How to get started on your family tree

Building your family tree has never been easier. Here are some quick steps to help you get started.

1. Choose a platform. You can scribble your tree down on paper the old-fashioned way, or you can save yourself some headaches and use genealogy software that’s been developed over the past 30 years. There are many programs you can purchase for your computer, but you are better off just using an online program. I like Geni.com because you can build your tree for free there, and work collaboratively with other family members. But for separate trees, you can also try Geni’s Israeli parent company, MyHeritage.com, or the very popular Ancestry.com. Each charges for access to data records and certain functions.

2. Start by just entering as much information as you know. Try to include dates and locations of birth, marriage and death to help identify each person on your tree. Add a photo to make the tree come alive. If you cannot remember or aren’t certain about a detail, just skip it and move on to the next. Once you have the information you already know set up, then you can start the work of finding out more. Contact your relatives and ask for information. You can invite them to join the tree by plugging in their email addresses so they can add more people to the tree. Don’t be afraid to share. Each person you invite will add a new detail or photo, correct a mistake or just marvel at the work you have done. The more people you invite to your tree, the better it will be.

3. Once you have exhausted what you and your relatives know, then the real work can begin. For Jewish research, the best starting point is JewishGen.org, the nonprofit hub for Jewish genealogy worldwide. On JewishGen you can find information about how to research in almost any country. There are special-interest groups set up for most regions, each with its own website and discussion group where you can post questions and get answers from experts. JewishGen provides access to millions of digitized records that might help you take your family tree back a few more generations. 

4. There are great resources online at MyHeritage, Ancestry and FamilySearch (operated by the Mormons). On Facebook, join the Jewish Genealogy Portal and get help from experts. Or contact me at randols@bslaw.net and I can help you get started.