Sephardim

[Villicus]

Does anybody have a break down of haplogroups for Sephardic Jews? How are they represented in the FTDNA database as compared with the Ashkenazi?

[josh w.]

Yes, such information would be helpful. Published research suggests that Ashkenazi and Sephardic Jews have similar levels of J1, J2 and E3b. There is some suggestion that Sephardic Jews have more R1b and Ashkenazim have more R1a. For example Ashkenazim Levites have more R1a than Sephardic Levites. For similar reasons I would expect Sephardim to have less Haplogroup I.

[josh w.]

Correction--- Some research (Nebel et.al. ) suggests that Ashkenazi have higher levels of J than Sephardim

[Villicus]

I'm especially curious about the R1b types for the Sephardim. Doesn't seem to be that much info out there.

[efgen]

Villicus - Are you R1b and Jewish? If so, there's a project you should join, if you haven't already:

http://www.ftdna.com/public/JewishR1b

[Villicus]

I don't quite fit the criteria for joining. Not yet anyway. All I have is family 'legends' that allude to Jewish heritage. I have an awful lot of Sephardic names in my family tree though. Joseph Toledano is the most obvious name, but there are others.

[Victor]

Does anybody have a break down of haplogroups for Sephardic Jews? How are they represented in the FTDNA database as compared with the Ashkenazi?

Have you read Ellen Levy-Coffman's article?

http://www.jogg.info/11/coffman.htm

It has some references that might interest you.

[Villicus]

Thanks Victor, I'll read it today.

[josh w.]

Came across a reference to Hirschman & Yates, "When Scotland Was Jewish" .They apparently claim that western Sephardic Ydna was more R1b than J or E3b.

[Stevo]

Have you read Ellen Levy-Coffman's article?

http://www.jogg.info/11/coffman.htm

It has some references that might interest you.

Thanks for that article, Victor.

This passage was interesting to me, since I am R1b and have a couple of Ashkenazi near-hits.

According to the findings of Behar (2004b, Supplementary Material), R1b comprises 44 out of 442 results, or nearly 10% of Ashkenazi results.

I don't recall that I have any near-hits among Sephardim.

My Ashkenazi near-hits (don't recall the distances right offhand) were in Northern Europe; one was in Denmark; I'm not sure where the other one was without checking again.

[Villicus]

I don't recall that I have any near-hits among Sephardim.

I don't think that Sephardic Jews are well represented in the FTDNA database.
Does anybody know how many there are?

[josh w.]

Interesting question. I am Ashkenazi but my Ydna haplogroup is J2 which is common among Sephardim. I have many Ashkenazi matches but none are from Sephardim. The same is true of my mtdna J1 pattern. Others in addition to Stevo have reported the same pattern. I am probably wrong but I am beginning to wonder if Ftdna lists Sephardic matches.

There may be many reasons for a low number of Sephardic participants. Unlike Israel where there is close to an even split, the majority of American Jews are Ashkenazi.(In the early days of the U.S. the pattern was reversed) It might also be more difficult to trace Sephardic ancestry due to forced conversion in Iberia and a centuries long period for Anglicization (or Anglosaxonization) of surnames to occur.

[LeoLoS]

I am probably wrong but I am beginning to wonder if Ftdna lists Sephardic matches.

In the thread "Jewish Ancestry--Am I a Cohen?" there is one posted RAO that includes some Sephardi matches.

http://www.familytreedna.com/forum/showthread.php?t=1762&page=1

[Villicus]

I guess there will be more one day. I wish there was more representation from Sephardim now. It sure makes a big difference in how paper trail research is conducted.

[dentate]

Josh et al:

I am Ashkenazi by paper trail to 1778 and likely beyond that. But I have at least two Sephardic matches (out of 41) at 12/12, and a few others at lower levels. Greenspan at one point seemed to indicate this was unusual, but others corresponding with me have also turned up Sephardic connections.

I have a 32/33 match from Brazil on the SMGF database about I can learn nothing but the surname--Prado--as well as others named Avner and Biller, apparently Jewish, and one named Riggio--maybe Italian.

I think it is likely that under-representation of Sephardim and overrepresenation of Ashkenazim is part of the explanation. I also suspect that there was more Sephardic migration into Eastern Europe following the Expulsion than is generally appreciated. Greenspan apparently expects a large Sephardic database to appear this fall (promises, promises!) and that after Doron Behar has published this, it will become incorporated into FTDNA.