“Russian Empire Genealogical Primer”

Jewish Genealogical Society of Greater Orlando Proudly Presents

Internationally Acclaimed Expert Kahlile Mehr

ORLANDO, FL, January 18, 2012 — The Jewish Genealogical Society of Greater Orlando (JGSGO) proudly presents internationally acclaimed and highly regarded expert, Kahlile Mehr, as Speaker of the Month. He will present a "Russian Empire Genealogical Primer".

This presentation provides an essential foundation for those researching Jewish ancestors who once lived in the former Russian Empire. At the time of the 1897 census, the Russian Empire held the third largest population of the world, covered one sixth of the world’s landmass, and included modern day Ukraine, Belarus, Moldova, most of Lithuania, Estonia and Latvia, a large portion of Poland, and more.

Kahlile will help you understand the historical context, become acquainted with the best sources for genealogical research, the arrangement of records in an archive, options to acquire information from the sources, identify and use archival collections, and use the Internet to help do research.

Additionally, Kahlile will provide an update of what East European images have been made available on FamilySearch. FamilySearch, a service provided by LDS Family History, is the most heavily used free access genealogy site on the Internet with over 2 billion searchable names and more than 450 million digital images of historical documents.

Kahlile Mehr, MA, MLS, AG, has over thirty years experience working LDS Family History. Currently he is the manager of the Slavic Collection. He has visited archives throughout Eastern Europe. He has published twenty-three articles and a book on family and local history topics. He was the primary author for Tracing your Jewish Ancestors From the United States to Europe, 1850-1930 that can be downloaded from the FamilySearch website. He serves on the boards of the International Association of Jewish Genealogical Societies (IAJGS) and the Federation of East European Family History Societies (FEEFHS).

Kahlile will present to the group from Salt Lake City, Utah live via Skype. Whether beginner or expert in researching your Jewish family history, this is the meeting for you. Additionally, we will hold a raffle for a free one-year membership to GenealogyBank, the largest newspaper archive for family history research. Don’t miss out!

DATE: Tuesday, February 21, 2012

TIME: 2:00 P.M. – 4:00 P.M.

LOCATION: Congregation of Reform Judaism, Mini Sanctuary, 928 Malone Drive, Orlando, FL 32810

ADMISSION: Open to the public. $5.00 for non-members. Free for members.

About the Jewish Genealogical Society of Greater Orlando

The Jewish Genealogical Society of Greater Orlando (JGSGO) is a not for profit organization dedicated to sharing genealogical information, techniques and research tools with anyone interested in Jewish genealogy and family history. Anyone may join JGSGO. Annual dues are $25 for an individual and $30 for a family. For more information visit our blog at www.jgsgo.blogspot.com .