The Y-DNA Genetic Signature and Ethnic Origin of the Twersky Chassidic Dynasty
by Jeffrey Mark Paull, Jeffrey Briskman, and Yitzchak Meyer Twersky
Introduction
Throughout the centuries, the Jewish people have always prided themselves on their yichus (lineage, distinguished birth, or pedigree).1 Yichus was especially important for rabbinical families, and many of them have created genealogy charts or family trees in which they have traced their lineage to King David, Maimonides, and other great Jews of the past.2
If, as professed by Arthur Kurzweil, the “royal families” of the Jewish people have been those of the illustrious rabbis,3 then the Twersky Chassidic dynasty of Chernobyl surely merits an exalted place on the royal throne. It is known as a family with an unblemished yichus, as the Twersky Grand Rabbis married only within their immediate family for almost 200 years.4 Within the rabbinical Chassidic world, a Chernobyler Ainikle, a descendant of the Twersky Chassidic dynasty, is highly sought after for marriage, due to the purity of the blood line. Leaders of virtually every major Chassidic dynasty today (e.g., Belz, Bobov, Lubavitch, Ruzhin, Satmar, Savran-Bendery, Stolin, and Vishnitz) are blood descendants of Grand Rabbi Menachem Nachum Twersky of Chernobyl.5
For centuries, Jewish men and women have sought to connect themselves and their descendants to this renowned family, either through marriage, or by paper trail. With recent advances in genetic genealogy, this is now possible to do for more individuals of Jewish descent than ever before, as demonstrated by the authors’ identification of the Y-DNA genetic signatures of some of the world’s most prominent rabbinical lineages.6, 7, 8, 9 In this study, we identify the Y-DNA genetic signature and ethnic origin of the Twersky Chassidic dynasty.
The Twersky Chassidic Dynasty of Chernobyl
The Twersky Chassidic dynasty was founded by Grand Rabbi Menachem Nachum Twersky (1730–1797), known by the title of his book, Me’or Einayim (“Light of the Eyes”). Per family lore, the name “Twersky” was chosen to remember the holy city of Tveria (Tiberius) in Israel.10 The dynasty is named after the Ukrainian town of Chernobyl, where Rabbi Menachem Nachum served as the maggid (preacher).11, 12
Grand Rabbi Twersky was a student of the Baal Shem Tov (the founder of Chassidism), and later, of his pupil and chief disciple, the Maggid of Mezritch. He lived a life of great piety and asceticism and is considered one of the pioneers of the Chassidic movement. His book, Me’or Einayim, published in Slavuta in 1798, was one of the first scholarly works on Chassidic thought, and it gained widespread acceptance as one of the major works and foundations of Chassidic ideology.13 Me’or Einayim, Slavuta, 1798
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According to rabbinical sources, Grand Rabbi Menachem Nachum Twersky had two sons and one daughter. Although a rabbi of great scholarship, his eldest son, Moshe (b. circa 1750 – d. before 1792),14 did not found a rabbinical dynasty.15 Rabbinical sources16 and tombstone inscriptions,17 in addition to Chernobyl censuses,18 list many of his descendants as being scribes and sextons of the rabbinical Twersky family, as well as rabbis, Talmud teachers and mohels.19 Moshe’s descendants were an integral part of the inner workings of the Twersky rabbinical court, although they did not marry among the descendants of the rabbinical family.20
Grand Rabbi Menachem Nachum’s second son, Mordechai (1770– 1837), took over his father’s position in Chernobyl, and unlike his father, he lived a life of great opulence. His thoughts, sermons, and discourses were published in his book, Likutei Torah, which was praised for its holiness by other Chassidic leaders. Likutei Torah, Chernovitz, 1860
FIGURE 1
MAIN BRANCHES OF THE TWERSKY CHASSIDIC DYNASTY Grand Rabbi Mordechai Twersky had three daughters and eight sons. The sons carried on the traditions of their father and became Grand Rabbis in towns throughout Ukraine. Each of them established his own branch of the Twersky Chassidic dynasty in the towns of Chernobyl, Korostichev, Cherkasy, Makarov, Trisk, Tolna, Skvira, and Rachmastrivka (see Figure 1).
The Twersky Chassidic dynasty produced a long line of distinguished rabbis and notable personalities over the centuries and is tightly interwoven with many of the most renowned Ashkenazi rabbinical families of Europe. There have been 140 Twersky Grand Rabbis between 1730 and the present, more than any other Chassidic dynasty, as sons became Grand Rabbis (Admurs)21 in their fathers’ lifetimes, and lived in cities and towns around the world.
Presently, nine of these Twersky Grand Rabbis live in Israel, seven in the United States, two in the United Kingdom, and one in Canada. There are many scions of the Twersky Chassidic dynasty alive today, and the genealogy of the family has been maintained through meticulously kept family records.
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The Twersky Chassidic dynasty has many tens of thousands of documented descendants throughout the world. The family has been well-documented due to the numerous genealogies studies that have been published.22, 23, 24 Thanks to the genealogical research efforts of co-author Yitzchak Meyer Twersky in locating, translating, and compiling abundant source material in his book, Grand Rabbis of the Chernobyl Dynasty, the genealogical information on the Twersky lineage is extensive and highly accessible.25, 26
Grand Rabbis of the Twersky Chassidic Dynasty27
Left photo: Modest brick ohel28 of Grand Rabbi Menachem Nachum Twersky, in Chernobyl, Ukraine.
Right photo: More elaborate ohel of his son, Grand Rabbi Mordechai Twersky, Anatevka, Ukraine.
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1795 Chernobyl Census – The Family of Grand Rabbi Menachem Nachum Twersky29
The 1795 census was the first census that was taken after the final partition of Poland, during which the Russian Empire acquired approximately two million Polish Jews, who did not use surnames. Listed in this census, in both Polish and Russian, are Nochim, son of Hirsh, age 66, and his wife Feyga, daughter of Yudko, age 50. Also listed are Morduch, son of Nochim, age 22, and his wife Sora, daughter of Aharon, age 21.
The 1795 Chernobyl census is extremely important for several reasons:
1) It is the first official document that mentions Nochim (Menachem Nachum) of Chernobyl.
2) It mentions him as being a preacher.
3) It mentions his father, Gershko (Zvi Hersh).
4) It mentions Menachem Nachum’s wife, Feyga, daughter of Yudko. Feyga represents a previously unknown second or third wife of Menachem Nachum, not mentioned in any rabbinical sources.
5) It mentions Menachem Nachum’s son, Morduch (Mordechai) of Chernobyl.
6) It mentions Mordechai’s wife Sara, the daughter of Aharon [Grand Rabbi Aharon the Great of Karlin (1736–1772), founder of the Karlin-Stolin rabbinical dynasty].
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The Twersky Chassidic dynasty is a particularly noteworthy lineage from a genealogical research perspective, due to its distinguished ancestry, its many marriage connections to other iconic rabbinical lineages and dynasties throughout the Russian Empire, its large number of descendants, and its well-documented paper trail.30, 31, 32, 33
The Twersky Chassidic dynasty traces its ancestry back to Rashi (1040–1105) through the Katzenellenbogen- Luria and the Shapiro-Treves rabbinical lineages.34, 35, 36 Members of the family intermarried with other prominent Jewish families and produced many notable rabbis, many of whom founded their own rabbinical dynasties (e.g., the Ruzhin and Savran-Bendery Chassidic dynasties):
• Grand Rabbi Menachem Nachum Twersky’s daughter Malka married Rabbi Avraham Hirsch of Korostichev. Their daughter, Chava, was the mother of Grand Rabbi Yisrael Friedman (1796–1850), founder of the Ruzhin rabbinical dynasty.
• Malka and Avraham’s other daughter, Leah, married Rabbi Aryeh Leib Wertheim of Bendery (c. 1772– 1854), co-founder of the Savran-Bendery rabbinical dynasty. Their daughter, Sima Wertheim, married Rabbi Eliyahu Pinchas Polonsky, Av Beit Din37 of Ekaterinopol (c. 1803–1855), and a great-grandson of Rabbi Pinchas Shapira of Koretz.38
The ancestral links and notable descendants of Grand Rabbi Menachem Nachum Twersky of Chernobyl are summarized in Figure 2.39
Identifying Pedigreed Descendants of the Twersky Chassidic Dynasty
Genetic tests, including Y-DNA tests, are not a substitute for traditional genealogical research, and a substantial knowledge of the genealogical background is required before Y-DNA tests can make a significant contribution.40 This is particularly true since Jewish surnames, most of which were adopted in the early 1800s, do not necessarily imply relatedness, and are notoriously unreliable for genealogical surname studies.41, 42
The Twersky Chassidic dynasty extends over nearly three centuries, and identifying living paternal descendants, descending solely from father to son, who are willing and able to take a Y-DNA test, presents unique genealogical challenges.43 Extensive genealogical research of the Twersky family conducted by Yitzchak Meyer Twersky, culminating in the publication of Grand Rabbis of the Chernobyl Dynasty,44 laid the necessary groundwork for identification of living descendants for this Y-DNA study.
From the many branches of the Twersky family documented in the book, we identified eight pedigreed descendants as potential study participants and candidates for Y-DNA testing. Two of these study participants descend from Rabbi Moshe, the elder son of Grand Rabbi Menachem Nahum Twersky of Chernobyl, and six of them descend from his younger son, Grand Rabbi Mordechai of Chernobyl. These latter study participants represent six of the eight Chassidic dynasties that were established by the sons of Grand Rabbi Mordechai of Chernobyl, including the Chernobyl, Makarov, Trisk, Tolna, Skvira, and Rachmastrivka branches (Figure 3).45
The paper trail for these eight pedigreed descendants was validated by an extensive search of Chernobyl census and vital records. Each of the eight descendants identified and selected for Y-DNA testing, and the branches of the Twersky Chassidic dynasty from which they descend, are described below.
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FIGURE 2
ANCESTRAL LINKS AND MARRIAGE CONNECTIONS OF THE TWERSKY CHASSIDIC DYNASTY
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FIGURE 3
MAP SHOWING THE LOCATIONS OF THE EIGHT MAIN BRANCHES OF THE TWERSKY CHASSIDIC DYNASTY AS ESTABLISHED BY THE SONS OF GRAND RABBI MORDECHAI OF CHERNOBYL
The eight main branches of the Twersky Chassidic Dynasty (current town names, from north to south): Chornobyl, Makariv, Korostyshiv, Trisky, Skvrya, Cherkasy, Rotmistrivka, and Talne.
The Main Branches of the Twersky Chassidic Dynasty
The Chernobyl Branch
Yitzchak Meyer Twersky (b. 1965) is an 8th-generation direct paternal descendant of Grand Rabbi Menachem Nachum Twersky of Chernobyl (1730–1797) through his grandson, Grand Rabbi Aharon Twersky of Chernobyl (1784–1871), portrayed here. Yitzchak Meyer Twersky was initially contacted by lead author Dr. Jeffrey Mark Paull, and in addition to taking a Y-DNA test, he agreed to serve as a member of the Twersky Y-DNA research team and as a co-author of this study.
The Korostichev Branch
Grand Rabbi Moshe Twersky of Korostichev (1789–1866) was the father of Grand Rabbi Mordechai Twersky of Korostichev (1841–1916), shown here. His son, Grand Rabbi David Yaakov Twersky of Korostichev-Zhitomir (d. 1940), had a son, Grand Rabbi Yitzchak Avraham Moshe Twersky of Korostichev (d. 1982, Jerusalem), who was the last known male descendant of the Korostichev branch of the Twersky Chassidic dynasty.
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The Cherkasy Branch
Grand Rabbi Yaakov Yisrael Twerski (1794–1876) had only daughters. His grandson, Grand Rabbi Mordechai Dov Auerbach, adopted his mother’s surname of Twerski. Grand Rabbi Mordechai Dov Twerski of Hornistaiple, pictured here, was the son of Sterna Rachel Auerbach, who was the daughter of Grand Rabbi Yaakov Yisrael Twerski of Cherkasy (1794–1876). Hence, like the Korostichev branch, the Cherkasy branch has no son-after-son descendants.
The Makarov Branch
Rabbi Zvi Hirsch Tversky (b. 1975) is an 8th-generation paternal descendant of Grand Rabbi Menachem Nachum Twersky of Chernobyl (1730–1797), through his grandson, Grand Rabbi Menachem Nachum Twersky of Makarov (1804–1851), whose son, Grand Rabbi Yaakov Yitzchak Twersky of Makarov (1828–1891), is portrayed here.
The Trisk Branch
Rabbi Yitzchak David Twersky (b. 1977) is a 9th-generation paternal descendant of Grand Rabbi Menachem Nachum Twersky of Chernobyl (1730–1797), through his grandson, Grand Rabbi Avraham Twersky of Trisk (1806–1889), portrayed here.
The Tolna Branch
Rabbi Neal (Menachem Nachum) Twersky (b. 1947) is a 7th-generation paternal descendant of Grand Rabbi Menachem Nachum Twersky of Chernobyl (1730–1797), through his grandson, Grand Rabbi David Twersky of Tolna (1808–1882), depicted here.
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The Skvira Branch
Menachem Nachum Twersky (b. 1994) is an 8th-generation paternal descendant of Grand Rabbi Menachem Nachum Twersky of Chernobyl (1730–1797), through his grandson, Grand Rabbi Yitzchak Twersky of Skvira (1812–1885). His son, Grand Rabbi David Twersky of Skvira (1845–1919), is shown here.
The Rachmastrivka Branch
Rabbi Moshe Yehuda Twersky (b. 1993) is a 9th-generation paternal descendant of Grand Rabbi Menachem Nachum Twersky of Chernobyl (1730–1797), through his grandson, Grand Rabbi Yochanan Twersky of Rachmastrivka (1816–1895), pictured here.
Rabbi Moshe Twersky of Chernobyl Branch
Until recently it was thought that the only living son-after-son descendants of Grand Rabbi Menachem Nachum Twersky were the paternal descendants of his younger son, Grand Rabbi Mordechai Twersky of Chernobyl (1770–1837). While there were known descendants of his elder son, Rabbi Moshe (b. circa 1750 – d. before 1792), they were descendants of one of his daughters. In various rabbinical sources, we found mention of descendants of Rabbi Moshe, including one that was a gabbai46 of Rabbi Aharon Twersky of Chernobyl (1784– 1871), but it was unclear whether he was a descendant of a son or a daughter.
Based on census records obtained from the Chernobyl archives, we discovered that Rabbi Moshe had at least three sons (Mechel, Yisrael Yitzchak, and Yosef Naftali), and a son-in-law (Hirsh) from a previously unknown daughter.47 We also succeeded in identifying two pedigreed descendants of Rabbi Moshe as potential candidates for Y-DNA testing. These two Twersky descendants, Yisrael Tverskoy and Jonathan Tversky, were previously unaware of their exact line of descent from Rabbi Moshe, or of their connection to one another.
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Yisrael Tverskoy
Yisrael Tverskoy (b. 1937, in Kiev) is an 8th-generation paternal descendant of Grand Rabbi Menachem Nachum Twersky of Chernobyl (1730–1797), through his son, Rabbi Moshe Twersky (b. circa 1750 – d. before 1792), his grandson, Rabbi Mechel Twersky (1772–1845), his great-grandson, Rabbi Moshe Twersky (b. 1792), his 2nd-great-grandson, Rabbi Aharon Twersky (1828–1901), and his 3rd-great- grandson, Rabbi Mordechai Yisrael Twersky (1868–1908). Rabbi David Twersky (1859–1915), pictured here, was the brother of Rabbi Mordechai Yisrael Twersky.
Jonathan Tversky
Jonathan Tversky (b. 1956, in Australia) is an 8th-generation paternal descendant of Grand Rabbi Menachem Nachum Twersky of Chernobyl (1730–1797), through his son, Rabbi Moshe Twersky (b. circa 1750 – d. before 1792), his grandson, Rabbi Mechel Twersky (1772–1845), his great-grandson, Rabbi Abraham Twersky (b. 1822), and his 2nd-great grandson, Rabbi Mordechai Twersky (b. 1846), pictured here.
The Y-DNA results of these two descendants of Rabbi Moshe genetically matched to each other, and they also genetically matched the Y-DNA results of the pedigreed descendants from Grand Rabbi Mordechai of Chernobyl’s branch, thereby proving that they were, indeed, son-after-son descendants of Grand Rabbi Menachem Nachum Twersky of Chernobyl. This was an astounding discovery to the Chassidic world, as expressed in articles which appeared in the Yiddish publications Oros48 and Yiddishe Zeit,49 as well as in the English version of the publication Hamodia.50
The paternal lines of descent for all eight pedigreed paternal descendants of the Twersky Chassidic dynasty are summarized in Table 1.51
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Rabbi Yochanan Rabbi
TWERSKY TWERSKY
TWERSKY TWERSKY
TWERSKY TWERSKY
TWERSKY TWERSKY
Rabbi Menachem Rabbi
Rabbi David TWERSKY TWERSKY David Rabbi
Nachum TWERSKY NachumTWERSKY
RACHMASTRIVKA
Rabbi Moshe Rabbi Yehuda
Grand
Grand Rabbi Yochanan Grand Rabbi
b. 1968, Jerusalem, Israel Jerusalem, 1968, b.
d. 2006, Jerusalem, Israel Jerusalem, 2006, d.
b. 1938, Jerusalem, Israel Israel Jerusalem, 1938, b.
d. 1982, Jerusalem, Israel Jerusalem, 1982, d.
d. 1950, Jerusalem, Israel Jerusalem, 1950, d.
d. 1926, Jerusalem, Israel Jerusalem, 1926, d.
Grand
b. 1993, Brooklyn, NY, USA NY, Brooklyn, 1993, b.
b. 1816, Chernobyl, Ukraine Ukraine Chernobyl, 1816, b.
Rabbi Yehoshua Rabbi Heschel
Grand
b. 1901, Rachmastrivka, Ukraine Ukraine Rachmastrivka, 1901, b.
b. 1873, Rachmastrivka, Ukraine Ukraine Rachmastrivka, 1873, b.
b. 1839, Rachmastrivka, Ukraine Ukraine Rachmastrivka, 1839, b.
d. 1895, Rachmastrivka, Ukraine Rachmastrivka, 1895, d.
Rabbi Yaakov Yosef TWERSKY Yaakov Yosef Rabbi TWERSKY
Rabbi David David Rabbi
Rabbi Yitzchak Rabbi
Rabbi Yitzchak Rabbi
SKVYRA
TWERSKY TWERSKY
TWERSKY TWERSKY
TWERSKY TWERSKY
TWERSKY TWERSKY
TWERSKY TWERSKY
d. Abt. d. 1942
Grand
MenachemNachum
MenachemNachum
Grand
Grand
b. 1916, Skvyra, Ukraine Skvyra, Ukraine 1916, b.
b. 1888, Skvyra, Ukraine Skvyra, Ukraine 1888, b.
d. 1919, Skvyra, Ukraine 1919, d.
d. 1885, Skvyra, Ukraine 1885, d.
b. 1960, Queens, NY, USA NY, Queens, 1960, b.
b. 1994, Queens, NY, USA NY, Queens, 1994, b.
d. 1986, Queens, NY, USA NY, Queens, 1986, d.
Yitzchak David TWERSKY YitzchakTWERSKY David
b. 1845, Chernobyl, Ukraine Ukraine Chernobyl, 1845, b.
b. 1812, Chernobyl, Ukraine Ukraine Chernobyl, 1812, b.
Menachem
(
USA
Rabbi David David Rabbi
TOLNA
TWERSKY TWERSKY
TWERSKY TWERSKY
Rabbi Mordechai Rabbi
Rabbi Menachem Rabbi
Nachum TWERSKY NachumTWERSKY
Grand
Nachum) TWERSKY Nachum)TWERSKY
d. 1915, Tolna, Ukraine Tolna, 1915, d.
b. 1867, Tolna, Ukraine Ukraine Tolna, 1867, b.
d. 1876, Tolna, Ukraine Tolna, 1876, d.
d. 1882, Tolna, Ukraine Tolna, 1882, d.
b. 1947, New 1947, NY, b. burgh,
b. 1911, Tulchin, Ukraine Ukraine Tulchin, 1911, b.
Rabbi Neal Neal Rabbi
Rabbi Aharon TWERSKY Aharon Rabbi TWERSKY
Grand
Grand
d. 1969, Brooklyn, NY, USA NY, Brooklyn, 1969, d.
b. 1847, Chernobyl, Ukraine Ukraine Chernobyl, 1847, b.
b. 1808, Chernobyl, Ukraine Ukraine Chernobyl, 1808, b.
Grand Rabbi Mordechai TWERSKY Mordechai GrandRabbi TWERSKY
TRISK
Rabbi Pinchas Rabbi
Rabbi Avraham Rabbi
TWERSKY TWERSKY
TWERSKY TWERSKY
TWERSKY TWERSKY
Rabbi Mordechai Rabbi
Rabbi Yaakov Arye Rabbi
Leib TWERSKY LeibTWERSKY
b. Tolna, Ukraine Ukraine Tolna, b.
Zusia TWERSKY ZusiaTWERSKY
b. 1829, Chernobyl Chernobyl 1829, b.
b. 1770, Chernobyl, Ukraine d. 1837, Anatevka, Ukraine Anatevka, 1837, d. Ukraine Chernobyl, 1770, b.
Nachum TWERSKY NachumTWERSKY
b. 1885, Trisk, Ukraine Ukraine Trisk, 1885, b.
d. 1887, Brisk, Belarus Brisk, 1887, d.
d. 1889, Trisk, Ukraine Trisk, 1889, d.
Rabbi Yitzchak Rabbi David
Grand
b. 1916, Zinkov, Ukraine Ukraine Zinkov, 1916, b.
d. 1939, Jassy, 1939, Romania d.
Grand
b. 1977, London, England London, 1977, b.
b. 1947, London, England London, 1947, b.
d. 2001, London, England London, 2001, d.
d. 1980, London, England London, 1980, d.
Grand
Grand Rabbi Menachem GrandRabbi
Grand Rabbi Menachem GrandRabbi
b. 1806, Chernobyl, Ukraine Ukraine Chernobyl, 1806, b.
Grand
Mendel Matisyahu TWERSKY Mendel Matisyahu TWERSKY
TABLE1
Rabbi Yaakov Rabbi
Rabbi Yaakov Rabbi
Rabbi Yeshaya Rabbi
TWERSKY TWERSKY
MAKAROV
Rabbi Menachem Rabbi
b. 1730, Narinsk, Ukraine d. 1792, Chernobyl, Ukraine Chernobyl, 1792, d. Ukraine Narinsk, 1730, b.
Nachum TWERSKY NachumTWERSKY
Yitzchak TWERSKY YitzchakTWERSKY
Yitzchak TWERSKY YitzchakTWERSKY
d. 1919, Kiev, Ukraine Kiev, 1919, d.
Grand
Grand
Grand
b. 1930, Chicago, IL, USA IL, Chicago, 1930, b.
d. 1945, Chicago, IL, USA IL, Chicago, 1945, d.
b. 1895, Makarov, Ukraine Ukraine Makarov, 1895, b.
b. 1862, Makarov, Ukraine Ukraine Makarov, 1862, b.
d. 1891, Makarov, Ukraine Makarov, 1891, d.
d. 1851, Makarov, Ukraine Makarov, 1851, d.
Grand
Rabbi Yeshaya TVERSKY Yeshaya Rabbi TVERSKY
b. 1975, Brooklyn, NY, USA NY, Brooklyn, 1975, b.
Rabbi Zvi Hirsh TVERSKY ZviHirsh Rabbi TVERSKY
b. 1828, Chernobyl, Ukraine Ukraine Chernobyl, 1828, b.
b. 1804, Chernobyl, Ukraine Ukraine Chernobyl, 1804, b.
TWERSKY CHASSIDIC DYNASTY PATERNAL LINE OF DESCENT OF LINE PATERNAL DYNASTY CHASSIDIC TWERSKY
Grand Rabbi Menachem Nachum TWERSKY of Chernobyl, Ukraine Menachem Grand of Rabbi Chernobyl, Ukraine Nachum TWERSKY
Ukraine
Rabbi Baruch Rabbi
TWERSKY TWERSKY
TWERSKY TWERSKY
CHERNOBYL
Meyer TWERSKY MeyerTWERSKY
Yisrael TWERSKY YisraelTWERSKY
Nachum TWERSKY NachumTWERSKY
b. Abt. 1880, Ukraine Ukraine Abt. b. 1880,
Rabbi Yaakov Yosef Rabbi
Grand
Grand Rabbi Aharon GrandRabbi
b. 1965, Bronx, NY, USA Bronx, NY, 1965, b.
d. 2001, Bronx, NY, USA Bronx, NY, 2001, d.
b. 1926, Khotyn, Moldova Moldova Khotyn, 1926, b.
d. 1941, Khotyn, Moldova Khotyn, 1941, d.
d. 1911, Mohyliv-Podilskyi, Mohyliv-Podilskyi, 1911, d.
Grand Rabbi Mordechai GrandRabbi
Grand Rabbi Menachem GrandRabbi
b. 1852, Chernobyl, Ukraine Ukraine Chernobyl, 1852, b.
d. 1870, Chernobyl, Ukraine Ukraine Chernobyl, 1870, d.
b. 1820, Chernobyl, Ukraine Ukraine Chernobyl, 1820, b.
d. 1871, Chernobyl, Ukraine Chernobyl, 1871, d.
b. 1784, Chernobyl, Ukraine Ukraine Chernobyl, 1784, b.
Yitzchak Meyer TWERSKY Yitzchak Meyer TWERSKY
TWERSKY TWERSKY
Zev TVERSKY ZevTVERSKY
b. 1956, Australia 1956, b.
d. 1974, Australia 1974, d.
Rabbi Mordechai Rabbi
b. 1911, Bessarabia Bessarabia 1911, b.
d. 1945, Haifa, Israel Haifa, 1945, d.
d. Kishinev, Moldova Kishinev, d.
Jonathan TVERSKY JonathanTVERSKY
Abraham TVERSKY AbrahamTVERSKY
b. 1878, Tolna, Ukraine Ukraine Tolna, 1878, b.
b. 1846, Tolna, Ukraine Ukraine Tolna, 1846, b.
b. 1822, Chernobyl, Ukraine Chernobyl, 1822, b.
Rabbi Abraham TWERSKY Abraham Rabbi TWERSKY
MOSHE
b. circa 1750, Ukraine circa Ukraine b. 1750,
ATERNAL LINE ATERNAL OF DESCENT FOR PEDIGREED DESCENDANTS OF THE TWERSKY CHASSIDIC DYNASTY
d. before Ukraine d. 1792,
Rabbi Moshe TWERSKY Moshe Rabbi TWERSKY
Rabbi Mechel TWERSKY Mechel Rabbi TWERSKY
d. 1845, Chernobyl, Ukraine Chernobyl, 1845, d.
b. 1772, Chernobyl, Ukraine Ukraine Chernobyl, 1772, b.
P
TWERSKY TWERSKY
b. 1905, Chernobyl Chernobyl 1905, b.
Yisrael TVERSKOY YisraelTVERSKOY
b. 1937, Kiev, Ukraine Kiev, 1937, b.
d. 1983, Kiev, Ukraine Kiev, 1983, d.
Rabbi Moshe TWERSKY Moshe Rabbi TWERSKY
Zalman Leib TVERSKOY ZalmanLeib TVERSKOY
Rabbi Aharon TWERSKY Aharon Rabbi TWERSKY
Rabbi Mordechai Rabbi Yisrael
d. 1915, Chernobyl, Ukraine Chernobyl, 1915, d.
b. 1866, Chernobyl, Ukraine Ukraine Chernobyl, 1866, b.
d. 1901, Chernobyl, Ukraine Chernobyl, 1901, d.
b. 1828, Chernobyl, Ukraine Ukraine Chernobyl, 1828, b.
b. 1792, Chernobyl, Ukraine Chernobyl, 1792, b.
9
8
7
6
5
4
3
2
1
BRANCH GENERATION
Page 11 of 32
Methods
The Y-DNA tests were conducted by Family Tree DNA (FTDNA) of Houston, Texas. The standard DNA Y- chromosome segment (DYS) markers, also referred to in genetic testing as short-tandem repeat (STR) markers, for the eight pedigreed Twersky paternal descendants are presented in Table 2.
The value of testing Y-DNA STR markers comes from creating a Y-DNA signature (haplotype) and comparing that Y-DNA signature to others in a database. They are useful for genetic genealogy because a unique Y-DNA signature distinguishes one paternal lineage from another. They can then be used in conjunction with Family Tree DNA’s Y-DNA comparative database to discover genealogical connections or historical ancestry.52
Y-DNA mutates very slowly and passes down from father to son without recombination, except for the rare mutations that occur along the hereditary line; therefore, the Y-DNA genetic signature of a male descendant represents that of his entire paternal lineage.53 For the purpose of Y-DNA testing, all descendants of the studied lineage must be son-after-son; if there is even one maternal ancestor interposed in the lineage, the Y-DNA results of her descendants will reflect her husband’s lineage, and not the Y-DNA genetic signature of the lineage of interest.
To establish the Y-DNA genetic signature of a given rabbinical lineage, the Y-DNA of pedigreed descendants of that lineage must genetically match one another. Ideally, these pedigreed descendants should be from different branches of the lineage, with each descendant representing a different cousinly paternal line. Matching Y-DNA results from three or more different paternal lines provide additional confirmation and validation of the Y-DNA genetic signature.
Y-DNA tests of the eight pedigreed Twersky paternal descendants were reported at the 37 STR marker level. Because the pedigrees of all eight descendants were well-documented, and the identity of their common ancestor was known, testing at an increased number of markers above the 37 STR marker level (e.g., 67, 111) was considered unnecessary for identifying the haplotype and establishing a genetic match. The initial haplogroup for the eight descendants was predicted by FTDNA based upon their haplotype. Additional single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) genotyping was conducted for all eight pedigreed descendants to further refine the initial haplogroup classification.54
Y-DNA Test Results
The Twersky Haplotype
Table 2 presents the Y-DNA test results for the eight pedigreed Twersky paternal descendants. The Y-DNA results showed a close genetic match among all eight descendants. The allele values of one of the pedigreed descendants (Rabbi Neal Twersky) represented modal values at all 37 STR marker locations, indicating that he had no mutations; his allele values therefore most likely represent ancestral values, or the modal haplotype. This also makes genetic sense, as he had the fewest number of generations back to the common ancestor and founder of the lineage, Grand Rabbi Menachem Nahum Twersky, of any of the descendants (Table 1).
All six pedigreed descendants of Grand Rabbi Mordechai Twersky matched each other quite closely, matching the modal haplotype on either 35/37 or 36/37 STR marker locations. Non-matching allele values, representing possible mutations at the STR marker locations tested, are indicated by the blue-shaded cells in Table 2. Page 12 of 32
TABLE 2
Y-DNA TEST RESULTS FOR PEDIGREED DESCENDANTS OF THE TWERSKY CHASSIDIC DYNASTY
PEDIGREED TWERSKY PATERNAL DESCENDANTS Y-DNA STR Rabbi Yitzchak Menachem Rabbi Moshe MARKER Yisrael Jonathan Yitzchak Meyer Rabbi Zvi Hirsh Rabbi Neal David Nachum Yehuda TVERSKOY TVERSKY TWERSKY TVERSKY TWERSKY TWERSKY TWERSKY TWERSKY
DYS393 13 13 13 13 13 13 13 13
DYS390 23 23 23 23 23 23 23 23
DYS19 17 16 16 16 16 16 15 16
DYS391 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10
DYS385a 12 12 12 12 12 12 12 12
DYS385b 14 14 14 14 14 14 14 14
DYS426 11 11 11 11 11 11 11 11
DYS388 12 12 12 12 12 12 12 12
DYS439 12 12 12 12 12 12 12 12
DYS389I 13 13 13 13 13 13 13 13
DYS392 13 13 13 13 13 13 13 13
DYS389II 28 28 28 28 28 28 28 28
DYS458 18 18 18 18 18 18 18 17
DYS459a 9 9 9 9 9 9 9 9
DYS459b 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10
DYS455 11 11 11 11 11 11 11 11
DYS454 12 12 12 12 12 12 12 12
DYS447 28 28 28 28 28 28 27 28
DYS437 14 14 14 14 14 14 14 14
DYS448 19 19 19 19 19 19 19 19
DYS449 28 28 27 28 28 28 28 28
DYS464a 12 12 12 12 12 12 12 12
DYS464b 12 12 12 12 12 12 12 12
DYS464c 15 15 15 15 15 15 15 15
DYS464d 15 15 15 15 15 15 15 15
DYS460 11 11 11 11 11 11 11 11
Y-GATA-H4 13 12 13 13 12 13 13 13
YCAIIa 21 21 21 21 21 21 21 21
YCAIIb 23 23 23 23 23 23 23 23
DYS456 15 15 15 15 15 15 15 15
DYS607 15 15 15 15 15 15 15 15
DYS576 18 18 18 18 18 18 18 18
DYS570 19 19 18 19 19 19 19 19
CDYa 31 32 32 32 32 32 32 32
CDYb 37 37 37 36 37 37 37 37
DYS442 11 11 11 11 11 11 11 11
DYS438 11 11 11 11 11 11 11 12
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The two pedigreed descendants of Rabbi Moshe Twersky matched each other’s allele values at 34/37 STR marker locations. They also matched the allele values of the pedigreed descendants of Moshe’s brother, Grand Rabbi Mordechai Twersky, quite closely, with Yisrael Tverskoy matching the modal haplotype at 35/37 STR marker locations and Jonathan Tversky matching it at 36/37 STR marker locations.
An interesting finding was the uniqueness of the Twersky haplotype, as indicated by the relatively small number of Y-DNA matches on the Twersky descendants’ genetic match lists. Yitzchak Meyer Twersky and Yisrael Tverskoy had only the other seven pedigreed Twersky descendants on their Y-DNA37 match lists. Including these seven pedigreed descendants, Rabbi Moshe Yehuda Twersky had eight genetic matches; Rabbi Zvi Hirsch Twersky and Rabbi Neal Twersky had twenty, Menachem Nachum Twersky had twenty-one, and Jonathan Tversky and Rabbi Yitzchak David Twersky had thirty-nine (Table 3).
Based on their haplotype, all eight pedigreed descendants were initially classified as belonging to the R1b- M173 haplogroup. Additional SNP testing of all eight pedigreed descendants’ Y-DNA revealed that they belong to the R-V88 subclade of the R1b-M173 haplogroup. This haplogroup/subclade designation, together with the lineage-specific haplotype, comprises the Y-DNA genetic signature for the Twersky Chassidic dynasty.55
The close Y-DNA genetic match among all eight pedigreed Twersky descendants, representing two different ancestral lines, validates their pedigree back to their common ancestor and founder of the lineage, Grand Rabbi Menachem Nahum Twersky of Chernobyl.
A possible explanation for the larger number of genetic matches for Jonathan Tversky and Rabbi Yitzchak David Twersky is a back-mutation of the Y-GATA-H4 STR marker allele value from 13 to 12 that occurred twice separately in the Twersky line (Table 2). An allele value of 13 for this marker represents a mutation that is distinctive of the Twersky lineage; an allele value of 12 represents a R1b-V88 modal ancestral value.56, 57
Time-to-Most Recent Common Ancestor (TMRCA) Predictions
In this Y-DNA study of the Twersky Chassidic dynasty, as in our previous studies of rabbinical lineages, the common ancestor of all pedigreed descendants is known, and therefore, each descendant’s generation or place in the lineage does not need to be estimated. However, conducting Y-DNA testing of pedigreed descendants with well-documented paper trails provides the opportunity to evaluate and assess the accuracy of current predictive models for estimating the time-to-most recent common ancestor (TMRCA).
FTDNA’s time predictor (TiP) model was used to predict the TMRCA probabilities for the eight pedigreed Twersky descendants. In comparing Y-DNA results for estimating the probability of the TMRCA, each pedigreed Twersky descendant’s Y-DNA results, at 37 STR markers, were compared to those of the modal haplotype, represented by Rabbi Neal Twersky, because: (1) He represents the closest descendant to the common ancestor (see Table 1), and because: (2) His modal allele values most likely represent ancestral values (see Table 2). These probability predictions are presented numerically in Table 4 and graphically in Figure 4.
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TABLE 3
NUMBER OF Y-DNA GENETIC MATCHES AMONG PEDIGREED TWERSKY PATERNAL DESCENDANTS
NUMBER OF Y-DNA GENETIC MATCHES AMONG PEDIGREED TWERSKY PATERNAL DESCENDANTS Number of Y-DNA Genetic Matches at Yitzchak Rabbi Yitzchak Menachem Rabbi Moshe Yisrael Jonathan Rabbi Zvi Hirsh Rabbi Neal 37 STR Markers Meyer David Nachum Yehuda TVERSKOY TVERSKY TVERSKY TWERSKY TWERSKY TWERSKY TWERSKY TWERSKY
Matches with Other Pedigreed Twersky 7 7 7 7 7 7 7 7 Descendants
Matches with Other Individuals in the 0 32 0 13 32 13 14 1 FTDNA Database
Total Number of Y- DNA Genetic 7 39 7 20 39 20 21 8 Matches
TABLE 4
TIME-TO-MOST-RECENT COMMON ANCESTOR (TMRCA) PREDICTIONS FOR PEDIGREED PATERNAL DESCENDANTS OF THE TWERSKY CHASSIDIC DYNASTY
Probability of the Common Ancestor Living within a Specified Number of Generations
Number of Rabbi Yitzchak Menachem Rabbi Moshe Mean Generations Yisrael Jonathan Yitzchak Meyer Rabbi Zvi Hirsh David Nachum Yehuda TVERSKOY TVERSKY TWERSKY TVERSKY TWERSKY TWERSKY TWERSKY
1 36.3% 13.0% 2.4% 36.3% 13.0% 12.9% 2.8% 16.7%
2 59.4% 29.6% 8.8% 59.4% 29.6% 29.4% 9.9% 32.3%
3 74.1% 45.6% 18.2% 74.1% 45.6% 45.3% 20.2% 46.1%
4 83.5% 59.2% 29.2% 83.5% 59.2% 58.9% 31.9% 57.9%
5 89.5% 70.0% 40.5% 89.5% 70.0% 69.8% 43.7% 67.6%
6 93.3% 78.4% 51.2% 93.3% 78.4% 78.1% 54.7% 75.3%
7 95.7% 84.6% 60.8% 95.7% 84.6% 84.4% 64.3% 81.4%
8 97.3% 89.1% 69.1% 97.3% 89.1% 89.0% 72.3% 86.2%
9 98.3% 92.4% 75.9% 98.3% 92.4% 92.3% 78.9% 89.8%
10 98.9% 94.7% 81.5% 98.9% 94.7% 94.6% 84.1% 92.5%
11 99.3% 96.4% 85.9% 99.3% 96.4% 96.3% 88.2% 94.5%
12 99.6% 97.5% 89.4% 99.6% 97.5% 97.5% 91.3% 96.0%
13 99.7% 98.3% 92.1% 99.7% 98.3% 98.3% 93.6% 97.1%
14 99.8% 98.8% 94.1% 99.8% 98.8% 98.8% 95.4% 97.9%
15 99.9% 99.2% 95.7% 99.9% 99.2% 99.2% 96.7% 98.5%
16 99.9% 99.5% 96.8% 99.9% 99.5% 99.5% 97.6% 99.0%
17 100.0% 99.6% 97.7% 100.0% 99.6% 99.6% 98.3% 99.3%
18 100.0% 99.8% 98.3% 100.0% 99.8% 99.8% 98.8% 99.5%
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The most recent common ancestor (MRCA) for all pedigreed Twersky descendants is Grand Rabbi Menachem Nachum Twersky (1730–1797). He preceded 7th-generation descendant Rabbi Neal Twersky in the lineage by six generations, 8th-generation descendants Yisrael Tverskoy, Jonathan Tversky, Yitzchak Meyer Twersky, Rabbi Zvi Hirsh Tversky, and Menachem Nachum Twersky by seven generations, and 9th-generation descendants Rabbis Yitzchak David Twersky and Moshe Yehuda Twersky by eight generations (see Table 1).58 These are known, documented TMRCAs.
As shown by the mean probability values in Table 4, the known TMRCAs fell between the 75.3 and the 86.2 percent probability predictions for this study. These probability predictions were most accurate for the 9th- generation descendants (86.2%), less accurate for the 8th-generation descendants (81.4%), and least accurate for the 7th-generation descendant (75.3%).
These results are consistent with those of our previous Y-DNA studies of rabbinical lineages, which showed that the FTDNA time predictor model consistently overestimates the TMRCA in the range of 4 to 46 percent using the FTDNA time predictor model, and that the degree of overestimation is inversely related to the distance to the MRCA (i.e., the closer to the MRCA, the less accurate the TiP model predictions are, and the further from the MRCA, the more accurate they are).59, 60, 61, 62
To say this another way, the known TMRCAs in these rabbinical lineage studies generally fall between the 54 percent and 96 percent probability predictions, depending on the distance to the most recent common ancestor, with a mean value of about 75 percent. Similar findings were reported by Unkefer, who indicated that the actual documented TMRCA generally falls between the 50 percent and the 95 percent probability predictions.63
FIGURE 4
MEAN PROBABILITY PREDICTIONS OF THE COMMON ANCESTOR LIVING WITHIN A SPECIFIED NUMBER OF GENERATIONS FOR PEDIGREED PATERNAL DESCENDANTS OF THE TWERSKY CHASSIDIC DYNASTY
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The Twersky Haplogroup
A haplogroup is a group of similar haplotypes that share a common ancestor having the same single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) mutation in all haplotypes.64 Simply put, a haplogroup is a genetic population group of people who share a common ancestor on the patrilineal or matrilineal line.65 Because a haplogroup consists of similar haplotypes, it is possible to predict a haplogroup from the haplotype, but a SNP test is required to confirm the haplogroup prediction.
Y-chromosome DNA (Y-DNA) haplogroups are determined by SNP tests. SNPs are locations on the DNA where one nucleotide has mutated to a different nucleotide.66 Haplogroup classifications and the SNPs within them are organized within branches on the Y-chromosome phylogenetic tree. The defining SNP for a haplogroup is generally the furthest downstream SNP that has been identified on the phylogenic tree. This defining SNP of the latest subclade67 known by current research is referred to as the terminal SNP.68
The International Society of Genetic Genealogy (ISOGG),69 Family Tree DNA (FTDNA),70 and YFull71 maintain phylogenetic or Y-SNP trees. These trees are generally updated as new branch-defining SNPs are discovered, with the YFull tree currently being relied upon as the most up-to-date version.72 Other regularly updated haplogroup-specific trees, such as the R1b Basal Subclades Phylogenetic Trees, are also available.73
Based on their Y-DNA37 STR markers, all eight pedigreed descendants of the Twersky Chassidic dynasty were initially classified as belonging to the R-M173 haplogroup. Men from this lineage share a common paternal ancestor, which is defined by the presence of the SNP mutation referred to as M173, also known as R1. The R1 haplogroup is very common throughout Europe and western Eurasia.74 Its main subgroups are R1a (M420) and R1b (M343).
Haplogroup R1b, also known as haplogroup R-M343, is an offshoot of M173. It is the most frequently occurring Y chromosome haplogroup in Western Europe, as well as some parts of Russia, Central Asia, and Central Africa.75 It is also present at lower frequencies throughout Eastern Europe, Western Asia, as well as parts of North Africa and South Asia.
To further delineate the haplogroup of the Twersky Chassidic dynasty, we ordered FTDNA’s R1b-M343 “Backbone SNP Pack,” which tests for 140 SNPs downstream of M343.76 The Y-DNA of pedigreed descendant Rabbi Neal Twersky was the first to be tested; he was found to belong to the R1b-V88 subclade of the R1b-M343 haplogroup. Following receipt of these results, the R1b-V88 SNP marker was tested for and confirmed for the other seven pedigreed Twersky descendants.77
The discovery of the R1b-V88 SNP marker was announced in 2010 by Cruciani et al.78 Apart from individuals in southern Europe and Western Asia, the preponderance of R1b-V88 was found in northern and central Africa. Small percentages (1 to 4%) of R1b-V88 were also found in the Levant, among the Lebanese, the Druze, and the Jews, and in almost every country in Africa north of the equator.79
The Yfull tree shows that the ancestral R1b-V88 haplogroup has many branches, of which two large branches are known. One branch is the Arab-African branch; the other branch has a split at 3400 years-before-present (ybp), before the start of Judaism. One sub-branch at 3400 ybp leads to a person from Saudi Arabia and the other sub-branch leads to another split at 900 ybp into the Jewish Ashkenazi branch.80
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This last split fits the idea that a Jewish group left the Middle East and lived in Iberia as part of the Sephardic Jewish community there. One of the Ashkenazi descendants, after living in Iberia, migrated to the Ashkenazi countries, where the population grew.81
Penninx and Akaha (2016) analyzed the STR values among five different groups belonging to different branches of the R1b-V88 haplogroup in their FTDNA project.82 From this analysis, they reported that: “The Spanish group and the Ashkenazi group share a relatively recent common ancestor, with a TMRCA distance of 450–2100 ybp.” 83
Based on their findings, the authors concluded that: “The scenario that best fits the observation with the historic knowledge is a migration of a Jewish person from the Middle East to Iberia, and a later migration from Iberia to the Ashkenazi countries in the early Middle Ages and later migrations to the Ottoman Empire and the New World.” 84
Their conclusions are supported by the results of recent research studies which make a strong case for the Iberian origins of R1b-V88 and its parent SNP, R1b-L278.85, 86 Maglio (2014) used biogeographical analysis to determine origins and migration patterns of a data set of individuals who tested positive for the R1b-V88 SNP marker. The author concluded: “The resulting phylogenetic relationships for R1b-V88 support an Iberian origin, a Mediterranean expansion, and a Europe to Africa back migration.” 87, 88
In addition to the phylogenetic evidence supporting Iberian ancestry based upon the R1b-V88 haplogroup marker, the STR results for the pedigreed Twersky descendants provide additional supporting evidence of Iberian ancestry. Five pedigreed Twersky descendants – Jonathan Tversky, Zvi Hirsch Tversky, Menachum Nachum Twersky, Rabbi Neal Twersky, and Rabbi Yitzchak David Twersky – have an individual with the surname “Zamora” on their genetic match lists. He matches them on 33 to 34 of 37 STR markers.89
Recorded in the spellings of Zamora, Zamorrann, and Zamorrano, this famous Spanish surname derives from the ancient city of Zamora in Northwest Spain, a city founded by the invading Moors in the 12th century.90 The Zamora surname also appears on several different lists of Sephardic Jewish surnames.91, 92, 93
According to Professor Avraham Gross of Ben-Gurion University, Zamora, the capital of the northwestern province of the same name, was the most important center of Jewish learning in Spain during the 15th century. He discussed the Yeshiva of Zamora’s founder, Rabbi and Gaon of Castile Isaac Campantón (1360–1463), and emphasized Zamora’s position at the peak of Jewish learning right before the Expulsion.94
These intriguing research findings suggest that the Twersky Chassidic dynasty most likely descends from a common Sephardic Iberian ancestor.95 Current research suggests that this Iberian ancestor lived approximately 450–2100 years ago, and that he most likely migrated to Iberia from Africa or the Middle East. During the early Middle Ages, this Iberian ancestor migrated from Iberia to the Ashkenazi countries, in which the Twersky Chassidic dynasty arose.
The Iberian ethnic origin of the Twersky Chassidic dynasty, while intriguing, is not entirely unexpected, or without historical precedent. Sephardic Jewry, having been expelled from Spain, found different homes throughout Europe.
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With the expulsion of Jews from Spain in 1492, as well as expulsion from Austria, Hungary, and Germany, Poland became the recognized haven for exiles from the rest of Europe, and the resulting accession to the ranks of Polish Jewry made it the cultural and spiritual center of the Jewish people in Europe until the 1600s.96
It is also well-known that many major rabbinical families have a long-standing tradition that they descend from pre-Inquisition Spain and Portugal.97 The prominent Ashkenazi rabbinical Epstein family, for instance, claims descent from Spain.98, 99, 100 In this regard, the results of our previous Y-DNA study of the Katzenellenbogen rabbinical dynasty provided compelling genetic evidence that it, too, was most likely Sephardic in origin.101
The Twersky Y-DNA Genetic Signature
As previously stated, the lineage-specific haplotype, together with the haplogroup/subclade designation, comprises the Y-DNA genetic signature for the Twersky Chassidic dynasty; both are essential and complementary components of the Y-DNA genetic signature of a paternal lineage.102 We have utilized this approach in our previous Y-DNA studies of rabbinical lineages,103, 104 the benefits of which have recently been summarized.105
For the lineage descending from the Twersky Chassidic dynasty, the allele values at the 37 STR marker locations presented in “Y-DNA Test Results for Pedigreed Descendants of the Twersky Chassidic Dynasty” (Table 2) represent the haplotype of the lineage. The modal allele values, which correspond to the allele values for Rabbi Neal Twersky, are most likely to represent ancestral values.
This distinctive pattern of allele values distinguishes the Twersky lineage from other paternal lineages; even those that belong to the same parent haplogroup and subclade.106 This is also evidenced by the fact that there are so few genetic matches to pedigreed Twersky descendants in the FTDNA database; two of the pedigreed Twersky descendants match only the other seven pedigreed descendants, and a third has only one other non- Twersky genetic match (see Table 3).
The parent haplogroup to which the Twersky lineage belongs is the R1b-M343 haplogroup, which is an offshoot of R1-M173. Following identification of the R-V88 SNP marker in all eight pedigreed descendants, we tested Rabbi Neal Twersky’s Y-DNA for three additional SNPs downstream of R-V88: PF6289, FGC20973, and FGC21049. His Y-DNA tested positive for all three SNPs. The TMRCA for the terminal FGC21049 SNP is approximately 100–650 ybp, with an average of about 350 ybp.107 This mean TMRCA (350 ybp) is in the range of the actual TMRCA for the founder of Twersky Chassidic dynasty (287 ybp).108
Based on their positive R-V88 SNP marker results, and closely matching STR allele values, it can be safely presumed that the other seven pedigreed Twersky descendants would test positive for the three downstream SNPs as well. Hence, the full phylogenetic path for the Twersky haplogroup is:
R-M173 > P25, M343 > V88 > FGC21015 > FGC21027 > FGC20970 > FGC20973 > FGC20980 > FGC21049
Taken together, these STR haplotype and SNP haplogroup results define the Y-DNA genetic signature for the Twersky Chassidic dynasty.
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Recommendations for Future Study
The identification of the Twersky Y-DNA genetic signature is a significant research finding with many implications for the field of genetic genealogy, particularly for individuals of Jewish descent. Like most pioneering genetic genealogy studies, the Twersky Y-DNA study raises many new research questions and opens many new promising research avenues to exploration.
Based upon the matching Y-DNA results of eight pedigreed paternal descendants of the Twersky Chassidic dynasty, we have succeeded in identifying the haplotype and haplogroup that characterize the Y-DNA signature of the Twersky Chassidic dynasty, back to their most recent common ancestor and founder of the dynasty, Grand Rabbi Menachem Nachum Twersky (1730–1797).
There are tens of thousands of Twersky descendants widely dispersed throughout the world. Many of them are patrilineal descendants of the Twersky Chassidic dynasty, but many may have independently acquired the Twersky surname and bear no genetic relationship to descendants of the Twersky rabbinical family.
We are currently conducting a worldwide surname-lineage study to compare the Y-DNA test results of Twersky descendants from all families having the Twersky surname to the Y-DNA genetic signature of the Twersky Chassidic dynasty to either confirm or disprove paternal descent from the Twersky rabbinical family.
For those descendants who do not match the Twersky Y-DNA genetic signature, we are attempting to identify their haplotype and haplogroup, determine how they may relate to the Twersky Chassidic dynasty (e.g., such as by descent through a son-in-law who adopted the Twersky surname), and investigate possible sources of errors in the paper trail.
The haplotype classification for the eight pedigreed Twersky descendants was based on the testing of 37 STR markers. We compared known TMRCAs to predicted values using FTDNA’s STR mutation rate-based time predictor model, and found that the model overestimated the TMRCA by approximately 14 to 25 percent. This finding was consistent with the results of our previous Y-DNA studies of rabbinical lineages. 109, 110, 111, 112 Such research studies provide useful validation data for evaluating the accuracy and reliability of current STR mutation rate-based models.
The predicted R-M173 haplogroup classification was further refined by the testing of downstream SNPs for all eight pedigreed Twersky descendants. From this additional SNP testing, all eight descendants were found to belong to the R-V88 subclade of the R1b haplogroup, which yielded fresh insights into the likely Sephardic origin of the Twersky Chassidic dynasty.
Additional SNP testing confirmed that one pedigreed descendant of the Twersky Chassidic dynasty belongs to the FGC20149 subclade of the R-V88 haplogroup. Based on their positive R-V88 SNP marker results, and closely matching STR allele values, it can be safely presumed that the other seven pedigreed Twersky descendants belong to this subclade as well. There are five SNPs (FGC21047, FGC21053, FGC21054, FGC21055, FGC21065) at or near the same phylogenetic level as FGC21049. Additional SNP testing will be required to confirm them and establish their branching sequence.
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Current research suggests that the Iberian ancestor of the Twersky Chassidic dynasty lived approximately 450– 2100 years ago, and that he most likely migrated to Iberia from Africa or the Middle East. However, current phylogenetic-based TMRCA calculations are imprecise, and give only a relative indication of chronological magnitude.113 The possible Twersky Sephardic ancestral connection to the Spanish town of Zamora provides yet another intriguing clue which merits further investigation.
Future research employing next-generation sequence (NGS)-based methods, such as FTDNA’s Big Y test, will permit the identification of novel SNPs that are further downstream of the FGC21049 SNP marker, and help to elucidate where they fit on the phylogenetic tree. This phylogenetic data, when coupled with appropriate population genetics and biogeographical methods, will permit more accurate age estimates of haplogroup clusters. Advancements in STR methodologies may also make more accurate determinations of mutation rates, TMRCAs, and ethnic origins possible.114, 115
Undoubtedly, as such NGS-based methods become more widely available and used, and the full genome database grows, the Twersky Y-DNA genetic signature, like the genetic signature of other rabbinical lineages, will be further extended and refined.
Summary and Conclusions
The Twersky Chassidic dynasty dates back nearly three centuries. Thanks to the numerous published genealogies of the Twersky family in rabbinical sources, family trees, and yichus letters, the authenticity and validity of the lineage has been well-established. Extensive genealogical research of the Twersky family laid the necessary groundwork for identification of eight son-after-son descendants of the Twersky Chassidic dynasty for participation in this Y-DNA study.
Based upon the closely matching Y-DNA results of these eight pedigreed paternal descendants, we have succeeded in identifying the haplotype and haplogroup that characterize the Y-DNA signature of the Twersky Chassidic dynasty, back to their most recent common ancestor and founder of the rabbinical dynasty, Grand Rabbi Menachem Nachum Twersky (1730–1797).
The findings and conclusions that are drawn from a Y-DNA study are only as strong as the genealogical evidence upon which they are based. In this Y-DNA research study, we were very fortunate to have had eight pedigreed son-after-son descendants with well-documented lines of descent from the Twersky Chassidic dynasty. This provided us with a very robust data set and a strong foundation of genealogical evidence upon which our findings and conclusions are based.
The closeness of the genetic match among these eight pedigreed Twersky descendants, taken together with their well-documented paper trail, provides a high degree of confidence that their distinct allele pattern at 37 STR marker locations, which defines their haplotype, in addition to the R1b-V88 and FGC21049 SNP markers, which define their haplogroup and subclade, accurately represents the Y-DNA genetic signature of the Twersky Chassidic dynasty and its various branches (Chernobyl, Makarov, Trisk, Tolna, Skvira, and Rachmastrivka).
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In a recent Y-DNA rabbinical lineage study, we reported that the Katzenellenbogen rabbinical dynasty, long considered to be a classic Ashkenazic lineage, had a Sephardic ethnic origin.116 In a study of forty-five men in their Family Tree DNA FGC20747 SNP project, Rachel Unkefer et al. also recently presented Y-DNA evidence for an Ashkenazi lineage’s Iberian origin.117
These current research findings suggest that the Twersky Chassidic dynasty, too, most likely descends from a Sephardic Iberian ancestor. Current research makes a strong case for the Iberian origins of the R1b-V88 SNP marker and suggests that the most recent common ancestor lived approximately 450–2100 years ago. This ancestor most likely migrated to Iberia from Africa or the Middle East, and during the early Middle Ages, his paternal descendant(s) migrated from Iberia to the Ashkenazi countries, where, several centuries later, the Twersky Chassidic dynasty arose.
In addition to the phylogenetic-based evidence of Iberian origin, this study provides an intriguing clue which suggests that the Twersky Chassidic dynasty may have an ancient connection to the town of Zamora, an important center of Jewish learning in Spain during the 15th century.
The application of DNA to genealogy has made great strides since its beginnings just over a decade ago, 118 and the benefits of combining DNA and traditional paper-trail methodologies are evident. The Twersky Y- DNA research study represents a model example of how traditional genealogy and genetic genealogy work together to validate the paper trail for the pedigreed descendants of a lineage, and identify and characterize the Y-DNA genetic signature of the rabbinical lineage under study.
Several of our Twersky Y-DNA study participants were unsure of their precise line of descent from the Twersky Chassidic dynasty, and through their participation in our research study, they rediscovered their roots. As more individuals of Jewish descent turn to genetic testing as a way of discovering their roots, it is becoming increasingly clear that identifying the unique Y-DNA genetic signature of the world’s historically significant rabbinical lineages will play an important role in Jewish genealogy.
Y-DNA research studies of rabbinical lineages such as Polonsky,119 Bacharach,120 Wertheim-Giterman,121, 122 Katzenellenbogen,123 and the Shpoler Zeida124 have demonstrated the intrinsic value of identifying the Y-DNA genetic signature of these lineages for bridging major gaps in the paper trail for both Ashkenazi and Sephardic Jews. As Y-DNA genetic signatures are identified for a growing number of rabbinical lineages, and the size of the DNA database increases, the likelihood of finding a genetic match to a well-documented rabbinical line increases.125
With the successful identification and characterization of the Y-DNA genetic signature of the Twersky Chassidic dynasty, we hope to enable many more current and future generations of newly discovered Twersky descendants to connect themselves and their families to this illustrious rabbinical lineage, and to rediscover their remarkable heritage.
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Acknowledgments
The authors wish to thank our Twersky Y-DNA study participants for their outstanding cooperation, patience, and permission to present their names and Y- DNA data in our study.
We also offer our sincere thanks to Susan K. Steeble for her invaluable editing assistance, and to Janet Billstein Akaha, Wim Penninx, Zach Gordon, and Schelly Talalay Dardashti for their helpful comments regarding the haplogroup and ethnic origin discussion. Yitzchak Meyer Twersky, Dr. Jeffrey Mark Paull, and Dr. Jeffrey Briskman, April 30, 2017
Notes
1 Yichus, a Hebrew word meaning lineage, distinguished birth, or pedigree, has been an important facet of Jewish life since biblical days. The Babylonian Talmud, in tractate Kiddushin, discusses how Ezra the Scribe (460 BCE) ensured that the Jews returning to Israel from Babylonia were like “fine sifted flour” concerning their genealogical purity.
2 Torah Outreach Resource Center of Houston (TORCH): “Got Yichus?” https://www.torchweb.org/ torah_detail.php?id=158. A Shtar Yuchsin is a genealogy chart or family tree which Chassidic rabbis created for themselves to trace their lineage back to the great Jews of the past.
3 Arthur Kurzweil: “From Generation to Generation – How to Trace Your Jewish Genealogy and Family History.” Jossey-Bass, A Wiley Imprint (2004), p. 196.
4 Neil Rosenstein: “The Unbroken Chain: Biographical Sketches and Genealogy of Illustrious Jewish Families from the 15th–20th Century.” Revised Edition. The Computer Center for Jewish Genealogy, CIS Publishers, New York, NY, 1990, Chapter 18, p. 1181. Dr. Rosenstein is planning to publish a new edition of The Unbroken Chain in 2017.
5 Ibid.
6 Jeffrey Mark Paull: “Connecting to the Great Rabbinic Families through Y-DNA: A Case Study of the Polonsky Rabbinical Lineage.” AVOTAYNU: The International Review of Jewish Genealogy, Vol. XXIX, No. 3, Fall, 2013.
7 Jeffrey Mark Paull and Jeffrey Briskman: “Connecting to the Great Rabbinic Families through Y-DNA: The Savran- Bendery Chassidic Dynasty.” Surname DNA Journal, May 31, 2015.
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8 Jeffrey Mark Paull, Neil Rosenstein, and Jeffrey Briskman: “The Y-DNA Genetic Signature and Ethnic Origin of the Katzenellenbogen Rabbinical Lineage.” Avotaynu Online, March 7, 2016.
9 Jeffrey Mark Paull and Jeffrey Briskman: “Identifying the Genetic Fingerprint of a Tzaddik that Touched the World: The Shpoler Zeida.” Avotaynu Online, July 1, 2016.
10 Benzion C. Kaganoff: “A Dictionary of Jewish Names and their History.” A Jason Aronson Book, Roman & Littlefield Publishers, Inc., Lanham, MD, 2005, p. 204.
11 Wikipedia: “Chernobyl (Hasidic dynasty).” https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chernobyl_(Hasidic_dynasty).
12 State Archive of Kiev Oblast: “1795 Census of Chernobyl.” Fond 280, Inventory 2, File 52, p. 406.
13 Arthur Green: “Menachem Nahum of Chernobyl: Upright Practices, The Light of the Eyes.” Paulist Press, Mahwah, NJ, 1982.
14 Shmuel Aba Horodetzky: “Rebbi Nachum M’Chernobyl V’Tzehetzav” (Rabbi Nachum from Chernobyl and his Descendants). Publishing House of Chaim Yaakov Sheptil, Berdichev, Ukraine, 1902. According to this source, Rabbi Moshe (son of Menachem Nachum) “died while his father was yet alive.” Rabbi Moshe’s son Mechel was born in 1772, and his son-in-law, Hersh, was born in 1769. We estimated that Rabbi Moshe was born approximately twenty years earlier than his son and son-in-law (c. 1750). Rabbi Moshe had a grandson Moshe who was born in 1792; hence, we presumed that Rabbi Moshe passed away before 1792.
15 Levi ha-Levi Grossman: “Shem ve-She’arit.” Betzalel Printers, Tel Aviv, Israel, 1943, p. 35. According to this source, the Holy Rabbi Moshe (son of Menachem Nachum) “died in the city of Yustingrad, and from him are descended the Family Twersky that are not Admorim (Grand Rabbis).”
16 Alim L’Trufa Belz Institutions:“Kuntras Ohr Hatzafon” Israel, pp. 7-12. This article printed stories of Grand Rabbi Aharon Twersky of Chernobyl, from the writings of Rabbi Mordechai Rokeach of Bilgoray, the father of the current Grand Rabbi of Belz. The eighth story references the “Gabbai of Grand Rabbi Aharon Twersky of Chernobyl,” whose name was Rabbi Baruch Twersky, son of Moshe, son of Michel, son of Rabbi Moshe of Chernobyl.
17 Tombstone inscription of Rabbi Zev ha-Levi Twersky (1867–1927), buried in Kishinev Cemetery, Moldova.
18 1897 Chernobyl census, Kiev archive, Fond 384, Inventory 9, File 528, Page 187, and 1897 Hornostaipil census, Kiev archive, Fond 384, Inventory 9, File 569, Page 128. According to the former census, Mendel Twersky, son of Morduch, age 30 in 1897, was a melamed (Jewish religious teacher). Per the latter census, Michel Twersky, son of Itska, age 44 in 1897, was also a melamed. These two censuses show that Moshe's descendants, although not Grand Rabbis, possessed advanced Jewish education.
19 Wikipedia: “Mohel.” https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mohel. A mohel is a person who performs the Jewish rite of circumcision.
20 1818 Chernobyl Census, Kiev Archive, Fond 280, Inventory 2, File 375, pp. 747-748 for “Nuchim, son of Michel Twersky;” 1834 Chernobyl Census, Kiev Archive, Fond 280, Inventory 2, File 641, pp. 138-139 for “Family of Nuchim Ber, son of Michel Twersky,” and 1834 Chernobyl Census, Kiev Archive, Fond 280, Inventory 2, File 641, pp. 137-138 for “Family of Movsha, son of Michel Twersky.” These Chernobyl censuses provide strong evidence that Rabbi Moshe Twersky’s descendants did not marry among the descendants of the rabbinical Twersky family.
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21 Wikipedia: “Honorifics in Judaism.” https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Honorifics_in_Judaism. The title “Admur” (also spelled “Admor”) in Figure 1 is an acronym for Adonainu, Morainu, VeRabbeinu, a phrase meaning “Our Master, Our Teacher, and Our Rebbe.” This is an honorific title given to scholarly leaders of a Jewish community.
22 Levi ha-Levi Grossman: “Shem ve-She’arit.” Op. cit., pp. 35-36.
23 Rabbi Aharon David Twersky: “Sefer HaYachas M’Chernobyl V'Ruzhin.” (Book of Genealogy of Chernobyl and Ruzhin). Publishing House of Ozer Zvakin, Lublin, Poland, 1938.
24 Shmuel Aba Horodetzky: “Rebbi Nachum M’Chernobyl V’Tzehetzav.” Op. cit.
25 Yitzchak Meyer Twersky and Rabbi Zusia Novoseller: “Grand Rabbis of the Chernobyl Dynasty.” Imago Inc., New York, NY (printed in Singapore), 2003.
26 Names and dates for birth and death from rabbinical sources were cross-checked against information obtained from Chernobyl censuses and vital records by co-author, Dr. Jeffrey Briskman.
27 Yitzchak Meyer Twersky and Rabbi Zusia Novoseller: “Grand Rabbis of the Chernobyl Dynasty.” Op. cit.
28 Wikipedia: “Ohel (grave).” https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ohel_(grave). An ohel (plural: ohalim, literally Hebrew for “tent”) is a structure built over a Jewish grave as a sign of prominence of the person buried within.
29 State Archive of Kiev Oblast: “1795 Census of Chernobyl.” Fond 280, Inventory 2, File 52, p. 406.
30 Neil Rosenstein: “The Unbroken Chain.” Op. cit.
31 Rabbi Aharon David Twersky: “Sefer HaYachas M'Chernobyl V'Ruzhin.” Op. cit.
32 Shmuel Aba Horodetzky: “Rebbi Nachum M’Chernobyl V’Tzehetzav” Op. cit.
33 Yitzchak Meyer Twersky: “Twersky Family Tree.” This family tree, in database form, contains over 50,000 Twersky descendants from both rabbinical and non-rabbinical branches of the Twersky family. For genealogical research requests, please contact the study authors: https://independent.academia.edu/JeffreyMarkPaull.
34 Jeffrey Mark Paull: “A Noble Heritage: The History and Legacy of the Polonsky and Paull Family in America.” Infinity Publishing, West Conshohocken, PA, January 2013, pp. 44-45.
35 Abraham D Twersky: “Sefer Ha-Yachas Mi-Chernobyl ve-Ruzhin.” (The Genealogy of the Chernobyl and Ruzhin Dynasties). Lublin, 1938.
36 David Einsiedler: “Are You a Descendant of King David? A Look at Rabbinic Sources.” http://www.jewishgen.org/Rabbinic/journal/kdavid.htm.
37 Wikipedia: “Av Beit Din.” https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Av_Beit_Din. In modern times, the term “Av Beit Din” is used as an honorific title for the presiding rabbi of a Beth Din (rabbinical court), who is typically the salaried rabbi of the local Jewish community and usually a posek (arbiter of Halakha, or Jewish law). It is also abbreviated as ABD when it is after the name of the Chief Rabbi of a national Jewish community.
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38 Jeffrey Mark Paull: “A Noble Heritage: The History and Legacy of the Polonsky and Paull Family in America.” Op. cit., pp. 41-42. Rabbi Eliyahu Pinchas Polonsky was the author’s 4th-great-grandfather.
39 There are ongoing debates among scholars regarding inconsistencies in the lineage between Rashi (1040–1105) and Rabbi Joseph Treves (c. 1305–1370). While acknowledging that there are uncertainties in the early generations descending from Rashi that may never be adequately resolved, we believe that it is important to present the currently available published genealogical information. The lineage presented in Figure 1, and its sources, are documented in the authors’ “Katzenellenbogen Rabbinical Lineage Family Tree,” http://trees.ancestry.com/tree/88431732/family.
40 Edward Gelles: “The Jewish Journey: A Passage Through European History.” I.B. Tauris & Company Ltd., London, 2016, p. 16.
41 Jeffrey Mark Paull and Jeffrey Briskman: “The History, Adoption, and Regulation of Jewish Surnames in the Russian Empire – A Review.” Surname DNA Journal, September 21, 2014.
42 Jeffrey Mark Paull and Jeffrey Briskman: “The Jewish Surname Process in the Russian Empire and its Effect on Jewish Genealogy.” Avotaynu Online, October 6, 2015.
43 Jeffrey Mark Paull, Susan K. Steeble, Jeffrey Briskman, and Yitzchak Meyer Twersky: “Challenges Involved in Conducting DNA Tests of Pedigreed Descendants of Rabbinical Lineages.” Avotaynu Online, November 21, 2016.
44 Yitzchak Meyer Twersky and Rabbi Zusia Novoseller: “Grand Rabbis of the Chernobyl Dynasty.” Op. cit.
45 The two lines of descent from Grand Rabbi Mordechai of Chernobyl for which there are no living paternal descendants include the Korostichev and Cherkasy branches. The last known living paternal descendant of the Korostichev branch, descending from Grand Rabbi Moshe Twersky, passed away in 1982, and Grand Rabbi Yaakov Yisrael Twerski of the Cherkasy branch had only daughters.
46 A gabbai is a person who assists in the running of a synagogue or its religious services, especially the reading of the Torah.
47 1818 and 1834 Chernobyl censuses (see endnote #20 above).
48 Yaakov Yosef Rosenblum and Shmuel Yaakov Chaim Gruber: “Rabbi Moshe: The Oldest Son from the Meor Eynayim, and his Children and Grandchildren.” Oros Magazine (Yiddish), Brooklyn, NY, August, 2016, pp. 34-37.
49 “New Descendants from the Meor Eynayim Found: Results from New Twersky DNA.” Yiddishe Zeit Newspaper (Yiddish), Brooklyn, NY, October, 2016, pp. 6-7.
50 Shai Eilen: “Discovering the Missing Branch of a Famous Dynasty: Using Cutting-Edge DNA to Establish Ancestry.” Hamodia, August 24, 2016. https://www.academia.edu/27989595/Discovering_the_Missing_Branch_ of_a_Famous_Dynasty_by_Shai_Eilen.
51 The primary source for the lineage information presented in Table 1 is Yitzchak Meyer Twersky’s book, “Grand Rabbis of the Chernobyl Dynasty” (see endnote #25 above). Additional genealogical sources, including immigration, census, and obituary records, as well as internet search resources and personal communications were utilized to locate living descendants of these branches of the Twersky rabbinical family.
52 Family Tree DNA Learning Center: “What Does Each Short Tandem Repeat (STR) Marker Mean?” https://www.familytreedna.com/learn/y-dna-testing/y-str/short-tandem-repeat-str-marker-mean/. Page 26 of 32
53 Rabbi Yaakov Kleiman: “The DNA Chain of Tradition: The Discovery of the Cohen Gene.” http://www.cohen- levi.org/jewish_genes_and_genealogy/the_dna_chain_of_tradition.htm.
54 Wikipedia: “Haplogroup.” https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Haplogroup. A haplogroup is comprised of similar haplotypes that share a common ancestor having the same single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) mutation in all haplotypes. In human genetics, the haplogroups most commonly studied are Y-chromosome (Y-DNA) haplogroups and mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) haplogroups, both of which can be used to define genetic populations. The special feature that both Y-DNA and mtDNA display is that mutations can accrue along a certain chromosome segment; these mutations remain fixed in place on the DNA, and the historical sequence of these mutations can be inferred.
55 ISOGG defines the term “genetic signature” as: “Another name for a haplotype,” a Y-DNA haplotype being the numbered results of a genealogical Y-DNA STR test. http://isogg.org/wiki/Genetics_Glossary. FTDNA defines it similarly. https://www.familytreedna.com/learn/y-dna-testing/. In our view, the haplogroup, a group of similar haplotypes that share a common ancestor having the same single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) mutation in all haplotypes, is also an essential part of the Y-DNA genetic signature of a paternal lineage. Hence, STRs and SNPs serve as both essential and complementary components of the Y-DNA genetic signature.
56 Zach Gordon: Email correspondence with Jeffrey Mark Paull, February 14, 2017.
57 Wim Penninx: “Email correspondence with Jeffrey Mark Paull,” February 15, 2017.
58 The number of generations to the progenitor of a lineage is always one generation less than the generation number of the descendant. As an example, a 5th generation descendant of a lineage has four generations between himself and the founder. In this study, the founder of the lineage, Grand Rabbi Menachem Nachum Twersky (1730–1797), is the most recent common ancestor (MRCA) for all eight pedigreed descendants.
59 Jeffrey Mark Paull: “Connecting to the Great Rabbinic Families through Y-DNA: A Case Study of the Polonsky Rabbinical Lineage.” Op. cit. Using FTDNA’s time predictor model, the author found that the actual TMRCA fell between the 58.6 percent and 89.5 percent probability predictions.
60 Jeffrey Mark Paull and Jeffrey Briskman: “Connecting to the Great Rabbinic Families through Y-DNA: The Savran- Bendery Chassidic Dynasty.” Op. cit. Using FTDNA’s time predictor model, the authors found that the actual TMRCA fell between the 53.8 percent and 93.3 percent probability predictions.
61 Jeffrey Mark Paull, Neil Rosenstein, and Jeffrey Briskman: “The Y-DNA Genetic Signature and Ethnic Origin of the Katzenellenbogen Rabbinical Lineage.” Op. cit. Using FTDNA’s time predictor model, the authors found that the actual TMRCA fell between the 78.5 percent and 95.8 percent probability predictions.
62 Jeffrey Mark Paull and Jeffrey Briskman: “Identifying the Genetic Fingerprint of a Tzaddik that Touched the World: The Shpoler Zeida.” Op. cit. Using FTDNA’s time predictor model, the authors found that the actual TMRCA corresponded to the 63.9 probability prediction (based on one genetic match at 37 STR markers; results for a third descendant who matched at only 25 STR markers were not included in the TiP analysis).
63 Rachel Unkefer: “Interpreting Y-DNA Markers: A Primer.” AVOTAYNU: The International Review of Jewish Genealogy, Vol. XXX, No. 1, Spring 2014. Using McGee Utilities to calculate TMRCAs, the author reported: “In situations with known family trees, the number of generations back to the known MRCA tends to be smaller (more recent) than the 95 percent probability prediction in the vast majority of cases we have studied. The actual documented TMRCA usually falls between the 50 percent probability predictions and the 95 percent probability predictions.” Page 27 of 32
64 Wikipedia: “Haplogroup.” http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Haplogroup. A haplogroup is a group of similar haplotypes that share a common ancestor having the same single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) mutation in all haplotypes.
65 ISOGG: “Haplogroup.” International Society of Genetic Genealogy (ISOGG). http://isogg.org/wiki/Haplogroup.
66 Ibid.
67 A clade is a branch on the Y chromosome tree that constitutes haplogroup and includes all the descendants of a single most recent common ancestor (MRCA). A subclade is a downstream (occurring later in time) branch or subgroup of the haplogroup. http://isogg.org/wiki/Y-DNA_project_help.
68 ISOGG: “Y-DNA Project Help.” International Society of Genetic Genealogy. http://isogg.org/wiki/Y- DNA_project_help.
69 ISOGG: “Y-DNA Haplogroup Tree 2017.” International Society of Genetic Genealogy. http://isogg.org/tree/ index.html.
70 FTDNA: “The Methodology Behind the 2014 Y-DNA Haplotree.” https://www.familytreedna.com/learn/y-dna- testing/introducing-2014-y-dna-haplotree/.
71 YFull: “Ytree, version 5.01.” https://www.yfull.com/tree/.
72 Janet Billstein Akaha: Email correspondence with Jeffrey Mark Paull, February 7, 2017.
73 Sergey Malyshev: “R1b Basal Subclades Phylogenetic Trees.” https://www.familytreedna.com/groups/r-1b-basal- subclades/about/results.
74 Wikipedia: “Haplogroup R1.” https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Haplogroup_R1.
75 Wikipedia: “Haplogroup R1b.” https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Haplogroup_R1b.
76 Anthrogenica: “R1b-M343 Backbone SNP Pack FTDNA.” http://www.anthrogenica.com/showthread.php?5027- R1b-M343-Backbone-SNP-Pack-FTDNA.
77 Wim Penninx and Janet Akaha: “The Y-DNA Genetic Route to the Ashkenazi R-V88 Branch of the Twersky Chassidic Dynasty: From the Middle East to Iberia” (Draft). Email correspondence with Jeffrey Mark Paull, November 7, 2016. In evaluating the results of the Y-DNA37 test results for the pedigreed Twersky descendants, the authors reported that: “…these STR markers are typical for the Jewish Ashkenazi R-V88 branch.”
78 Fulvio Cruciani, Beniamino Trombetta, and Daniele Sellitto, et al.: “Human Y chromosome haplogroup R-V88: A Paternal Genetic Record of Early Mid-Holocene Trans-Saharan Connections and the Spread of Chadic Languages.” European Journal of Human Genetics 18 (7): 800–807, January, 2010.
79 Ibid.
80 JewishDNA.net: “Jewish Y-DNA Branch AB-069.” http://jewishdna.net/AB-069.html.
81 Ibid.
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82 Janet Akaha is administrator of the FTDNA Project R-FGC20980 – Jewish. https://www.familytreedna.com/groups/ r-fgc20980-ashkenazi-cluste/about. Rabbi Neal Twersky’s Y-DNA tested positive for three SNPs which are downstream of the R-V88 SNP marker (PF6289, FGC20973, and FGC20149), and which are included in Janet’s project. The FGC20980 SNP was not tested for because the FTDNA laboratory did not have suitable primers for it.
83 Wim Penninx and Janet Akaha: “The Y-DNA Genetic Route to the Ashkenazi R-V88 Branch of the Twersky Chassidic Dynasty.” Op. cit.
84 Ibid.
85 Michael R. Maglio: “Biographical Evidence for the Iberian Origins of R1b-L278 via Haplotype Aggregation.” OriginsDNA, 2014. https://www.academia.edu/7946689/Biogeographical_Evidence_for_the_Iberian_Origins_of_ R1b-L278_via_Haplotype_Aggregation.
86 Michael R. Maglio: “Y Chromosome Haplogroup R1b-V88: Biogeographical Evidence for an Iberian Origin.” OriginsDNA, 2014. http://originsdna.com/content/MRM-R1bV88.pdf.
87 Ibid.
88 Not all genealogists agree with Maglio’s conclusions regarding the Iberian origin of the R1b-V88 haplogroup. Per Wim Penninx: “…I also think that Maglio is incorrect in that. It is based on one detection, which is insufficient to conclude this. It is also not in line with most common pre-historic migrations.” Wim Penninx: “Email correspondence with Jeffrey Mark Paull,” February 15, 2017.
89 Per information provided by Wim Penninx, the STR markers of Mr. Zamora are presented in the “Zamora Y-DNA Project: Y-DNA Results.” http://www.worldfamilies.net/surnames/zamora/results.
90 The Internet Surname Database: “Last name: “Zamora.” http://www.surnamedb.com/Surname/Zamora.
91 Jeffrey Malka: “Consolidated Index of Sephardic Surnames.” http://www.sephardicgen.com/databases/ indexSrchFrm.html.
92 Mathilde Tagger: “The Jewish Surnames in Medieval Spain that Survived in the Sephardic Diaspora.” http://www.sephardicgen.com/databases/MedievalSurnames.html.
93 Mathilde Tagger: “Jewish Surnames in Articles Published in the Bi-Annual Periodical Sefarad, 1941-2007.” http://www.sephardicgen.com/databases/sefaradSrchFrm.html.
94 Marion Fishel: “Did Cervantes’s Family Have Jewish Roots?” Jerusalem Post, July 11, 2013. http://www.jpost.com/Jewish-World/Jewish-News/Did-Cervantess-family-have-Jewish-roots-319468.
95 The authors refer to all Iberian Jews as Sephardic, and we use the two terms interchangeably, although some genetic genealogists draw a distinction between the two. According to Wim Penninx, for instance: “I tend to use Sephardic if a person took with him a Sephardic culture. Many of the individuals that left Iberia early and strongly immediately adjusted to the culture in the Ashkenazi countries, I prefer not to call them Sephardic, but Iberian.” Wim Penninx: “Email correspondence with Jeffrey Mark Paull,” February 15, 2017.
96 Wikipedia: “History of the Jews in Europe.” https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_the_Jews_in_Europe.
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97 Neil Rosenstein: Email correspondence with Jeffrey Mark Paull, June 5, 2015. Per Dr. Rosenstein: “It has been well-known that a number of major rabbinical families have a long-standing tradition that they descend from pre- Inquisition Spain and Portugal. This is also borne out by scholars such as Rabbi Beryl Wein and Sir Martin Gilbert.”
98 Meir Wunder: “Elef Margaliot.” Op cit, p. 47-48. This source presents the family tree of Rabbi Aharon ben Yosef ha-Levi, the progenitor of the Epstein family, and his brother, Rabbi Pinchas ben Yosef ha-Levi, the progenitor of the Horowitz family. These brothers are the direct male descendants of Rabbi Zerahyah ben Yitzhak ha-Levi Gerondi (1125-1186).
99 Baruch ha-Levi Epstein: “Makor Baruch.” Ram Publishing, Vilna, Lithuania, 1928, pp. 3; 54-55. The author states that he is a descendant of the Sephardic family known as Benveneshti, and that he is also a descendant of the author of “Ha-Maor” (Zerahyah ben Yitzhak ha-Levi Gerondi). He also mentions the change of the family’s surname from Benveneshti to Epstein, when they emigrated from Spain to Germany.
100 Wim Penninx: “Katzenellenbogen Y-DNA Study.” Email correspondence with Jeffrey Mark Paull, February 21, 2016. In a dissenting view, Wim Penninx sees no strong argument for the Iberian ethnic origin of the Epstein line. He points out that the Epstein surname is present in many Y-DNA branches, and that the name was given without reference to a single paternal line.
101 Jeffrey Mark Paull, Neil Rosenstein, and Jeffrey Briskman: “The Y-DNA Genetic Signature and Ethnic Origin of the Katzenellenbogen Rabbinical Lineage.” Op. cit.
102 See endnote #55 above.
103 Ibid.
104 Jeffrey Mark Paull and Jeffrey Briskman: “Identifying the Genetic Fingerprint of a Tzaddik that Touched the World: The Shpoler Zeida.” Op. cit.
105 Mike Walsh: “Y STRs vs SNPs (was Question re Y-DNA and markers).” Rootsweb, an Ancestry.com community. http://archiver.rootsweb.ancestry.com/th/read/GENEALOGY-DNA/2016-06/1467204170.
106 Janet Billstein Akaha: Email correspondence with Jeffrey Mark Paull, February 12, 2017. Regarding SNPs that distinguish the Twersky pedigreed descendants from others in her FGC20980 project, she observed: “I can see four places where Twersky has clearly distinguishing STRs; DS385a = 13 and DYS385b = 28 are distinguishing markers for the entire 2nd group; CDYb = 36 or 37, and DYS447 = 28 appear to only have been observed in Twersky.”
107 Jeffrey Mark Paull, Neil Rosenstein, and Jeffrey Briskman: “The Y-DNA Genetic Signature and Ethnic Origin of the Katzenellenbogen Rabbinical Lineage.” Op. cit.
108 Grand Rabbi Menachem Nachum Twersky, the founder of the Twersky Chassidic dynasty, and most recent common ancestor of the eight pedigreed Twersky paternal descendants, was born 287 years ago, in 1730.
109 Jeffrey Mark Paull: “Connecting to the Great Rabbinic Families through Y-DNA: A Case Study of the Polonsky Rabbinical Lineage.” Op. cit.
110 Jeffrey Mark Paull and Jeffrey Briskman: “Connecting to the Great Rabbinic Families through Y-DNA: The Savran- Bendery Chassidic Dynasty.” Op. cit.
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111 Jeffrey Mark Paull, Neil Rosenstein, and Jeffrey Briskman: “The Y-DNA Genetic Signature and Ethnic Origin of the Katzenellenbogen Rabbinical Lineage.” Op. cit.
112 Jeffrey Mark Paull and Jeffrey Briskman: “Identifying the Genetic Fingerprint of a Tzaddik that Touched the World: The Shpoler Zeida.” Op. cit.
113 Michael R. Maglio: “Y Chromosome Haplogroup R1b-V88: Biogeographical Evidence for an Iberian Origin.” Op. cit.
114 T Willems, M Gymrek, GD Poznik, C Tyler-Smith, and Y Erlich et al.: “Population-Scale Sequencing Data Enable Precise Estimates of Y-STR Mutation Rates.” American Journal of Human Genetics 98(5); 919-933, May 5, 2016.
115 G David Poznik, Yali Xue, Fernando L Mendez, and Thomas F Willems et al.: “Punctuated Bursts in Human Male Demography Inferred from 1,244 Worldwide Y-chromosome Sequences.” Nature Genetics 48: 593-599, April 25, 2016.
116 Jeffrey Mark Paull, Neil Rosenstein, and Jeffrey Briskman: “The Y-DNA Genetic Signature and Ethnic Origin of the Katzenellenbogen Rabbinical Lineage.” Op. cit.
117 Rachel Unkefer, JB Royal, and Wim Penninx: “Y-DNA Evidence for an Ashkenazi Lineage’s Iberian Origin.” AVOTAYNU: The International Review of Jewish Genealogy, Vol. XXXII, No. 1, Spring 2016.
118 Herbert Huebscher and Elise Friedman: “DNA and Jewish Genealogy Join Forces.” AVOTAYNU: The International Review of Jewish Genealogy, Vol. XXIII, No. 2, Summer 2007.
119 Jeffrey Mark Paull: “Connecting to the Great Rabbinic Families through Y-DNA: A Case Study of the Polonsky Rabbinical Lineage.” Op. cit.
120 Rachel Unkefer: “From Kansas to the Rhine: A DNA Journey through Europe’s Rabbinic Capitals.” Op. cit.
121 Jeffrey Mark Paull and Jeffrey Briskman: “Y-DNA Genetic Signature of the Savran-Bendery Chassidic Dynasty.” Op. cit.
122 Jeffrey Mark Paull and Jeffrey Briskman: “Connecting to the Wertheim-Giterman Rabbinical Lineage through Y- DNA.” Op. cit.
123 Jeffrey Mark Paull, Neil Rosenstein, and Jeffrey Briskman: “The Y-DNA Genetic Signature and Ethnic Origin of the Katzenellenbogen Rabbinical Lineage.” Op. cit.
124 Jeffrey Mark Paull and Jeffrey Briskman: “Identifying the Genetic Fingerprint of a Tzaddik that Touched the World: The Shpoler Zeida.” Op. cit.
125 Rachel Unkefer: “From Kansas to the Rhine: A DNA Journey through Europe’s Rabbinic Capitals.” AVOTAYNU: The International Review of Jewish Genealogy, Vol. XXIX, No. 4, Winter 2013.
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Dr. Jeffrey Mark Paull was born and raised in Pittsburgh, PA. He earned his BS in Chemistry and Master of Science in Industrial Hygiene from the University of Pittsburgh, and his MPH and Doctorate of Public Health from the Johns Hopkins University Bloomberg School of Public Health. Dr. Paull’s career as an environmental toxicologist and scientific expert in the field of occupational and environmental health spans over thirty years (1976–2008).
Since that time, Dr. Paull has devoted himself to his passion for Jewish genealogical research and writing. His first book, entitled: A Noble Heritage: The History and Legacy of the Polonsky and Paull Family in America, traces his family’s ancestry over a millennium of history, and discovers their lost rabbinical heritage dating back to Rashi (1040–1105). His book was recently featured on the PBS website, “Finding your Roots, with Henry Louis Gates, Jr.”
Dr. Paull is very active in the field of genetic genealogy, and has published numerous pioneering autosomal and Y-DNA studies in which he has identified the unique genetic signature of some of Eastern Europe’s most renowned rabbinical lineages, including the Polonsky rabbinical lineage, the Wertheim-Giterman (Savran-Bendery) Chassidic dynasty, the Katzenellenbogen rabbinical lineage, the Shpoler Zeida’s lineage, and with this study, the Twersky Chassidic dynasty. Research studies to identify the Y-DNA genetic signature of the Baal Shem Tov, Rabbi Levi Yitzhak of Berdichev, and the Rappaport-Cohen and Shapiro rabbinical lineages are currently underway.
Jeff descends from the Twersky Chassidic Dynasty through the marriage of his 4th-great-grandfather, Rabbi Eliyahu Pinchas Polonsky, to Sima Wertheim, the daughter of Rabbi Aryeh Leib Wertheim of Bendery. Sima Wertheim’s mother, Leah Wertheim, was the granddaughter of Grand Rabbi Menachem Nachum Twersky of Chernobyl.
Jeff’s many genealogy-related book chapters, research articles, and publications have surpassed 19,000 views, placing him in the top one percent of all researchers on Academia.edu: https://independent.academia.edu/JeffreyMarkPaull. Jeff is a highly sought-after speaker, and he has presented talks on his pioneering Jewish genealogical research studies to many Jewish temples, genealogical societies, and International Jewish genealogy conferences across the world. ______
Dr. Jeffrey Briskman was born and raised in Kursk, Russia. He attended Kursk State Technical University, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev in Beersheba, Israel, and Rutgers University, in New Brunswick, NJ, from which he holds a Doctorate in Pharmacy. Dr. Briskman is fluent in Russian and Hebrew, has obtained and translated hundreds of Russian census documents and vital records, and has contributed to numerous independent and JewishGen genealogical research projects. In addition to his collaboration with Dr. Paull on many pioneering genetic genealogy research studies, he is co- authoring their forthcoming book: God on Trial: The Life, Legends, and Descendants of the Shpoler Zeida.
Yitzchak Meyer Twersky was born and raised in the Bronx, NY. He received his BA from Yeshiva University. Yitz worked in Banking Technology on Wall Street for twenty years, and for the past seven years, he has worked in the Healthcare Technology Industry.
Yitz is a son-after-son descendant of Grand Rabbi Menachem Nachum Twersky of Chernobyl, through Menachem Nachum’s grandson, Grand Rabbi Aharon Twersky, who founded the Chernobyl branch of the Twersky Chassidic dynasty. Yitzchak’s personal odyssey of research into his ancestral lineage dates to 1986, when he began researching the family’s ancestry. Since that time, Yitz has authored several books on the Twersky Chassidic dynasty, including Mi Yareinu Tov, Grand Rabbis of the Chernobyl Dynasty, and Harav Yaakov Yosef Twersky, a Life in Pictures.
Yitz has been featured in dozens of newspaper articles, television news programs, and feature video and radio documentaries on the Twersky Chassidic dynasty, and has consulted and contributed to over thirty scholarly books, biographies, articles, and genealogical publications in the United States and Israel. Recently, he was featured in a 2016 video documentary on Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty called: Chernobyl’s Lasting Jewish Legacy, which was viewed in twenty-three countries and translated into five languages.
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