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 |
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. May 22 at 10:00 am (Pacific time zone)
Ken Bravo: Finding Frieda 
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 
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 |
Services offered by our members
Are you a member of OCJGS offering a genealogical service? Contact us for your FREE listing. 
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