Anonymous wrote:I am the "hostile" Jewish poster. I have taken a deep breath.

I was ticked off, and it showed, but please excuse my hostility.

It is hard to be a minority where people are constantly blathering on about your legitimacy, whether you are "real" or "true." Also, calling you inbred.

I think, having been brought up in an almost entirely Jewish town, in a very Jewish metropolitan area, I sort of took for granted that most people had a working knowledge of Judaism.

I now know this is not the case at all.

Now to address 15:58, who really needs to take some graduate classes or something:

In-breeding, where the heck did you get that? From the Protocols of the Elders of Zion? (Crap, my hostility is showing again.) You should know that this is one of the ugliest stereotypes about Jews that have been floated around. Along with Jews eating Christians blood for Passover. I am really sorry 15:38, I am trying not to be hostile, but this is just wrong.

So here are three pretty good theories on how Tay-Sachs became so prevalent in Ashkenazi Jews:

http://darwinstudents.blogspot.com/2009/06/tay-sachs-disease-in-ashkenazi-jews.html

Here's an article about the high prevalence of TS in French Canadians in Quebec, and what that might tell us about Ashkenazi Jews:

http://www.scirp.org/journal/PaperInformation.aspx?paperID=21701

I am aware that there are Sephardic Jews (and Mizrahi Jews too). If you are genuinely interested in the role DNA plays in Jewish identity, check out this link:

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/48535683/ns/technology_and_science-science/t/genetic-map-paints-intricate-picture-jewish-migration/

As the author points out:

"Non-Jews can convert to Judaism, but membership in the group is also passed down along a matrilineal line, meaning Jewishness straddles the line between religion, ethnicity and culture."

Of course, according to Reform Jews it is also passed down the Patrilineal line.

Anyway, I know it is hard to Christians to understand this, but Judaism and Christianity are not 1:1, they are apples to oranges. Christianity is driven by a belief in Jesus as a savior. Judaism is more complicated, but membership in the "tribe" is a if not the key component. That is why circumcision is such a hot topic, even for non-practicing Jews. Because many jewish parents are uncomfortable shutting that door for their son, even if they themselves are atheists. They know that the son of two Jewish atheists is still a Jew.

I recommend reading this article for a thoughtful take:

http://forward.com/articles/155742/jews-are-a-race-genes-reveal/?p=all

Finally, I have no idea what would happen to you if you moved to Israel and "married a Jew."

Anonymous wrote:Jew here - its both a religion, an ethnicity, a race, and a culture.

It is something you are by birth, but also allows a path for conversions. It is (by jewish law, whether you agree or not) something a person cannot change or convert out of, even if they dont believe in G-d, dont follow any of the commandments, and eat bacon every day

Sorry OP, but its not as simple as you'd like to make it out to be. But I dont get why it matters?

Anonymous wrote:22:00 Jews look different? Really? Hmmm. You mean they have big noses, curly hair and horns coming out of their foreheads? Give me a break. What are you a Nazi offspring?

Anonymous wrote:21:42--- ??????? Not sure what you are talking about Jews looking different?

Anonymous wrote:As an Italian, when I was pregnant, I was tested for a blood disorder that sometimes presents itself in Italians and blacks. So your point is?

Tay-Sachs comes from breeding w/in the same cluster of people. Hemophilia is a "Russian" disorder. why? b/c Russians are breeding with other Russians

Jews come from all over. You have just associated YOUR Judaism with Europeans - mainly Germans. There are Sephardic Jews, too, who are connected to the Middle East.

So you have no point.

the Wandering Jew? Your people come from all over. But when a group STAYS in a certain area and continues to marry others w/in that area, genetics become a major factor. If I lived in Israeli and married a Jew. And if we had kids who married other Jews, don't you think that my half-Catholic children would have the genetic make up to quite possibly pass along Tay-Sachs?

Stop thinking you're special. You're no more special than I am.

Anonymous wrote:Who is a Jew is a question that continues to confound even the Israelis.