Discover Your Ancestors with Professional Researchers
Have you always been interested in your family history, but don’t know where to begin?
We will conduct comprehensive genealogical research, reconstruct your family tree, provide a complete report with historical data, archival discoveries, and family stories, and also compile a portrait of your lineage.
The distinctive aspect of our research is that we utilize not only documents from state and private archives and genealogical databases, but also rabbinic literature, memoirs, Jewish tradition, historical and linguistic analysis of Jewish names, as well as DNA research.
We specialize in uncovering Jewish roots, and often where others are forced to conclude their investigation, we are only just beginning ours.
We strive to incorporate as much historical information as possible. It is not uncommon for even the prefaces and dedications of works of rabbinic literature to serve as a true treasure trove of Jewish genealogical data.
And sometimes what rationalists are dismissed as legend or fiction turns out to be true. For example, stories that a given family traces its lineage back to a prominent rabbi mentioned in the Talmud have been confirmed.
In addition to surnames, given names are an important resource for reconnecting Jewish families, since certain sets of names were passed down from generation to generation in almost every Jewish family.
Among Ashkenazi Jews, as a rule children were named after deceased relatives, whereas Sephardim named them in honor of a living esteemed relative.
For many Jewish lineages—such as medieval rabbinic dynasties and Sephardic clans, which are quite numerous among Russian-speaking Jews—we manage to uncover information on ancestors reaching back to antiquity.
Among them one may discover renowned rabbis, biblical prophets, and even King David.
We are convinced of an unbreakable connection with one’s ancestors, which we seek to reveal by tracing how characteristic qualities of a lineage are transmitted through generations, sometimes disappearing and then resurfacing.
Frequently, we discover marriages between modern families that had been united by kinship in the past, and we see that the same family talents do not disappear over the centuries but re-emerge in descendants.
We create a comprehensive history of the family, highlighting its unique characteristics and its mission.
Our work meets the highest scientific standards, as evidenced by publications in prestigious academic journals and the support of Nobel laureates.
So, the first step — Gathering initial data
The research begins with the most crucial phase — information gathering. Even a small detail can be the key to unlocking a family’s history. We carefully analyze:
Places where your ancestors lived, worked, and studied
Family legends and oral stories
Names, nicknames, and connections to other countries
How do we help?
We provide a special questionnaire
We help gather the initial data if you don’t have time
We conduct interviews with older family members, recording often priceless memories.
Sometimes these interviews reveal facts that none of the relatives knew about.
In addition, the recording of the conversation is preserved for future generations, becoming part of the family history.
Preliminary assessment: how deeply can your lineage be traced?
After collecting the data, we evaluate the scope for research.
Some archives have been destroyed or lost, and most Russian Jews before 1804 had no surnames — but sometimes we succeed in applying methods to circumvent these limitations.
The preliminary assessment allows us to determine:
Which documents have survived in the archives
Whether your relatives can be identified among others with the same surname
How deeply we can delve into the history of your lineage
Generational connection — can lost relatives be found?
If research is impossible due to lack of data, we still provide:
Partial information about bearers of the surname
A historical and geographical overview of the places where your ancestors lived
Analysis of the origin of the surname and variations in its spelling
An evaluation of archival materials
Even if the assessment has a negative outcome, you will still gain valuable information about your family’s roots.
Comprehensive research: uncovering your family history.
Once the feasibility of the research is confirmed, we proceed to a detailed analysis.
1. Non-archival research
Searching for people with the same surname worldwide, including via social networks
Studying the historical context of your ancestors’ lives
Linguistic analysis of the surname
2. Searching online archives
The internet holds an enormous amount of data — we know where to look!
Access to exclusive paid and free databases
Use of archival indexes, memoirs, and rabbinic literature
Searching for scanned documents through our partner network
3. Work in physical archives
We carry out research in archives in Israel and across the former Russian Empire, including archives in Ukraine (currently inaccessible to Russian citizens) and in Russia (currently inaccessible to Ukrainian citizens), in order to find original documents that are not available on the internet.
Creating the report (or Family Book — see the “Family Book” section)
After the research is completed, the final stage begins — transforming dry facts into a full-fledged family story set against the historical backdrop of your ancestors’ lives.
We visualise the family’s migration routes
We include archival photographs and images of the places where your family lived
We add a detailed family narrative
We add a list of cited sources and a collection of family documents
The result is a true family heirloom.
Using the report as a foundation, we can publish a book of your lineage – an exclusive authorized gift edition, a tome to be passed from generation to generation.
Separately, we also undertake the creation of a Socio-Psychological Portrait of your Family: preserving the family’s mission through the centuries
Who were your ancestors? What did they do? Which qualities have been passed down to you from them?
We conduct a unique analysis that allows us to identify the consistent traits of your lineage that have endured over centuries.
Since 2006, we have been analyzing Jewish clans, studying tens of thousands of family histories.
This method shows that psychological traits, professions, and life attitudes are transmitted from generation to generation.
What does the analysis of your lineage provide?
Identifying the key spheres of activity of your family members
Analyzing your family’s character traits and predispositions
Revealing your lineage’s readiness for change, migration, and adaptation
You will receive a psychological portrait of your lineage that will help you understand which talents, inclinations, and behavioral strategies are genetically ingrained in you.
The genetics of success: your personal genealogical forecast
Who am I? Why am I here? These questions are on everyone’s mind.
Only recently has science been able to study, for the first time, how the traits of those who share a surname change over centuries.
Research has shown that success can be linked to people bearing the same surname for at least nine centuries.
Members of the same family clan, living in different historical periods and unaware of each other, often achieve success in the same fields.
What professions are suited to you?
What talents might emerge in your children?
In which fields could you best fulfill your potential?
Our genealogical forecast draws on a unique concept developed by the Am haZikaron Institute – the theory of meta-clans, which posits that key family traits and mission recur across generations.
This theory has been endorsed by a committee of 55 Nobel laureates and earned the “Zeyti Yerushalayim” prize for its contribution to Jewish thought and national heritage.
Why choose us? Our competitive advantages
Exclusive access to Ukrainian archives (closed to Russian citizens)
Exclusive access to Russian archives (closed to Ukrainian citizens)
Deep expertise in Jewish genealogy, name etymology, and Jewish tradition
Rare language skills — the ability to research documents in Hebrew and Yiddish
Access to international databases that are closed to many researchers
The world’s only genealogical forecasting method
Payment accepted in any currency — for clients worldwide
Order a professional genealogical investigation now!
Your ancestors left their mark on history – help yourself and your descendants preserve this legacy.