The Photograph That Connected Us: Genealogy and the Search for Family Story
It began with one old family photograph posted online and a message from a genealogist helping a family in Berlin search for American relatives. That single connection led me to relatives I did not know existed, family reunions in Germany, archival research in Poland, and a much deeper understanding of my family’s displacement from Lipno, Poland, at the close of World War II.
Along the way, genealogy became much more than a search for names and records. It became a source of meaning, belonging, community, and connection. It also became a shared journey with my father, giving us a way to search, remember, and make meaning of our family story together.
What began as a personal search ultimately inspired my doctoral research, oral history project, and publications and presentations throughout the United States and internationally on how family stories are discovered, remembered, and carried forward.
This presentation reflects on the powerful role genealogy — and organizations such as SGGEE — can play in helping us uncover hidden histories, build community, and better understand the stories that shape our lives.
Jessica Aldrich Strassman, DSW, LCSW, is a social worker, researcher, and Assistant Professor of Social Work at Samuel Merritt University in Oakland, California. Her research focuses on displacement, intergenerational storytelling, and the ways individuals and communities make meaning of complex historical experiences.
