My husband and I began to live out Torah about 10 years ago. Last year I sensed that I should find out my heritage so I tried to do a search on Jewish Geneology site. When I put in my grandfather’s name on my Mom’s side, it directed me to ancestry.com where they were listed, it said, in the Jewish registry. I have not been able to get any further with this. I have been told that if they are in the Jewish registry, then we are Jewish. I am trying to get to this Jewish registry to get information about my great-grandparents, etc. to make Aliyah but I am getting nowhere. My Mom was buried 7 years ago this coming January and she had a Jewish star put on her stone. We did not know that we were Jewish but want to get all information. Can you give us some idea about this Jewish registry and where we can go to get information to make Aliyah? My Mom didn’t know either most of her life but began to keep Sabbath, etc. so none of our birth certificates say anything about it. Can you direct me? I have got paperwork into Nefesh B’Nefesh but don’t have the ones that make it clear that we are Jewish. I would appreciate any ideas or help you could give in this area.
Answer:
It is important that you do as much research as you can about you maternal ancestry. You don’t mention where you are from, but different organizations are active in different areas to investigate matters of ancestry and ascertain Jewish roots.
I hope you are able to reach these organizations, and Nefesh Be-Nefesh should be able to direct you to the appropriate organization. If you are at a loss, please write again and we’ll try to find the best place for you to turn to.
Best wishes.
Because we did not know we were Jewish, we swallowed the lie that we need not circumcise our son. It grieves my heart today to know different but he is 33 years old now and must make that decision himself. My question to you is, when he chooses to do so, where would we find a Mohel to do the procedure? Can it be done in a doctor’s office or can his father do it? Will they circumcise men that old today and my husband was circumcised the day of his birth, because he was also not raised Jewish as they didn’t know anything either so does he need to do something as well because it wasn’t according to Torah? Please help us. I want so much to come home and live among my brethren and for us to be an example of upholding the Torah in our lives to others hopefully to encourage them to do the same and thus bring our own people back who are not following Torah themselves and then the nations will see our G-d and hopefully want to be a part of our people and nation and follow our G-d, the G-d of Israel.
I am sorry to hear about the circumstance. Your noble goals are admirable.
It is, as you say, up to your son today, but if he makes the choice there are many mohalim who perform circumcisions on adults, and this is often done in a surgery.
Best of wishes and good luck for the future.
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