# Question regarding Jewish ancestry

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-regarding-jewish-ancestry/130809>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [October 4, 2002, 8:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-regarding-jewish-ancestry/130809 "2002-10-04T08:25:39Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 3\
**Page:** 2

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**Author:** ![susan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/susan/32/17537_2.png) [@susan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/susan)\
**Post date:** [October 7, 2002, 10:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-regarding-jewish-ancestry/130809/21 "2002-10-07T22:55:21Z")

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There may be other genetic consequences than where your DNA spent its time before it made you. IANA geneticist, but you might want to talk with one about, say, Tay-Sacks or other genetic problems that are more prevalent in Jews before having (more) children. Those of us whose Jewish heritage is acknowledged do this; if someone was hiding/disavowing their Judaism, screening may not have happened. The possibility seems pretty remote to me, but you never know with whom you might hook up and what secrets their genes hold, ready to reinforce yours.

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**Author:** ![chula](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/a4c791/32.png) [@chula](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chula)\
**Post date:** [October 8, 2002, 12:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-regarding-jewish-ancestry/130809/22 "2002-10-08T00:24:37Z")

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My mother’s mother converted to Judaism this year. Am I now Jewish?

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**Author:** ![cmkeller](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cmkeller/32/118_2.png) [@cmkeller](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cmkeller)\
**Post date:** [October 8, 2002, 4:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-regarding-jewish-ancestry/130809/23 "2002-10-08T04:04:11Z")

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chula:

> [@](#):
>
> My mother’s mother converted to Judaism this year. Am I now Jewish?

Not unless you yourself also converted. It depends on the religion of your mother at the time you were born.

Chaim Mattis Keller

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