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Ask The Rabbi

Ask The Rabbi

category:  Jewish Law

Jewish Ancestry

I recently did a DNA test, and I have six percent Jewish ancestry. My question is, am I a Jew?

According to Jewish law, in order to be a Jew, one’s mother’s mother’s mother must be Jewish, all the way back through the generations. If you only have 6% Jewish genes, then this is not the case. The only other way for a person to be Jewish is by converting to Judaism under Orthodox Rabbinic supervision, going through a process of study and practice, culminating in acceptance by an authorized group of rabbis.

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