FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Linking Holocaust Survivors with lost family, the newly relaunched Holocaust Reunion Project reconnects families shattered by the Shoah
Offering Free DNA tests and genealogical consultations to the survivor community
BALTIMORE, MD and BOSTON, MA, August 15, 2024 (JWire) – The Holocaust Reunion Project is proud to announce its relaunch, marking a significant milestone in its mission to reunite Holocaust survivors with family. Launched in late 2022 as the DNA Reunion Project at the Center for Jewish History, the pilot program distributed over 1200 free DNA tests to survivors and their children, enabling scores of meaningful connections. This groundbreaking initiative now operates as an independent nonprofit with a new home at holocaustreunions.org.
Co-Founders and Lead Genealogists Jennifer Mendelsohn and Adina Newman remain committed to providing free DNA testing and consultation to survivors and their children, making use of cutting edge technology to restore family connections severed by the Holocaust and empowering the Jewish community to reclaim their history through a variety of educational efforts.
“Our relaunch signifies a renewed dedication to giving back to Holocaust survivors what was taken from them: family,” said co-founder Adina Newman. “We are thrilled that we are now able to take our pilot program to full scale and continue the process of securing its long term future.”
In the wake of the Holocaust, countless families were not only torn apart by genocide but further separated by displacement and severed lines of communication. Recognizing the extraordinary potential of DNA technology to bridge those gaps and bring families back together, the project provides free testing, allowing survivors and their children potentially to connect with previously unknown relatives and reclaim their histories. It also serves as the central genealogical resource for Holocaust-related Jewish unknown parentage, and has a proven track record of solving complex cases involving hidden children and concealed Jewish identity, such as identifying the biological parents of a toddler smuggled out of the Bialystok ghetto who searched for decades to learn her true identity.
“Too often survivors and their families believe there is no one left and nothing left to learn, so they never even begin the search” said Jennifer Mendelsohn. “Our work demonstrates the potential of commercial DNA testing and available records to reclaim lost family histories, both for survivors and the greater Jewish community. That process can be incredibly powerful and healing.”
The Holocaust Reunion Project co-founders, Jennifer Mendelsohn and Adina Newman, are speakers and exhibitors at the International Association of Jewish Genealogical Societies (IAJGS) Annual Conference starting this Sunday, August 18 through Thursday, August 22, 2024.
ABOUT THE HOLOCAUST REUNION PROJECT
The Holocaust Reunion Project is a nonprofit organization dedicated to empowering Holocaust Survivors and their children to find family and reclaim their histories by leveraging and harnessing the power of commercial DNA testing and genealogical research. The Holocaust Reunion Project reunites Holocaust survivors and their children with living relatives and illuminates family history lost to genocide. Since the pilot program launched in 2022, over 1200 survivors and their children have been given free tests, enabling scores of successful connections. For more information about the Holocaust Reunion Project, to apply for a free DNA test, or to support our mission, please visit holocaustreunions.org.
The Project’s financial activity operates through Players Philanthropy Fund, a fiscal sponsor recognized as tax-exempt under Section 501(c)(3); all donations to the Holocaust Reunion Project qualify as tax deductible.
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Meet The Founders
Jennifer Mendelsohn
co-founder
Jennifer Mendelsohn’s genealogy journey began in 2013, when she reunited her husband’s grandmother—a Polish Holocaust survivor who had lost her entire immediate family and most of her extended family—with three living first cousins she had never known. A frequent lecturer, Mendelsohn now serves on the board of the Jewish Genealogy Society of Maryland and is the administrator of Facebook’s Jewish Genetic Genealogy group, with over 13,000 members worldwide. In 2023, she was honored as a Baltimore Magazine “GameChanger” for her efforts helping Holocaust survivors.
Mendelsohn is also known for the innovative use of genealogy as a tool for activism. She created the viral hashtag #resistancegenealogy, which garnered coverage on CNN, The New Yorker, The Washington Post and Yahoo News. Her DNA sleuthing was also featured in the 2019 bestseller Inheritance by Dani Shapiro. Prior to her work as a genealogist, Jennifer spent many years as a freelance journalist. Her work has appeared in countless publications including People, Slate, The New York Times, The Washington Post, USA Today, The Los Angeles Times, Time, and Tablet.
Dr. Adina Newman
co-founder
Dr. Adina Newman, EdD, the creator of My Family Genie, is a professional genealogist and educator. Her specialties include Jewish genealogy, genetic genealogy, social media, and New England, and she presents on these topics in a variety of venues, from major genealogy conferences to local genealogy societies.
Her findings have received international media attention, including mentions in The Daily Mail, AP News, The Washington Post, Us Weekly, People, The Jerusalem Post, and The Times of Israel, and she has made appearances on several news outlets such as NPR and I24NEWS.
She volunteers as a moderator for a Jewish genetic genealogy Facebook group, on the program committee for her local Jewish genealogical society, and as a Team Leader for the DNA Doe Project. She was also a 2020 recipient of the AncestryProGenealogists scholarship.
Press Contact
Jeremy Broekman [email protected] (818) 212-9201
