Jewish genealogical research has become more popular in recent years than it was in the past. Historically, genealogy has been primarily a gentile pursuit (except in Biblical times, when knowing your Jewish tribe and ancestry was important). With the re-establishment of Israel, however, there has been a renewed interest in Jewish genealogy, as the rabbinate in Israel requires a strong level of proof of Jewish ancestry to determine a person’s status as legally Jewish.
If you are just getting started in researching your genealogy, whether for citizenship purposes in Israel or just out of curiosity as to your family history, here’s how to get off to a strong start with your research...