Anglo Romani and Jewish

When I first did my ancestry DNA testing, something unusual came in the test results. While my family is Jewish, they are also carry Gypsy ancestry. When I investigated this, I discovered that my families Indian DNA(Gypsy or Roma) was from Kerala, India, and we were genetically linked to the Jews of Cochin, the Benei Menassah, and the the Bnai Israel. All very old Jewish communities in India that date back to the arrival of Yemenite Jews in the 4th century. 

At first I thought this was an unusual finding.That me and my family were just some kind of genetic oddity.  However, then something amazing happened. I was contacted by an Anglo Romani  gentleman, The Reverend Dean Shaw,  who had discovered he and his extended family, Romani as far back as anyone knew, all carried Jewish DNA. He wanted to know where it came from and how. 

The lead to a huge research project which you can find below. It turns out, this Anglo-Romani family also has roots in Jewish India. 

As a result of rooting around this Anglo Romani families families DNA files, I discovered they had relatives, close in relatives, in Spain. I contacted one of these relatives, Antonio Sevilla, and discovered there was a whole group of Spanish Jewish Gypsies. This group had already done impressive research into their origins and discovered they too  had roots in Jewish India. 

A very abbreviated version of the story would be this. The some Anglo Romani, the Spanish Jewish Gypsies, and my Swiss ancestors share a common history. Indeed, there are DNA matches between these three groups. 

 It appears a group of Indian Jews left India long ago and began migrating west along the Silk Road. As they travelled, they married other Jews, in the Caucuses, Iranian Jewish, Azarbajani Jewish, Georgian Jewish, and Armenian Jewish who joined their journey. As they travelled further west, they picked up Greek Jewish(Romaniote) ancestry, and Italian Jewish ancestry(Italik). Then the travelers split up. Some went to Germany and absorbed German Jewish ancestry(Ashkenazi). Some went to Spain and joined the Spanish Jewish community. 

I am publishing the Anglo Romani story first. It will soon be followed by the Spanish Jewish Gypsy story. And then I will be publishing a story on my Swiss Jewish Romani family. It will happen in installments so check back. 

This section and indeed this project  is dedicated to the Reverend Dean Shaw. None of this project would have been possible if it were not for him. In the first place, he contacted me with a question about his ancestry and that got the project started. I am forever grateful for that act alone. But, in addition, Dean talked to me,  had patience for me and my endless, did the field work with the family in England, and more. None of this would have been possible with him and I can never thank him enough. He has a busy life as husband and father to three children, Pastor of the the Elim Christian Life Centre, in Macclesfield, Cheshire. Despite being busy as can be, he gave me the gift of his time. His effort made this story possible, and there is no doubt it will help people, around the world, understand themselves, a little more.  the Bible says, Faith without Works is Dead, and Reverend Dean Shaw is an example of a person doing the work. At his church, and in the bigger world. We all owe him a debt of gratitude. 

If you would like to thank him, Im sure the Elim Centre could use a donation!