The Jewish Genealogical Society of Illinois (JGSI) is a non-profit, volunteer-driven organization established in 1981 and now with over 300 members. JGSI is a member of IAJGS, the International Association of Jewish Genealogical Societies. 

We help members collect, preserve, and perpetuate the records and history of their ancestors and serve as a resource for the worldwide community to research their Chicago area Jewish roots. JGSI hosts our monthly meetings with informative speakers and expert genealogy volunteers  to answer your questions about Jewish genealogy.

Join fellow JGSI members in online discussions about DNA

JGSI members are invited to join three members-only online discussion sessions about genetic genealogy. Scheduled for 7 p.m. Sundays, May 16, July 11, and Aug. 15, these times will provide opportunities for open discussions about genetic genealogy (DNA). Bring your genetic genealogy questions and brick walls, and help answer questions for others. JGSI members will be able to share their DNA discoveries and quandaries related to using genetic tests for researching their family history and discovering previously unknown cousins. 

More details and registration on the Programs page.

Eli Rabinowitz, a board member of the IAJGS who lives in Australia and is from South Africa, will speak on “Journeys from Shtetl to Shtetl” for the Sunday, May 23, 2021, virtual meeting of the Jewish Genealogical Society of Illinois. His live streaming presentation will begin at 7:30 p.m. Central Daylight Time on May 23. (A separate JGSI members-only genealogy question-and-answer discussion time will start at 6:30 p.m.) Please register/RSVP on the Programs page to receive the Zoom link in your email.

More details and registration on the Programs page.