Attorney, journalist, teacher, Certified Genealogist and Certified Genealogical Lecturer, Board for Certification of Genealogists Trustee, published author and blogger – there are few areas in genealogy in which Judy Russell hasn’t excelled. Now, however, a gaping hole in her illustrious resume has been filled .  ;-)  She will headline the banquet at the International Association of Jewish Genealogical Societies 36th Annual Conference in Seattle in August 2016.

The IAJGS 2016 conference co-chairs have announced that Judy Russell has not only agreed to speak at the August 11th (Thursday) evening banquet, but also will make two additional presentations during the conference.

Nearly everything we do in genealogy is tied to records – and most records are tied to the laws and regulations that required collection of information.  So, a background in law is a great advantage for a genealogist. Those of us without that background can benefit from those with skills to impart their knowledge. I have heard Judy speak at national conferences several times. She is always well-prepared, knowledgeable and engaging – an excellent teacher. She has a knack for taking otherwise complex legal issues and making them relevant and understandable for genealogical researchers. This is information we need.

But, you need not wait until August 2016 to familiarize yourself with Judy’s work. She posts daily on her blog, The Legal Genealogist. Most days she speaks to the law, ethics and her personal research. Sundays’ posts are reserved for her other area of expertise: genetic genealogy research. The Legal Genealogist is required reading for anyone who wishes to improve their skills and knowledge in our craft.

Judy is one of the few genealogy international rock stars. But don’t take my word for it. Go to John D. Reid’s blog for the results of this year’s voting: Judy was a medalist is three categories: International, USA and Genetic Genealogy.

This is a real coup getting Judy for our conference.

Here is the news, as release by the IAJGS conference co-chairs:

“Legal Genealogist” Judy Russell to deliver banquet speech at the 2016 IAJGS Conference in Seattle

Seattle, Washington

The International Association of Jewish Genealogical Societies has chosen acclaimed Legal Genealogist Judy Russell as the banquet speaker at its 36^th Annual Conference to be held from August 7 to 12, 2016 in Seattle, Washington.

Holder of credentials as a Certified Genealogist and Certified Genealogical Lecturer, Russell has enthralled audiences nationwide with her fascinating blend of legal and genealogical expertise.  “I’m a genealogist with a law degree,” says Russell, “and I try to help folks understand the often arcane legal concepts and terminology that are so very important to those of us studying family history.  Without understanding the context in which events took place and records were created, we miss so much of both the significance and the flavor of what happened.”

Russell’s talk will be the highlight of the 2016 conference banquet, which will be held on August 11, at 7 PM, the final night of the six-day conference.  She will also make two additional presentations in the course of the conference, which will take place at the beautiful and convenient Sheraton Hotel in downtown Seattle. Russell, who traces her own American roots back to 1680 Virginia, holds a BA in journalism from George Washington University in Washington, DC, and a law degree from the Rutgers School of Law, Newark.

Another highlight of the 2016 conference will be the opening night keynote address by Dr. Devin Naar, chair of the UW Sephardic Studies Program and an assistant professor in the UW Department of History.  Lead conference co-chair Janette Silverman said she and her fellow chairs are “thrilled to have two nationally acclaimed speakers on the Seattle program.”

Proposals for papers are currently being accepting through the official conference website www.iajgs2016.org. The deadline for submission is midnight, December 15, 2015. For information about proposals and submissions, contact the Program Committee at program@iajgs2016.org.

Early registration will open in January 2016 through the conference website.

For more information about the conference, contact the conference co-chairs Janette Silverman, Phyllis Grossman, and Chuck Weinstein through the conference website www.iajgs2016.org.

Conference Co-Chairs Janette Silverman, Chuck Weinstein and Phyllis Grossman, and  Programming Chair Joel Spector were in Seattle this past weekend. Chuck Weinstein sent the following dispatch.

With the Call for Submissions in full swing, Conference Co-chairs met over the weekend in Seattle to inspect the Sheraton Downtown Hotel, site of the 36^th Annual IAJGS Conference on Jewish Genealogy, and to make arrangements for what promises to be one of the best conferences ever.  From tasting food offerings for meals to viewing the arrangement of conference rooms to provide the best possible flow for attendees, no detail was too small to be examined and considered.  With the help of our professional conference planner, Zabrina Hazeltine, and our Programming Chair, Joel Spector, Janette, Chuck, and Phyllis came to some important decisions about the logistics of running such a large conference and doing it right.

The Call for Submissions will close on December 15 and will not be extended, as in some previous years.  Conference Registration opens January 3, 2016, and hotel reservations at the Conference rate will be available only through the registration system.  An early-bird discount will be available through April 30.

All presentations at the conference will be on one floor, eliminating delays at elevators and escalators.  This will allow attendees to move easily from one presentation to another.  Rooms of varying sizes will allow for a maximum of 9 presentations to go on at the same time, giving attendees galloping attacks of indecision.  With the addition of LIVE!, however, no attendee will have to miss an important session, as they will be able to watch many sessions streaming for up to three months following the conference.  A package containing the audio and presentation slides of most presentations will also be available for purchase.

Exhibitors and attendees will find the Exhibitor Hall located conveniently between the Resource Room and the rooms that will contain larger presentations.  On Sunday, the popular Share Fair will be offered adjacent to the Exhibitor Hall.  Other features of the Conference will include a silent auction of (mostly) local merchandise on the final full day of the Conference, with the winning bids to be presented at the Gala Banquet. An Educator’s Seminar, specifically for Jewish educators, will be held on Sunday morning, August 7, from 9 AM to 1:30 PM.  This will be a separate admission from the Conference and will provide attendees with breakfast and lunch, and 9 different presentations on ideas to teach Jewish genealogy.  Educators are encouraged to submit presentations for consideration through the Conference Proposal Submission system, found on our web page, www.iajgs2016.org.

A film festival, featuring some of the best films of Jewish interest, will be going on in our theatre, located on the first floor of the hotel during the entire conference.  In addition to about 5 or 6 feature films, the Festival is expected to feature documentaries shot by genealogists who have returned to their ancestral towns to trace the footsteps of their ancestors.  If you have made such a film, you are encouraged to submit it through the same Conference Proposal system.  Additionally, our Film Festival chair, Dr. Eric Goldman, has secured the loan of a large number of films taken in a variety of towns prior to World War II from Yad Vashem in Israel.  These films, running anywhere from 10 to 30 minutes, illustrate life in Eastern Europe prior to the Shoah.  They will run constantly between the other films of the festival.  All films that are part of the Film Festival will be shown at least twice during Conference hours.

Among the evening entertainments, the ever popular Jewpardy! will return, along with an original one-act play, entitled “From Door to Door”, presented by the Seattle Jewish Theatre Company that looks back on the immigrant experience.

Conference Co-chairs also sampled some of the fine dining in Seattle, known as a great restaurant town.  A wide variety of restaurants are located near the hotel with something for everyone.  For those who wish it, we have made arrangements with a Kosher caterer to deliver pre-ordered hot meals directly to your rooms at the Conference hotel.  For those who wish to stay in the hotel, Loulay Kitchen, off the lobby of the hotel, is rated by Zagat as one of the finest restaurants in Seattle.  With its French-themed menu, and Chef  Thierry Rautureau, known as the Chef in the Hat, the owner and chef, it has developed a worldwide reputation.

I would be remiss if we did not mention the beauty of America’s (and Canada’s) Great Northwest.  In addition to the Alaska cruises we have previously told you about, we will be offering a number of day trips to scenic and historic places in the Seattle area.  By bringing your family, you can combine the conference with the vacation to remember for years to come.  We expect to have many of these trips fully arranged before registration opens, but others may be added.  You will be able to conveniently book these trips via the Conference Registration System.

With one of the fastest growing Jewish populations in the US, Seattle is quite ready for this Conference.  With the third largest Sephardic community in the United States, Jewish Seattle certainly has a Sephardic flavor to it.  The Conference has much to offer Sephardim from around the world who are looking into their family histories, as well as all others who are looking for new ideas and methods of finding our roots.  We are excited and look forward, along with our local hosts, the Jewish Genealogical Society of Washington State, to seeing you in Seattle, August 7-12.

Chuck Weinstein

Co-Chair, 36th Annual IAJGS Conference on Jewish Genealogy
Seattle, WA
August 7-12, 2016

Chuck@iajgs2016.org

www.iajgs2016.org

Like our Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/IAJGSConference?fref=ts

From Chuck Weinstein, Co-Chair, 36th Annual IAJGS Conference on Jewish Genealogy, Seattle, WA, August 7-12, 2016:

If you wish to book one of our cruises, the booking information is at the bottom.  Due to limited availability, our travel agent will have to take deposits on a first-come first-served basis.  First of all, I want to thank all of you who indicated to me that you were interested in taking an Alaska cruise either before or after the Conference in Seattle, next summer. When we sent out the message, we hoped we might get 20 or 25 responses, enough to put together a group of about 40-50.  I received over 60 responses, indicating an interest from a total of over 130 people, including spouses and families (and, in at least one case, neighbors)  Due to the timing of cruises available, many of the cruises we looked at were already close to or completely sold out.  We determined that by booking through Sharon Furlong, a travel agent who is very experienced with Alaska cruises, we could offer each cruiser a personalized experience based on their interests.  There is no additional charge for this service, and she will make you aware of discounts available, which may include retired military, AARP, former cruisers, etc. Instructions for booking follow the descriptions of the cruises.  All cruises depart from the Seattle Ship Terminal Pier 91, which is a convenient 10 minute cab ride from the Conference hotel.  As noted, some of these cruises have specials for people who book quickly.  In order to make the cruises available to the most people possible, we have decided to offer three choices:

Pre-Conference Cruise

A Pre-Conference Cruise departs Seattle, Friday afternoon, July 29, 2016 at 5:00 PM, returning to Seattle on Friday morning, August 5, 2016 at 8 AM onboard the Celebrity Solstice.  The seven day itinerary is scheduled to take you to Ketchikan, Alaska, Tracy Arm Fjord (cruising through the fjord and glaciers), Juneau, and Skagway, Alaska on the northbound route and cruising the Inside Passage with a port call in Victoria, British Columbia, Canada on the return leg.  This is a family-friendly cruise with many amenities available for children.  Prices start at $1299 per person, double occupancy for an inside cabin.  For cabins with an ocean view or a balcony, the prices are higher.  Note these fees do not include approximately $200 per person in taxes and port fees, and any other amenities you may wish to purchase.  The Celebrity Solstice receives top ratings consistently from people who have taken cruises on it as reported by http://www.cruisecritic.com, which ranks cruise ships based on objective measurements of quality and allows individuals to rank ships by quality, as well.  By the way, this website offers a lot of great information, whether this is your first cruise or your hundredth.  There are additional costs for more than two people in a cabin and prices are not guaranteed until the cabin is booked with a deposit of at least $500. For all cruises alcoholic beverages, specialty coffees , specialty restaurant, spa services, shore excursions, photographs, WI-FI  and medical services  are available to purchase at an extra charge onboard added to your shipboard account.  Prices are not firm till the day of booking. Deposit is due at the time of booking.

Two Post-Conference Cruise Choices

We have elected to offer two post-conference cruises, both departing Seattle on Sunday, August 14 at 4 in the afternoon and returning Sunday, August 21 in the morning.  Boarding begins at 1:00 PM and you must be aboard by 3:30 PM.  Both ships appeal to slightly different clientele, so you may wish to consider this.

The Ruby Princess offers a variety of opportunities for a family oriented cruiser.  Departing from Seattle, the itinerary includes port stops at Ketchikan and Juneau, a morning  cruise around the Tracy Arm Fjord, a day in Skagway, and a day in Victoria, British Columbia, Canada on the return.  Rates begin at about $950 per person, double occupancy and to that, you must add about $225 in taxes and port fees.  If you put down a refundable deposit of $500 per person by October 29, there is a price reduction on this cruise. The Ruby Princess is also rated highly on www.cruisecritic.com.  For all cruises alcoholic beverages, specialty coffees , specialty restaurant, spa services, shore excursions , photographs, WI-FI  and medical services  are available to purchase at an extra charge onboard added to your shipboard account. For all cruises alcoholic beverages, specialty coffees , specialty restaurant, spa services, shore excursions , photographs, WI-FI  and medical services  are available to purchase at an extra charge onboard added to your shipboard account.  Prices are not firm till the day of booking. Deposit is due at the time of booking.

The Holland America Lines’ MS Amsterdam departs Seattle and offers a more adult-oriented cruise.  Holland America is a preferred choice for distinguished and experienced cruisers, but it is not expensive.  Port stops include Juneau, Sitka, and Ketchikan, Alaska, plus Victoria, British Columbia, Canada, as well as a cruise around the mouth of the Hubbard Glacier, and around scenic Stephen’s Passage on the Inside Passage and around Puget Sound. Rates start at $1,179 per person, double occupancy, with port charges and taxes of about $255.   For all cruises alcoholic beverages, specialty coffees , specialty restaurant, spa services, shore excursions , photographs, WI-FI  and medical services  are available to purchase at an extra charge onboard added to your shipboard account.  For all cruises alcoholic beverages, specialty coffees , specialty restaurant, spa services, shore excursions , photographs, WI-FI  and medical services  are available to purchase at an extra charge onboard added to your shipboard account.  Prices are not firm till the day of booking. Deposit is due at the time of booking.

The International Association of Jewish Genealogical Societies announces an invitation to submit lecture, workshop, and panel proposals for the 36th IAJGS International Conference on Jewish Genealogy, locally hosted by the Jewish Genealogical Society of Washington State. The Conference will be held at the Sheraton Seattle Hotel in Seattle, Washington, from August 7 to 12, 2016.

We seek proposals relevant to the interests of all genealogists researching Jewish ancestors. In addition to proposals for lectures, proposals for workshops or panel discussions are also welcome. New presentations are encouraged, as are presentations and workshops that provide practical research methodologies that will help conference participants in their research. Highly original topics that will attract participants will also be given special consideration.

The major focus of the Conference will be on Jewish migration, with a general theme of “Westward Ho.” General topics for presentations will include European Jewry, migrations to the United States, migration of American Jewry across America, and Jews in the Western United States. A special geographic focus will be programming based on our branches in Australia, South America, and South Africa.

Other focus areas are technology in support of genealogical research and ethical considerations in genealogy. A special focus at this Conference will be the Sephardic experience in America, in all of its varied aspects.

Presentations and panel discussions will be 75 minutes, which includes 15 minutes reserved for questions and answers. There is also an option, this year, for shorter presentations of 45 or 60 minutes, including 15 minutes for questions and answers.

All proposals must be submitted using the Conference website (www.iajgs2016.org), under the Program tab. In addition to basic demographic and biographical information about the speaker(s), proposals must include the presentation title, a brief description of the presentation and target audience level,

The deadline for submission of proposals is December 15, 2015! Submitters of proposals will be notified by email no later than February 15, 2016, as to whether or not their proposal has been accepted. You may contact the Program Committee at program@iajgs2016.org with any questions or comments.

We look forward to receiving your proposals and thank you for your interest in our Conference.

Janette Silverman

Phyllis Grossman

Chuck Weinstein

Conference Co-Chairs

Alaska is just a hop, skip and a cruise away from Seattle, Washington. If you are considering attending the 36th Annual IAJGS
Conference on Jewish Genealogy, August 7-12, 2016, at the Sheraton Downtown in Seattle, also think about taking a seven day cruise to Alaska either before or after the conference.

Conference organizers are exploring cruise options and would like input from those who are interested in taking one of these cruises.  A cruise would not be a conference event, but would be a great opportunity to turn one’s conference experience into a wonderful vacation to remember for years to come. If there is sufficient interest expressed before October 5, we will proceed with our plans and let you know when we have finalized arrangements.

The cruise would leave from the Seattle Cruise Terminal and take the Inside Passage along the southeastern coast of Alaska.  Typically, these cruises  offer spectacular views of coastal glaciers , forests and wildlife of southeastern Alaska. These are family oriented cruises with many activities available on board the ship and on shore for all ages and abilities.

Stops may include Ketchikan, Juneau, Glacier Bay National Park, Skagway, and either Vancouver or Victoria on the return trip.  If a sufficient number of people book together, the price will be discounted.

Prices start around $900 per person, double occupancy for an inside cabin, including cabin and meals, and a variety of accommodations are available on board these fully equipped cruise ships. We expect there will be options for those who keep kosher, either pre-packaged kosher meals or vegetarian meals.

One cruise option  would depart Seattle either July 28 or 29th, (Thursday or Friday), returning to Seattle on August 4 or 5 (Thursday or Friday).  The other option would be a cruise departing either August 15 or 16 (Monday or Tuesday), returning August 22 or 23.

If you are interested, please respond to Chuck Weinstein directly at chuck@iajgs2016.org, before October 5 and let us know what you think.

Please let us know of your interest and:

• schedule preference for either before or after the conference,
• number in your party,
• how many would require kosher meals

For those interested in proposing presentations for the 2016 IAJGS conference in Seattle, request for proposals and information about procedures will be available starting on October 1, 2015. Proposals will be accepted through December 15.

Similar to previous years, proposals will be submitted electronically. Watch this space for further announcements.

Last winter at the RootsTech conference in Salt Lake City, FamilySearch announced the opening of their first Family Discovery Center in Salt Lake City. Discovery Centers aim to bring family history to the masses by engaging newbies in their family histories via snappy interactive technology (on ipads). This week FamilySearch announced the opening of their second Discovery Center in Seattle, Washington.

The Seattle Family Discovery Center is located at 15205 SE 28th Street, Bellevue, Washington.

For further information, see the Seattle Family Discovery Center webpage.

One may read the FamilySearch news release about the Seattle opening in Dick Eastman’s Online Genealogy Newsletter. Dick Eastman was the banquet speaker at the Jerusalem IAJGS conference this summer.

Put the Discovery Center on your list of places to visit when in Seattle for the IAJGS conference next summer.

I had intended to start posting about some genealogical resources available in Seattle, Washington, but a recent blog post by “The Legal Genealogist” (Judy Russell) beat me to it. So, rather than reinvent the proverbial wheel, here is a link to her post featuring Washington State resources.

We will go a bit more in-depth on some of these resources in the future.

Discussion Lists for IAJGS conferences have been wonderful venues for questions and exchanges of information about up-coming conferences. The Discussion List for the 2016 Seattle IAJGS is now operational and available for subscription.

To subscribe, visit the Discussion List Page at http://www.iajgs2016.org/discussion-list/

You may also find the Discussion List Page from the Conference Home Page. Hover your mouse over the About tab and then click on Discussion List.,

Be sure to read the Discussion List Guidelines before you subscribe. Any messages posted will be publicly viewable.

You may subscribe in either non-digest or digest mode. In non-digest mode you will receive new messages individually as they are posted. In digest mode, messages will be sent to you in one batch each day.

This year conference volunteers will review messages sent to the list before deciding to post them. This will ensure that non-conference-related messages and spam will not be posted, that civility will be maintained, and that questions best answered by the conference planning team will be answered in a timely manner.

Before sending a message to the list, please check the conference FAQs (Frequently Asked Questions) to be sure your question has not already been answered. As plans for the conference gel, we will expand the FAQs to include additional topics such as conference registration and hotel information.

You may access the FAQs at the link, above, or scroll to the bottom of the conference webpage and locate the blue section and locate and click on Frequently Asked Questions.

There will be several ways to stay informed about plans for IAJGS2016 in Seattle.

Our website at http://www.iajgs2016.org will be a major source of information. There will, of course, be the IAJGS Conference FaceBook page and the ever popular discussion list. And then, there will be this blog. You should consider subscribing to it.

Someone recently asked me to tell her the advantages of a blog over, say, the discussion list, FaceBook or Twitter. They each have their strong points. Probably the biggest advantage of a blog is that anyone may read a blog post without joining a particular website or establishing a password. Think of the blog as you would a website – no membership is required.

Compared to discussion list or FaceBook posts, a blog provides a platform for more lengthy and, perhaps, complex information and explanations. Images and videos may be easily included in blog posts. And previous blog posts many be easily searched when you wish to find information or reread some of our pre-conference recommendations or advice.

Our goal here is to help you prepare for a great conference. We will keep you informed as plans for the conference coalesce. There will also be posts on research opportunities in the Seattle area as well as tourism and recreational options. Closer to the conference we intend to supply some tutorials on using the conference app and information about speakers, presentations and exhibitors.

If you would like to stay up-to-date as we post articles on this blog, we suggest you subscribe to it. When subscribing, one may opt to receive email notifications of new blog posts or use a blog subscription aggregator, such as Feedly.

While on the IAJGS conference webpage, click on the News/Blog tab. On the upper right of the page, look for blog subscription options.

If you wish to follow this blog, then click on “subscribe via email.” You will then receive notifications when we post new articles.

Or if you follow – or plan to follow – several blogs, then an RSS reader (blog aggregator service) might be your best choice. I am an avid blog reader and follow more than 100 blogs via Feedly. When I click on the Feedly icon that is located at the top of my browser window, I can see which of the blogs to which I subscribe  have added content since I last visited. I used to bookmark individual blogs in my browser. No more! Feedly makes reading blogs a one-stop shop.

If you would like to view a tutorial on how to start with Feedly, view this blog post: http://www.keywordroom.com/social-media/feedly-tutorial-for-beginners/

Thanks for reading! Come back soon.