JGSI Jewish Genealogical Society of Illinois upcoming events

Artificial Intelligence (AI) in Jewish Genealogy Online Discussion (Members Only) (05 May 2026)

Wed, 06 May 2026 00:30:00 GMT

This 7:30 p.m. Central Time Zoom session is for JGSI members only.

Curious about how AI can help unlock your family's history? Join our ongoing JGSI discussion series on using artificial intelligence for Jewish genealogy! It's a relaxed, hands-on workshop where you'll learn to use AI as a powerful research assistant while always keeping your own judgment front and center. We'll explore how to write effective prompts, verify AI-generated clues, and tackle real research hurdles submitted by participants. To help shape the session around real member interests, please send a question, example, or genealogical puzzle to aidiscussions@jgsi.org before the class. No prior experience is required, though attendees who have never used a chatbot may find it helpful to spend a few minutes experimenting with one before the meeting.

Please register/RSVP by clicking the button at left.

"Early Jewish Settlement in Illinois" by Suzanne Hoffman (17 May 2026)

Sun, 17 May 2026 19:00:00 GMT

Suzanne Hoffman to speak on early history of Jews in Illinois for May 17, 2026, JGSI hybrid meeting

“Early Jewish Settlement in Illinois” will be genealogist Suzanne Hoffman’s lecture topic for the Sunday, May 17, 2026, Jewish Genealogical Society of Illinois hybrid meeting. Her talk will begin at 2 p.m. CDT via Zoom and at Temple Beth-El, 3610 Dundee Road, Northbrook, Illinois. She will be speaking in person at Temple Beth-El.

A registration/RSVP button will be available here soon.

The JGSI meeting facilities at Temple Beth-El will open at 12:30 p.m. CDT for those who want to use genealogy library materials, get help with family history websites or ask genealogical questions before the main hybrid program begins at 2 p.m. CDT.

Suzanne Hoffman is the immediate past president of the Association of Professional Genealogists, current president of the Illinois State Genealogical Society, a member of the JGSI board, and a professional forensic genealogist. She also volunteers at the Wilmette FamilySearch Center and serves as Advocacy Chair for Illinois with the Records Preservation and Access Coalition. This year, she will be presenting at the NGS Conference in Ft. Wayne, Indiana; serving as a keynote speaker at the “Beyond the Family Tree” Conference in Glasgow, Scotland, and presenting at GeneaQuest in Schaumburg. Genealogy is her passion.

In her May 17, 2026, lecture for JGSI, she will follow the history of Illinois settlement and identify the impact of early Jewish settlers on the development of the state both prior to and post statehood. Illinois was developed from west to east and from south to north, and Suzanne will describe the allure and opportunities in the state for early Jewish settlers. We will learn the impact that early Jewish merchants and politicians had on defining the state and how they earned their place in history. She will briefly touch on the more notable early Jewish settlers in Chicago, but the focus will be on Illinois as a state emerging from the Northwest Territory.

For more information about JGSI, visit our website. For more information about membership benefits, click here.

Genetic Genealogy Open Discussion for DNA Questions and Answers (Members Only) (25 Jun 2026)

Fri, 26 Jun 2026 00:00:00 GMT

This 7 p.m. Central Time Zoom session is for JGSI members only. This special online-only event will feature JGSI DNA maven Gil Bardige.

This is a time for an open discussion about genetic genealogy (DNA). Bring your genetic genealogy questions and brick walls, and help answer questions of others. JGSI members are invited to share their DNA discoveries and quandaries related to using genetic tests for researching family history and discovering previously unknown cousins.

Gil Bardige and Alvin Holtzman are experts on DNA and long time JGSI members.

Be sure to register for the Thursday, June 25, 2026, JGSI members-only DNA discussion by clicking the button at left on this web page.

If you are not a JGSI member and would like to participate in this discussion, please consider purchasing a JGSI membership for as little as $25 a year. See the details at: https://jgsi.org/Membership.

"Kvell and Tell" JGSI hybrid meeting on Sunday, June 28, 2026 (28 Jun 2026)

Sun, 28 Jun 2026 19:00:00 GMT

Jewish genealogists to share family history discoveries and tips in JGSI ‘Kvell and Tell’ hybrid session on Sunday, June 28, 2026

Several Jewish Genealogical Society of Illinois members will take turns sharing family history discoveries and research tips as part of the annual “Kvell and Tell” session on Sunday, June 28, 2026, in a hybrid meeting at Temple Beth-El in Northbrook, Illinois. This meeting also features a brief annual report from JGSI’s president, Doug Bank.

Do you like to talk about genealogy? We want to listen! The JGSI “Kvell and Tell” meeting is built around you—our members. If you have uncovered a fascinating family story, used a unique research strategy, or solved a brick wall, then this is your chance to share it! We are looking for speakers to give 5- to 20-minute presentations on topics related to their Jewish genealogy journey. No need to be an expert—just bring your enthusiasm and experience!

Interested in sharing? Email skparker@aol.com

To view or attend this special annual JGSI event, please click the blue button at left to register/RSVP.

Those who wish to share their family history discoveries and genealogy tips in the “Kvell and Tell” session as presenters should send an email to skparker@aol.com explaining their presentation topic idea and estimated time of presentation. Each presentation is to be between 5 and 20 minutes to allow more members to share their discoveries, experiences and suggestions. PowerPoint presentations are suggested but not required. Informative handouts for those in attendance or viewing online are also encouraged.

As a hybrid meeting, the talks may be given in person at Temple Beth-El, 3610 Dundee Road, Northbrook, Illinois, OR from home via Zoom.

“Kvell and Tell” presentation topics should relate to Jewish genealogy, or family history research methods, anecdotes or discoveries in general. Possible “Kvell and Tell” topics might include (but are not limited to) the following examples:

A notable event in your family history and how you discovered it
The creative way you are sharing your family history with relatives
A research tool that has been most helpful in learning about your family history
How taking a DNA test has added new perspectives about your genealogy
What family history mystery, puzzle or quandary you are still trying to solve
How to plan for a family reunion or other genealogy themed gathering
How to publish or otherwise share your family history
What did you learn about your family from the 1950 U.S. Census or other specific source
How has a recent family history discovery or tool added previously unknown relatives to your family tree

The most relevant presentation proposals will be accepted as time allows, and preference will be given to shorter talks. Presentations will be recorded and later made available in the members-only section of the JGSI website.

The JGSI meeting facilities at Temple Beth-El will open at 12:30 p.m. CDT for those who want to use genealogy library materials, get help with family history websites or ask genealogical questions before the main hybrid program begins at 2 p.m. CDT.

For more information about JGSI, visit our website. For more information about membership benefits, click here.

“From the Basement of the Shul to the Basement of City Hall: Uncovering the Hidden Records of Oak Park’s Jewish Community” by Michael Zmora (30 Aug 2026)

Sun, 30 Aug 2026 19:00:00 GMT

History of Oak Park Jewish community to be focus of Aug. 30, 2026, hybrid meeting lecture co-sponsored by JGSI and Chicago Jewish Historical Society

“From the Basement of the Shul to the Basement of City Hall: Uncovering the Hidden Records of Oak Park’s Jewish Community” is the title of a hybrid lecture to be co-hosted by the Jewish Genealogical Society of Illinois and the Chicago Jewish Historical Society on Sunday, Aug. 30, 2026.

Michael Zmora will guide us through his research process with a focus on his hometown of Oak Park, Illinois. He will be speaking in person at Temple Beth-El, 3610 Dundee Road, Northbrook, Illinois, and online via Zoom.

Temple Beth-El will open at 12:30 p.m. CDT for sign-ins. Please join us for a social hour at 1 p.m. CDT before the lecture begins at 2 p.m. CDT.

Registration/RSVP will be available here soon.

Jews have been an integral part of Oak Park and River Forest since before these suburbs had their names. These early Jewish pioneers of the western suburbs helped pave the way for an organized community that established itself in the early decades of the 20th century. Beginning in the 1930s, Jews in both Oak Park and River Forest faced community antisemitism and institutional discrimination from the governing bodies of the two villages on their way to establishing two synagogues in the mid-20th century.

Michael Zmora will present this compelling story while explaining how he uncovered documents from unlikely sources, ranging from synagogue correspondence files to real estate board minutes to the Cook County Recorder of Deeds’ archives, in order to reveal this hidden history.

After two years of extensive research, Michael Zmora wrote two articles for Chicago Jewish History (the quarterly journal of the Chicago Jewish Historical Society), on the Jewish communities of Oak Park and River Forest. An attorney by profession, Michael has lived in Oak Park with his wife and two children for the past eight years.

For more information about JGSI, visit our website. For more information about membership benefits, click here. To learn about the Chicago Jewish Historical Society, visit www.chicagojewishhistory.org.

Join us online for the 46th IAJGS International Conference on Jewish Genealogy (04 Apr 2027)

Sun, 04 Apr 2027 05:00:00 GMT

Expert Jewish genealogists will be presenting informative family history talks for the 46th IAJGS International Conference on Jewish Genealogy from April 4–6, 2027. This IAJGS conference will be totally online.

Presenters will offer a wide range of interesting Jewish genealogy topics for this year's IAJGS conference.

For more information when it becomes available, visit the conference website here: https://www.iajgs2026.org/.