Gary Mokotoff
Encyclopedia
Gary Mokotoff is an American genealogist who focuses primarily on Jewish genealogy. He is the first person to receive the Lifetime Achievement Award of the International Association of Jewish Genealogical Societies for which he was president (1989–1995). He is the author/coauthor of a number of books including Where Once We Walked
, a gazetteer
which provides information about 23,500 towns (citing 37,000 place names) in Central
and Eastern Europe
where Jews lived before the Holocaust, How to Document Victims and Locate Survivors of the Holocaust, and Getting Started in Jewish Genealogy. He was co-editor of Avotaynu Guide to Jewish Genealogy.
Mokotoff is also known for his application of computers to genealogy. Among his accomplishments is co-authorship of the Daitch–Mokotoff Soundex System; the JewishGen
Family Finder, a database of ancestral towns and surnames being researched by some 84,000 Jewish genealogists throughout the world and the Consolidated Jewish Surname Index.
He is co-owner of Avotaynu, a company that publishes books of interest to Jewish genealogical researchers as well as the journal Avotaynu. He is/was on the Board of Directors of a number of organizations including the International Association of Jewish Genealogical Societies, Federation of Genealogical Societies, Association of Professional Genealogists
, Jewish Book Council
, Association of Jewish Book Publishers
, and JewishGen
.
He was a pioneer of the computer software industry, joining IBM
in 1959. He developed systems software that IBM supplied with its early commercial computer, the IBM 1401.
Where Once We Walked
Where Once We Walked , compiled by noted genealogist Gary Mokotoff and Sallyann Amdur Sack, is a gazetteer of 37,000 town names in Central and Eastern Europe focusing on those with Jewish populations in the 19th and first half of the 20th centuries.The book includes a cross-referenced...
, a gazetteer
Gazetteer
A gazetteer is a geographical dictionary or directory, an important reference for information about places and place names , used in conjunction with a map or a full atlas. It typically contains information concerning the geographical makeup of a country, region, or continent as well as the social...
which provides information about 23,500 towns (citing 37,000 place names) in Central
Central Europe
Central Europe or alternatively Middle Europe is a region of the European continent lying between the variously defined areas of Eastern and Western Europe...
and Eastern Europe
Eastern Europe
Eastern Europe is the eastern part of Europe. The term has widely disparate geopolitical, geographical, cultural and socioeconomic readings, which makes it highly context-dependent and even volatile, and there are "almost as many definitions of Eastern Europe as there are scholars of the region"...
where Jews lived before the Holocaust, How to Document Victims and Locate Survivors of the Holocaust, and Getting Started in Jewish Genealogy. He was co-editor of Avotaynu Guide to Jewish Genealogy.
Mokotoff is also known for his application of computers to genealogy. Among his accomplishments is co-authorship of the Daitch–Mokotoff Soundex System; the JewishGen
JewishGen
JewishGen is a non-profit organization founded in 1987 as a resource for Jewish genealogy. In 2003, JewishGen became an affiliate of the Museum of Jewish Heritage – A Living Memorial to the Holocaust in New York.It provides amateur and professional genealogists with the tools to research their...
Family Finder, a database of ancestral towns and surnames being researched by some 84,000 Jewish genealogists throughout the world and the Consolidated Jewish Surname Index.
He is co-owner of Avotaynu, a company that publishes books of interest to Jewish genealogical researchers as well as the journal Avotaynu. He is/was on the Board of Directors of a number of organizations including the International Association of Jewish Genealogical Societies, Federation of Genealogical Societies, Association of Professional Genealogists
Association of Professional Genealogists
The Association of Professional Genealogists is an organization that promotes professional and business ethics in the field of genealogical research. Organized in 1979, its offices are in Colorado ....
, Jewish Book Council
Jewish Book Council
The Jewish Book Council, founded in 1944, is an organization encouraging and contributing to Jewish literature. The goal of the council, as stated on its website, is "to promote the reading, writing and publishing of quality English language books of Jewish content in North America". It is the only...
, Association of Jewish Book Publishers
Association of Jewish Book Publishers
Association of Jewish Book Publishers is a defunct organization founded in 1962 as a non-profit organization. This group promoted the sale and use of Jewish books through educational programs and activities such as exhibits, discussions, cooperative promotion and the interchange of information...
, and JewishGen
JewishGen
JewishGen is a non-profit organization founded in 1987 as a resource for Jewish genealogy. In 2003, JewishGen became an affiliate of the Museum of Jewish Heritage – A Living Memorial to the Holocaust in New York.It provides amateur and professional genealogists with the tools to research their...
.
He was a pioneer of the computer software industry, joining IBM
IBM
International Business Machines Corporation or IBM is an American multinational technology and consulting corporation headquartered in Armonk, New York, United States. IBM manufactures and sells computer hardware and software, and it offers infrastructure, hosting and consulting services in areas...
in 1959. He developed systems software that IBM supplied with its early commercial computer, the IBM 1401.