Indeed, Jewish genealogy experts say relations between Jews and Mormons couldn't be better. Beginning in 1904, immigrants were asked the country and town of their birth, as well as their final destination in the United States, including the names of the people they planned to meet there. Contrary to popular belief, no names were changed at Ellis Island. As evidenced by the ship's manifests, names were changed before the immigrants boarded the boat or after they had left Ellis Island for the wilds of America. The Ellis Island Foundation estimates that more than 8 million people have logged on so far.
Searches can sometimes be frustrating.
Indeed, forays into the murky past of family often raise more questions than answers. Most of us are going to have to come to the table with a good deal of information, and then we may have to use this as a jumping-off point to do more research. Witnessing families locate their ancestors can be an extremely moving experience, she said. I've seen people walk away crying.