Steve Jaron: Unlocking The Past: Unlocking the Ashkenazi Dutch Jewish Ancestry

Steve Jaron Bio

Steve Jaron is a lifelong Pittsburgh resident whose passion for genealogy has been shaped by two significant experiences. Firstly, during his bar-mitzvah trip to Israel, he had the opportunity to meet with several relatives, including his great uncle. His great uncle shared a captivating family story about discovering their shared ancestry when his great aunt brought a picture of her great grandparents into their home. This revelation led to the realization that they were second cousins. Although Steve would later learn that his uncle was quite the storyteller, this tale kindled his interest in family history.

The second pivotal moment in Steve’s genealogical journey occurred during his college years when he took a Spanish class. As part of an assignment, he had to create a family tree to learn various Spanish relationships. Fortunately, Steve already had a well-documented family tree thanks to his great aunt’s efforts. Inspired by this class, he decided to explore further and googled an uncommon Jewish last name, “de Jongh.” To his surprise, he stumbled upon an online version of a book meticulously detailing his grandmother and great aunt’s mother’s ancestors in Holland, and from that moment, his fascination with genealogy took root.

Steve’s current genealogical focus centers on his Galitzianer and German branches, with plans to eventually continue his father’s genealogical research in Ukraine and Belarus. In 2017, he took on the key role of revitalizing the Jewish Genealogy Society of Pittsburgh and currently serves as its president. His commitment to the genealogical community extends beyond his local chapter. He has assumed the role of IAJGS Sysadmin and Tech Committee co-chair and serves as an IAJGS Member Liaison, further contributing to the broader genealogy community.