Understanding Results: Jewish Ancestry

  1. What are the challenges of Jewish Genealogy? faq id: 291
  2. How does Y-chromosome DNA help with the challenges of Jewish Genealogy? faq id: 292
  3. How does the nature of Jewish Genealogy make Y-chromosome DNA research more challenging? faq id: 303
  4. How do I tell if I have Jewish ancestry on my direct paternal (Y-chromosome DNA) line? faq id: 406
  5. How can I tell if my direct paternal (Y-chromosome DNA) line is Cohanim? faq id: 407
  6. What does the Cohen Match badge on my My Account - Personal Profile page mean? faq id: 408
  7. What percent of Jews carry the Cohanim Modal Haplotype (CMH)? faq id: 1010
  8. How do I tell if I have Jewish ancestry on my direct maternal (mitochondrial DNA) line? faq id: 1023
  9. How does the nature of Jewish Genealogy make autosomal DNA research more challenging? faq id: 1036
  10. How do I tell if I have Jewish ancestry based on my Family Finder and Population Finder results? faq id: 1671

Questions and Answers

  1. What are the challenges of Jewish Genealogy? faq id: 291

    Jewish Genealogy includes many challenges that mean more frequent and problematic road blocks for the Jewish Genealogist than for the non-Jewish Genealogist. These are some:

    • Surnames that pass from father to son were not adopted until the late 1700's and early 1800's.
    • Unrelated paternal lines have adopted the same surnames.
    • Related paternal lines have adopted different surnames.
    • Surnames have been adapted to the country where descendants live today.
    • In many cases, traditional paper trail records are lacking.
    • The Jewish population is endogamous (intermarrying).

  2. How does Y-chromosome DNA help with the challenges of Jewish Genealogy? faq id: 292

    Unlike many other populations, the Jewish people adopted hereditary surnames relatively recently. Surnames changed during recent emigrations. Some families modified their surname spellings to fit with local norms. By testing the Y-chromosome DNA, you and your cousins can recover the linkage along a direct paternal line.

    For example, someone has the surname Brown. They also have a family tradition that their ancestors and their cousins who moved to Australia and South Africa were Plikhs. By testing themself and potential cousins with the Plikh surname, they can prove (or disprove) the family tradition.

  3. How does the nature of Jewish Genealogy make Y-chromosome DNA research more challenging? faq id: 303

    Because Jewish Genealogists cannot assume that paternal line ancestors have had the same surname for over 300 years, interpreting close and exact matches requires more thought and consideration than would otherwise be the case.

    Where a non-Jewish Genealogist with origins in a country such as England might see an exact Y-DNA37 match with the same surname and use it to confirm a recent relationship Jewish Genealogists must approach it more cautiously. They need to consider each family's geographic origins and their knowledge of how the surname relates to their family history.

    On the other hand, an exact Y-DNA37, Y-DNA67, or Y-DNA111 match to someone with a different surname need not be a cause of alarm. Rather this is the potential discovery of a branch of the family that has undergone a name change.

  4. How do I tell if I have Jewish ancestry on my direct paternal (Y-chromosome DNA) line? faq id: 406

    Judaism is a religion and not an attribute definable by a DNA mutation, but we can give you hints about having Jewish ancestry by comparing your results against our database. Look on the Y-DNA - Ancestral Origins page to see whether or not the people you match have listed Jewish ancestry. Those in our Jewish database have a listing in the Comments column denoting Jewish ancestry. There are four situations when testing for Jewish ancestry. They are:

    • You match only people who are also Jewish on their direct paternal line. That is, the signature, or haplotype, only matches with people who have known Jewish ancestry. The answer in this case is clear.
    • Your haplotype matches both Jewish and non-Jewish lineages. The answer is not clear, and we cannot guess whether or not your personal lineage is Jewish.
    • You match no one of known Jewish origin. The answer is clear. You are unlikely to have Jewish origins on this lineage.
    • You have no matches in our system at all. That means we have never seen your specific results. We will know more about your ancestry when you start matching others.

  5. How can I tell if my direct paternal (Y-chromosome DNA) line is Cohanim? faq id: 407

    Because the Jewish populations of the world have suffered many trials and population upheavals, it is not possible to say definitively that one person is genetically Cohanim while another is not. However, scientific papers over the last decade have shown that many men with a family tradition of being Cohanim belong to the same genetic Y-chromosome lineage. This is the Cohanim Modal Haplotype (CMH).

    If your Y-chromosome DNA (Y-DNA) test results indicate that you carry the CMH, we note this by showing a Cohen Match badge on your My Account - Personal Profile page. To check:

    1. Login to your account. (https://www.familytreedna.com/login.aspx)
    2. Look on the upper left for a badge with two hands and the words Cohen Match on it.

    This indicates that you match the set of results associated with Cohanim ancestry, known as the Cohanim Modal Haplotype. If you do not see this, your line is not part of the CMH. However, this does not mean that your line is not of Jewish ancestry. Nor does it preclude your having a valid tradition of Cohanim ancestry that stretches back hundreds of years.

  6. What does the Cohen Match badge on my My Account - Personal Profile page mean? faq id: 408

    The Cohen Match badge on the My Account - Personal Profile page of your myFTDNA account means that you match or are close to the historic Cohen Modal Haplotype (CMH). One of the earliest Y-chromosome population genetics studies documented the CMH.

    Cohen Badge
    H
    g    		 D
    Y
    S
    3
    9
    3    		 D
    Y
    S
    3
    9
    0    		 D
    Y
    S
    1
    9    		 D
    Y
    S
    3
    9
    1    		 D
    Y
    S
    3
    8
    5
    a    		 D
    Y
    S
    3
    8
    5
    b    		 D
    Y
    S
    4
    2
    6    		 D
    Y
    S
    3
    8
    8    		 D
    Y
    S
    4
    3
    9    		 D
    Y
    S
    3
    8
    9
    |
    1    		 D
    Y
    S
    3
    9
    2    		 D
    Y
    S
    3
    8
    9
    |
    2
    J1 12 23 14 10 13 15 11 16 12 13 11 17

    In 1997, Journal Nature published a study, which showed that a high percentage of Jewish males who shared an oral tradition of being Cohanim, also shared the same Y-chromosome signature. The authors named the highest frequency Y-chromosome signature (haplotype) the Cohen Modal Haplotype.

    The 1997 study used 6 STR (short tandem repeat) markers, and allowed a maximum of 1 'step' change on any of these 6 markers to be included in the group. We allow a total of 3 differences from the 12 marker profile for the following reasons:

    • We have doubled the number of STR markers from 6 to 12.
    • Some of the additional markers have a faster mutation rate.
    • The original study conservatively rounded the allowable mutations down (from at least 1.5 to 1), which we applaud.

    The CMH is found within Haplogroup J on the Y-chromosome ancestral tree. Haplogroup J is commonly referred to as 'Semitic' or 'Mediterranean' because of its elevated frequency in those areas. However, Haplogroup J's highest frequency (and greatest diversity) is in Iraq and in the Zagros mountain range found in Western Iran.

    If do not have an oral tradition of being a Cohen or of being Jewish, then your Y-chromosome is still part of Haplogroup J. Your deepest ancestor was likely part of the Neolithic farming expansion that began about 9,500 years ago from the Fertile Crescent. When you upgrade to more markers (Y-DNA37, Y-DNA67, or Y-DNA111), your Jewish matches will usually drop away.

    Keep in mind that while the CMH was the most frequent haplotype found in Cohanim men. It was not the only haplotype. Therefore, if you have an oral tradition of being Cohanim, then you most likely are genetically a Cohen. If you do not have a tradition of being Cohanim, and if your ancestors were Jewish, then you come from the same genetic Gene Pool. While not being directly from the line of Aaron, you could be descended from one of his numerous male relatives. Three percent of Jewish males who identify as Yisrael have the CMH.

    Reference:

    Skorecki, K., S. Selig, S. Blazer, R. Bradman, N. Bradman, P. J. Waburton, M. Ismajlowicz, and M. F. Hammer (1997, January). Y chromosomes of jewish priests. Nature 385 (6611), 32.

  7. What percent of Jews carry the Cohanim Modal Haplotype (CMH)? faq id: 1010

    From surveys of markers in Jewish cemeteries, about 5% of Jewish men have historically been Cohanim. Genetic research indicates that many Jewish men who self-identify as Cohanim belong to the Y-chromosome DNA lineage that is most common in the Cohanim. That is, they belong to the Cohanim Modal Haplotype (CMH). Further, in a study conducted in Israel where men were asked at random if they were Cohanim, Levite, or Israel, of those answering Israel, about 3% when tested were part of the CMH lineage.

  8. How do I tell if I have Jewish ancestry on my direct maternal (mitochondrial DNA) line? faq id: 1023

    Judaism is a religion and not a genetic attribute that can be defined by a DNA mutation. However, because Jewish populations have been endogamous for much of their history, hints to your Jewish ancestry for your direct maternal lineage are provided by looking at the mtDNA - Ancestral Origins page in your myFTDNA account. Check the Comments column there. There are four possible situations:

    1. You match only people who are Jewish. You will see in the Comments field Ashkenazim, Sephardim, and other historic branches. The answer here is a clear yes.
    2. You match both Jews and non-Jews. The answer here is not clear. A higher level of testing, the Mitochondrial DNA Full Genomic Sequence test, will eliminate matches with one group or the other.
    3. You match nobody of known Jewish origins. It is highly unlikely that you have Jewish origins on this line.
    4. You do not have matches in our system. This is unlikely if you have Jewish origins.

    If you need further interpretation, please contact our Jewish DNA Ancestry expert.

  9. How does the nature of Jewish Genealogy make autosomal DNA research more challenging? faq id: 1036

    Using Family Finder results for genealogy is more challenging for individuals of Jewish ancestry because of a lack of genealogical records, surname changes, and frequent intermarriage.

    The lack of genealogical records means that finding the connection with even a 3rd cousin may not be possible. It is important then to focus on those matches who come from the time-frame of available records.

    Name changes are, as always, one of the biggest challenges of Jewish genealogy. Here is an example from Max Blankfeld, from Family Tree DNA.

    I have one match predicted as 4th cousin with the last name Rubio - typical Hispanic name (I also had his first and middle Hispanic names). My first reaction was "why do I have this name here?." Well, I checked his record and there's a note there: his ancestral name was Rubizewsky. after checking JewishGen I saw 2 Rubizewsky records from a very small town in Belarus with the name Pinsk. And guess where my mother is from? Yes, you guessed it right: Pinsk!"

    As a result of frequent intermarriage, a Family Finder cousin match may show a total value of centiMorgans composed from the combination of different lines. That is, they are a more distant cousin who is related in multiple ways. Max Blankfeld gives the following personal example.

    I had a case of a person that matched with my nephew (my brother's son) as a 2nd cousin, and with me as a 4th cousin. If we were talking about matching with just one line, he should be 3rd, and I 4th. Because he may be adding blocks of DNA from his maternal line (unrelated to me) to the relationship with that person, those blocks, adding up to the my main block with him, elevates by one generation his matching to that person.

    Beginning on April 21, 2011, we have modified our Family Finder matching algorithm to address this. The changes affect the match list for Ashkenazi Jews. The outcome is calculated Family Finder relationships that more accurately reflect relationships to other Ashkenazi Jews.

    See also: How does it affect my results if some of my ancestors married their relatives?, Family Finder says our Suggested Relationship is 2nd cousins. I am sure that our relationship must be more distant. Is that possible?, and How many ancestors do I have?

  10. How do I tell if I have Jewish ancestry based on my Family Finder and Population Finder results? faq id: 1671

    Judaism is a religion and not an attribute definable by a DNA mutation, but we can give you hints about having Jewish ancestry by comparing your Family Finder results to those of known Jewish ancestry in our database. Population Finder results may also provide clues to recent Jewish ancestry in the last three generations.

    The first clue to your having recent Eastern European Jewish ancestry is the number of matches you have in the Family Finder database. Due to endogamous marriage patterns, there is a high level of inter-relatedness in Eastern European Jews. If you have recent Jewish ancestry, you will then have a high number of Jewish cousins on your matches page.

    The second clue to your having recent Jewish Ancestry comes from BETA Population Finder results. Most people with Jewish genetic ancestry will see Jewish and/or Middle Eastern matching here. However, if you show only a small amount of Jewish genetic matching it is not proof of recent Jewish ancestry. This is because the genetic match may be from much more distant genetic admixture that became fixed in your recent ancestors' population.