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Orange County Jewish Genealogical Society
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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.
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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

Renew or Join Today

Membership runs through the end of the 2023
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Calendar of Events

World-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.


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Registration is now open for the IAJGS Conference on Jewish Genealogy.
Sunday, July 30 through Thursday, August 3, 2023, in London, England.
 More information: www.iajgs2023.org

Live from Israel!
May 21 at 10:00 am (Pacific time zone)
Daniel Horowitz: Researching Jewish Genealogy Sources in Latin America
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Looking for ancestors who lived in, passed through, or died in Latin America? The Internet contains many rich repositories where you can learn about them — and these resources, which can be searched in English or Spanish, are growing each day.

In this session, you’ll learn how to access these resources, contact the communities and people that can help, and use the tools you need to make the most of them. Daniel will also provide a quick introduction to the Spanish keywords and translation tools that can help you overcome language barriers and unearth fascinating details about your ancestors located in South America.

Daniel Horowitz is the Genealogy Expert at MyHeritage, where he is the liaison with genealogy societies and media, lecturing, and attending conferences around the world. Dedicated to genealogy since 1986, Daniel taught and edited the family history project “Searching for My Roots” in Venezuela for 15 years. Daniel is involved in several crowdsource digitization and transcription projects and holds a board level position at the Israel Genealogy Research Association (IGRA).

Register in advance for the virtual meeting. Click this link to register.​


June 25 at 10:00 am (Pacific time zone)
Michael Moritz: Researching Romanian Jewish Genealogy
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Dive into Romanian Jewish records with Michael Moritz. Michael will cover the different regions of Romania past and present, and what types of records are available today in each of the regions. He will also discuss the work of the JewishGen Romania research division. 
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Michael Moritz is an attorney and avid genealogist with 15 years of family research experience, having performed research for hundreds of individuals, with ancestry in over 35 countries and records written in over 10 languages. His research has been featured on the PBS show Finding Your Roots and was cited in The New York Times. Michael is the Director of JewishGen's Romania Research Division and a frequent contributor to its Germany Research Division. He has also volunteered to transcribe thousands of vital records, primarily from Germany and Romania. Michael also moderates Facebook groups for those with Jewish ancestry from Hamburg, Germany and Iasi, Romania. 

As an attorney, Michael is currently representing Reclaim the Records, a non-profit organization whose goal is to make public records more accessible, in its suit against the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene regarding public access to New York City death certificates from 1949 to 1968.

For more information about genealogy services and interactive classes, visit www.MoritzResearch.com. For inquiries, please contact info@MoritzResearch.com. You can also follow Michael on LinkedIn and Twitter.
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Register in advance for the virtual meeting. Click this link to register.


But wait, there's more...
Mark you calendars for these upcoming speakers:

July 23: Elli Fischer
Hebrew Subscription Lists
Click this link to register

August 27: Serafima Velkovich
Arolsen Archives: History, Exploration, and Online Access 
Click this link to register
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September 10: David Brill
Getting the Most from Russian Empire Revision Lists
Click this link to register

October 22: Gil Bardige
DNA (part 2 of his excellent series of presentations on this subject)
Click this link to register

November 19: Schelly Dardashti
Sephardic Genealogy
Registration link coming soon

December 17: Alexandre Beider
Jewish Names from the Pale of Settlement
Registration link coming soon
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Services offered by our members

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Mentoring by Shmuel Fisher
Our long-time resident mentor is happy to provide one-on-one general assistance to beginners and more advanced help for Polish research.
Contact: ​shmulimf@gmail.com

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Orange County Genetic Genealogy
Full range of services to help you with DNA and genealogical research.
Contact us at: www.theOCGG.com

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Infinite Possibilities
West Coast Genealogy

Basic and comprehensive genealogical services at very affordable prices. We also specialize in Jewish Genealogy. Contact us for a free consultation to learn more:
InfinitePossibilitiesAncestry@gmail.com

Are you a member of OCJGS offering a genealogical service? Contact us for your FREE listing.
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