Note: This episode includes frank discussions about people who were murdered by Nazis during the Holocaust, and we recorded it before the brutal and disgusting attacks in Israel. We find Jennifer's work to be life-affirming, but in light of last weekend’s atrocities, we understand if you need to postpone listening in order to protect your heart.

Jennifer Mendelsohn was a freelance journalist when her nascent interest in genealogy led to a life-changing achievement: finding three first cousins of her husband’s grandmother, who had lost track of her entire family after the Holocaust.

Now—after rising to prominence using the viral #resistancegenealogy hashtag to call out political hypocrisy about immigration—she’s become a sought-after genealogical expert with an exciting new mission: using DNA at the Center for Jewish History to reunite Holocaust survivors with their families.

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Getting the facts right about your forebears is an important pursuit, since much of the lore we pass down often distorts over the generations. We also talk about our shared joy of logic puzzles, how every immigration story leads to several even-more-amazing stories, and how close Jennifer came to writing the “When Your Hashtag Goes Viral” diet book.

Other links:

* Follow Jennifer Mendelsohn on Substack, Facebook, and Instagram.

* Jennifer debunks the idea that names were changed at Ellis Island

* Polish Jewish sisters orphaned and separated 80 years ago are reunited.

* Your Grandma Was A Chain Migrant! in the New Yorker.

* Jennifer’s brother Daniel Mendelsohn.

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit whentheflamesgoup.substack.com