How Pinkas works
One family record. Every piece connected.
Start with someone you know. Add the material, keep its context, and decide who can see it.
Begin with someone
A name is enough to start the Family Tree. Add relationships and dates as you learn them, not as guesses.
1928–2006
SourceSara’s letter · family collection
Name confirmed by RivkaAdd what the family knows
Connect a photograph, document, or recording to the right person. Keep the date, place, source, and family’s corrections with it.
Dear Rivka, We settled into the new apartment this week. Your father has already found a place for his books. With love, Sara
Originals remain originals.- Date
- 1 Kislev 5723
- Place
- Brooklyn, New YorkSource: Sara’s letter · family collection
Name confirmed by Rivka
One letter, connected to its writer, its date, and the story her daughter remembers.
“She kept every letter. That’s how we knew when they moved.”
Share with the right relatives
When invitations are available, choose the branch and material a relative can see before you send one.
Privacy and permissionsShared with this relative
Father’s branch
Not shared
Mother’s branch
Make something from it
Turn family dates into a printable calendar. When book tools are available, gather selected stories and material into a digital book.
28 Nov 1962 · 1 Kislev 5723
A letter from BrooklynSara’s story
“She kept every letter. That’s how we knew when they moved.”
Sara’s letter · family collectionExplore a fictional family example
Open each step to see how one family record comes together. These sample names and details are fictional. This guided example needs no account or purchase and does not create or save an archive.
1. Begin with a person
In Family tree, choose Add person. Our example starts with Sara Adler. Her birth date is unknown, so it stays blank. Rivka is recorded as Sara's daughter only after the family confirms the relationship.
Example profile: Sara Adler · birth date unknown · daughter: Rivka
2. Add context to a photograph
In Photos, upload the original image, name the people you recognize, and add a caption and source. A guess is kept separate from confirmed information. Choose who may see the photograph before saving.
Example caption: Sara at home, Brooklyn, about 1962. Source: Rivka identified her mother; year is approximate. Audience: selected family members.
3. Keep the voice and review the result
In Interviews, ask Rivka what she remembers about that day, with her permission to record. Keep the recording beside its reviewed transcript. Reopen Sara's profile to find the connected material. A saved family record grows as relatives supply corrections and sources.
Example answer: ‘We came to visit every Sunday.’ Review note: Rivka confirmed the speaker and place; the exact day remains unknown.