Getting Started in Jewish Genealogy

There is an abundance of material available online, for free, to help get you started in researching your family tree. What follows is a selection from a variety of sources, some dealing with general principles of genealogy others dealing specifically for the researcher of Jewish roots.

JewishGen – The largest online source of Jewish genealogy material. They have a brief guide to getting started which can be found at; https://www.jewishgen.org/JewishGen/FirstTimer.html

FamilySearch – The online presence of the genealogy resources of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter day Saints (The Mormons.) The site is completely free and there is no proselytizing. You can find some brief introductory videos at www.familysearch.org/home/getting-started.

National Archives – Their holdings are limited to records from the United States, but there is a wealth of information on how to get started in your research.  Make sure to look for the Genealogy Tool Kit. They also offer free online classes. These and other resources can be found under the “Other Genealogy Resources for Getting Started.” Visit the archives at www.archives.gov/research/genealogy/start-research.

Ancestry – The largest online repository of genealogy related records is a fee for service site. However, they provide the free Ancestry Academy with loads of short videos on how to get started. Understandably, they all push Ancestry products, but the information is sound. A good place to start is with the six short videos in “Getting Started on Ancestry: Starting your family tree. Remember, you can access Ancestry for free at most public libraries. Take a look at www.ancestryacademy.com/getting-started-on-ancestry-starting-your-family-tree.