Jamboree - Researching Jewish, Russian and Eastern European Roots

This year Jamboree is proud to offer a full track of 6 sessions tailored for Jewish, Russian and Eastern European genealogy research on Sunday, June 7.

Speakers such as Lisa Alzo, Hal Bookbinder, Ted Gostin, Pamela Weisberger and Joel Weintraub will be presenting a wide array of specialized topics designed to assist researchers overcome brick walls, trace elusive ancestors, and much more.

In addition to the sessions, genealogical societies, exhibitors, and commercial data vendors with a variety of expertise, products and services will be on hand in the exhibit hall. The exhibit hall is free throughout the weekend.

Jamboree offers over 120 other sessions with more than 60 outstanding international, national, and local speakers.  JamboFREE Friday morning offers classes including Beginning Genealogy, roundtable small group resource, community projects, and society development.

One-on-One research assistance provided by members of the Southern California Chapter, Association of Professional Genealogists, is available throughout the weekend.

There's something for everyone, whether you are new to genealogy, or have been researching family history for years.

For speaker information and session times download the flyer. Get all the details about Jamboree at www.genealogyjamboree.

Jamboree 2015 - Meet the Speaker: Ted Gostin

Mr. Gostin has been conducting genealogical research since 1980 and has worked as a full-time professional genealogist since 1994. He has twice been President of the Jewish Genealogical Society, Los Angeles, and has taught genealogy for several adult school and university extension programs.

Mr. Gostin has helped plan and organize three national genealogical seminars, and has been a featured speaker at a half-dozen such conferences. He lectures widely on Jewish genealogy, Southern California resources and naturalization and immigration records. Mr. Gostin is the author of Southern California Vital Statistics: Volume 1, Los Angeles County 1850-1859, and the owner of Generations Press publishing company. He is very active in the international Jewish genealogical community, and maintains contact with genealogists throughout the world. Mr. Gostin is also an active member of the Association of Professional Genealogists.

SA028 Saturday June 6,  2:00 - 3:00 p.m.
Polish State Archives Databases
The Polish State Archives website has several databases useful to genealogists, including PRDZIAD (lists vital records), ELA (censuses), IZA (fond descriptions), and ZoSIA (document images).

SU004 Sunday June 7,  8:30 - 9:30 a.m.
Reading Jewish-Russian Vital Records for the Non-Russian Speaker
Russian records are a problem because of both the foreign language and alphabet. This session reviews the Cyrillic alphabet, offers a 40-word vocabulary, decribes record formats, and provides handwriting tips.

SU028 Sunday June 7,  2:30 - 3:30 p.m.
Finding Anatevka: Maps and Gazetteers in Jewish Genealogy
Discusses sources, and strategies for locating shtetle (like the fictional Anatevka), in which Jews lived in Europe.  Covers gazetteers, maps and map scales, border changes, and research strategies.

Jamboree 2015 - Meet the Speaker: Joel Weintraub, PhD

Joel Weintraub was born and raised in Manhattan. He is an emeritus Biology Professor at California State University, Fullerton and has won awards for his science teaching. He became interested in genealogy over a decade ago, and was a volunteer for nine years at the National Archives and Records Administration, then located at Laguna Niguel, CA.

Joel started transcribing streets within census districts in 2001 to help researchers search the 1930 US Census (released in 2002). He was joined in the venture by Stephen Morse in 2002. Over the years, Joel has produced a number of online census searching utilities for the 1900 through 1940 federal censuses, and the New York State censuses for NYC (1905, 1915, and 1925) on the Morse 'One-Step' website (stevemorse.org). Joel spent seven years with Steve and many volunteers developing data sets for the 1940 census which were used by the 'One-Step', National Archives, Ancestry.com and the NY Public Library 1940 websites, and is currently developing similar locational tools for the 1950 census (to be released in 2022).

He has given many presentations on census, immigration and naturalization, the genealogical standards, and Jewish genealogy to genealogy, natural history, and university groups and has published articles on census research and the 72 year rule. His hobbies include birding, collecting census memorabilia and making interesting PowerPoint presentations.

SU003 Sunday June 7, 8:30 - 9:30 a.m.
Introduction to Jewish Genealogy
What sets apart Jewish Genealogy? This introduction will discuss getting started, records in time and space, research areas and major online websites, including JewishGen and Yad Vashem.

Jamboree 2015 - Meet the Speaker: Pamela Weisberger

Pamela Weisberger is a professional genealogist and international speaker, having given presentations throughout the U.S. and Australia, Poland, Canada, Ukraine, England, Italy and Israel. She is also the first vice-president of the Jewish Genealogical Society of Los Angeles and President of Gesher Galicia, a research group focusing on the former Austrian province of Galicia. She has researched for the television show Finding Our Roots with Henry Louis Gates, Jr., and works extensively in overseas archives. She created the Galician Archival Records Project and Cadastral Map Room and has a special interest in historical newspapers, innovative methodology, "archaeological genealogy," and solving family mysteries. She holds a B.A. from Washington University in St. Louis and an M.S. from Boston University.

SU010 Sunday June 7, 10:00 - 11:30 a.m.
Cartography for Genealogists: Mapping Time and Generations 
Join us at the intersection of cartography and genealogy where your ancestors' footsteps are etched in antique snapshots. Learn how to navigate UCLA's Hypercities, Gesher Galicia's Cadastral Map Room, David Rumsey's Second Life and History Geo's land-grant maps and explore the cultural and genealogical/geographical layers of your ancestral towns.

SU020 Sunday June 7, 1:00 - 2:00 p.m.
Jewish Geography/Jewish Genealogy: Exploring Your Jewish Roots 
Are you curious about your Jewish Roots? Most research can be done online! Learn how to identify towns-of-origins, analyze passenger records, and access archival databases to trace Jewish ancestry. We'll use census, vital and naturalization records to find clues of origin, leading to online documents from overseas repositories.

Jamboree - Meet the Speakers: Ted Gostin

Ted Gostin has been doing genealogical research since 1980 and has worked as a full-time professional genealogist since 1994. He has twice been President of the Jewish Genealogical Society, Los Angeles, and has taught genealogy for several adult school and university extension programs.

Gostin has helped plan and organize three national genealogical seminars and has been a featured speaker at many such conferences. He lectures widely on Jewish genealogy, Southern California resources, and immigration and naturalization records. His articles have appeared in genealogical publications throughout the country.

Gostin has published one volume of his own family history and is the author of Southern California Vital Records: Volume 1, Los Angeles County 1850-1859. He was featured on a segment of the original BBC version of the popular television show Who Do You Think You Are? (Larry Lamb episode). He is very active in the international Jewish genealogical community and maintains contact with genealogists throughout the world. He is the owner of both Gostin Research Associates and the publishing/bookselling firm Generations Press. Gostin is also an active member of the Association of Professional Genealogists.

SA051 Saturday June 7, 5:00-6:00 p.m.
Russian Directories as Genealogical Resources
This presentation reviews three types of Russian directories: Pamiatnaia Knizhki, yearbooks with directory listings; business directories; and true residential or city directories. Info available from each type is discussed and repositories reviewed.

SCGS Genealogy Jamboree: Genealogy World

Are you looking for ancestors on the Continent or in the Colonies? Trying to find your Jewish or Scandinavian forebears? Need help finding resources to research your ancestors who moved to the Midwest or the Southwest? Discuss your research successes or problem ancestors in an informal roundtable format at Genealogy World.

A JamboFREE activity, Genealogy World is scheduled on Friday morning, June 7, from 10:45 a.m. to 12:00 noon. Table topics featured in the past have included:

Denmark, Norway & Sweden Research
DNA
Chinese Research
English Research
French-Canadian
Genealogists in Second Life
Germanic Research
Virginia Research
Irish Research
Japanese Research
Jewish Research
Lineage Society Research
Midwest Research
New England Research
Portuguese Research
Scottish Research
Southern Research

Sign up NOW to host a table – you don’t need to be an expert – just have an interest in the topic area and a willingness to keep the conversation moving along!

Our thanks to guest blogger Denise Spurlock for this post about one of the JamboFREE activities on Friday, June 7, 2013, that lead up to the formal kick-off of the 2013 Jamboree. Denise, a professional genealogist, is the Jamboree Committee member who is organizing this fun and valuable networking opportunity.