# DNA results im 1.4% Ashkenazi Jew. Can this fact alone make me be considered Jewish? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [February 12, 2020, 5:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dna-results-im-1-4-ashkenazi-jew-can-this-fact-alone-make-me-be-considered-jewish/847828 "2020-02-12T17:38:35Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 6\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![Colibri](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/colibri/32/1841_2.png) [@Colibri](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colibri)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2020, 5:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dna-results-im-1-4-ashkenazi-jew-can-this-fact-alone-make-me-be-considered-jewish/847828/41 "2020-02-15T05:11:03Z")
> [@SciFiSam](#): > > Really? Why? I would suggest reading the thread. As I mentioned, Jews have been present in Europe for many centuries. (In fact, since Roman times, and in numbers since at least 1000 AD.). Most people of European ancestry probably have some Jewish forbears. ---
**Author:** ![SciFiSam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/47e85d/32.png) [@SciFiSam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SciFiSam)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2020, 12:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dna-results-im-1-4-ashkenazi-jew-can-this-fact-alone-make-me-be-considered-jewish/847828/42 "2020-02-18T00:19:34Z")
> [@Colibri](#): > > I would suggest reading the thread. As I mentioned, Jews have been present in Europe for many centuries. (In fact, since Roman times, and in numbers since at least 1000 AD.). Most people of European ancestry probably have some Jewish forbears. Bear in mind (since we have both actually read the thread), MrDibble was talking about an actual DNA test result, not the likelihood that everyone has common ancestors in the distant past, which is where we get to the point where everyone in England (well, if their grandparents at least were also English, not so much for recent immigrants) is probably descended from Edward III, and commonalities like that. A DNA test result for a European that doesn’t show Jewish ancestry is not “suspicious.” Mine doesn’t. I’m not a secret anti-semite lying about my results. (Side note: I couldn’t remember which Edward we’re all supposed to be descended from, and Google auto-completed “everyone in England is descended from” with “hell” :eek: I guarantee that does not match my usual Google searches!) ---
**Author:** ![Max\_S](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/46a35a/32.png) [@Max\_S](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Max_S)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2020, 9:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dna-results-im-1-4-ashkenazi-jew-can-this-fact-alone-make-me-be-considered-jewish/847828/43 "2020-02-18T21:16:59Z")
> [@Hari\_Seldon](#): > > The ironic thing about the rabbinical definition of Jewish in terms of the mother is that the MtDNA of most Ashkenazim is European. This means that if you trace our ancestry far enough back you will find a non-Jew in the female line, meaning that, strictly speaking, none of us qualify. On the other side, for Jewish males, the Y chromosome traces back to the middle east. The case mentioned above about an Italian with middle east MtDNA is readily explained since most Italian Jews were Sephardim, who left Spain during the inquisition. I don’t see how that is ironic; traditionally converts are considered Jews, too. There is a whole ritual involved where the convert goes before a council of three Jewish men, takes a bath and (if male) has their foreskin removed. ~Max ---
**Author:** ![DocCathode](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/doccathode/32/18773_2.png) [@DocCathode](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DocCathode)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2020, 4:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dna-results-im-1-4-ashkenazi-jew-can-this-fact-alone-make-me-be-considered-jewish/847828/44 "2020-02-20T04:13:33Z")
> [@Shakester](#): > > But… I am not religious. I am an Atheist. And I’ve never lived as a Jew because nobody knew I am one, more or less. So… am I Jewish? A few things Judaism is a culture as well as a religion. My friend Betty (may her memory be a blessing) spoke with a Jewish accent. She loved Ashkenazic food and spoke fluent Yiddish. She was a staunch atheist. G-d commands us Jews to do certain things and to not do certain things. He never commands us to _believe_ certain things. At the moment, I can’t remember the name of the rabbi who worked at Isabella Friedman. It was Yakov something. I mention him because he was an ordained rabbi- fluent Hebrew, knew the Talmud, etc but he was also an atheist. ---
**Author:** ![Max\_S](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/46a35a/32.png) [@Max\_S](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Max_S)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2020, 2:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dna-results-im-1-4-ashkenazi-jew-can-this-fact-alone-make-me-be-considered-jewish/847828/45 "2020-02-20T14:55:06Z")
> [@DocCathode](#): > > G-d commands us Jews to do certain things and to not do certain things. He never commands us to _believe_ certain things. For one, Maimonides thought you needed to believe to be a Jew (see his 13 Principles of the Jewish Faith). But he is in the minority on that - traditionally Judaism is inherited. ~Max ---
**Author:** ![DocCathode](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/doccathode/32/18773_2.png) [@DocCathode](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DocCathode)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2020, 6:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dna-results-im-1-4-ashkenazi-jew-can-this-fact-alone-make-me-be-considered-jewish/847828/46 "2020-02-20T18:39:34Z")
I’m aware that there are objections. Yakov handled them well in the discussion following his disclosure. Maimonides was, if I recall, very strict on some things. IIRC While most scholars hold that any gentile who follows the Laws of Noah may be accounted righteous, Maimonides maintained that only gentiles who acknowledged that those laws came from G-d could be righteous. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dna-results-im-1-4-ashkenazi-jew-can-this-fact-alone-make-me-be-considered-jewish/847828.md?page=2)