JewishGen.org The most prized site for Jewish Genealogical research. Powered by Ancestry.com. Supported by Donations. $100.00 donations come with some perks. Ability to gain access to Special Interest Groups which provide higher levels of record access as well as other to key geographic areas you are researching. Self-paced online courses available as well.

Ancestry.com A must have for any genealogist. Has a Jewish Family History Collection that is derived from JewishGen.org and other partners. You can build and manage your entire family tree. Ability to access records from different countries worldwide (especially important for Jewish genealogy). Requires a paid subscription for full record access, but very worth it, expecially if you also plan to do DNA testing.

FamilySearch Extremely rich in historical recods, including international. Has a research wiki devoted to Jewish genealogy.

American Israelite America’s oldest English-language Jewish newspaper, published since 1854. The historical archive is avaible by subscription at Newspapers.com. You can locate obituaries, birth announcements, marriage & engagement announcements, as well as any number of articles that may have been written about your ancestors.

Jcemcin.org Jewish Cemeteries of Greater Cincinnati is a cooperative between all the Jewish Cemeteries formed in 2004. Their website has a genealogy section that provides a photo of every headstone and grave marker as well as birth and death dates plus the location of the grave. Visiting Jewish Cemeteries and photographing the headstones up close will give you an opportunity to translate the Hebrew inscription as this often provides the name of the deceased’s father and possibly mother.

Weil Funeral Home The oldest and nearly the ONLY Jewish Funeral Home serving Greater Cincinnati region since about 1912. The collection runs the years from 1912 - 2015. Therefore, if you have Jewish Ancestry in the Cincinnati, Ohio region, almost inevitably they would have used Weil Funeral Home. The Hamilton County Genealogical Society has recently completed filming and digitizing the Weil Funeral Home card catalog. These records will serve as an invaluable asset for the Jewish Genealogical community. Below you will find a sample of what can be found in these records. The sample below is indicative for the years 1940 - 2016. Weil Funeral Home compiled a very basic index from 1913- 1939. From the year 1940 to 2015 you will find Name of deceased, Birth date, Death date, Date of death according to the Jewish calendar, Age at time of death, Place of Burial, Address at time of death, & Marital Status at time of death. These records are available only to Hamilton County Genealogical Society members. If you are not currently a member, membership begin at only $15.00. For current member, follow this link to the members area for access. If you need to join our society, please join Hamilton County Genealogical Society.

Probate Court The Hamilton County Probate Court is a wonderful resource for local marriage records. Although not specifically Jewish, all marriage applicants applied through this court regardless of religion. Their site is located at www.probatect.org. Full records are available online for 1808-1983, abstracts only after 1983.

Avotaynu.com Extensive online catalog to Periodicals and Books related to Jewish Genealogical research. They produce a Quarterly Journal which is an International Review of Jewish Genealogy. Additionally, for just $12.00 per year, you can subscribe to Nu? a weekly e-newsletter on Sunday of the latest happenings in Jewish genealogy.

www.IAJGS.com International Association of Jewish Genealogical Societies hosts an annual convention that provides a tremendous opportunity to further your knowledge in whatever areas of research have the most importance to the researcher. The next conference is live and virtual and scheduled for Jul 30 - Aug 3, 2023 in London, England. Visit the conference website to stay current.

HUC & AJA Hebrew Union College's Klau Library and the American Jewish Archives can provide access to some out-of-town Jewish Newspapers, both online and print, Family Genealogies that have been archived there, Temple Bulletins, Congregation Records, Rabbi’s papers, and free access to the American Israelite Online Archives. Collection is heavily tipped toward the Reform Movement, but AJA is trying to encourage every congregation to place archival material there.

Hamilton County Jewish Congregations A quick reference and resource guide to historical and current Jewish congregations. Each entry includes names associated with the congregation, its cultural and religious affiliation, years in existence, a history of its addresses and, where relevant, its associated cemetery and website. Also included for each congregation is a summary of the most significant local research resources where more information can be found.

The Shapell Roster The Shapell Roster of Jewish Service in the American Civil War is a digital history resource of Jewish men who served in the Union and Confederate Armies and Navies. The project was commissioned by the Shapell Manuscript Foundation (SMF), a non-profit educational organization that focuses on researching and collecting nineteenth and twentieth century documents of the United States and the Holy Land. The searchable Shapell Roster currently includes only Union soldiers and sailors, a list of over seven thousand individuals. The Confederacy rolls will be added later.

Books

Fine, John S. and Frederic J. Krome. Jews of Cincinnati. Charleston, SC: Arcadia Publishers, 2007.

CHPL Call Number 977.178004924 F495

Mokotoff, Gary. Getting Started in Jewish Genealogy. New Haven, CT: Avotaynu, 2015. CHPL Call Number 929.1072 M716 2015

Segal, Joshua L. A Field Guide to Visiting a Jewish Cemetery. Nashua, NH: Jewish Cemetery Publishing, 2005. CHPL Call Number 929.5089924 S454 (non-circ)

Rick Cauthen, Jewish Interest Group Leader

Contact: jewish.interest@hcgsohio.org

Last update: 2023-02-24 PMD