Jewish people, I have a question for you...
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Anonymous
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So, I thought I was of Polish/Czech Catholic ancestry, but my at-home DNA test indicates 99% Ashkenazi Jewish ancestry.
By Jewish law, does this mean I am "officially" Jewish? I was raised Catholic and know nothing about the religion. (But am going to research, as I'm interested in knowing my family's story). |
Anonymous
Nope. Unless your mother is a practicing Jew, your DNA really doesn't matter for much. |
Anonymous
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Can't comment on your specific question but I wondered if you know what decade your ancestors immigrated to the US. That might help explain historical phenomena related to why they concealed their identity in the manner they did.
You might be interested in this book which was recommended by a DCUMer. It's about German Jews. https://books.google.com/books/about/Half_Jew.html?id=VrB1AAAAMAAJ&source=kp_book_description Madeleine Albright had concealed Czech Jewish heritage covered in the book Prague Winter. https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prague_Winter Reading books like this gives you a sense of the thinking patterns and decisions. I also recommend this genealogy blog: https://larasgenealogy.blogspot.com/?m=1 |
Anonymous
Interesting. Who in your family is still alive? Do you have grandparents who can verify when the switch happened? |
Anonymous
| What DNA company did you use? 99% is really high for Eastern European Jews. Most Jews I know who have done the test are surprised in the other direction and are much more mixed than they think they are. I would do another test with another company to double check. You could very easily have some Jewish background, but even people who 100% know all their ancestors emigrated straight from a shtetl, are more mixed in terms of DNA. |
Anonymous
| Jewish law doesn’t address DNA, as far as I know. Do a genealogy search to see who your ancestors were. If your mother is Jewish, whether or not a “practicing” Jew, you are Jewish under Jewish law. |
Anonymous
At 99%, both the maternal and paternal line must be Jewish. I understood that under Orthodox conventions, practicing is not a condition. |
Anonymous
| "practicing" parents has zero relationship to whether they child can be called Jewish. |
Anonymous
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Why did you report posts on the other thread that told you that is possible, and then the one saying nobody is 99% Ashkenazi Jewish ancestry.
I mean sure, you could be, if they immigrated recently a everyone married only Ashkenazi Jews, but since you just found this out, what are the chances of that? Your mom and dad are both unaware and both married the same DNA people? And so did your grandparents? So, completely unaware of their background and yet here you are? Logically, this is not possible. |
Anonymous
She’d have to trace the matrilineal line back. Not just her mother. Mother’s mother etc. |
Anonymous
| 99% and nobody knew is surprising. My parents were 95% and 85% and if anything I would have expected higher from them. OP, the basic answer is that if you want to go to a reform temple and say you are Jewish you will be welcome. If you want Israeli citizenship you're going to be asked for documents. If you want to be Jewish you can be, no matter what the DNA results say. But being Jewish is more than DNA...if you want to know more, there are intro classes at many JCCs or Anita diamont has a good introductory book. |
Anonymous
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Are you adopted? That’s likely the only way this happened.It’s extraordinarily implausible that all of your relatives are Jewish and none of them know it.
So I’m going with either adopted or a troll. |
Anonymous
Disagree. My whole family is 99 percent Ashkenazi Jewish on 23andme. |
Anonymous
| Racists will say you are Jewish. Jews will say you are not. |
Anonymous
Weird response. It’s impossible for this person‘s matrilineal line to not be Jewish, if this post is actually true. I and most Jews would say but they’re Jewish and I’m not sure why you think it would be otherwise. |