how do i know which on i am ?
2007-03-01 16:25:52 · 8 answers · asked by David Z 1 in Travel ➔ Africa & Middle East ➔ Israel
Your identification comes through your father and his father (and so forth), so that all you need to do is to ask your father.
If you or he are converts, then you are Yisrael.
2007-03-04 03:46:28 · answer #1 · answered by Ivri_Anokhi 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Joseph and Yotg...I disagree with you. I am a Cohen, but do not have any of those last names. It is not always the case. Just like all Levim do not have the last name of Levi, Levi, Levin, or Levinson. In fact, i have met a Levi whose last name was Katz. I have all met a Cohen by the last name of Krokowsky. Many Jews adapted last names based on the cities they lived in, professions that they held (i.e. Krokowsky, Moscowitz, Baker, Saltneker, and etc.). Some of them could have been Kohanim or Levim. I have also met a lot of non-Jews who had the last name of Levy or with a last name of Stein.
If you want to find out who you are the best place to look is at your family history. Find religious marriage documents called "Ketubah" in Hebrew. There it should have a name of the person being married that the man Ex: Benyamin ben Yacov ha Cohen/Levi.
If that does not work ask your paternal grandad, your dad or any siblings or cousins that go by the same last name as your dad of who you are.
You can also visit a cemetery. Check to see the tombs of your paternal relatives usually the farther you go back the more traditional or religious your relatives were. There on the tombs you would find writings in Hebrew, Yiddish/Ladino, and English. The Hebrew writing would the person's Hebrew name. Usually if he was a Cohen it would also be accompanied by a sign of two hands clasped together to show a sign of triangle, or hands with fingers spread to the sides. So, it would look like the Spock/Vulcan sign from the original Star Trek series.
Still, if you are unable to find answers ask your rav to help you figure it out. Tell him that you have no idea of who you are and you want his help in tracking it down. He should have more experience in this matter. If you are not Orthodox, then you should go to an Orthodox rav they have more input into the matter. Non-Orthodox Jews do not believe in Cohanim or Levim because tot hem it has no place.
2007-03-02 14:29:58 · answer #2 · answered by MaxNHL 3 · 5⤊ 0⤋
Theoretically, the nowadays Jews are descents of the tribes of Judah, Benjamin and Levi. The tribes of Israel are considered extinct, or to be exact- lost, although there are some tribes in Africa and the Far East (inculidng India) that claim to be the descents of these tribes.
The only way to track your tribal ancestry back to the days of the Diaspora is by your last name, or the former last names that run in your family (few if any can track their ancestry this long by Ketubah).
The Levites have some unique names: Levi, Levin (Russian form), Levinski (Polish form), Lewin/ Lewis/ Levinthal/ Loewy (German forms), HaLevi, Segal, Zamel…
The Cohens are part of the tribe of Levi. Their common names are: Cohen, HaCohen, Kagan, Kahana, Kognzon, Shapira, Shapiro, Mazaah, Katz, Azulai, Avrish, Almajarbi, Tannoudji, Yehonathan, Malmad, Banai, Khabibi…
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Y-chromosomal_Aaron
Good luck!
2007-03-02 11:33:17 · answer #3 · answered by yotg 6 · 4⤊ 0⤋
In classical Judaism, religion was passed down maternally, and tribal affiliation was passed down paternally. The simple answer is you are what your father is (if your father isn't Jewish then you are a yisrael or israel). The only way to know for sure is to trace your paternal line. Unfortunately, there isn't any other way. You can have yourself genetically tested for the supposed "Cohanite gene", but religious Judaism and most geneologists do not believe this is a reliable test. If you can't find out, then there's not much to do but assume you are Israel as it is the most common group.
2007-03-03 13:28:56 · answer #4 · answered by Michael J 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Lots of things you can do.Ask family members.Consult a rabbi.Or to the highest extinct get a geneology test.Go on the computer or ask a local geneology consultant and set an apointment.
2007-03-04 12:14:35 · answer #5 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Would you be a Cohen you would sure know as your last name would be either Cohen or Katz or Kahana.
2007-03-02 05:15:52 · answer #6 · answered by Josephine 7 · 2⤊ 1⤋
You would have to ask your father and/or paternal grandfather to be sure. It's the only way of knowing.
Good Luck!!!
2007-03-02 02:53:04 · answer #7 · answered by KB 4 · 1⤊ 0⤋
If you don't know - you're Israel.
2007-03-03 19:36:31 · answer #8 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋