If you’re curious about your genealogy, don’t know where to start investigating your family’s roots, or have reached a research dead end, DNA testing may be the answer. DNA testing is used by genealogists to learn “where they came from” and to confirm or disprove family relationships. It involves sending in a cheek swab and receiving information about individuals that match your DNA patterns as well as your ethnic and geographic origins.

You are invited to learn all about DNA testing at the Jewish Genealogical Society of Illinois (JGSI) www.jgsi.org meeting on May 21, featuring Family Tree DNA Founder and CEO Bennett Greenspan (www.familytreedna.com), who will present “General DNA and Genealogy” followed by “DNA of the Jewish People.”

There is a lot of activity in the area of DNA testing and Jewish genealogy including special interest groups, reuniting families separated by the Holocaust, and genetic studies.

JewishGen (www.jewishgen.com ) offers databases, research tools, educational courses, an online community, and other resources. On the topic of DNA, it hosts geographic, surname, and heritage projects.

The DNA Shoah Project is building a global genetic database of Holocaust survivors, their children, and grandchildren in an attempt to match displaced relatives, provide Shoah orphans with information about their biological families and eventually, when the database has reached sufficient size, assist European governments with the identification of Holocaust-era remains that continue to surface.

A DNA study found that Ashkenazi Jews started from a founding population of about 350 people between 600 and 800 years ago. The genetic link is so close that that most European Jews are estimated to be at least 30th cousins. Studies also show which genetic diseases those of Jewish heritage are more likely to carry than the general population and that the children of Holocaust survivors have a greater likelihood of stress disorders.

Greenspan caught the genealogy bug early, completing his first family tree around age 12. Greenspan’s attempts to prove a genealogical theory prompted him to contact Dr. Michael Hammer at the University of Arizona. Greenspan convinced Hammer to use a Y-DNA test for genealogy, when the test proved his theory, he decided to start Family Tree DNA. Greenspan will present two topics and have DNA kits for sale.

In “General DNA and Genealogy,” he will address the use of DNA testing to enhance genealogical research and explain the types of DNA tests and their applications, outline the basics of genetic genealogy, and discuss why family history researchers should test their DNA.

During “The DNA of the Jewish People,” Greenspan will discuss the genetic profiles typically found among Jews, including Ashkenazim, Sephardim, and Mizrahim as well as the profiles of the Europeans among whom Jews have lived for the past 2,000 years. Some say the Ashkenazim did not originate in the Fertile Crescent region of the Middle East but instead are descendants of Khazars who converted to Judaism in Eastern Europe. But what do the genetics say? In this talk, Greenspan revisits the genetic ancestry of Jews.

JGSI, established in 1980 and now with over 280 members, helps members collect, preserve, and perpetuate the records and history of their ancestors and serves as a resource for the worldwide community to research their Chicago-area Jewish roots. It hosts monthly meetings with speakers, assistance using research materials in the over 800-volume library, and volunteers at computer help stations. JGSI publishes an informative newsletter and holds beginners’ workshops. Its website includes a guide to Chicago resources, cemetery data, memorial plaques, and much more. Members have access to additional databases, workshop recordings and handouts, and an online members’ discussion forum.

“General DNA and Genealogy” and “DNA of the Jewish People” will be presented by Bennett Greenspan, founder and CEO of Family Tree DNA, on Sunday, May 21, at Temple Beth-El in Northbrook. Registration is at 12:30 p.m., the program runs from 1:00 – 4:00 p.m., and is free and open to the public. To learn more about this and future meetings, as well as the many resources available to genealogists, contact the Jewish Genealogical Society of Illinois at www.jgsi.org, at (312) 666-0100, or at [email protected].

Peggy Morrow is a marketing consultant in Chicago’s northwest suburbs who started researching her family’s roots 10 years ago after yet another Thanksgiving dinner conversation wondering where the family came from. She is a JGSI Board member and editor of its newsletter “Morasha.”