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Wednesday, February 4, 2026
JewishGen Talks: The Dash: Finding the Person in the Papers, February 18 at 2 PM, EST
JewishGen Talks: The Dash: Finding the Person in the Papers, February 18, 2026, 2:00 PM (EST)
Dear JewishGen Community:
Please join us for our upcoming virtual JewishGen Talk:
The Dash: Finding the Person in the Papers
Speaker: Caitlin Hollander Waas Date: Wednesday, February 18, 2026 Time: 2:00-3:30 PM, EST (New York)
Registration: Free with a suggested donation. Click here to register
A gravestone records two distinct dates, but the story of a life exists entirely within the "dash" between them. How do we find the living, breathing person behind the cold facts of a census or a death certificate? How do we move beyond a simple biography to discover a personality? Join Chief Genealogist Caitlin Hollander Waas for a look at the strategies used to find the human spirit hidden in the archives. This webinar explores how to identify the “little details” of a person that traditional research often overlooks. From the shifting nuances of a signature to the physical clues that reveal a person's reality, these details change how we see our family history. By looking at naming choices, self-reinvention, and the physical characteristics found in unusual documents, you’ll learn how to bridge the gap between data and identity.
This program will be recorded and uploaded to JewishGen’s YouTube channel.
Registration: Free with a suggested donation. Click here to register
Please note that you do not have to create an account and can register as a guest. Donations will be made to the Museum of Jewish Heritage and credited to JewishGen.
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JewishGen Talk: No, Your Ancestors' Names Were Not Changed at Ellis Island-February 11 at 2:00 PM, EST
Dear JewishGen Community:
Please join us for our upcoming virtual JewishGen Talk:
No, Your Ancestors’ Names Were Not Changed at Ellis Island
Speaker: Caitlin Hollander Waas
Date: Wednesday, February 11, 2026
Time: 2:00-3:30 PM, EST (New York)
Registration: Free with a suggested donation. Click here to register
Photo Credit: Landing at Ellis Island. (1902). Ellis Island, New Jersey, New York, 1902. [Photograph] Retrieved from the Library of Congress.
It is the most persistent myth in American family history: the overwhelmed or malicious clerk who unilaterally altered a family’s identity at the port of entry. Whether framed as a clerical error or an act of xenophobia, historical records show that this scenario was not only unlikely—it was impossible. Join Chief Genealogist Caitlin Hollander Waas as she deconstructs this legend by examining the administrative mechanics of the immigration process and the specific records created at the port of entry. This session moves beyond the myth to explore the genuine legal, social, and economic motivations behind name changes, revealing how immigrants navigated their new identities, not as victims of a clerical error, but as active participants in their own American narratives.
This program will be recorded and uploaded to JewishGen’s YouTube channel.
Registration: Free with a suggested donation. Click here to register
Please note that you do not have to create an account and can register as a guest.
Donations will be made to the Museum of Jewish Heritage and credited to JewishGen.
About the Speaker:
Caitlin Hollander Waas is JewishGen’s Chief Genealogist, as well as being on staff at the Peter and Mary Kalikow Jewish Genealogy Center at the Museum of Jewish Heritage. She has been a professional genealogist for over a decade, beginning in the world of forensic genealogy specializing in high value estate cases, as well as researching for private clients and consulting for books. In addition, her citizenship reclamation work has been featured in Family Tree Magazine, The Times of Israel, and the South Florida Sun Sentinel, among other publications. She holds a degree in Anthropology, as well as additional certificates in Jewish Studies and Holocaust and Genocide Studies.
Upcoming JewishGen Talks:
The Dash: Finding the Person in the Papers
2:00-3:30 PM, EST, Wednesday, February 11, 2026
Registration: Free with a suggested donation. Click here to register
Tuesday, January 27, 2026
Commemorating January 27 - Auschwitz Liberation & Remembering THERE ONCE WAS A WORLD
Subject: Commemorating January 27 — Auschwitz Liberation & Remembering There Once Was a World
Dear Members and Friends of the Jewish Genealogical Society of Greater Miami,
Today, on January 27, we join the world in solemn remembrance of the liberation of Auschwitz-Birkenau in 1945 — a moment that marked the beginning of the end of the Nazi death camps. On this International Holocaust Remembrance Day, we honor the six million Jewish lives lost and remember the vibrant communities that once flourished across Europe.
One of the most powerful testaments to those communities is the extraordinary work of Dr. Yaffa Eliach, who dedicated her life to restoring the memory of the Jews of Eishyshok (Eišiškės) — a town almost entirely wiped out during the Shoah.
Featured Book
There Once Was a World: A 900-Year Chronicle of the Shtetl of Eishyshok by Yaffa Eliach
This monumental work reconstructs nearly a millennium of Jewish life in Eishyshok through photographs, survivor testimony, historical documents, and Dr. Eliach’s decades of research.
It stands as one of the most significant works ever written about a single Jewish community.
Borrow the Book Locally
Members of the Miami-Dade Public Library System can borrow There Once Was a World through the MDPLS online catalog:
https://catalog.mdpls.org/
Documentary Film
We invite you to watch a powerful documentary connected to Eliach’s work and the memory of Eishyshok: https://youtu.be/ikSdZDwS0s0?
Yaffa Eliach Collection at Yad Vashem
Explore Dr. Eliach’s extensive archives — including oral histories, research materials, photographs, and documentation: https://www.yadvashem.org/
JewishGen “Town Page” for Eishyshok
For those researching families from Eishyshok, this JewishGen page provides historical context, data, and genealogical resources: https://www.jewishgen.org/
Kehilalink for Eishyshok
The Kehilalink offers a rich collection of narratives, photos, memorials, and historical information about the town: https://www.kehilalinks.
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On this day of remembrance, we encourage you to explore these materials, share them with family, and honor the memory of the individuals and communities whose lives were extinguished but whose stories endure through our efforts.
May the memory of all who perished be a blessing.
May our dedication to preserving Jewish history continue to strengthen future generations.
Warmly,
Paulette Bronstein
President
Jewish Genealogical Society of Greater Miami
Thursday, January 22, 2026
46th IAJGS International Conference on Jewish Genealogy, Virtual 2026 - SAVE THE DATE!
46th IAJGS International Conference on Jewish Genealogy, Virtual 2026 - SAVE THE DATE!
2:09am #700068 Please save the date. IAJGS is proud to announce that the 46th IAJGS Conference on Jewish Genealogy will be held virtually from October 18-20, 2026. A call for presentation proposals be announced in the next few weeks. Plan to join us for another excellent opportunity for Jewish family history learning and networking! Emily H. Garber Vice President IAJGS |
FamilyTreeMaker Scam Alert!
Scammers using fake MacKiev accounts to steal from Family Tree Maker users
If you use Family Tree Maker software, beware of phishing emails from mimic websites familytreesmaker.org
The scammers are using wording and images nearly identical to legitimate $29 offers to upgrade FTM 2019 from Mackiev.com, the real creator of FTM.
Martin Fischer
Vice President-Publicity
Jewish Genealogical Society of Illinois
https://groups.jewishgen.org/
2/18/24 #684289
