Yitzhak Berchunsky
ca 1880 |
Welcome to the Orange County Jewish Genealogical Society! The OCJGS is your resource in Orange County, California, for all things related to finding your Jewish roots.
Whether you're a beginner or a seasoned expert, you will find our monthly meetings stimulating and informative. In addition to meetings, hands-on workshops, and special events, members also have access to an excellent library of books and magazines pertinent to Jewish genealogy. The Orange County Jewish Genealogical Society is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit. We are a member of the International Association of Jewish Genealogical Societies. Remember the Days of Old; Ask your father and he will tell you, your elders and they will explain to you. (Deut. 32:7)
זכר ימות עולם בינו שנות דור ודור שאל אביך ויגדך זקניך ויאמרו לך פרשת האזינו |
The Summer Sale is back!Join today! Get $10 off individual or family membership prices for membership through the end of this year. Calendar of EventsWorld-Class Speakers!We have a lineup of truly world class speakers coming to you wherever in the world you are, from wherever in the world they are. We normally meet the 4th Sunday of each month.
Virtual meetings are via Zoom. You must register in advance by clicking the link for the meeting you want to attend. Registration only takes a few seconds. Attendance at virtual meetings is free to OCJGS members. If you are not a member, please consider joining. Otherwise, the charge for non-members is $5. Please visit the Membership page to join or pay your $5 fee. October 23 at 10:00 am (Pacific time zone)
Aaron Ginsburg: Curing the "I can't find my shtetl" syndrome; Examples and techniques 
Sometimes it's not easy to find a shtetl using the JewishGen Communities Database (formerly known as the Shtetl Finder) on jewishgen.org. Either your shtetl is not listed, there are too many hits, or not enough information is available. This presentation will discuss Shtetl Finder and demonstrate alternate approaches, using examples. Techniques will include networking, detailed family histories, immigration and naturalization, military records, JewishGen records, Yad Vashem, and how to find and use detailed online maps for Poland and Austria-Hungary. Having found the shtetl, the examples will show how that may lead to more information.
Aaron Ginsburg was born in Newport, Rhode Island. His research into his family led to the creation of a non-profit organization, The Friends of Jewish Dokshitsy, to help local officials in Belarus restore a Jewish cemetery. Aaron has traveled frequently to Belarus and Ukraine and he has helped several families reunite after 50-100 years. His motto is, “Genealogy can be fun…if you are patient." Register in advance for the virtual meeting by clicking this link. But wait, there's more...Mark your calendars for these upcoming speakers:
November 20: Phil Goldfarb Getting the Most out of the JewishGen Discussion Group Register by clicking this link December 18: Vivian Kahn Hungarian Jewish Genealogy Register by clicking this link January 22, 2022: Ken Bravo Finding Frieda: The amazing story of how he tracked down a long-lost cousin who had emigrated to the US, having lost contact with the rest of the family during WW II and the Soviet period. Registration link coming soon February 26: Hallel Yadin Doing research at YIVO Registration link coming soon March 26: Michael Morgenstern The Forvitz Registration link coming soon April 23: Jakub Czupryński Polish archives Registration link coming soon May 21: Daniel Horowitz Latin American research Registration link coming soon June 25: Michael Moritz Romanian Jewish research Registration link coming soon |
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