Making the Genealogy Center in Fort Wayne Your Research Assistant

Speaker: Curt Witcher This presentation will cover how to explore the expansive holdings and datafiles of the Genealogy Center of the Allen County Public Library in Fort Wayne, Indiana, with an emphasis on Jewish family history research. It will help you to plan a research trip and prepare to visit in person during the 2025 IAJGS Conference in Fort Wayne, or to use the Genealogy Center remotely. Bio: Curt Witcher is the Director of Special Collections at the Allen County Public Library, managing the widely acclaimed Genealogy Center as well as the Rolland Center for Lincoln Research. He is a former president of both the ...

Researching Small Landsmanshaft Synagogues on the Lower East Side

Speaker: Jae Heisler During the height of the Jewish Lower East Side in the early 20th century, hundreds of synagogues populated the neighborhood, many of them small and meant for people from specific towns and regions. While few of them still exist today, these landsmanshaft synagogues were once an important feature in the lives of our immigrant ancestors who wanted a place to pray, celebrate marriages, take care of burials, and simply be with friends and family from the same town back in Europe. Jae will discuss the rise and fall of these little synagogues, how to find further information on specific ones, and ways ...

Not in Fine Fettle: Researching Your Ancestors' Medical History

Speaker: Jane Neff Rollins, MSPH Why should a genealogist try to research the health of their ancestors? After all, medical conditions don’t help with identifying the parents of ones 3rd great-grandfather. But spending research time exploring medical conditions can help you to: 1) distinguish two people of same name as you analyze and correlate evidence to meet the Genealogical Proof Standard; 2) Build an engaging profile of an ancestor beyond when they were born, married, and died; 3) Expand what you know about your family health history. Bio: Jane Neff Rollins is a professional genealogist who works primarily with clients whose ancestors came ...