
	Monday, May 16, 2005, 7:00 p.m.

Suggested Materials to Review before and after the Genealogy by Genetics: Jewish History and DNA presentation:

JewishGen has partnered with Family Tree DNA: http://www.jewishgen.org/dna/.

“When there are no records and the paper trail dead ends, we are offering an opportunity to utilize a revolutionary strategy. This tool places you on the cutting edge of scientific technology and can be your only means of establishing familial connectivity. Using an 12-marker test, relationships can be determined over a period in excess of a few thousand years. If someone has the exact DNA markers as you, you have an extremely high likelihood of sharing a common ancestor with that person, from a time period ranging from a few generations back to about 900 years.

“With our Genealogy by Genetics partner, Family Tree DNA (FTDNA), we are introducing a new project to further the opportunities for validating family connections based on similar or identical surnames possibly deriving from the same common ancestor. In the Surname/DNA project, we not only offer favorable group pricing, we are enabling JewishGenners to create their own Surname project and tap into the largest and most comprehensive of DNA results from samples submitted by Jews. This is the ideal opportunity for those of you with many unconnected branches on your “same surname” tree.

To see if there is one currently underway on your surname, see Family Tree DNA's Surname Projects List, or take a leadership position and initiate a Surname/DNA project of your own.

For complete information on this exciting new project, please read the Family Tree DNA FAQ (Frequently Asked Questions).”

For information on aspects of the program devoted specifically to Jewish genealogy go to: http://www.familytreedna.com/jgene.html

A great deal of information is available in the 29 issues of “Facts and Genes: The World's Only Newsletter Dedicated to Genetic Genealogy” found at: http://www.familytreedna.com/facts_genes.asp?act=past

We suggest that you begin by reading in Facts & Genes Volume 4, Issue 1, February 23, 2005, Genetic Genealogy: Getting Started.

As a follow-up to the presentation, Family Tree DNA provides an extensive source of tutorials at all levels of expertise, tailored to help you understand, plan, and organize projects, and interpret results: http://www.familytreedna.com/dna101.html

A good list of reference video and books on genetics and genealogy is available at http://www.familytreedna.com/books.html. They are all rated for beginner, intermediate, advanced and “all” levels of difficulty. Each selection is described and can be ordered directly from the web site.