By Roy Hiller – JGS Nashville
Genealogy is not only about tracing our ancestry. It is also about identifying and connecting with living relatives that we either didn’t know existed or with whom we have lost touch over many years. I recent worked on researching the paternal ancestry of Congregation Micah’s Rabbi Phillip ‘Flip’ Rice. I made many rewarding discoveries along the way.
While conducting my research I came across an online family tree created by Carol Rice, the wife of Tom Rice’s (Flip’s father) first cousin Julian. This kind of genealogical find is quite common. The significance, however, was not. Carol and I exchanged information. This was a turning point.
You see, Tom had lost touch with Julian. They had not spoken for over 22 years. Because of my connecting with Carol and sharing information, whatever had caused them to lose touch 22 years ago no longer mattered. On Tom’s recent birthday, Julian gave him a call and they reconnected.
This is why I do genealogy research. It is the connections we make, to the past and present, that make it worthwhile.
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