Janette Silverman.

Janette began her genealogical journey more than 35 years ago as a hobby with her father. What started as a hobby quickly became more as she immersed herself in Jewish history, both as a student and a teacher. Janette serves as a board member of the International Association of Jewish Genealogical Societies (IAJGS). She has been president of a Jewish Genealogical Society; was lead co-chair of the 2016 IAJGS conference, and for over 6 years was the coordinator of the JewishGen Ukraine SIG. She has worked with private clients since 2004.

Janette holds masters and doctorate degrees in Jewish studies from Spertus Institute in Chicago. Her doctoral dissertation, “In Living Memory,” explored the experiences of four Jewish families in Europe and the United States, contextualizing the micro-history of those families within the more global historical world. Her areas of research expertise include Eastern European Jews, the Holocaust, the United States and immigration. She has traveled widely in Eastern Europe doing onsite archival research and accompanying clients on ancestral home visits.