, go to www.myheritage.com/research/cat... to search U.S records.
Starting Monday, go to www.myheritage.com/research/cat... to search U.S records.
Mike Karsen welcomes Jewish Genealogical Society of Illinois members and guests to the JGSI dinner on Aug. 11, 2025, held in conjunction with the IAJGS International Jewish Genealogy Conference. The dinner, organized by Diane Grauer, was held at Conner’s Kitchen & Bar in Ft. Wayne, Indiana.
August 17, 2025 at 5:12 AM
Mike Karsen welcomes Jewish Genealogical Society of Illinois members and guests to the JGSI dinner on Aug. 11, 2025, held in conjunction with the IAJGS International Jewish Genealogy Conference. The dinner, organized by Diane Grauer, was held at Conner’s Kitchen & Bar in Ft. Wayne, Indiana.
Jewish Genealogical Society of Illinois members: If you haven't already done so, please renew your membership! Log into jgsi.org to see whether you have renewed. If you cannot log in, then you are not a member. Go to jgsi.org/Membership to see the benefits of membership and to renew.
August 6, 2025 at 10:20 PM
Jewish Genealogical Society of Illinois members: If you haven't already done so, please renew your membership! Log into jgsi.org to see whether you have renewed. If you cannot log in, then you are not a member. Go to jgsi.org/Membership to see the benefits of membership and to renew.
Nolan Altman will teach a course, Intro to Jewish Genealogy: Everything You Need to Build Your Family Tree, Aug. 7-28, 2025. Enroll: my-jewish-learning.teachable.com/.../intro-to...
NOTE: Members of the Jewish Genealogical Society of Illinois should check the JGSI Members Forum before registering.
NOTE: Members of the Jewish Genealogical Society of Illinois should check the JGSI Members Forum before registering.
my-jewish-learning.teachable.com
July 28, 2025 at 8:35 PM
Nolan Altman will teach a course, Intro to Jewish Genealogy: Everything You Need to Build Your Family Tree, Aug. 7-28, 2025. Enroll: my-jewish-learning.teachable.com/.../intro-to...
NOTE: Members of the Jewish Genealogical Society of Illinois should check the JGSI Members Forum before registering.
NOTE: Members of the Jewish Genealogical Society of Illinois should check the JGSI Members Forum before registering.
"Handwritten Text Recognition" by Yvette Hoitink will be presented as a hybrid event by CAGGNI, the Computer Assisted Genealogy Group of Northern Illinois, at 10 a.m. CDT, Saturday, Aug. 16, 2025. Register at caggni.org/event-6055375
Non-members of CAGGNI pay $5.
Non-members of CAGGNI pay $5.
CAGGNI - Handwritten Text Recognition - Yvette Hoitink
caggni.org
July 28, 2025 at 8:27 PM
"Handwritten Text Recognition" by Yvette Hoitink will be presented as a hybrid event by CAGGNI, the Computer Assisted Genealogy Group of Northern Illinois, at 10 a.m. CDT, Saturday, Aug. 16, 2025. Register at caggni.org/event-6055375
Non-members of CAGGNI pay $5.
Non-members of CAGGNI pay $5.
Attention Jewish Genealogical Society of Illinois members! Please be aware that RSVP/registration confirmation emails from JGSI, which usually include Zoom links, are mistakenly being sent to junk mail/spam email folders. Please be on the lookout for them and, if possible, mark them as NOT JUNK.
July 23, 2025 at 10:27 PM
Attention Jewish Genealogical Society of Illinois members! Please be aware that RSVP/registration confirmation emails from JGSI, which usually include Zoom links, are mistakenly being sent to junk mail/spam email folders. Please be on the lookout for them and, if possible, mark them as NOT JUNK.
Nolan Altman, director of data at JewishGen, will teach a four-part online course called Intro to Jewish Genealogy: Everything You Need to Build Your Family Tree, Thursdays at 6 p.m. Central Time, Aug. 7-28, 2025. Enroll at my-jewish-learning.teachable.com/p/intro-to-g...
The fee is $80.
The fee is $80.
Intro to Jewish Genealogy: Everything You Need to Build Your Family Tree
my-jewish-learning.teachable.com
July 23, 2025 at 7:33 PM
Nolan Altman, director of data at JewishGen, will teach a four-part online course called Intro to Jewish Genealogy: Everything You Need to Build Your Family Tree, Thursdays at 6 p.m. Central Time, Aug. 7-28, 2025. Enroll at my-jewish-learning.teachable.com/p/intro-to-g...
The fee is $80.
The fee is $80.
A free video recording of the webinar "Family History Today: Interpreting Your DNA Test Results for Ashkenazi Jews" by Jenny Rappaport, head genealogist at the Center for Jewish History, can be viewed at www.youtube.com/watch?v=eub3...
Family History Today: Interpreting Your DNA Test Results for Ashkenazi Jews
YouTube video by Center for Jewish History
www.youtube.com
July 18, 2025 at 12:37 AM
A free video recording of the webinar "Family History Today: Interpreting Your DNA Test Results for Ashkenazi Jews" by Jenny Rappaport, head genealogist at the Center for Jewish History, can be viewed at www.youtube.com/watch?v=eub3...
“The Wandering Jew" and “The Rise and Fall of the Jewish Shtetl” are the titles of two informative Jewish history lectures by Dick Goldman scheduled for the Sunday, July 27, 2025, Jewish Genealogical Society of Illinois hybrid meeting. Register/RSVP at jgsi.org/event-6201036
July 9, 2025 at 11:11 PM
“The Wandering Jew" and “The Rise and Fall of the Jewish Shtetl” are the titles of two informative Jewish history lectures by Dick Goldman scheduled for the Sunday, July 27, 2025, Jewish Genealogical Society of Illinois hybrid meeting. Register/RSVP at jgsi.org/event-6201036
"Family History Today: Genetic Census of the Jewish People" by Michael Waas will be presented as a hybrid event by the Center for Jewish History at 11 a.m. CDT, Sunday, Aug. 3, 2025. Go to programs.cjh.org/event/family... for pay-what-you-want registration to receive the Zoom link.
Family History Today: Genetic Census of the Jewish People – In-Person Program & Live on Zoom
programs.cjh.org
July 5, 2025 at 11:17 PM
"Family History Today: Genetic Census of the Jewish People" by Michael Waas will be presented as a hybrid event by the Center for Jewish History at 11 a.m. CDT, Sunday, Aug. 3, 2025. Go to programs.cjh.org/event/family... for pay-what-you-want registration to receive the Zoom link.
One of the benefits of being a member of the Jewish Genealogical Society of Illinois is access to a series of live online programs/discussions on a variety of Jewish genealogy topics.
Go to jgsi.org/Events-calen... to register/RSVP for these and other JGSI events.
Go to jgsi.org/Events-calen... to register/RSVP for these and other JGSI events.
JGSI Jewish Genealogical Society of Illinois - Events
jgsi.org
July 3, 2025 at 11:02 PM
One of the benefits of being a member of the Jewish Genealogical Society of Illinois is access to a series of live online programs/discussions on a variety of Jewish genealogy topics.
Go to jgsi.org/Events-calen... to register/RSVP for these and other JGSI events.
Go to jgsi.org/Events-calen... to register/RSVP for these and other JGSI events.
Here are photos of some of the speakers at the June 29, 2025, Jewish Genealogical Society of Illinois annual meeting and "Kvell and Tell" session at Temple Beth-El in Northbrook, Illinois.
June 30, 2025 at 4:29 AM
Here are photos of some of the speakers at the June 29, 2025, Jewish Genealogical Society of Illinois annual meeting and "Kvell and Tell" session at Temple Beth-El in Northbrook, Illinois.
Several Jewish Genealogical Society of Illinois members will share family history discoveries and genealogy research tips in the annual “Kvell and Tell” session, Sunday, June 29, 2025, in a hybrid meeting at Temple Beth-El, Northbrook, Illinois. Register/RSVP at jgsi.org/event-5653567
June 26, 2025 at 8:01 PM
Several Jewish Genealogical Society of Illinois members will share family history discoveries and genealogy research tips in the annual “Kvell and Tell” session, Sunday, June 29, 2025, in a hybrid meeting at Temple Beth-El, Northbrook, Illinois. Register/RSVP at jgsi.org/event-5653567
An informative article about how to obtain death certificates in Illinois, Missouri and elsewhere has been posted at stlgs.blogspot.com/2025/06/wher... by the St. Louis Genealogical Society.
Where are the Death Certificates?
A blog about genealogy in St. Louis.
stlgs.blogspot.com
June 24, 2025 at 6:11 AM
An informative article about how to obtain death certificates in Illinois, Missouri and elsewhere has been posted at stlgs.blogspot.com/2025/06/wher... by the St. Louis Genealogical Society.
"The Changing Borders of Eastern Europe" by Hal Bookbinder will be presented online by the Jewish Genealogical Society of Oregon at 12:30 p.m. CDT, Sunday, July 13, 2025. Go to us06web.zoom.us/meeting/regi... to register to receive the free Zoom link.
Welcome! You are invited to join a meeting: The Changing Borders of Eastern Europe. After registering, you will receive a confirmation email about joining the meeting.
As Russia expanded west, it absorbed hundreds of thousands of Jews. This talk examines Russia’s efforts to limit the movement of these Jews into Old Russia by creating the Pale, an area of expanded w...
us06web.zoom.us
June 14, 2025 at 9:37 PM
"The Changing Borders of Eastern Europe" by Hal Bookbinder will be presented online by the Jewish Genealogical Society of Oregon at 12:30 p.m. CDT, Sunday, July 13, 2025. Go to us06web.zoom.us/meeting/regi... to register to receive the free Zoom link.