The 1:00 PM presentation, “Comparing Jewish Resources on Ancestry.com, FamilySearch, Findmypast, MyHeritage and JewishGen,” provides a comparative overview of the global powerhouse websites referred to as “Genealogy Giants.”

For each site, Ellen will provide a subscription cost analysis, description of free access options, and comparison of Jewish record collections and research tools that can be especially helpful for documenting Jewish families. She will also offer tips on when it might be better to search on one site over another, and explain each site’s best features or challenges, including how JewishGen collections found on Ancestry.com differ from comparable collections originating on JewishGen.org, both in content and in the search experience. All levels of genealogists will leave better prepared to answer the question “Which genealogy websites should be I be using right now?”

The 2:30 PM talk, “What Would Nancy Drew Do in the Quest for Missing Family,” is an entertaining “then and now” lecture that showcases genealogy resources found in the text of the classic Nancy Drew series and journeys through contemporary online records, photographs, and maps found in digital libraries, as well as archival collections, cemeteries, and newspapers. This adventure around the world explores old and new tools of the genealogical trade including tackling foreign languages and finding clues and records in nontraditional places.

Ellen Kowitt is past president of JGS Colorado and JGS Greater Washington, D.C. She has served on the IAJGS board of directors and been recipient of IAJGS Program and Stern Awards. Ellen publishes articles in Avotaynu: The International Journal of Jewish Genealogy and lectures often.

To register for either program, please click here or call JGS at (312) 666-0100.