None of us are getting any younger, and while the senior members of your family can still recall ancestors that you never knew, it is wise to write it all down.

You can do this on pieces of paper, but they get lost, and you can't edit the information, and the paper would have to wrap around your desk. Making copies would be a real story and you would be writing and rewriting those names again and again. The right way to map your family tree is on computer, with a good genealogy package.

Enter DoroTree, a user-friendly genealogy software program for mapping your family tree. It has a graphic user interface which is very comfortable and intuitive. You don't have to be a geek to work it. It can be handled easily by laymen and non computer professionals.

The package:
The package includes a CD and a pamphlet-size user guide in English and in Hebrew. The pamphlet contains the basic installation information and how to run the program. The program has Windows online help. After you register either online or by submitting the postcard included you are entitled to three months of customer support.

The Installation is plug-and-play. We inserted the CD in the drive and the installation was automatic.

The Program:
The program "speaks" several languages. Your first task is to choose your language. Whatever your choice, the dialogue boxes will also appear in Hebrew and your final tree can contain both languages.

The DoroTree interface is Windows-like, and if you are used to MS software (and who isn't these days?) you will have only a slight adjustment working this program. You enter your family information in the working area in the center of the screen. The data for the ancestors and the descendants of the active members are displayed on either side of the working area. Tools are accessed and commands are executed through a menu bar and a string of icons displayed horizontally at the top of the screen. Information is entered in dialog boxes and certain information (deceased) is color-coded.

DoroTree is unique in that it is tailored for Jewish Genealogy. You can enter a wide variety of information about each person, including their Cohen/Levi/Yisrael status, Hassidut affiliation (choose from a pulldown menu) and more. Family members who perished in the holocaust can be tagged and a star will be displayed adjacent to their name on all screens. DoroTree automatically generates a PDF page that contains the Holocaust testimonial data of your relative in the form of an official "Page of Testimony" that can be printed out and sent directly to Yad Vashem after signing.

DoroTree has full Hebrew support. You can perform a global conversion of all names and dates to/from Hebrew at any time. The dates didn't stump the program, but not all names were recognized. For example, the program could translate the English name Esther to the Hebrew, but it did not identify Izzy as Yisrael.

The DoroTree Calendar is very useful. As a stand-alone tool it is good for figuring out Yahrzeits, bar mitzva parshiot and the like. It is especially useful in DoroTree because it is integrated into the other parts of this program. For example, when performing other functions the program will convert dates from the Gregorian calendar to the Jewish calendar.

Family information can be viewed in different presentations and can be searched. The tree can be displayed in several different ways. You can even arrange the data as a contact info sheet for distribution or you can export the data to another format. You can send your files all over the world for others to edit and you can print your data in any presentation.

The data can automatically be exported in standard GEDCOM format and can be exchangeable with other genealogy programs.

DoroTree is Windows-like but it is not really Windows standard. To edit a field you must first click the "edit" button and the online help cannot be accessed from embedded dialogue boxes. If you are used to programs that are fully Windows compatible it will take a bit of getting used to, but is not very difficult. I had the feeling that the program was ported to Windows from another operating system. Though it is very useful as is, it would benefit from a full rewrite. This should not stop anyone from enjoying this version of the program now.