Jewish genealogy involves unique challenges such as name changes, destroyed records, shifting national borders, and the use of multiple languages. Jewish communities also kept records differently, often through synagogues or kehilla (community) offices rather than central governments.

Begin with what you know—interview relatives, gather family documents, and identify ancestral names and towns. Then explore major Jewish genealogy resources such as JewishGen.org, Ancestry.com, and FamilySearch.org.

Many Jewish records were destroyed during wars or lost in border changes. Surviving records may be scattered in archives across Poland, Ukraine, Lithuania, and other regions—and often written in Russian, Polish, Hebrew, or Yiddish.

Immigrants often changed or Anglicized their names. Check immigration and naturalization papers, passenger manifests, and early census records. Synagogue membership lists and tombstones can also provide original Hebrew names.

A shtetl was a small Jewish town in Eastern Europe. Use databases like JewishGen’s Communities Database or Routes to Roots to locate your ancestral shtetl and identify which modern country or archive now holds its records.

Yes. DNA testing can identify Jewish ancestry and locate genetic cousins. However, due to endogamy (marriage within small communities), Jewish DNA results often show many distant cousin matches. Combine DNA evidence with traditional records for best results.

• Ashkenazi Jews trace ancestry to Central and Eastern Europe.
• Sephardic Jews descend from Spain, Portugal, and later North Africa and the Ottoman Empire.
• Mizrahi Jews come from Middle Eastern and Persian regions.

Each group has distinct naming patterns, languages, and record sources.

Search databases such as Yad Vashem, the Arolsen Archives, and the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum. Many include digitized documents, testimonies, and lists from ghettos or DP camps.

Yes. JewishGen.org is the most comprehensive Jewish genealogy platform, with millions of records, town databases, and message boards. Other helpful sites include JRI-Poland and Gesher Galicia.

The International Association of Jewish Genealogical Societies (IAJGS) lists affiliates worldwide. Joining your local society connects you with mentors, workshops, and community archives.

Websites such as JewishGen’s Burial Registry, Find a Grave, and BillionGraves include Jewish burial listings. Hebrew inscriptions can reveal Hebrew names, parentage, and even the town of origin.

Check Ellis Island or Castle Garden passenger lists. For other ports, use Ancestry.com, MyHeritage, or the U.S. National Archives. Naturalization files often include the immigrant’s original name and birthplace.

Possibly—but surnames weren’t always hereditary in Jewish families before the 1800s. Combine DNA with document-based research to verify relationships.

Explore SephardicGen.com, the Sephardic Diaspora Project, and MyHeritage’s Sephardic tools. Many Sephardic communities kept detailed synagogue and rabbinical records that survive today.

Record interviews with older relatives, scan photos, and write down traditions or recipes. Create a digital family tree, compile a family history book, or donate copies to your local Jewish historical society.

Use volunteer translators through JewishGen’s ViewMate or your local genealogical group for accurate translations. Online tools can help but often misread handwritten script or abbreviations.

You can donate, volunteer, or become a member of nonprofit organizations that preserve Jewish records, organize databases, and teach research skills. Every contribution helps rescue and digitize fragile historical documents for future generations.