JGS-Pittsburgh Presents: Jennifer Mendelsohn (Oct. 21)

In her talk "No, You Don’t Really Have 7,900 4th Cousins: Some DNA Basics for Those With Ashkenazi Jewish Heritage," Jennifer Mendelsohn will present the basics of DNA, helping you avoid some of the common pitfalls of DNA research and teaching you some tips for moving forward on your tree.

The program is on Wednesday, Oct. 21 at 7 p.m. It is free for JGS-Pittsburgh members and $5 for the general public. Please register online.

Jennifer Mendelsohn is a seasoned journalist and ghostwriter whose work has appeared in numerous local and national publications including The New York Times, The Washington Post, Time, People, Slate, and USA Today.

A native Long Islander now based in Baltimore, Md., Mendelsohn serves on the board of the Jewish Genealogy Society of Maryland and is the administrator of Facebook’s Jewish genetic genealogy group. A member of the Association of Professional Genealogists, she is the creator of the movement known as #resistancegenealogy, a project that uses genealogical and historical records to fight disinformation and honor America’s immigrant past. Her work has received international media attention, including being featured on CNN.com, The New Yorker, and The Washington Post.

For more information, contact the archives by email or call 412-454-6406.

Treasures in the Archives is an opportunity to see highlights from one of the largest collections of historic materials about Western Pennsylvania. 

In this year's virtual event, you'll have a chance to hear behind the scenes stories from the archivists who work with these items every day. Collections featured in past Treasures in the Archives have included building movers, boxers, butchers, old saloons, famous families, overlooked community stories, and the lost history of a notorious home for ex-offenders.

This virtual program is free and open to all. This signature event on the Detre Library & Archives calendar is a chance to learn about the lives of Western Pennsylvanians through one-of-a-kind photographs and documents. Stay tuned for more details about unique twists to this virtual event!

For more information about Treasures in the Archives, please contact Sierra Green at 412-454-6361 or sgreen@heinzhistorycenter.org.

[IMAGES: (Left) Julia Strassburger attending the Harvey Circus, Nov. 21, 1927 (Strassburger Family Photographs MSP 548); (Right) Gertrude Kingsbacher Sunstein attending the Harvey Circus, Nov. 21, 1927 (Sunstein, Speyer and Kingsbacher Family Papers and Photographs MSS 1037).

The Rauh Jewish History Program & Archives was founded on November 1, 1988 to collect, preserve, and make accessible the documentary history of Jews and Jewish communities of Western Pennsylvania. You can help the RJHPA continue its work by making a donation that will directly support the work being done in Western Pa.