DNA and Family History

On March 6 from 11:00 AM to 12:30 PM Central Time, the Minnesota Jewish Genealogical Society is pleased to host journalist and author Libby Copeland presenting The Cultural Phenomenon of Home DNA Testing. The presentation will explore the extraordinary cultural phenomenon of home DNA testing, which is redefining family history. It will draw on Copeland’s years of research for her new book, The Lost Family: How DNA Testing is Upending Who We Are (Abrams, 2020), which The Wall Street Journal calls “a fascinating account of lives dramatically affected by genetic sleuthing."  You can download the book from Amazon at https://www.amazon.com/Lost- Family-How-Testing-Upending/dp/1419743007.

With more than 37 million people tested, a tipping point has been reached. Virtually all Americans are affected whether they have been tested or not, and millions have been impacted by significant revelations in their immediate families. The presentation will discuss the implications of home DNA testing for Jewish genealogy, as well as the unique challenges of genetic genealogy for Ashkenazim. 

Libby Copeland is an award-winning journalist and author who writes from New York about culture and science. As a freelance journalist, she writes for such media outlets as The Washington Post, The New York Times, The Atlantic and Smithsonian Magazine. She has given presentations on her book The Lost Family: How DNA Testing is Upending Who We Are under the auspices of JewishGen and other Jewish Genealogy groups.

The program will take place on-line via Zoom. For more information and to register go to https://www.mnjgs.org/event. Questions can be emailed to MNJGS at https://www.mnjgs.org/contact. Members are free, suggested donation of $5 from non-members. For information about donating, go to https://www.mnjgs.org/support-us.