Author Archives: identifinders

About identifinders

Rocket Scientist turned world class Forensic Genealogist.

DNA-The Next Big Gold Rush?

Posted on May 29, 2017

The discovery of gold at Sutters Mill, CA in 1848 promised untold wealth for those who had the resources and stamina to outlast the competition.  At the dawn of the California Gold Rush, there were no laws governing property rights; prospectors depended on … Continue reading →

Posted in DNA Testing, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Big Business or Big Brother?

Posted on May 2, 2017

At the recent American Academy of Forensic Science meeting in New Orleans, I attended the workshop The Opiate Crisis, Dirty Bombs, Big Data/Big Problems, and Driverless Cars:  On the Leading Edge of Forensic Science – 2017 Theoretical Forensic Sciences “Think Tank”.  It … Continue reading →

Posted in DNA Testing, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Who Am I? What is My Name? – Part XII – Taking Stock

Posted on December 8, 2016

INTRODUCTION As with all research projects, there have been so many zigzags in this story, it’s only reasonable to take a break to take stock of where we are in solving the puzzle of Pnina’s identity.  We haven’t solved all … Continue reading →

Posted in DNA Testing, Finding Birth Parents, Historical Identifications, Holocaust Project, Uncategorized, Unsolved Mysteries | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Who Am I? What Is My Name? Part XI – Berlin, Warsaw, and the German Soldier

Posted on November 8, 2016

I recently traveled to Berlin and Warsaw to personally research in the various German and Polish archives.  My hope was to find more information about Gertrude Priess-Spiro and her circle of acquaintance and friends, towards the goal of finding the … Continue reading →

Posted in Finding Birth Parents, Historical Identifications, Holocaust Project, Uncategorized, Unsolved Mysteries | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 5 Comments

For Immediate Release – Grant from the Elie Wiesel Jewish Studies Center, Boston University

Posted on November 7, 2016

The Center for Professional Education at Boston University has been awarded a competitive grant from Jewish Cultural Endowment Fund of the Elie Wiesel Center for Jewish Studies to hold a one-day workshop “Holocaust Survival and Reunion Stories:  Separating Fact from … Continue reading →

Posted in About Me, DNA Testing, Finding Birth Parents, Historical Identifications, Holocaust Project, Unsolved Mysteries | Tagged , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Who Am I – What Is My Name – Part X – Gertrude’s Marriage and Divorce

Posted on November 6, 2016

By now, everyone who reads this should know Gertrude Priess-Spiro, the woman who arranged to have Pnina Gutman smuggled from the Warsaw Ghetto in August or September 1942.  New information about her has recently been discovered that provides details about her … Continue reading →

Posted in Finding Birth Parents, Historical Identifications, Holocaust Project, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Calendar of Upcoming Events

Posted on October 2, 2016

Calendar October 2016 through March 2017  October 20, 2016 2:30 pm Forensic Genealogy:  The Database Detective 6:30 pm The Secrets of Abraham Lincoln’s DNA The Polish Genealogical Society of Massachusetts & the Chicopee Public Library Chicopee Public Library 449 Front Street, Chicopee, … Continue reading →

Posted in About Me, Calendar, Uncategorized | Leave a comment