Ted Gostin

   Jewish Genealogy  

Have you ever wanted to trace your Jewish roots, but weren't sure where to start?  It is possible! As a professional Jewish genealogist, I can help you:

• Document your family's arrival and early years in the U.S.
• Learn where your family came from in the "Old Country"
• Trace your family back through foreign records

Check out my Jewish Genealogy page for more information about how a professional genealogist can help you trace your family history.

  Southern California Research

Since I live in Southern California, I naturally specialize in genealogical research in this region.  I can help clients research their family histories in Los Angeles, Orange, Riverside, San Bernardino and Ventura Counties.   Check out this section for more information on what to expect from genealogical research here in Southern California.

 Generations Press Books 

My publishing company, Generations Press, publishes books on Jewish genealogy, Southern California resources, and immigration research.  We also sell new and used books from other publishers in the same subject areas.

Research Rates

Click here for information on current research rates, minimum charges, reimbursable expenses, billing procedures, etc.

2022 Speaking Engagements

Ted Gostin lectures frequently throughout Southern California.  His lecture schedule is listed below.  Information on his lectures and lecture topics can also be found on the website of the Genealogical Speakers Guild.

• Saturday, January 15, 2022, 11:00 a.m., Los Angeles Public Library Genealogy Garage.  "Finding Your Polish Ancestors Online Through the Polish State Archives."  Reviews the genealogical databases on the several websites of the Polish State Archives (PSA). Included are a review of the “ZoSIA” or “Search in Archives” database, which combines textual descriptions of various holdings (including some surname indexes) with digital images filmed from about half of the PSA branches; two other regional databases that include digital images of records from formerly Polish territories (particularly Galicia) and the Kujawia region; and several more databases with images from the records of just one branch of the archives, including the archives branches in Przemysl, Szczecin, and Olsztyn.  Zoom meeting, free admission.  Check the LAPL calendar "What's On" for details; search for the term "genealogy." 

• Tuesday, February 22, 2022, 7:30 p.m., Glendora Genealogical Group.  "Reconstructing A Slave Population: Rutherford County, Tennessee."  Genealogists researching African-American families often hit a wall with the 1870 census, and are unable to trace families back into the slavery period. While there were slave schedules in censuses prior to 1870, the slaves were not listed by name, but only by sex, age and sometimes color. This lecture reviews the construction of a slave database for Rutherford County, TN, using deeds, probate records and other sources, and shows how that slave database could be used to give names to the unnamed people in slave schedules prior to 1870.  La Fetra Senior Center, 333 E. Foothill Blvd., Glendora, CA 91741 (or by Zoom if facilities still closed to meetings).  Free Admission.

• Monday May 9, 2022, 6:00 p.m. (Pacific Coast Time), Family History Society of Arizona, Tempe Chapter.  "What To Do When There Are No Vital Records."  This lecture reviews the available sources where one might find a record of births, marriages and deaths when public vital records are not available. Sources reviewed include early published newspapers; probate and divorce records; church & synagogue records; cemetery records; local city and county histories and personal memoirs; census records; and voter registration records. Many examples focus on California as a case study, since the public recording of vital records did not begin right away when California became a state in 1850. In Los Angeles County, for example, the first publicly recorded marriage was in August of 1851. Recording of births and deaths began only in 1873, and wasn’t enforced countywide until 1889. Similar gaps exist in the other Southern California counties.   Zoom meeting, free admission.  See website for meeting link.

• Saturday, September 17, 2022, 1:00 p.m., Whittier Area Genealogical Society, "Finding Vital Records Online - Beyond Ancestry & FamilySearch."  While many genealogists will stop their search for online vital records after reviewing the commercial site Ancestry.com and the Mormons’ FamilySearch website, there are a multitude of other places on the internet where one might find birth, marriage and death information. This lecture reviews and illustrates the breadth of other vital records sources available, including other online genealogy sites; local, county, and state level public agencies; and from public, university and college libraries, and historical and genealogical societies.  Masonic Lodge, 7604 Greenleaf Ave., Whittier, CA  90602 (or by Zoom if facilities still closed to meetings)  Free Admission.