Rescue Our Lost History
Let’s Change Lives
knowing family history is the single biggest predictor of emotional well-being.*
DISCOVERY
Each discovery of our ancestors brings us closer to our Jewish past and lays a foundation for Jewish continuity.
IDENTITY
Each life uncovered preserves our history, deepens our self-knowledge, and strengthens our Jewish identity.
CONNECTION
Each life brought to light adds a link in the chain — building a personal and collective connection to our past.
* And children who know their family’s stories have higher self-esteem and greater confidence to confront challenges. Bruce Feiler, author of Secrets of Happy Families and NY Times article “The Stories that Bind Us”, based on research findings of Emory University’s Dr. Marshall Duke and Dr. Robyn Fivrush.
Jewish Lives — Jewish History
We can rediscover, reclaim, repair, Restore
Through the course of time, our Jewish past, our Jewish history has been lost and even destroyed. The chain is broken and many links are missing. Knowledge of the lives of those who came before us — each life a link in the chain — we can rediscover, reclaim, repair and restore.
DoJR Project
Building The world’s most comprehensive catalog of historical documents of Jewish lives
Country by country, discovering the documents of the Jewish Diaspora — of our ancestors’ lives. The work continues with your support.
The Documentation of Jewish Records Worldwide (DoJR) project to build JCat, launched and incubated as a strategic initiative of the International Association of Jewish Genealogical Societies (IAJGS), advances as a core project of the L’Dor V’Dor Foundation.
Be a Hero of Jewish Heritage and History!
- DISCOVER RECORDS $180 funds 1 day of research to discover the records of our ancestors’ lives in repositories wherever they lived.
- RECLAIM HERITAGE $54 provides 1 day of documenting discovered collections in JCat so they will not again be lost.
- UNLOCK MEMORIES $954 supports one week of Artificial Intelligence training to read historical records in the languages of our people across the Diaspora.
Your donation changes lives.
Your gift rediscovers the lives of those who came before us — each life a link in the chain — we can rediscover, reclaim, repair, and restore.
Your gift leaves a legacy of knowledge and roots for future generations — for every descendant of Jewish people.
RESCUE UNDERWAY
IMPACT
$2.40 will rediscover a Jewish life.
We started with a four week experiment in Poland and Ukraine to discover previously unknown archival documents. 116,000 Jewish lives were identified in documents that had survived pogroms, wars, and the Holocaust; forgotten; hidden in plain sight — until now.
A fully funded Documentation of Jewish Records Worldwide (DoJR) project will operate in all countries of the Diaspora and rediscover 1,250,000 Jewish lives per year.
PROGRESS
We’ve identified more than 300 types of records that survived (Ashkenazi, Sephardi, Mizrachi, Crypto, Converso, Rabbinic, and more) – 85% of which we collectively have never seen. A systematic comprehensive survey — to inventory the documents and identify the Jewish lives within — has not been possible — until now.
Survey work is underway in Melbourne, Australia. Nearly 5,000 record collections documenting Jewish ancestors have been cataloged by volunteers.
URGENCY
We are leading the Rescue our Jewish Venezuelan History initiative. More than 75% of the Jewish population has left Venezuela and, in the face of political turbulence, the infrastructure and records of our past are vulnerable. Time is of the essence.
We are training the Artificial Intelligence (AI) engine to read old handwritten records in the languages of the Diaspora – one by one. Yiddish and Ladino knowledge is vulnerable. Time is of the essence.
NEWS
Heroes of Heritage and History — Ukraine
This morning we awoke to news of damage to the state archive in Mykolaiv, Ukraine. Mykolaiv archive is where our Documentation of Jewish Records Worldwide (DoJR) project started and where, in four short weeks, we discovered previously unknown historic documents of...
Venezuela Rescue Project
80% of the Jewish population of Venezuela has left the country. There is much turmoil on the ground and anti-semitism. We are intent on identifying what records of the lives of Venezuelan Jews have so far survived so that priorities can be set to preserve or safeguard them before it is too late. The JGS Venezuela – mostly operating off-shore, is partnering with us to conduct this rescue survey…
Victoria Australia Survey Project
In 1788, at least eight (some say 16) Jews arrived in Australia on the First Fleet. Much of the documentation of Jewish lives in Australia has survived. Yet, you have to know about it to find it. The Australia Jewish Genealogical Society (Victoria) has discovered thousands of record collections for JCat. Its survey work continues…
