I'm not Jewish at all but I've done a lot of studying about history, and done genealogy for family and friends. Being Jewish is not a race since all sorts of people from different heritages or countries can be Jewish.

All Ashkenazi, or Ashkenazic/Ashkenazim means is that the person has a heritage from central Europe.

But I did find these articles which you'll find interesting.

http://www.khazaria.com/genetics/abstracts.html

http://www.latimes.com/science/sciencenow/la-sci-sn-ashkenazi-jews-dna-diseases-20140909-story.html

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ashkenazi_Jews#Genetics

http://forward.com/articles/175912/jews-a-race-genetic-theory-comes-under-fierce-atta/?p=all

By all means if you are interested you should contact a Synagogue/Temple, and they will let you experience a service.

Quite the story.
It's admirable that you want to learn more about your lost heritage.

I would think that most of us think of being Jewish is more than a religion - it's an ethnic identity the same as being Italian, Irish, etc. I suspect that is largely because we weren't accepted in most European countries, separated into ghettos, etc, but that's a separate story.

You can walk into any synagogue you want and go to services (except for High Holidays). My guess is that you would get more out of it if you got some background, spoke to a rabbi, or something like that. Most synagogues offer adult ed programs for members, it would be worth speaking with someone. I'm sure if you called the synagogue they would point you in the right direction - you could start by meeting with the rabbi.

Keep in mind that there are several "brands" of Judaism. These are overimplifications but - Orthodox is the most rigid, fundamentalist version. Services are mostly in Hebrew, men and women can't sit together, etc.

The most "liberal" are the Reform congregations. Most of the service is in English with some Hebrew. Those congregations tend to be very welcoming - I would recommend you start there.
Conservative synagogues, for lack of a better explanation, fall between the 2 above.

There is also something called Reconstructionist- they try to blend the flavor of the tradition with modern society and probably are more "liberal" than Reform. They are also welcoming of non Jews. If you want to learn a little more about the tradition of the ritual, I think Reform is a better place to start

Like I said, I would recommend communicating with a Reform congregation. I'm sure there are plenty of books around to inform you - they should be able to give you advice in that regard. Don't worry about them trying to convert you - evangelism is looked down upon - I think it is actually forbidden by the religion.

Good luck with it. Feel free to PM me with any questions.

Stoopid question from a gentle gentile: I thought Jewish - jewishness - Judaism had to do with faith rather than nationality. Okay, that's not even a question. Are we talking about middle eastern or Arabic nationalities or something?

I told you it was a stoopid question! 😉

Thank You for responses! I certainly don't know about all this.... what I read: some Jews do not like to look at themselves as an ethnicity as this harkens back to what Hitler was doing as that is what he thought. But the DNA is identifiable and it tracks back to times wayyy back. That is how my DNA results came back, they could not identify a religion, only ethnicities. So Ashkenazi Jewish is like Irish / British or Italian or Asian. It is identifiable as it's own. Arab and Middle East DNA is different. But it can be a religion only as said, as people have converted and in the last 100 or 200 years crossbreeding has occurred more. Before that maybe not so much, so the DNA is unique. It is unique I guess in being a race and / or a religion, and that is unusual. Sorry if I am wrong on any of this, I am repeating from what I read. Stormyrider, I may indeed PM you, thanks.

Hi Tony. I guess you could say life is always full of surprises. In the 50s, I didn't even find out I was of Russian (Ukraine) heritage until I was about 10 years old. No one would admit to being related to the "Enemy".

I was always aware of my Jewish heritage because I grew up in a Jewish neighborhood in New York. Wasn't most everyone Jewish?

Before I knew about being Russian, I only identified myself as Jewish…it was one word that covered it all…religion and ethnicity, although I did think of myself as an American of Jewish heritage. Although I never felt being really have a strong religious identity.

So I think it is most certainly both an ethnicity and a faith. I once had a college professor who said "What is a Jew? Anyone who calls himself one, of is called that by others".

I agree with StormyRider that a Reform Temple would be the first place to go.

Wishing you much success in your quest for knowledge!

Mitch

The Holocaust kind of cemented the dual identity of Judaism being both a faith and an ethnicity. I have Austrian as well as Russian blood but there is no going back to visit your roots as a Jew - cause the only people back in Europe are corpses.

I think any Synagogue would welcome you - the options are explained above. And yes; the reform would be the most accepting of your situation. The religion is against proselytization; but if you initiate fine.

One other thing is it is your mom's bloodline that is more important - the son of a gentile man and a Jewish woman is considered Jewish. The son of a Jewish male and agentile woman is not. As Red Foxx used to say "mother's baby father's maybe."

Thank you all again for the responses! They are incredibly helpful. I e-mailed the local Jewish Community center here in NW Montana, so I hope they respond. In NW Montana, we just don't have much of a Jewish community, so there is no choices without travelling.

This is a gift, really............... as everything is God provides......

special hey to Mitch ol bud...... but EVERYONE who responded... you took time to care and time to write, and THAT is a gift!

Respectfully, Anthony Hirsch which I now know is a Yiddish last name!

the old folks were funny that way, whispering and speaking in their foreign tongues around the children. Sadly, many of us know little of our heritage.

Afterall, the only true Americans are Native Indians imho all the rest of us were lucky enuf to have ancestors with a rambling bone.

as a little Irish Polack Catholic BKLYN girl, with more Jewish friends than friends of any other nationality or religion, I learned a little bit..

When I was girl, BKLYN boasted the largest population of Jews in America .

I can tell you this, all my Jewish friends are gentle, intelligent , talented , sensitive people, generous people, I remain friends with most of them to this day. Sad lost contact with 1 or 2 🙁 they remain in my heart and prayers always.

Possibly a few of the older folks, were brass or unkind, one must consider the source...that sort of thing knows no colour or religious restraints.

there was an old joke in NY, something about why is NYC so quiet on Sunday morning? All the Irish were hung over or in jail, the Italians were home making love , the good Catholics were at church (ha! stealing from the poor box if I know the "good Catholics" ) maybe it was the Irish were hung over and the Blacks and Puerto Ricans were in jail ( I didn't say the joke was funny or in good taste mind you ) and the Jews were out on the Island (Long ) counting their $.

All my Jewish friends were smart and hard working and successful, that's a good thing.

One dear friend that just passed, was an internationally famous jewelry designer, lived in Japan, traveled the world, his clients and friends include Cher and Gracie, Mick and ex-wife Bianca, so many..the famous artist that hung in the Village, one of his pieces of art just sold for millions, what's his name?

Anyway, he did a portrait of my dear friend, his Sister and Mom have it to treasure.

One thing I found sad, my dear friend changed his name from Irwin to Justin , I always felt bad about that..wondered if it was some kind of prejudice/stigma attached to a name so seemingly Jewish that made him want to change his birth name.

Who knows? He was naturally one of the funniest men Ive ever known, I wouldnt put it past, Justin, = Just in! being his reasoning, he was prolific, constantly creating new designs and lines . I count myself to the thousands of friends , family & fans that loved him.

My Mom still has an etched glass plate of a clown ( we had been to the Circus at the Garden, Mom loved the clowns ) He made it special for her when he was maybe 8 or 9 years old.

As a matter of fact, my blacks friends (think Al Roker and too many famous athletes,plus medical professionals to count ) were too , as were my Puerto Rican friends ( the Nurse or Dr that saved someone's loved ones life) Italian friends, Irish friends, mixed friends, shoot, we're all mutts when it comes down to it....disproving the joke

We all laughed at ourselves, knew any of the above could have been any of our friends/loved ones, regardless of race or religion...laughed to keep from crying...

So anyway, this . I was never turned away from any service at our local synagogue high or no, was always treated kindly and made very welcome, as was my bff, a Irish, German , Cuban, Protestant beauty.

The Rabbi knew us on a first name basis. BKLYN was more of a "small town" than any the truly small towns with a sad share of small minded folks, Ive lived in since. Hard lesson learned.

One thing Rabbi did insist on, we did have to learn a few response phrases in Yiddish, for certain services. We did. To be with our friends meant everything in those childhood days. If they had to attend service, we went too. Just was.

We enjoyed dolling up and enjoying all the holidays. Jewish /Catholic/ no matter.

Protestant church , oh, it was across town, fancy neighborhood, was not as welcoming oddly enuf. Ill never know why, just was.

All of my Jewish and Protestant friends were also welcome at my Catholic church, St Jude. Some of my best memories, are from Christmas Eves past.

"the Group" ha!..we actually called ourselves "the Group" lol , we were kids..

We'd walk the cooling streets of Canarsie, almost always lightly dusted with fragile snowflakes by Christmas Eve, watching Midnight fall and envelope the sleeping city.

We never missed the first Christmas service of the new Christmas morning at St Jude's. Not the Jewish kids, the Protestants kids, and all of us Catholics friends..(ha! all 3 of us Carol Tep, Bobbi, & I....maybe Carol C too..4 in our gang of 20&.

You can feel proud of your fine heritage Tony, imho..Id be very surprised if your local Rabbi was not welcoming and happy to help.

Good luck Brother

Welcome to the tribe! I used to say, I'm not a Jew, I'm Jew-ish. I think you've got a lot of great advice here, and I don't have too much to add, but growing up in NY (queens and then LI), I thought everyone was divided into two peoples: Jews and Italians. That's all I knew: everyone around me was either Jewish like me (we used to get Passover and Yom Kipper off from school because otherwise over half the school was empty) or Italian, which I later found out meant "Catholic",lol! Then I moved to Chapel Hill, NC, where they had never seen a jew before, but that's another story.
Now you get to watch Seinfeld and Woody Allen and laugh instead of shaking your head and saying that you just don't get it.

I never got a lot of the jokes in Mel Brooks movies (especially Space Balls) until a Jewish friend explained them. Sort of reverse assimilation.

Hey Tony,

Thanks for the shoutout! As Carol pointed out, Jews used to change their names to assimilate better in America. My maternal uncles changed their names when they opened a business in NY. I never understood that because they went into business in the Garment District, although they had a factory in North Carolina, which may be where they didn't want to stand out (I think it was like the character in Driving Miss Daisy).

Many names were changed at Ellis Island for the convienence of the immigration officers. This happened to many new arrivals in America.

Consider the possibility that Hirsch is short for something else, like Hirschbaum, or Hirschfield. Anything is possible.

Mitch

I lurk most of the time, but thought I'd respond quickly to this being as it's an interesting topic for me.

Contrary to what emr has said, there still are thriving Jewish communities in Europe, though due to the atrocities committed that culminated in the Holocaust, they are much smaller than 100 years ago. Why not go back to the roots and contact the Frankfurt Jewish Community in Germany. It represents the ca. 7,000 Jews in the Frankfurt area (I live just outside Frankfurt and work in the city, though I have limited contact with the Jewish community). Here's the website:

www.jg-ffm.de

Their email address is mailto@jg-ffm.de

Do make an effort to visit Europe some day. As an American living in Germany, I've been able to see so many things I only would have known from books had I stayed home (Omaha Beach, Auschwitz-Birkenau, the Wartburg Castle, etc.).

Take care,
Sam

I lurk most of the time, but thought I'd respond quickly to this being as it's an interesting topic for me.

Contrary to what emr has said, there still are thriving Jewish communities in Europe, though due to the atrocities committed that culminated in the Holocaust, they are much smaller than 100 years ago. Why not go back to the roots and contact the Frankfurt Jewish Community in Germany. It represents the ca. 7,000 Jews in the Frankfurt area (I live just outside Frankfurt and work in the city, though I have limited contact with the Jewish community). Here's the website:

www.jg-ffm.de

Their email address is mailto@jg-ffm.de

Do make an effort to visit Europe some day. As an American living in Germany, I've been able to see so many things I only would have known from books had I stayed home (Omaha Beach, Auschwitz-Birkenau, the Wartburg Castle, etc.).

Take care,
Sam

Haven't been to Germany; I do know that neither my wife nor myself have been able to trace any relatives still alive. Many of the "thriving" communities ( I was recently in Praque and Brussels) are people who have moved their from elsewhere but not descendents of the pre 1939 Jewiush population. The Jewish Museum in Praque was the most chilling place I've ever been. A whole area of surviving/historical Temples that were spared by Hitler - because he was going to make a museum there to the extinct people.

So again I was not saying there is no Jewish life in Europe - it is just tough to trace your roots as a Jew whose family was from Europe

Ok bird, Chinese for Christmas dinner.

Jk. I did a DNA swab for a Nat Geo migration study a few years back and got a report that traced my ancestors migration from Africa to the UK. Quite a long strange trip thru the Middle East to the Caucasian Mts. to Iberian peninsula during the Ice Age to the UK.

In the end all people on earth are the same species and it is frustrating and heartbreaking the way we treat each other.

Sam, I PM'd you. AIQ oh yes, Chinese! Thank you all!