What makes Jewish genealogy unique is topic of Feb. 23 talk in Northbrook
Debbie Kroopkin, president of the Jewish Genealogical Society of Illinois, will speak on "Unique Aspects of Jewish Genealogy" at the Sunday, Feb. 23, 2020, JGSI meeting. Her presentation will begin at 2 p.m. at Temple Beth-El, 3610 Dundee Road, Northbrook, Illinois. The JGSI research library and genealogy help desk will be available starting at 12:30 p.m.
The JGSI meeting facilities at Temple Beth-El will open at 12:30 p.m. to accommodate those who want to use or borrow genealogy library materials, get help with genealogy websites or ask genealogical questions before the main program begins at 2 p.m. For more information, see https://jgsi.org/event-3573919 or phone 312-666-0100.
In her presentation, Debbie will explain how to navigate genealogy research for Jewish families. Attendees will glean a basic understanding of variations in Jewish given names and how the surnames were acquired. She will also share Jewish community migration patterns, how to read Hebrew inscriptions on tombstones, and where to begin to search for family, including Israelis, and survivors and victims of the Holocaust.
Debbie Kroopkin has explored her family history for over two decades and now conducts research for others. She has discovered her family origins in Ukraine, Poland and Belarus. Debbie has traced her clients' families to towns in these countries, as well as in Lithuania, Moldova, and Romania. Her roles on boards of directors have included co-president, treasurer, fundraiser, and special events coordinator. She has a master's degree in social work administration with grant writing, interagency collaboration and program planning experience.
JGSI is a non-profit organization dedicated to helping members collect, preserve, and perpetuate the records and history of their ancestors. The group is a resource for the worldwide Jewish community to research their Chicago-area roots.
The JGSI motto is "Members Helping Members Since 1981." The group has more than 300 members.
JGSI members have access to useful and informative online family history research resources, including a members forum, more than 50 video recordings of past speakers' presentations, the free searchable JGSI Jewish Chicago Database, monthly JGSI E-News, quarterly Morasha JGSI newsletter, and much more.
Most monthly meetings feature informative speakers as well as access to a research library and expert volunteer genealogy help from 12:30 to 1:55 p.m.
The JGSI website features a special research tool for those with Jewish ancestry from the Chicago area. Access the free JGSI Jewish Chicago Database (JJCD) at https://jgsi.org/JGSI-Jewish-Chicago-Database.