Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP Posting-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83 based; site homxb.UUCP Path: utzoo!watmath!clyde!bonnie!akgua!whuxlm!whuxl!houxm!homxb!hrs From: hrs@homxb.UUCP (H.SILBIGER) Newsgroups: net.religion.jewish Subject: Re: Re: Questions about conversion to Judaism Message-ID: <511@homxb.UUCP> Date: Sat, 16-Feb-85 14:27:19 EST Article-I.D.: homxb.511 Posted: Sat Feb 16 14:27:19 1985 Date-Received: Mon, 18-Feb-85 04:49:47 EST References: <16@unc.UUCP> <286@mhuxi.UUCP> <6375@rochester.UUCP>, <1156@aecom.UUCP> Organization: AT&T Bell Labs, Holmdel NJ Lines: 28 The question of yichus brief, orfamily trees having been brought up, I would like to contribute the following. During the german occupation certain rules were declared to determine whether someone was Jewish. Being Jewish made one eligible for preferential treatment such as trips to Auschwitz or other lesser pleasures. Since many Jews were not that keen on travel they researched their family tree, since if you could show you had non-jewish ancestors, an exemption could be claimed. Of course, proof had to be furnished, which was a great deal more difficult than finding ancestorswho were apparently not Jewish. Incidentally, being married to anon-Jew was also helpful. Another remark I would like to make on the topic of Jewish ancestry is: How does one account for the great variety of ethnic characteristics that are exhibited among Jews. Eastern european Jews tend to look Polish or Russian, Roumanian Jews look Roumanian, Spanish Jews look Spanish, Moroccan, Indian etc. etc. Since according to the record very little proselytizing or conversion was done, is this all the result of rapes of Jewish women? It seems clear to me that our claims to being Jewish cannot be supported by the idea that we have no ancestors whose Jewishness is beyond question by some of the previous contributors to this discussion. Herman Silbiger