Jewish Genealogical Society of Illinois members are invited to share discoveries and research tips on June 25, 2023:

The Jewish Genealogical Society of Illinois will hold a “Kvell and Tell” session on Sunday, June 25, 2023, as part of the group’s annual meeting. Several JGSI members will take turns sharing family history discoveries and research tips. This hybrid meeting also features a brief annual report from JGSI’s co-presidents, Debbie Kroopkin and Wendy Hauser. 

Confirmed speakers for this year's "Kvell and Tell" include the following:

• Doug Bank will speak on discovering far more than expected when searching for information on his family.
• Ellen Kahn will talk about the 45 years of research she has done for a book about her ancestors from Southern and Western Germany.
• Abby Schmelling, who has been doing a lot of research for a book about Waldheim Cemetery, will speak about the cemetery as a great genealogical resource.
• Marcey Siegel will discuss sensitively introducing newly found relatives (discovered through DNA) to her family.
• Bob Silverstein will be speaking on "Spreading the Word ... Connecting to the Present and to the Future." He will tell how he got two others--one from his generation and one from the next generation--interested in his family tree.

As a hybrid meeting, the talks may be given from home via Zoom or in person at Temple Beth-El, 3610 Dundee Road, Northbrook, Illinois. If you plan to attend in person, please register by clicking the button at left. If you plan to attend remotely, then register for the separate Zoom event listing. 

The JGSI meeting facilities at Temple Beth-El will open at 12:45 p.m. CDT to accommodate those who want to use genealogy library materials, get help with genealogy websites or ask genealogical questions before the main program begins at 2 p.m.

Register/RSVP for the in-person meeting by clicking the button at left.

JGSI hybrid event participants may register for both online and in-person events if they are undecided. In-person attendance will be limited.

Please keep in mind that JGSI will maintain certain procedures for our in-person meetings. These include:

• We request all attendees to in-person meetings be vaccinated.
•  Face masks are strongly recommended.
• Water and snacks will be provided.
• Seating will be set up to allow for social distancing.
• And MOST IMPORTANT, if you are sick or not feeling well or recently tested positive for COVID, please do not come into TBE.

At each in-person JGSI monthly meeting, the JGSI “help desk” will operated from 12:45 to 1:50 p.m. Member volunteers will access online databases and answer genealogical questions one-on-one for members and visitors as time allows.

The JGSI library has more than 800 volumes of interest to Jewish family historians. All are available for perusing from 12:45 to 1:50 p.m. at each regular monthly meeting.

The Jewish Genealogical Society of Illinois is a non-profit organization dedicated to helping members collect, preserve, and perpetuate the records and history of their ancestors. JGSI is a resource for the worldwide Jewish community to research their Chicago-area roots. The JGSI motto is “Members Helping Members Since 1981.” The group has more than 300 members and is affiliated with the International Association of Jewish Genealogical Societies.

JGSI members have access to useful and informative online family history research resources, including a members’ forum, more than 70 video recordings of past speakers’ presentations, monthly JGSI E-News, quarterly Morasha JGSI newsletter, and much more. Members as well as non-members can look for their ancestors on the free searchable JGSI Jewish Chicago Database.

For more information, see https://jgsi.org or phone 312-666-0100.