South 4th Street looking from Monroe to Fitzwater Sts. circa 1930
If you would like to share (un-copyrighted) images from your research, please forward them to webmaster@jgasgp.org. We will “rotate” through our collected images.
This is the new website of the Jewish Genealogical and Archival Society of Greater Philadelphia (JGASGP). We used to be the Jewish Genealogical Society of Greater Philadelphia (JGSGP) before we combined with the Philadelphia Jewish Archives Center (PJAC). We invite you to enjoy our new site. There is content for paid-up members only. If you are a member, please register for access. If not a member, please join.
Our recent awards
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Click on an image to enlarge it.
Resource Guide Assistance NeededThe Greater Philadelphia Jewish Genealogical Resource Guide is well under way and scheduled for completion this spring, 2022, at which time it will be posted on our website in PDF format, with over 100 pages of genealogical information and exclusive access by members. We anticipate print publication of the guide, by the 2022 IAJGS International conference, for our members and conference attendees. The dedicated group of volunteers working on final editing would like to add a section that previously was not in our 2009 guide: a section featuring plot plans of cemeteries in our area. We have about 15% of the cemetery plot plans but are looking for the remaining ones to add and make this section as complete as possible. Plot plans can assist those looking for family members, particularly in cemeteries where there may not be on-premises staff when genealogists are making a visit. We have developed a list of those cemeteries for which we are looking for plot plans and have posted it to our website. Please click here to access the list. If you have any of the needed plot plans from cemetery visits or your genealogical research that you can scan or photograph, please send them to the resource guide editors at resourceguide@jgasgp.org. Thanks to all for your contributions to the guide. |
WELCOME! PLEASE JOIN US FOR OUR NEXT MEETING
Meetings are for paid-up members only. The Zoom link will be sent out on Friday and again as a reminder on Sunday morning before the meeting.
Sunday, June 12, 2022 at 3:30 pm (NOTE LATER TIME)
Reform Congregation Keneseth Israel
8339 Old York Rd, Elkins Park, PA 19027
Speaker: Jerry Zaks, Child of Two Survivors
Jerry Zaks is a 2nd Generation Survivor. After retiring in 2016 from a successful career in IT and computer programming, Jerry started a quest of researching and documenting the history of his parents’ experiences and hardships growing up in Poland in the 1930’s. Utilizing the computer and internet skills learned during his career he has spent over 4+ years assembling a detailed presentation which bears witness to his parents’ story.
Topic: Recovering the Past: Researching the Fate of One’s Family in the Shoah
Jerry will share the amazing details of his family’s Holocaust experiences and present his journey into personalized family Holocaust research, with strategies and suggestions for those who wish to dive into their own family histories.
FYI
The Philadelphia Jewish Archives Center (PJAC) was formed through the efforts of the Jewish Federation of Greater Philadelphia many years ago. Its’ mission was to collect, preserve, facilitate research and share the story of the Jewish communities of the Greater Philadelphia area. In 2009 the holdings of PJAC were transferred to the Special Records Collection at Temple University Libraries. With the support of many philanthropic individuals, an archivist position was endowed by PJAC. With our new name (Jewish Genealogical and Archival Society of Greater Philadelphia) and mission we will continue the great work of PJAC.
We encourage you to support the archives with donations and archival material. Donations may be made to the Philadelphia Jewish Archives Collection Endowment at: Temple University Libraries
PO Box 71340
Philadelphia, PA 19176-9761
Donations can also be made through the library website: https://library.temple.edu/policies/10
Those interested in offering a donation of books or archival material to the Philadelphia Jewish Archives Collection should send a description of those materials to:
Margery Sly, Director of Special Collections Research Center
Email: msly@temple.edu
What’s New On Our Site!
November 2021
Our president is interviewed in a Philadelphia Inquirer article about the ongoing cleanup of Har Nebo Cemetery and the problems of cemeteries that are not maintained or are vandalized. The article is at https://www.inquirer.com/life/jewish-cemeteries-philadelphia-conservation-pilot-project-nebo-oxford-circle-20211109.html
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JGASCP supported the Holocaust Awareness Museum and Education Center (HAMEC) Gala on November 6, 2021.
Click the photo to enlarge |
October 2021
Our president, Felica Mode Alexander, was interviewed at the IAJGS2019 convention is Cleveland by Jarrett Ross, the GeneaVlogger, about her work with Holocaust education. The video is at https://youtu.be/tS3d3eeiwDw
October 2020
Goldstein’s Landsmanshaftn Cemetery data has been added to the Resources > Cemetery Data page. Landsmanshaftn organizations provided, among other things, burial societies.
August 2020 Meeting
Judy Baston: “Finding your Litvak Family” A handout is available by accessing the menu item, Archives>Meeting Summaries and Handouts.
Cemetery Records for Har Nebo Cemetery, Philadelphia, PA. You can find these under the Menu item “Resources”, then click on “Cemetery Data”
Miriam Weiner, our December meeting lecturer, was the subject of a recent article that appeared in the Jewish Exponent; “Genealogy Rock Star Discusses Digging Up Jewish Roots”. The article can be found under menu item “Archives”, then click on “Newspaper Articles”.
January 2020 Meeting
For Frederic Blum’s Handout, “How to locate Holocaust Survivors Through Genealogy”, please go to the menu item, “Archives”, then click on “Meeting Summaries and Handouts”
November 2019 Meeting
A handout from Deborah Long’s Lecture can be found on our website under menu item, “Archives”, then click on “Meeting Summaries and Handouts”
October 2019 Meeting
A handout from Jordan Auslander’s Lecture can be found on our website under menu item “Archives”, then click “Meeting Summaries and Handouts”
September 2019 Meeting
Sarina Roffe’s Lecture Handout can be found on our website under menu item “Archives”, then click “Meeting Summaries and Handouts”
Rabbi Shalom Bronstein’s reflections of Congregation Beth Am Israel during the 1940’s to the 1960’s can be found under the menu item “Resources”.The synagogue was originally located in SW Philadelphia. In 1973, the congregation moved to Penn Valley.
W. Todd Knowles’ Power Point Presentation on “Making the Most of FamilySearch for Jewish Research” can be found by going to the menu item “Archives” and clicking the “Meeting Summaries and Handouts” button.
Check out “An Ongoing History of Beth Emeth-B,nai Yitzhok Congegation” by Al Feldman. The synagogue was located in NE Philadelphia. You can find this document under the menu item “Resources”
Other Information
“A Service to the Jewish Community Award” was given to JGSGP on May 2, 2019 by the B’nai Brith Educators Unit Charter 5290.
For information on the JGSGP (JGASGP) Library at the Historical Society of Pennsylvania (HSP) look under the menu item, “Resources”. To go directly to the our library collection at the HSP, click here.