Welcome to the Jewish Genealogy Society of Long Island (JGSLI)!
JGSLI was founded in 1985 to encourage and assist the pursuit of Jewish family history. Our goal is to bring together people interested in tracing their Jewish family roots.
We are a non-profit organization, operating through member efforts. We work to educate members and the public regarding the “how to” of finding one’s roots. See the future meetings tab below for dates, speakers and topics.
JEWISHGEN MEMORIAL PLAQUES DATABASE
Join our efforts to grow the JewishGen Memorial Plaques Database. Find out how you can help here.
JGSLI YOUTUBE VIDEOS
Did you know that our award-winning YouTube Channel has 40 5-minute videos on topics including Landsmannschaften, DNA, immigration research, Jewish headstones and more! Watch them here: YouTube Videos
JGSLI MEMBERS-ONLY BENEFITS
Current members can now access our 1988 - 2025 LIneage newsletter issues, featured lectures and speaker handouts. Visit our members-only section to find out more. To join JGSLI visit our Membership page.
Next JGSLI Meetings
For full details of the meetings and the Zoom registration links please click on the Details links. Wednesday meetings start at 7 PM.
- Wednesday May 27, 2026 at 7:00 PM: Clued in: No Sheitel, Sherlock: The Whole Truth About Our Family Photographs by Ava Cohn (LIVE ONLY)
This new presentation in the “Clued-In” series will set the record straight on the many myths about Jewish family photographs that, despite many years of presenting facts, still flourish on social media and in general genealogy groups. Participants will learn the real reason why our relatives did not smile in their photographs, why first impressions can be misleading, why guessing is not always the best way to answer a Facebook inquiry, why Jewish photographers did not take post mortem photographs, what did photographs really cost and why they were not just for the wealthy, did our ancestors borrow the clothes in their photographs and much more. This presentation aims, in a light-hearted way, to dispel the myths and the bubbe meises so that we can truly see and understand our photographs correctly as our relatives meant for us to do. **THIS PRESENTATION WILL NOT BE RECORDED **
Details about Clued in: No Sheitel, Sherlock: The Whole Truth About Our Family Photographs by Ava Cohn (LIVE ONLY) - Sunday June 14, 2026 at 2:00 PM: How to Learn Family Stories from Crumbs: Polish Notary Records by Anna Wiernicka
This lecture aims to present notarial sources and explain their value in genealogical research. The institution of notaries existed in Poland during the Middle Ages, and operated within municipal and land law frameworks. However, its modern development began with the introduction of the French notarial law in the Duchy of Warsaw in 1808. The lecture will present the variety of documents created in notarial offices and their usefulness for genealogical research. The information contained in notarial records not only allows us to connect generations, but above all gives us a rich and vivid picture of the lives of our ancestors. You will also receive tips on how to start searching notarial records on your own.
Details about How to Learn Family Stories from Crumbs: Polish Notary Records by Anna Wiernicka
Please watch our emails, Facebook page, and website for further details. Wednesday meetings start at 7 PM.
- 7:00 PM – 9:00 PM, Wednesday May 27, 2026 – Clued in: No Sheitel, Sherlock: The Whole Truth About Our Family Photographs by Ava Cohn (LIVE ONLY)
- 2:00 PM – 4:00 PM, Sunday June 14, 2026 – How to Learn Family Stories from Crumbs: Polish Notary Records by Anna Wiernicka
- 7:00 PM – 9:00 PM, Wednesday June 24, 2026 – Piecing Together Your Ukrainian Story by Ellie Vance Christensen
- 7:00 PM – 9:00 PM, Wednesday July 29, 2026 – "Mein Feld ist die Welt" a Historical Research Guide to Hamburg Passenger Lists 1850-1934 by Logan Knight
- 7:00 PM – 9:00 PM, Wednesday September 9, 2026 – Schindler's Listed: The Search for my Father's Lost Gold by Randi Biederman
- 2:00 PM – 4:00 PM, Sunday September 27, 2026 – Getting the Most of Online Collections at the US Holocaust Memorial Museum by Jude Richter
- 2:00 PM – 4:00 PM, Sunday October 11, 2026 – The Politzer Saga by Linda Ambrus Broenniman
- 12:00 PM – 2:00 PM, Sunday November 8, 2026 – Genealogical Surprises: Irregular Records and Sources as an aid for Family Research by Prof. Yaron Wolfsthal
- 7:00 PM – 9:00 PM, Wednesday November 18, 2026 – TBD
- 2:00 PM – 4:00 PM, Sunday December 13, 2026 – TBD - Annual Meeting
Join the Jewish Genealogy Society of Long Island!
Membership Benefits Include:
- Free Admission to monthly meetings
- Receive monthly Lineage OnLIne Newsletter
- Opportunity to Network with other people and experts in Jewish Genealogy
- Advanced notice of our Family Workshop and other special events.
Click here for more information!
The 2025 event was held on Sunday, December 7th, 12:30 - 5:00 PM via Zoom. Jewish Genealogy 101: Four Hours+ to Your Family Roots: JGSLI’s 35th Annual Family History Workshop A review of the fundamentals of Jewish genealogy. Topics include interviewing relatives; identifying ancestral towns; Holocaust research; using censuses, city directories, ship's manifests, naturalizations, vital records, and other U.S. sources; European records; and internet resources.