The Sand Remains: Remembering the Armenian Genocide through Genealogy

Class Description

In this one-day class, Armenian genealogy for those without access to Turkish resources will be explored. A challenging topic, attendees will learn how to leverage basic genealogical records to come to complex conclusions about their ancestors. They will gain a better understanding of how to decipher Armenian language publications, use outside databases and repositories, geographic and demographic reconstructions, and come to a better contextual understanding of the history and society of the Ottoman Empire at the time of the Armenian Genocide. By the end of this course, it is hoped that attendees will not only leave motivated to learn more about their Armenian heritage, but also, to explore those resources that will reveal their history. Non-Armenians may also find this course a valuable case study for navigating hidden archives.

All virtual classes are recorded and made available to participants registered in the class. These recordings are password-protected and available for up to two weeks after the class ends.

Claire Gene Esker is a professional genealogist, owner of Past Forward Family History in Highwood. She specializes in Polish genealogy, and is a member of the boards of the Polish Genealogical Society of America and the Illinois State Genealogical Society.

What to Expect

Format: Virtual

Class Capacity: 30

Class Style: Lecture or presentation; option for questions

Materials List

• Digital Course Packet

Recommendations for Further Reading

• Anne Hart, Search Your Middle Eastern & European Genealogy in the Former Ottoman Empire’s Records and Online. ASJA Press, 2004. ISBN: 0-595-31811-8
• Robert Aram Kaloosdian, Tadem: My Father’s Village: Extinguished During the 1915 Armenian Genocide. Peter E. Randall Publisher, 2015. ISBN: 978-1942155027
• Sarkis K. Karayan, Armenians in Ottoman Turkey, 1914: A Geographic and Demographic Gazetteer. Gomidas Institute, 2018. ISBN: 978-1-909382-42-8
• Grace H. Knapp, The Tragedy of Bitlis. Sothis Press, 2023. ISBN: 978-1-0365-455-9
• Henry H. Riggs, Days of Tragedy in Armenia: Personal Experiences in Harpoot, 1915-1917. Gomidas Institute, 1997. ISBN: 1-884630-01-4

Cost and Registration

1 Session, $50 ($45 for Newberry members, seniors, and students). Learn about becoming a member.

We offer our classes at three different price options: Regular ($50), Community Supported ($45), and Sponsor ($55). Following the models of other institutions, we want to ensure that our classes are accessible to a wider audience while continuing to support our instructors. You may choose the price that best fits your situation when registering through Learning Stream.

To register multiple people for this class, please go through the course calendar in Learning Stream, our registration platform. When you select the course and register, you’ll be prompted to add another registrant.

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Call us at (312) 255-3700 or send us an email at adulteducation@newberry.org.

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