Spotlight - Jewish Genealogical Society of Toronto

August 7, 2023

Congratulations Henry

Congratulations to our President Emeritus Henry Wellisch for receiving the IAJGS Lifetime Achievement Award! Henry is a former president of JGS Toronto and was integral to the startup of the Montreal JGS. His volunteer transcription efforts not only helped researchers with Toronto-based ancestors, but he has been – and continues […]

January 1, 2023

Ontario Jewish Archives Celebrates 50 Years

In 2023, we will celebrate 50 years of the Ontario Jewish Archives! We invite you to help us mark this important community milestone. Throughout our special anniversary year, we will be highlighting stories from our rich and vibrant history. Together, we will explore individuals who made a difference, organizations that […]

August 31, 2022

JGS Toronto Library Collection

JGS Toronto Library (Toronto Reference Library) Our library contains many volumes of local Jewish family history, Who’s Who in Canadian Jewry, genealogical research guides, titles on Jewish surnames, numerous Yizkor books, and chronicles of the Holocaust. In addition, items relevant to Jewish communities in Canada, United States, and Europe enhance […]

May 6, 2021

Mass Grave Uncovered in Logoza Belarus

A mass grave of more than 1,000 Jews shot in the head by the Nazis during World War II uncovered in Belarus in 2019. Source: Screenshot. A mass grave of Holocaust victims has been discovered near the village of Logoza in Belarus. The grave included bones, clothes, and shoes of […]

April 24, 2021

National Archives – Genealogy Fair

The (US) National Archives has presented a virtual genealogy fair since 2013 and last year due to the pandemic they canceled the virtual genealogy fair. This year, they announced several sessions to be held over different days in May and June. You are invited to watch and participate in real […]

March 19, 2021

65 Thousand Gravestones digitized in the Łódź Jewish Cemetery

65,000 photographs of gravestones in the Łódź Cemetery are being digitized this year with details from the burial cards will be made available online later this year. This cooperative project is being undertaken by the Jewish Community, the State Archives in Łódź and the Cultural Heritage Foundation. The collection, the only […]

March 2, 2021

A Motoring Tour of Jewish Northern Ontario

Author Robert Walker takes a motoring tour of Northern Ontario and discovers the vestiges of Jewish population that once existed is some very out of the way places. If you have connections to Northern Ontario and wish to start a conversation/dialogue on this subject you are welcome reply to this […]

February 9, 2021

Huge Fire in Krakow Destroys Municipal Archives

A massive fire broke out its the Krakow City Archive over the weekend. 85 fire fighters took part in fighting the blaze in sub zero temperatures. Looks like the losses will be massive. Additional information from our man in Krakow: Just to confirm: the fire broke out at the Krakow […]

November 1, 2020

GenTeam adds 500,000 New Records

GenTeam has placed 500,000 new records online. There are approximately 21.2 million records online in total. Go to: https://www.genteam.eu/ You need to register in order to access the records, but access to all data is free. If you are unsure about the exact spelling of the name of a person or a […]

October 14, 2020

The Okopowa Jewish Cemetery – Warsaw

General view of part of Quarter 1 in the Okopowa St. Jewish cemetery, Warsaw. Photo: Foundation for Cultural Heritage The Okopawa Jewish Cemetery in Warsaw was established in 1806 and is the resting place of over 200,000 persons. It is the largest cemetery in Poland. Recently, archeologists discovered previously unknown […]

September 25, 2020

Share Your Story with YIVO

YIVO writes:Since the organization began in 1925, YIVO has used questionnaires to collect the experiences of the Jewish people in their own words, gathering material on everything from Jewish folk legends to holiday preparation to children’s games. Over the decades, YIVO appealed directly to the community, collecting youth autobiographies and […]

September 3, 2020

The Wiener Holocaust Library

The Wiener Holocaust Library is one of the world’s leading and most extensive archives on the Holocaust and Nazi era. Formed in 1933, the Library’s unique collection of over one million items includes published and unpublished works, press cuttings, photographs and eyewitness testimony. The Museum is located in London, England, […]