Join GSBC in Honoring Tamara Bell

This is a Hybrid Event: Meet our Speaker, former GSBC Director and member Tamara Bell! 

GSBC Meeting Location: ASL / NSU, 3100 Ray Ferrero Jr. Blvd., Davie, FL 33314. Computer Lab A on the Second Floor.

TIME

    Computer Research Lab A, Meeting and Social In-Person Only — Walk-Ins Welcomed: 

   12:00 PM — Open Computer Lab:  Explore genealogy resources with hands-on support

   1:30 PM — General Meeting & Social: Join us for  light refreshments, and society updates.

   PROGRAM  — Hybrid (In-person on the big screen or via Zoom): 

   2:00 PM to 3:00 PM  — Our very own Tamara Bell will be presenting in-person followed by Q & A's.. The event will be broadcasted via Zoom. In-person Members and Guest will enjoy light refreshments while viewing our speaker on the big screen.

Topic:

Creating Connections: Organizing Reunions with Ease. Preserve your family history and strengthen connections through family reunions. Turn you family history into living memories! Topics include From August to June: Important Milestones Along the Way; The Reunion Binder - Planning Hub; Building a Planning Committee; Communication Tools That Worked; and Challenges & Lessons Learned.  

Speaker:

Tamara Bell is a certified HR professional with a master’s degree from Nova Southeastern University and a longstanding interest in genealogical research. She is an active member and former board member of the Genealogy Society of Broward County and a member of the National African American Historical and Genealogy Society (AAHGS). Tam has completed formal genealogy training through the Genealogy Society of Broward County and applies research best practices when helping individuals begin and organize their family history. She has organized both virtual and in-person family reunions and is the author of “Making Memories Together,” published in Reunions Magazine. She is currently partnering with the African American Research Library and Cultural Center to launch a local AAHGS chapter in Broward County, Florida.

As a membership benefit, we are pleased to inform you that this genealogical event will be recorded and made available exclusively to members of GSBC. Additionally, any handout will be uploaded to our website for members to access.

This is a Hybrid Event: Meet our speaker David Light!

GSBC Meeting Location: ASL / NSU, 3100 Ray Ferrero Jr. Blvd., Davie, FL 33314. Computer Lab A on the Second Floor.

TIME

Computer Research Lab A, Meeting and Social In-Person Only — Walk-Ins Welcomed: 

   12:00 PM — Open Computer Lab:  Explore genealogy resources with hands-on support

   1:30 PM — General Meeting & Social: Join us for  light refreshments, and society updates.

PROGRAM  — Hybrid (In-person on the big screen or via Zoom): 

   2:00 PM to 3:00 PM  — Meet David Light who will be presenting in-person and the program broadcasted via Zoom followed by Q & A's. In-person Members and Guest will enjoy light refreshments while viewing our speaker on the big screen.

• Register for Zoom Link: Link will be listed when available

Topic:

Forgotten and Untranslated Documents: A Journey of Research and Unexpected Finds

A Chance Discovery: A hand-colored family tree sent from Poland to America 120 years ago launched David Light on an extraordinary journey connecting generations. Through Ancestry.com, David met a Rabbi in Los Angeles and relatives in Montreal who each possessed versions of the same tree. Neither group knew how to interpret it as it held no meaning until David deciphered it as if it were the Rosetta Stone, revealing generations of family connections.

Preserving the Shtetl of Orla: Returning to Orla, Poland—the shtetl of his family’s origin—David partnered with the town’s mayor to restore its 17th-century synagogue, now recognized among Europe’s “7 Most Endangered Heritage Sites” for 2025.

Rediscovered Voices: Yiddish letters written by his great-great-grandfather surfaced in 1976 but remained untranslated for decades—their ornate script concealing family stories now revealed through AI tools such as ChatGPT.

Legacy and Collaboration: David compiled his findings into a Shutterfly family history book. He also collaborated with renowned genealogist Eli Rabinowitz of Perth, Australia, to create a Kehilalink for Orla, adding digital information to the JewishGen Orla Kehilla website to ensure the community’s history endures. 

Speaker:

David Light has been a resident of Miami-Dade County for over 51 years where he resides with his wife Lauren. The Jewish Genealogical Society of Greater Miami (JGSGM) continues to mentor David as his research continues to evolve. His story shows how curiosity, technology, and perseverance can reconnect us to our ancestors and preserve their memories. 

As a membership benefit, we are pleased to inform you that this genealogical event will be recorded and made available exclusively to members of GSBC. Additionally, any handout will be uploaded to our website for members to access.