The Jewish Genealogical Society of Oregon (JGSO) invites you, your family, and friends to our February meeting. Decoding Jewish Matzevot (Gravestones) presented by Dr. Ronald D. Doctor Date: MONDAY, February 21, 2005 Time: 7:30 pm to 9:30 pm Place: Neveh Shalom Congregation 2900 Peaceful Lane Portland, Oregon (Beaverton-Hillsdale Highway/North on Dosch Rd/Right on Peaceful Lane) Jewish matzevot can provide valuable genealogical information and can help link one generation to another. At this meeting, you will learn how to decode the matzevot inscriptions even if you can't speak Hebrew. We'll talk about standard elements on Jewish gravestones, including old stones from past centuries. We'll learn how to interpret Jewish calendar dates that appear on the stones and how to recognize names and titles. And, we'll discuss ways that you can obtain images of your ancestors gravestones. Ron has been involved in Jewish family research since 1992. A past president of JGSO, he currently serves on the Advisory Board of JewishGen’s Ukraine Special Interest Group, and is Co-coordinator for three international projects: the Kremenets Shtetl CO-OP (which is translating 15,000 vital records from the 19th century); the Kremenets Yizkor Book Translation Project (which is translating 2,500 pages of Yizkor Books and Booklets from the Ukrainian shtetls of Kremenets and Vishnevets), and the Kremenets Jewish Cemetery Restoration and Documentation Project (for Kremenets and Vishnevets). Ron has made two trips to the Ukraine in the past 3 years. He is the author of Getting Started in Jewish Genealogy: A Handbook for Beginners, with Supplementary Information for Advanced Research. Ron holds a Ph.D. in engineering, a MLS in library and information science, and has been retired since 1997 from the faculty of the University of Alabama. This event is FREE to JGSO members. Contributions at the door of $2 door are requested from non-members to help us defray the meeting cost. Contribution can be deducted from new membership if you join that evening. It is time to renew your annual membership in JGSO. If you have not already done so, please send your membership dues renewal check to JGSO, PO Box 19736, Portland, Oregon 97280. Annual dues are $30 for Family Membership, $23 for Individual Membership, and $10 for Student Membership. If you are not yet a member of JGSO, won't you consider joining us? The 170 page third edition of "Getting Started in Jewish Genealogy: A Handbook for Beginners with Supplementary Information for Advanced Research" will be for sale at the meeting. It is free to new members with paid membership, $12 to members in good standing, and $18 to non-members. Also available for sale are copies of "The JGSO CD-Rom". It is packed with useful information to help you develop your family history. Cost is $15 for JGSO members and $25 for non-members. To be placed on JGS of Oregon's e-mail distribution list, send an e-mail message to [email protected] Once you are on the list, you will receive periodic messages concerning Jewish genealogy. Your name and e-mail address will not be distributed outside of JGS of Oregon. For more information about JGSO and its activities, visit the JGSO web site at: http://www.rootsweb.com/~orjgs or call Sandra Shapiro at 503-694-5646. The JGSO is affiliated with the International Association of Jewish Genealogical Societies.