SFBAJGS - Calendar of Genealogical Events

Past Programs

Sunday, October 25, 2026 SFBAJGS Presentation LIVE Free and everyone interested is welcome. Time and Place: 1:30 pm until x:00 pm, Pacific Time Oakland Family Search Center 4766 Lincoln Ave (near Highway 13), Oakland, CA    [format addre The center is on your right as you enter the Temple grounds. It is located under the Visitors Center.  Ample parking is available. Topic: Ask the Mavens Speaker: SFBAJGS Bring your genealogy questions, research challenges, and documents you would like help interpreting or analyzing. A panel of experienced researchers will brainstorm with you and offer suggestions, resources, and next steps to help you solve your family history mysteries and brick walls. Wi-Fi access will be available and laptops are welcome. This meeting is free, and everyone (including non-members) is welcome, from beginners to experienced researchers. Expect: Expert insights to help guide your research Interactive question-and-answer discussions Practical suggestions for breaking through research roadblocks A chance to connect with fellow genealogists Prepare: You will present what what know, what research you've already done, and where the roadblock sits. Pre-registration is strongly encouraged. If possible, please include the genealogy question you would like to have answered. Questions submitted in advance will be answered first by the Mavens. To register, please email your name and question to: info@GenResearch.net. All questions are welcome, especially from beginners.

Sunday, November 15, 2026 SFBAJGS Presentation LIVE Free and everyone interested is welcome. Time and Place: 1:00 pm until 2:30 pm, Pacific Time Congregation Beth Ami, 4676 Mayette Avenue, Santa Rosa Topic: Finding Your Jewish Ancestors in Greater Hungary: Resources and Tips Speaker: Vivian Kahn Before the end of World War I, greater Hungary was three times larger than Hungary is today. With over 2 million records already on-line and more added regularly, the JewishGen Hungary Database is widely recognized as one of the best resources for researching Jewish families from this vast area, which includes the present Hungarian republic, Slovakia, Transylvania (now in Romania and Ukraine), Transcarpathian Ukraine, and other parts of Europe. There are also a wide variety of other web sites that can help you to grow your family tree. This presentation will highlight what’s available from JewishGen as well as other less familiar on-line resources that can help you to expand your Hungarian research horizons. Although many of these are in Hungarian, armed with a list of basic genealogical terms and an understanding of their organization and contents, you can use these resources even if you don’t speak Hungarian. Vivian will also provide you with tips for travel to Hungary and other areas once part of greater Hungary where your ancestors may have lived before immigrating. Vivian Kahn directs JewishGen’s Hungarian Research Division. She has presented workshops on Jewish genealogy and, especially, Hungarian Jewish family research, at IAJGS annual conferences, for Jewish genealogy societies, and in Sighetu, Romania, during a May 2015 gathering of the community’s Jewish descendants. Since beginning researching her own family from pre-Trianon Hungary more than 25 years ago, she has identi?ed and used a wide range of archival, print, and on-line resources to research families from Hungary, Moravia, Slovakia, Romania, and Galicia and has made research trips to Hungary, Slovakia, and Romania. She has also done extensive research on her husband’s British, Dutch, and early American roots. Vivian has written articles on Hungarian Jewish family research for publications including Avotaynuand Jewish Genealogy, the Journal of the International Institute for Jewish Genealogy. She was recognized with the IAJGS Lifetime Achievement Award in 2023 and was JewishGen’s Volunteer of the Year in 2021. A native of New York, NY, Vivian now lives in Sonoma County, California. She is a professional genealogy consultant and previously worked as an urban planning and development consultant. Register for this meeting. TBA After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the meeting. You do not have to have a Zoom account to attend a Zoom meeting. You will be prompted to download the software, once you have clicked on the link that you have been provided. You may also wish to create an account, but that is not required to participate in a Zoom meeting.

Que sera sera