On 25 May 2025, a packed audience were informed and entertained in equal measure by Christine Silbert, for the Jewish Historical & Genealogical Society presentation series.
Christine spoke about her family history and her recently published book, How did I get here?
Christine talked about the challenges faced in writing her story of the Silberts who made Western Australia home. She emphasised the importance of having made contact with distant relatives, and others who were able to add to the information she had gathered from conversations with her immediate family.
Very important too is to question older family members whilst still with us. From them you can learn something of the character of your ancestors, more than their dates of birth, employments and other such facts. Christine said that central to her quest was to discover what her forbears had been like as “real” people.
Christine concluded the talk with her encouragement for us take up the challenge of writing our family histories for publication. This will take us on a “wonderful journey of discovery and hitherto unknown connections, even outside the family”. She hoped it would inspire us to make a start on gathering precious photos and recollections. As she said in her closing words: “just do it, do it, do it!”
Abridged from the article by Michael Anderson for Perth Jewish Roots.