It is amazing what I find when I get lost and distracted on the internet. I have no idea what I was looking at, but before I knew it, I had clicked on several links and discovered the JewishGen website. More importantly, I learned that this organization has done a super job of compiling and explaining Canadian resources, including many links to online resources. JewishGen is based in New York and an affiliate of the Museum of Jewish Heritage.
Not Jewish? No problem.
Most people researching their Canadian ancestry — no matter what their background — will find Bruce Brown’s Guide to Canadian Jewish Genealogical Research on JewishGen very useful. Among the many links provided are Canadian censuses, city directories, passenger lists, vital records, and newspapers. This is not just a list of links. Mr. Brown often explains where to find resources and when and why recording began.
The guide is a good place to start if you are new to Canadian genealogy. If you are an experienced researcher, the guide may refresh your memory about the wealth of resources that are available online.
The Canadian guide is just the tip of the iceberg on this website. Take a look at the JewishGen InfoFiles where you will find tons of material, from starting genealogy and genealogical techniques to British and American research.
Finally, before you leave the website, make sure you take a look at Stanley Diamond’s Researcher’s Code of Behavior. Mr. Diamond is a JewishGen board member and the founder and president of the Jewish Genealogical Society of Montreal.
Copyright © 2014, Gail Dever.
