More Ways to Build Your Family Tree

In January PJ Library is sending families with children ages 2 and up an extra surprise with your PJ Library book--a Family Tree decal kit! As you build your Family Tree, be sure to share stories with your children. Who are your oldest relatives? Your newest? The most colorful personalities? Do you have relatives in Israel or elsewhere outside of North America? 

After you plant your Family Tree, what's next?
Here are videos, websites, books, and songs to help you dig deeper and learn more.

Watch

The videos below discuss the impact that tracing your roots can have, introduce the basics of genealogical research, and showcase one very famous family's story.

Brush up on the basics


Exactly who is "once removed" and what does that really mean? Watch the video above to find out.

Share your story

Leonard Nimoy's heritage and family story influenced the iconic Vulcan salute.

Research

There are tons of online resources that can help you dig deep as you plant your Family Tree. We highly recommend the following:

Beit Hatfutsot Database

Do you know the name and place of origin of one of your Jewish ancestors?  Enter it in the database of Tel Aviv’s Museum of the Jewish People, and learn about the place, see historical pictures, and identify relatives.

MyHeritage.com

This no-cost, easy-to-use site helps you search for relatives and create an online tree.

Tell Your Stories

As you create a Family Tree and share stories, check out StoryCorps, the public service project aimed at gathering and sharing stories to build connections between people and create a more just and compassionate world. In addition to featuring beautifully-told stories, the website offers a list of Great Questions to elicit family stories.

To ask a grandparent:

Where did you grow up?
What was your childhood like?
Do you remember songs you used to sing mom/dad growing up?

For your child to ask you:

How did you choose my name?
What was I like as a baby?

Read

PJ Library Books:

     

The First Gift
My Name is Aviva
A Song For My Sister
Rebecca's Journey Home

 

Books for Grownups:

A Backpack, a Bear, and Eight Crates of Vodka: A Memoir
From Generation to Generation: How to Trace Your Jewish Genealogy and Family History

The Family: A Journey into the Heart of the Twentieth Century
My Father's Paradise: A Son's Search for His Family's Past

Listen to Music

Sing and dance to songs about family! Click on the PJ Library CDs to learn more, or just hit "play" on our playlist below:

We want to hear all about your Family Tree adventure — did you learn something incredible, surprising, or unusual as you built your tree? Join the conversation with us on Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram. Don't forget to add #pjlibrary to your post.