Beyond the Myths: Getting Started Tracing Your Ashkenazi Jewish Roots Presented by Jennifer Mendelsohn (Treasurer, Maryland Genealogical Society) Eastern European Jewish family research is often shrouded in myths and misunderstandings. Many Jewish family trees only extend two or three generations because of the fallacy that no records remain from "the old country" (not true!) or that "names were changed at Ellis Island” (also not true!) Many beginners are stymied by easily avoidable traps like being too inflexible with spelling and not searching creatively enough. Learn how you can get started on the path to successfully reclaiming your family's story. Jennifer will share how she uses many of the same strategies she learned during a long career as a journalist to home in on the hidden clues in your family's story and follow where they lead—to amazing new stories and unexpected relatives. Jennifer Mendelsohn is a seasoned journalist and ghostwriter whose work has appeared in The New York Times, The Washington Post, Time, People, Slate, and USA Today. A native Long Islander now based in Baltimore, Mendelsohn serves on the board of the Jewish Genealogy Society of Maryland and is the administrator of Facebook’s Jewish genetic genealogy group. A member of the Association of Professional Genealogists, she is the creator of the movement known as #resistancegenealogy, a project that uses genealogical and historical records to fight disinformation and honor America’s immigrant past. Her work has received international media attention.

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Meeting ID: 812 8244 3693

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