Throughout the centuries, the Jewish people have always prided themselves on their yichus (lineage, distinguished birth, or pedigree). Yichus was especially important for rabbinical families, and many of them have created genealogy charts or family trees in which they have […]
About Jeffrey Briskman
Challenges Involved in Conducting DNA Tests of Pedigreed Descendants of Rabbinical Lineages
Introduction The authors have considerable experience conducting DNA lineage studies, with a focus on Y-DNA studies of the world’s historic rabbinical lineages.[1], [2], [3], [4], [5] Each of these studies presents its own unique challenges. Two of the more challenging aspects […]
The Y-DNA Fingerprint of the Shpoler Zeida, a Tzaddik Who Touched the World [AB-068]
Yehuda Leib of Shpola (c.1725 – 1811) – better known as the Shpoler Zeide (Yiddish for “Grandfather of Shpola”) or Saba Kadisha (Hebrew for “Holy Grandfather’) – was a beloved Chassidic folk rebbe, great kabbalist, and a revered tzaddik (saintly or holy […]
The Y-DNA Genetic Signature and Ethnic Origin of the Katzenellenbogen Rabbinical Lineage [AB-030]
Introduction According to Arthur Kurzweil: “For the Jewish people, our royal families have been those of the illustrious rabbis.”[1] If that is true, then the Katzenellenbogen rabbinical lineage is foremost among these noble families. For centuries, Jewish men and women […]
The Jewish Surname Process in the Russian Empire and its Effect on Jewish Genealogy
Did you ever wonder why your autosomal DNA and Y-DNA genetic match lists contain so many unfamiliar surnames? Did you ever question where the myriad number of bewildering and unexpected surnames, even among your close genetic matches, comes from? If […]