About
Established in 1985 as a registered charitable organization, JGS Toronto provides a forum for the exchange of genealogical knowledge and information through this website and also via its newsletter, Shem Tov, its collection of books at the Toronto Reference Library, regular monthly presentations, workshops, and Special Interest Groups.
In 2025, we celebrated the Society's 40th anniversary with a gala celebration. You can view the legacy video which was shown at the gala on our YouTube channel.
What's New
Our DNA special interest group (SIG) offers an interactive forum where participants can learn how to use DNA as a tool for Jewish genealogy. Each session is self-contained and focuses on real case studies, practical tips, and guidance from our experts. Whether you’re just getting started with DNA testing or have been working with your matches for years, you’ll gain valuable insights you can apply directly to your own research.
Date: Sunday 9 November 2025
Time: 10:30 AM ET
Location: Online via ZoomOur DNA SIG leaders: Gil Bardige (Chicago, Illinois) and Arthur Sissman (Naples, Florida)
All are welcome to attend; advance registration is required. There is no charge for attendance at this program.
Coming Soon
Discover how artificial intelligence can transform the way you research and share your family history.
Join us for an exciting five-session online series designed to help you use AI tools, such as ChatGPT, Bing Copilot, and Perplexity AI, to take your genealogy research to the next level.
In this engaging, hands-on course, you will:
- Learn how to organize, analyze, and document your family tree using AI
- Explore AI-assisted search techniques for JewishGen, Ancestry, MyHeritage, and other genealogy databases
- See how AI can help interpret DNA results and uncover hidden family connections
- Gain practical tips on writing and sharing your family story with AI support
Taught by Jerry Scherer and Arthur Sissman, with their AI assistants ChatGPT, Copilot, and Perplexity AI.
Coming Soon
We are pleased to announce the next session of the JGS Toronto Family Tree Maker special interest group (SIG).
Date: Wednesday 29 October 2025 Time: 7:30 PM Eastern Time Location: Online via ZoomPresenter: Mark Olsen, Family Tree Maker Ambassador
Mark will introduce the brand-new Family Tree Maker 2024 Edition, highlighting its exciting new features and enhancements. Whether you are a long-time FTM user or just getting started, this is a great opportunity to see what’s new and ask questions directly from the expert.
This SIG is open to all JGS Toronto members, and we welcome guests who are interested in learning more about Family Tree Maker.
Don’t miss this chance to stay up to date with one of the most popular genealogy software programs available.
Spotlight
For forty years – since March 1985 – the members of the Jewish Genealogical Society of Toronto have been gathering to share stories and to assist one another in discovering their own family histories. Along the way, they have shared research techniques, discovered sources of information, and have documented their Jewish family histories that contribute to the worldwide collection of Jewish genealogical data.
In 2011, on the occasion of the Society’s 25th anniversary, we published Tracing our Roots, Telling our Stories. Forty-four of our members shared stories of family, migration, cousins, loss and discovery, and life in the old country and in their new home, Canada.
This year, as we celebrate our fortieth anniversary, we’re pleased to share more accounts from our members of the results of their family history research: Tracing Our Roots, Telling More Stories. Thirty-six authors have shared personal stories that will hopefully inspire each of us to trace our own roots and tell our own stories.
Copies of Tracing Our Roots, Telling More Stories are available for purchase for $40 each. The books can be picked up at a future JGS Toronto in-person event or can be shipped to you (additional charges apply).
Shem Tov
Shem Tov is our award-winning quarterly newsletter, published since our inception in 1985. Past issues are accessible to all our visitors. Current issues are available only to members of JGS Toronto and can be accessed from the Members page.
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Upcoming Events
DNA Special Interest Group
Our DNA Special Interest Group (SIG) offers an interactive forum where participants can learn how to use DNA as a tool for Jewish genealogy. Each session is self-contained and focuses on real case studies, practical tips, and guidance from our experts. Whether you’re just getting started with DNA testing or […]
Unlock the Power of AI in Jewish Genealogy – class 1 of 5
Discover how artificial intelligence can transform the way you research and share your family history. Join the Jewish Genealogical Society of Toronto for an exciting five-session online series designed to help you use AI tools, such as ChatGPT, Bing Copilot, and Perplexity AI, to take your genealogy research to the […]
Finding the Facts of My Family’s Stories
speaker: John Lorinc, a Toronto journalist and editor From pre-war Budapest to post-war Toronto, No Jews Live Here, John Lorinc’s 2024 book, unspools four generations of a Hungarian Jewish family’s journey through the Holocaust, the 1956 Revolution, and finally exodus from a country that cannot rid itself of its antisemitic […]
Family Tree Maker SIG: Discover FTM 2024
Mark Olsen, Family Tree Maker ambassador, will introduce the brand-new Family Tree Maker 2024 Edition, highlighting its exciting new features and enhancements. Whether you are a long-time FTM user or just getting started, this is a great opportunity to see what’s new and ask questions directly from the expert. On […]
Unlock the Power of AI in Jewish Genealogy – class 2 of 5
Discover how artificial intelligence can transform the way you research and share your family history. Date Session Subject 19 Nov 2025 1 Getting started with AI in Jewish genealogy 03 Dec 2025 2 Organize your genealogy files with AI 14 Jan 2026 3 Exploring genealogy databases and tools with AI […]