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.
Sunday, Feb. 21, 2:00 p.m. – In Person and Online
Maria Leonard Olsen, J.D., The Journey of a Filipina American Who Discovered Her Jewish Father Via a Gifted DNA Test
Speaker: Maria Leonard Olsen
At age 53, Maria Leonard Olsen, a Filipina American and lifelong Catholic, found out via a DNA test that she is, genetically speaking, half Ashkenazi Jewish. She discovered that the father who raised her is not her biological father and that she is the product of a relationship her mother had with a Jewish American man in 1962. Maria's biological father was an actor she had watched on the big and small screens throughout her life. She gave a TEDx Talk about her journey and the risks of taking DNA tests. She subsequently wrote a book about it, Before and After the DNA Test: A Practical Guide to Genetic Privacy, Medical Risks and Family Secrets (Bloomsbury, Feb. 4, 2027). Maria will share her personal journey, her experience meeting her Jewish relatives, and how the discovery impacted her sense of identity.
Bio:
Maria Leonard Olsen practices law as a commercial litigator in Washington, DC. She is an Amazon bestselling author (50 After 50: Reframing the Next Chapter of Your Life), podcaster (“Becoming Your Best Version”), journalist, TEDx speaker (“Turning Life’s Challenges into a Force for Good” and “What to Consider Before and After You Take a DNA Test”), book marketing coach for female authors and mentor to women in recovery. Maria served as a political appointee in the Clinton Justice Department and on numerous boards. She writes for several women in midlife publications (including AARP's The Ethel, The Midst and Kuel Life) and is a frequent public speaker on wellness issues. Her forthcoming books are Before and After the DNA Test: A Practical Guide to Genetic Privacy, Medical Risks and Family Secrets, which is available for preorder on Amazon and Bloomsbury Publishing, and 60 After 60: Finding Serenity in Your 60s or at Any Age. Learn more at MariaLeonardOlsen.com and follow her on social media
“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.”
Learn more: https://jgsny.org/programs-civi/calendar/icalrepeat.detail/2027/02/21/168/-/attorney-author-maria-leonard-olsens-journey-a-filipina-american-who-discovers-her-jewish-father-via-a-gifted-dna-test
In person location TBA (available by Zoom)
Contact
program@jgsny.org
