Gesher Galicia Today

Jennifer Mendelsohn and Adina Newman of the CJH DNA Reunion Project—in Conversation with Steven Turner

We are very excited to present to the community this most interesting conversation between Jennifer Mendelsohn and Adina Newman of the DNA Reunion Project at the Center for Jewish History with Gesher Galicia President, Steven Turner.
Jennifer and Adina together with the CJH organized this project to help reunite families separated by the Holocaust. Gesher Galicia fully supports the work of this project and we would like to promote it to get as many people to test as possible.
Jennifer Mendelsohn is a sought-after genealogist who specializes in helping Eastern European Jewish families shattered by the Holocaust reclaim their history. Her DNA sleuthing was featured in the 2019 bestseller Inheritance by Dani Shapiro. Her work has received international media attention including stories on CNN.com, The New Yorker, The Washington Post, National Public Radio and The Times of Israel.
Dr. Adina Newman, EdD, the creator of My Family Genie, is a professional genealogist and educator. Her findings have received international media attention, including mentions in The Daily Mail, AP News, and The Times of Israel, and she has made appearances on several news outlets such as NPR and I24NEWS. She was a 2020 recipient of the AncestryProGenealogists scholarship.
You can donate to this project here: https://www.cjh.org/donate/donate-now-dna
We hope you give this podcast a listen and look forward to hearing your comments or questions at info@geshergalicia.org.

Oren Kessler, Author of Palestine 1936 in Conversation with Steven Turner

On Yom Hashoah we remember our sacred martyrs killed by the Nazis and their collaborators. One of the reasons they were able to kill so many is because Jews trying to flee the impending catastrophe had no place that would accept them. Just as war was breaking out and the Jewish plight became more desperate, Great Britain closed the gates of Palestine with its infamous White Paper of 1939. Why did that happen and how did it come about?
Oren Kessler in his new book, Palestine 1936: The Great Revolt and the Roots of the Middle East Conflict tells the story.
Oren is a journalist and political analyst based in Tel Aviv.  He has served as deputy director for research at the Foundation for the Defense of Democracies in Washington, Middle East research fellow at the Henry Jackson Society in London, Arab affairs correspondent for the Jerusalem Post, and an editor and translator at the Haaretz English edition.
Raised in Rochester, New York, and Tel Aviv, he holds a BA in history from the University of Toronto and an MA in diplomacy and conflict studies from Reichman University (IDC Herzliya).Kessler’s work has appeared in media outlets such as Foreign Affairs, Foreign Policy, the Wall Street Journal, the Washington Post, and Politico.
You can purchase the book here.

Jenna Augen, Cast Member of Leopoldstadt—in Conversation with Steven Turner

We are very excited to present to the community this most interesting conversation between Jenna Augen and  Gesher Galicia President, Steven Turner about Tom Stoppard's hit show Leopoldstadt currently on Broadway.
Jenna plays the parts of Wilma and Rosa. Jenna’s bio from the Playbill.JENNA AUGEN (Wilma/Rosa). Theatre includes: Leopoldstadt (Wyndham’s Theatre), Bartholomew Fair (Shakespeare’s Globe); The Comedy About a Bank Robbery (Criterion);  The Knowledge (Charing Cross Theatre); The Witches (West Yorkshire Playhouse); Bad Jews (UK Theatre Award/The Arts Theatre/St. James Theatre/Theatre Royal, Bath); The Way Of The World (Chichester Festival Theatre); Sleeping Beauty (Birmingham Repertory Theatre); Chicken Soup with Barley (Royal Court); The Two Gentlemen Of Verona (Commonwealth Shakespeare Co). TV: “Episodes” (Hat Trick Productions), “The Night Watch” (BBC). Graduate of RADA.We look forward to hearing your comments at info@geshergalicia.org.
 

Tony Kahane: Galician Records, Borders, and AI – in conversation with Andrew Zalewski

We are very excited to present to the community this most interesting conversation between Tony Kahane and Andrew Zalewski, two recently retired members of our Board.
Tony is the Immediate Past Research Coordinator, Past President/Chair of Gesher Galicia and was the Chair of the Gesher Galicia/AGAD symposium.
Andrew is the Immediate Past Vice President of Gesher Galicia, Past Editor of The Galitzianer and renowned lecturer and teacher on the history of Galicia.

Dr. Andrew Zalewski on his Years with Gesher Galicia

In conversation with Gesher Galicia President, Dr. Steven S. Turner.
Andrew Zalewski is past vice president of Gesher Galicia and a frequent speaker at meetings of Jewish genealogical societies and cultural and academic institutions in the US and abroad. His interests and writings have focused on Jewish cultural transformation, educational access, modernizing impact of Jewish physicians, and Jewish political and legal rights in Galicia. Unique archival records—population surveys, maps, and old newspapers—provide the background for his in-depth description of Galicia. 
He authored two books on Austrian Galicia: "Galician Trails: The Forgotten Story of One Family" & "Galician Portraits: In Search of Jewish Roots", in which he traced the story of his ancestors in a historical context.
Any questions or comments please write to ssturner@geshergalicia.org. 
To become a member of Gesher Galicia click here.

Gesher Galicia Talk with Secular Head of Ivano-Frankivsk Jewish Community & Victim of a Stabbing Attack

Dr. Steven S. Turner and Ms. Darcy Stamler, President of and Treasurer of Gesher Galicia respectively in conversation with Mr. Igor Perelman, secular leader of the Ivano-Frankivsk Jewish Community and Ms. Tetiana Yavirnytska of Nadvirna, Ukraine. Igor was recently the victim of a stabbing attack while handing out food parcels bought with aid from the Gesher Galicia Emergency Appeal. Igor does not speak English and Tetiana translated for him.  Tetiana tells her own story of living in Nadvirna during the Russian invasion.
Any questions or comments please write to info@geshergalicia.org. 
To donate to the Emergency Appeal for the Ukrainian Galician Jewish Community click here.
https://www.paypal.com/donate/?hosted_button_id=BFNESQFEZPASC
 
To become a member of Gesher Galicia click here.
https://www.geshergalicia.org/m21-new-member-registration/Join
 

Gesher Galicia Associates and Lviv Residents Marla & Jay Osborn on the Situation in Ukraine

Dr. Steven S. Turner, President of Gesher Galicia in conversation with Marla and Jay Osborn of Rohatyn Jewish Heritage, residents of Lviv, currently stuck in California on the situation in Ukraine.
We apologize for the echo from Steven Turner's microphone during questioning.  That was not evident during the conversation but showed up in the recording. We are very sorry.
Any questions or comments please write to info@geshergalicia.org. 
To donate to the Emergency Appeal for the Ukrainian Galician Jewish Community click here.
To become a member of Gesher Galicia click here.

Living in Lviv During A Russian Invasion

Recorded 2/24/22 at 19:00 Ukrainian Time
A discussion between Gesher Galicia President, Steven S. Turner, Treasurer Darcy Stamler and tour guide and genealogy researcher Alex Denisenko on what it feels like to be living in Ukraine today during a Russian invasion.
Any questions or comments please write to  info@geshergalicia.org. 
To join Gesher Galicia click here.

Living with 100,000 Russian Troops on the Borders: Thoughts from Alex Denisenko in Lviv

A discussion between Gesher Galicia President Steven S. Turner, Treasurer Darcy Stamler and tour guide and genealogy researcher Alex Denisenko on what it feels like to be living in Ukraine today with the threat of war from Russia.
Any questions or comments please write to  info@geshergalicia.org.
To join Gesher Galicia click here.