I thought race was a social construct. <\/p>\n
From Forward.com<\/a>:<\/p>\n Legacy: A Genetic History of the Jewish People For most of the 3,000-year history of the Jewish people, the notion of what came to be known as \u201cJewish exceptionalism\u201d was hardly controversial. Because of our history of inmarriage and cultural isolation, imposed or self-selected, Jews were considered by gentiles (and usually referred to themselves) as a \u201crace.\u201d Scholars from Josephus to Disraeli proudly proclaimed their membership in \u201cthe tribe.\u201d I thought race was a social construct. From Forward.com: Legacy: A Genetic History of the Jewish People By Harry Ostrer Oxford University Press, 288 Pages, $24.95 In his new book, \u201cLegacy: A Genetic History of the Jewish People,\u201d Harry Ostrer, … Continue reading
\nBy Harry Ostrer
\nOxford University Press, 288 Pages, $24.95
\nIn his new book, \u201cLegacy: A Genetic History of the Jewish People,\u201d Harry Ostrer, a medical geneticist and professor at Albert Einstein College of Medicine in New York, claims that Jews are different, and the differences are not just skin deep. Jews exhibit, he writes, a distinctive genetic signature. Considering that the Nazis tried to exterminate Jews based on their supposed racial distinctiveness, such a conclusion might be a cause for concern. But Ostrer sees it as central to Jewish identity…<\/p>\n
\nThe belief that Jews may be psychologically or physically distinct remains a controversial fixture in the gentile and Jewish consciousness, and Ostrer places himself directly in the line of fire. Yes, he writes, the term \u201crace\u201d carries nefarious associations of inferiority and ranking of people. Anything that marks Jews as essentially different runs the risk of stirring either anti- or philo-Semitism. But that doesn\u2019t mean we can ignore the factual reality of what he calls the \u201cbiological basis of Jewishness\u201d and \u201cJewish genetics.\u201d Acknowledging the distinctiveness of Jews is \u201cfraught with peril,\u201d but we must grapple with the hard evidence of \u201chuman differences\u201d if we seek to understand the new age of genetics.
\nAlthough he readily acknowledges the formative role of culture and environment, Ostrer believes that Jewish identity has multiple threads, including DNA. He offers a cogent, scientifically based review of the evidence, which serves as a model of scientific restraint.
\n\u201cOn the one hand, the study of Jewish genetics might be viewed as an elitist effort, promoting a certain genetic view of Jewish superiority,\u201d he writes. \u201cOn the other, it might provide fodder for anti-Semitism by providing evidence of a genetic basis for undesirable traits that are present among some Jews. These issues will newly challenge the liberal view that humans are created equal but with genetic liabilities.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"