Why is Jewish Research Different from All Other Research?

Why is Jewish Research Different from All Other Research?

by Suzanne Hoffman

A play on the Four Questions of the Passover Seder, we'll explore why Jewish research is so difficult. What historical and ethnic facts hinder us from linking to the past? Where can we look for the ties that bind? Whether you have 1 Jewish relative or 400, the historical impediments to research make collaborative research a must. We will look at a wide variety of obstacles and the promise of solutions to solving our family mysteries.

After 25 years of research, Suzanne Hoffman still finds her Illinois-born husband's pioneer line a great deal easier to pursue than her mainly Lithuanian and Russian conquest of missing and unreadable documents. She's a graduate of the University of Chicago - Executive Management Program and Smith College, with a Certificate in Genealogical Research from Boston University. She volunteers at the Wilmette FamilySearch Center, is the Vice President of the Association of Professional Genealogists, and the current secretary of the Illinois State Genealogical Society.