Ari G. ‘21 has been working on a massive family tree project since this past summer. The following interview delves into the details of his genealogical journey ever since.

Can you give an overview of your project as a whole?

I started at the beginning of June after camp was cancelled and I wanted a cool activity to do over the summer. I have been interested in genealogy in the past and I never really got that much into it. I had a lot of free time to start working on it, so I began, and it’s come a long way since then.

What inspired you to begin your family tree?

I have always had a passion for genealogy and learning about where I come from, about the places my ancestors came from, the kinds of lives that they lived.

How has your work influenced you and your family?

I definitely become a lot closer to my grandparents, uncles, and family members that I wouldn’t have much of a reason to bond with otherwise. At the end of August, I organized a reunion of a bunch of members of my family on one side and got about 80 participants. It was about a 2-hour meeting on zoom and we all talked about life and where we were and how we are all connected. It was really cool to see everyone in one space, the oldest people on the zoom were 91 and 96 and the youngest person was about six months old, so it was a really wide range of family members.

Have you rekindled any lost relationships/discovered anything of note?

I’ve discovered a bunch of cool people that I’m related to, nothing much in terms of lost relationships. Just building on relationships I’ve already had and creating new ones.

What is some advice to anyone looking into beginning a project like yours?

There is no real end to a genealogy project. I mean, there is if you just decided to stop. But in terms of finding information, there really is no ending. Go back as far as you can. Just be patient, work hard, and you’ll never know what you’ll come across. Start now while you have your parents and grandparents around, these sources are the most reliable and the most valuable.

How many relatives have you added to the tree thus far?

My number right now is 26,152.

How long do you intend on continuing?

My entire life. I don’t intend to stop. It’s just really cool to learn these things and share it with my family.

Anything else you’d like to add?

Some noteworthy names of people I am related to are Billy Crystal, a sixth cousin twice removed and the Vilna Gaon, my 7th great-grandfather. Moshe Feinstein is a fifth cousin four times removed, and Yosef Soloveitchik is like a tenth cousin twice removed! I also have some film makers close to me, there is a producer who is a third cousin who worked on DreamWorks and how to train a dragon which is pretty cool too. Reuven Rivlin, the president of Israel, is also an 8th cousin three times removed.

Ari G’s passion in exploring his genealogy can serve as an inspiration to us all. We should all strive to approach our curiosity with such fervor and creativity. Find a project, put your all into it, and blossom. If you need any help along the way, contact Ari.