Northern Hills Synagogue presented a fascinating Living Room Learning program on Jewish Genealogy at the home of Cheryl and David Bernstein on Sunday evening. Rick & Paul Cauthen provided a brief overview of the significant aspects of Jewish history and culture that shape and affect our ability to do family history research. They reviewed the materials and resources of genealogical research, as it pertains to those with Jewish ancestry, and the some of the resulting research challenges. They also examined many of the specialized resources now available to us for overcoming these challenges, including identifying generations of our overseas or "Old Country" ancestors.

After a break for refreshments, the presentation concluded with a detailed case study that illustrates how many of the described resources and techniques can be used to grow a family tree and to solve an old family mystery. The fact that many surnames were changed or spelled in multiple ways and different scripts made the detective work very tricky.

A good-sized group enjoyed hearing Rick's and Paul's presentations! At David's request, the presenters generously shared their PowerPoint slides so that those who couldn't make it can access them. Click on this LINK to see the entire presentation.