BETH EL NEWS: Lifelong interest in genealogy turns into thriving club

By Steve Guggenheim
In 1984 East Windsor resident Lew Meixler received a call from his cousin’s son asking for information about the family history. As part of the child’s Bar Mitzvah project, Meixler helped him make a family tree. That request triggered what has turned into a lifelong interest in genealogy for Meixler.
Then about 10 years ago Meixler, a member of Beth El Synagogue, was asked to give a talk on genealogical research. Out of that was born what is now a thriving genealogy club at Beth El. On average about 40 people attend the monthly meetings, not all of them members of the synagogue, and not all are Jews. Lou recruits guest speakers for each gathering and goes to area clubs for ideas.
Generally the September program topic is a “how to” meeting explaining how people can get started in their research. Things like what to ask older relatives, what websites are helpful, in order words the basic questions of a person’s quest in finding their family’s history.
Among the websites Meixler utilizes are JewishGen.org, ancestry.com and the Mormon church site, family search.org/, which has major databases plus a number of regional specific websites. The main library is in Salt Lake City but one can access information online and also have information sent to its New Brunswick facility. Meixler says one can post a family tree on all these different sites so people doing similar research can add to what you find. He says one big advantage that did not exist years ago is DNA testing. And the biggest help nowadays is the internet, where most of the research takes place.
Meixler has also been asked for help by congregants. One member wanted to find out the date of her father’s death, which she was able to do. Beth El’s Genealogy Club has even spurred a book written by two synagogue members, Caryn Alter and Dr. Stephen Cohen of East Windsor. It is aimed at teens looking to start their research.
The search can get get quite complicated. For example, the name of a town may be known by its Yiddish name, it’s English name, or, for example, its German name. And it can be quite confusing when adoptions are involved. Another problem is that listed dates are not always correct. It’s also difficult because so many families were broken up during the Holocaust.
Speakers have included a wide range of people. Sheila Small of East Windsor talked about a trip she and more than a dozen family members took to Poland in search of their family history. Attorney Steve Stein talked about how to determine what is accurate and what is not in your research. A former reporter talked about traveling to Europe in search of her roots. Others have talked about genetic research.
Meixler says you never know what you’ll discover. He found an uncle who worked for the known gangster Dutch Schultz and a cousin who sparred with Muhammed Ali and was a football player for the old Boston Patriots.
Separately Beth El was awarded a $10,000 matching grant by the Jewish Federation of Princeton Mercer Bucks. The synagogue was able to match that by raising an additional $10,000 at its High Holiday annual campaign. The money will go toward free religious school tuition for new families joining the synagogue.