JewishGen Talks: Treasures for Your Tree — Finding Family Genealogical Ephemera in Archives

Genealogists can discover far more than family trees and vital records in archives. In this talk, Michael Simonson will explore little-known collections at the Leo Baeck Institute—a panorama of art, objects, photographs, newspapers, books, and other materials—that illuminate the lives of ancestors, sharing strategies that can be applied to research in archives everywhere. The presentation will feature 1930s glass slides of Winnie-the-Pooh that may have been created in Theresienstadt, along with materials from the Shanghai Ghetto, offering a vivid glimpse into Jewish life under extraordinary circumstances.

Michael Simonson began working at the Leo Baeck Institute in 2002 and currently serves as Head of Public Outreach and Archivist. Since starting as a new archivist, Simonson has held many roles, including Director of the Dr. Robert Ira Lewy Reference Services and Director of Public Outreach. He works closely with researchers, whether for academic purposes or personal genealogy, and has coordinated numerous online programs as well as the monthly meetings of the Leo Baeck Institute book club.