Visiting the Baltic States: A Roots Trip

On Sunday, October 15 at 1 PM Central Time, Rabbi David Locketz will talk about his own experiences during his trip with expert guide Regina Kopilevich and will share the research that he did to prepare for his trip spanning both Lithuania and Latvia, finding records that proved particularly helpful. During his visit he was able to explore cemeteries to locate past family members and to connect with previously unknown relatives who are still living in Lithuania.

Rabbi David Locketz is the Senior Rabbi at Bet Shalom Congregation in Minnetonka. Rabbi Locketz earned his undergraduate degree in Hebrew and Semitic Studies at the University of Wisconsin in Madison. Before entering Rabbinical School, Rabbi Locketz worked for three years as the Assistant Camp Director for Union for Reform Judaism Camp, Olin-Sang-Ruby Union Institute (OSRUI), while also working as the North American Federation of Temple Youth advisor to the Northern and Chicago Regions. 

Locketz has been active in several organizations in addition to his work at Bet Shalom and currently serves as a Board member for the Minneapolis Jewish Federation. He is a past president of the Minnesota Rabbinical Association and currently sits on the board of the Jewish Family and Children’s Service. Since receiving certification from the Minnesota Emergency Service Chaplain Association, Rabbi Locketz has served as a Police Chaplain for the Minnetonka Police Department. He was also a founding board member of the nonprofit Drops Fill Buckets Minneapolis Chapter. 

The program will take place in person at Bet Shalom Congregation, 13613 Orchard Rd., Minnetonka, MN and also on-line via Zoom. Questions can be emailed to MNJGS at https://www.mnjgs.org/contact. The program is free for members, $5 for non-members. Payments can be made at https://www.mnjgs.org/support-us.