The Magic Shop: My Grandfather's Metaphysical Pursuits in 1930's Vienna

Meet and Great: 12:30 pm

Presentation begins: 1:00 pm                    

The Magic Shop: My Grandfather's Metaphysical Pursuits in 1930's Vienna

Presenter: Helen Goldsmith

In 2017 after her uncle’s death, Helen Goldsmith discovered a trove of family papers that her grandfather had kept but never shared. Spanning  more than a century these documents, originating from Austria-Hungary, Turkey, Russia, Israel, and the United States, revealed that her Turkish-Jewish maternal grandfather had become fascinated by metaphysics and hand reading shortly after WWI. In this presentation, Helen will share her journey of discovery and some of the resources and methods that helped her learn about and solve many mysteries of her family.

BIO     Helen Goldsmith is a retired university counselor and administrator. In January of 2021, she began a daily blog, posting items from her personal archive and her journey to discover her family history. The blog can be found on her website: https://www.womanwithamessage.com/. Her quest to give voice to her ancestors has led her to learn traditional genealogical research techniques and to study hand analysis, the occupation her grandfather pursued. She has also presented at the 2022 IAJGS conference.

Join us at 12:30pm PT - before the meeting - for a meet and greet.  Get to know the other genealogists attending our meeting.