Jewish Genealogical Society of Connecticut (JGSCT)

04/13/2026

The Judaic Studies Program and Buley Library are honored to present this exhibit for Southern Connecticut State University’s Holocaust Memorial.

03/05/2026

From Deb Holman (JGSCT Vice-President and Editor of Quest) JGSCT friends — I’ll be participating in a Southbury event on Saturday, March 21 (2:00–4:00 PM): “Processing Holocaust Trauma Through the Arts.” We’ll discuss how storytelling, genealogy, and the arts can help us process and share Holocaust history across generations.

Vicinanza Studios, Southbury
Info + registration: https://vicinanza-studios.com/products-and-workshops/p/holocaust-roundtable

03/01/2026

Please join the Jewish Genealogical Society of Connecticut for our virtual March Program, What You Can Learn from Visiting Cemeteries and Information about the Jewish Cemeteries in Connecticut, on Sunday, March 15, 2026, at 1:30 pm ET, presented by JGSCT member Elliott Croll.

The talk will show how to find, translate, and understand a gravestone in the cemetery, starting with how to find the cemetery location for a person and how to take pictures of their gravestone.

This talk will then show how to translate the Hebrew into English for the names, dates, phrases, and abbreviations. A list of 100 common Hebrew names, months, numbers etc. is included. Pictures and symbols that are on gravestones will be shown and explained.

After the talk, the slides will on the members-only website of the Jewish Genealogical Society of Connecticut for members who want to review them.

This program is free and open to the public.

This program is webinar only. To register, please use link https://us06web.zoom.us/meeting/register/F9eDFC6JQB-VUK2TjYI74A #/registration

02/01/2026

The Jewish Genealogical Society presents Stitching History into Story: The Research Behind Historical Fiction given by Jane Loeb Rubin on Sunday, February 15, 2026, at 1:30 pm ET. This program is via webinar only.

The Gilded City series explores the immigrant experience in NYC from the late 1880 through WW1. It was inspired by her great-grandmother, Mathilda (Tillie), who arrived in New York City in 1866 as a baby, at sixteen, married a man twelve years her senior, and later died of “a woman’s disease.” Ms. Rubin was left imagining Tillie’s life, her rise in the Garment Industry, her fight with terminal disease, and the circumstances surrounding her death.

Her research of the history of NYC, the Lower East Side, reproductive laws, and WW1 has culminated in a suspenseful, fast-paced, award-winning three-book historical series.

This program is free and open to the public.

Use this link to register:
https://us06web.zoom.us/meeting/register/TBtP2SHkT1SF0gVtLHIVBw #/registration

A cancer diagnosis unveiling a genetic defect, together with a lifelong fascination with the history of medicine, propelled Jane Rubin to put pen to paper. In 2009, then a healthcare executive, Jane poured her energy into raising research dollars for ovarian cancer Ovarian Cancer Research Alliance (OCRA) while learning more about her familial roots. Her research led her to Mathilda (Tillie), her great-grandmother, who arrived in New York City in 1866 as a baby, at sixteen, married a man twelve years her senior, and later died of “a woman’s disease.” Then, the trail ran cold. With limited facts, she was determined to give Tillie an exciting fictional life of her own.

Her research of the history of New York City, its ultra-conservative reproductive laws, and the state of medicine during that era has culminated in a suspenseful, fast-paced, award-winning three-book historical series. Her engaging characters are confronted with the shifting role of midwives, the dangers of pregnancy, the infamous Blackwell’s Workhouse, and the perilous road to financial success. In the Hands of Women, 5/23 (Level Best Books) and its prequel, Threadbare, 5/24 (Level Best Books), have been enjoyed by fans of historical fiction. Over There, the third in the trilogy (6/25 Level Best Books), will transport members of the Isaacson family into the heart of France in World War 1, challenging the family values they dearly cherish. Over There was shortlisted by the Historical Novel Society for the 2024 First Chapters Competition.

Jane’s other publications include an essay memoir, Almost a Princess, My Life as a Two-Time Cancer Survivor (2009 Next Generation - Finalist), and multiple magazine articles. She writes a monthly blog, Musings, reflecting on her post-healthcare career experiences and writing journey.

Ms. Rubin, a graduate of the University of Michigan (BS, MS) and Washington University (MBA), retired from a 30-year career as a healthcare executive to begin writing full-time. She lives with her husband, David, an attorney, in Northern New Jersey. Between them, they have five adult children and seven grandchildren.

01/12/2026

Please join JGSCT on Sunday, January 18, 2026, at 1:30 pm as Mike Kait presents Tips for Using the Steve Morse Website.

Stephen P. Morse’s “One-Step” web pages are a collection of genealogy tools designed to simplify searching large public-record databases, particularly U.S. census and immigration resources.

Instead of navigating multiple complex interfaces, his pages provide user-friendly forms that let researchers search with partial information, and link directly to record images on external sites.

The tools cover many data sources—including Ellis Island passenger arrivals, U.S. censuses from 1790 onward, naturalization indexes, vital records, and census maps.

​The web pages can also be used for tasks specific to Jewish genealogy, such as Hebrew calendar calculations, Yiddish name translations, and searching Holocaust records.

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Gail,

Please join JGSCT on Sunday, January 18, 2026, at 1:30 pm as Mike Kait presents Tips for Using the Steve Morse Website.

Stephen P. Morse’s “One-Step” web pages are a collection of genealogy tools designed to simplify searching large public-record databases, particularly U.S. census and immigration resources.

Instead of navigating multiple complex interfaces, his pages provide user-friendly forms that let researchers search with partial information, and link directly to record images on external sites.

The tools cover many data sources—including Ellis Island passenger arrivals, U.S. censuses from 1790 onward, naturalization indexes, vital records, and census maps.

​The web pages can also be used for tasks specific to Jewish genealogy, such as Hebrew calendar calculations, Yiddish name translations, and searching Holocaust records.

Click here to register.

Mike Kalt is Chief Technical Officer and Executive Board member of the Triangle (North Carolina) Jewish Genealogical Society. He is a proud graduate of the University of Michigan and also holds a PhD in Political Science from UNC-Chapel Hill.

​He has been a genealogy buff since 1984, and has been actively involved as a volunteer with JewishGen since the mid-1990's, working on JewishGen's Yizkor Book project and Holocaust data base. He also maintains the town pages for Stryj and Grodek Jagiellonski for JewishGen's KehilaLinks project. In 2001, he traveled to Poland and Ukraine to visit his ancestral shtetls.

THIS PROGRAM IS FREE AND OPEN TO THE PUBLIC.

Register here:

https://us06web.zoom.us/meeting/register/qEnH4Ft3Q4mDxMZsP9l-xA #/registration

12/09/2025

Please join the Jewish Genealogical Society of Connecticut on Sunday, December 21, 2025, at 1:30 pm ET for the virtual presentation "Clued-In: More Case Studies from Sherlock Cohn, The Photo Genealogist," presented by Ava Cohn, aka Sherlock Cohn, The Photo Genealogist. The ZOOM room will open at 1:15 pm ET.

This presentation, a sequel to “Clued-In: Case Studies from Sherlock Cohn, The Photo Genealogist” presents more cases to illustrate the methodology of Photo Genealogy. The program is designed to help participants explain the mystery photographs found in shoe boxes, jewelry boxes, photo albums, closets and basements. These mysteries represent common problems genealogists face in deciphering the clues in their family photographs including how to accurately date a photograph, how to identify individuals in photographs, how to determine the correct generation. Whether a participant is new to exploring family photographs or a seasoned veteran, there will be more tips on how to get the most information from their photographs.

©2025, Ava Cohn, Sherlock Cohn, The Photo Genealogist. All rights reserved.

This program will NOT be recorded so you must attend the live presentation.

Ava Cohn, aka Sherlock Cohn, The Photo Genealogist, is an internationally-known, go-to expert on Jewish family photographs with an ever-growing list of clients from Europe, America, Israel, Canada, Australia, and other countries. A Brandeis University graduate, her background includes the study of decorative arts, photography history, and costume/theatre history. Since 2009, she has specialized in accurately dating and placing photographs and identifying individuals in photographs with an emphasis on immigrant and Eastern European culture and traditions. She is a popular speaker and a collector of 19th and early 20th century photographs. Ava has traced her own family to Canada, Romania, Belarus, Ukraine and the Austro-Hungarian Empire, in addition to various places in the United States.

She can be reached at Sherlock.cohn@comcast.net

This presentation is free and open to the public.

To register, please click here or copy/paste the following link into your browser:

https://us06web.zoom.us/meeting/register/z1TGxEcpT16UnPz8Qa3E5g #/registration

11/21/2025

EDITED TO ADD: The website is now up and running! Thank you for your patience.

ALSO - A NOTE ON THE DECEMBER PROGRAM: Per the presenter's request, this session WILL NOT be recorded. It will be live on Zoom only.

Hi Everyone! We are having some issues with our JGSCT website (jgsct.org). Until we get that resolved, stay in touch with us through this page. You can register for our December program here: https://us06web.zoom.us/j/84805844603?pwd=akDFhZiZ4OIXFBrWcG04FYaX8UOwHs.1

December 21, at 1:30 pm.
"Clued-In: More Cases from Sherlock Cohn, The Photogenealogist".
Clued-In: More Case Studies from Sherlock Cohn, The Photo Genealogist
This presentation, a sequel to “Clued-In: Case Studies from Sherlock Cohn, The Photo Genealogist” presents more cases to illustrate the methodology of Photo Genealogy. The program is designed to help participants explain the mystery photographs found in shoeboxes, jewelry boxes, photo albums, closets and basements. These mysteries represent common problems genealogists face in deciphering the clues in their family photographs including how to accurately date a photograph, how to identify individuals in photographs, how to determine the correct generation. Whether a participant is new to exploring family photographs or a seasoned veteran, there will be more tips on how to get the most information from their photographs.

©2025, Ava Cohn, Sherlock Cohn, The Photo Genealogist. All rights reserved.

11/07/2025

Please join the Jewish Genealogical of Connecticut for annual Marcia Meyers Memorial lecture (VIRTUAL only) on Sunday, November 16, at 1:30 pm.

JGSCT Board Member Rebecca Fogel Anderson presents Two Journeys to Serock, Poland: Reconstructing My Grandfather’s Story, as she shares her exploration of family roots in the small Polish town of Serock, where her maternal grandfather lived until immigrating to America at age 14.

The presentation follows two intertwined journeys — the detective work of uncovering her grandfather’s early life through historical records and the personal experience of visiting Serock in 2024 to walk in his footsteps.

Along the way, she’ll offer practical tips on conducting genealogical research, locating family records in Eastern Europe, and planning a heritage trip that brings your own family story to life.

Rebecca (Becky) Fogel Anderson has been actively working on her family history for about 15 years. All four of her grandparents and her father were born in Eastern Europe, and her research has focused on exploring their roots in Odessa, Poland, and the former Austro-Hungarian Empire. Becky is a retired social worker. She serves on the Board of the Jewish Genealogical Society of Connecticut (JGSCT), as well as volunteering for several organizations in Durham and Middlletown.

This program is free and open to the public. Click here for Zoom registration.

For additional information, visit www.jgsct.org

Marcia Indianer Meyers was long time president of JGSCT in the 2000s who passed in November 2019. She also served as Program Director and Quest Editor. She and her husband Arthur contributed greatly to JGSCT. This annual November lecture celebrates Marcia's contributions to JGSCT.

10/08/2025

Two JGSCT Programs in October 2025!

Beginning Your Jewish Genealogy Journey

When: Join the Jewish Genealogical Society of Connecticut for a hybrid meeting on Sunday, October 19, 2025. In person at 12:30 PM, Zoom at 1:30 PM.

The presentation begins at 1:30 PM. In person will be at Temple Sinai, 41 West Hartford Road, Newington, CT.
​
Registration Links:

If you plan to attend in person, please RSVP to jgsctprograms@jgsct.org
For the Zoom link, register here. https://us06web.zoom.us/meeting/register/C5mw_zfjSna4wkoJDtG0TA #/registration

​
Speakers: Linda Carlson and Deborah Samuel Holman

Topic: Beginning Your Jewish Genealogy Journey

Interested in exploring your Jewish roots but not sure where to start? Join the Jewish Genealogical Society of Connecticut (JGSCT) for a beginner-friendly program on the basics of Jewish genealogy.

Board members and experienced genealogists Deborah Holman and Linda Carlson will guide participants through the first steps of family history research. Learn how to begin tracing your ancestry, where to find key records, and tips for overcoming common challenges unique to Jewish genealogy.

Whether you’re brand new to genealogy or looking to strengthen your foundation, this program will provide practical strategies and inspiration to help you start your journey of discovery.

More information on our website: https://www.jgsct.org/about-our-next-program.html

We will have a second event on Sunday, October 26, 2025:

A Day of Jewish Genealogy & Connection at the Yiddish Book Center
A joint meeting of the Jewish Genealogy Society of Connecticut (JGSCT) and the Western Massachusetts Jewish Genealogical Society (WMJGS): A visit and tour of the Yiddish Book Center in Amherst, MA, followed by lunch.

Two neighboring genealogy communities coming together for a day steeped in memory, laughter, and connection. Even if you don’t speak Yiddish, a visit to the Yiddish Book Center has a way of carrying you back to grandparents and great-grandparents, anchoring us in the larger story of Jewish life in Eastern Europe.

For more information, including carpool arrangements, email Phil Karlin at philkarlin@jgsct.org.

09/07/2025

Ask JRI-Poland with Robinn Magid

Hybrid Program

Sunday, September 28, 2025, Presentation begins at 1:30pm EDT

Robinn Magid, the head of JRI-Poland will join us via Zoom from her home in Berkeley CA. Robinn will introduce JRI-Poland, demonstrate the website, explore audience research cases. and answer your questions.

Since its founding thirty years ago, Jewish Records Indexing (JRI)–Poland has built and maintains the world’s largest online database of Jewish vital and other records. Working with the Polish State Archives, their database includes more than 6.2 million records and 2.5 million images from the current and former territories of Poland. It is an essential resource for Jewish genealogical and historical research.

The meeting will be in hybrid format, with both in-person and on Zoom available. Robinn will be speaking on Zoom. Join us in person to socialize and watch the presentation together on a large screen. Due to security requirements, In-person attendees must register in advance.

How to Register

In-person in Newington CT: schmoozing begins at 12:30pm. RSVP required by email to RSVP@jgsct.org with your full name, address, and any genealogical or Jewish organizations to which you belong. Location details will be sent in reply.
Zoom: Zoom registration is free but required in advance. https://us06web.zoom.us/meeting/register/ZRyQm0T7RPCD1apscLskPA The Presentation on Zoom begins at 1:30pm

A Hybrid Meeting. Robinn will be on Zoom. In person meeting at Temple Sinai, Newington.

08/21/2025

An upcoming program from our friends of the Western Massachusetts Jewish Genealogical Society

08/19/2025

My final post the 45th IAJGS Conference:

After publishing two blog posts with the details of my week at the 45th IAJGS conference, I’ve been reflecting on the bigger picture—the conference as a whole. Organization and Atmosphere First and…