2016 International Jewish Genealogy Month Design Competition

International Jewish Genealogy Month (IJGM) is a celebration of Jewish genealogy promoted by the International Association of Jewish Genealogical Societies (IAJGS).  IJGM takes place during the Hebrew month of Cheshvan.  In 2016 this will be November 1–30 on the secular calendar.

The primary means used to publicize IJGM is the winning design chosen from the annual competition for that year.  The design needs to celebrate Jewish genealogy and help promote genealogy as a hobby.  It will be available to organizations and individuals to help promote IJGM, primarily as posters and flyers.

This year's design competition officially began on January 25, 2016, and the deadline to submit an entry is June 20, 2016.  Submission requirements are available on the IAJGS Web site.  Each entry must be submitted by an IAJGS member organization, but the artist does not need to be a member of the organization.

The winning artist will have a choice of a registration to this year's IAJGS International Conference on Jewish Genealogy, which will be held in Seattle from August 7–12, or of free access to the conference recorded sessions.

Call for Artists: 2015 International Jewish Genealogy Month Poster Contest

International Jewish Genealogy Month (IJGM) is a celebration of Jewish genealogy supported by the International Association of Jewish Genealogical Societies (IAJGS).  IJGM takes place during the Hebrew month of Cheshvan.  In 2015 this will be October 14 through November 12 on the secular calendar.

The primary means used to publicize IJGM is the winning poster chosen from the annual design contest for that year.  The poster needs to celebrate Jewish genealogy and help promote genealogy as a hobby.  It will be available to organizations and individuals to help promote IJGM.

This year's poster competition officially began on February 3, 2015, and the deadline to submit an entry is June 20, 2015.  Submission requirements are available on the IAJGS Web site.  Each submission must be submitted by an IAJGS member organization, but the artist does not need to be a member of the organization.

Traditionally, the winner of the contest has earned a registration to that year's IAJGS International Conference on Jewish Genealogy.  This year's conference will be held in Jerusalem from July 6–10.  This year IAJGS has added an alternative option to registration, that of free access to the conference recorded sessions.

Poster Contest for 2014 International Jewish Genealogy Month

One of my (many) genealogy-oriented volunteer activities is being on the committee for International Jewish Genealogy Month (IJGM), a celebration of Jewish genealogy supported by the International Association of Jewish Genealogical Societies (IAJGS).  IJGM is celebrated during the Hebrew month of Cheshvan.  In 2014 this corresponds to the secular calendar dates of October 25 through November 22.

One of the activities of IJGM is a competition to design the poster/flyer that will be used to announce and publicize the event.  The poster should celebrate Jewish genealogy and help promote the hobby.

This year the poster competition started earlier than usual (Wednesday, January 15) and has an earlier deadline, Wednesday, April 30, 2014.  The winning entry will be announced and unveiled publicly at this year's IAJGS Conference on Jewish Genealogy, to be held in Salt Lake City from July 27–August 1, 2014.  The winning artist will receive free registration to the conference.  The winning flyer/poster will be available on the IAJGS Web site to all who wish to use it.

These are the details for the poster competition:

Poster/Flyer Design Requirements

General:
• Size: tabloid (11" x 17")
• Bleeds and no bleeds are acceptable
• Reproducible in JPEG, TIF, and PNG formats

Must include:
• A 3.5" x 3.5" area for the IAJGS logo and the URL "www.iajgs.org"
• A 3" x 5" blank area for local society name and contact information
• The words "International Jewish Genealogy Month: Cheshvan" plus the Hebrew and civil dates for the year

May include:
• The words "Submitted by [name of IAJGS member society]"
• The artist's signature/name

Facebook Design Requirements

The main poster image must be capable of being adapted for use on the IAJGS Jewish Genealogy Facebook page.

Facebook Page Cover Image

The cover image must be at least 851 pixels wide and 315 pixels tall, otherwise it will be stretched to this size.  It also must be less than 100 kb.

Facebook Event Cover Image

The Event Cover image graphic must be 714 pixels wide and 264 pixels tall. The image is cropped in thumbnail mode to the top center 176 pixels tall and 264 pixels wide.

Facebook Profile Image

Page profile pictures are square and display at 160 x 160 pixels on our page. The image must be at least 180 x 180 pixels and must be a square image.

Who May Submit an Entry

• Only IAJGS member organizations may submit entries.
• An organization may submit more than one entry.
• The poster creator is not required to be a member of an IAJGS member organization.  A creator who is not a member needs to have a member organization sponsor the entry.
• There is no age requirement for the creator.
• Each entry must be accompanied by the form on the IJGM Web page (see below).
• Entries will not be returned.

Judging of Entries

Judging will be done solely by the International Jewish Genealogy Month committee.

Submission Requirements

• The deadline for the 2014 contest is April 30, 2014.
• Each entry must be submitted as a JPG or PDF file via e-mail attachment to Secretary@iajgs.org.
• The required application information or completed application form and release form (available on the IJGM page) must be included with each entry.
• You may include artist comments about the poster (optional).
• If no entries are received by the deadline or no entries are judged to be appropriate, the committee will solicit further entries.

International Jewish Genealogy Month 2013

International Jewish Genealogy Month (IJGM; http://www.iajgs.org/jgmonth.html) is coming soon! It is celebrated during the Hebrew month of Cheshvan, which this year runs from October 5 through November 3.  The purpose of IJGM is to promote the hobby of genealogy and to make people aware that there is a local Jewish genealogical society that can help them start their research.  We also honor our ancestors through our family history research.

The San Francisco Bay Area Jewish Genealogical Society (SFBAJGS) has four events during this year's International Jewish Genealogy Month:

This Saturday, October 5, the California Genealogical Society is presenting a family history day on Angel Island, sometimes called the Ellis Island of the West.  SFBAJGS and the Angel Island Immigration Station Foundation are cosponsoring the event.  Speakers will discuss Chinese, Japanese, and Jewish immigration through the island.  The event runs from 11:30 a.m.-2:30 p.m.  Angel Island is accessible by ferry from Oakland, Alameda, Vallejo, Tiburon, and San Francisco.  The immigration station is about a one-mile walk from the ferry dock at Ayala Cove; shuttle service is available for those who do not wish to walk.  For more information, visit the California Genealogical Society page about the event.

On Wednesday, October 16, I will teach an introduction to Jewish genealogy class at the Oakland FamilySearch Library from 6:30-8:00 p.m.  Topics covered will include geography, languages, how Jewish culture and history affect family history research, and more.  The library is at 4766 Lincoln Avenue, Oakland, CA 94602.

On Sunday, October 20, SFBAJGS will have a meeting at the Oakland FamilySearch Library.  We start welcoming people at 12:30 p.m.  From 1:00-2:00 p.m. speaker Lisa Gorrell will teach about using city, county, and rural directories in your research.  Directories can hold a lot of information to help you learn more about your family members' lives.  After Lisa's talk, we will have use of the library until 4:00 p.m.

And on Monday, October 21, SFBAJGS will meet at Congregation Beth Am, 26790 Arastradero Road Room 5/6, Los Altos Hills, CA 94022, with the doors opening at 7:00 p.m.  From 7:30-9:00 p.m. I'll talk about using online newspapers for genealogy research, with several Jewish examples.  I'll give an overview of what newspapers are available online and show techniques to improve your search results.

For more information, visit the SFBAJGS calendar at http://www.jewishgen.org/sfbajgs/calendar.html.  All the events are free, and everyone who is interested is welcome to attend.  If you have been thinking about researching your family history, this would be a great time to start, and these talks will help get you going. 

Jewish Family History Open House a Success

I really wanted to post about this earlier, but somehow the entire week got away from me.  The inaugural Jewish Family History Open House on November 13 was great!  I rushed back to California from Maryland, where I had been for my brother's wedding, to find that everything was set up and waiting for people to arrive.  (All those e-mails back and forth while I was gone were effective!)  Our first couple of researchers showed up early, and we then had a steady stream throughout the afternoon.  Altogether about 50 people attended, and we had about 20 volunteers, almost enough to keep up with the flow, with only a few slight delays in providing assistance.  The volunteers who so kindly gave up their Sunday afternoon were from the San Francisco Bay Area Jewish Genealogical Society, California Genealogical Society, and Oakland Regional Family History Center.

The attendees were almost evenly split between beginners and intermediate researchers.  Beginners had a short introductory class on family history and online research, and then everyone was assigned an experienced researcher to be a guide.  People came with questions about research all over the U.S. and in many countries.  We had several volunteers with special expertise in areas who were able to help with area-specific questions.  Almost every attendee found some kind of information during the day.  One man discovered he was indeed born in a concentration camp.  A woman was dismayed to learn that her father and his brother, both survivors, had each not learned that the other had survived and ended up living not far from one another but never found each other again, but she is going to contact her cousins and reconnect the families.

Almost everyone who came to the open house also attended Ron Arons' lecture, "Putting the Flesh on the Bones:  Researching Why Our Ancestors Did What They Did", which he gave twice during the event.  It is important to learn more about our ancestors as people, and not have them be merely names and dates on a page or in a database.  Ron's talk is a great example of the kind of in-depth research someone can do on a person.

I think we've started what could become a wonderful annual event here in the San Francisco area.  If we hold it again next year, I'm hoping to have representatives from local archives come also, to talk about records that area available right here that people can use in their research.  But right now I'm just looking forward to seeing the people who came to the open house continue with their research and learn more about their family histories.

International Jewish Genealogy Month

Tonight at sundown International Jewish Genealogy Month (IJGM) began.  It is celebrated during the Hebrew month of Cheshvan, which in 2011 runs from October 29 to November 26.  The purpose of IJGM is to promote the hobby of genealogy and to make people aware that there is a local Jewish genealogical society that can help them get started on their research.  We also honor our ancestors through our family history research.

The San Francisco Bay Area Jewish Genealogical Society is holding three events to celebrate IJGM.  The first one is a Jewish family history open house at the Oakland Regional Family History Center (4766 Lincoln Avenue, Oakland, CA 94602) on Sunday, November 13, from 1:00-5:00 p.m.  Knowledgeable researchers will be on hand to help beginners and those with more experience.  Author and researcher Ron Arons will present "Putting the Flesh on the Bones:  Researching Why Our Ancestors Did What They Did" twice during the afternoon.  A representative from the U.S. Bureau of the census will have informational and promotional materials, and we are also hoping to have someone from the U.S. National Archives regional branch in San Bruno.

On Monday, November 14, SFBAJGS treasurer Jeff Lewy will discuss how to create and publish a family history story without having to become a professional author.  In "Book 'em, Danno!  Publishing Your Family's Story", he will explain how he wrote down family stories, filled in some gaps with his own research, added photos, and used an online publisher/printer to make an inexpensive book his relatives are buying and telling others about.  Jeff's talk will take place at Congregation Beth Am, 26790 Arastradero Road Room 5/6, Los Altos Hills, CA 94022.  Doors open at 7:00 p.m.; the program begins 7:30 p.m.

Finally, on Sunday, November 20, Dr. Lara Michels will present "Family History at the Magnes Collection of Jewish Art and Life" at Congregation Beth Israel Judea (625 Brotherhood Way, San Francisco, CA 94132).  In 2010 the Magnes Museum became a division of UC Berkeley's Bancroft Library.  Dr. Michels has been inventorying and cataloguing the museum's collections during the past year.  The collection has never before been fully catalogued.  She will provide an update on the Magnes Collection, paying particular attention to the ways in which it can serve the needs and research interests of genealogists and family historians.  Doors open at 12:30 p.m.; the program begins at 1:00 p.m.

All the events are free, and everyone who is interested is welcome to attend.  If you have been thinking about researching your family history, this would be a great time to start, and these talks will help get you going.

Jewish Genealogy Open House

The San Francisco Bay Area Jewish Genealogical Society will host a Jewish Genealogy Open House in honor of International Jewish Genealogy Month. IJGM falls during the Jewish month of Cheshvan, which this year runs from October 29 to November 26. The Open House will be held on Sunday, November 13, from 1:00–5:00 p.m. at the Oakland Regional Family History Center, 4766 Lincoln Avenue, Lower Level, Oakland, California. Light kosher refreshments will be served.

Members of the San Francisco Bay Area Jewish Genealogical Society and staff members of the Oakland Regional Family History Center will be on hand to help people with research. The goal will be for all attendees to gain some new information about their families.

Ron Arons, a well known Jewish author and lecturer, will speak about “Putting Flesh on the Bones: Bringing Your Ancestors to Life.” His presentation will be given twice during the afternoon so that all attendees have an opportunity to hear him.  Representatives from the U.S. Bureau of the Census will have a table with promotional and informational material about the census.

Other talks being presented by SFBAJGS during International Jewish Genealogy Month are "Book 'em, Danno! Publishing Your Family's Story" on Monday, November 14, at 7:00 p.m. at Congregation Beth Am, 26790 Arastradero Road, Los Altos Hills; and “Family History at the Magnes Collection of Jewish Art and Life” on Sunday, November 20, at 12:30 p.m. at Congregation Beth Israel-Judea, 625 Brotherhood Way, San Francisco.

For more information contact Janice Sellers at publicity@sfbajgs.org or visit http://www.sfbajgs.org/.

Not a Boring Board Meeting

Today was the quarterly board meeting of the San Francisco Bay Area Jewish Genealogical Society (SFBAJGS).  As the society's publicity director, I am a board member and have the pleasure of meeting four times a year with the rest of the board to plan the activities and direction of our group.

One of the most exciting things we are planning for this year is a series of activities in conjunction with International Jewish Genealogy Month (IJGM).  IJGM is a program of the International Association of Jewish Genealogical Societies (IAJGS) and is celebrated during the Hebrew month of Cheshvan, which this year runs from October 29-November 26 on the secular calendar.  The purpose of International Jewish Genealogy Month is to make the public aware of the hobby of genealogy and the fact that there is a local Jewish genealogical society that can help them get started on their research.

The tentative schedule calls for events on the four Sundays of IJGM.  Our plans are to start on October 30 with an open house where people can come to get a general overview of family history research and help in getting started.  Volunteer genealogists will be available to answer genealogy questions and provide individual research assistance.  Presentations on the following three Sundays will cover an introduction to Jewish genealogy, publishing your family history, and the Magnes Collection of Jewish Art and Life at UC Berkeley's Bancroft Library.

Some of the other things we discussed today are a possible transcription project of births, marriages, and deaths appearing in a local Jewish newspaper, and participation in Family History Day and Family History Expo in October.  It looks like a busy year ahead!