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Gesher Galcia 5780/2020 Highlights and a Look Ahead #galicia #announcements

Steven Turner
 

Dear Friends,
 
As 5780 and 2020 come to a close, we at Gesher Galicia thank all of our members for their support during what has been a uniquely challenging year. Despite the hurdles, we were able to accomplish quite a bit:
  • While the coronavirus pandemic interrupted our onsite work in many archives in Austria, Poland and Ukraine, we were able to continue work across a wide range of research projects, including our Przemysl Identification Project that was launched at the end of 2019.
  • We produced several educational webinars featuring experts on a variety of Galician topics including:
    • A two-part interview with historian Omer Bartov;
    • A look behind the scenes at the Galician Jewish Museum in Krakow;
    • A photographic journey through Chuck Fishman’s lens on modern-day Poland;
    • Genealogy tips from Jennifer Mendelsohn;
  • We published quarterly issues of the Galizianer, our long-running journal covering a variety of topics, past and present, on Galicia;
  • We held our first-ever virtual session for attendees of the 40th IAJGS international Conference on Jewish Genealogy.
We are pleased to report that our membership reached an all-time high this year, likely due in large part to the appeal of our exclusive offerings for members.
 
As we enter 5781 and 2021, we look forward to continuing our work to add significantly to our databases and provide even more exclusive content for our members including:
  • A line-up of thought-provoking presenters for our popular webinars;
  • In-depth educational presentations run by our own Dr. Andrew Zalewski;
  • An overhaul of our membership platform for seamless and automated new membership applications and renewals
  • Membership zoom meeting where members can directly question the board.
  • A database imaging system to enable direct linkage to a scan of an original record;
  • An interactive cadastral map system that will facilitate the immediate on-screen display of vital records associated with a particular address.
 
To be sure, all of these programs and enhancements cost money. Once again, Gesher Galicia will not be raising annual membership dues in 2021. We have kept dues at $36 for many years now. As we approach Yom Kippur, we would  appreciate for those looking to partake in the mitzvah of giving tzedakah, to donate to Gesher Galicia to help us cover our costs, bring our IT systems up to date, provide our members with exclusive content, and keep our dues structure low. To contribute, please go to our donate page at https://www.geshergalicia.org/donate/. You can allocate your donation to operations, general research, vital records or any of the other projects listed on the page.
 
With warm regards for a safe, healthy and joyous new year. Gmar Chatimah Tovah.

The Board of Directors,
Gesher Galicia
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