House Speaker Paul Ryan Uncovers Jewish Roots on PBS Show

[appalachiablue]

By BETH HARRIS - Associated Press - Tuesday, July 31, 2018

BEVERLY HILLS, Calif. (AP) - House Speaker Paul Ryan was surprised and proud to find out he has Jewish roots.

The Wisconsin Republican discovered his family history while filming a segment for the upcoming season of the PBS series “Finding Your Roots With Henry Louis Gates Jr.” Gates said Tuesday at a TV critics meeting that he traced Ryan’s heritage back to his 10th great-grandfather born in 1531 in Germany. The research showed Ryan is 3 percent Ashkenazi Jewish.

“You could have knocked him over with a feather and then he was very proud of it,” Gates said of Ryan’s reaction. “We don’t know who that Jewish person was, but we know it was on his mother’s German line, which makes sense. So somebody who was a Christian German slept with a Jewish German person and that’s where that came from.”

Also featured on the show’s fifth season debuting in January is Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Florida, and Rep. Tulsi Gabbard, D-Hawaii. https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2018/jul/31/house-speaker-paul-ryan-uncovers-jewish-roots-on-p/?utm_source=RSS_Feed&utm_medium=RSS

~ The information found through genealogical research is interesting.

[regnaD kciN]

1. I never knew Ryan was a Globalist...!

[braddy]

2. They use the description of the man being a Christian, I wonder how they know that, one is not born

a Christian or born into Christianity.

[yonder]

3. Burial records maybe? dunno

Cemeteries were often segregated.

[JI7]

4. most people are "born into" their religion

of course they can change or leave it if they want but most don't.

[braddy]

6. A Christian isn't, a Christian believes in Christ, it doesn't matter what your parents believe.

[Midnight Writer]

5. So...If it's AOK to call Elizabeth Warren "Pocahontas", I reckon it's OK to call Paul Ryan *********

[Behind the Aegis]

7. Well what do you know.

I guess now he can spew anti-Semitic filth and say, "But I have Jewish ancestry." Seems to be a popular "defense" by anti-Semites!

[GeoWilliam750]

10. Although it is altogether too easy to find innumerable faults with Paul Ryan,

He has long been a stalwart supporter of Israel, and anti-semitism is one fault that he does not seem to possess

Link to tweet

?lang=en

https://www.facebook.com/speakerryan/posts/1220969891284868

[Behind the Aegis]

11. You are conflating two different things.

Support of Israel does not exclude one from being anti-Semitic, nor does one's DNA, which was the point you apparently missed.

[GeoWilliam750]

8. The numbers do not add up

A 3% Ashkenazi DNA would be the amount that one would have from a ggg-grandparent. The 10g-grandfather would contribute 0.024% of a person's DNA, less than one one-hundredth of the amount shown.

Two alternatives:

- Somebody's father (or mother for that matter) is not who they thought they were; there are a wide range of potential reasons for this
- Some DNA that is commonly found amongst the Ashkenazi population may also be found in other groups

Nonetheless, it is always interesting to learn about one's ancestors. The stories are absolutely amazing.

[mr_lebowski]

9. They're also, IMHO, largely 'made up' ... esp. when going back 5 centuries ...

I really don't believe people are so 'genetically distinct' that one can accurately say you had a 'Jewish Grandparent' ... 10 generations ago. I don't 'buy it', just like I don't buy that anyone can take your blood and say 'you're 1.23% allergic to gluten' or similar woo.

[no_hypocrisy]

12. If you go back far enough, then everyone's Jewish.

Even Jesus.

[pansypoo53219]

13. very true. i thought my family was WAY more german.

so far i am the most under 50%. BUTBUTBUT everybody came from germany!! except 1 grandmother.

[appalachiablue]

14. This PBS 'Finding Your Roots' episode w Skip Gates, Paul Ryan, Tulsi Gabbard

should be interesting, like all the programs.