Start researching your family by exploring some of these suggested resources:

Books Available in the Asher Library

• Avotaynu Guide of Jewish Genealogy. Ed. Sallyann Amdur Sack and Gary Mokotoff. Bergenfield, N.J. : Avotaynu, 2003.
• David, Jo. How to Trace Your Jewish Roots: Discovering Your Unique History. New York: Kensington Pub. Corp., 2000.
• DuMelle, Grace. Finding Your Chicago Ancestors: A Beginners Guide to Family History in the City and Cook County. Chicago: Lake Claremont Press, 2005.
• Frazin, Judith R. A Translation Guide to 19th-century Polish-language Civil-registration Documents: (birth, marriage, and death records). Northbrook, Ill.: Jewish Genealogical Society of Illinois, 1989.
• Kranzler, David. My Jewish Roots: A Practical Guide to Tracing and Recording Your Genealogy and Family History. New York: Sepher-Hermon Press, 1979.
• Krasner-Khait, Barbara. Discovering Your Jewish Ancestors. North Salt Lake: Heritage Quest, 2001.
• Kurzweil, Arthur. From Generation to Generation: How to Trace Your Jewish Genealogy and Personal History. New York : Morrow, 1980.
• The Encyclopedia of Jewish Genealogy. Eds. Arthur Kurzweil and Miriam Weiner. Northvale, N.J.: J. Aronson, 1991.
• Malka, Jeffrey S. Sephardic Genealogy: Discovering Your Sephardic Ancestors and Their World. Bergenfield, NJ : Avotaynu, 2002.
• Migration from the Russian Empire: Lists of Passengers Arriving at the Port of New York. Ed. Ira A. Glazier. Baltimore: Genealogical Pub. Co., 1995.
• Rottenberg, Dan. Finding our Fathers: A Guidebook to Jewish Genealogy. Baltimore: Genealogical Pub. Co., 1986, 1977.
• Tepper, Michael. American Passenger Arrival Records: A Guide to the Records of Immigrants Arriving at American Ports by Sail and Steam. Baltimore: Genealogical Pub. Co., 1993.
• Weiner, Miriam. Jewish Roots in Poland: Pages from the Past and Archival Inventories. Secaucus, NJ: Miriam Weiner Routes to Roots Foundation, 1997.

Browse the Catalog
     Search Subject:
          Jews Genealogy
          Jews [locality] Genealogy
Browse the Shelves
     LC Call Number:
          CS 21
          F 548

Videos

• Kurzweil, Arthur. How to Trace Your Jewish Roots, a Journey with Arthur Kurzweil. Teaneck, NJ: Ergo Media, 1995.

Journals

• Avotaynu. Teaneck, N.J. : G. Mokotoff, 1985—Print.
• Dorot. New York, N.Y. : Jewish Genealogical Society, 1985—Print.
• Landsmen, Quarterly Publication of the Suwalk—Lomza Interest Group for Jewish Genealogists. Washington, D.C.: The Group, 1990—Print
• The Sentinel, Chicago 1911—1996 Print; 1911—1949 Available full text

Online Resources

• Ancestry.com — World's largest online family history resource. Available through the Chicago Public Library onsite only.
• Census Finder — A Directory of Free Census Records
• Chicago Tribune Historical Archive — Available through the Chicago Public Library. Library card required for access.
• Cyndi’s List — A starting point for genealogy research. A research tool for Sephardic / Jewish genealogy.
• Czestochowa-Radomsko Area Research Group — A search engine that gives access to one of the largest collections of archival Holocaust data on the web
• Death Index — A Genealogy Guide for Finding Death Certificates, Obituaries & Other Records
• Ellis Island Port of New York Passenger Record Search — Free search of Port of New York Passenger Records
• Hathi Trust Digital Library - Full text, searchable genealogy collection
• JewishGen — Provides a wide range of resources including databases, familyfinder, articles, societies, projects and discussion groups.
• FamilySearch — Free geneaology database
• The Sentinel (1911-1949) — Chicago's Jewish Weekly Newspaper available full-text
• ShtetLinks — a project of JewishGen Inc. which provides information about places where Jews have lived.
• Yizkor Book Project — translations of many Yizkor (Memorial) Books through JewishGen.
• Yizkor Books  (Holocaust Memorial Books) — Digitized memorial books available through New York Public Library

Other Resources in Illinois

• Cook County Vital Records
• Jewish Genealogical Society of Illinois
• Newberry Library

See also: Chicago Jewish History Subject Guide