To register and/or find out all about the 28th IAJGS International Conference on Jewish Genealogy, to be held at the Chicago Marriott Downtown Magnificent Mile, August 17–22, 2008, see the website at . This conference will be co-hosted by the International Association of Jewish Genealogical Societies (IAJGS), the Jewish Genealogical Society of Illinois and the Illiana Jewish Genealogical Society. So that attendees can begin to plan their research in advance, we summarize below some of Chicago’s major Jewish genealogical resources.

“An outstanding guide to research facilities in Chicago is available online: Guide to Jewish Genealogy in Chicagoland ”

The conference hotel, the Chicago Marriott Downtown Magnificent Mile, is centrally located, making some research sites quite accessible. An outstanding guide to research facilities in Chicago is available online: Guide to Jewish Genealogy in Chicagoland, (referred to hereafter as Guide), by Mike Karsen, president of the JGS of Illinois, is posted at: . The Guide, also reachable via a link on the conference website, offers information on where to find vital records for individuals who lived in Chicago and where to find more general materials relevant to Jewish genealogical research that may not be readily available in other locales.

Guide to Jewish Genealogy in Chicagoland

The Guide home page provides links to the following information:

• Types of records. A guide to finding research locations that hold specific record types, for example, vital records, residence records, life in Jewish Chicago, arrival records, “Old Country” information
• Resource locations. Lists of research facilities, including address, phone/fax, e-mail, website and summaries of holdings
• Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ). Answers to questions about Chicago research or about the website.
• Reference materials. A comprehensive bibliography on Jewish genealogy, Jewish Chicago and general genealogy including Chicago

The Chicago area has 24 Jewish cemeteries. The Guide includes information about each one, including address, telephone number, description of resources, access to rec-ords and fees. Genealogists interested in visiting a cemetery are advised to call the cemetery of interest before arriving in Chicago to ensure that a trip there is not a futile effort. The conference website will include information about special arrangements for visits by attendees and how to travel to the cemeteries.

Three Jewish funeral homes are listed in the Guide. Addresses and contact information are included. Records may be accessed by telephoning the respective offices.

Spertus Institute of Jewish Study

The Spertus Institute of Jewish Study, , is located at 610 S. Michigan Avenue in a fantastic new building that was officially opened to the public on November 30, 2007. It is close to the conference hotel which is located at 540 N. Michigan Ave. As stated on its website:

Spertus invites people of all ages and backgrounds to explore the multifaceted Jewish experience. Through its innovative public programming, exhibitions, collections, research facilities and degree programs, Spertus inspires learning, serves diverse communities and fosters understanding for Jews and people of all faiths, locally, regionally and around the world.

Through a synergy of cultural and academic programming, Spertus creates an engaging environment for people of all ages and backgrounds.

More than 200,000 people each year take part in creative, multi-dimensional programming that ranges from the intellectual rigor of formal degree programs to the richness of cultural celebrations, from the vitality of interactive children’s activities to the significance of thought-provoking exhibitions.

The Books and Audiobooks collections of the Spertus Asher Library hold more than 105,000 books on virtually every imaginable Jewish topic, from Bible and Talmud, to modern Jewish fiction and the State of Israel, in nearly a dozen different languages. To check their online catalogue, go to . On the left side of the page, click on “Asher Library.” Then, on the right hand side, click on “online catalogue.”

The Newspaper and Periodicals collection includes more than 550 current newspaper and magazine subscriptions from around the world and more than 12,000 bound periodicals dating back to the 18th century, in approximately a dozen languages. Onsite online resources provide in-house and remote access to the full text of more than a thousand books and tens of thousands of journal articles, in both Jewish and general studies, accessible via the Internet.

The Chicago Jewish Archives, also at Spertus, has a collection of materials about Chicago’s synagogues, personal collections, oral history and files from Chicago’s Jewish organizations. All materials previously held by the Chicago Jewish Historical Society are now held by the Chicago Jewish Archives. Note: Visits to the Chicago Jewish Archives can be by appointment only. Contact the Archives at <archives@spertus.edu> or by telephone, 312-322-1741.

Spertus Museum

The Spertus Museum’s permanent display actively engages visitors in the richness and complexity of Jewish history, culture and identity and there are special exhibits as well. The museum’s hours are Sunday–Wednesday, 10 a.m.– to 6 p.m.; Thursday, 10 a.m.–7 p.m.; Friday, 10 a.m.– 3 p.m. The museum is closed on Saturday for the Jewish Sabbath. General admission is $7; students and seniors, $5. Spertus members and children under age five enter free. Free for everyone: Tuesdays, 10 a.m.–12 noon and Thursdays, 3 p.m.–7 p.m. The Spertus Museum shop sells Judaica. More about Spertus can be found at .

Spertus Café by Wolfgang Puck.

Spertus offers the closest kosher eatery in Chicago’s central downtown where Wolfgang Puck’s most popular dishes are prepared in a kosher process by local chef Laura Frankel; dietary laws are observed. The café also offers free wireless internet. Hours for the café are: Sunday 10 a.m.–5 p.m., Monday–Wednesday 8:30 a.m.–6 p.m., Thursday 8:30 a.m.–7 p.m.; Friday 8:30 a.m.–3 p.m. (Open Saturday evenings when Spertus programs are scheduled). The menu can be seen at . Click on “Spertus Café.”

Newberry Library

The Newberry Library, located at 60 W. Walton St., Chicago, IL 60610-7324, is an independent research library concentrating in the humanities with an active educational and cultural presence in Chicago. Free and open to the public, it houses an extensive non-circulating collection of rare books, maps, music, manuscripts and other printed material. The library holds many items and resource material of interest to genealogists. For more information, consult the library website at collec tions.html>.

In November 2007, the Newberry announced an Interactive Online Map for Genealogists. Found at <www.Chicago Ancestors.org>, it was developed for local historians and genealogists to share knowledge and resources. The map includes data on neighborhood bibliographies and historical homicides and has links to resources on the Internet, including historical photographs of Chicago. The website also allows visitors to research the history of a particular address or Chicago neighborhood and identify Newberry Library resources along with relevant educational institutions and places of worship. By creating a saved profile, users can share their research with other family members or fellow researchers. Registered users of the website can add comments to map points or map their own historical and genealogical information.

Other locations for Jewish research include the Hebrew Theological College, which has a collection of yizkor books, and the Holocaust Memorial Foundation of Illinois, which holds a collection of yizkor books, books on Eastern Europe and books on camps, lost communities and survivor stories (see the Guide for addresses and contact information).

Important public institutions also provide many opportunities for genealogical research. One example is the Harold Washington Public Library located downtown at 400 South State Street. For more information and to search the catalog, see .

The Guide also provides information on the Chicago Board of Election Commissioners, the Office of the Circuit Court Clerk of Cook County, the Cook County Assessor’s Office (for property records) and the Cook County Vital Records office.

Regional Branch of National Archives

A branch of the United States National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) is located at 7358 South Pulaski Road, Chicago, Illinois. This regional archive houses inactive records created or received by federal agencies in Illinois, Minnesota and Wisconsin, and federal courts in Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Minnesota, Ohio and Wisconsin. The facility is open to the public: Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m.–4:15 p.m.; first Saturday of the month, 8:00 a.m.–4:15 p.m.; (closed Sundays and federal holidays). Note: If planning a research visit on Saturday, an advance call to make a reservation for a microfilm reader or to request specific historical records for review is strongly advised; call: 773-948-9001. The Federal Records Center at the NARA branch is open: Monday through Friday, 8:30 a.m.–4:30 p.m.; (closed weekends and federal holidays). It houses inactive records created or received by federal agencies in Illinois, Minnesota and Wisconsin and federal courts in Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Minnesota, Ohio and Wisconsin. For more information about Chicago’s NARA branch, see and click on “Illinois.”

Finally, we highly recommend Chicago and Cook County: A Guide to Research, by Loretto Dennis Szucs. Although not focused on Jewish genealogy, the book is an important guide to genealogy research in Chicago.

Anne Feder Lee of Honolulu, Hawaii; Mike Posnick of Minneapolis, Minnesota;, and Joel Spector of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania serve as IAJGS president, treasurer and secretary, respectively. They are the co-chairs of the Chicago 2008 conference.

Avotaynu 2007; 23(4):15-16
DOI: 10.17228/AVOT20070415
Copyright © 2008 Avotaynu, Inc.