Roy Ogus has been researching his family history since 1985, and has traced his ancestors back to Lithuania and Belarus in the early 18th century. He was born in South Africa, and has been living in the San Francisco Bay Area since the 1970s.

A member of the San Francisco Bay Area JGS for over 20 years, he has published articles in the journals Avotaynu, ZichronNote (JGS San Francisco), Shemot (JGS Great Britain), and Roots-Key (JGS Los Angeles). Roy is Vice-President and Editor of the JewishGen Southern African SIG, an Avotaynu Contributing Editor, and a computer engineer by profession.

“Jewish Genealogical Research in South Africa” (Fri-130), 8:30-9:45 A.M.

South Africa’s Jewish community is large and important. Although we may not know it, many of us have South African connections because our ancestors’ siblings or cousins emigrated there. During the great wave of emigration from Eastern Europe (1881-1930s), many Jews, especially Lithuanians, left for the economic opportunity and freedom of South Africa.

Following the recent emigration of many South African Jews during periods of political unrest in the country, the end of apartheid in 1994 has revitalized our cousins’ homeland.

This presentation is a summary of the key sources of records, documentation, and information of genealogical value that relate to Southern Africa research, and how these materials can be accessed and researched. The talk also provides an overview of South African history as a backdrop for the discussion of Jewish migration to that remote area.

Topics: Ashkenazic research, Beginning genealogists, Cemetery research, Immigration and migration over the ages, Repositories, Specific countries or geographic areas, South African genealogy research