Homestead Talks
Steeltown Jews: History and Legacy at Work in Homestead, Pennsylvania
How can restoring overlooked Jewish American narratives change how we understand American history? This talk reviews the history of the Jewish community in Homestead, from the arrival of the first Jewish family in 1881 as the steel mill was built, to the closing of the synagogue in 1993 when the last members could no longer make a minyan. In parallel, the talk explores how the narratives around Homestead narrowed over time, centering on the interplay of labor and industry and ultimately erasing people and stories that don’t fit those themes. By examining the experiences of Jews in this particular milltown, we can draw out important lessons from the past and provide insights into the present-day Jewish American experience. (Presented through the Haberman Institute in 2022.)
Reconstructing Small-Town Jewish Communities in America: A Case Study
While the history of the American Jewish community is largely an urban one, most of us have at least one branch from a small town. This talk will review research approaches for studying your ancestral small town and your family’s role in it. Along the way you’ll hear lots of memorable and surprising stories of what life was like for the residents of these places. (Recorded at the International Conference on Jewish Genealogy 2015.)
In Search of a Usable Past: Reconstructing the Jewish History of Homestead, Pennsylvania
This talk examines the surviving records of Jewish Homestead to analyze the larger implications of this community’s story. Through specific research examples, Tammy will present a broader process for situating our individual family histories in the historical record in order to produce a usable past that informs our present-day conception of ourselves, our identity, and our place in the contemporary Jewish community. (Recorded at the Library of Congress in 2015.)
Merging GIS and Genealogy to Recreate a Forgotten Community
Maps.HomesteadHebrews.com combines decades of genealogical data with GIS to rebuild a vanished street grid and recreate the forgotten Jewish community of Homestead, PA. Using Sanborn maps to create a historic address locator, plotting entries from city directories, and referencing the full range of genealogical sources, we have created an interactive tool to examine the changing settlement patterns of this community. This approach to visualizing genealogical data geospatially can aid in reconstructing the historical development of any community. (With Lauren Winkler at the North American Cartographic Society conference in 2019.)
Homestead Hebrews: A Case Study in Digital Community Reconstitution and Analysis
Data.HomesteadHebrews.com, a database supporting multiple web-based research tools, demonstrates techniques for recreating a community and its collective history by digitizing, indexing, tagging, and analyzing a diverse set of archival records. While I developed these tools to study one particular community, the same techniques are applicable to any community with sufficient surviving records.
(Presented at the A World Beyond: Jewish Cemeteries in Turkey – Digital Humanities in Jewish Studies conference in 2021.)
A Tale of Two Intertwined Communities: Squirrel Hill and Homestead
This talk explores the surprisingly symbiotic relationship between the communities of Homestead and Squirrel Hill that began in the 1890s and continues to the present day. Originally linked by long-forgotten urban infrastructure, Homestead and Squirrel Hill have since traded community and commerce for generations. Everything you think you understand about about Squirrel Hill will look quite different when contextualized within the longer history and strikingly different social fabric of its neighbor to the south. (Recorded at the Squirrel Hill Historical Society in 2020.)
The Destruction of the Ward, 80 Years Later
In June 1941, U.S. government announced plans to dramatically expand the Homestead’s steel mill by demolishing the diverse, working-class neighborhood called the Ward, located below the train tracks that ran through Homestead. The government and the steel mill, with the support of local politicians, community leaders, and clergy, put out propaganda that it was the patriotic duty of the 8,000 residents of the Ward to vacate their “blighted slum.” This talk explores how the destruction came to pass and why this long-ago event resonates even today. (Presented through the Battle of Homestead Foundation in June 2021.)
Finding a Jewish Family’s Roots in Homestead
Tammy Hepps quit her job in New York City to research her family’s history in Homestead’s Jewish community. What did she find? (Video produced by the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.)
American Jewish History Talks
Jewish Signature Tablecloths: An Evocative Heirloom and a Genealogical Treasure
In local history research, we rely upon paper records, bronze yahrzeit plaques and stone matzevot. A surprising set of records, created in cloth and thread, are tablecloths, embroidered with names numbering in the dozens or hundreds. Created by Jewish community organizations, they capture their members and their families. Learn more about these delightful heirlooms and see present-day examples to inspire you and your community. (Recorded at the International Conference on Jewish Genealogy 2021.)
Genealogy Talks
Top 10 Things I Learned About My Family From My Couch: Beginning Internet Genealogy
Excited about genealogy, but short on time? You can make amazing discoveries using online resources! These true research examples demonstrate the breadth of materials available and suggest next steps for when you have time to go deeper. (Recorded at RootsTech 2014.)
What a treat – it is informative, funny, and instructive… What an excellent presentation! I loved it. I think every genealogist will love it – please don’t miss this one!
—Randy Seaver, Genea-Musings
The Margarine Moonshiners from Minsk: Conducting Story-Driven Research
The most hilarious genealogical lecture you’ll ever hear, this talk traces my research to uncover how one branch of my family was incarcerated in Leavenworth for defying one of the stranger pieces of legislation ever passed. Entertaining for everyone, this talk introduces a new way of approaching your research that will lead to unexpected discoveries. (Recorded at the International Conference on Jewish Genealogy 2014.)
Technology Talks
How to Get Your Tech Start-up Taken Seriously by a Big Company
When a tech start-up cold pitches their offering for partnership with a big company, the working assumption will be that this lead has no value. Learn how a technology startup can overcome this barrier to get taken seriously by a big corporation. (Recorded at Sun Microsystems in New York City in 2009.)
“Great presentation, articulate speaker with highly relevant content.”
“Ms. Hepps of iVillage really knows her Internet. She spoke for about an hour and then fielded questions and then spent another hour after that speaking to individuals who came up to speak with her. She has tons of positive energy.”
“Tammy was excellent! Engaging and witty, approachable and very practical in her advice.”
“very well thought out and useful. the presenter was great and provided alot of real world examples.”