Start exploring your family tree - with the Australian Jewish Genealogical Society VIC
*CLICK on the men item RESEARCH above to access Research Tools & Resources
Members of the AJGS (Vic) are provided access to our Resource Room at the Lamm Jewish Community Library.
*CLICK on the men item RESOURCES above to access Resources & Links
We provide members with access to a wide range of genealogy resources designed to help you find out more about your Jewish connections, family history, and the stories that have shaped our culture through the generations.
*CLICK on the men item for ROOTS PROJECT above to access the 6 Generation Ancestral Chart and a Roots Projects Handout
Upcoming Events
PastPort, Mame-Loshn & Beyond: New AI Tools for Jewish Genealogy.
by Jan Gronski Bio: https://ldvdf.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/LDVDF_Team_JanGronski.pdf
Sunday, November 30th, 2025 @ 2.30-4.00 p.m. Glen Eira Town Hall
Jan Gronski is the DoJR technology Advisor, who has gathered considerable hands-on experience into creating AI models for automatic handwriting recognition and is a key volunteer for JRI-Poland.
L’Dor V’Dor Foundation is building first-of-kind AI models that read historic Yiddish handwriting and other languages common inewish records. In part one, we demystify training Handwritten Text Recognition in Transkribus with Mame-Loshn and its two related Yiddish AI models as examples. We show real accuracy gains enabling full text search and translation capability on 19th–20th-century sources.
In part two, we demo PastPort, an interactive map built on the largest online database of Jewish surnames and Jewish towns that places your ancestors with their town neighbors. PastPort is still “under wraps” being developed in the LDVDF AI Lab. This is a unique insider’s opportunity not to be missed.
An introduction to Genealogy
by Liz James
February 10th 2026 @ 2.30-4.00 p.m. Glen Eira Town Hall
Liz James is a retired teacher-librarian whose interest in Jewish genealogy and history began when she discovered her ancestors came from a connecting network of multiple rabbinical family trees which included and counted amongst the oldest Jewish settlers who lived in Lucca, Italy and then settled in the Rhineland towns of Mainz, Speyer and Worms in Germany and were regarded as the ‘fathers of Jewish learning’. Liz is a committee member of both the Australian Jewish Genealogical Vic and Australian Jewish Historical Societies Vic. and maintains the library collection for both societies. Liz is also part of a pilot team adding a list of Australian Jewish genealogical resources to a worldwide digital database (DoJR). Since 2003, Liz has helped hundreds of people solve their family history mysteries and introduced countless children to the joys of genealogical research as part of the School Roots Program making sure they have access to important records kept within the resource collections of both societies.
Further 2026 Events
Rachelle Unreich author of 'A Brilliant Life'
The importance of recording one’s personal history
Sunday, March 15th 2026 @ 2.30-4.00 p.m. Glen Eira Town Hall
Rachelle Unreich has been a journalist for 37 years, including seven years in the United States where she wrote about the entertainment industry. Her work has appeared in Harper’s Bazaar, The Age, Sydney Morning Herald, Australian Financial Review, Elle, Rolling Stone, Good Weekend, and she has been extensively published in the US, the UK, and Southeast Asia. She lives in Melbourne, Australia.
A Brilliant Life, the powerful true story of her mother Mira, a Holocaust survivor, is her first book.
My Connection to the Dunera Boys
by Terry Ashton
April 28th 2026 , Lamm Library 6.30-8.00 p.m.
Ms Terry Ashton
Honorary Secretary
Australian Jewish Genealogical Society (VIC)
Upcoming Event
My Connection to the Dunera Boys
by Terry Ashton Honorary SecretaryAustralian Jewish Genealogical Society (VIC) For further information email [email protected]
The importance of recording one’s personal history
Rachelle Unreich has been a journalist for 37 years, including seven years in the United States where she wrote about the entertainment industry. Her work
An introduction to Genealogy
Liz James is a retired teacher-librarian whose interest in Jewish genealogy and history began when she discovered her ancestors came from a connecting network of
PastPort, Mame-Loshn & Beyond: New AI Tools for Jewish Genealogy
PastPort, Mame-Loshn & Beyond: New AI Tools for Jewish Genealogy by Jan Gronski November 30th 2025 @ 2.30-4.00 p.m. Glen Eira Town Hall For further
FAQs
Not really sure where to start? No problem! We’ve compiled a list of common questions to help you get a better idea of our community.
AJGS Victoria is a member of the International Association of Jewish Genealogical Societies We’re a non-profit organisation based in Victoria, Australia and are dedicated to sharing information about Jewish connections in the region, helping members uncover their heritage, researching this heritage, and sharing our stories.
Anyone with Jewish heritage, who thinks they may have Jewish heritage or is interested in researching this interesting part of history is welcome to join our society. We are open to everyone of every background, regardless of ethnicity or culture, and aim to be a warm and welcoming group to all.
To join our society and take part in our events or access our research resources, all you need to do is complete our membership application. There are three different membership options, including an individual membership (annual fee of $35), family membership (annual fee of $50), and concession card holder membership (annual fee of $20).
Want to explore your family’s history? Join our society today and let’s discover your family’s story together!
Past Presentations
Enjoy resources from members of our society and learn about research projects, records, and databases.
Start your journey of discovery, build your family tree, and learn about our shared history.
Zika Oren
Zvika Oren’s: Tombstones – The Stories They Tell
Logan Kleinwak
Logan Kleinwaks-Benefits of using Genealogy Indexer June 15th 2025
Rony Golan
Resources for Genealogical Research in Israel by Rony Golan. March 19, 2025
Marvin Bude
Marvin Bude – researching and publishing books on his family history.