Are All Jews Genetically Related? | Explained

Although DNA doesn’t dictate Jewish culture, values, or faith, it is one more data point in the story of Jewish identity.

Chapters
00:00 Intro
00:35 Does DNA testing determine identity?
01:17 Jewish "Otherness"
01:56 Denial of Jewish ties to the Land of Israel
02:44 Ashkenazi Jewish genetic research
04:40 Sephardic and Mizrachi Jewish genetic research
05:32 Cohens & Kohanim, priestly Jewish genetic research
06:57 The Lemba people of Zimbabwe
07:39 Jewish peoplehood and family

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Recommended video—Ashkenazi Jews and Khazar Theory

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Image and footage credits:
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Executive Producer:
— Barry Skolnick
Co-Executive Producer:
— Shmuel Katz
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Translation credits:

About Explainers: From ancient Jewish traditions to the modern State of Israel, we explain it all. Diving into anything and everything related to Jewish culture, history, and even religion.
Understand Jewish holidays, Israeli politics, Jewish diasporic communities, and more. Learn about Judaism in pop culture, debunking myths about Jews, and explore obscure Israeli landmarks. We’re asking questions as basic as “What is the Talmud?”, and as obscure as “How did hip-hop boost Kosher wine sales?”, and everything in between.

About Unpacked: We provide nuanced insights by unpacking all things Jewish. People are complex and complicated — yet we’re constantly being pushed to oversimplify our world. At Unpacked we know that being complex makes us more interesting. Because of this, we break the world down with nuance and insight to drive your curiosity and challenge your thinking.

#family #story #science

[SeverusAlexanderAugustus]

I'm Lebanese (Maronite) and have recently took a DNA test - turned out I'm 27% Mizrahi and 11% Ashkenazi!

[jermvelez]

I recently realized I am a Sephardic Jew. I thought I was just Puerto Rican. Turns out my ancestors were Jews who fled Spain during the Spanish Inquisition. Crazy. Jews were also pirates in the Caribbean raiding Spanish ships. History is wild

[TravelersParadise]

I'm a Mizrahi Jew. I really want to do one of those DNA tests to learn more about where my ancestors came from.

[jaredgmetz]

My daughter got a DNA present for her birthday & it turns out she's 100% Ashkenazi Jew. I was shocked by the 100% meaning my wife's family & mine have always been Jewish for generations.

[symtexxd]

Peruvian of Sephardi ancestry here. Even before finding out about my ancestry. Every Jewish person I'd ever met felt like family, we think alike, we know each other, we protect each other.

[stmark]

I am not a Jew (at least, I don't think I am), but I am so FASCINATED by Hebrew or Jewish history.
I get really excited when I find new historical/archaeological documentaries about Israel.
I would like to take one of those DNA tests - I would just die of Happiness if I found out that I have Jewish ancestry.

[denizbeytekin]

Love and respect to jews from İstanbul/Türkiye👋

[sxrkar_usa]

I love my Jewish brothers and sisters, Am Yisrael Chai from a middle-eastern protestant!

[NigelPhi]

I'm black Ashkenazi and mizrahi jewish

[horvathviktor]

I took a DNA test and turned out I'm Ashkenazi. Asked my parents about it and my father told always knew he is jewish but her mother told him to never speak about it. After that I started researching my family's history, turned out both of my grandmothers are Ashkenazi but on my mothers side she never knew that because her family changed their name and converted to christianity after they returned to Hungary from Austria. I want to know more about judaism but it's hard to figure out where to look for help.

[meeeka]

I'm glad you didn't forget the Lemba people.

[shawneevee]

The science is so important. As Turi King once said “DNA doesn’t lie, people do.”

[MorBonnyMusic]

Fascinating. I enjoyed every second of it ❤ Toda!

[jessevandeinsen]

Turns out i have Jewish roots, my grandmother on my mothers side was Jewish.

After the war my mother grew up as a "normal dutch" girl and nothing jewish was left in our life. Except some rumours about us being jewish. My sister went to a Rabbi and the synagoge to kinda get a connection with her roots or something. I went to as she asked because she was afraid that she wasn't jewish and that would make it awkward. Went to chanouka a couple of times. It was really nice. But since i am not really a religious person and was a combat vet of my country and now doing stuff in politics i kinda kept considering myself "not jewish". Later we found the family documents and some of my family went to a "birthright Israel" trip and i still was like: oh nice, now my family can explore their roots, but not for me.

Then 7/10 happend and start hearing stuff, out on the street and even in politics. Then they discover some photo's of me and my sis celebrating chanouka, and then all of a sudden i am in this weird dynamic where i have to defend myself (never set foot in Israel, not considering myself a jew) against vile hatefull lies and slander and anti semtism. And it just gets worse and worse each day. The thing is though (perhaps a mental disorder on my side) the more they push and pull the more i find myself saying i am indeed a jew. Kind of weird as i am better off saying "hey i am not, i never felt like one" but i just can't do that. Like some childish way of "no, because now you want to force me to not be one i am not gonna, because it is my heritage"

So here i am, at night with my son and wife asleep trying to learn what a jew even is. Or what to make of all this.

I don't know why i am ranting under a youtube video but yeah, guess there is no where else to go with this and it kind of clears my mind i guess.. Anyway if there are more people like me and you are reading this nonsense rant. Stay ok out there, and even if it is childish no one has the right to choose for you what you do with your heritage.. Stay strong, stay safe and best of luck

[donovanlocust]

This is why I love Jewish people. They're defiant and know exactly who and where they came from.

[Ashmo]

I converted and then found some Jewish ancestry. I guess my neshama knew where it belonged.

[robertsimon]

I’m so glad y’all put this out there today! Recently I mentioned something similar about the greater Jewish family to a good non-Jewish friend. May our history and legacy inspire the world toward a greater good!

[novacanebeatz]

Half Puerto Rican/ half ashkenazi Jew 🙋🏻‍♂️ The Tanakh is more than just fairy tales or bedtime stories!!

[abbyroed]

Sephardic Jew here 💖💝💖💝 And, yes our food is AMAZING!!! 💝💖💝💖

[lindahaftner]

What a great video, I always felt that we Jews are part of the same family and now it has also been confirmed genetically that we are connected as a people. We all come from different countries but part of the same nation eretz Israel. Am Yisrael Chai 💙🤍💙🫶🏻🇮🇱