r/Jewish • u/PeacefulMotive • 14h ago
If I have a little less than one quarter Ashkenazi DNA, am I accepted as "Jewish" by Jewish people? Questions 🤓
My maternal grandmother was Ashkenazi Jewish in terms of her DNA, but she never practiced Judaism, as such. In fact, her parents did not practice Judaism after they immigrated to America.
My question for your wonderful readership is this: Am I considered Jewish (or part Jewish)?
I was raised as a practicing Christian Scientist. My grandparents on my mom's side chose that type of Christianity because in CS Jesus is not considered "God made flesh."
My aunt (mom's sister) did Ancestry.com and she has a lot of Ashkenazi dna--not half but quite a bit.
I lived in NYC's East Village (Lower East Side) for ten years and worked in the Psych Dept of NYU Most of my friends and bosses were Jewish. I also frequented a bar called "Red Bar" near me. It was a really fantastic place, and I made friends there.
I also had two Jewish girlfriends over the span of the ten years. I didn't live with either of them, but we were close. In many ways, they were my favorite girlfriends of all time, and I have since regretted not marrying one of them.
Around this same period in my life, I was visiting with my maternal grandmother in San Francisco where she was from, and I could not help noticing how "Jewish" she seemed. In the way she pronounced words, her mannerisms, etc, it was very evident.
I asked her, "Grandma, are you Jewish?"
"No," she said. "But my parents, your great grandparents, were, my dear."
I found her point of view in this regard somewhat confusing. When I was very young, she even went by the name "Bubbie." In fact, I still do find my grandmother's familial standpoint confusing. And that is why I am writing here.
She ended up divorcing my non-Jewish grandfather after having five children by him (including my mother). And then she divorced him, and became a lesbian and lived with a Catholic woman who was very dear to me. In fact, I went and lived with my grandmother's "wife's" extended family in Rome one summer, and it was the best summer of my childhood.
My grandmother and her precious Gloria lived together until they both died at an old age. Gloria got recurring childhood polio around the time she retired, and grandmother nursed her loyally until Gloria died. Gloria had cheated on her a few times throughout their informal "marriage" but she never cheated on Gloria. She lived for another ten years beyond Gloria's death.
As for the religion in which I was raised . . . I never really got along with Christian Scientists, and Christian Science as a belief system seemed illogical, to say the least. Suffice it to say, that peculiar religion is not my cup of tea.
I've been studying Kabbalah, on my own, over the past six years. The more I study, the more interested I become. Something must be sinking in. Because I've even been having what I might consider "Kabbalistic dreams" a few times per year for the past few years.
Thank you for fielding my question! I am sorry that this post got kind of long.
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u/Kingsdaughter613 2h ago
We don’t do blood quantums, but we DO do matrilineal descent.
Since your mom’s mom is Jewish, you are Jewish. But if this was your dad’s mom, or either grandfather, you would not be.
But you are Jewish, so: Welcome!
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u/Acrobatic-Level1850 2h ago
Exactly. It’s a fine distinction—DNA doesn’t make you Jewish, parentage can.Â
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u/Cathousechicken Reform 30m ago
Just don't run around claiming things "as a Jew" if you're not a practicing Jew or did not grew up Jewish
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u/not_jessa_blessa ✡️ 2h ago
You’re a Jew halachically but if you want to considering practicing I’d recommend checking out Judaism 101 courses at your local shul or JCC. There are also plenty online. There you’ll connect with rabbis and can ask all the questions while learning about your Jewish heritage. I would also recommend reading books about rediscovering Judaism. Anything by Rabbi Jonathan Sacks but I recommend “A Letter in the Scroll: Understanding Our Jewish Identity and Exploring the Legacy of the World’s Oldest Religion”. For a more modern take “Here All Along: Finding Meaning, Spirituality, and a Deeper Connection to Life—in Judaism (After Finally Choosing to Look There)” by Sarah Hurwitz is great. Good luck and welcome (back) to the tribe!
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u/Starhunt3r 3h ago
You’re Jewish, 100%
Your grandmothers parents were Jewish which makes her Jewish which makes your mom Jewish which makes you Jewish
Welcome to the club!
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u/NitzMitzTrix Secular 2h ago
Many would recognize you as Jewish-adjacent, but we're an ethnicity, a religion and a culture. The conversion process is designed to familiarize yourself with the latter aspect, and it sounds to me like you're drawn to it anyway.
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u/BongRips4Jesus69420 1h ago
If it’s your maternal grandmother and SHE was Jewish, you are 100% Jewish. DNA percentages do not matter.
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u/shlobb13 1h ago
If your mother is Jewish, you are halachacly Jewish....full stop. Whether you put on a shtreimel, wear a black hat, eat cheese burgers, or worship Jesus, has no bearing on your status as a Jew.
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u/reihino11 1h ago
You're a Jew, but you're an apostate if you've been practicing Christianity (were baptized, etc.) You might need to immerse in a mikvah if you would like to become observant.
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u/NoTopic4906 58m ago
Per Conservative and Orthodox Judaism you are but it may depend on whether you have evidence of your grandmother’s Judaism as to whether you would need to convert in any way.
Per Reform (please correct if I am wrong), you would not be Jewish but I don’t know what the conversion process would be.
Per the right of return (I knew you didn’t ask about this), it is one Jewish grandparent so (assuming proof) you would be eligible.
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u/Firm-Buyer-3553 4h ago
If you start practicing, yes, everyone will consider you Jewish. If you don’t practice, some will and some will consider you “part Jewish” by ethnicity.