How do you confirm Jewish roots? Our family has many uniquely Jewish customs and a "family secret".

Question

I suspect that our family has Jewish roots. My mother grew up on a farm and were their customs:

1. Covering mirrors when someone dies

2. Covering the face of dead with a white cloth

3. Lighting candles and eating a special meal on Fridays

4. Quickly killing farm animals and then hanging them upside down to drain the blood

5. Soaking meat in cold water to remove the blood before cooking

6. Bringing three things into a new house (broom, salt, and _)

7. Not making a big deal over Christmas or Easter

8. Baking a separate small loaf of bread with the main loaf(s)

My grandmother is alive, but very little is known about her mother (who died young). Grandma always said her mother was Indian (maternally) and that's why they were denied housing at times. However, I had a genetic test done and found that we do not have Indian roots.

How do you confirm Jewish roots? Is this list of customs enough? Do I need someone to admit it? What resources would you recommend that I check?

Answer 1

It is very hard to 'confirm' your being jewish. The customs are definetly jewish, but that still does not make you jewish.

You can try to learn more about being jewish, and try to get the family 'secrets' out of the closet.

Answer 2

It sounds like you could be a converso--a descendent of one of the many Jews who were forced to convert to Christianity during the 14th and 15th century in Spain and Portugal.

Having said that, I don't know how you would prove it--but it certainly sounds compelling from everything you've said.

Answer 3

Those dratted 'family secrets'!  Run into a few myself...wish I was able to confront certain folks...which (now) is not possible.

Good luck!  Certainly sounds possible from your eight (8) statements.

Answer 4

I genetic test couldn't prove that. There is as much genetic difference between a African and a Asian than between two Africans.

Why not look up common Jewish traditions to see.

Answer 5

I believe that the DNA testing should have indicated what part of the world your ancestors came from.  It would not provide definite information, but may give additional information.