FEEFHS Conference Offers Free Lectures to Public

The following is from The Foundation for Eastern European Family History Studies.

Public invited to East European Genealogy Presentations

Curious about your ancestors or distant cousins that lived in Eastern Europe during Nazi Rule?  The Foundation for East European Family History Studies (FEEFHS) invites you to attend two special guest lectures during their upcoming conference.  Diane Afoumado, Ph.D., and Ina Navazelskis, MSc, MA, both from the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum (USHMM) in Washington, DC will be presenting on topics of interest to anyone with ancestors of Eastern European origin, Jewish and non-Jewish alike.

Ms. Afoumado will be presenting “How the Records of the International Tracing Service (ITS) May Surprise You” at the opening plenary session, Wednesday, August 12th, at 7:15 pm.  The ITS collection contains diverse information about the persecution and murder of Jews and non-Jews — Poles, Ukrainians, Lithuanians, Latvians, Estonians, Soviet prisoners of war, Roma and Sinti, homosexuals, Jehovah’s Witnesses, and persons with disabilities — under Nazi rule.  Diane is Chief of the Research and Reference Branch of the Holocaust Survivors and Victims Resource Center.  She will also be available throughout the remainder of the week for one on one consultations by appointment; you may schedule a time to meet with her following her presentation.  

Ms. Navazelskis will be giving a brown-bag lecture, “Oral History Interview Collection, US Holocaust Memorial Museum,” at 12:15 pm, Friday, August 14th.  A journalist with 30 years experience in East European affairs and modern history, Ina has worked with the Oral History Branch of the museum since 2001.  Her presentation will introduce you to the Oral History Archive, designed to document and preserve testimonies as primary sources for future generations to hear and see the people who experienced, witnessed, or perpetrated the genocidal policies and crimes of the Germans and their collaborators.

Both presentations will be held in the Aspen Room, lower level of the Salt Lake City Plaza Hotel, 122 West South Temple, Salt Lake City.  No tickets are required; lunch not included. Additional background and program information may be found at feefhsworkshop.org.

The Foundation for Eastern European Family History Studies (FEEFHS) was founded in 1992 to provide access to genealogical resources and educational programs relating to Eastern European family history research.  They sponsor an annual conference focused on Eastern European genealogical research, featuring some of the nation’s leading experts in German, Jewish, Polish, Austro-Hungarian, Russian, and specialty focus areas of research.  Additional information may be found at feefhs.org.

FEEFHS Conference Speakers

The following is from the Foundation of Eastern European Family History Studies.

Eastern European Family History Conference

August 13-15, 2015

Plaza Hotel, Salt Lake City, Utah

Lisa Alzo to Present at FEEFHS Conference Lisa Alzo, specialist in Slovak research and nationally recognized presenter, will be teaching two courses at the upcoming FEEFHS conference: Beginning Slovak Genealogy, and Immigrant Cluster Communities:  Past, Present, and Future. Lisa has been active in FEEFHS in prior years as a presenter and former board member.  We are excited to have her return, albeit via streaming internet technology. 2015 Program - Conference or Workshop? "This is the first year since I've been involved and since FEEFHS has somewhat permanently claimed Salt Lake as its home that we have had a full 3-day, up to 4-track conference," Peg Ivanyo, program organizer, wrote. What, you say, is the difference?  And what does 2015 have to offer that other years have not? You might be quite amazed at the depth of instruction offered this year.  Learn more about this on Peg's blog post "2015 Program - Conference or Workshop?"

Original co-founder of FEEFHS to Instruct John Alleman, one of the original co-founders of FEEFHS, has been working as a translator, specializing in Finnish and Hungarian languages, since 1967.  John holds dual master’s degrees in Uralic Languages and in Linguistics; studied Hungarian at the University of Debrecen in Hungary; lived in both Finland and Hungary; speaks/reads Finnish, German, and Hungarian; and reads Russian and several other languages.   He will be teaching the Hungarian Empire Research track at the upcoming FEEFHS conference to be held in Salt Lake City, August 13-15, 2015.

Hey Dave . . . where is Volhynia? Dave Obee is one very busy man. He is both a journalist and a genealogical researcher with a dozen books and almost 600 presentations at conferences and seminars in Canada and the United States to his credit. He travels the world both researching his family and helping others with their family research.  And among those travels, he includes a trip to SLC to speak at the FEEFHS conference annually. Specializing in Germans from Russia research, Dave will answer the question "Where is Volhynia"? among others through his conference presentations. You can read more about Dave and his amazing accomplishments on the FEEFHS blog. Can you Learn Cyrillic in two Days? Dennis Everett, Russian teacher and analyst of Russian language materials for over 30 years, believes you can. And he proved it last year with the debut of a two half-day workshop, Cyrillic for Beginners.   Dennis graduated from the United States Army’s prestigious Russian Institute in Germany, taught at that same institute, and was the head of the Russian language program at the U. S. Navy’s Kunia Language Training Center in Hawaii for a period of time.   Cyrillic is one of the most common writing systems in the world, utilized in Russian, Rusyn (hence parts of Eastern Slovakia and souther Poland), Serbo-Croatian, Bosnian, Ukrainian, and more.  You can read more about the workshop and Dennis on the conference website

FEEFHS Conference offers Full German Research Track

The following is from the Foundation for East European Family History Studies.

FEEFHS Conference offers Full German Research Track

For the first year FEEFHS is offering a full track focused on German genealogical research throughout the conference program.  Starting with the basics of German family history research — language and handwriting, records, maps, and tools — and progressing to more advanced topics and specialty records such as guilds and family record books, individuals will be able to attend classes specific to German family history research throughout the 3-day conference.  These classes will be taught by locally and nationally recognized instructors, Milan Pohontsch, Baerbel Johnson, and two instructors new to FEEFHS, FHL consultants Fritz Juengling and Kelsee Jackson.

The conference will be held August 12-15, 2015 at the Salt Lake Plaza Hotel in Salt Lake City, Utah, with pre-conference workshops beginning on August 11th.  The program also offers instruction related to Hungarian Empire, Polish, German, Russian, Germans from Russia, and Jewish genealogical research, with expanded offerings in several areas for more advanced researchers.  The research essentials track offers general topics for those just getting started with East European family history research.  Interested parties may obtain complete information at feefhsworkshop.org.

The Foundation for Eastern European Family History Studies (FEEFHS) was founded in 1992 to provide access to genealogical resources and educational programs relating to Eastern European family history research. Additional information may be found at feefhs.org.

Eastern European Family History Conference

The following is from FEEFHS (Foundation for Eastern European Family History Studies).

Do you have eastern European ancestry? Have you tried in vain to figure out how to find your ancestors? If so, the FEEFHS conference is made for you!

When: August 13-15, 2015 (Pre-conference workshops August 11-12, 2015)

Where: Plaza Hotel, Salt Lake City, Utah

Who: Anyone who has eastern European ancestry. If you know your history, that could be most everyone in Europe at one time or another!

There will be general research classes that teach methodology particular to eastern Europe. There will also be classes on Jewish, German, Hungarian Empire, Polish, Russian, Croatian, and Slovakian research. This year we have an extended track for German research and we have added DNA and genetic research. This is your year for family discovery!

See the Schedule at a Glance @feefhsworkshop.org/program/schedule.

Russian:

Expanded offerings in Russian research sources, including Stalin's Arrest Files and the Russian 1897 Census. Come learn with us!

Jewish:

Diane Afoumado, PhD, Chief, Research and Reference Branch, U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum will be the keynote speaker and will also present some classes. Expanded offerings in Jewish research sources, including Hebrew for Translating Headstones and Records, Jewish Case Study using ITS Records, and Holocaust research. Come learn with us!

German:

This is the year for all family history researchers interested in German research to jump into the FEEFHS Conference with both feet! The conference will be held in Salt Lake City, Utah at the Plaza Hotel, right next to the world renowned Family History Library. FEEFHS is offering an extensive German track that will get your research moving in the right direction. The classes will start Thursday afternoon, August 13th and will run through Saturday afternoon, August 15th. Some of the class offerings for German researchers are:

Identifying the German Hometown

German Record Sources Online

German Civil Registration

German Guilds and their Records

There are more classes (beginner, intermediate, and advanced) listed in the schedule. This is your opportunity to learn from experienced researchers who want to help you learn and apply successful methodology to your German research. Come join us! 

Schedule at a Glance @feefhsworkshop.org/program/schedule.

Registration Open for 2015 Eastern European Family History Conference

Registration is now open for the 2015 Eastern European Family History Conference. Expanded schedule, more intermediate to advanced classes, new DNA track, and more. Take a look -feefhsworkshop.org

Expanded number of classes and course offerings, including more intermediate to

 advanced classes on German, Russian, and Jewish research, case studies on ITS records, and a new DNA track. Check out the schedule at feefhsworkshop.org.

Diane Afoumado, Chief of International Tracing Service (ITS), in Salt Lake City

The following is from the Utah Genealogical Association.

An opportunity to hear

Diane Afoumado, Chief of International Tracing Service (ITS), in Salt Lake City
TOMORROW (Wednesday, August 13, 2014)

FREE, open to the public

Diane Afoumado, PhD., Chief, International Tracing Service (ITS) Research Branch, United States Holocaust Memorial Museum will be speaking on the records and the services offered by the ITS onWednesday, August 13, 2014 at 7:00 pm at the Plaza Hotel in downtown Salt Lake City.  Held in conjunction with the Eastern European Family History Conference sponsored by the Foundation for East European Family History Studies (FEEFHS), the presentation is open to the public and free to attend.

While the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum (USHMM) in Washington, DC, is the United States’ repository for the International Tracing Service (ITS) collection, the records will be of interest to anyone with ancestors who may have been persecuted or displaced during WWII.  Afoumado reports that the ITS collection “contains diverse information about the persecution and murder of (both) Jews and non-Jews—Poles, Ukrainians, Lithuanians, Latvians, Estonians, Soviet prisoners of war, Roma and Sinti, homosexuals, Jehovah’s Witnesses, and persons with disabilities—under Nazi rule.”

Documents such as camp arrival lists, grave locations, transport lists, prisoner cards, forced labor lists, death lists, displaced person applications for assistance, deportation lists, emigration applications or questionnaires, registration and work cards, sometimes with photographs, are contained in the collection.  Research services to access those records are provided by ITS to the public at no charge.  Afoumado says the collection contains “several millions of documents,” saved by the Holocaust Survivors and Victims’ Resource Center to ensure “that the individual experiences of survivors and victims of the Holocaust and Nazi-era persecution are collected, preserved and disseminated for future generations.

Ms. Afoumado will be available on Thursdayfollowing the presentation to begin the research process with those interested, according to Peg Ivanyo, FEEFHS conference chair.  “The ITS Research Branch has dedicated both funding and personnel to bring this wonderful service to our conference, and we wish to share it broadly with the community to the extent possible,” Ivanyo says.  Anyone may attend the Wednesday evening presentation and subsequently set up an appointment to meet with Ms. Afoumado or complete the paperwork for her to begin the process of searching the records database at a later time.

Additional information about the FEEFHS conference and other services is available at feefhs.org.

International Tracing Service Chief to Speak in SLC on Wednesday free, open to the public

International Tracing Service Chief to Speak in SLC on Wednesday

free, open to the public

Diane Afoumado, PhD., Chief, International Tracing Service (ITS) Research Branch, United States Holocaust Memorial Museum will be speaking on the records and the services offered by the ITS on Wednesday, August 13, 2014 at 7:00 pm at the Plaza Hotel in downtown Salt Lake City. Held in conjunction with the Eastern European Family History Conference sponsored by the Foundation for East European Family History Studies (FEEFHS), the presentation is open to the public and free to attend.

While the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum (USHMM) in Washington, DC, is the United States’ repository for the International Tracing Service (ITS) collection, the records will be of interest to anyone with ancestors who may have been persecuted or displaced during WWII. Afoumado reports that the ITS collection “contains diverse information about the persecution and murder of (both) Jews and non-Jews—Poles, Ukrainians, Lithuanians, Latvians, Estonians, Soviet prisoners of war, Roma and Sinti, homosexuals, Jehovah’s Witnesses, and persons with disabilities—under Nazi rule.”

Documents such as camp arrival lists, grave locations, transport lists, prisoner cards, forced labor lists, death lists, displaced person applications for assistance, deportation lists, emigration applications or questionnaires, registration and work cards, sometimes with photographs, are contained in the collection. Research services to access those records are provided by ITS to the public at no charge. Afoumado says the collection contains “several millions of documents,” saved by the Holocaust Survivors and Victims’ Resource Center to ensure “that the individual experiences of survivors and victims of the Holocaust and Nazi-era persecution are collected, preserved and disseminated for future generations.

Ms. Afoumado will be available on Thursday following the presentation to begin the research process with those interested, according to Peg Ivanyo, FEEFHS conference chair. “The ITS Research Branch has dedicated both funding and personnel to bring this wonderful service to our conference, and we wish to share it broadly with the community to the extent possible,” Ivanyo says. Anyone may attend the Wednesday evening presentation and subsequently set up an appointment to meet with Ms. Afoumado or complete the paperwork for her to begin the process of searching the records database at a later time.

Additional information about the FEEFHS conference and other services is available at feefhs.org.

2014 Eastern European Family History Conference

The following is from Foundation for East European Family History Studies (FEEFHS).

Registration opens for Eastern European Family History Conference

Registration is now open for the 2014 Eastern European Family History Conference to be held in Salt Lake City, August 12-15, 2014.

Hosted by the Foundation for East European Family History Studies (FEEFHS), the conference will feature courses on Russian, German, Polish, and Jewish research, Germans of Russia, and the Austrian Empire, which includes modern-day Austria, the Czech Republic, and parts of surrounding countries.  Other presentations will focus on research essentials, specialty records, preparation for on-site research, and advanced techniques. 

Featuring nationally recognized speakers, the conference program is structured to provide a strong foundation for those new to Eastern European genealogical research as well as more advanced information for the seasoned researcher.  Pre-conference workshops “Finding the Village of Origin,” “Learning Cyrillic,” and “Ask the Experts,” provide opportunity for additional instruction and assisted research specific to individual needs.  While all researchers are welcome, this program is most appropriate for those with a working knowledge of basic family history research principles and some research experience.

The program will open with a networking reception featuring Eastern European hors d’oeuvres, time to network with others researching in similar areas, and an entertaining presentation, “Homeland Lost,” by Rachael Patterson.  Her historical non-fiction series (pending publication) follows a family of ethnic German colonists from Russian territory in war-torn Europe through exile, expropriation, conscription, and imprisonment, border wars and pogroms to their final settlement in Canada.

Gerald Schmidt, a former member of the San Francisco Police Department CSI Unit and recipient of the Crime Scene Investigator of the Year Award, will give the closing keynote address, “Family History Research – the CSI Connection.”

The complete schedule, speaker biographies, travel information, and registration information are available at feefhsworkshop.org. 

FEEFHS was founded in 1992 to provide access to genealogical resources and educational programs relating to Eastern European family history research. Additional information may be found at feefhs.org.

FEEFHS Fall Workshop - Finding Your Immigrant Ancestor

The following is from the Federation of East European Family History Societies (FEEFHS). 

Finding your Immigrant Ancestor
FEEFHS Fall Workshop

Genealogists with ancestors from Eastern European countries often get stumped before they even begin.  To assist them, the Federation of East European Family History Societies (FEEFHS) has developed a new workshop, “Finding your Immigrant Ancestor”.  The program will be held November 12-15, 2013 at the Salt Lake Plaza Hotel in Salt Lake City, with research, labs, and consultations conducted at the nearby Family History Library.

“In order to successfully research your ancestors in Eastern Europe, you must first know their village of origin,” reports Peg Ivanyo, a genealogist researching her husband’s ancestors from Slovakia and administrator of the annual FEEFHS research workshops. “Until you know the name and location of the village your ancestor came from, was born in, it is impossible to find them in the records overseas.” 

This new fall offering by FEEFHS will focus on the US and Canadian records that will help researchers identify that village, the methodologies for such research, and the geography-related basics required to place the village once a name is obtained.  Professional genealogists specializing in both immigrant research and East European records will provide instruction.  The three-day workshop includes classes each morning, with computer lab assistance and one-on-one consultations daily each afternoon.  An optional pre-workshop orientation of the Family History Library will be offered on Tuesday, November 12^th, and the program will close with dinner and a presentation by Milan Pohontsch, “Chasing the Elusive Ancestor.”

A detailed schedule, speaker biographies, travel information, and online registration are available at feefhsworkshop.org.  Class size is limited to assure adequate personal assistance.

FEEFHS was founded in 1992 as a non-profit umbrella organization for related societies.  It continues to provide information and access to genealogical resources and educational workshops relating to Eastern European family history research.  Additional resources and information may be found at feefhs.org.

Eastern European Research Workshop

The following is from the Federation of East European Family History Societies (FEEFHS).

Genealogists researching their Eastern European ancestors are invited to attend the Eastern European Research Workshop, August 6-10, 2013.  Hosted by the Federation of East European Family History Societies (FEEFHS), the workshop features presentations by nationally recognized speakers, individual consultations, and daily research at the Family History Library.  The workshop agenda will provide a strong foundation for those new to Eastern European research as well as an opportunity to break down brick walls for the intermediate researcher.

This year’s workshop will include courses on Polish, German, Russian, Jewish, Baltic States, Germans-from-Russia, and Kingdom of Hungary research, which includes the countries of Slovakia, parts of the Ukraine, Romania, Serbia, and most of Croatia.  A third track focuses on research essentials such as understanding calendar changes, using online records, Latin for genealogists, and historical geography.  

This 20th annual event features optional pre-and post-workshop events such as a guided tour of Salt Lake City, new participant orientation, and an extra day for research.  Presentations will be held in the Salt Lake Plaza Hotel, with consultations and research in the nearby Family History Library.

Full registration includes a printed syllabus, three days of presentations, consultation, networking reception, and closing banquet.  Single-day registration is also available. A detailed schedule, speaker biographies, travel information, and online registration is available at feefhsworkshop.org.  

FEEFHS was founded in 1992 as a non-profit umbrella organization for related societies.  It continues to provide information and access to genealogical resources and educational workshops relating to Eastern European family history research.  Resources and additional information may be found at feefhs.org.

Eastern European Research Workshop by FEEFHS

The following is from The Federation of Eastern European Family History Societies (FEEFHS).