Tomasz Jankowski, who holds a Ph.D. in history, is a Jewish genealogist active in Ukraine and Poland, and founder of jewishfamilysearch.com. He is a graduate of the University of Wroclaw, Poland. His academic research is focused on family history and historical-demography of the Jews.

In 2010 Jankowski was awarded a scholarship by the Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs. He cooperates with the Institute For Jewish Genealogy and with Hebrew University on the analysis of Jewish demographics in light of the 1897 census. Recently Jankowski worked for Finding Your Roots TV series and the team who discovered Baal Shem Tov’s Mikveh in Kolomyia.

His website is at http://jewishfamilysearch.com/

JRI-Poland Luncheon*: “Jewish Family in Poland in 19th Century. Debunking Myths” (Sun-145), 12:00-1:30 P.M.

*Note: Attendance at a scheduled luncheon requires registration for that event. All meals at the JRI-Poland luncheon, only, will be Kosher. Due to a generous donation, all those registered for the luncheon will receive a $10 discount toward their meal. So, the meal, which ordinarily would be $54, will be  $44 per person.

“Records on Migration in the Archives of Galicia” (Tues-145), 7:30-8:45 A.M.

Documenting migration of a family is one of the main challenges in genealogical research. When no destination or place of origin is known further tracking of the family, ancestors or descendants is no longer possible. The most important on-line databases help to overcome the problem of lost traces, but at the same time they only rarely include indexes to the document collection crucial for research on migration.

Galician repositories are especially rich in documentation on migration. First, local towns under the absolute monarchy of the Habsburgs, held lists of temporary residents and vagabonds. Later, during the years of Polish independence, several Zionist and emigration associations were active among the poor residents of this area. Local archives, whose holdings I will discuss in the presentation, still hold not only the above-mentioned documents, but also records on immigrants from the Russian Empire, visa requests and Police certificates of clean criminal record.

Category: Beginning genealogists

Topics: Ashkenazic research, Immigration and migration over the ages, Repositories, Specific countries or geographic areas

Computer Lab*: “Mapping your Shtetl. Practical course in Galician Cadaster” (Tues-140), 10:45 A.M.-12:15 P.M.

Property records have always been a main source for genealogical study when vital records and census data are not available for a region. For many locations in Galicia the cadaster is the only available source.

The core part of Galician cadaster are extremely detailed maps and land owner lists created in 1824-1854. The maps remained in use till 1950’s.

This documentation—once held in Lviv, now distributed among several institutions in Poland and Ukraine—allows the researcher to learn, for example, the address and size of an ancestor’s house and his/her socioeconomic status.

The purpose of the workshop is to teach:

(Introductory part):

• a brief history of Galician cadaster and its original purposes,
• how to access the documentation in local archives.

(Practical part):

How to:

• access selected documentation on-line,
• interpret symbols used on the map,
• relate data in owner lists and vital records to map data.

Topics: Ashkenazic research, Repositories, Workshop – Other

* NOTE: One must reserve one’s place in this computer workshop and pay a separate fee of $35 (in additional to the conference registration fee).