The Jewish Genealogical Society of Oregon invites you, your family and friends to its upcoming program on two topics – Ellis Island Name Change Myth & “Finding “Waldo” At Ellis Island presented by Joel Weintraub
Ellis Island Name Change Myth
The idea that inspectors at Ellis Island regularly Americanized immigrant names is a persistent myth. We will investigate the evidence that should exist (it doesn’t) to confirm the story as fact, and why name changing at the station was improbable given how immigrants were processed. The history of this immigration station, the types of people who passed through their doors, the legal documents (including their name) they came with, and station detention documents generated for about 1/6 of them, will be discussed with actual examples. Note: be prepared to avoid deportation by Inspector Weintraub.
Finding “Waldo” At Ellis Island
Using a case study, we will show how nine different strategies can be used to find the immigration record of an elusive immigrant to Ellis Island. For those who still cannot locate Ellis Island immigration records of their ancestors, this talk may provide some approaches you might not have tried. The difficulty of providing accurate indexes from transcriptions of ship manifests is a major problem associated with many of these strategies. We will see how well you do as a transcriber of manifest names.
Bio: Joel, a New Yorker by birth, is an emeritus Professor at California State University Fullerton and won awards for his science teaching. He volunteered for nine years at the National Archives and Records Administration. Joel created search tools for the U.S. and New York City censuses that are freely available on the Steve Morse “One-Step” website. He and Steve are currently developing locational tools for the 2022 release of the 1950 federal census. Joel has written and talked on NYC and Federal census research, immigration and naturalization, Ellis Island, biographical research, and Jewish genealogy topics.
The Jewish Genealogical Society of Oregon invites you, your family and friends to its upcoming program “Read All About It!: Using Online Newspapers For Genealogical Research” by Janice M. Sellers
Description: Newspapers are valuable in genealogical research because you can find information about births, marriages, deaths, moves, business, naturalizations, court cases, and more. Millions of pages of the world’s newspapers are now accessible online, but there is no one place to find them all. This class provides an overview of what is available online and techniques to help improve your chances of finding information about your relatives.
Bio: Janice M. Sellers is a professional genealogist specializing in Jewish, black, forensic, and newspaper research. She edits three genealogy publications and serves on the boards of San Francisco Bay Area Jewish Genealogical Society, African American Genealogical Society of Northern California, and Council for the Advancement of Forensic Genealogy. She is also a member of Association of Professional Genealogists, Genealogical Speakers Guild, and California Genealogical Society. Before becoming a professional genealogist, she worked in publishing for many years as an editor, indexer, translator, and compositor. Her web site is ancestraldiscoveries.com.
What: “History of Antisemitism” 2 Credit Mini-Course featuring guest professor John Efron (UC Berkeley).
When: Sunday 4/15/18 9:00am to 5:00pm and Sunday 4/22/18 9:00am to 5:00pm
Where: Karl Miller Center Room 350 (KMC 350)
Cost: Tuition for 2 credits or suggested donation of $100.
Contact: Stacey M. Johnston | judaicst@pdx.edu | 503-725-8449
The Harold Schnitzer Family Program in Judaic Studies invites John Efron to PSU to offer a mini-course on the History of Antisemitism for class credit. This course will take place over two Sundays – April 15 and 22. Tuition costs to receive course credit. Students are also required to attend this year’s Cogan Lecture featuring Timothy Snyder.
Course Description:
This intensive mini-course, held over two Sundays, will chart the development of hostility towards Jews from antiquity to our day. In lectures and discussion, students will gain an understanding of how anti-Jewish hostility has persisted over millennia even as it has adapted to individual historical and geographic contexts. Topics include: anti-Jewish bias in the ancient world and foundational Christian sources; social and economic marginalization and expulsions in medieval Europe; the emergence of political and racial antisemitism in the nineteenth century; Nazi antisemitism; and contemporary expressions of anti-Jewish sentiment, including left- and right-wing antisemitism.
Instructor: Prof. John Efron, Koret Professor of Jewish History, University of California, Berkeley. Prof. Efron is the author of Medicine and the German Jews: A History and Defenders of the Race: Jewish Doctors and Race Science in Fin-de-Siècle Europe.
This program is made possible thanks to a grant by the Oregon Jewish Community Youth Foundation.
Registration Information for Senior Auditors and Community Members
Registration priority is determined by the university. Our goal is to admit everyone interested in participating. If you are a senior auditor or community member interested in participating in the course, please email your name and phone number to judaicst@pdx.edu to be added to the waitlist. You will be notified of your waitlist status on April 1.
Undergraduate students will be paying $329 in tuition for this course. The suggested donation for non-students is $100 ($50/day). Please consider making a donation to the Judaic Studies Program so we can continue to open these courses to the public.
Registration Dates
2/19/18 – Priority Registration begins for Graduates and Newly Admitted Students
2/21/18 – Priority Registration begins for Continuing Seniors
2/26/18 – Priority Registration begins for New & Continuing Postbacs
2/28/18 – Priority Registration begins for Continuing Juniors
3/05/18 – Priority Registration begins for Sophomores
3/07/18 – Priority Registration begins for Freshmen
3/19/18 – Priority Registration begins for Non-Degree Students*
4/01/18 – All interested auditors notified of their registration status
*For more information about registering for credit as a non-degree student, visit https://www.pdx.edu/undergraduate-admissions/other-applicants
For more information about the Senior Adult Learning Center, visit https://sites.google.com/a/pdx.edu/salc
What: “History of Antisemitism” 2 Credit Mini-Course featuring guest professor John Efron (UC Berkeley).
When: Sunday 4/15/18 9:00am to 5:00pm and Sunday 4/22/18 9:00am to 5:00pm
Where: Karl Miller Center Room 350 (KMC 350)
Cost: Tuition for 2 credits or suggested donation of $100.
Contact: Stacey M. Johnston | judaicst@pdx.edu | 503-725-8449
The Harold Schnitzer Family Program in Judaic Studies invites John Efron to PSU to offer a mini-course on the History of Antisemitism for class credit. This course will take place over two Sundays – April 15 and 22. Tuition costs to receive course credit. Students are also required to attend this year’s Cogan Lecture featuring Timothy Snyder.
Course Description:
This intensive mini-course, held over two Sundays, will chart the development of hostility towards Jews from antiquity to our day. In lectures and discussion, students will gain an understanding of how anti-Jewish hostility has persisted over millennia even as it has adapted to individual historical and geographic contexts. Topics include: anti-Jewish bias in the ancient world and foundational Christian sources; social and economic marginalization and expulsions in medieval Europe; the emergence of political and racial antisemitism in the nineteenth century; Nazi antisemitism; and contemporary expressions of anti-Jewish sentiment, including left- and right-wing antisemitism.
Instructor: Prof. John Efron, Koret Professor of Jewish History, University of California, Berkeley. Prof. Efron is the author of Medicine and the German Jews: A History and Defenders of the Race: Jewish Doctors and Race Science in Fin-de-Siècle Europe.
This program is made possible thanks to a grant by the Oregon Jewish Community Youth Foundation.
Registration Information for Senior Auditors and Community Members
Registration priority is determined by the university. Our goal is to admit everyone interested in participating. If you are a senior auditor or community member interested in participating in the course, please email your name and phone number to judaicst@pdx.edu to be added to the waitlist. You will be notified of your waitlist status on April 1.
Undergraduate students will be paying $329 in tuition for this course. The suggested donation for non-students is $100 ($50/day). Please consider making a donation to the Judaic Studies Program so we can continue to open these courses to the public.
Registration Dates
2/19/18 – Priority Registration begins for Graduates and Newly Admitted Students
2/21/18 – Priority Registration begins for Continuing Seniors
2/26/18 – Priority Registration begins for New & Continuing Postbacs
2/28/18 – Priority Registration begins for Continuing Juniors
3/05/18 – Priority Registration begins for Sophomores
3/07/18 – Priority Registration begins for Freshmen
3/19/18 – Priority Registration begins for Non-Degree Students*
4/01/18 – All interested auditors notified of their registration status
*For more information about registering for credit as a non-degree student, visit https://www.pdx.edu/undergraduate-admissions/other-applicants
For more information about the Senior Adult Learning Center, visit https://sites.google.com/a/pdx.edu/salc
The Jewish Genealogical Society of Oregon invites you, your family and friends to its upcoming program “Jewish Life in Poland” by Avraham Groll.
Description: Part 1 (10th-15th centuries) will explore patterns of Jewish migration to Poland between the 10th-15th centuries. We will discuss when and why the major shifts happened, where the Jews settled and their involvement in the Poland’s development. This presentation is designed for beginners, and is not a workshop. Maps, pictures, and documents will be displayed. Handouts with further information and a bibliography will also be distributed.
Part 2 (16th-18th centuries) will explore patterns of Jewish migration to Poland between the 16th-18th centuries. We will discuss the “Golden Age of Polish Jewry,” the reaction to Shabtai Tzvi, and how the Jewish experience in Poland helped set the stage, in part, for the eventual rise of the Hasidic movement. This presentation is designed for beginners, and is not a workshop. Maps, pictures, and documents will be displayed. Handouts
Bio: Avraham Groll, the Director of JewishGen.org, is passionate about connecting people with their Jewish roots, and helping them experience what it means to be part of the Jewish people. Avraham holds an MBA from Montclair State University, an MA in Judaic Studies from Touro College, and a BS in Business Administration from Ramapo college, and spent two years studying at Yeshiva Ohr Yeruslahayim in Israel. He is a frequent lecturer on a variety of Jewish genealogical and historical topics.
June’s JGSO meeting will be a research session providing one-on-one support. Bring your research materials and your personal laptops or tablets. Some computers with internet access will be available for those without. While you work with our Mavens/Experts, take advantage of some of the resources that are available within the library.
Set aside a few hours each month to work on your family tree. Redefine your research goals. Get help with the endless supply of genealogical websites. Exchange knowledge and ideas with others who have similar interests. Help others and be prepared to learn something new as you listen to other people’s questions and the processes used in finding their answers.
You’ve done your DNA, gotten your results, but don’t recognize any names and don’t know what to do next? Or have you been working on building out your family tree but need help to research your family? Where do you begin? How to get additional information if you’ve hit that brick wall? This will be geared to help both newbies and those who have been working to build their family tree for many years.
Laurel Smith, past president of the Genealogy Forum of Oregon will present a mini “boot camp” to get everyone started. Contact: 503-997-1685, jgsoregon@gmail.com.
Cost: The program is free to JGSO members. We request a $5 contribution from non-members. That fee can be applied to a membership should you decide to join JGSO at this meeting.
Please come early if you would like help from other genealogists.
December’s JGSO meeting will be a research session providing one-on-one support. Set aside a few hours each month to work on your family tree. Redefine your research goals. Get help with the endless supply of genealogical websites. Bring your research materials and your personal laptops or tablets. Some computers with internet access will be available for those without. While you work with our Mavens/Experts, take advantage of some of the resources that are available within the library.
All those interested in exploring their Jewish ancestry or family history in general are welcome. Even if you don’t have specific questions come and exchange knowledge and ideas with others who have similar interests. Help others and be prepared to learn something new as you listen to other people’s questions and the processes used in finding their answers.