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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

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.


May 22 at 10:00 am (Pacific time zone)
Ken Bravo: Finding Frieda
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Finding the first cousin of one’s mother can be exciting enough, but it takes on a whole new dimension when the very existence of that person is unknown.  Ken will tell the amazing story of how he discovered and tracked down his mother's first cousin, whose family had lost contact with the rest of the family during WW II and was unable to reestablish contact during the Soviet period due to the Iron Curtain.

​Even after she emigrated to the US with her family, Frieda despaired of ever meeting her once tight-knit extended family. This is a story of genealogical detective work, serendipity, and, of course, a happy ending!


Ken Bravo is the Immediate Past President of the IAJGS (International Association of Jewish Genealogical Societies), having served previously as IAJGS Vice President and president of the Cleveland JGS. He is a member of the Association of Professional Genealogists and has his own business, The Nuts & Bolts of Jewish Genealogy, to assist others in finding their family histories.

Register in advance for the virtual meeting by clicking this link:
https://us06web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZUtcOqvqzwsGNXJgSDL4CTnPqmSt2I4NaJ_


June 12 at 10:00 am (Pacific time zone)
Marian Smith: Researching USCIS (U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Records) immigration records
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Marian Smith presents an overview of three historical eras of US immigration and naturalization records, illustrated with documents of Jewish immigrants.

Using a timeline tool (included in the handout), she demonstrates how plotting an immigrant’s life events can identify what records may exist for that particular immigrant and where these records can be found.


Marian Smith retired in 2018 after thirty years as an Historian for the Immigration and Naturalization Service (INS), later US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS). She now speaks to groups on US immigration and nationality records.

Register in advance for the virtual meeting by clicking this link:
https://us06web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZEsdO-trzMiHtL_J-N8ZFjM53QBuAetBXe2


But wait, there's more...

Mark your calendars for these upcoming speakers:

July 24: Karen Franklin
New strategies in German Jewish genealogy

August 28: Emily Garber
All Was Not Lost: Researching Relatives in the Holocaust

September 18: Lisa Cooper
Eastern European Jewish Life in the 19th and early 20th centuries

October 23: Aaron Ginsburg
Curing the "I can't find my shtetl" syndrome; Examples and techniques

November 20: Phil Goldfarb
Getting the Most out of the JewishGen Discussion Group

December 18: Vivian Kahn
Hungarian Jewish Genealogy
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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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