IAJGS Salutes!

Dr. Steven Lasky, We Salute You!

March, 2007 - Dr. Steve Lasky of New York has been selected for an IAJGS Salute for his virtual Museum of Family History, created with dedication and diligence “to honor and preserve the memory of our ancestors for present and future generations.”

The site was constructed to educate and inform readers about the history of the Jewish people as seen through the eyes of our families, and from the families' sojourn in Eastern Europe through the years in countries which would eventually be their new homes.

When we visit his museum, we learn of the collective struggles and the triumphs of the Jewish people, and gain insight and understanding of the world in which they lived. The site strives to be an everlasting tribute to all our families, to their traditions and their way of life. The stories told add greater meaning to historic events that have dominated Jewish history for nearly two hundred years.

There are many facets to the site. The “Postcards from Home” exhibit includes photographs and documents contributed by Steve’s own family and others with a keen interest in this worthwhile project. Our family history, according to Steve, is sacred and he encourages us to preserve our own cherished family memories for future generations. Storytelling, he says, from grandparents and parents to their children in the time-honored oral tradition, adds to identity and continuity. He hopes to inspire readers to do more to transmit their own family memories to future generations.

The Museum of Family History, www.museumoffamilyhistory.com, offers a site map that provides visitors with a useful navigation tool to either browse, or use as an index to find specific material.

The site features many exhibitions and topics of interest. Steve has created three Links pages, the largest of which contains more than four hundred hyperlinks to sites of interest for Jewish genealogists, as well as two additional pages for Holocaust-related sites and Yiddish theater and culture.

The Education and Research Center provides examples and explains documents available to the Jewish genealogist. Visitors should frequently check the Recent Updates page for a listing of new material and exhibitions. He depends on the Jewish genealogical community to contribute photographs, stories and material to supplement the exhibitions. Check the Opportunities Page under Call Box for specific needs.

The matzeva (gravestone) offers important genealogical information for researchers. Steve has photographed more than 85,000 gravestones over a two-year period in the New York metro area, and has created an impressive Cemetery Project with this information. He is always willing to do lookups for researchers and provide photographs of gravestones if he has them. Also available are unique surname lists for cemetery society plots. Researchers can check surnames lists for specific towns and may contact him for more information.

His dedication to Jewish genealogy and his desire to make material interesting and accessible inspires genealogists to continue their investigations, while involving individuals more directly in their own family research.

Thank you, Steve, for your devotion and determination in creating a useful asset for all genealogists.

Lyn Blyden
Chair, IAJGS Salutes