Membership in the Jewish Genealogical Society of Toronto provides you with benefits both tangible and intangible. Members of our vibrant community of genealogists and family historians are passionate about documenting and preserving our shared Jewish history and culture. Your membership enables us to provide invaluable resources, access to genealogical records, and a supportive network to help you trace and document your family’s journey.
Membership Benefits
Learn from experts and each other at our monthly programs and special interest groups, while obtaining guidance through one-on-one mentoring and exclusive education courses
- Our monthly programs help you to develop your research skills and add to your knowledge base. These presentations, from experts in their fields and from fellow members sharing their personal stories and research successes, cover a wide range of topics.
- Special interest groups – whether addressing a particular geographic area, software such as MyHeritage or Family Tree Maker, or DNA – allow us to focus on one particular area of interest and dive into discussions with fellow members, learning from each other and from topical experts, answering participants’ questions and sharing discoveries or best practices.
- Our Mentors and Mavens program – a member-exclusive – can help when you’re unsure of what your next research step should be, or you would like to discuss a question one-on-one with a peer who can provide some guidance, or need a translation of a particular record or headstone inscription.
- Our education programs provide instruction for those who are new to Jewish genealogical research, as well as on the newest technologies. Our innovative five-session Unlock the Power of Artificial Intelligence in Jewish Genealogy course helps you learn how AI can transform the way you research and share your family history.
Stay informed about upcoming events and news from the genealogical community through weekly e-mails and our quarterly newsletter, Shem Tov.
- The society’s quarterly newsletter, Shem Tov, documents the activities of the society, shares the stories and findings of our members, and informs about the latest news and events of genealogical interest. Past issues of the newsletter are accessible from our website and have been indexed so that one can easily locate articles on a particular topic, location, or resource.
- On a weekly basis, we distribute an e-mail containing information about upcoming society events and other local events.
Access recordings of past presentations, seminars, and classes, as well as exclusive discounts and special offers.
- The JGS Toronto website (www.jgstoronto.ca) hosts a calendar of all of our upcoming events. Additionally, the website contains descriptions and links for local, provincial, national, and international resources and tools to assist with your research.
- If you couldn’t attend a live presentation due to a scheduling conflict or you’d like to review the discussion of a particular concept a second (or third or fourth) time, our collection of recordings of past presentations is available to members only to watch at any time.
- The members area of the website also provides access to recent issues of Shem Tov, and information about exclusive discounts available only to our members. Members are eligible for discounted membership with Ontario Ancestors (Ontario Genealogical Society) and discounted pricing for Family Tree Maker.
Connect with a community of like-minded individuals passionate about preserving our shared Jewish history and culture.
- Much of the society’s programming takes place from September through June, with a break during the summer months. Most events take place online using Zoom. In fall and spring, monthly programs are also conducted in person at Shaarei Shomayim Congregation, 470 Glencairn Avenue, North York, giving participants an opportunity to interact and discuss their research face to face.
- To support our community, the society maintains a collection of genealogical reference books which is housed at the Toronto Reference Library, 789 Yonge Street, 2nd floor.
Support vital initiatives that document our past and expand the global collection of genealogical data, allowing us to pass down our stories and traditions to future generations.
- As genealogists and family historians, we know the value that even the most obscure record can have to advancing our research. To assist genealogists worldwide in their research, we have, since the earliest years of the society, been documenting information about the local Jewish community: burial records and cemetery headstones, yahrzeit plaques in synagogues, and family trees of Jewish residents of Toronto. Our members continue to expand and share these collections.
Dues
Our membership year runs from January 1 to December 31. Membership dues for 2026 are:
- $40 per year for individuals
- $50 per year for couples
- $18 per year for students
All figures are in Canadian dollars. CDN$40 ≈ US$28.50 (as of 01 December 2025)
Become a Member
Step 1: Complete the membership application below
Step 2: Remit payment for your membership dues
Option 1: Pay online (recommended) — Quick and easy! Canadian residents receive a tax receipt immediately.
If you do not receive your tax receipt in your inbox, please check your junk/spam mail folder; it is possible that the tax receipt will appear there. (You can avoid this by adding [email protected] to your approved senders list.)
Option 2: Send an Interac e-Transfer to [email protected]
Option 3: Pay by mail — Make your cheque payable to Jewish Genealogical Society of Toronto and mail it to PO Box 91006, 2901 Bayview Avenue, Toronto, Ontario M2K 2Y6
Your tax receipt will be issued early in February 2026 for payments received by 31 January 2026. For cheques received after that date, a tax receipt will be issued in February 2027.
Step 3: Shortly thereafter (typically within 48 hours) you’ll receive your login credentials for our website; at that time, you’ll be prompted to specify your password