Sunday, January 21, 2018
My Chromosome Bearing Sephardic Jewish Ancestry
Nadene Goldfoot
We have 23 chromosomes. Scientists have numbered them. The #4 chromosome bears the Sephardic origin segment I match with another female.. I match this person on #1, too. Our common ancestor lived at least 6 generations ago which would take us to about the year of 1868 when my ggrandparents were in Lithuania. The other match has recent ancestors that were Ashkenazic Jews like mine, and were in Poland and Belarus, which were part of the Pale of Settlement. My Ashkenazic ancestors as far as I had discovered were from Poland and Lithuania, also in the Pale.
Jews were in Spain since 70 CE at the time of Rome's destruction of our 2nd Temple in Jerusalem. By 1492 the Spanish Inquisition was in full swing and Jews had to leave the country or convert. Some went underground, hiding their religion from others. Some went to Portugal where a few years later they too had to leave or convert.
To discover that a segment matches someone's Sephardic segment is a new twist to my DNA education. To me, this is amazing ability to pinpoint the origins. Triangulation was used to do so.
We received this Sephardic ancestry segment from Sephardim of Spain or Portugal who have entered into Hispanic communities such as Columbia.
Since I was a little girl, I took dancing lessons. At 4 or 5 I danced a Spanish dance on Battleship Oregon. When I was about 13 I began Spanish dancing lessons from Theresa Stopper in Portland, which included the costuming, high heels and the castanets we clicked away with that were tied to our fingers. That kept up until I graduated high school. Above is more of a Spanish gypsy dance we did. I love both Spanish music and Russian music! It's full of feeling! Maybe it's because I have that teeny bit of a segment from my Sephardic ancestor.
Comparing Kit TIIIIII(LD) and T969950 (Nadene Goldfoot) 5th cousins determined by FTDNA
Minimum segment cM to be included in total = 7.0 cM
Largest segment = 11.3 cM
Total of segments > 7 cM = 18.4 cM
2 matching segments
Estimated number of generations to MRCA = 4.8
On FTDNA, it looks like this:
My son's match to #4 as well. This fits into the perimater of my segment.
Largest segment = 8.5 cM
Total of segments > 7 cM = 8.5 cM
1 matching segments
Estimated number of generations to MRCA = 6.9
On FTDNA, it looks like this:
My daughter matches my match on #1 but not #4.She got more SNPs out of the deal than I did, I see though her segment was slightly smaller. Hmmm.
Largest segment = 7.1 cM
Total of segments > 7 cM = 7.1 cM
1 matching segments
Estimated number of generations to MRCA = 7.5
To see if my sibling matched my match, I saw he didn't if I continued to use 7cMs as a minimum to show up, so I changed the tool to show all by using 1 instead of 7. Look what happened.
Here, #4 chromosome is NOT A MATCH. Neither is #1. However, they have matches worthy of a cousin relationship that are 5cMs or bigger. I'll take the 4.9cm segment, too.
Largest segment = 5.3 cM
Total of segments > 1 cM = 65.2 cM
21 matching segments
Since 2014, I've known that: "One of the latest bits of news about our Goldfus/Goldfoot autosomal DNA test is that it shows a connection to Italy and to the Kalonymus family who were a very famous Italian family who originated from Lucca, Italy and who established themselves in Mainz, Germany. " Could this Sephardic connection be the Kalonymus Italian line?
4/4/18 I've just found out I match another Sepharic lady informed again by researcher and author, Kevin Allen Brook; Castillo from an ancestry (A) test matching on chromosome #16 with 7.8cMs. My son matched on #16 with 8.0cMs and my daughter matched on #16 with 7.8cMs AND #6 with 4.3cMs #16 was the same segment. Then I checked other members of my family. My brother matched #16 with 7.7cMs. A cousin Anthony matched on #16 with 7.8cMs. My daughter in law matched my daughter's match on #6 with 1.4cMs-so small it is not to be considered-not the same segment as my daughter's.
#16 29,066,936.....50,503,620 7.8cMs 786 SNPs My match.
28,458,158.....50,435,924 8.0cMs 823 SNPs son's match
28,949,515.....50,440,889 7.8cMs 788 SNPs daughter's match
29,066,936.....50,435,924 7.7cMs 789 SNPs brother
29,066,936.....50,508,576 7.8cMs 799 SNPs cousin A once removed
#6 70,604,373......75,901,320 4.3cMs 670 SNPs daughter's match
Update: Another match: kit half Ashkenazi and half Sephardi and we match on this chromosome:
The Sephardi match above: Now I don't think this was Sephardi but Ashkenazi.
Resource: GedMatch.com
Kevin Alan Brook
http://goldfoot_genealogy.blogspot.com/2014/06/autosomal-test-showing-italian.html
We have 23 chromosomes. Scientists have numbered them. The #4 chromosome bears the Sephardic origin segment I match with another female.. I match this person on #1, too. Our common ancestor lived at least 6 generations ago which would take us to about the year of 1868 when my ggrandparents were in Lithuania. The other match has recent ancestors that were Ashkenazic Jews like mine, and were in Poland and Belarus, which were part of the Pale of Settlement. My Ashkenazic ancestors as far as I had discovered were from Poland and Lithuania, also in the Pale.
Jews were in Spain since 70 CE at the time of Rome's destruction of our 2nd Temple in Jerusalem. By 1492 the Spanish Inquisition was in full swing and Jews had to leave the country or convert. Some went underground, hiding their religion from others. Some went to Portugal where a few years later they too had to leave or convert.
To discover that a segment matches someone's Sephardic segment is a new twist to my DNA education. To me, this is amazing ability to pinpoint the origins. Triangulation was used to do so.
We received this Sephardic ancestry segment from Sephardim of Spain or Portugal who have entered into Hispanic communities such as Columbia.
Comparing Kit TIIIIII(LD) and T969950 (Nadene Goldfoot) 5th cousins determined by FTDNA
Minimum segment cM to be included in total = 7.0 cM
| Chr | Start Location | End Location | Centimorgans (cM) | SNPs |
| 1 | 114,686,762 | 145,543,907 | 7.1 | 1,695 |
| 4 | 25,786,470 | 36,779,975 | 11.3 | 1,957 |
Total of segments > 7 cM = 18.4 cM
2 matching segments
Estimated number of generations to MRCA = 4.8
On FTDNA, it looks like this:
| 4 | 26066069 | 36606449 | 9.66 | 1978 |
My son's match to #4 as well. This fits into the perimater of my segment.
| Chr | Start Location | End Location | Centimorgans (cM) | SNPs |
| 4 | 26,961,104 | 36,583,696 | 8.5 | 1,699 |
Total of segments > 7 cM = 8.5 cM
1 matching segments
Estimated number of generations to MRCA = 6.9
On FTDNA, it looks like this:
| 4 | 26982600 | 36063994 | 8.14 | 1678 |
My daughter matches my match on #1 but not #4.She got more SNPs out of the deal than I did, I see though her segment was slightly smaller. Hmmm.
| Chr | Start Location | End Location | Centimorgans (cM) | SNPs |
| 1 | 114,686,762 | 145,448,349 | 7.1 | 1,701 |
Total of segments > 7 cM = 7.1 cM
1 matching segments
Estimated number of generations to MRCA = 7.5
To see if my sibling matched my match, I saw he didn't if I continued to use 7cMs as a minimum to show up, so I changed the tool to show all by using 1 instead of 7. Look what happened.
Here, #4 chromosome is NOT A MATCH. Neither is #1. However, they have matches worthy of a cousin relationship that are 5cMs or bigger. I'll take the 4.9cm segment, too.
| Chr | Start Location | End Location | Centimorgans (cM) | SNPs |
| 1 | 77,039,264 | 80,831,841 | 3.1 | 844 |
| 1 | 106,552,326 | 110,590,348 | 4.4 | 1,019 |
| 2 | 187,918,651 | 190,964,128 | 1.2 | 521 |
| 2 | 194,868,883 | 201,173,536 | 4.6 | 1,102 |
| 3 | 33,883,903 | 36,933,999 | 1.9 | 620 |
| 3 | 102,279,332 | 108,441,535 | 4.9 | 1,213 |
| 4 | 92,881,448 | 96,370,981 | 1.7 | 577 |
| 5 | 99,300,639 | 102,742,754 | 2.2 | 521 |
| 6 | 39,150,312 | 41,839,155 | 5.3 | 849 |
| 7 | 13,996,264 | 15,679,944 | 2.8 | 517 |
| 7 | 98,281,889 | 100,386,197 | 1.2 | 507 |
| 8 | 66,183,286 | 69,205,464 | 2.1 | 549 |
| 9 | 1,257,493 | 2,402,296 | 4.1 | 601 |
| 12 | 41,287,383 | 44,818,128 | 2.5 | 695 |
| 12 | 53,692,096 | 56,891,043 | 2.7 | 678 |
| 12 | 69,230,517 | 72,072,220 | 1.6 | 622 |
| 13 | 60,159,811 | 62,890,418 | 1.2 | 551 |
| 14 | 34,227,935 | 37,250,564 | 3.2 | 645 |
| 14 | 89,491,246 | 91,716,795 | 4.4 | 539 |
| 16 | 72,121,089 | 76,535,568 | 5.2 | 1,239 |
| 21 | 14,743,816 | 16,696,404 | 4.8 | 567 |
Total of segments > 1 cM = 65.2 cM
21 matching segments
Since 2014, I've known that: "One of the latest bits of news about our Goldfus/Goldfoot autosomal DNA test is that it shows a connection to Italy and to the Kalonymus family who were a very famous Italian family who originated from Lucca, Italy and who established themselves in Mainz, Germany. " Could this Sephardic connection be the Kalonymus Italian line?
4/4/18 I've just found out I match another Sepharic lady informed again by researcher and author, Kevin Allen Brook; Castillo from an ancestry (A) test matching on chromosome #16 with 7.8cMs. My son matched on #16 with 8.0cMs and my daughter matched on #16 with 7.8cMs AND #6 with 4.3cMs #16 was the same segment. Then I checked other members of my family. My brother matched #16 with 7.7cMs. A cousin Anthony matched on #16 with 7.8cMs. My daughter in law matched my daughter's match on #6 with 1.4cMs-so small it is not to be considered-not the same segment as my daughter's.
#16 29,066,936.....50,503,620 7.8cMs 786 SNPs My match.
28,458,158.....50,435,924 8.0cMs 823 SNPs son's match
28,949,515.....50,440,889 7.8cMs 788 SNPs daughter's match
29,066,936.....50,435,924 7.7cMs 789 SNPs brother
29,066,936.....50,508,576 7.8cMs 799 SNPs cousin A once removed
#6 70,604,373......75,901,320 4.3cMs 670 SNPs daughter's match
Update: Another match: kit half Ashkenazi and half Sephardi and we match on this chromosome:
| Nadene Goldfoot | 1 | 115697264 | 144976736 | 5.9 |
| 1 | 114,686,762 | 145,543,907 | 7.1 | 1,695 |
Resource: GedMatch.com
Kevin Alan Brook
http://goldfoot_genealogy.blogspot.com/2014/06/autosomal-test-showing-italian.html
Labels: Ashkenazi, dna, segments, Sephardic origin, Spanish dancing, triangulation
Monday, January 15, 2018
Our 12th to 14th Century Higher Level Scholars in Troyes, France and Worms, Germany
Nadene Goldfoot
Moses gave us our Torah, and the Prophets gave us the rest, so that we have our Tanach (Old Testament). That wasn't the end, however. That was just the beginning for our Jewish religion.
The first century saw the creation of rabbis since the 2nd Temple was destroyed in 70 CE causing all Jerusalemites to be taken as slaves or slaughtered unless they managed somehow to escape or leave before the event happened.
How to understand and interpret and carry out our laws was another thing involving much study. Rabbis in Palestine and rabbis in Babylon worked on such a project, each finally coming up with the Palestinian Talmud and a Babylonian Talmud about sometime between 200 and 400 CE. Talmud means Teaching. They were the records of academic discussions of Jewish Law by generations of well known scholars and jurists in the many academies and in more than one country during those several centuries.
Each one consists of the Mishnah with a gemara, which is both a commentary on and a supplement to the Mishnah. The Mishnah has the core of our Oral Law, compiled by Rabbi Judah Ha-Nasi from previous collections and arranged in a logical order. These dealt mainly with religious laws about agriculture, another dealing with the laws of the Sabbath and festivals. Another topic was Women which dealt with the laws of marriage, divorce and vows people take. Damages was a topic dealing with the treatment of civil and criminal laws. Holy things was another which covered slaughtering animals for food (kosher laws). All this was carefully organized to make it easier to find and deal with.
The Oral Law, handed down by Moses, to each generation orally. It was given by Moses along with his written law. He had been an Egyptian prince and was an educated man, skilled in writing. During the days of the 2nd Temple, the Pharisees and general population upheld this Oral Law. The Sadducees and Essenes didn't and had their own traditions regarding the interpretation of the Written Law. These sects disappeared after the Temple was destroyed in 70 CE and the Oral Law was studied in the many academies, for the people were hungry to learn. Each place had their own way of teaching. Their discussions remained orally only without being written down.
When the Torah is written, it is done by a trained scribe (Sopher) according to careful regulations. If one mistake is made, the whole scroll is discarded, usually buried.
That wasn't enough for these scholars. The Tosaphot came into being. These were important explanations on the Talmud by French and German scholars from the 12 through the 14th centuries. In the beginning, they were supplements to the French Rabbi, Rashi and his Talmud Commentary. These rabbis would frequently criticize and modify Rashi's decisions.
Supposedly, Rashi is my ancestor and that of others as well. He was a French rabbinical scholar who studied in the Rhineland and then returned to Troyes, France where he had a school. While he earned his living from his vineyard, he taught his students and gained a wide reputation for his brilliance. He was famous for his rational commentary on the Tanakh and the Babylonian Talmud. He was known for presenting the direct rational meaning of the text. He brought in the Midrash to his students as well.
The Midrash was a book with emphasis on finding new meanings besides the literal meanings. There was the tradition dealing with the scriptures that certain rules were followed to deduce such hidden and new meanings. Sometimes the Midrash established the law. In others, it found needed support for laws already accepted. The whole book is full of midrashic verses. Midrash is now used mainly with the legend and ethics of the Bible. "It goes beyond simple distillation of religious, legal, or moral teachings. It fills in gaps left in the biblical narrative regarding events and personalities that are only hinted at. It contains both halakah and haggadah, revealing the divine presence of the eternal Torah in the text."
These were scholars of higher learning. They dedicated their lives to understanding our laws which were given to benefit us in our lives.
Resource: The New Standard Jewish Encyclopedia
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| RASHI Rabbi Solomon Yitzhak born in France 1040, died 1105. Most well known commentator on the Bible Later rabbis used his comments such s Nahmanides (1194-1270) and Abraham Ben Ezra in their interpretation of the Torah (Pentateuch). Prayer books in synagoges still contain his name with commentary
At the time of the Dark Ages, Abraham ibn Ezra (1089-1164) was a scholar and poet who came from Spain, a Sephardi rabbi. By 1140 he started journeying and visited Italy, France, England, and perhaps even got to Palestine. He wrote in Hebrew and wrote secular and sacred poems, riddles and epigrams that were collected and published. He was another Bible commentarian. He happened to also be a Hebrew grammarian of importance and translated works from the Arabic and wrote several original grammatical compositions. As if this wasn't enough, he was a scientist and author of several studies on astrology in which he firmly believed. His son Isaac also followed his father's lead and was a poet who lived in the Middle East for a period, he even professed Islam. Records say "for a period," so I take it that he returned to Judaism. In those days it was a new religion, having started in about 632 with the death of Mohammad. Muslims were concentrating on gaining believers.
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Each one consists of the Mishnah with a gemara, which is both a commentary on and a supplement to the Mishnah. The Mishnah has the core of our Oral Law, compiled by Rabbi Judah Ha-Nasi from previous collections and arranged in a logical order. These dealt mainly with religious laws about agriculture, another dealing with the laws of the Sabbath and festivals. Another topic was Women which dealt with the laws of marriage, divorce and vows people take. Damages was a topic dealing with the treatment of civil and criminal laws. Holy things was another which covered slaughtering animals for food (kosher laws). All this was carefully organized to make it easier to find and deal with.
When the Torah is written, it is done by a trained scribe (Sopher) according to careful regulations. If one mistake is made, the whole scroll is discarded, usually buried.
Supposedly, Rashi is my ancestor and that of others as well. He was a French rabbinical scholar who studied in the Rhineland and then returned to Troyes, France where he had a school. While he earned his living from his vineyard, he taught his students and gained a wide reputation for his brilliance. He was famous for his rational commentary on the Tanakh and the Babylonian Talmud. He was known for presenting the direct rational meaning of the text. He brought in the Midrash to his students as well.
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| Lilith and Eve |
These were scholars of higher learning. They dedicated their lives to understanding our laws which were given to benefit us in our lives.
Resource: The New Standard Jewish Encyclopedia
Labels: Abraham ibn Ezra, academies, gemara, Mishnah, oral law, Pharisees, Rashi, Sadducees, sopher, Talmud, Tanach, Torah
Friday, January 12, 2018
Goldfus from Ukraine (Poland) and Galicia Research Update January 2018
Nadene Goldfoot
I went into Ukraine (The list was of Poland and found the following:
1. Ettel Goldfus 1831
2. Unknown Goldfuss, Daughter of Abrah and Fradel 1830
3. Sarah Goldfus and Goldberg 1837
4. Moses, son of Abraham Goldfuss 1839 and Goldberg and Fradel Misch.
In Galicia was this:
1. Rosalie Goldfuss 1890/07/07 (July 7, 1890) arrived in New York on the ship Rhaetia, on line 185.
Dr. Paull's article on names: http://www.avotaynuonline.com/2015/08/the-jewish-surname-process-in-the-russian-empire-and-its-effect-on-jewish-genealogy/. Dr. Paull and I share some genes.
I went into Ukraine (The list was of Poland and found the following:
1. Ettel Goldfus 1831
2. Unknown Goldfuss, Daughter of Abrah and Fradel 1830
3. Sarah Goldfus and Goldberg 1837
4. Moses, son of Abraham Goldfuss 1839 and Goldberg and Fradel Misch.
In Galicia was this:
1. Rosalie Goldfuss 1890/07/07 (July 7, 1890) arrived in New York on the ship Rhaetia, on line 185.
Dr. Paull's article on names: http://www.avotaynuonline.com/2015/08/the-jewish-surname-process-in-the-russian-empire-and-its-effect-on-jewish-genealogy/. Dr. Paull and I share some genes.
