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I began my journey with
research into my own family and
was quickly captivated.
Family history research appeals
to a unique personality
type. It requires
patience, tenacity and a broad
interest in language, history
and culture.
 With a
multifaceted background,
I have a unique set of skills
for genealogy. Having made my
career in finance, I am very
comfortable using spreadsheets
and technical skills to analyze
relationships and solve
puzzles. But as an artist
I have an appreciation for the
way a solution evolves not
always along a linear path.
Instead, it draws on a broad
base of knowledge and skills,
combining a wide range of
resources through a process that
gradually unfolds. My skills
have evolved into workshops and
presentations on subjects as
seemingly disparate as using
spreadsheets to analyze your
family history and using collage
to tell your family story.
I have created and maintain
websites (Kehilalinks) for
Jewishgen.org in ancestral towns
in Belarus and in Poland.
My blog, Layers of the Onion,
focuses on family history
research, travel and artwork–all
the subjects that engage me.
Through my research I’ve located
living family around the world
as well as traced ancestors back
through many generations and
languages.
Deeply involved with the
Jewish genealogical community,
I am a founding member and
President of the Minnesota
Jewish Genealogical Society (MNJGS).
I also
serve on the board of the
International Association
of Jewish Genealogical
Societies (IAJGS)
and
locally on the board
of the Jewish
Historical Society of
the Upper Midwest (JHSUM).
Over time
I’ve expanded my
research to assist
others
in their
efforts. Located
in the Minneapolis/St.
Paul area, I can
easily assist anyone
with family from this
region, but also have
a particular
familiarity with the
resources around
Jewish heritage in the
Upper Midwest, New
York and Eastern
Europe.
My research
has taken me to
Germany to
research the Holocaust
records of the
International Tracing
Service, now known as
Arolsen Archives, to
the Vilnius Yiddish
Institute in Lithuania
where I studied
Yiddish, and to the
shtetls and towns in
Belarus, the Ukraine
and Poland where
family came
from. I’ve done
research in Polish and
Russian, making use of
the archives in
Lithuania and Poland.
Determining
how
I can best assist
you begins
with a discussion of
what you are seeking
and what you know or
can glean from living
relatives. To
the extent that you
prefer to do some more
labor-intensive
research yourself, I
can act in a coaching
capacity.
This website is
designed to help
you in
your search however
you decide to pursue
it. On the Articles
tab you will find
articles from my blog
that deal with family
history research as
well as articles that
I've written for other
publications.
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