“Sex, Murder, and Genealogy?”
Presented by Mike Karsen
Dora Feldman McDonald, the daughter of German Jewish immigrants, made the front page of Chicago newspapers in 1907 when she shot her lover. Dora, who was married to one of the most powerful political bosses in Chicago at the time, used murder to end this affair and her lover’s blackmail. But what ever happened to her after her dramatic acquittal the following year? Genealogist Mike Karsen uses every trick in his tool bag to set the record straight and follow her trail.
A professional speaker, Mike Karsen is a member of the Association of Professional Genealogists (APG), the Genealogical Speakers Guild (GSG), and is Past President of the Jewish Genealogical Society of Illinois. He has presented over 300 talks on genealogy topics locally, nationally, and internationally including Newberry Library and Spertus Institute for Jewish Learning and Leadership in Chicago. Mike is the author of the JewishGen website “Guide to Jewish Genealogy in Chicagoland” and has published articles on genealogy.
He holds an undergraduate degree in mathematics/computer science and a master’s in operations research alongside 30 years in telecommunications management.