Gesher Galicia Today

This podcast focuses on Jodi, Maya and Raquel, 3 performers from the Joel Grey directed production of Fiddler on the Roof in Yiddish who after the run of the show formed a singing group The Mamales.   They performed at the Gesher Galicia NY event in December, 2025 and due to popular demand, Gesher Galicia is producing a virtual concert by The Mamales on 4/26/26. Hear the story of how they formed t...

Renia Spiegel was born in 1924 to Jewish family living in southeastern Poland in the former land of Galicia.. At the start of 1939 Renia began a diary. “I just want a friend. I want somebody to talk to about my everyday worries and joys. Somebody who would feel what I feel, who would believe me, who would never reveal my secrets - a diary.” And so begins an extraordinary document of an adolescent...

Entrepreneur and life-long genealogy enthusiast Bennett Greenspan founded Family Tree DNA in 2000. Family Tree DNA was the first company in the world to develop DNA testing for ancestry and genealogical purposes into a commercial business. The Y chromosome test, the company's original product, started the Direct To Consumer genetics testing revolution. Mr. Greenspan’s business and entrepreneur exp...

Nolan Altman was bitten by the “genealogy bug” when he was inspired to write his family history in 1996 in memory of his mother. After making use of the valuable information on  JewishGen , he volunteered to do data entry on various projects. In time, he was asked to become the Coordinator for JewishGen’s Holocaust Database and subsequently the Coordinator for the JOWBR (JewishGen’s Online Worldwi...

We are very excited to present to the community this most interesting conversation between the noted author, educator, editor, publisher and award winning genealogist, Arthur Kurzweil with Gesher Galicia President, Steven Turner. Those of you who were able to attend the gala at the IAJGS in Philadelphia know what a privilege it is to listen to Arthur Kurzweil. We discuss Arthur’s new book, The Per...

The Galicia Jewish Museum exists to commemorate the victims of the Holocaust and celebrate the Jewish culture of Galicia, presenting Jewish history from a new perspective. An innovative and unique institution, it is located in Kazimierz, the Jewish district of Kraków. Jacek studied history as well as Jewish history and culture at the Jagiellonian University in Kraków. Since 1992 he worked as journ...

We are very excited to present to the community this most interesting conversation between Jennifer Mendelsohn and Adina Newman of the DNA Reunion Project at the Center for Jewish History with Gesher Galicia President, Steven Turner. Jennifer and Adina together with the CJH organized this project to help reunite families separated by the Holocaust. Gesher Galicia fully supports the work of this pr...

On Yom Hashoah we remember our sacred martyrs killed by the Nazis and their collaborators. One of the reasons they were able to kill so many is because Jews trying to flee the impending catastrophe had no place that would accept them. Just as war was breaking out and the Jewish plight became more desperate, Great Britain closed the gates of Palestine with its infamous White Paper of 1939. Why did...

We are very excited to present to the community this most interesting conversation between Jenna Augen and  Gesher Galicia President, Steven Turner about Tom Stoppard's hit show Leopoldstadt currently on Broadway. Jenna plays the parts of Wilma and Rosa. Jenna’s bio from the Playbill. JENNA AUGEN (Wilma/Rosa). Theatre includes: Leopoldstadt (Wyndham’s Theatre), Bartholomew Fair (Shakespeare’s Glob...

We are very excited to present to the community this most interesting conversation between Tony Kahane and Andrew Zalewski, two recently retired members of our Board. Tony is the Immediate Past Research Coordinator, Past President/Chair of Gesher Galicia and was the Chair of the Gesher Galicia/AGAD symposium. Andrew is the Immediate Past Vice President of Gesher Galicia, Past Editor of The Galitzi...

In conversation with Gesher Galicia President, Dr. Steven S. Turner. Andrew Zalewski is past vice president of Gesher Galicia and a frequent speaker at meetings of Jewish genealogical societies and cultural and academic institutions in the US and abroad. His interests and writings have focused on Jewish cultural transformation, educational access, modernizing impact of Jewish physicians, and Jewis...

Dr. Steven S. Turner and Ms. Darcy Stamler, President of and Treasurer of Gesher Galicia respectively in conversation with Mr. Igor Perelman, secular leader of the Ivano-Frankivsk Jewish Community and Ms. Tetiana Yavirnytska of Nadvirna, Ukraine. Igor was recently the victim of a stabbing attack while handing out food parcels bought with aid from the Gesher Galicia Emergency Appeal. Igor does not...

Dr. Steven S. Turner, President of Gesher Galicia in conversation with Marla and Jay Osborn of Rohatyn Jewish Heritage, residents of Lviv, currently stuck in California on the situation in Ukraine. We apologize for the echo from Steven Turner's microphone during questioning.  That was not evident during the conversation but showed up in the recording. We are very sorry. Any questions or comments p...

Recorded 2/24/22 at 19:00 Ukrainian Time A discussion between Gesher Galicia President, Steven S. Turner, Treasurer Darcy Stamler and tour guide and genealogy researcher Alex Denisenko on what it feels like to be living in Ukraine today during a Russian invasion. Any questions or comments please write to  info@geshergalicia.org .  To join Gesher Galicia click here .

A discussion between Gesher Galicia President Steven S. Turner, Treasurer Darcy Stamler and tour guide and genealogy researcher Alex Denisenko on what it feels like to be living in Ukraine today with the threat of war from Russia. Any questions or comments please write to   info@geshergalicia.org . To join Gesher Galicia click here .