Invited to speak at the Jewish Genealogical Society of New York on my book, Before and After the DNA Test: A Practical Guide to Genetic Privacy, Medical Risks and Family Secrets (Bloomsbury 2027), and my identity journey after discovering that I am half Ashkenazi Jew.

“JGS is a non-profit organization open to people of all ethnic and religious backgrounds. The JGS has a home in the Center for Jewish History, with its own office and a library in the Center’s Genealogical Institute. Visit our web site www.jgsny.org , to learn more about membership opportunities, programs and services, and databases available on the site.

Founded in New York in 1977, The Jewish Genealogical Society, Inc. (JGS) was the first of now over 80 such societies worldwide. JGS membership has grown to more than 1,000, with members from both the New York metropolitan area as well as elsewhere in the U.S. and abroad.

The JGS presents innovative programs and seminars, including monthly meetings with guest lecturers from a variety of disciplines. A full-day seminar containing several presentations about a given topic is held annually. A luncheon is included at which presenters and participants have a chance to socialize and get acquainted.

The JGS sponsored the first summer conference for Jewish genealogists in 1981, setting the precedent for annual summer seminars each year since, held in various U.S. cities and in such international locations as London, Paris, Toronto and Jerusalem. The JGS also hosted summer conferences in New York City in 1985, 1991 and 1999.

Dorot, a quarterly newsletter, contains information about upcoming and past meetings, book reviews, short articles and summaries of pertinent items from various repositories and other organizations, feature articles on genealogical research, tips on new Internet sites and other sources of interest to members.”