JGSI Jewish Genealogical Society of Illinois upcoming events

Genetic Genealogy Open Discussion for DNA Questions and Answers (Members Only) (25 Jun 2026)

Fri, 26 Jun 2026 00:00:00 GMT

This 7 p.m. Central Time Zoom session is for JGSI members only. This special online-only event will feature JGSI DNA maven Gil Bardige.

This is a time for an open discussion about genetic genealogy (DNA). Bring your genetic genealogy questions and brick walls, and help answer questions of others. JGSI members are invited to share their DNA discoveries and quandaries related to using genetic tests for researching family history and discovering previously unknown cousins.

Gil Bardige and Alvin Holtzman are experts on DNA and long time JGSI members.

Be sure to register for the Thursday, June 25, 2026, JGSI members-only DNA discussion by clicking the button at left on this web page.

If you are not a JGSI member and would like to participate in this discussion, please consider purchasing a JGSI membership for as little as $25 a year. See the details at: https://jgsi.org/Membership.

"Kvell and Tell" JGSI hybrid meeting on Sunday, June 28, 2026 (28 Jun 2026)

Sun, 28 Jun 2026 19:00:00 GMT

Jewish genealogists to share family history discoveries and tips in JGSI ‘Kvell and Tell’ hybrid session on Sunday, June 28, 2026

Join us in person at Temple Beth-El in Northbrook as JGSI members take turns discussing discoveries that enhanced the story of their family history. Topics on Sunday, June 28, 2026, will include Sanborn fire insurance maps, family recipes, ship manifest details, and the process of piecing together family documents found after a parent's death. A brief annual report will be given by JGSI President Doug Bank. For those unable to attend in person, the presentations and report will be live-streamed via Zoom.

Please register/RSVP by clicking the button at left.

The JGSI meeting facilities at Temple Beth-El will open at 12:30 p.m. CDT for those who want to use genealogy library materials, get help with family history websites or ask genealogical questions before the main hybrid program begins at 2:00 p.m. CDT.

Presenters for the June 28, 2026, JGSI meeting include the following:

“Things My Father Never Told Me” by Neil Blumenthal: A journey spanning pre-internet to 2012 prompted by things found amongst his father’s papers after his death. Discovering and meeting family he didn’t know existed!
“What’s in a Name?” by Perry Shorris: Perry will share incredible stories found buried in a ship manifest.
“Sanborn Fire Insurance Maps” by Barry Finkel: How Barry was able to use Sanborn Insurance maps to help find his Great Uncle Isadore—and then, using those maps to develop a personal “family” map showing the locations of his family, the synagogue, etc., in proximity to one another.
“Food—The Heart of Every Jewish Family” by Sarah Bazer: Her personal genealogy book has many sections. Documents and stories from various sources, family photos, quotations—but most importantly: family recipes.
“Grandfather Lied to Everyone: Good Genealogy Finds the Truth” by Alan Huss: Alan will demonstrate how good genealogy and a dab of new technology helps separate facts from fiction, busts through old brick walls and even adds generations to a family tree.

For more information about JGSI, visit our website. For more information about membership benefits, click here.

“JewishGen.org and FamilySearch.org: What Can I Find and Where Can I Find It?” JGSI in person workshop, July 19, 2026 (19 Jul 2026)

Sun, 19 Jul 2026 17:30:00 GMT

JGSI to hold in person genealogy workshop July 19 at Temple Beth-El in Northbrook

Join us for a special hands-on workshop to learn the ins and outs of JewishGen.org and FamilySearch.org. We will explore the depths of these extensive websites, uncovering their potential for your research. This special Jewish Genealogical Society of Illinois in person meeting will take place at Temple Beth-El, 3610 Dundee Road, Northbrook, Illinois, on Sunday, July 19, 2026.

Please register/RSVP for this in person only event by clicking the button at left.

JGSI meeting facilities at Temple Beth-El will open at 12:30 p.m. CDT for sign-in and snacks before the main program begins at 1 p.m. CDT.

Bring your laptops, computers or phones (or share with your neighbor) to this in person only event. Come with your passwords set, your family names and towns, and a question in mind.

Debbie Kroopkin will lead the JewishGen.org session, and Suzanne Hoffman will lead the FamilySearch.org session. Both speakers are members of the JGSI board and experienced genealogists.

For more information about JGSI, visit our website. For more information about membership benefits, click here.

“From the Basement of the Shul to the Basement of City Hall: Uncovering the Hidden Records of Oak Park’s Jewish Community” by Michael Zmora (30 Aug 2026)

Sun, 30 Aug 2026 19:00:00 GMT

History of Oak Park Jewish community to be focus of Aug. 30, 2026, hybrid meeting lecture co-sponsored by JGSI and Chicago Jewish Historical Society

“From the Basement of the Shul to the Basement of City Hall: Uncovering the Hidden Records of Oak Park’s Jewish Community” is the title of a hybrid lecture to be co-hosted by the Jewish Genealogical Society of Illinois and the Chicago Jewish Historical Society on Sunday, Aug. 30, 2026.

Michael Zmora will guide us through his research process with a focus on his hometown of Oak Park, Illinois. He will be speaking in person at Temple Beth-El, 3610 Dundee Road, Northbrook, Illinois, and online via Zoom.

Temple Beth-El will open at 12:30 p.m. CDT for sign-ins. Please join us for a social hour at 1 p.m. CDT before the lecture begins at 2 p.m. CDT.

Please click the button at left to register/RSVP to view or attend this event.

Jews have been an integral part of Oak Park and River Forest since before these suburbs had their names. These early Jewish pioneers of the western suburbs helped pave the way for an organized community that established itself in the early decades of the 20th century. Beginning in the 1930s, Jews in both Oak Park and River Forest faced community antisemitism and institutional discrimination from the governing bodies of the two villages on their way to establishing two synagogues in the mid-20th century.

Michael Zmora will present this compelling story while explaining how he uncovered documents from unlikely sources, ranging from synagogue correspondence files to real estate board minutes to the Cook County Recorder of Deeds’ archives, in order to reveal this hidden history.

After two years of extensive research, Michael Zmora wrote two articles for Chicago Jewish History (the quarterly journal of the Chicago Jewish Historical Society), on the Jewish communities of Oak Park and River Forest. An attorney by profession, Michael has lived in Oak Park with his wife and two children for the past eight years.

For more information about JGSI, visit our website. For more information about membership benefits, click here. To learn about the Chicago Jewish Historical Society, visit www.chicagojewishhistory.org.

Join us online for the 46th IAJGS International Conference on Jewish Genealogy (04 Apr 2027)

Sun, 04 Apr 2027 05:00:00 GMT

Expert Jewish genealogists will be presenting informative family history talks for the 46th IAJGS International Conference on Jewish Genealogy from April 4–6, 2027. This IAJGS conference will be totally online.

Presenters will offer a wide range of interesting Jewish genealogy topics for this year's IAJGS conference.

For more information when it becomes available, visit the conference website here: https://www.iajgs2026.org/.