The Northeast Indiana Jewish Genealogy Society is excited to welcome Dr. Wendy Soltz and Greg Merrell to the ACPL Genealogy Center on Sunday, April 14th at 2:00pm EDT. This afternoon of local history is paired with Congregation Achduth Vesholom’s 175th Anniversary celebration.

• 2:00pm – Indiana Synagogue Mapping Project - Dr. Wendy Soltz will go over the digital map and its functionality and will demonstrate what information one can glean from data visualization platforms as she has help to preserve and document the synagogues across the state of Indiana.
• 3:30pm – Ligonier Restoration – Greg Merrell will relate how he and his wife Stacey have purchased the former synagogue, Ahavath Shalom, from Indiana Landmarks in an effort to convert a historic property into a home.

Dr. Wendy Soltz is an Assistant Professor of History and Director of the Public History Program at Ball State University. She regularly works with the public and non-profits to curate exhibitions, organize collections, and assist in historical programming. Wendy conceived of the Indiana Synagogue Mapping Project in 2018 while she was the Executive Director of the Indiana Jewish Historical Society. Over the course of five years and a grant from the National Parks Service, Wendy has made 45 survey stops and has conducted archival research to reveal and document 66 purpose-built synagogues across the State of Indiana from 1865-2015.

Greg Merrell is an I.T. Director for an Illinois-based consulting firm. He and his wife, Stacey, had always wanted to live in non-conventional housing. With roots in Indiana but requiring a quicker commute via the South Shore Line into Chicago, Greg and Stacey moved North. Thus began a 2-year project to convert Ahavath Shalom Synagogue into a Home.

This program is in-person at the Allen County Public Library Genealogy Center. If you are unable to attend, registration is required. The link can be found at Upcoming Events – Northeast Indiana Jewish Genealogy Society (neindianajgs.org)

Thank you to the Harry W. Salon Foundation, the Louis and Anne B. Schneider Foundation, the Lande Foundation, and the Allen County Public Library Genealogy Center for their continued support of NEIJGS programming.

Additional information about the NEIJGS can be found on our website at www.NEIndianaJGS.org, or our Facebook Page, https://www.facebook.com/NEIndianaJGS/.

Please contact Pamela Friedman at vp@NEIndianaJGS.org for more information