The Industrial Removal Office

On October 23, 2022 at 11AM CDT, Risa Daitzman Heywood will present a program, The Industrial Removal Office: Scattering Jews Throughout the United States. Have you ever wondered how your family got to mid-America? Our speaker will help you solve that family mystery. The answer may lie with the Industrial Removal Office, a little-known organization in operation from 1900 to 1922, created to help alleviate overcrowding in the Jewish areas of New York City. Its agents scoured the U.S. for businesses in need of skilled workers and matched them with immigrants in need of a job. With a job offer in hand, the immigrant received a one-way ticket to their new city. Learn how to access this information and perhaps find your family!

Risa Daitzman Heywood is a professional genealogist specializing in Ashkenazi Jewish genealogy research. She loves helping her clients solve their genealogy puzzles, especially finding that elusive shtetl name. Risa has been involved with Jewish genealogy for over 25 years. She holds a certificate in Genealogical Research from Boston University, is a past-president of the Jewish Genealogical Society of Colorado and served as co-chair of JewishGen’s original Belarus SIG. Risa lives in Lisbon, Portugal.

The program will take place on-line via Zoom. The program is free for members, $5 for non-members. Payments can be made at https://www.mnjgs.org/support-us.