IAJGS2013 Conference - Day 3

Day 3 of the International Conference on Jewish Genealogy.  My entire summary, day by day, can be seen here.

I started out early with a Ukraine Breakfast with the Experts. Miriam Weiner and Olga M from the Ukraine archives answered questions. There were no huge insights, and much of what was asked had been answered at talks I attended yesterday. It was still goo to have it reinforced, and the hot breakfast was a nice start to another long day.

I then took full advantage of today's free access to ProQuest. I searched a lot of family names and downloaded a ton of articles to go through later. ProQuest has many newspapers which are searchable. While they didn't include Maryland- or Pittsburgh-based papers, those are available online elsewhere, and I've already searched through them. This helped me to pick up articles on other lines that lived elsewhere.

I also went to the resource room and looked through some of the huge reference books they had. If there was a kindle version of some of these books, I'd buy them, but I'd rather not have to shlep some huge books home with me.  And having a searchable edition would also be helpful.

And that brings me to the next session--NextGen genealogists. We discussed the difference in approaches as expectations of the under 50s (and especially the under 40s) as opposed to the more traditional age range of the conference attendees.

Then I had lunch with two other people from Baltimore. The Maryland Jewish Genealogical Society is back!  We now have a brand new Facebook group and will start meetings shortly. Please join our group (which the blogger app on my phone won't let me link to--just search for Maryland JGS on Facebook) to express your interest!

I then spent an hour as a volunteer Hebrew translator. I helped one guy figure out his great-grandfather's name from an old Ketuba.

Then I was off to the Subcarpathian Ukraine SIG meeting. Marshall Katz, the group's leader spoke.

He has located record books back to the 1700s and is looking for a philanthropies to donate $30,000 to obtain them. I and others encouraged him to croudsource from those researching the area--it's unclear if he will take that route.

He has travelled to Subcarpathia Ukraine each of the last 3 years. He has visited 325 towns and has photographed 198 cemeteries!  They are all being transcribed (some by me--and more volunteers are needed) and will be posted on individual Kehilalinks pages and incorporated into JOWBR once they are transcribed.

Then off to meet a friend from grad school for dinner--so off to Brookline and Taam China!  Thanks for meeting me, Jill!

I sat down with Chuck Weinstein who helped with some of what's involved with setting up our new Maryland JGS--it seems pretty straightforward, so we are on our way!

I almost skipped the evening's entertainment, but Jordan Auslander had been at the Subcarpathian SIG meeting and was so funny, I decided to attend. It was the funniest genealogical experience ever. 

Jordan should have a permanent position as the world's premiere genealogist comedian. Whomever thinks genealogy isn't a hilarious avocation is SO wrong.