If you’ve ever wondered where your family’s story began, this month’s Jewish Special Interest Group event offers a new way to trace it. As part of its continuing focus on Jewish genealogy in St. Louis, the group will host a Zoom-only session Sunday, Dec. 7 at 1 p.m. titled “How to Find any Shtetl on Topographic Maps.”

The featured speaker, Andrew Kapochunas, is an internationally recognized expert in historical cartography who has spent years mapping Jewish communities across Central and Eastern Europe.

His talk will guide participants through the process of identifying ancestral towns, villages, and regions using detailed topographic and historical maps—tools that can reveal far more than names or dates alone.

Why maps matter to Jewish genealogy

For many descendants of European Jews, the search for ancestral shtetls is a challenge wrapped in myth and migration. Borders have shifted, records have vanished, and entire towns have changed names or disappeared. Kapochunas’s work helps researchers make sense of those changes by showing how geography and history intertwine.

His presentation will include examples of how maps can confirm family stories, locate nearby synagogues or cemeteries, and even identify migration routes taken generations ago. Attendees will also learn how to use free online resources to explore their own family’s origins.

A local link to a global story

The Jewish Special Interest Group, or Jewish SIG, operates within the St. Louis Genealogical Society and has become a consistent resource for anyone exploring Jewish roots. Recent programs have covered topics from reading cemetery symbols to documenting migration paths, all designed to help both beginners and experienced genealogists build stronger connections to their heritage.

While the group’s programs often draw participants from across the country, its leaders, Phyllis Faintich, Ilene Murray, and Carol Waggoner, continue to emphasize the St. Louis connection, showing how local genealogical work ties into global Jewish history.

How to join the program

The Dec. 7 session will be held online only, allowing participants from anywhere to attend. Registration is free and available on the Jewish SIG page of the St. Louis Genealogical Society website at stlgs.org.

For those keeping a calendar, the group’s 2026 schedule will be posted this week, including new meetings for both general genealogy and Jewish SIG members.

Event details:
What: How to Find any Shtetl on Topographic Maps
When: Sunday, Dec. 7, 2025, 1 p.m.
Where: Online via Zoom
More info: Visit stlgs.org or email jewishsig@stlgs.org