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Crowd Sourced Genealogy and Direct-To-Consumer DNA Testing: Implications for the Jewish People* by Noah Slepkov

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Crowd Sourced Genealogy and Direct-To-Consumer DNA Testing: Implications for the Jewish People* by Noah Slepkov Crowd Sourced Genealogy and Direct-to-Consumer DNA Testing: Implications for the Jewish People* By Noah Slepkov Introduction According to Bennett Greenspan, President and CEO of Family Tree DNA, a leading company Interest in genealogical mapping has dramatically in the field, some people even convert to increased in recent years. New online tools are Judaism after discovering the possibility of available for individuals to research their family Jewish ancestry in their DNA.3 By 2005 the history and collaborate with distant relatives New York Times observed that due to DNA to build family trees. Concurrently, advances in tests, “embraces of Judaism are growing more genetic research and computing technology have common in parts of the (American) Southwest” enabled direct-to-consumer (DTC) genealogical among Hispanics who believe they are mapping through DNA analysis at affordable descendants of Marranos.4 prices. Furthermore, Jewish genealogy, especially The possible existence of Jewish ancestry is Ashkenazi genealogy, has been and continues to among the many discoveries sometimes made by be the focus of many scientific studies aimed at individuals taking advantage of these advances in determining the history and genealogical origins genealogical mapping. Companies that provide of Ashkenazi Jewry. DTC DNA testing even boast that their product Few non-scientists can grasp the biology, can “infer whether or not and to what degree algorithmic calculations, and probabilistic nature you may have Jewish ancestry”1 or “discover your at the foundation of published genetic studies and Jewish ancestry.”2 consumer DNA tests. Still, as they gain widespread DNA test results have led many consumers into public attention, DTC DNA testing has the exploring their newly discovered Jewish roots. potential to inform one’s sense of identity, despite Such developments offer exciting opportunities the controversial questions loaded with political for connecting, engaging, and strengthening the implications that may arise. bonds of the Jewish people. * Special thanks to Deborah A. Bolnick Ph.D, Dept. of Anthropology, University of Texas at Austin, for serving as scientific advisor on this chapter. THE JEWISH PEOPLE POLICY INSTITUTE 1 The goal of this paper is to introduce readers to the generated by DTC DNA tests; and the implications tools available online for conventional genealogical that these advances have on the Jewish people, research, the advances in genetic research, the types both on the individual and collective level. of results generated from DTC DNA tests, and the The State of Genealogical Research and Genetic implications that these tools and developments Sciences could have on the Jewish people, such as: Over the last decade there has been significant • Could these new tools affect connectedness growth in the commercialization of genealogical of the Jewish people? mapping. Dozens of new businesses now exist • Could awareness among Jews that they are that enable consumers to trace their family history “distant cousins,” based on science, create or online by searching official documents, such as reinforce group solidarity? immigration and military records, birth and death • How should individuals who believe they have certificates, and census data. These companies discovered Jewish roots harness the power of virtual social networks and be treated by the Jewish crowd sourcing to connect individuals with close Individuals community? and distant relatives to collaborate on building should not be interconnected family trees with embedded surprised if • How do these historical data. Myheritage.com, an Israeli start- someone has developments influence up and one of the leading genealogical websites, already included the way Jewish identity is has over 75 million registered members using their them or some conceived? website, with 1.5 billion people included in over of their relatives • Could these tools 27 million family trees hosted on their site.5 in an existing be used to strengthen an Users build their family trees with information family tree individual’s Jewish identity known about their relatives and ancestors and or lead to new forms the website then automatically finds matching of Jewish community historical records, providing further information involvement? and embedding evidence into a family tree. The • How can the Jewish people prevent DNA tests website finds matches between family trees, from becoming a device of alienation? providing individuals the ability to effortlessly build their family tree with existing trees. The This paper is divided into five sections: a review more relatives an individual enters into his or of the advances and applications of genealogy her family tree, the higher the probability that research and genetic sciences; how these advances he or she will match with existing trees. Users are affecting various non-Jewish population should not be surprised to start a family tree on groups; the tools available online for genealogical a genealogical website and find that someone has research; a specific example of the types of results 2 THE JEWISH PEOPLE POLICY INSTITUTE already included them or some of their relatives in ancestors who were first generation immigrants. an existing tree.6 The changing of family names to fit into a new Although there are several websites and country and the disconnection from siblings and applications that create family trees, there is a cousins in the home country (before the advent standard file type for saving the genealogical of modern communications), were historically data that comprises a family tree known as common place for first generation immigrants GEDCOM (Genealogical Data Communication).7 and it poses a challenge for their biological This standardization enables the sharing and descendants researching their family as it existed distribution of digital family trees without in the old world. issues of non-compatibility. In practice, this has However, over the last decade, advances in genetic contributed to the spreading of digital family trees research and computing technology have been across various platforms, websites, and companies. closing the gap of what individuals know about As more and more individuals input their family their family history and trees on genealogical and ancestry websites, it relatives. Since 1990, Decreased cost becomes increasingly possible to weave all the when the international has enabled trees together in order to create a mega tree with scientific community,DNA sequencing each family tree serving as a building block or with funding from the U.S. to become corner stone of a larger tree. Department of Energy’s accessible Office of Health and beyond The ability of making a family tree, however, has Environmental Research, mega-funded been limited by the amount of existing knowledge began a 15-year project to laboratories a family possesses about itself. Families that have map the human genome, remained in one geographic location for several every year the power generations, and have maintained the same and speed at which computers are able to culture and spoken the same language, are far sequence the constituent DNA increases as the more likely to have a deeper knowledge about cost decreases.8 In 2002 the cost of sequencing their family history than those that have migrated one million base of DNA (the human genome across continents, as was typical of Jewish families contains 3 billion base pairs) was around $5000, during the past century. today the cost is around $0.06.9 This dramatic Even with the sharing of family trees as described decrease in cost has enabled DNA sequencing above, without knowing the names of specific to become accessible beyond mega-funded family members or whether, for example, a laboratories. great grandfather had any siblings, it is almost Although the main impetus and funding impossible to find evidence of their existence. justification for DNA research was for medical This is especially the case when researching purposes, new areas of scientific research are THE JEWISH PEOPLE POLICY INSTITUTE 3 being explored utilizing DNA sequencing. One Consumers are able to find near and distant area of research that benefited tremendously relatives through DNA matching, expanding from these developments is molecular their family tree and ancestral knowledge in anthropology, which uses DNA analysis to ways unimaginable only 25 years ago. As a result study evolution, human migration patterns, of these products, individuals and families are and genealogical relationships between human learning more about their ancestors and origins. populations. By collecting and analyzing the Genealogical DNA analysis is especially useful for portion of DNA that is inherited from only individuals who have only a limited knowledge of one parent, scientists have been able to classify their family history or are interested in their deep maternal and paternal linages into haplogroups. historical roots. Haplogroups are often described as ancient It needs to be understood that it is not the case clans or tribes that may that a DNA test analyzes a genome (the totality of have lived within close DNA found in one cell) or genes (the functional As in the game geographical proximity sections of DNA) and then determines if that DNA of telephone, at one point in history. is Jewish or not. There is no specific gene or genetic as the DNA It is more accurate, marker that that is proof positive that one is sequence is however, to think of Jewish. Genealogical DNA tests compare the DNA passed from haplogroups as groups of an individual with an existing database in order generation to of people who share one to find matching or very similar DNA sequences generation, it common direct maternal and then determine genealogical relationships. gets changed or paternal ancestor who slightly lived sometime in the A DNA test can be explained through an last tens of thousands of analogy of the game of telephone. In the years. game of telephone, an individual starts with a phrase and privately passes it on The many academic and medical studies to one person, who in turn passes on to published utilizing DNA analysis for health, another.
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