A visit to an abandoned Polish Jewish cemetery in 1993 launches New Haven local Dan Oren’s 20-year search to solve the mystery of “Who is buried in Sarah’s tomb?” “The Wedding Photo” is the story of Oren’s genealogical hunt over the past 25 years for his family’s lost histories. The new book was released in July.

Oren will share his personal story of “The Wedding Photo” on Nov. 8 at 7 p.m. at the JCC as part of the 2018- 2019 JCC’s Jewish Author Series. For anyone interested in genealogy, this is a great “how to” on the all-consuming passion of discovering one’s own history.

A visit with a cousin unearths a breathtaking photograph of a Berlin family wedding from 1926 and leads Oren to discover their unimaginable postwedding lives. An archivist in Prague discovers a secret uncle whose celebrity- filled life takes the reader from the halls of the Metropolitan Museum of Art to the treasures of the Vatican.

Finding and linking this unknown family--from as ordinary as any of us to as internationally-recognized as Philip Roth--this collection of gripping investigative accounts transforms genealogy into a world of exciting historical adventures.

When a bishop, a minister, and a rabbi meet in a cemetery, it is not the set-up for a joke. Rather, “The Wedding Photo” becomes a dramatic and meaningful encounter of Christians and Jews with the darkest and the brightest sides of humanity. Dan A. Oren, M.D. has worked for 30 years as a psychiatrist and faculty member at Yale University, The National Institute of Mental Health, and the University of Rzeszów, Poland. Oren wrote “Joining The Club: A History of Jews and Yale,” and co-authored “How to Beat Jet Lag: A Practical Guide for Air Travelers,” as well as numerous scientific articles.

For tickets to the JCC’s Jewish Author Series, contact Mara Balk, JCC Program Director, at (203) 387-2424 x228, marab@jccnh.org or go to jccnh.org/cultural-arts.