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• Family History Research
• Speaking / Presenting
• Writing /Publishing

Martin Fischer is a part-time professional genealogist who volunteers as vice president of publicity for the Jewish Genealogical Society of Illinois. He conducts family history research for clients and gives genealogical talks on a variety of topics. Fischer is a member of the Association of Professional Genealogists, St. Louis Genealogical Society, Jewish Genealogical Society of Illinois, American Copy Editors Society and Editorial Freelancers Association. He has been doing genealogy since the 1970s. Fischer has written articles for the Quarterly Journal of the Illinois State Genealogical Society; the St. Louis Genealogical Society Quarterly; Avotaynu: The International Review of Jewish Genealogy; Morasha, the Jewish Genealogical Society of Illinois newsletter, and Chicago Tribune. He is retired from a 30+ year career as a journalist, mostly as a copy editor for the Chicago Tribune; and from a 10+ year career as a part-time adjunct instructor for the City Colleges of Chicago, where he taught introductory online sociology courses; and a nearly seven-year part-time stint as an associate faculty member with the University of Phoenix, where he taught in-person sociology, college writing and mass media in society courses.
 

Additional specialities or search keywords
Jewish

Publications/Media

• “Research Tip Leads to New Information About Fischer Family Dry Goods Store,” St. Louis Genealogical Society Quarterly, Winter 2023-2024.
• “How my Cousin got in Trouble with the US Post Office,” Morasha, Jewish Genealogical Society of Illinois newsletter, Fall 2023.
• “Research Tip Leads to New Information about Fischer Family Dry Goods Store,” Morasha, Jewish Genealogical Society of Illinois newsletter, December 2022.
• “The ‘Centenarian’ Who Wasn’t One Hundred,” St. Louis Genealogical Society Quarterly, Winter 2021-2022.
• “Age Differences Can Lead to Family Relationship Questions,” Morasha, Jewish Genealogical Society of Illinois newsletter, Spring 2022.
• “JGSI Helps Fund Digitization of The Chicago Jewish Post & Opinion,” Morasha, Jewish Genealogical Society of Illinois newsletter, Spring 2022.
• “Unusual Draft Registration Form,” Morasha, Jewish Genealogical Society of Illinois newsletter, Spring 2021.
• “Age-old Question: When Was Ernestine Kober Fischer Born—and How Old Was She When She Died,” Morasha, Jewish Genealogical Society of Illinois newsletter, Summer 2020.
• “Finding B. Berman—A Case Study in Getting Past a Brick Wall,” The Quarterly Journal of the Illinois State Genealogical Society, Spring 2020
• “A Tale of Two Photos: Using Photographic Analysis to Date a Family Store Renovation," Morasha, Jewish Genealogical Society of Illinois newsletter, Spring 2018. https://tinyurl.com/sxomgg4
• “Helping a Polish Exhibit Planner Leads to Unexpected Discovery,” Morasha, Jewish Genealogical Society of Illinois newsletter, Fall 2017. https://tinyurl.com/sc4xkug
•  “Write It! Tips for Saving and Sharing Family History in Written Form,” Morasha, Jewish Genealogical Society of Illinois newsletter, Summer 2017. https://tinyurl.com/u4vu6fq
• “Col. Abe Slupsky — Ward boss with a cigar in his mouth and a twinkle in his eye,” Morasha, Jewish Genealogical Society of Illinois newsletter, Spring 2017. https://tinyurl.com/yxxmvkme
• “How the Gogolinsky Family of Warsaw Became the Barney Family of St. Louis," Avotaynu: The International Review of Jewish Genealogy, Spring 2016. https://tinyurl.com/wb2hpmy
• “A Tale of Two Photos: Using Photographic Analysis to Date a Family Store Renovation,” St. Louis Genealogical Society Quarterly, Fall 2015. https://tinyurl.com/s4yuraa
• “Harnessing Social Media: Making the Most of Online Social Networks,” Morasha, Jewish Genealogical Society of Illinois newsletter, June 2015. https://tinyurl.com/skphrg9
• “On Taking the Sephardic Track,” Morasha, Jewish Genealogical Society of Illinois newsletter, Fall 2014. https://tinyurl.com/vhrtrya
•  “Boston IAJGS 2013: “Serendipity Strikes in Boston,” Morasha, Jewish Genealogical Society of Illinois newsletter, Fall 2013. https://tinyurl.com/sn4f58r
• “The Palmer Raid Files: A St. Louis Genealogical Case Study,” St. Louis Genealogical Society Quarterly, Summer 2013.
• "J. Edgar Hoover and Chicago’s Jewish Radicals," Morasha, Jewish Genealogical Society of Illinois newsletter, Spring 2013 (part 1) and Summer 2013 (part 2). https://tinyurl.com/ruulq62
• "U.S. Bureau of Investigation Files Yield Genealogical Gems," Avotaynu: The International Review of Jewish Genealogy, Spring 2012. https://tinyurl.com/tj3nl2d
• "Online Newspaper and Book Sites for Genealogical Research." Handout prepared for Martin Fischer’s March 25, 2012, presentation of a genealogical research case study "The Most Famous Man in America You Never Heard Of," at a meeting of the Jewish Genealogical Society of Illinois. https://tinyurl.com/tj3nl2d
• "Multimedia Resources for Researching and Writing Family History." Handout prepared for the Feb. 26, 2012, "Ask the Experts" panel discussion at the Jewish Genealogical Society of Illinois meeting. https://tinyurl.com/txeyrbs
• "Pointers for Editing a Genealogy Website,” Association of Professional Genealogists Quarterly, March 2011. https://tinyurl.com/w6frqaq
• "Reversing Gears: How to Find Living Relatives," GenealogyArchives.com website, posted Dec. 23, 2009.
• "How to Use Genetics in Family History Research," eHow.com website, posted Sept. 25, 2009.
• "Trial by Poverty: A post-Depression environmentalist," Chicago Tribune Perspective section, Jan. 20, 2008. https://tinyurl.com/vkgx9q8
• “How One JGS-St. Louis Member Created His Personal Family History Web Site,” by Martin Fischer appeared in two installments in Generations, Jewish Genealogical Society of Illinois newsletter, May and June 2004.
• "Altered States." Co-author. Chicago Tribune full-page graphics project, Dec 29, 1992. https://tinyurl.com/vy4rvc4
• "Bon Voyagers." Co-author. Chicago Tribune full-page graphics project, Aug 27, 1989. https://tinyurl.com/wruuye8
• "The Destruction of Hiroshima: First Atomic Bomb Hastens the End of World War II." Researcher. Chicago Tribune full-page graphics project, Aug 6, 1985. https://tinyurl.com/u666hdx
• "For Food Lovers, All Roads Lead to France...But We've Found a Few Dandy Detours." Chicago Tribune restaurant review, May 22, 1982. https://tinyurl.com/w59ezxx
• "Ethnic dining/Greek." Chicago Tribune restaurant review, May 17, 1980. https://tinyurl.com/u9apxme
• "Cover Teas and Pews." (original unpublished title: "Minding Your Teas and Pews.") Grassroots Editor, quarterly journal of the International Society of Weekly Newspaper Editors. Winter 1977.
• "Land Availability Data Bank." Chapter 4 co-research director, co-author. In Freedom of Choice in Housing: An Examination of the Problem and Some Resources Toward its Solution in the St. Louis Metropolitan Area, an urban planning grant project, August 1971, by Washington University law professor Daniel R. Mandelker.

Lectures

• "St. Louis Stories: Four Jewish Family History Case Studies"
• "Write It! Tips for Saving and Sharing Family History in Written Form"
• "Kvell and Tell: A Varied Selection of Short Family History Stories"
• "Finding B. Berman: A Case Study in Getting Past a Genealogical Brick Wall"
• "My Mother?s Life in Cuba: In Her Own Words"
• "Finding Living Relatives: Techniques for Discovering Unknown Mishpocheh"
• "Harnessing Social Media for Jewish Genealogy: Making the Most of Online Social Networks"
• "My Cousin the Murder Defendant: Did Elda Duke Kill Her Mother"
• "The Most Famous Man in America You Never Heard Of: Col. Abe Slupsky of St. Louis"

Research Time Periods

• 20th Century
• 19th Century

Certificates
MOT (master online teacher certification) from University of Illinois's Illinois Online Network, 2011

Affiliations

• Association of Professional Genealogists, member
• International Society of Family History Writers and Editors, former member
• Jewish Genealogical Society of Illinois, vice president
• St. Louis Genealogical Society, member
• Editorial Freelancers Association, member
• American Copy Editors Society, member

Degrees
B.A. (Political Science), M.A. (Sociology)