Jewish Genealogical Society of the Conejo Valley and Ventura County (JGSCV)

Next Meeting MONDAY, April 6, 2020, 7:00-9:00 PM Annual Sephardic Program: Movie "Sefarad" (1 hour 30 minutes; Portuguese with English Subtitles)... Sefarad tells the sweeping story of Jews in Portugal across 500 years -- from the Middle Ages to the Inquisition to the modern era. In 1496, King D. Manuel prohibited Judaism. Four hundred years later, Barros Basto (1887-1961), a Portuguese army captain converted to Judaism, and about twenty Jewish merchants founded the Jewish Community of Oporto, in the north of Portugal. The video depicts the story of Barros Basto, the "Portuguese Dreyfus Affair". Basto was a WW I war hero. He was expelled from the army after a tribunal convicted him of conduct unbecoming an officer in 1937. He was unjustly accused, expelled from the Army, with loss of rank and loss of pay, loss of his reputation and had to face anti-Semitism. In April 2013, he was reinstated by the Portuguese Parliament, the same year that Portugal welcomed the descendants of its expelled Sephardim to apply for citizenship. The Oporto community was shaken by news that there were descendants of 15th century Jews in a number of Portuguese villages. These crypto-Jews were resistant to join an organized community. Basto worked to have them included. In addition to establishing the Jewish community of Porto, Basto was instrumental in the construction of the Kadoorie Mekor Haim Synagogue, in 1938, the largest in the Iberian Peninsula. The synagogue became a haven to shelter hundreds of Holocaust refugees in World War II. For more information contact: [email protected] callJan Meisels Allen@ 818-889-6616 See: www.JGSCV.org

DIFFERENT START TIME The Jewish Genealogical Society of the Conejo Valley and Ventura County (JGSCV) will hold a meeting, cosponsored with Temple Adat Elohim on Sunday, March 1, 2020 12:30-3:30 p.m. at Temple Adat Elohim 2420 E. Hillcrest Drive, Thousand Oaks, 91362 The Program:... Comparing Jewish Resources on Ancestry, FamilySearch, Findmypast, MyHeritage and JewishGen Enjoy this comparative overview of Jewish record collections available on Ancestry.com, FamilySearch, Findmypast and MyHeritage, as well as research tools on each site that can be especially helpful for Jewish research. Also, learn how the JewishGen collections on Ancestry.com differ from comparable collections on JewishGen.org, both in content and the search experiences. Get tips on when it might be better to search on one site or the other. Speaker: Ellen Kowitt is past president of JGS Colorado and JGS Greater Washington. She has served on the IAJGS board member has served on various IAJGS Committees; been a recipient of IAJGS Program and Stern Awards; led Ukraine trip for JewishGen Shtetlschleppers; created KehilahLinks websites and been Lyubar, Ukraine town leader for 23 years; coordinated Yizkor Book translations for Ukraine towns; and indexed revision lists, memorial plaques, gravestones, and Colorado probate records. Ellen is an Avotaynu contributor. She is currently Vice President of the Colorado Chapter, Association of Professional Genealogists. There is no charge to attend the meeting. Anyone may join JGSCV. Annual dues are $30 for an individual and $35 for a family. The meeting is open to the public. The Jewish Genealogical Society of the Conejo Valley and Ventura County is dedicated to sharing genealogical information, techniques and research tools with anyone interested in Jewish genealogy and family history. For more information contact: [email protected] or call Jan Meisels Allen@ 818-889-6616 See: www.JGSCV.org

The JGSCV will hold a meeting, on Sunday, February 9, 2020 at the Los Angeles FamilySearch Library (formerly known as the LA Family History Library) 10741 Santa Monica Blvd. West Los Angeles (on grounds of the LDS Temple) from 1:00 p.m.-5:00 p.m. Parking is free. This special program is open only to current dues paid members of JGSCV! Anyone may join or renew their membership with JGSCV at the door. The Topic: Assisted Research Afternoon at the L.A. FamilySearch Library (LA...FSL) Experienced JGSCV members and FamilySearch Library volunteers will be available to help members get the most out of the L.A. FamilySearch Library's (LAFSL) resources, including computer assistance with many popular genealogical databases including Ancestry.com FindMyPast, Fold3.com, MyHeritage (Library edition), ProQuest Obituaries, World Vital Records, and more! The LAFSL has many computers so everyone can use them simultaneously. In addition, there are Jewish microfilms of Eastern Europe and a selection of others, including maps and gazetteers. Bring your research documents with you and bring a flash drive if you want to download electronic images of online images. Hard copying is also available. Our sister JGS, JGSLA’s library is available for research at the LAFSL. This meeting is open only to current dues-paid members of JGSCV. Anyone may join at the door. JGSCV is open to anyone interested in researching their Jewish roots. The Jewish Genealogical Society of the Conejo Valley and Ventura County is dedicated to sharing genealogical information, techniques and research tools with anyone interested in Jewish genealogy and family history. For more information contact: [email protected] or Jan Meisels Allen@ 818-889-6616

The Jewish Genealogical Society of the Conejo Valley and Ventura County (JGSCV) will hold a meeting, cosponsored with Temple Adat Elohim on Sunday, December 8, 2019 1:30-3:30 p.m. at Temple Adat Elohim 2420 E. Hillcrest Drive, Thousand Oaks, 91362 Light refreshments will be served The Program:... FamilySearch Historical Collections Tips and Tricks FamilySearch is one of the premiere genealogical research sites. This session shares tips and tricks to searching record collections in FamilySearch. Learn new techniques for searching the collections, compiled genealogies, and the Library Catalog. Speaker: David E. Rencher, AG, CG, FUGA, FIGRS, is employed as the Director, Family History Library and Chief Genealogical Officer for FamilySearch. A professional genealogist since 1977, he is one of the rare few who have earned both credentials: Accredited Genealogist with ICAPGen in Ireland research and Certified Genealogist with the Board for Certification of Genealogists. He is a past-president of the Federation of Genealogical Societies. Everyone is eligible for the drawing of fantastic genealogical prizes for those who renew their JGSCV membership or join for 2020. You must be present to win! Light refreshments will be served celebrating Chanukah and our membership drive. There is no charge to attend the meeting. Anyone may join JGSCV. Annual dues are $25 for an individual and $30 for a family. The meeting is open to the public. The Jewish Genealogical Society of the Conejo Valley and Ventura County is dedicated to sharing genealogical information, techniques and research tools with anyone interested in Jewish genealogy and family history. For more information contact: [email protected] or call Jan Meisels Allen@ 818-889-6616

Next Meeting MONDAY, November 4, 2019, 7:00-9:00 PM "When Gravestones Lie", Dr. Janette Silverman... As Jewish genealogists, we depend on gravestones to provide certain information which might not appear anywhere else: the Hebrew names of the decedent and his/her father. What happens when the information on a gravestone is incorrect? What if we can't find the gravestone? This discussion will focus on two case studies and the research involved in finding the correct information in one case, and why the gravestone in the second case couldn't be found. Speaker: Dr. Janette Silverman is a Senior Genealogist Research Team Manager at Ancestry ProGenealogists, specializing in Eastern European and Jewish genealogy. Janette's doctoral dissertation, In Living Memory, explored her family's background in Eastern Europe and their immigration to the United States from 1885-1925. Janette has served on the IAJGS Board of Directors since 2018 and was lead chair of the 2016 IAJGS conference in Seattle, Washington. She served as Ukraine SIG coordinator for 5+ years.

Next Meeting Sunday, September 15, 2019, 1:30-3:30 PM "How The Paper Brigade Worked to Save Jewish Treasures from the Nazis", Alix Wall. JGSCV 14th Anniversary... The Paper Brigade was a group of Jews in the Vilna Ghetto tasked by the Nazis to sort through Jewish artifacts for their supposed "Museum of an Extinct Race." While left unsupervised, at risk of death, this group hid many of these artifacts in the building or smuggled them back into the ghetto so that some aspects of Jewish culture would survive. Alix Wall will talk about her grandmother, Rachela Pupko-Krinsky, one of the women members of The Paper Brigade. Speaker: Alix Wall is a freelance writer and a writer/producer of a documentary-in-progress called The Lonely Child, a song written during the Holocaust about her mother and grandmother and how it's taken on a life of its own. She also writes extensively about food and about Jewish topics and is the founder of The Illuminoshi: The Not-So-Secret Society of Bay Area Jewish Food Professionals.

Next Meeting Sunday, August 25, 2019, 1:30-3:30 PM "Highlights from IAJGS 39th International Conference on Jewish Genealogy & Ask the Experts panel", JGSCV members... JGSCV members who attended the IAJGS Conference tell about their favorite conference lecture, workshop, SIG meeting. In addition, there will be a panel of experts for all to ask their genealogy questions and get directions for their research.

Next Meeting Sunday, July 14, 2019, 1:30-3:30 PM "Genealogy in the Round: Successes, Failures, Artifacts and Brick Walls", JGSCV members & guests... Come and share a genealogical success, failure, brick wall, or genealogical artifact! This is YOUR meeting -- We all learn from one another -- take this opportunity to share your genealogical story -- success or failure, ask questions about your brick walls, and more! If you wish to participate in the program, please contact Jan Meisels Allen at [email protected]. Each participant will be given 5-10 minutes to share -- depending on the number of presenters. Whether you are a JGSCV member or a potential member -- we'd love to hear your genealogical story.

The Jewish Genealogical Society of the Conejo Valley and Ventura County (JGSCV) will hold a general meeting, cosponsored with Temple Adat Elohim on Sunday, June 2, 2019 at Temple Adat Elohim 2420 E. Hillcrest Drive, Thousand Oaks, 91362 1:30-3:30 p.m. The Program:... Latest New Features and Records Release by MyHeritage During the last months, MyHeritage has made a series of new releases on their records and DNA offer: The Theory of Family Relativity, AutoClusters, DNA Quest, the completion of the Israeli Cemeteries Digitizing project and millions of new records, among others. Daniel Horowitz will go in detail on each of these and other new features available now and will show the best way to take advantage of each one for your family research. Speaker: Daniel Horowitz is the Genealogy Expert at MyHeritage, providing, key contributions liaising with genealogy societies, bloggers and media, as well as lecturing, and attending conferences around the world. Dedicated to Genealogy since 1986, he was the teacher and the study guide editor of the family history project "Searching for My Roots" in Venezuela for 15 years. Daniel is involved in several crowdsource digitization and transcription projects and holds a board level position at the Israel Genealogy Research Association (IGRA). The Jewish Genealogical Society of the Conejo Valley and Ventura County is dedicated to sharing genealogical information, techniques and research tools with anyone interested in Jewish genealogy and family history. There is no charge to attend the meeting. Anyone may join JGSCV. Annual dues are $25 for an individual and $30 for a family. For more information contact: [email protected] or call Jan Meisels Allen@ 818-889-6616 See; www.JGSCV.org

Next Meeting Sunday, May 5, 2019, 1:30-3:30 PM Documentary: "The Forgotten Ones: The Story of Yugoslav Jewry"... US Premiere! Our annual Yom Hashoah program is a documentary, first time seen in the United States, The Forgotten Ones. A documentary film that brings to light, for the first time, the Holocaust of the Jewry of former Yugoslavia. German Nazis, Croatian Ustashi, Hungarian Fascists, Bulgarian occupiers, nationalist Serbs, partly Italians, and even the Grand Mufti of Jerusalem, all played their different roles in the Holocaust of Yugoslav Jewry. It was an old community from the time of the Second Temple and the expulsion of Sephardi Jews. Ashkenazim and Sephardim, living in harmony, developed a special culture. In the film, 30-year-old Stella sets out on a journey full of revelations to investigate how the Yugoslav community was destroyed in the country without anti-Semitism before the war and what happened to her great-grandfather, who was crowned Righteous Among the Nations, by Yad Vashem. Hebrew/English with English subtitles, 74 minutes.

Next Meeting MONDAY, April 8, 2019, 7:00-9:00 PM "Branching Out from Sepharad -- Solving a Converso Mystery", Sarina Roffe... Sarina Roffe, author of Branching Out From Sepharad, outlines the history of Jews in Spain, the 1492 expulsion, their history in Syria, and their immigration to the Americas. She will discuss the ancestry and significance of the Kassin rabbinic dynasty, which dates to the 12th century, and the 50-year leadership of Chief Rabbi Jacob S. Kassin, who led the Syrian Jewish community in Brooklyn. At the same time, she solves a Converso mystery. Rabbi Kassin's ancestors arrived in Aleppo in 1540. Sarina solves the mystery of the time gap from 1492 to 1540. Speaker: Sarina Roffe is a professional genealogist, editor of DOROT, and founder of the Sephardic Heritage Project. She is responsible for the translation and databasing of marriage and brit milah records on JewishGen. While on the Board of Governors of JewishGen, she acquired several databases of Sephardic records, including cemetery records from Mexico, Venezuela, Cuba, and Argentina. She serves on the IAJGS Board of Directors and presents often at IAJGS conferences and has completed over a dozen genealogies. She is Co-chair of the Brooklyn Jewish Historical Initiative, the first organization to document Brooklyn's Jewish past.

Jewish Genealogical Society of the Conejo Valley and Ventura County* (JGSCV) (*and surrounding areas) The Jewish Genealogical Society of the Conejo Valley and Ventura County (JGSCV) will hold a general meeting, cosponsored with Temple Adat Elohim on Sunday, January 6, 2019 at Temple Adat Elohim 2420 E. Hillcrest Drive, Thousand Oaks, 91362 1:30-3:30 p.m.... The Program: You Can’t Find The RecordsNow What? What do you do when the records you need don't exist or can't be found? All too often, disasters (man-made and natural) and the passing of time may destroy the records we need to trace our families - or maybe the records we need never existed or are restricted by privacy laws. We will learn how to explore alternate records to build our family histories in the absence of "traditional" records. Speaker: Marion Werle began family history research 23 years ago, researching family from Lithuania, Latvia and Belarus, who settled in the US, Canada, UK and Israel. She has been on the boards of JGSCV and JGSLA, and is a past president of the Latvia SIG. A retired IT professional with master’s degrees in both European History and Library Science from UCLA, she wrote The Skuders from Skud, about one of her Litvak branches, to share with family members. She recently completed the Boston University Genealogical Research Certificate, and has an ongoing interest in applying general genealogical methodology standards to Jewish research. There is no charge to attend the meeting. Anyone may join JGSCV. Annual dues are $25 for an individual and $30 for a family. The meeting is open to the public. The Jewish Genealogical Society of the Conejo Valley and Ventura County is dedicated to sharing genealogical information, techniques and research tools with anyone interested in Jewish genealogy and family history. There is no charge to attend the meeting. Anyone may join JGSCV. Annual dues are $25 for an individual and $30 for a family. Join JGSCV now and membership is good through December 2019. For more information contact: [email protected] or call Jan Meisels Allen@ 818-889-6616 See; www.JGSCV.org