Ever wonder from which ancestor Abram your last name of “Abramowitz” was derived? Or want to know more about that relative after whom you were blessed with the middle name “Mindl”? Are you curious to learn your great-great-great-grandfather’s occupation? And would you be amazed to discover that your neighbor around the corner is actually your fourth cousin? Then it’s time to investigate your family history.
Building an extensive family tree is like putting together a border-less jigsaw puzzle. Yet even with missing pieces, linkages can be conjectured based on facts and well-grounded assumptions, revealing the forest through the trees. The process of uncovering these facts and speculating about family lineage and connections is the engrossing challenge.
Genealogical research yields exciting ancestral discoveries and new extended family connections, but demands persistence, patience, and a thorough knowledge of various genealogical resources and how to interpret the findings.
That’s where I can help. Jewish genealogy has been my passion for several years. I’m stimulated by the research challenges and draw on my puzzle-solving acumen to investigate family histories. I apply the same skills of detailed research and analytic dissection/extrapolation in researching/analyzing family ancestry that I’ve honed as a marketing professional, but in genealogy, unlike in some other fields, there is a definite “correct” answer. People married (or not) and had kids who lived or died – indisputable facts at the center of a multitude of stories.
Specializing in the region of Eastern Europe, I investigate Jewish family histories. My methodology comprises personal interviews, raw material examination, and extensive online genealogical research. The output may be a multi-generation family map or an elaborate book detailing the ancestry of family branches from a starting point of family names, known vital data, towns of origin, old photos. The more detailed information you start with, the more productive the search and the richer the findings. The key is to be tenacious and follow all possible paths, systematically, to find your family.