Workshops that are only available to conference attendees in Salt Lake City

Each workshop lasts 3 hours. All workshops are on Tuesday, August 1.

Workshops are NOT available online.

Finding the Village of Origin (Joanne M. Sher)

9:00 a.m.-12 noon, Heritage Room (Plaza)

It is virtually impossible to do research in Eastern Europe without first knowing the name of the village where your ancestors came from. A country name or even a general area is too broad. Having this village information will enhance your experience during the conference This workshop will focus on helping you find the village of origin. Instruction will be given in the use of United States and Canadian record sources that may provide this information. Methodologies will also be presented to help you in your search.

German Handwriting (Milan Pohontsch)

9:00 a.m.-12 noon, Salt Lake Room (Plaza)

The history and the various styles of German handwriting will be explained, as well as tools for an easier reading of these styles. The rest of the time is dedicated to the practice of finding the important keywords in documents.

Tips & Tricks to Navigating JewishGen (Ellen Kowitt)

9:00 a.m.-12 noon, Classroom C (FamilySearch Library)

JewishGen.org is the global home for Jewish genealogy with over 30 million searchable records and indexes, educational and language tools, networking, and more. This free website contains a wealth of treasures to navigate through the complexities of Jewish names and origins, but where to begin, and what are you missing? Some geographical resources are valuable for researchers of any background and should not be overlooked. Join veteran Jewish records pro and Director of JewishGen’s USA Research Division, Ellen Kowitt as she provides an overview and shares examples of hidden gems to help maximize your time and search.

Reading Russian Handwriting for Beginners (Hailey Wentz)

1:30 p.m.-4:30 p.m., Heritage Room (Plaza)

Not speaking Russian doesn't have to stop you from finding your ancestors from the former Russian Empire/Soviet Union. Begin your study of Russian documents with this workshop, where instruction will start with the alphabet and help you build a foundation for recognizing letters in context.

Reading German Records (Milan Pohontsch)

1:30 p.m.-4:30 p.m., Salt Lake Room (Plaza)

Various types of German records will be introduced that contain genealogical information. Each type will be analyzed in terms of what it contains and where to get it.

Deciphering Jewish Gravestones (Ellen Kowitt)

1:30 p.m.-4:30 p.m., Classroom C (FamilySearch Library)

Jewish gravestones yield significant genealogical treasures including two-generation names, burial in a Landsmanschaften plot pointing to possible origins abroad, occupations, religious observance, and more. Bring Jewish gravestone photos for a hands-on evaluation walking through various online resources to learn how to decipher the clues yourself. Come away with a partial or full analysis and translation. No prior knowledge of Hebrew is necessary. The Hebrew alphabet will be reviewed.