Date & Time
Sunday, Apr. 16, 2023
11:00 AM - 1:30 PM
Location Heinz History Center 1212 Smallman Street
Pittsburgh PA, 15222
Ticketing Free with registration
Register

How terrible enumerators help us do better census research

On Jan. 2, 1920, Henry Silverstein began his first day as a census enumerator by turning left instead of right. Things went downhill from there, and within days he became so overwhelmed that he resorted to an illegal scheme to finish the job. Through this shocking story and the painstaking detective work that uncovered it, you’ll come to see the census—and your ancestors’ presence or absence in it—in a whole new light. You’ll laugh at Henry’s misdeeds, and you’ll grow your census research skills.

This program is possible through the generous support of the William M. Lowenstein Genealogical Research Endowment Fund of the Jewish Community Foundation.

Registration

“When Henry Silverstein Got Cold: How Terrible Enumerators Help Us Do Better Census Research with Tammy Hepps” is a collaboration between the Jewish Genealogy Society of Pittsburgh and the Rauh Jewish Archives at the Heinz History Center. Please register online. The program is free for JGS-Pittsburgh members as well as for the general public. To become a member of the JGS-Pittsburgh and receive a free membership code for this program, please visit its website at https://www.pghjgs.org/membership.

This program will be recorded and made available to current JGS-Pittsburgh members.

Those who attend in person are encouraged to stick around after the program for refreshments and an informal meet-and-greet with JGS officers and members.

About the Speaker

Tammy Hepps is a historian of the Jewish experience in Western Pennsylvania. She combines in-depth historical research with techniques from technology and genealogy to reconstruct overlooked stories from the past in an engaging way. She has presented her findings around the world, including the Library of Congress and the International Jewish Genealogy Conference in Jerusalem. Her best-known research is into the history of the Jewish community in the former steel-making center of Homestead, PA (see HomesteadHebrews.com). Tammy earned her AB in computer science from Harvard and is a Wexner Heritage Fellow.