Why Fort Wayne?

In prior years, the Conference was held in costlier, big cities, such as London, New York, Chicago, Los Angeles, and Philadelphia. This is the first conference to be held in a more affordable, yet dynamic, smaller city. Fort Wayne is known for its exceptional genealogical capability through the Allen County Public Library Genealogy Center, and national recognition of the host venue, the Grand Wayne Convention Center. Fort Wayne is among the fastest-growing cities in the Midwest, with major recent development in its downtown area, including The Landing, Electric Works, and riverfront activities. And Parkview Field, rated no.1 in all of minor league baseball, is right across the street!

Click below to view our "Welcome to Fort Wayne!" video.

And We Settled Here...

Chances are good that somewhere in your family tree, an ancestor or relative passed through the Midwestern United States, or even northeast Indiana. Jews have been recorded in northeast Indiana for 200 years, since John Jacob Hayes arrived in Fort Wayne as an Indian agent in 1820. German immigrants began arriving as early as 1830, establishing stores throughout the area. In the 19th century, many small towns in the area were homes for Jewish merchants, including Ligonier, Kendallville, Columbia City, Wabash, Decatur, South Whitley, Goshen, and others. Congregation Achduth Vesholom, Indiana’s first Jewish congregation, was established in Fort Wayne in 1848 by German Jews. Ahavath Sholom was formed in Ligonier in the 1860s.

In the late 1800s, immigrants began arriving in the Midwest from Eastern Europe. Many worked in the scrap metal industry or established businesses in various towns and cities.
If your family has a Midwest connection, you can find resources at the Allen County Public Library Genealogy Center. Their collection holds thousands of titles from Indiana alone!

Click below for a short video about Fort Wayne's Jewish history.