Acknowledgments.Foreword (Elie Wiesel).Introduction.CHAPTER ONE: Climbing Up My Family Tree: Jewish Genealogy as a Spiritual Pilgrimage.CHAPTER TWO: Getting Started: How to Begin Your Research.First Steps.Gathering Your History: Collecting Stories.Family Legends: Are They True?Ten Common Family Myths_or Truths!What Questions Should You Ask?Tips on Interviewing Relatives.
Observations on People Who Don''t Appreciate Genealogy.Following Leads like a Detective.Taking Notes.Visiting Relatives and Others.Family Photographs.Writing Letters.Final Tips on How to Begin.CHAPTER THREE: Are You Ready to Check the Records?Prepare Yourself.
Telephone Books.Vital Records.Federal Census Records.State Census Records.Tips on Dealing with Government Agencies.City Directories.Synagogue Records.The National Archives.
What if You Were Adopted?Canadian Research.A Few Important Canadian Resources.Cardinal Rules When Dealing with Libraries, Archives, and Other Institutions.Tips on Dealing with Librarians.Publishing Your Family History.CHAPTER FOUR: How Is Jewish Genealogy Different from All Other Genealogy?Memorial Books (Yizkor Books).Are There Memorial Books for Your Towns?The Yizkor Book Project.Other Places to Look for Yizkor Books.
How to Obtain Copies for Yourself.The Yizkor Book Special Interest Group (SIG).Two Traditional Sources: Mohel Books and Ketubot.Archives, Libraries, and Organizations.American Jewish Archives.The Center for Jewish History.A Conversation with Robert Friedman.YIVO Institute for Jewish Research.
A Conversation with Zachary Baker.The Leo Baeck Institute.American Jewish Historical Society.Jewish Historical Societies Around the World.The Central Archives for the History of the Jewish People.A Conversation with Sallyann Amdur Sack.Jewish Genealogical Societies Around the World.The Douglas E.
Goldman Jewish Genealogy Center.LDS Family History Library.Other Valuable Jewish Sources.Toledot: The Journal of Jewish Genealogy.The Encyclopedia of Jewish Genealogy.Encyclopedia Judaica.First American Jewish Families.My Generations: A Jewish Genealogical Textbook.
Other Jewish Genealogical Publications.Professional Genealogical Assistance.A Conversation with Ladislau Gyémánt.A Conversation with Miriam Weiner.Ten Commandments for Jewish Genealogists.CHAPTER FIVE: Avotaynu: The Premier Publisher in the World of Jewish Genealogy.Avotaynu: The International Review of Jewish Genealogy.What Will You Find in Avotaynu: The International Review of Jewish Genealogy?Avotaynu Back Issues on CD-ROM (1985-2002).
Books from Avotaynu.A Conversation with Gary Mokotoff.CHAPTER SIX: JewishGen.org: Jewish Genealogy in Cyberspace.A Few Basics.A Guide to the Site.Learn.Research.
Discussion Groups.Projects and Activities.Hosted Organizations.Contributions and Fundraising.A Conversation with Warren Blatt.CHAPTER SEVEN: Were Your Ancestors Great Rabbis?Rabbinic Dynasties.Rabbinic Sources.Rabbinic Texts.
Hebrew Subscription Lists.A Conversation with Neil Rosenstein.CHAPTER EIGHT: The Names in Your Family.A Brief History of Jewish Surnames.The Origins of Modern Surnames.Patronymics.Place Names.Vocational Names.
Descriptive Names.Names from Abbreviations.Matronymics.Some Jewish Surnames and Their Meanings.Personal Names.For Whom Were You Named?What if Your Name Was Changed?Names as Clues to Dates.Last Names from the Maternal Side.Hebrew, Yiddish, and English Names.
Sources for Determining the Meanings of Names.Some Additional Research Suggestions.Back Issues of Avotaynu.The Consolidated Jewish Surname Index (CJSI).Project for the Study of Jewish Names.Information on Jewish Names from JewishGen.org.Some Final Thoughts About Jewish Names.
A Conversation with Alexander Beider.CHAPTER NINE: Holocaust Research: Changing Numbers into Names.Holocaust Research: The Search for Victims and Survivors.The International Tracing Service.The Holocaust and War Victims Tracing Center.Yad Vashem.An Indispensable Guidebook.Memorial Books as Sources for Learning About Holocaust Victims.
Locating S.