FamilySearch — a nonprofit genealogy resource sponsored by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints — announced this week a new tool that will make Jewish genealogical information more easily accessible.
The Jewish Family History Resources tool, a new component of the FamilySearch Web site, was introduced during the 27th annual International Association of Jewish Genealogical Societies Conference in Salt Lake City.
Conference attendees from more than 17 different countries were given the opportunity to use the new online resource via computers at the Church’s Family History Library.
Hal Bookbinder of Los Angeles told The Salt Lake Tribune that the best family history information comes when you learn "the texture of real people."
The new system helps people to do just that by providing online indexing, free genealogy management software and links to relevant records and searchable databases.
Among the features that researchers will find beneficial are the guide and the Knowles Collection.
“The Tracing Your Jewish Ancestors guide is an excellent, free reference tool for anyone with a Jewish ancestor who came to the United States from Europe,” said Paul Nauta, manager of public affairs for FamilySearch. “Users will be able to follow simple steps to identify an ancestor’s birthplace or place of origin — a difficult task for many with Jewish ancestry.”
The Knowles Collection, a project building on the work of the late Isobel Mordy, contains information for thousands of Jews from the British Isles and is updated continually.
FamilySearch maintains the world's largest repository of genealogical resources and continues to assist people of all faiths and backgrounds to find and preserve their family roots.
Latter-day Saints consider genealogical research a religious obligation, associated with a conviction that families can continue beyond death.