Sallyann Sack Papers

Sallyann Amdur Sack was born in Cleveland, Ohio on March 13, 1936 to Frances and Max Amdur. She attended Radcliffe College, where she graduated magna cum laude in 1957. In 1956, she married Lawrence Sack, M.D., thereby becoming Sallyann Amdur Sack. In 1971, she became Dr. Sack when she received a Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology from George Washington University. Dr. Sack went into private practice in this field in suburban Washington, D.C.

It is told by Dr. Sack and others that she was inspired to start performing family research by her youngest daughter, Kathryn Solomon. This endeavor began as an investigation into her family’s Eastern European roots. In the spirit of her father’s own leadership role as organizer for the Amalgamated Clothing Workers Union, Sallyann also took on a leadership role and founded the Jewish Genealogy Society of Greater Washington (JGSGW) and served as its first president in 1980.

Dr. Sack’s work for the JGSGW, as well as her efforts as chair of the summer seminar on Jewish Genealogy held in Washington D.C. in 1982, prepared her to organize the First International Seminar on Jewish Genealogy, unprecedented in its scale, in 1984. The following year, Dr. Sack founded AVOTAYNU: The International Review of Jewish Genealogy, which continues to serve as “The Voice” of Jewish Genealogy.

Dr. Sack received the International Association of Jewish Genealogical Societies Lifetime Achievement Award in 2000 and is referred to as “The Godmother” of Jewish Genealogy (coined by her friend and AVOTAYNU collaborator Gary Mokotoff).

1936

Sallyann Sack was born in Cleveland, Ohio

1956

Marries Lawrence C. Sack, M.D.

1957

Graduates from Radcliffe College magna cum laude

1972

Receives Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology from George Washington University

1980

Founds the Jewish Genealogy Society of Greater Washington (JGSGW) and serves as its first president

1980

Publishes Search for the Family with Mark Shulkin

1982

Chairs the Summer Seminar on Jewish Genealogy, Washington, D.C.

1984

Organizes the first International Seminar on Jewish Genealogy in Jerusalem, Israel

1985

Co-founds AVOTAYNU: The International Review of Jewish Genealogy

1986

Becomes member of the Advisory Board for the Douglas E. Goldman Genealogy Center at Beth Hatefutsoth in Tel-Aviv, Israel (through 1989)

1987

Publishes Guide to Jewish Genealogical Research in Israel

1987

Publishes Russian Consular Records Project Index and Catalog, Garland Publishing Co.

1988

Chairs the Annual Conference on Jewish Genealogy, Washington, D.C.

1989

Becomes member of the Advisory Committee on Russian-American Genealogical Archival Exchange (RAGAS), through 1994

1991

Co-chairs the Annual Conference on Jewish Genealogy, Salt Lake City, UT

1991

Co-authors Where Once We Walked, A Guide to Jewish Communities Destroyed in the Holocaust

1994

Co-chairs the International Conference on Jewish Genealogy, Jerusalem, Israel

1997

Is elected President of the International Association of Jewish Genealogical Societies (IAJGS), through 1998

1998

Is elected President of Avotaynu Foundation, which publishes genealogical reference guides

2000

Co-chairs the International Conference on Jewish Genealogy, Salt Lake City, UT

2000

Receives the International Association of Jewish Genealogical Societies Lifetime Achievement Award

2004

Co-edits Avotaynu Guide to Jewish Genealogy

2005

Chairs the Founding Committee for the International Institute for Jewish Genealogy and Paul Jacobi Center (affiliate of the Jewish National and University Library in Jerusalem, Israel)