Finding out I'm Jewish the day Iran attacks Israel

Having wondered and always being asked if I was Jewish, I finally received a definitive answer at 33, on a day many say the world stands "at the brink" of total war.

My Ancestry.com DNA-origins results, received 13 April 2024.

Are you Jewish?

This is a simple yet complex question for Jews that can be asked both in a friendly and unfriendly manner. I’ve received the question in both tones of voice, although as of late, the frequency (and thus the urgency to find out) has certainly increased since Oct. 7. It’s also an existential question, pushing some into denying it — a predicament other ethnicities don’t have to face.

While I don’t recall exactly the moment kids at school began asking (in the unfriendly tone) if I was Jewish, I can vividly remember my older brothers explaining why such a question was being asked of me. I never considered the possibility, although as the years went on, people kept suggesting I was Jewish.

My Jewish friends, which hitherto inexplicably made up a disproportionate amount of my overall friend group, were the most curious. Unlike non-Jewish people who simply asked if I was Jewish, Jews asked the question with a slight va…