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Beginners => Family History Beginners Board => Topic started by: Hattierose on Monday 21 December 20 15:35 GMT (UK)
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Hello there,
I am trying to find out more information about my grandfathers birth father and I think there could be some important information to be found in Jewish records with that area.
We know that his birth father was 100% European Jewish (Ashkenazi). He was born in 1935 and adopted a few months later. His mother was Anglo Irish (not Jewish at all). The fathers name is not on the birth certificate.
The strange thing is that my grandfather was circumcised. Why would he be circumcised unless his father was involved in the early stages of his life? Surely his Anglo Irish would not have needed or even been able to get him officially circumcised on her own?
If so, surely there must be some records of this procedure and some connections to be made within the local Jewish community?
After researching synagogues in Nottingham at the time, I think the synagogue that his father most likely could have had connections with would have been the Chaucer Street synagogue.
Interestingly, the address that my grandads mother was listed as a domestic servant at was Southwell House, new stead grove - a stones throw from the Chaucer street synagogue!
So far no luck with other online searches or Jewish genealogy sites.
Any assistance would be greatly appreciated.
Many thanks
Hattie
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Perhaps contact the synagogue :-\
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The synagogue no longer exists I don't think
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It might have moved -
https://jscn.org.uk/small-communities/nottingham-hebrew-congregation/
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Ashkenazi are usually found in Germany, Austria, eastwards to Russia.
Sephardic Jews came from Spain, Portugal, northern Africa.
I think circumcision was more common among non-Jewish communities in those days than it is now so there might not be any records held by a synagogue.
Has the Ashkenazi link been confirmed by DNA? Have you thought about trying to find a connection by using the results?
My DNA test showed 6% Ashkenazi, which confirms the connection to my gt.grandfather, but he changed his name and never married gt.grandma......still trying to find out just who he was!
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Yes the dna comes up as being Ashkenazi. My grandad is exactly 50%.
We have done extensive research on ancestry and other sites and have found dna matches but can't quite pinpoint the birth father. He has also found a half sister who shares the same father!
I do think the circumcision points to his Jewish roots. Perhaps its coincidence and it wasn't done for faith reasons however I do think there is a connection. He always had a suspicion he might have been Jewish because of this and then the dna proved it. Though whether we'll find any records is a different story...
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Have you thought about contacting www.jewishgen.org to ask if a synagogue would arrange for a baby to be circumcised if his mother was unmarried and not Jewish?
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Just putting it out there that I don't think circumcision was that uncommon during that time in the Anglo world either. Perhaps it was even the done thing?!?!
bitzar.
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That's what I thought (reply 4).
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Perhaps!
Does anyone know whether this would have been recorded either way? Who would carry out circumcisions if they were done outside the Jewish faith?
It does seem coincidental that he was circumcised as a young baby and later found out he was Jewish, however you're right it could be just coincidental.
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Possibly the local hospital would have carried out the procedure and there should have been a record but not sure hold long records would have been kept.