Sallyann Sack Papers
Scope and Content Note
This collection chronicles Sallyann Sack’s role as a pioneer in the field of Jewish Genealogy in the 1980s. Her roles as pioneer include founder and co-founder, chair and co-chair, editor, writer and president. The earlier papers reflect the formation of a Jewish Genealogical research network while the later papers reflect the work that network produces. The Sallyann Sack Papers consist of correspondence, conference and seminar papers and audio/visual material, AVOTAYNU and Jewish Genealogy Society of Greater Washington (JGSGW) papers, as well a variety of other papers related to her projects and research.
Dates
- undated, 1962-1972, 1978-2007
Creator
- Sack, Sallyann Amdur, 1936- (Person)
Access Restrictions
This collection is closed at the request of the donor. For inquiries, please contact the Director of Collections and Engagement at mmeyers@ajhs.org.
Use Restrictions
This collection is closed at the request of the donor. For inquiries, please contact the Director of Collections and Engagement at mmeyers@ajhs.org.
Biographical Note
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).
Chronology
- 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)
Extent
21 Linear Feet
Language of Materials
English
French
German
Hebrew
Lithuanian
Russian
Swedish
Yiddish
Abstract
This collection contains the papers of Sallyann Amdur Sack, “The Godmother” of Jewish Genealogy. In 1980, Sack founded the Jewish Genealogy Society of Greater Washington (JGSGW); in 1984, she organized the First International Seminar on Jewish Genealogy in Jerusalem, Israel; and in 1985, she co-founded AVOTAYNU: The International Review of Jewish Genealogy, known as “The Voice” of Jewish Genealogy research. These papers chronicle Dr. Sack’s groundbreaking work, which ranges from the early 1980s through 2007. The collection contains correspondence, conference and seminar materials, planning and research papers, as well as photographs and audio/visual material.
Arrangement
The collection is divided into seven series:
- Series I: Ephemera and Publications, undated, 1980-2002
- Series II: Correspondence, Undated, 1979-2005
- Subseries 1: National
- Subseries 2: International
- Subseries 3: Miscellaneous
- Series III: Conferences and Seminars, 1981-2006
- Series IV: Projects, undated, 1980-2000
- Subseries 1: AVOTAYNU
- Subseries 2: Jewish Genealogy Society of Greater Washington (JGSGW), including its quarterly publication MISHPACHA
- Subseries 3: Russian Consular Records
- Subseries 4: Sallyann Sack's Project Proposal for Family History Curriculum Component
- Subseries 5: Projects Submitted to Dr. Sack
- Series V: Research Material
- Subseries 1: Research Trips
- Subseries 2: Research Collections and Instituions
- Subseries 3: Reference Papers
- Subseries 4: Research Subjects>
- Subseries 5: Various Research Papers
- Subseries 6: Research Books
- Series VI: Audio
- Series VII: Photographs
Physical Location
Located in AJHS New York, NY
- American Jewish Joint Distribution Committee
- American Name Society
- Articles
- Association of Jewish Genealogical Societies
- Association of Jewish Genealogical Societies
- Audiocassettes
- Avotaynu Foundation
- Beider, Alexander
- Berman, Roberta Wagner
- Black-and-white photographs
- Boonin, Harry D. (Harry Davidow), 1936-
- Boston University
- Brandeis University
- Canadian Jewish Congress. National Archives
- Caplan, Sophie
- Color photographs
- Correspondence
- Genealogy
- Gershan, Naomi Levin
- Gorr, Shmuel
- Gyémánt, Ladislau
- Harvard University
- Hebrew Union College
- Israel
- Jacobs, David
- Jewish Genealogical Society of Canada
- Jewish Genealogical Society of Philadelphia
- Jewish Genealogy Society of Greater Washington
- Jewish National Fund
- Jews -- Genealogy
- Joseph, Anthony, 1937-
- Kurzweil, Arthur
- Lazarovits, Ernő, 1924-
- Library of Congress
- Marrus, Michael Robert
- Mokotoff, Gary
- Negatives (photographs)
- New York (N.Y.)
- New York (State)
- Newsletters
- San Diego Jewish Genealogical Society (San Diego, Calif.)
- Sielemann, Jürgen
- Stern, Malcolm H.
- Wiesel, Elie, 1928-2016
- Wolff, Egon
- Wolff, Frieda
- Yeshiva University
- Title
- Guide to the Sallyann Sack Papers, undated, 1962-1972, 1978-2007
- Status
- Completed
- Author
- Processed by Rachel Alexandra Tutera
- Date
- © 2011
- Description rules
- Describing Archives: A Content Standard
- Language of description
- English
- Script of description
- Latin
- Language of description note
- Description is in English.
- Sponsor
- Processed as part of the Leon Levy Archival Processing Initiative, made possible by the Leon Levy Foundation
Revision Statements
- 2015-11-25: Updated with AVC boxes for audiovisual materials. KS
- January 2021: RJohnstone: post-ASpace migration cleanup.
Repository Details
Part of the American Jewish Historical Society Repository