Immigration is a liminal state, a place of transition, bridging two worlds as the immigrant adapts to a new country and identity, often reflected in name changes. That adds complexity to our search, requiring frequent resolution of inconsistencies. This talk will take a case focused on finding the immigration manifest and through that process illustrate how we can search and reconcile seemingly conflicting information to learn the story of the immigrant and find the related documentation. We will look at what the manifest reveals and how we validate and build on information to connect with family who were previously unknown

Susan Weinberg is an artist, author, professional genealogist and frequent speaker on genealogy topics. Her creative work often involves storytelling and frequently explores family history themes. Susan is active in organizations within the world of Jewish genealogy, as president of the International Association of Jewish Genealogical Societies (IAJGS) immediate past president of the Minnesota Jewish Genealogical Society (MNJGS), and vice president of the Jewish Historical Society of the Upper Midwest (JHSUM). She is also a member of the Association of Professional Genealogists (APG). Susan developed the Jewish Identity and Legacy Project, an oral history project with elders, then authored the book We Spoke Jewish: A Legacy in Stories that includes oral history, artwork, and history on three groups of Jewish immigrants who spanned the 1900s. Susan has created and manages Kehilalinks on the former Jewish communities of several ancestral towns. She writes frequently for publications on genealogy topics and does genealogy research for clients around the world.