Stay Informed About Publication
The Shpoler Zeida Family Tree is the result of many years of ongoing research and analysis, and its final publication will reflect the most complete and accurate picture possible.
If you would like to be notified when Volumes I and II are released — or to receive occasional research updates as this project moves toward publication — you are invited to join my Noble Heritage Readers’ Circle. To do so, please use the contact form and indicate your interest in receiving updates.
Subscribers will be notified when The Shpoler Zeida Family Tree is published (anticipated Spring 2026), and may also receive brief updates about related discoveries as the research continues.
The Shpoler Zeida Family Tree
Volumes I & II
The Shpoler Zeida Family Tree is a groundbreaking genealogical work that reconstructs the line of descent from Rabbi Yehuda Leib of Shpola, the legendary Chassidic master known as the Shpoler Zeida, for over 5,700 descendants spanning eleven generations.
What happens when centuries of lost Jewish records, destroyed archives, shifting borders, and missing generations collide with modern genetic genealogy? This work answers that question—decisively—by demonstrating what becomes possible when classical genealogy and DNA science are combined.
Where Traditional Genealogy Ends — and Discovery Begins
Most Jewish genealogical research stalls at the same brick walls: lost records, patronymics instead of surnames, inconsistent spellings, missing censuses, and vanished communities. This project confronts those obstacles head-on — and shows how they can be overcome.
Inside these volumes, you will discover:
1) A clear, accessible explanation of why conducting traditional Jewish genealogical research in the Russian Empire is so challenging — and how to work around its limitations.
2) Innovative genealogical methods, including Y-DNA testing and genetic analysis, are used to reconstruct lineages that paper records alone could never resolve—approaches that genealogists can apply to their own research.
3) More than 5,700 identified descendants, encompassing thousands of surnames—raising the compelling question of whether your own family may be among them.
4) Fifteen in-depth case studies of “Mystery Families,” demonstrating step-by-step how stubborn brick walls were dismantled using a combination of historical evidence, genetic genealogy, and analytical reasoning.
5) A practical demonstration of genealogy as both science and discovery, revealing how evidence, probability, and persistence work together in real-world research.
6) Comprehensive name and place indexes in each volume make it easy to locate individuals, families, and towns quickly and efficiently.
Two Volumes — One Complete Picture
Volume I presents fully documented descendants — a rigorously documented foundation suitable for citation and continued research.
Volume II explores probable and emerging lines of descent — an invitation to continued discovery.
Together, they form a living genealogical map: rigorous, transparent, and open to future breakthroughs.
Who This Book Is For
1) Descendants of the Shpoler Zeida seeking their place in history.
2) Jewish genealogists seeking a deeper understanding of Jewish surname adoption, real-world research challenges, and how genetic genealogy is used to identify descendants and validate—or refute—lines of descent.
3) Genealogists facing seemingly impossible research obstacles.
4) Researchers interested in DNA-assisted genealogy.
5) Anyone who has been told, “the records don’t exist” — and refused to accept that as the final answer.
Ultimately, the Shpoler Zeida Family Tree reaffirms that genealogy is not static. It is a living dialogue between past and present—between the fragmentary records our ancestors left behind and the truths we continue to uncover.
Through ongoing collaboration, new evidence, and future discoveries, The Shpoler Zeida Family Tree is intended to remain a living body of work, preserving and expanding the story of the Shpoler Zeida’s descendants for generations yet to come.