This project was set up to research the ancestry of a predominantly Jewish cluster belonging to haplogroup J2a4b1. This cluster is currently comprised of over 350 families with different surnames and geographical roots. These families share a common Y-DNA signature, termed J-L556, which indicate that their most recent common paternal ancestor lived about 1,500 years ago. New families exhibiting those DNA matches and mutations are sought, to delve further into the likely origin and lifetime of this common ancestor, as well as into the migration paths of his descendants and the story of the lineages to which he gave birth. The name of the group, WIRTH, is an acronym representing the first letters of the group's founding families (Wolinsky, Issroff, Tenenbaum, Rossoff, and Huebscher). This project is similarly interested in learning about the haplogroup J-L560 to which all the families of the WIRTH also belong, and that corresponds to a paternal ancestor who lived about 3,500 years ago. 

We would like to thank Herb Huebscher who initiated, managed, administered and enthusiastically devoted himself to the WIRTH Project, which kept growing over the years in virtue of his efforts and persistence.

LEARNING ABOUT GENETIC GENEALOGY:

ISOGG guide on Y-DNA testing:

https://isogg.org/wiki/Y_chromosome_DNA_tests

Family Tree DNA learning center:    www.familytreedna.com/learn/
Family Tree DNA webinars:    www.familytreedna.com/learn/ftdna/webinars/

ISOGG beginner's guide to genetic genealogy:  www.isogg.org/wiki/Beginners'_guides_to_genetic_genealogy

A glossary for those unfamiliar with the terminology used by genetic genealogists can be found at:     www.isogg.org/course/glossary.htm

Some helpful books:   Guide to DNA testing and Genetic Genealogy by Blaine Bettinger, 2016
                                Genetic Genealogy, The Basics and Beyond by Emily D. Aulicino, 2013
                                Legacy:  A Genetic History of the Jewish People by Harry Ostrer, 2012


Some helpful Facebook groups:  Tracing the Tribe:    
www.facebook.com/groups/20364215746/
                                               
Sephardic Jews in Poland:    www.facebook.com/groups/PolSephardim/

Helpful websites on Sephardic genealogy:    Jeff Malka's   www.sephardicgen.com

Wikipedia is also a reliable source for information on genetic genealogy