Tag Archives: Genealogy

Tears

Posted on August 30, 2025 by Janette Silverman

Today we visited one of those all too many lost communities. It was about a two hour drive from Kaunas to Švėkšna. In 1897 there were about 1000 Jews living in Švėkšna. By the interwar period, Jews owned more than … Continue reading →

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A Balebosta in Vilnius

Posted on August 28, 2025 by Janette Silverman

It’s not often that you have an opportunity to meet with someone who carries the traditions of Litvak food in her soul. Even if she doesn’t sing out loud as she prepares the ingredients, mixes them, all the while explaining … Continue reading →

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Getting rattled

Posted on August 27, 2025 by Janette Silverman

There are many things when one travels that could be disturbing or nerve wracking. I can’t imagine how our ancestors coped with this, traveling in steerage, carrying all they owned on their backs. I need multiple suitcases even for short … Continue reading →

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The Streets

Posted on August 24, 2025 by Janette Silverman

Last night I was lulled to sleep by the musicians playing on the street outside the hotel – accordions, guitars, I think I saw a violinist when I was outside, too. This morning, I woke up early and was lulled … Continue reading →

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The Adventure Starts (or perhaps continues)

Posted on August 21, 2025 by Janette Silverman

Depending on how you look at it, I am either off for a new adventure or just continuing the journey of discovery I’ve been on for a long time. I realized many years ago that researching made me really happy, … Continue reading →

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Our Never-ending Stories

Posted on July 5, 2025 by Janette Silverman

Those of you who read my book Stories They Never Told Us may think you’ve heard (or read) all my stories and all the techniques and resources available for genealogical research. However, our lives are filled with stories. The minutia … Continue reading →

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Excitement – Research, Travel, Book

Posted on May 21, 2025 by Janette Silverman

Not only did my family find the names on the tablecloth fascinating, but as I’ve been adding new names, I went down memory lane. I searched for photos, I updated my tree with new findings, and stuck my fingers countless … Continue reading →

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Quests and Questions

Posted on November 2, 2024 by Janette Silverman

Yesterday, I indulged myself with research into my own family. I didn’t start with anything particular in mind. I thought I would look at JRI-Poland and see if there was anything new I could find of interest. I was looking … Continue reading →

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Disappointment – a Learning Experience

Posted on August 31, 2024 by Janette Silverman

It’s impossible to know before you turn down a road not previously traveled what you will find. As genealogists we all (ok I’m projecting here) explore new-found resources sometimes resulting in glorious, undescribably exciting results and other times with disappointment. … Continue reading →

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Summer’s End

Posted on August 27, 2024 by Janette Silverman

This summer has been stupendous and very exhausting. I’ve spoken at 3 weeklong conferences and feel like I’ve been flying across the country non-stop. In reality it hasn’t been non-stop, every place I visited I stay at for a week … Continue reading →

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