My little sister, Elizabeth, and I were blessed with several story keepers in the generations just before us. (Story keepers are found in every culture and generation. You may be one.) They captured names, dates, places, and the stories that went with them. Then they shared them with us. It was natural for us to add information to this expanding family tree.

Now, this is where I get to brag about my little sister. As she grew up she was hungry for family stories. Because of this, she was given a box of our grandparents’ old papers and photos. Being who she is, instead of just scanning them to share with her siblings and cousins, she combined the images with historical research and turned them into a beautiful book that traces our family’s roots through several generations and across continents. Now, we each have a book that lets us both see and feel our roots.

How we got to where we are…

Word got out, and Elizabeth (Lisa) was invited to research the genealogy of Rabbi Michael Beyo and his wife and create family tree books for them. This brought a whole new set of countries within the scope of her work, so I, Lorrie, began to work on the project with her. We learned something new at every turn and came to love the people we were learning about. It was a privilege to research and create the books. This is how our fascination with Jewish genealogy began.

Then, at the invitation of the rabbi and his wife, we embarked on our journey of helping other families discover their Jewish roots—not only the names, dates, and places, but also a sense of the times and places that shaped their lives. Our hope is that our work will help generations of families not only know about, but also feel—and gain strength from—their roots.

After they received their books, Rabbi Beyo and his wife asked if we would be willing to do this same kind of work for others. We were thrilled at the invitation, but we told them that we would need help choosing a name for our new business. Rabbi Beyo suggested “Daughters of Jacob,” so we are honored to be
Daughters of Jacob Genealogy.