Expertise
New York Genealogy - Jewish Genealogy - Genetic Genealogy - Additional Specialties
New York Genealogy
My path to genealogy began with my New York ancestors. Living and working in the city, I have a deep familiarity with offline collections that help me break through clients’ brick walls.
Geographic specialties
New York City’s five boroughs (Manhattan, Brooklyn, Queens, the Bronx, and Staten Island)
Westchester County, New York
Long Island (Nassau County and Suffolk County)
Hudson Valley, upstate New York, and New Jersey projects on a case-by-case basis
The majority of clients at We Go Way Back® have New York roots between the 17th century and the 20th century, and have a range of ethnic backgrounds.
Past projects
Identified the parents and siblings of a “brick wall” ancestor in early 19th century New York City
Traced a client’s New York City ancestry back to a Revolutionary War patriot on Long Island
Confirmed an Irish immigrant ancestor’s maiden name
Narrative genealogy (biographies) of three generations of New Yorkers, from the 18th century to the 20th century
Researched notable immigrant New Yorkers’ origins and ancestries for historians, journalists, and biographers.
Genetic Genealogy
I regularly incorporate DNA evidence into my genealogical research. In 2019, I published a case study in the peer-reviewed New York Genealogical and Biographical Record that used a combination of traditional records and DNA evidence to identify a set of fourth-great grandparents.
Research specialties
Unknown parentage, ranging from adoption and sperm donor cases to unexpected DNA results
18th- and 19th-century genealogical problems
Admixture results, also known as “ethnicity results” or “pie charts” showing geographic areas or populations of origin
Past projects
Identified living clients’ biological parents using a combination of DNA and traditional records
Connected a 1% South Asian admixture result to a female ancestor in 18th-century Bengal, India
Using a client’s DNA results, traced hidden Jewish ancestry to 19th-century Hungary
Jewish Genealogy
As a Jewish person myself, I grew up believing that there was nothing to find about my Jewish ancestors. (I even wrote a whole blog post about it.) Today, I help clients learn about their Jewish ancestry, both recent and distant.
Research specialties
Locating Jewish immigrant families’ towns of origin across Europe
Identifying Jewish families’ original surnames, Yiddish names, and Hebrew names prior to assimilation
Reconstructing the identities of Jewish ancestors who converted or otherwise hid their religious or family histories
German language
Past projects
Narrative genealogy (biographies) of a Jewish family, with the social and historical context surrounding their emigration from Europe and beginnings in America
Identified a client’s Jewish ancestor who had hidden his birth name, parents, and origins from his children
Traced ancestry to a family of 15th-century Sephardic rabbis
Additional Specialties
In addition to my primary areas of expertise, I regularly research and publish work on the following geographic areas and demographics:
European genealogy, particularly in the British Isles, Germany, and Eastern and Southern Europe.
African American genealogy in New York State and South Carolina
The genealogy and activities of criminals, particularly in Prohibition-era New York City
Personal financial histories of 18th-20th-century New Yorkers