Genealogist Cracks Holocaust HoaxSharon Sergeant will speak about how she cracked a hoax at the Massachusetts Genealogical Council Seminar on April 26 at noon, at the LaCava Center, Bentley College, Waltham, MA. Sergeant is the genealogist who uncovered the twenty-year multinational fraud by Misha Defonseca, author of “Misha: A Mémoire of the Holocaust Years” and “Surviving with Wolves”, an international bestseller and the subject of a French feature film. “The genealogical methods used are the same techniques that can be used to uncover other frauds or solve every day mysteries in anyone’s family history,” Sergeant explains. “We were guided by a photo time line, verified by photo detective Maureen Taylor of Norwood, Massachusetts and California based forensic genealogist Colleen Fitzpatrick. We worked with real Jewish hidden children. The internet allowed us to work quickly with people on the ground in Belgium and access the records in public libraries and archives.”

Problem-Solving Techniques and Technology (21 hours) This module utilizes multiple examples to impart the skills necessary to design and follow the most direct path to a supportable conclusion. The use of technological tools, particularly the Internet, is placed in perspective and explored. Students create and execute a research plan, with particular attention to organizing, documenting, and presenting the findings in a report for a client.