Jeanette Rosenberg will guide participants through practical approaches to Tracing Your Potential Jewish Ancestor. Drawing on her extensive experience in family history research, Jeanette will highlight key records, research strategies, and common challenges encountered when identifying Jewish lineage.
In a special conversation, Else Churchill speaks with journalist and author Tim Franks about his thought-provoking book The Lines We Draw: the Journalist, the Jew and an Argument about Identity. Their discussion will explore questions of identity, heritage, and what it means to discover or define Jewish ancestry.
Else Churchill will also introduce participants to the rich Jewish Collections at the Society of Genealogists, highlighting resources that can support research into Jewish families in Britain and beyond. This session will provide valuable insight into the archives, publications, and records available to researchers.
Family historian Ruth Willmore presents Letters from Matilda Godfrey, a compelling case study based on personal correspondence that illuminates the life and experiences of a Jewish woman and her family. Through these letters, Ruth brings historical voices to life and demonstrates how personal documents can enrich genealogical research.
Michael Tobias will present a Jewish DNA case study solving an unknown biological parentage puzzle for a man abandoned in infancy in pre-War Germany. This session will show how DNA evidence can complement documentary research and open new avenues of discovery.
Whether you are just beginning to explore a possible Jewish ancestor or looking to deepen your knowledge of Jewish genealogy, this engaging day offers expert guidance, historical insight, and practical research tools. Join us online or at the Society of Genealogists for a day of discovery.
Members of the Jewish Genealogical Society of Great Britain will be available on site throughout the day to answer questions and offer guidance to those researching Jewish family history.
The Society of Genealogists will also present a special display of relevant materials from its collections, giving attendees the opportunity to view and explore some of the resources available for researching Jewish ancestors.
JGSGB members please note:
1) we will have a range of Jewish genealogy books on sale throughout the day
2) it is a good opportunity for our members to visit SOG to see what records they hold
3) the collection Ruth Willmore is speaking about is a newly discovered SOG collection of Sephardi records
You can attend in-person at Wharf Road where presenters will be live or watch online via Zoom. The option to choose either online or in-person appears before checkout
20% discount for SoG members and JGSGB members (email programme@jgsgb.org.uk to request a discount code).
Each talk will be recorded and available to attendees until 19 July 2026. (Recording of Tim Franks interview is TBC)