Why are Eastern European Jews White?

saw50st8

Mon, Jun 14 2010, 1:13 pm

A (non-Jewish) friend of mine asked me this:

Why are Eastern European Jews Caucasian? Skin tone - especially in a genetically pure race doesn't change significantly in such a short time. Environmental effects on skin, hair and other features would take thousands of years to affect a race genetically - through adaptation.

I realize caucasian is sort of a misnomer, but I would like to give her a good answer.

Chayalle

Mon, Jun 14 2010, 1:15 pm

good question...but I believe even when Jews all lived in E"Y before the destruction of the Bais HaMikdash, there were appearance differences among the various Shevatim.

Tamiri

Mon, Jun 14 2010, 1:16 pm

I've been told Ethiopian Jews are also Caucasian, did you know that? What are Arabs? Caucasian? Anyway, back in the dark ages there was massive conversion to Judaism. I am thinking Kuzari and I don't know why. That would explain a lot. Like my blue eyed white haired son.

Ruchel

Mon, Jun 14 2010, 1:16 pm

Thousands of years plus conversions.
But honestly... it's also Western European, Souther European, Northern European Jews... too

And Chinese Jews look Chinese. And Indian Jews (those who are really Indian, not the Sefardim there) look Indian. And and and.

bubby

Mon, Jun 14 2010, 1:17 pm

Is there an answer? I suppose it would be because G-d made it so. Some questions are too hard for my little brain: this is one of them. Tell us if you come up with something intelligent that works. It's a tough question!

saw50st8

Mon, Jun 14 2010, 1:32 pm

entropy wrote:

Rape

would that account for such a large percentage of white Jews though?

elf123

Mon, Jun 14 2010, 1:34 pm

entropy wrote:

Rape

Is this based on any factual knowledge?

Mirabelle

Mon, Jun 14 2010, 1:36 pm

I think people often times took local wives as they spread throughout the world.

My husband and I are both "pure" as far back as well can go (so several hundred years) and I just popped out a blond hair, blue eyed kid.

saw50st8

Mon, Jun 14 2010, 1:37 pm

http://www.white-history.com/r......html

Anyone know if this is a reputable site at all?

Raisin

Mon, Jun 14 2010, 1:38 pm

my ashkenazi son looks like he's from the middle east. He certainly doesn't look german or polish.

no one has ever claimed the jews are geneticaly pure. there was certainly some conversion, some intermarriage (whether by rape or whatever).

And its not like all jews are blond and blue eyed. Maybe 1% are. look at your kids school pics, if they go to a predominantly ashkenazi school, and count the blonds.

entropy

Mon, Jun 14 2010, 1:42 pm

saw50st8 wrote:

http://www.white-history.com/refuting_rm/2.html

Anyone know if this is a reputable site at all?

Inasmuch as the KKK is..

egam

Mon, Jun 14 2010, 1:43 pm

elf123 wrote:

entropy wrote:

Rape

Is this based on any factual knowledge?

It's based on history of pogroms.

saw50st8

Mon, Jun 14 2010, 1:43 pm

entropy wrote:

saw50st8 wrote:

http://www.white-history.com/refuting_rm/2.html

Anyone know if this is a reputable site at all?

Inasmuch as the KKK is..

LOL. I didn't look around, but I recognized the basic study they quoted. Something sounded fishy though :-)

Tamiri

Mon, Jun 14 2010, 1:44 pm

BTW, there are plenty of swarthy Eastern European (think Litvak) Jews. I guess they must be thoroughbreds and the rest of us inbreds or something.

ora_43

Mon, Jun 14 2010, 1:47 pm

Also, there were times in history when white-looking Jews were most likely to survive. Think how many people were saved during the Holocaust because they could pass for locals.

Ruchel

Mon, Jun 14 2010, 1:47 pm

There is also that
http://www.springerlink.com/co.....8740/
This is about Ottoman empire but a few centuries before it was everywhere

Chloe

Mon, Jun 14 2010, 1:48 pm

Raisin wrote:

my ashkenazi son looks like he's from the middle east. He certainly doesn't look german or polish.

And its not like all jews are blond and blue eyed. Maybe 1% are. look at your kids school pics, if they go to a predominantly ashkenazi school, and count the blonds.

It's more than 1% according to the girls in my kids class, according to my neighbors and certainly according to my family. I'd say at least 40% have blue or green eyes and 30% have light color hair.

solo

Mon, Jun 14 2010, 1:49 pm

ive heard such comments and questions b4 and it always makes me wonder
who decided jews were originally olive skinned or dark haired?
for some reason I seem to remember that sara imenu was noticed and taken by paroh beacuse her looks were different from the dark skinned people of his kingdom.

is there any hiostoric description of what the avot or shevatim looked like?
ant proof that they werent fair skinned and blue eyed?