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 […]
Tracing German-Jewish Ancestry to the 17th Century — And Much Earlier, by Arthur Obermayer [AB-057]
With the help of Y-DNA analysis, fortuitous acquaintanceship with an extraordinary researcher and the use of some relatively unknown sources, I have traced my Obermayer family history unequivocally to 1655 and, with less certainty, even earlier than that — a […]
10 Steps for Managing A Successful DNA Project
Create buzz by tying your project to a Facebook page and a Project website. Web sites are dirt cheap and now easier than ever to manage, and Facebook and social networking sites are free. There is no excuse for not […]
Using Family Finder DNA Analysis To Unravel an Intricate Problem
Some genealogical problems seem destined never to be solved. However, the new Family Finder DNA analysis introduced by Family Tree DNA (FTDNA) in May 2010 solved a seemingly intractable problem that had resisted all efforts at solution for nearly 10 […]
Three Steps To Use DNA Testing To Determine If Families Are Related
My maternal great-grandmother’s maiden name, Leidesdorf, is relatively uncommon, and family lore is rich in fantastic tales about purported relatives from multiple European cities who were fabulously rich, extremely famous, and/or incredibly successful. Over three decades, I had accumulated information […]
Can DNA Testing Confirm Jewish Ancestry?
People often ask, “Can DNA tell me if I am Jewish?” The answer, of course, is “no,” since DNA shows genetic history while religion refers to one’s current belief system. If, however, the question is reframed as, “Can DNA reveal […]
New York Deli and DNA
My maternal grandmother, Kate Weisberg, was born in Lomza, Poland. She died when I was only nine years old, so I never had the chance to ask her about her family. From my mother, aunts and uncles, I learned the […]
Galitzianer-Litvak Divide: Demolished by Y-DNA Studies
My Y-DNA cousins, Herb Huebscher and Elise Friedman, wrote (“DNA and Jewish Genealogy Join Forces,” AVOTAYNU, Vol. XXIII, No. 2, Summer 2007) about the use of DNA studies showing possible connections between more than 43 families, collectively termed WIRTH (Wolinsky, […]
DNA and Jewish Genealogy Join Forces
The application of DNA to genealogy has made great strides since its beginnings in 2000. The benefits of joining DNA and classical paper-trail methodologies are becoming evident. This article is about an advanced genealogy project currently underway that had its […]